[Red Mansion] The third master of jade-like stone treasures

Three days later, Bao Cong and Liu Xianglian quietly left the wedding procession with more than a dozen nurses from Jia's family, and then parted ways and went to their destinations.

Baocong and Dongming went to Ping'an Prefecture to visit Jia Zheng.

At this time, Aunt Zhou was lying on a bamboo chair in a small courtyard in Ping'an Prefecture, drinking tea and basking in the sun comfortably.

In the East Wing, Douer, the little girl I bought, was serving Jia Zheng to drink medicine, while by the well, the widow Douer Niang Liu was washing her clothes and drying them on the bamboo poles in the corridor.

Oh, what a good day!

Aunt Zhou sighed silently in her heart, and comfortably squeezed a candied fruit into her mouth.

Of course, it wasn't like that at first.

At that time, Jia Zheng was still in exile, and Aunt Zhao took all the money and ran away.She was penniless and accompanied by a sick Jia Zheng, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and pawn her only silver bracelet to live a hard life.

Then, suddenly, luck followed.

Jia Zheng received an amnesty and no longer had to be exiled. She wrote a letter back to Beijing asking for help, and soon received 200 taels of silver.

When I arrived in Ping'an Prefecture, I bought a house with a small courtyard and bought Widow Liu to work with her daughter. Her life improved day by day.

No need to serve Jia Zheng, no need to do needlework to subsidize expenses, no need to please servants, no need to be bullied by Aunt Zhao, and no need to look at Mrs. Wang's face—it's so far away from the mistress, and her Aunt Zhou is also called the master!

It's ten times better than life in Rongguo Mansion!

Stuffing another candied fruit into her mouth, Aunt Zhou narrowed her eyes contentedly, and lazily said to Widow Liu: "Sister-in-law Liu, you and Dou'er can eat the rest of the candied fruit. I ate ten of them. Tomorrow, it's weird, when you go shopping tomorrow, buy some salted and crispy peanuts."

Widow Liu responded with a smile, envious in her heart.

She felt that Aunt Zhou's life was really good. If she married into a rich family, she would be a concubine. Even if her husband was paralyzed on the bed like this, she would still have a lot of money to spend, and she would not have to do anything to eat and drink.

People in their forties are still as young as they are in their early thirties, unlike her, who is only in their early thirties, but they are as vicissitudes as they are in their 50s and [-]s.

What a blessing!

Widow Liu was sighing when she heard someone knock on the door.She wiped her hands casually, and hurried to answer the door.

"Master Jia Zheng Jia lives here?" Someone asked softly outside the door.

Dou'er came out of the East Wing with an empty bowl, and respectfully said to Aunt Zhou: "The master drank the medicine, and he fell asleep."

Aunt Zhou was too lazy to agree, she just closed her eyes and waved her hands casually, lazily lying on the recliner, drowsy.

When Bao Cong came in, he saw this pleasant scene.

It's really surprising that Aunt Zhou, who was like an invisible person in Rongguo Mansion, now looks radiant, like the wife of a small family!

But it was not as surprising as Bao Cong.

Suddenly seeing a dignified and handsome son, accompanied by a dozen or so imposing servants, Dou'er, who has never seen such a rich and noble man, was so shocked that he couldn't help crying out!

Aunt Zhou opened her eyes and saw Bao Cong standing in front of her with a smile, calling her gently: "Aunt Zhou."

Immediately, she jumped up from the reclining chair, and she didn't even care about bumping into Dou'er, causing Douer to break the empty bowl!

"Third, third master!"

Aunt Zhou drooped her head, her whole body was stiff, and she lamented in her heart, this good day has not passed for a few days!

Bao Cong smiled, deliberately ignoring Aunt Zhou's trembling, and asked her, "Where is the master? How is he?"

"Okay! Master is fine!" Aunt Zhou pulled out a smile that she thought was very bright, and graciously led Bao Cong to the east wing, and said as she walked, "Master just drank the medicine, and now he is asleep!"

"This medicine is just changed by the doctor. It is more effective than the original medicine. It's just that the master loves to sleep after taking it. He sleeps for six hours a day. When he wakes up, I help him to the yard. Lying down and basking in the sun, he is fine..." His temper was a little bit worse...

Aunt Zhou babbled about Jia Zheng's daily situation, and then poured tea to Bao Cong, sweating nervously on her forehead, for fear that Bao Cong would think she didn't take good care of Jia Zheng.

After all, she was just lying in the yard drinking tea and eating candied fruit, and she was ordering the little girl...

Bao Cong only nodded with a smile. After looking at Jia Zheng, he went out of the East Wing, stood in the yard, looked around, and took a good look.

The key point is to take a few glances at Widow Liu and the little girl Dou'er.

Aunt Zhou hurriedly explained: "This, this is Mrs. Liu and her daughter Dou'er. I saw them pitiful, and I happened to be too busy to take care of the master alone, so I bought them to help...I, I didn't slack off. , wait for the master to drink medicine to wash up, have to buy vegetables to cook, and also have to decoct medicine, it is really too busy..."

"Aunt Zhou don't need to be nervous." Bao Cong said with a smile, "I know you have worked hard to take care of the master, and Auntie has done a good job."

She thought Bao Cong was going to reprimand her for being lazy and not working, but when she suddenly heard Bao Cong praise her, Aunt Zhou's nose suddenly became sour, and she almost shed tears just now.

If Mrs. Wang saw her frivolous appearance just now, wouldn't she ask someone to slap her dozens of times?

Aunt Zhou sniffed, blessed her body, and whispered: "Serving the master is what I should do."

"By the way, did my aunt receive a box of things recently? It was sent by Chen Ping." Bao Cong asked.

Thinking of this, Aunt Zhou hurriedly asked Widow Liu to go back to the room together, and brought out a dusty box from under the bed, "Here it is!"

The box is locked and I don't know what's inside.

Aunt Zhou thought that Bao Cong would send someone to pick it up soon, but after the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, she waited for a month or two, but no one came to pick it up. She thought it was nothing important, but Bao Cong actually picked it up. I came to pick it up in person.

Bao Cong nodded and motioned to Dong Ming, who took out a 500 tael banknote and handed it to Aunt Zhou.

Aunt Zhou took the bank note and was a little taken aback.

Just listen to Bao Cong said: "This yard is quite big. Later, Auntie will buy a carriage and hire a coachman. If the master needs to go out, it will be more convenient."

"Master and aunt may stay here for a long time. You don't need to save on food and drink on weekdays. You still have to spend what you need. If you don't have enough, you can go to the Yushixuan branch to pay the money. I have already explained."

Aunt Zhou could only stare and nod, a little dazed, a little confused, and vaguely delighted.

When the words were almost finished and the things were taken, Bao Cong asked the nurse to carry the box and walk out with his feet.

Aunt Zhou quickly collected the banknotes, and chased after her footsteps: "The third master is leaving now? Are you going to leave after dinner? During dinner, the master should wake up!"

Bao Cong shook his head: "I don't want to eat anymore, I still have work to do. When Master wakes up, Auntie doesn't have to tell him that I've been here."

Aunt Zhou stammered: "Then, after that..."

"Auntie, don't worry, just live life at ease."

"...Hey! I will take good care of the master!"

Aunt Zhou was overjoyed, and stood at the door, happily watching Bao Cong and his party walk away, and called Widow Liu cheerfully: "Sister-in-law Liu, close the door!"

Only then did Widow Liu and Dou'er come forward, and while closing the door, they asked Aunt Zhou: "Ma'am, is this the young master? He looks so handsome! He just has a terrifying aura!"

Dou'er continued, "I see him smiling all the time, he's very kind!"

Aunt Zhou nodded Dou'er's head, and lightly scolded: "This is the third master. The third master has a bad temper. He is a high-ranking official, so you must be respectful!"

Douer hummed, smiled, and took the broom to sweep up the bowl pieces.

Aunt Zhou sat back on the recliner, took a sip of tea, and ate a candied fruit to suppress her shock.

Then, he glanced at the East Wing.

She sincerely hoped that Jia Zheng could lie on the bed and live for 100 years.

=== 888 ===

Chen Ping publicized his reason for feigning death, and Bao Cong confirmed it after opening the box.

There is a box of ledgers, not only the ledgers for selling grain, but also the "filial piety" received by officials on weekdays, the sale and purchase of private salt, land and so on.

If this box is handed over to the imperial court, I am afraid that hundreds of officials from the capital to Jiangxi will have to be imprisoned and beheaded.

Chen Ping stole this box of ledgers, and he is estimated to be hunted down by hundreds of officials. If he doesn't spread the word that he is dead, how can he escape all kinds of siege and pursuit?

The matter was so important that Bao Cong didn't dare to stay in Ping'an Prefecture, but immediately took the box and secretly boarded the Xue family's merchant ship to Beijing.

Who would have imagined that Xue Pan, who only had wine and straw in his head, would deliver such an important account book?

After returning to Beijing, Bao Cong ran to Feng's house overnight and asked Yu Li to give Feng Tang the box of ledgers.

Then, he squatted at Feng's house until dawn, and saw Feng Tang lift the box into the carriage and enter the palace with the rest of his energy.Then one day passed, the sun was setting, and before the palace was locked, Feng Tangkong set out to leave the palace with Yu Li.

Bao Cong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the box ledger should have been successfully handed over to Emperor Zhao.

The task is completed, he can go home, wash and sleep!

Bao Cong turned around secretly, trying to avoid Feng Tang's sight and leave.

Unexpectedly, Feng Tang moved even faster. Wearing a cumbersome official uniform, he ran over in a few strides and grabbed him by the collar, "Nephew, where are you going?"

Bao Cong had no choice but to turn his head back, and bowed respectfully: "... General Feng, I have exercised in the morning, and I am going home to wash up."

Feng Tang looked at Bao Cong with a half-smile, stroked his beard and said, "Didn't my nephew send the Princess to marry? Why did you return to Beijing so soon?"

"Uh..." Bao Cong insisted on telling the lie to the end in embarrassment: "The lower official remembered that something was left behind, so he came back to get it, so he has to go back and send the princess to marry!"

Feng Tang glanced at Bao Cong, grabbed him tightly, and showed his big white teeth with a smile, "Nephew, you should go with me first!"

"There is a decree from the sage, to appoint this official as an imperial envoy, and go to Jiangxi to secretly investigate the case of officials embezzling and accepting bribes to buy and sell grain and private salt. This official has specifically reported to the sage that the confiscation of the box of ledgers was a great contribution made by my nephew. The sage is very grateful Appreciation, I have ordered you to be the deputy secretary of the imperial envoy, and go to Jiangxi with me to handle the case!"

This kid, who dares to make such a big fuss when he's idle at home, and designed him to be an early bird, don't even think about running away!

Bao Cong, who was very sleepy and drowsy, suddenly felt refreshed, and felt Feng Tang's deep malice...