Red Mansions: My Book is Cool

In Xicheng, where wealthy families in Huizhou used to live, there is an exquisite and beautiful old house, with a roof made of black tiles and tall white walls with simple lines, black and white, and well-proportioned.The whole house is shrouded in lush trees, and a large clump of bright roses emerges from the exquisite Triassic horse head wall, exuding vitality in the quiet atmosphere.There is a large door plaque hanging on the door, with two large characters "Lin Fu" flowing like clouds and flowing water on it.

This family came here from other places a few years ago.The neighbors around are very polite to the owner of this house, and the local government also takes good care of him.Because, although the head of this family is a woman who has set up a female household, her status is not ordinary. She is officially conferred by the imperial court as a township monarch, and the imperial court will reward her with a salary every year.Mr. Xiang, it may not be unusual in the capital, but in a small ancient city like Huizhou, it is the only one.When everyone passed by this room, they would cast envious and curious eyes.

What's more, the Lin family is more than just a township monarch. It is said that she was born in the Lin family in Gusu, a scholarly family.She also has a prominent family member in the capital, and her relationship with her is not simple.Although they don't have much contact on weekdays, if Mrs. Lin is bullied and writes a book to cry and complain, they will definitely take care of their relatives.Therefore, even though she moved from a foreign country, Lin's daily life, including running the family business with her married husband, was not disturbed by anyone.At first, there were also blind local snakes who didn't know about it. Seeing that the Lin family had a small population, they wanted to blackmail and make trouble, but they were quickly cleaned up by the local government.After that, everyone understood that the Lin family also relied on it.

The Lin family is also low-key and kind, and gets along very well with the neighbors, and once posted a post inviting the neighbors to visit her house.Both of their husband and wife are outstanding talents, and their gestures are extraordinary.Lin's spirit is bright and beautiful, with a refined feeling like a fairy plant from outside the world, but his body looks a little fragile.Her married husband is also very good-looking, his face is like an autumn moon, his color is like a spring flower, but there is a trace of vicissitudes in his eyes.It can be seen that they all have identities and backgrounds, not ordinary people.

On this day, several carriages drove up in front of the Lin residence.After the car stopped, a servant girl helped down a graceful and beautiful woman from the car. The woman had her hair styled like a woman's and was dressed in elegant and dignified clothes.They were led into the mansion by servants of Lin's mansion, who greeted them graciously, and Lord Daoxiang was waiting in her courtyard.Since receiving Madam's post, Mr. Xiang has been very happy, looking forward to Madam's visit every day, so that we can catch up with each other.The lady pursed her lips and smiled softly after hearing this.

While walking slowly, the lady looked up at the surrounding environment.This is a five-entry house, which occupies a large area. There are more than [-] houses in each courtyard, which are exquisite and comfortable, but not luxurious.In each yard, there are many flowers and trees planted, which are colorful and very beautiful. There are also tall trees with dense branches and leaves. It can be seen that the planting time has been very long, which shows the primitive simplicity of this house.

"Sister Lin!"

"Sister Bao!"

When we arrived at the main courtyard where the master lived, Mr. Lin Xiang was already waiting outside the door.Many years later, the old man met again, and the past memories suddenly came to my mind.The two blurted out each other's name, their respective sorrows and joys intertwined, their eye sockets involuntarily became slightly moist, and they took out their handkerchiefs and gently wiped their eyes.

A neatly dressed nanny in charge personally served the tea, Madam Xue looked at it intently and asked uncertainly: "Are you Xueyan?"

"It's the maidservant, Miss Bao has such a good memory!" Xueyan said with a smile, "Miss Bao, taste this tea quickly, this is a small orchid from Shucheng, grown in the mountains, although it is not so famous, but the taste is very good, Our girls like it the most."

"Well, it's really good tea. It tastes sweet and mellow, and the soup is green and clear. Many famous teas can't compare with it!" Bao girl—Xue Baochai praised a few words, and then sighed: "I haven't heard this name for more than ten years. Now, others call me Mrs. Qin. Sister Lin, has Xueyan been by your side all the time?"

"Sister Bao, Xueyan has married a shopkeeper outside the Lin family, and now she is also helping me manage the inner courtyard, and life is going well." Lin Xiangjun—Lin Daiyu said: "I received a message from Sister Bao, I am very happy. When Sister Bao returned to Jinling, I thought that we would never see each other again? Later, after I left the capital, I still wanted to see Sister Bao, so I specially asked someone to inquire about it. It is said that my aunt has passed away, and after sister Bao got married, she left Jinling with her husband."

"That's right. Since my mother returned to Jinling, she was sad and felt that the family business was withering. She felt guilty for us brothers and sisters, and her health was a little bad. Later, when I heard that the imperial court took over Jiayu Village, I was worried about my brother. It hurt my health, and I went after a few years." Xue Baochai said sadly.

"Back then, you knew that my brother's case was smoothed out by Jia Yucun, and my brother was cleared of the crime. Later, I heard that Jia Yucun helped the Jia family to cheat again, and then bit back. , I feel that this person is capricious. Ask my mother to quickly write a letter to my uncle and tell Uncle Li about it. At the beginning, my uncle only knew the general idea and didn't know the details of Jia Yucun's handling of the case, so he sent someone to investigate the case file Afterwards, I was taken aback." Xue Baochai said slowly, "Jia Yucun judged that my elder brother had been hunted down and died. Once the perpetrator died, the case would naturally disappear, and our family paid the Feng family a large sum of money for burning and burying. My mother and I didn't understand, and thought that my brother would be able to get rid of the crime. But my uncle said that Jia Yucun had ulterior motives, and he had already planted a foreshadowing. .Because my brother is still alive and well, at that time he can excuse himself by saying that he was unbearable to the threats of the Wang family and the Jia family, so that he was exonerated. Leaving obvious loopholes, waiting for the court's investigation. This person Jia Yucun is used to meeting the wind and speaking eloquently, and I am afraid that he will really clean himself up, just like he did back then."

Lin Daiyu suddenly remembered the past, her heart froze, and she asked with concern: "What happened after that?"

Xue Baochai sighed: "Uncle made a decisive decision. The long-term pain is worse than the short-term pain, so I reported the matter to the emperor. When my brother was in conflict with Feng Yuan, he asked the servants to beat him, and did not do it himself. He is guilty. , but according to the law, the crime does not amount to death. If you can calm down at that time and find a competent litigator, the defense is that the slaves were not strictly controlled, resulting in the unintentional death of the two people in the fight, which can minimize the guilt If Jia Yucun does this, he will put my brother to death."

"My mother begged to stop me, but my uncle didn't listen. He scolded my mother for being a mother-in-law and a loser! He did this to earn a living for my brother. Don't you understand what the current emperor is like? Our family, now Only those who abide by their own laws can keep their wealth and life. Open your eyes and see what will happen to the Zhen family, if you don't listen to others' good words, he will let him go and ignore Xue's life and death!"

"I thought what my uncle said was reasonable, so I helped my mother to persuade my elder brother to surrender to the government. In the end, the court sent people to investigate and judged that the killing of Feng Yuan was not intentional. The crime. The domestic slave who committed the murder was sentenced to death, and his elder brother was exiled in the frontier, and after a few years of hard life, he came back after being amnesty two years ago." Xue Baochai sighed: "I think he has survived a lot, and he dare not be brave anymore. It was hard. At that time, because of the case, my uncle sent people to investigate Xiangling's life experience, and she turned out to be a girl who was abducted by officials and gentry. My uncle made the decision and ordered my brother to release Xiangling from slavery and marry Xiangling as his wife. Wife. On the one hand, this will make the case more comprehensive; on the other hand, Xiangling is a gentle and good-natured girl, which is enough to match her brother. My mother was picky and unwilling at first, but she was not satisfied when she saw her later. I was willing to be a matchmaker for my brother, so I had no choice but to agree."

"My uncle took care of me. My brother was not abused in exile, so Xiangling could go with me. Now, my brother and Xiangling have returned to Jinling together. I handed over the Xue family property to him. Now the two of them are living happily. It's safe."

"Sister Xue, how is your situation?" Lin Daiyu asked with concern.

Xue Baochai smiled: "My elder brother was exiled, and my mother was ill. Naturally, I will support the Xue family. Fortunately, when my father was still alive, I also learned some management methods from him, and took care of the rest of the Xue family. The family business was reorganized, and the shopkeeper who had dissatisfaction was fired, and the business was resumed. The uncle still had a position in the court, and the Jinling government still gave him some face and did not embarrass him, so he could maintain it. Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs returned the title of Imperial Merchant to Xue's family, and gave him a job as a buyer, who can make money steadily. Although it is not as prominent as before, I feel at ease, and I am very satisfied. To be honest, this When I do it alone, I am not so tired or so worried.”

"My mother is trying to find a marriage for me. Ever since I left Jia's house, I have made up my mind that the husband-in-law I want to choose will be different from the one my mother chooses!" Xue Baochai sighed and said, "If mother Make the decision, then" she swallowed the following words.

Lin Daiyu knew what she meant, and quickly changed the topic: "What is Brother-in-law Xue like? With Sister Bao's eyes, Brother-in-law Xue must be right!"

"My husband's surname is Qin. He is just from a middle-class family with a simple population and several hundred acres of fertile land." Xue Baochai said generously: "At that time, he went to Jinling to take the exam, but he failed the list. What's more unfortunate Yes, the silver was also stolen by the thieves. He has no relatives in the local area, and he has no money for the return journey. I wanted to pawn off his jade pendant, but I happened to go to the shop to check the account. I heard that it was given to him by his deceased grandfather. His, it would be a pity if he died, let's pawn it alive. According to the rules, there is not much money, so it is not a good jade. Besides, he will have to come over to redeem it. Coincidentally, I want to check the account of a shop , I wanted to find someone who was not involved in the local area. I heard that he was good at arithmetic, so I asked him to help with the calculations, provide him with board and lodging, and the wages were not cheap. , or for some reason, I agreed. I observed carefully and found that he is capable and down-to-earth, with a reliable character. "

"Later, I also helped him find good books and collected reports from the imperial court. Xue's family is an imperial merchant, and they are always well-informed. This formed a relationship. Later, when he was admitted to Juren, he entrusted him with People asked me to marry me, and I agreed." Xue Baochai said with a smile: "After getting married, he went to Beijing to rush for the exam and passed the top three Jinshi exam. After three years of observing politics, he was released and became a county magistrate. There were uncles who dealt with him, and the officials The place where he was sent is neither good nor bad. Over the years, he has worked diligently and conscientiously, and his political achievements have a good reputation. Recently, he was promoted to a higher level and transferred to Tongling, Jiangnan Province as a magistrate. Knowing that sister Lin also came to Huizhou, I wanted to come Meet old friends."

"These years, outside the home, life is naturally not as good as it was back then, and sometimes even the big maids in the Grand View Garden are not as good. But, it is a little bit of good, so I can feel more at ease. After he was transferred, So I asked for a royal order for me. We are just two ordinary people who think about fame and career, but there is nothing wrong with it." Xue Baochai smiled calmly.Back then, Jia Baoyu disdained her attitude of chasing fame and fame. Sometimes, as a girl from the imperial merchants, she also felt embarrassed when facing the group of official ladies in the Grand View Garden who didn't care about world affairs and economics.But now, when she said all this, she was very calm.Now, she is also the wife of the official family, Mrs. Gaoming, such a good life, such honor, is all earned by herself!She is proud of it!