[comprehensive] superior skills

A new day began. The young personal maid, Bethany, had a group breakfast in the servants' room. After tidying up her grooming, she came to the sunny room in Rosings Manor to wake up the future heir, Miss de Boer.

Bethany opened the heavy sapphire blue velvet curtains, and asked the little host who was lying on the four-poster bed unwilling to get up: "Good morning, miss, maybe you would like a cup of black tea before getting up?"

"No, thank you. I'm not thirsty."

Not wanting others to know that he had developed the bad habit of eating in bed before he was married, Song Ci rubbed the bed sheet carefully with his arm hidden under the quilt, and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that there was no residue on the bed sheet. "Is mom up?"

Mrs. de Boer, who has already entered the old age schedule, would summon the male and female housekeepers in the manor every morning, and take the trouble to discuss with them the big and small matters inside and outside the manor, even mediating small disputes between tenants. Have relish.

"Yes, Madame is talking to Mr. Brooke and Mrs. Ferrall in the drawing room."

Bethany found a beige high-waisted skirt from the closet, "Are you still going to the lake today?"

"Of course, Bethany."

Putting her long curly hair behind her head, Song Ci walked into the bathroom wearing a thin ostrich feather coat, "Please help me choose a pair of thicker insoles, so that my mother won't make a fuss about the small blisters on the soles of my feet."

I don’t know how other noble ladies tolerate those satin and silk shoes that look beautiful but are thinner than ballet shoes. Anyway, she only wears them once and thinks that the gentleman who invented the carriage is really cute.

In order to reduce the torture of walking barefoot wrapped in silk, Song Ci had to beg the maid to sew thick wool insoles for herself.

Behaviors that do not conform to the norms of a lady must be carefully avoided by Mrs. de Boer's eyeliner, otherwise she would rather face her daughter's bloody feet than her child become an unruly inferior person .

Unlike the natives who are used to letting their servants admire their plump bodies, Song Ci left Bethany on the other side of the curtain as soon as he entered the bathroom, took off his clothes and lay down in the copper tub.

Fresh fruits, snacks and wine are also placed on the long marble bar table not more than an arm's length away from the bathtub, as well as handmade honey soaps, essential oils and balms for body cleansing and massage.

Fortunately, people at this time are very fascinated by everything from the far east, and the steward of Rosings Garden purchased many expensive imported items at the request of the owner, so she does not have to use Western-style toiletries that are comparable to poisonous drugs like ordinary people .

Bethany, who stayed outside, kept an eye on her master's movements, and waited until the young lady had covered her whole body with fine foam before washing her body clean with the exquisite amphorae.

After taking an extremely comfortable hot bath, Song Ci changed into the beige velvet dress, and picked a pink silk tulle to cover his chest as usual, "I look pretty good today, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Bethany wiped her soft hair with a cloth towel, "Madame will be very happy to see you."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Song Ci stood up from the dressing table, "Don't be too busy, just wrap your hair with red satin."

The lady's request was very simple, but Bethany didn't dare to obey it completely. She didn't tie her hair with a hairband dotted with fine green agate until she confirmed that the dripping water stains would not soak the clothes and make the little master catch a cold.

"Good morning, Mom!"

Running briskly down the stairs covered with embroidered curtains, Song Ci kissed Mrs. de Boer's cheek, "You wake up really early!"

Sensitively smelling the warm fragrance from her daughter's body, the always serious hostess said disapprovingly: "Annie, in such a cold season, you really shouldn't keep the bad habit of taking a bath every day. If you don't catch a cold, it will definitely make your body worse. Physical burden."

"Oh, don't talk about these boring topics."

Song Ci smiled and twirled the skirt, "Look how I look today, Bethany said it's amazing!"

Mrs. de Boer's eyes fell from her daughter's ruddy face to her slender waist for ten years, "I would rather you are as good as she said. Otherwise, who should manage the future Rosings Manor, even if Even your husband cannot deprive the mistress of her rights."

"mom!"

Song Ci sat beside her and looked at the pile of letters that caused headaches, and said sincerely: "If you are willing to live a long life, this problem will be solved immediately. By then, not only your little Annie, And your little grandson, your little grandson will be brought up by the honorable Mrs. de Boer, just thinking about it makes me feel wonderful!"

Swear to God, she would rather never inherit Rosings in her life than worry about trivial things like its mistress.

"Oh, my poor Anne, you really don't deserve this."

After expressing her heartache with difficulty, Mrs. de Boer immediately said firmly to Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng, who always acted as the accompanying role: "I dare say that if you don't consider the physical reasons, even if my daughter's appearance is married to the noble prince It is by no means a high climb!"

"Of course, ma'am!"

Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng affirmed in a more earnest voice than the hostess: "I have taken care of this child for nearly 20 years, and no one knows what a good child should look like than me, at least those who have never really understood her will never Know."

"Don't say that. I think it is God's favor that made me the daughter of the De Boer family. Otherwise, if I was born in a poor family with my body, I might not even be able to reach adulthood."

The praise of the two wives made Song Ci, who was trying to avoid social activities due to illness, feel guilty, but she could only reluctantly accept the other party's kindness, "Mom, how happy it is to be your child, as long as you don't force me to Go dance with men you don't know, I'd do anything for you."

Unexpectedly, Mrs. de Boer did not let her daughter's sweet words coax her this time, "Then you can use your free time to write a reply letter for me."

"Let me answer your letter?"

Song Ci accepted the letter with beautiful cursive characters in surprise, "But I don't know much about Rosings' foreign affairs..."

"This is a personal letter."

Mrs. de Boer showed a rare joyful smile on her face, "I haven't had time to tell you that Mr. Darcy is about to end his long journey and visit us in Rosings after returning home."

"Oh, this is really great news!"

Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng, who had known the hostess' intentions for a long time, cheered happily when she heard the words: "That gentleman's approachability is impressive, and he has always taken care of you and the lady as best he can."

Song Ci glanced at the letter quickly, "Mr. Darcy has returned from the rubber plantation in India? Time flies so fast, before I know it, we haven't seen each other for more than half a year."

"Annie, now your dowry has added a valuable property."

Mrs. de Boer first expressed her relief at the good news that her nephew was about to return, and then she was critical: "Darcy is indeed too kind, and always likes to associate with people with unequal status. He was the son of the housekeeper before, and then This businessman who applied for tire patents."

"Mom, Mr. Thomson is not a businessman in the usual sense."

Song Ci couldn't help but argue while being overjoyed: "He invented the pneumatic tire, which is a rare good business in human history! As long as he is willing to work hard, many people, including Mr. Darcy, will benefit from this business." Get great benefits!"

"No matter how many patents he invents, it can't change the essence of a thing!"

Mrs. de Boer always felt that these people would bring down her nephew's reputation, and even make him pay a heavy price, "I told him that too much praise for friends from different classes would only make those people forget about themselves and overestimate themselves, but he He would not listen. I heard shortly afterwards that the steward's son had parted ways with poor Darcy. I hope he learns some lesson from it, and stops treating businessmen who only have sterling in their heads in the same way."

"How can there be such a person in the world!"

The expression on Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng's face was even more shocking than that of the honorable hostess, "How dare a housekeeper's son live up to his master's respect!"

"Who says it isn't? It's so puzzling! It's even more unacceptable that my dear nephew can't live without a good Pemberley, and he's going all the way to explore the land of the savages. "

Mrs. de Boer did not forget to turn to her daughter and emphasized: "Since I married your father, I have stayed in Rosings Garden almost all my life, and I have never felt uncomfortable."

The two wives chatted a lot, but Song Ci ignored them all.

Her mind was now on the tire business she was about to start, the convenience it would bring, and Mr. Darcy, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.

Miss Anne's mother, Duchess Catherine de Boer, and Lady Anne Darcy and Earl Oliver Fitzwilliam are brothers and sisters of the same mother, which means that she not only has aunts and uncles, but also Darcy Several cousins ​​including Mr.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Darcy, who had the closest relationship with the hostess of Rosings Manor, died of illness many years ago, leaving her daughter and eldest son to be raised by Mr. Darcy alone.

From Mrs. de Boer's mouth, Song Ci had heard countless sad and nostalgic stories about this aunt, and the agreement of the two mothers to make each other's children a lifelong partner.

The veracity of this verbal agreement is impossible to prove, but just looking at the last gloomy ending of the young lady in her previous life, it is clear that she did not marry Mr. Darcy, whom her mother favored as she wished.

Speaking of which, Song Ci's impression of Mr. Darcy is still at the moment when he first met Mr. Darcy at the funeral of the old Mr. Darcy five years ago.

Since then, every time she faced this unsmiling cousin, she would have the illusion of standing in the courtroom and waiting for a solemn verdict.

In comparison, although Colonel Fitzwilliam is also a cousin, he is much kinder and kinder than Mr. Darcy, but it is a pity that his born weak position makes him lack a dazzling halo.

Unless his mother loves the youngest son very much and is willing to leave all the dowry to one person, his mate selection criteria will be as embarrassing as his own identity.

But for Song Ci, who can buy the whole of England, the standard of a good husband does not lie in his status or the amount of property.

If he wanted her to marry a certain man sincerely, in addition to the spiritual compatibility of the two, he must abide by the oldest marriage oath and only love one person for life, and he would never be allowed to go out with his wife's dowry like ordinary nobles.

If you can't find such a loyal partner or wait until after marriage to discover the ugly face that the man deliberately hides, Song Ci would rather be like Mrs. de Boer and take her husband's inheritance to be a satisfactory widow than compromise.

Of course, this is just the worst plan. Considering Miss Anne's wish, she will try to keep her eyes open to find a good man who will come out of the mud and not be stained in this era full of mistresses and prostitutes.

Looking down at the family crest on the letter, Song Ci sighed silently, "At least compared to those girls who can only rely on prenuptial agreements to guarantee their legal rights, I am lucky enough, am I not?"

After breakfast, Mrs. de Boer, who was accompanied by Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng to inspect the land in a four-wheeled carriage, was sent away. Song Ci strolled along the climbing apple tree trellis with butter alone to Swan Lake at the edge of the forest.

Not far from the lake is a large four-corner tent. Although it looks like a beautiful decoration, it can shelter the owner who loves to linger in the wilderness full of wildness.

The lively Buttercream got into the tent earlier than Miss, and after wandering around for a while, it even wanted to stand up and grab the food basket on the table.

"Hey little guy!"

Song Ci knelt down and stroked the snow-white fluffy hair on its body, "It's too early for you to do this now."

She moved her fingers a little, and a piece of beef jerky enough for butter to chew for a long time appeared in her palm, "Eat it, you love this the most, don't you?"

Butter let out a coquettish hum, and lay down on the cushion in the corner with the jerky in his mouth, savoring the food wholeheartedly.

After looking through the food basket, he saw that there were not only small snacks to pass the time, but also thoughtful food for waterfowl, so Song Ci took the meal cloth wrapped in oatmeal and dried fruits to the short rock extending to the center of the water. On the bridge, dedicate them to the beautiful white swans playing freely in the lake.

After admiring the beauty of nature enough, Song Ci walked back to the tent, "Well, at least I should write a more decent reply letter to Mrs. de Boer before she comes back, so as not to miss her next time we meet. Sometimes I have to bother a certain gentleman to take the trouble to instruct the young lady on her writing skills."

Before writing, she once again opened the private letter that made her mother want to count the dowry for herself, hoping to see what touching words the gentleman had said.

But over and over again, Song Ci discovered that it simply explained that the living environment in India is very different from that in China, and that the partner, Mr. Thomson, had a wonderful idea that crossed the ages.

By the way, he also greeted his respected aunt and sickly cousin at the end of the letter as usual.

Maybe it's because she doesn't understand the restrained way of expressing emotions of British gentlemen, please forgive her for not being as excited as Mrs. de Boer's, thinking that the communication between the two is unobstructed.

"Colonel Fitzwilliam's mother hopes that her son can marry Miss Anne who has a lot of property to maintain a decent life, but Mrs. de Boer hopes that her daughter will marry Mr. Darcy who is more valuable."

Song Ci dipped the quill in the ink bottle, "Look, fate likes to play tricks on people like this."

Compared to the latter who just wants to entrust his daughter's lifelong happiness to the younger generation he is most optimistic about, I am afraid that the former has carefully calculated when his son will fully grasp the generous sum at the latest when he is determined to promote this marriage. dowry.

Don't blame her for trying to figure out the lady's original intentions with this disgraceful and malicious way of thinking behind her back. It's because the ruthless and appalling principles of some nobles at the same time are too fresh in my memory .

After a brief self-mockery, Song Ci leaned over the small milky white round table and began to write like his mother expected.

"Cousin Darcy, I am very glad to hear that you are safe and well. You must know that it is always a regret of my mother not to be able to spend Christmas with you. On the night when relatives should be reunited and celebrated, even Cousin Georgiana But people can't take your place. Especially when she learns that Aizhong's nephew wants to leave the peaceful and prosperous motherland, and go across the ocean to start a new business in a barbaric country where just talking about his name can make women and children sleepy at night At that time, the surprise in my heart was comparable to that of Napoleon’s encounter with Waterloo. In view of the unequal relationship between you and Napoleon in my mother’s heart, please allow me to say frankly that the impact on her was even a hundred times more serious than that. Fortunately, you are smart I chose to say goodbye to her in the letter, otherwise I can guarantee that you will not even think about stepping out of England after the news leaks."

"Finally, I would also like to congratulate you on successfully reaching a cooperation agreement with Mr. Thomson. Believe me, if you can sign a long-term agreement with the descendants of that gentleman like a wise farmer, you will give all your unreserved respect and love to him This emerging industry will definitely bring the Darcy family far more lucrative returns than industrial investment. That's all I have to say, although it still can't express one ten-thousandth of the emotion in my mother's heart, but I believe you will definitely I can understand the unfinished meaning. May God bless you and this letter to return to your long-lost homeland safely and smoothly. Anne de Boer."

After carefully checking that there were no grammatical errors on the letter paper, Song Ci simply folded it, and was not in a hurry to seal it with family emblem wax.

Because she knew that if she had not seen the reply to her nephew, Mrs. de Boer would not even be able to guarantee five hours of sleep every night.

Whether the letter was delivered to Mr. Darcy by the postman at Pemberley, at the London lodgings, or in some well-known port, was not a concern to her.

Sure enough, after inspecting the houses and gutters that needed to be repaired in the villagers' homes, Mrs. de Boer spent the entire afternoon tea time discussing the reply letter with her daughter.

After reading the whole text, she said that the letter was too reserved and reserved and failed to express the closeness of her mother and daughter to her nephew, and she solemnly asked her daughter to add your dearest before the signature at the end. prefix.

No one wanted to postpone the dinner time because of such a trivial matter, so Song Ci had to rework the letter according to his mother's request, so that it would be full of compliments without being overly obsequious.

However, in order to express her unyielding will, she still secretly stuffed the initial draft into the letter paper, so as to prevent Mr. Darcy from mistakenly thinking that Miss Anne must be a lover, and causing unnecessary troubles.

The author has something to say:

Song Ci: The scumbag author has always felt that the gentleman who first invented the tire was born at the wrong time~~

Red moon, huh~~