The Prince of the Historian of the Red Chamber

88

The lady at the head looked at Xue Baochai a little displeased that her eyes were too scorching, as if she wanted to burn someone.

Frowning slightly, the noble lady pulled her to sit beside her, and Fang Xiao asked, "Is this lady an old acquaintance with my siblings? I don't know your surname?"

Xue Baochai was stunned, and Ying'er pulled her sleeve behind her to regain her senses.

"Sister Xue and I were distant cousins, we met when we were young."

That lady is Lin Daiyu.

Seeing Xue Baochai suddenly, Daiyu was also startled, but she didn't have the word happy.Although all the past has disappeared with the collapse of the Rongguo Mansion, Daiyu doesn't have any attachments to the past, but she is not a Bodhisattva outside Fangwai, so she can't do the actions that clear up her previous suspicions and laugh at Yanyan.

——Not only for what Xue Baochai did in the past, but also for all the evil things her aunt and her mother did.

Xue Baochai also forced a smile and said, "Yes, I met... Sister Lin when I was young."

The lady heard something familiar, she was suspicious in her heart, but she still smiled and said: "So that's the case, our Aunt Weng's family name is Zhang, and these are my third younger siblings."

Xue Baochai bowed slightly, and said dryly, "So it's Mrs. Zhang. My humble husband's surname is Jia."

"Jia?" The eldest lady Zhang paused, feeling that something was about to come out, "Mrs. Jia." Nodding her head in return.

Mrs. Shen's group all looked at Xue Baochai, and were both surprised and happy. They never expected that Mrs. Xue had such a prominent cousin.Especially Mrs. Shen, she became more and more satisfied, she thought, no wonder the dead mother was ordered by Qipin, there was a reason behind it.

The two stone tables faced each other from north to south, and they were not far away. The two wives of the Zhang family seemed to be very friendly, and someone from Mrs. Shen's side spoke up.

Mrs. Zhang is exquisite, and the words she speaks make people feel respectful and relaxed.Daiyu's complexion was not very good at the beginning, but she got better after sitting for a while, and slowly began to talk.

"Third Madam Zhang looks young, so how come she has two young brothers?" When the atmosphere was just right, a lady at Mrs. Shen's table suddenly expressed her doubts.

Mrs. Shen almost fell down angrily, there might be some inhuman sinister here, how could she ask, but that straight-hearted wife was looking at Daiyu curiously, half not aware that she was being abrupt.

Mrs. Zhang lowered her head and covered her mouth with a veil and smiled, thinking that it was not the first time she encountered such a problem.

Daiyu's face was flushed, and the young man standing beside her said: "The boy and his younger brother Xiao Hu are twin brothers, they are not yet in elementary school."

The young man next to Mrs. Zhang also nodded solemnly, as if echoing his brother.

After doing the calculations, everyone realized that these two young men are only eight years old. They are really well-bred, and they are more stable than ten-year-old young men in ordinary people's families. (Shi Mo thumped the ground: Where is the stability, it is because he is too eager to grow up! His pink and tender little nephew... oh, I will cry if I talk too much┭┮﹏┭┮)

Immediately after another surprise, Mrs. Shen smiled and said: "Mrs. Zhang is so lucky!" No, the twins, especially the twin boys, are a great thing to be liked by Aunt Weng's husband in whose home they are placed. .One of these two young men has a smiling face and the other has a stern face, they don't look much alike.

Xue Baochai was also surprised, because she asked, "Twins?"

Daiyu nodded and said, "The older one is called Brother Jin, and the younger one is called Brother Yu."

Xue Baochai didn't know what was going on in her heart now. When she thought of that person and Sister Lin, she always felt that these two people were happy, but Sister Lin's body was a flaw in her heart, especially Aunt Lin's life. Sister Lin is such a delicate girl, obviously not easy to bear... Thinking of this, she sighed in her heart and worried about that person. It is a pity that such a gentleman does not have a son to inherit the mantle.

Who would have expected that Sister Lin, who was difficult to give birth to, would give birth to twins, especially when the two little brothers were eight years old. Counting the days, Sister Lin was pregnant within a year after entering the house...

Huaijin held Yu, didn't he?Such twin brothers, apart from the word Jin Yu, who else can be matched?

Xue Baochai looked at the two brothers, they missed their father very much, Xue Baochai only felt that his eyes were sore, as if the person who remembered it in his bones at a glance was standing in front of her, especially the younger brother, who smiled very much like Zhang He is gentle and gentle.

Ying'er didn't look like it, so she refilled her with water, and happened to block her view.Only then did she remember what the nanny said just now when she came to apologize. Xue Baochai saw that Mrs. Zhang didn't look like she was pregnant, looked at Lin Daiyu with complicated eyes, and asked, "Lin..., third lady, are you happy?"

Lin Daiyu blushed and nodded imperceptibly.

The wife at the table here hastily congratulated, and she couldn't help but feel envious. This lady looks young, but considering the age of the two young men, she must be in her twenties and five. At their age, the men in the family I have gone to spoil those young and charming aunts a long time ago.

Because of the relative relationship with Xue Baochai, it is necessary to send some greeting gifts to Sister Chan.Everyone has seen it together.Mrs. Zhang's family is used to be a good person, even the little girls standing with Sister Chan each got a delicate little purse, inside the purse is exactly the same auspicious cloud pattern jade lock, the jade lock is not big, but the color is very good , It's good to be a fan pendant for the girls to make them dignified.

All the wives also paid respects to the two Jinyu brothers, both of which were gold and silver twigs, not worth anything, but a courtesy.

Lin Daiyu recruited two brothers and told them to go outside to find her brothers.

The two little brothers shouldered the heavy responsibility of taking care of their mother and auntie, and they were unwilling to go out, but Mrs. Zhang glanced at the shy and timid eyes of Sister Chan in the little girl opposite, feeling uncomfortable in her heart, and helped Daiyu managed to coax the little brothers out.

"You go first, and when Auntie and your mother leave, I will call you both! Good boy, ah."

Mrs. Zhang is more than ten years older than Daiyu, she has always cared about this younger brother and sister, the sister-in-law and sister-in-law are very compatible, as good as sisters.

Seeing Baochai's eyes, her heart was sore and sore, she only felt that the Zhang family was good in every way, this kind of family with good virtue... Sister Lin, so lucky.

Sister Chan never knew that her mother had such relatives. At this time, all the little girls looked at her with envy and jealousy. Sister Chan had never felt that she was valued and respected so much. For a while, the laughter became louder. few.

The laughter of the little girls was like silver bells.

Daiyu looked at it with a smile, and praised her a few words, but she didn't invite Sister Chan to talk to her.Seeing Sister Chan's oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, delicate and timid, she is not Baochai's beauty as beautiful as a peony, and she is not like her daughter, so she understands that this is probably the girl born by the aunt in the house.

"Mother! Mother!" There was a commotion outside, and a little girl ran in with a smile.

Followed by four or five nuns and girls, "Hey, my county lord, please slow down and watch your feet carefully!" A solemnly dressed nun was sweating profusely.

Mrs. Zhang was afraid that she would fall into Daiyu's arms, and Daiyu still had one in her belly, so she had to be careful all the time, got up and took the little girl into her arms, took out a handkerchief and wiped her sweat carefully, full of heart Ci Ai: "What are you doing running so fast? Your elder brothers are only pampering you, so what if you fall? Let's see if my aunt returns and doesn't punish them!"

A young man with a weak crown who followed the little girl outside the Babao Pavilion smiled and said: "The mother must punish the elder brother first, he is the one who found this treasure for the younger sister, he has a very temper, we dare not chase after it. It’s getting closer, I’m afraid it will run faster.”

He said hello to Daiyu again, and said with a smile: "Auntie, please rest, the third uncle ordered to bring Nanny Chen..."

Mrs. Zhang just laughed, "It's good when Nanny Chen comes, your aunt seems to be a little dizzy, hurry up and kiss Nanny Chen to take a look, so we can rest assured."

……

Xue Baochai looked at the smiling little girl, who seemed to be carved out of the same mold as Sister Lin. Born on Sister Lin, she was as beautiful as a Xizi, but on this little girl, she was as delicate and charming as fire. His face is like a sun wheel, full of energy.It can be seen that she was raised by thousands of pets.

"This is?"

Mrs. Zhang introduced with a smile, the love in her eyes was overflowing, Mrs. Zhang just said modestly: "There are so many brats in our family, there is only such a precious girl, starting from our old lady, Who doesn't look like eyeballs."

Mrs. Shen and the others didn't know anything else, but they could clearly hear the old woman calling the little girl "County Lord". They were speechless in surprise, and they were also puzzled in their hearts. Only a noble girl has a title, but this little girl is clearly surnamed Zhang, not Zhu?

If it were some other people, for example, the wife of a family with some official positions in Beijing, they would not be so surprised.Everyone knows that the old lady of the Zhang family in Hejian Mansion is the aunt of the current emperor, and the elder sister of the first emperor's mother. As early as when the first emperor succeeded to the throne, she gave her daughter the title of princess, but the princess had no choice. Daughter, the only son married the daughter of the Lin family in Xijiang, and gave birth to three more sons. The princess didn't even have a granddaughter.The eldest grandson and the second grandson gave her three great-grandchildren. It was not until the younger grandson's wife gave birth to twin brothers that she got a girl, which made the old lady and the masters of the Zhang family very happy.Because there is only this one baby lump in three generations, now with a big wave of his hand, he has been named the county head, only a head shorter than the eldest daughter of the prince, and the eldest daughter of the same county king.

Zhang Xiaobashun is the ranking of the Zhang family's brothers, with the seven brothers of the Zhang family on top (I laughed when I wrote this, the male version of the seven fairies...), all of them cherish this little sister, Zhang Xiaoba even The names are all from the boy's surname, and the name is "Linglong". , it appears extraordinarily valuable.

——Although the county is not big, and it is not a prosperous place, Zhang Xiaoba only has the right to collect taxes, and does not have the administrative powers of a county magistrate, but this fief is not even owned by a prince in the current dynasty.Giving her a little girl also means looking at the merits of the Zhang family. After all, the Zhang family is prominent enough. It is impossible for the emperor to ennoble the Zhang family again, and simply repay the treasure of the Zhang family.

Mrs. Shen recited the Buddha's name in her heart, and the atmosphere cooled down a bit. It wasn't that they didn't want to flatter them, but that the difference in status was too great, and they were rather daunting.

Sister Chan accepted the gift, and Xue Baochai had to give it to the little county magistrate, and took off a golden and fragrant wood bracelet from her hand. The etiquette of the room is not bad at all.When Daiyu saw the bracelet, she knew it was an old thing handed down from Xue's family, and it was very valuable, but thinking of her gift to sister Chan, it didn't matter if it came from the hatchback.

Lin Daiyu politely declined the greetings from the other wives, saying only that the child's blessings would be too small to hold back.The atmosphere in the Eight Treasures Pavilion was no longer as lively as before, Daiyu and the others didn't have much thought to entertain them, so they sat down for a while, and immediately took their leave and set off for the top of the mountain.

Xue Baochai looked at their backs, and suddenly saw Sister Chan's eyes looking straight at the eighth girl of the Zhang family with envy and jealousy. In a trance, she just felt that time was reversed, as if she was seeing Tanhualang and the second-rank official for the first time. , The scene of Lin Daiyu, the first daughter of the Lin family, a century-old scholarly family.

Seeing Sister Chan's figure cramped behind the pillar, Xue Baochai sighed inwardly, that girl from the Zhang family is the real proud daughter of heaven, with fiery red riding attire, a small fox fur waistcoat, and uniform riding boots, It's really like a bright sun, which makes Sister Chan in Qian-colored clothes dim like a bean-like candlelight.

Ying'er was also heartbroken, she chose this crimson red dyed with madder for Sister Chan after a thousand choices, she expected that she would be able to hold back, but who knew that such a dazzling county lord would come?

Sister Chan watched the backs of the pair of little brothers Jinyu go away, and sighed in disappointment; Brother Ying, who was rarely quiet beside her, was obsessed with that fiery figure...

Xue Baochai looked at the expressions of the young couple, feeling as if time and space were reversed.

Until the end, sister Chan's interest was obviously not high.Not to mention her, Mrs. Shen and the others were also excited, and felt nothing was missing, as if looking up at Ri Yang'er and then looking at others, there was always something in their eyes.

Just leave in a hurry.

Along the way, Sister Chan either recalled the handsome two brothers, or flashed the dazzling fiery red.Distraught, he stole a look at Baochai, and couldn't help but want to find out about the lady's family.

Baochai glanced at her lightly, and said coldly: "Mrs. Shen said a few words to me when she left, and we have a tacit understanding. You are already a ten-year-old girl, and you should work hard on female red cooking." "They came out this time thanks to the money given by their brother, otherwise they would spend all the money in the shop, where did they get the money to buy clothes for Sister Chan, and once they came out to meet their children, they would lift themselves up too high, Xue Baochai couldn't tolerate this.

Sister Chan's face turned pale, her heart ached, she muttered but couldn't say anything.

What can she say?Say you don't want to marry into the Shen family?Said that Brother Ying obviously liked the county master more?Or did she want to marry one of the two brothers?If she really said it, she would be really dizzy.

Seeing Sister Chan bowing her head to the corner of the clothespin, Baochai smiled coldly, if Sister Chan really said what was in her heart without hesitation, she would admire her on the contrary!

Hmph, this sister Chan is not as frank as she was back then, how dare such a small family's style dare to compete with the majesty of the county lord?With her status, marrying into the Shen family, and being the main wife of the Shen family's youngest son, she should have been satisfied, but now she acted like she had been greatly wronged.I really don't know what to say.

Not his own flesh and blood, and not as honest and filial as Pu Geer, Xue Baochai is not willing to bother to enlighten her at all—life is lived, looking at her like this, you can also predict the scene after she gets married, A husband with a temperament like Jia Baoyu, who still cares about his grievances and will not find a way to win over her husband, is simply asking for right and wrong—just wait, it won't take long, the aunt who can't fit in the whole yard will be able to get her My grievances were wiped away.Are you still wronged that you can't marry into a noble family?Hmph, in the end she had nowhere to cry!

Xue Baochai closed her eyes and ignored Sister Chan. Although she tried her best to arrange this marriage for Sister Chan, she would not support Sister Chan because of the Shen family. It will take four or five years, with this in-law's talking head, they are not afraid that the Shen family will not give them convenience in their shop.After four or five years, Brother Gui and Brother Pu will at least have the title of scholar. Are you afraid that the Shen family will not be on good terms?At that time, I will buy a dowry for Sister Chan, and just marry her over.Sister Chan thought that she could show off proudly here because of hindering the Shen family's marriage, hmph, maybe the dowry would have to be two or three layers thinner than originally planned.

Thinking about it, Xue Baochai's mind turned to today's encounter.

Speaking of which, they haven't seen each other for ten years, right?For ten years, she was the wife of Gaoming, with twin sons and the daughter of the county lord, and now she still has one in her belly. Seeing the maids and maids following her, she didn't even have a concubine dressed like a concubine—yes, forty One can take a concubine only if one has no sons, and with that person's temper, he might not even have a concubine...

Looking at herself again, she has become a business woman, with a concubine and a concubine daughter, her family is difficult, she also has a husband who is promiscuous, and an old lady who is bedridden and curses all the year round...

Xue Baochai touched her face that was no longer greasy. Now, no one would say "a peony of national beauty and a hibiscus of water, each has its own merits". She is already old, right?

Xue Baochai only felt that her eyes were very dry, and she wanted to shed tears, but she had no tears to shed, and she had no reason to shed tears.

The difference between cloud and mud, so it is.

**************

"Hey!" Mrs. Zhang clapped her hands in the bright carriage, "I remember who that Mrs. Xue is!"

Mrs. Zhang resented, "I said it sounds familiar, so it's the daughter-in-law of the Xianyu family, hmph! If I had known it was her, I would never let her stand in front of my eyes!"

Mrs. Zhang complained to Daiyu: "Why didn't you mention it to me? Now that I think about it, you even talked to her so politely. It's really a loss!"

Daiyu made her laugh, and seeing Mrs. Zhang looking at her with a stern face, she hurriedly imitated Zhang Xiaoba to act like a baby: "Sister-in-law loves me, don't be angry... just like you love Xiao Ba."

One sentence made Mrs. Zhang burst out laughing, she tapped Daiyu's forehead, and said with a smile: "This can be regarded as expressing what is in my heart. Look at it and see that we love Xiao Ba, it tastes good. Okay, I will love you like Xiao Ba in the future. ……ah."

"Sister-in-law..."

The two sisters-in-law laughed and chattered for a while, when Mrs. Zhang ordered Daiyu to eat some snacks to rest her stomach, she suddenly remembered, and hurriedly lifted the curtain of the carriage, and saw the little girl riding on a big horse with her second brother, chattering She was happy and hurriedly called her second son.

It was the young man who was chasing Xiao Ba just now, and he rode his horse and approached the carriage, "Mother, you order. My son and Xiao Ba will definitely do it for you."

Mrs. Zhang glanced at this glib person, and said angrily: "Take care of your sister, and ask your sister to touch your skin carefully!" Then she whispered to Zhang Xiaoba: "Good Xiaoba, what happened in the pavilion earlier?" You take off the golden-scented wood bracelet that your wife gave you, and put it away for the girl, we don’t take outside things. Ah.”

Hearing this, the second young master of the Zhang family looked at his younger sister's wrist, knowing that his mother would not have said this in person if there was something wrong, so he also smiled and coaxed: "What a fun thing, ask the second brother to take a look." Toy, if my sister likes it, the second brother will find it for you later, we won't bring it from outside, ah."

Zhang Xiaoba didn't pay much attention to these things, she snuggled into her second brother's arms, obediently let him down, and Second Young Master Zhang casually threw it to the nanny to keep.

Zhang Xiaoba chatted with her second brother: "I don't want those bracelets and hairpins, second brother, let me ride a pony by myself?"

Brother Zhang didn't look at his younger sister's bright eyes, and reasoned with her in a good voice: "There are many people on this mountain road, what if we bump into people?"

Xiao Ba anxiously said: "I won't hit anyone! The little pony is smart, I can ride well, and if I don't run fast, I can stop if someone is in front of me." He praised himself for his good riding without the slightest blush.

Brother Zhang praised his sister for a few words, and said: "The pony is too small, even if it is a BMW, you have to practice more, and you can't hit others. If you fall, how much we feel sorry for you." , let’s go home and ride, ah, the turf at home is thick, and it won’t hurt if you fall.”

Zhang Xiaoba remembered the painful experience of the fall, and honestly nestled in her second brother's arms, listening to her second brother tell those interesting stories.Where no one can see, Second Brother Zhang smiled sinisterly, a joke, how could he ride with his sister like this in a few years, you must know that the elder brother is not here today, so he let him snatch it—Xiangxiang Soft sister!I didn't see those boys who didn't grab it were still grinding their teeth covetously.

Mrs. Zhang just put down the curtain, and cursed, "Stinky boy!"

Daiyu put in a small plate of pastries, and said with a smile: "Their brothers love Xiao Ba so much, can they still lose to her?"

Mrs. Zhang was immediately excited, "Last time, I said I was going to teach Xiaoba how to ride a horse, but in the end, Xiaoba was thrown into the mud and came back like that. If it weren't for my sharp eyes, I would have asked their brothers to join hands to fool them! Last time, ah, I insisted on getting a self-defense object for Xiaoba, but I got such a long and sharp dagger back. When Xiaoba held it, I was so scared that my heart jumped out... …To raise fish for Xiaoba, do you dare to put such a big tank in my sister’s yard! I’m not afraid that Xiaoba will fall into it! When they were young, I didn’t ask their brothers to perform the scene of "Sima Guang smashing the tank" for me!  … ..."

The more Mrs. Zhang talked, the more angry Daiyu heard that her sister-in-law started counting these old calendars again, and her head hurt.

I have to use the words I have said over and over again: "Xiao Ba was not injured when he fell into the mud, right? Distressed..." Daiyu muttered the last sentence in a low voice, and when the sister-in-law didn't react, she hurriedly said: "The dagger, that's what Xiao Ba wanted. I think it has a hidden buckle, which is quite safe. Xiao Ba also wants it. I like it so much, I don’t dare to do things about my buddies... The fish tank has a big mouth, but it’s not high, and the inside of Xiaoba’s body doesn’t even reach his waist..."

"Hey, sister-in-law, starting from the eldest brother Jing, who in the family is not sensible? They are brothers who love their sisters, so let them go, nothing can go wrong. Don't worry, sister-in-law." Daiyu patted her stomach with a smile , "Xiao Ba will be an older sister from now on. No matter whether this child is a younger brother or a younger sister, it should be like an older sister. If she is more stable, I will be Amitabha."

Mrs. Zhang made Daiyu laugh, looked at Daiyu's belly, and said with a smile: "Xiaoba is our family's baby bump, even if he becomes a sister, it's the same for those boys to be careful." Sighing, Daiyu's child has already been told by an experienced imperial doctor that it is a boy, it seems that their family will not be able to have another Xiao Linglong.

Mrs. Zhang family is thinking, she gave birth to two sons, and the second family gave birth to three. They are all old and don't expect to have another girl. The whole family is the most hopeful, let alone her. She also gave birth to Xiaoba, a little Jiaojiao, and when she gave birth to this child, she could make up for it, and maybe add another Xiaojiao to the old Zhang family?

Thinking of this, Mrs. Zhang's gaze at Daiyu became even hotter - who would think too many little Jiaojiao?Seeing that Xiaoba is already six years old, thinking about getting married in a few years makes her feel hot and uncomfortable... Brother and sister work harder, maybe they can have another soft and sticky little girl in front of their knees How many more years will Jiaojiao be with you...

The chrysanthemums on the top of the mountain are in full bloom. Facing this extreme beauty, Daiyu will never have the opportunity to write the poem "full of self-pity and plain grievances, who can explain Qiuxin in a few words?"On the contrary, they are lonely and proud of the world, hand in hand, and there are interpreters at all times. 【Note】

The author has something to say:

[Note]: "The paper is full of self-pity and plain grievances, who will explain Qiu Xin in a few words?" It is a sentence in Lin Daiyu's poem "Ode to Chrysanthemum" in the original work.

"A lonely sign is proud of the world and who hides together, and the same flower blooms late." "If you don't talk about the world, why not explain it in a few words." It is also two lines in Lin Daiyu's "Ask Chrysanthemum" poem in the original work.