The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Chapter 65: Xing Family Women 2
In Ningguo Mansion, Xing Xiuyan was playing with the children.

Wang Xifeng's daughter Qiaojie has become the queen of Ningguo Mansion.

Because she was the only girl and her parents were relatives of the Rongguo Mansion, the Ningguo Mansion doted on this little girl and allowed her to bully her naughty nephews.

Sitting next to Xing Xiuyan were Xue Baoqin and the Li sisters.

The four of them had been staying in Ningguo Mansion for a few days. They were well treated in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. Jia Yuanchun also took the initiative to invite them to come and help look after the children and talk about poetry, calligraphy and painting.

Jia Yuanchun and Aunt Li were talking about studying and taking exams, and they were wondering how busy their husbands would be with exams after the spring.

When a group of women were having a great time, Jia Qiaojie, who was tired from playing, ran to Xue Baoqin's table and looked at the crystal tofu on it.

"Sister, I want to eat this." Jia Qiaojie leaned on the edge of the table with her hands. Only her big eyes were slightly higher than the table. She was concentrating on looking at the food in the celadon plate.

Xue Baoqin and others picked her up with a smile and fed her.

While eating, Qiaojie asked curiously, "Where's big brother? Did he come to my house again?"

Jia Yuanchun, who was talking to Aunt Li, looked over here and said with a smile, "No, your elder brother doesn't go out very often. Today he was meeting guests in the study. Officials from Jinling and Suzhou came to Beijing to pay their respects to him."

Qiaojie asked curiously, "What is filial piety?"

Jia Yuanchun smiled and said, "We'll know when we eat. If there's something delicious among the offerings, it won't just be for the sisters, but you and your nephews too."

Xue Baoqin, Xing Xiuyan and others have indeed received a lot of tributes from all over the country in the past few days.

Xue Baoqin exclaimed: "The Jia family is indeed a duke's family, with plenty of food and good food. We are lucky to have caught up with the New Year's Day. Not to mention that we can't finish the food, the gift packages sent alone have piled up in several courtyards."

Jia Yuanchun was very pleased with the compliment and said modestly, "It has not always been like this. Since the master gained fame, more people have come to visit. In the past few years, when the master was studying hard and ignored the outside world, the New Year was much quieter."

Only Jia Yuanchun herself knew what happened in the past, and no one else could imagine how peaceful the Ningguo Mansion was in the past.

While a few people were chatting, a maid came in with a woman.

"Madam, Wang Shanbao came to ask Miss Xing to come over there and sit with her."

When Wang Shanbao's wife came in, she felt that it was much warmer here than the greenhouse at home, and the sharp-eyed old woman quickly noticed the various snacks on the table.

Braised chicken feet, crystal tofu, steamed cheese with sugar, Ruyi cake, and pear tea.

When Xing Xiuyan heard that she was being mentioned, she stood up quickly.

Jia Yuanchun took the initiative to say, "Since you are going there, you can take a sedan chair when you go, and you can take a sedan chair when you come back. It is freezing outside, so you can wear my red pomegranate and jade cloak when you go there, so as not to catch a cold. During the New Year, there is a lot of needlework, so after the New Year, I will give you a bright red cloak that will fit you well."

Xing Xiuyan saw Jia Yuanchun asking the maid to bring her cloak and said hurriedly, "Thank you for your kindness, grandma. I can just walk over in my cotton jacket. It's snowing a lot outside and I'm afraid it will get dirty."

Xing Xiuyun could not accept Jia Yuanchun's kindness, as she was afraid that she could not afford to pay for such expensive clothes.

Jia Yuanchun took the cloak from the maid, opened it, and took the initiative to put it on Xing Xiuyan.

"Just put it on. Clothes are meant to be worn. I see that you are in poor health and thin. If you get sick again, it will be bad for your health. If you feel bad about it, please ask Miss Lin when she will come over so that I can make arrangements in advance."

Looking at the pomegranate red robe on her body, Xing Xiuyan could only say gratefully: "Thank you, grandma!"

Jia Yuanchun smiled and said, "You are a guest, not a servant. Just call me sister. There are no so many rules in our family. You can take the sedan chair to avoid being caught in the wind, and to avoid the eldest lady waiting anxiously."

Xing Xiuyan nodded quickly, "Thank you, sister!"

Jia Yuanchun looked at her maid and said, "Arrange a sedan chair for my sister." "Yes! Grandma!" The maid quickly obeyed the order.

Wang Shanbao's family was not treated so well. Not only did they not have a cloak, they also did not have a sedan chair.

After walking with the girl in the sedan chair back to Rongguo Mansion, he was immediately filled with resentment.

Soon, Wang Shanbao's maid brought Xing Xiuyan to Madam Xing's courtyard.

With just a few words, Mrs. Xing got four taels of silver from her niece and sent it to her parents.

Mrs. Xing is now obsessed with money. Without Jia She as a source of funds, what can she do with only twenty taels of silver every month?

Not only Xing Xiuyan's salary, but also the salaries of the maids and servants under Madam Xing should be deducted.

A little adds up to a lot.

Although food and accommodation are provided in the Jia Mansion, if you want to pursue some privileges or want to have special meals, you have to pay for it.

Especially when asking subordinates to do things without any rewards in the middle of winter, many people are unwilling to work overtime.

Mrs. Xing is very anxious now. She no longer has her husband and son to rely on, her mother-in-law doesn't like her, and she can't count on her family. Now she can only save more money on her own.

Xing Xiuyan looked miserable when she returned soon. Fortunately, food and drink were free in Ningguo Mansion, and they were also given cotton-padded jackets of the same style for the New Year, so there was almost no expense.

Although he was not treated harshly in Ningguo Mansion, he couldn't help but think of his origins.

Xing Xiuyan, who came from a poor family, felt that she was not in the same circle as the Duke's family. If it weren't for this accident, she should have gone back long ago.

In the evening, Jia Rong did not come back for dinner, so Jia Yuanchun invited all the girls to have dinner together.

After Xue Baoqin sat down, she asked curiously, "Did Brother Rong go out?"

Jia Yuanchun smiled and said, "No, I'm still talking to someone in the study. Three groups have left, and now there's another visitor. I just had someone deliver some rose water and Poria cocos cream. Take some back after dinner. They're all edibles. If you don't use them, they'll expire and go bad."

Xue Baoqin said happily: "Thank you, Sister Yuanchun!"

Jia Yuanchun smiled and nodded, "New Year's Eve is a time for celebration. Don't be polite or it will seem strange. My birthday is on the first day of the New Year. Every year, there are many things to do. The master and I can celebrate it alone. You don't have to be polite to me. Just enjoy the New Year peacefully."

Qin Keqing smiled and said, "Yes, we do this every year. As long as we don't disturb their love affair, it will be the best gift."

Jia Yuanchun smiled but said nothing. She was used to being made fun of by Qin Keqing.

As the mistress of the Jia family, with people like Jia Rong around, she doesn't need too much authority to manage the servants, so she doesn't want to be a bad person. Just like her mother, Mrs. Wang, she is willing to be a good person most of the time.

Wherever there was a need to play a scoundrel, Jia Rong would do it himself. Moreover, the relationship between the couple was stable and they had enough children. The women who married into the family were either maids or people of insufficient status, so the mistress's position was as stable as Mount Tai.

Qin Keqing looked at Xing Xiuyan, who had a bad complexion and didn't talk much after coming back, but she didn't ask any more questions.

Before going to bed at night, Qin Keqing and Jia Rong talked about Xing Xiuyan.

Jia Rong became hard after hearing this.

"Her aunt is so abominable! I want to help Xing Xiuyan escape from this suffering!"

After Jia Rong said this, Qin Keqing could not help but understand what this guy was thinking.

Qin Keqing thinks that taking a concubine is not a problem, but according to Jia Rong's current speed of taking concubines, how long will the queue end?
(End of this chapter)