"Then the concubine's daughter must be quite old, right?" Yingbao asked.
Chun Niang nodded: "She is indeed not young anymore, she seems to be fourteen or fifteen years old."
She glanced at her daughter and whispered, "It's said in the neighborhood that the concubine hired a boatwoman to teach her daughter to play the pipa. Alas, it's really nonsense. Don't let Wei Zhan go with her tomorrow."
Ying Bao laughed: "Why is Wei Zhan involved again?"
Chunniang glared at her daughter and said, "I don't believe you don't understand."
"I understand." Ying Bao hugged A Niang's arm and said with a smile: "But Wei Zhan is not that kind of person."
"Don't be so sure." Chun Niang said, "We must be on guard against what needs to be guarded against. If something goes wrong, the whole family will lose face."
"I know."
The next day, Yingbao, her mother, second aunt, eldest aunt and sister-in-law went to Jiang Yun's parents' home.
Erni did not go because she was pregnant and had difficulty walking, so she stayed at home to talk to her grandparents.
Liuzhi Lane was not far away, but the lane was so narrow that a carriage could not pass through.
So, Yingbao and a few others walked into the alley surrounded by a dozen guards and palace servants.
The people living in the alley came out to watch, whispering curiously, "Who is this nobleman, and why did he come to our place?"
"Who knows?"
"Why not go and take a look..."
Everyone followed the team quietly and slowly walked towards a yard.
Yingbao and the others were all dressed in silk and satin dresses, with jingling rings on their wrists, and a fine fox fur cloak or silk cape tied on the outside.
The golden hairpins on their heads swayed gently, and Yan Ru and Qiu Rong had a circle of gold and jewel-studded phoenixes inserted in their hair buns, making them look rich and beautiful.
At this moment, Yunniang and her son and daughter-in-law were already standing at the gate of the yard waiting. When they saw Yingbao and the others from afar, they immediately came over to greet them.
"Bao'er." Yunniang grabbed Yingbao's hand and called her three younger brothers and sisters and her nephew's wife, "Come in quickly."
Zhang Yuying and her husband bowed to their aunts, Yingbao and Qiu Rong, and then led everyone into the yard.
The yard is quite large, with two entrances and a total of about ten rooms.
When Yingbao raised her eyes, she saw Zhang Yukun and his wife, as well as Zhang Jia's concubine and her daughter.
Zhang Yukun took a step forward and bowed to Ying Bao and the others: "Nephew pays respects to aunt."
He then bowed to Yingbao and Qiu Rong and said, "Cousin Yingbao, I wish you all the best. My sister and I are doing well."
Qiu Rong returned the greeting, and Ying Bao nodded at him: "My cousin is well too."
Zhang Yukun's wife and children also came to greet him.
Mu Dan stepped forward and gave each child a string of money as New Year's money.
After entering the main hall, Yingbao took the main seat.
Chunniang, her eldest sister-in-law Zhou, her second sister-in-law Yanru, and her niece-in-law Qiu Rong sat on her left and right respectively.
At this time, the concubine came in with her daughter and bowed to Ying Bao: "This humble woman greets the princess."
Jiao Niang was a smart person, so she naturally found out that Jiang Sanlang's daughter was now a high and mighty princess.
Now the entire Qinchuan County belongs to her. Even the county magistrate has to bow to her when he sees her, let alone the common people like them.
Moreover, Jiao Niang also found out that the princess's husband had also come to Qinchuan County and had a very high status.
She secretly glanced at Yingbao, who was sitting at the main seat with a clear conscience, and wondered in her heart, "Is she going to come and settle the score with me?"
Ying Bao nodded and ignored her, and turned to ask Jiang Yunniang: "Aunt, why don't you see Hong Xiao?"
"She went back to her husband's home yesterday." Jiang Yunniang said, "Her husband's home is far from here, and it's not very convenient to go back and forth."
Yingbao nodded.
Aunt Jiang Yunniang sat down nearby and chatted with a few people.
As they were talking excitedly, the concubine suddenly pushed her daughter in front of Yingbao and said, "Princess, this is my daughter, your cousin. She is fourteen years old and can read a few words. Why not let her serve you?"
Yingbao: ...
"I have many people serving me, so I don't need your daughter." Yingbao glanced at her indifferently, then looked at the "cousin" again.
There is no doubt that this girl is really beautiful, with a kind of pitiful and delicate look.
But no matter how beautiful she is, I have no interest in her, let alone keeping her by my side.
Jiao Niang was stunned. She didn't expect that the girl who had nodded to her before would now directly reject her.
She was about to say something, but Yunniang couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted angrily, "Jiaoniang! Take your daughter back to the house."
Jiao Niang wanted to refute, but finally she didn't dare to, and reluctantly took her daughter back to the house.
I walked into the house, feeling unwilling to give up.
They are both Zhang Jia's children, and both are his own children, so why is Xiaolang accepted by the Jiang family, while his daughter cannot get any benefit from them
No! She must not give up!
If my daughter could marry a princess, or the princess's husband, she would enjoy endless wealth and splendor in the future.
Besides, Wangshu is so beautiful that I don’t believe anyone would not be envious of her.
When Jiao Niang thought about the good days in the future, her heart became more and more excited.
If he had known that the Jiang family would be so lucky, he should not have fallen out with them. If they had not fallen out and Zhang Jia had not died, how could his daughter be excluded by the Jiang family
The more Jiao Niang thought about it, the more regretful she felt. She pulled her daughter Wang Shu aside and told him about it.
Wangshu nodded shyly and said softly, "Mother, I understand."
...
At noon, Yingbao and a few others had a meal at Jiang Yun's parents' home, left the gifts they brought, and then said goodbye.
As soon as I walked to the door, I saw Jiao Niang's daughter kneeling on the ground, kowtowed to Ying Bao repeatedly: "Princess, I am Xiao Lang's sister and your aunt's daughter. I am willing to follow you all my life until death. I hope you will accept me. I will do anything for you."
Jiang Yunniang was almost mad at the mother and daughter, she wanted to kick them a few times.
"Wangshu! What on earth do you want to do?" she shouted angrily.
Mu Dan and several guards also stepped forward, ready to drag the girl away.
Yingbao waved her hands, lowered her head and asked the girl kneeling on the ground: "What can you do? Tell me."
The girl thought for a moment and said, "I can play the pipa and I can also dance the Colorful Skirt and Feathered Dress Dance."
"What else?" Yingbao asked.
The girl thought about it blankly, and then said, "I can sing a song."
Yingbao smiled and said, "Then you should go to the theater to find a job, not come to me." She didn't want to pamper a woman with ulterior motives, even if she was only a teenager.
Strangely, the girl did not feel insulted, but said seriously: "But mother said that only by going to your place can we live a good life. If that doesn't work, we can go to the theater."
For a moment, there was silence.
Jiang Yunniang was totally ashamed.
She turned around and rushed into the house, grabbed Jiao Niang's hair and dragged her out.
But Jiao Niang was young and looked weak, but she was very strong when she fought. When she was about to counterattack Jiang Yunniang, Zhang Yuying's wife also rushed over, grabbed Jiao Niang's hair, and together with her mother-in-law, dragged her out of the yard.
"Get out! Take your daughter and get out of my house!" Yuying's wife was also furious.
If you live with such things that bring disgrace to your family, your whole family will be implicated by them, and the spit of the neighbors on all sides will drown you.
When Zhang Yukun's wife saw her aunt being driven out of the yard, she rushed out to stop them, but Yuying's wife was not afraid and started fighting with them.
While fighting, she cursed, "Get out of here too! This house is registered in my husband's name, and has nothing to do with my mother-in-law. I'm keeping you here for the sake of our brotherhood. Since you and your family want to go to the brothel, go now!"
As he said this, he shouted, "Yuying! Throw all their things out! Otherwise, I will divorce you!"