"Meet my sister-in-law."
Seeing Gong Zhuoliang walk in, Qiao Yingxuan hurriedly got up to greet him. After the three sat down one by one, and the maids served tea again and left, they continued to chat about the topic just now. It turned out that what Qiao Yingxuan said this time was not his own. The marriage, but the marriage of their eldest sister, Qiao Yuanyin, the daughter of the concubine of the Qiao family.
There are now three sons and one daughter in Qiao's mansion. Although Qiao Yuanyin is not a direct descendant, she is the only young lady in the mansion. Her biological mother is Mrs. Qiao's dowry, and she was raised by Mrs. Qiao since she was a child, so life in the mansion is pretty good. It's just that in marriage, there is always a sense of being too high or too low. She wants to marry a rich family as a first wife, but her status is not enough, and she has lost face to Qiao's family by promising to be a wife to a small family, so she has been dragging on until now. I haven't made a decision yet, and I'm already sixteen this year, so it's too late to delay.
"There was no news before, so it was decided so soon?"
Gong Zhuoliang thought that his husband and wife had just visited the old lady half a month ago, and there was no letter at that time, but now they made a decision directly, but it was a bit too fast.
Although Gong Zhuoliang paid less attention to the East Mansion of Qiao's family since he was busy with his own business after the separation of the family, but secretly, people still pay attention to these big and small things, for example, Mrs. Heart, so the air pressure in the whole mansion is very low, the reason is that the two good concubines of the old lady stopped the decoction.
It turned out that after breaking up the family, one of them became pregnant, which made Mrs. Qiao very angry, but the old lady was there to protect her, so she could only grit her teeth and bear it, but she became more and more concerned about those things. As a concubine and maidservant, no more mistakes are allowed.
But one mountain is still higher. Now not only this one is going to give birth in more than a month, but the other one was found to have a happy pulse a month ago. Mrs. Qiao dropped her tea bowl at that time, and she was protected by the old lady again I knew it was the old lady's double insurance. She didn't dare to quarrel with the old lady, so she vented her anger on the servants in the mansion. Those who were involved were fined and punished. Anyway, the joy of fighting between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the past six months made Gong Zhuoliang more than once fortunate that the couple escaped quickly enough.
Therefore, Gong Zhuoliang couldn't help but suspect that Qiao Yuanyin's marriage was decided so hastily, was it because the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were too focused on their fight, and didn't care about her side, so they just agreed to someone else.
"The eldest sister's marriage was found by me for her. The man is a relative from Brother Lu's mother's family. His surname is Zhang. He is 20 years old and lives in the capital. Recently, the family found an errand in the right department of engineering. Although it was only from the seventh grade, the family rules were good, and the family was small. The housekeeper was the younger sister of the direct relative, and there was no concubine. The eldest sister was so quiet and shy. With a shy personality, you should be able to support it even if you are married, but if you are a wealthy family, you will be bullied if you go in, so you can't worry about it."
What Qiao Yingxuan said was a little joyful. Although he tried his best to pretend to be calm, his tone couldn't hide the taste of asking for credit in front of his brother and sister-in-law. One must know that he had been pestering Senior Brother Lu for a long time asking about this person, forcing Lu Zijian to swear that he was a good man with both ability and political integrity, and he sent someone to go to Beijing to investigate in person before he dared to make an appointment for his sister.
Qiao Yingxuan used to hate his concubines' younger brothers and sisters, but later he changed his temper because of Qiao Yingze's admonition, and gradually became kinder to them. Needless to say, Qiao Yingzi, after crying that time and being coaxed by him, she became a child at home. His little tail, and Qiao Yuanyin had always served Mrs. Qiao, so it was easy to get close to him.
Qiao Yingxuan has become the heir of the Qiao family's East Mansion, and his sense of responsibility is rushing upwards. This time, he made efforts to promote Qiao Yuanyin's marriage, but he was really excited. He got the approval of his mother and grandmother yesterday. Today, I couldn't wait to run to my brother and sister-in-law to ask for credit and praise.
"Although Ying Xuan said this time that he went beyond the elders to find relatives for the eldest sister, he really broke the rules, but he did a good job. He first sent people to Beijing to investigate the situation of the family properly, and then Brother Lu, who was entrusted, was a matchmaker, and thanks to Brother Lu's righteousness, he went to Beijing to negotiate a peace. Because of his trust in Brother Lu, he agreed to the marriage. Acting like a baby and threatening in front of my mother, I just finished the matter... "
Qiao Yingze had just heard Qiao Yingxuan explain what happened, and now he was a little proud of him, boasting a few words in front of Gong Zhuoliang, and told Gong Zhuoliang what happened in detail.
It turned out that Mrs. Qiao had always wanted to use Qiao Yuanyin to have a relationship with some high-ranking official. Even if she couldn't be the official wife of a concubine, she could fill in a house or marry a concubine. Only Qiao Yuanyin's biological mother, Aunt Sun, begged hard, saying that the child was so soft. Temperament, if you really marry into a rich family, it's nothing to be bullied yourself, but it's a big sin to lose face of the Qiao family. Those who don't know think that the wife can't raise their daughter...
Mrs. Qiao was tired of what she said, and seeing that Qiao Yuanyin was really timid and lacking a bit of dignity, her mind wavered. In addition, the old lady was suppressing her, and it was delayed until now.
And Qiao Yingxuan, who understands his mother's heart, knows that if he tells his mother about the other party's family background first, her personality will inevitably make a lot of calculations. In all likelihood, she will not allow Qiao Yuanyin to marry far away. The Beijing officials really can't get on the stage in the imperial capital, and they don't help the Qiao family, so after they facilitated the matter in private, they made a fuss in front of Mrs. Qiao, saying that he had already agreed, and if she didn't Agreeing is slapping yourself in the face.
Mrs. Qiao was forced to be helpless by him, and she was afraid that Master Qiao would punish him for his nonsense, so she had no choice but to take the matter on herself, telling her mother-in-law and husband that she was the one she fell in love with, and Qiao Yingxuan was in the old man's house again. In front of people, he praised the young master so much that the old lady nodded, and the matter was settled like this.
"Second uncle is becoming more and more like the head of the family. My sister-in-law can marry so well, I must be very grateful to you, but the mother-in-law needs to be coaxed by the second uncle more, so as not to cause rift between mother and son."
Gong Zhuoliang looked at the two brothers, and affirmed Qiao Yingxuan's achievements with dignity, but out of concern for him, he still pointed out the disadvantages of his move.
Just like how Qiao Yingxuan knew his mother, Madam Qiao didn't know her son, she just didn't want to expose him, and this time her son's elbows were twisted outwards like this, her mood can be imagined. Qiao Yingxuan had to be treated more strictly.
"If you can really see that it's a family, my elder brother mentioned me in the same way just now. My younger brother will definitely explain it clearly to his mother when he finds out."
Qiao Yingxuan made fun of the two of them, although he felt that the two of them were a bit overwhelmed, but on the surface they listened.
From Qiao Yingxuan's point of view, there is no overnight feud between mother and son. Even if mother is unhappy that she is making decisions, she will not take it seriously if she thinks about it.
"Has the wedding date been set? When did you choose it?"
Seeing that Qiao Yingxuan didn't care much, Gong Zhuoliang also changed the subject with a smile. Since ancient times, they have been close friends, and there are some things that Qiao Yingxuan has to figure out for himself.
"Yesterday, this matter is certain. I will let people take the birthdays of the two of them and forget it. September 16th and October 20th are suitable for the previous year. Because my marriage is scheduled for December, I will be married at the end of October." It is inappropriate to go to Beijing to send my younger sister to get married, so I chose September 16th."
When Qiao Yingxuan talked about his marriage here, he lowered his voice a little embarrassingly. His fiancée is the eldest daughter of his mother's cousin's family, Yang's. This time I went to Beijing just to meet my father-in-law and mother-in-law first, and completed all the etiquette.
"I have to go to Beijing one month in advance to get married, so there is more than a month left to prepare, isn't it too hasty?"
Qiao Yingze felt that it was a bit too hasty when he counted the days. Although the other party is not a wealthy family, marriage is a major event in life, and it should be done according to the rules. If you marry your daughter in such a hurry, you are afraid that the other party will look down on you.
"It's the in-laws who are anxious. Because their daughter is due to get married early next year, they want my elder brother to get married before the year so that the eldest sister can go over to take care of the housekeeper. But because of my wedding date, I can only give it early or at the end of next spring. The eldest sister is getting married, so this day has been fixed... "
Qiao Yingxuan scratched his neck in embarrassment, watching Gong Zhuoliang hesitating to speak, running here in such a hurry today, apart from the little thought of wanting to be praised by his brother, he still had something to ask for their help.
"What's the matter? But what's the problem?"
Qiao Yingze saw that he was looking at Gong Zhuoliang with some embarrassment, and knowing that the kid had something to say, he took the initiative to ask him a question. He also pondered in his heart, even though his family has separated and it is not his turn to manage their marriage, but after all, it is a big happy event for his younger brother and younger sister, so naturally he should put in more effort as an older brother.
"I don't hide from my elder brother and sister-in-law. My mother has been in a bad mood for some time, and she is preoccupied with her younger brother's marriage. The housekeeper is already a bit reluctant. I'm afraid there will be some inconsiderate things on the side of the eldest sister." , so I want to trouble my sister-in-law to go to the East Mansion more during this time, one is to help my younger brother see if there is anything wrong with the purchase, and the other is to teach the elder sister how to be a wife."
Since this marriage was arranged by herself, Qiao Yingxuan naturally wanted to make it as happy as possible. Originally, before her daughter's family got married, her mother would teach her about those things, but Qiao Yingxuan knew that her mother might not be patient enough to teach her, and Aunt Sun was just a concubine. With limited horizons, how could she know how to be a mistress, so after much deliberation, Qiao Yingxuan decided that she, who was a 'commoner', was the most suitable sister-in-law. If the older sister could learn the three-point skills of a sister-in-law, she would be able to survive in her husband's house.
"..."
Gong Zhuoliang, who was idly watching the two brothers talking, twitched the corners of his mouth when he heard the words, and his head was covered with black lines, thinking that this brat gave him some kind of errand, he is a pure man, how could he go with a little girl The film talks about those XXOO's knowledge of physical hygiene!
"Cough... Ying Xuan, that kind of thing should be taught by the mother of the eldest sister. Your sister-in-law is still young, how can you talk about those things."
Qiao Yingze was also very speechless when he heard it. As soon as Xin Dao said that this kid was smarter, he started to get confused, so Qiao Yingze didn't wait for Gong Zhuoliang to speak, and hurriedly refused.
Just kidding, how can he let his daughter-in-law get alone with his sister and talk about the things between husband and wife!
"Ah? Oh... No, no, my brother means to let my sister-in-law teach my elder sister how to manage the house, not those..."
Realizing that what he said was ambiguous, Qiao Yingxuan was immediately blushed. He couldn't help being embarrassed and embarrassed. He was too embarrassed to look up at Gong Zhuoliang's face. He couldn't help crying. The performance improved, but immediately made a fool of himself.
"..."
Here Gong Zhuoliang rolled his eyes in disbelief when he heard the words, and Qiao Yingze heaved a sigh of relief over there, and when Qiao Yingxuan raised his head and looked over apologetically, the two of them immediately returned to their calm demeanor. Let him see something different.
"Since that's the case, then this matter is not troublesome. It's what my sister-in-law should do. Don't worry, Second Uncle."
If it is just to give lectures to the little girl, Gong Zhuoliang has nothing to worry about. The current chaos in the Gong family is because of Qiao Yingze's filial piety to the old lady. Gong Zhuoliang should also go to help the old man share the burden, let alone Well, for women in this era, getting married is a lifetime thing, and Gong Zhuoliang also hopes that the quiet and docile little sister will have a better life in the future.
In response to Qiao Yingxuan's request, Gong Zhuoliang asked the nanny to carry Qiao Minyan out, which made him wonder for a long time, and then left him for lunch, until the East Mansion sent someone to look for it, and Qiao Yingxuan followed reluctantly. .
"It's almost six months for us, Min Yan. It's gone so fast. I still remember that when I first brought her to our house, it was only so small. Now I'm going to have small teeth."
Holding the little guy and sitting on his arm, Qiao Yingze let him lie halfway on his chest, and then carefully protected his neck with his other hand to prevent him from tilting his head back and flashing again.
Ever since the little guy was able to turn over and be supported to sit for a while, he no longer liked being held horizontally, and became more lively and active.
"I know how to giggle all day long..."
Gong Zhuoliang stretched out his hands and pinched the little guy's white and tender cheeks, of course he didn't use much force, so the little guy who was talking baby talk didn't annoy him, but just shook his little face left and right to avoid his salty pig hands, The little body is also arching in Qiao Yingze's arms, spitting bubbles to indicate that the baby is uncomfortable!
"Okay, he should be sleepy after playing for so long, let the nanny take him to sleep, we have to go to the mother-in-law's place later."
Seeing the little guy wrinkled up by Gong Zhuoliang, Qiao Yingze hurriedly handed him to the nurse who was waiting at the side, and then pulled Gong Zhuoliang back to the bedroom, not giving him another chance to bully the child.
At the end of the hour (3:00 p.m.), Qiao Yingze left the mansion in a sedan chair, and in the sedan chair behind was a nanny holding Qiao Minyan. Not long after, Gong Zhuoliang, who was riding a horse, also walked leisurely from the alley. After walking out, he and Qiao Yingze, brother-in-law, met the ceremony, then they chatted and laughed and went to the new house not far away.
And at the gate of Qiao Yingze's West Mansion, Shi Kang, who was not accompanying him, stood there with a cold face, looking at Gong Zhuoliang's back with complicated eyes... He was willing to stay by his side only because he admired Qiao Yingze's character and devotion As a servant, he also has a good impression of Gong Zhuoliang, a handsome young man with both talents and looks, but ever since he saw the unconcealable ambiguous relationship between the two of them, Shi Kang felt as uncomfortable as a big stone was blocked in his heart stand up.
Looking back at the direction of the inner house in the mansion, Shi Kang saw the appearance of the wife he hadn't seen a few times in his mind, and he couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She cared for her husband and younger brother wholeheartedly, but now Their partner was betrayed... Shi Kang suddenly felt that he couldn't stay in this place anymore!