Fu Qiuning nodded and said: "I understand, you can go down." Then he said to Jin Fengju: "You don't have to be angry. Although Grandma Wan is still in charge of the house, you almost don't go there anymore. Madam wants to use this as an excuse to raise the issue." It's okay to lower her status and prevent the servants from looking down on the master. After all, it doesn't matter. I originally asked Jian Feng to go out to inquire, and that's not why." After thinking about it, he said again: "Jian Feng, come in."
Jian Feng came in and said, "Grandma, what else can I do?"
Fu Qiuning said seriously: "Have you inquired clearly? When Aunt Lan came out of Qingwan Pavilion, she went straight to Fengya Building? Did she talk to anyone in our place?"
Jian Feng smiled and said: "I didn't see this. Aunt Lan left Qingwan Pavilion and went to Fengya Building. When she arrived, she entered the small flower hall. During this period, the slave only served tea and snacks once. Aunt Lan only asked when will grandma come back?" After answering, I went out to look for grandma. Later, grandma entered the yard."
Fu Qiuning frowned and waved Jian Feng out. At this moment, Jin Fengju also heard the meaning of the words and said in a deep voice: "Do you suspect that Aunt Lan came here to exchange news?"
Fu Qiuning nodded and said: "Yes, no matter how I think about it, I feel that this thing is weird. Come to think of it, at that time in my parents' house, the two sisters didn't even say a word to each other. Why do I think about it now? Are you looking at me? What's more, I also said at that time that I suspected that someone in this mansion was exchanging information with Prince Lie's Palace. I was wondering if it was the inner ghost who now saw the strict supervision and did not dare to go out casually, so Prince Lie Let her come here through my relationship with Qiulan? But if what Jian Feng said is true, I am paranoid. "
Jin Fengju smiled and said: "There is nothing to arrest anyone in our house. If she wants to come, let her come. It's just a few cups of tea. I want to see what news she can get out?"
Fu Qiuning spread his hands and said: "Now that nothing has been found, we can't just forget it like this. Yes, you sent all the New Year's goods we bought to Kangshouyuan. What did our ancestors say? You like the ones we bought from the street. Those things?”
"I like it, why don't I like it? I talked for a long time, and my ancestor couldn't stop laughing. I haven't seen her so happy in the past six months. By the way, in addition to giving some of those things to others, I also picked them out. Keep the good ones, Jin Ming will probably bring them over later."
"That's all. What about the candied haws?" Fu Qiuning just remembered this thing. After saying this, Jin Fengju smiled and said, "I didn't take that thing to Kangshou Yuan. I kept it in the room next to the kitchen. It's clean and cold enough. , I have sent a boy to the clan school to tell the children that they should come to Fengya Building first after they finish school, and then they will be given their share."
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It was New Year's Eve in a blink of an eye. On the day before New Year's Eve, Fu Qiuning and Mrs. Jiang were all joking and joking in front of Mrs. Jin, but Jiang Wanying was not there. Everyone knew that Second Grandma Wan was the busiest at this time, and no one mentioned it. After talking for a while, I heard the little maid outside say: "Second Grandma Wan is here." Then the door curtain was lifted, and Jiang Wanying walked in wearing a fox fur cloak. Luo Cui hurriedly stepped forward and took the cloak. She asked in surprise: "Grandma Wan, is it snowing outside?"
"It's raining heavily. You are all in the house, so you don't know yet, right?" After Jiang Wanying finished speaking, she came to Mrs. Jin and said with a smile: "My granddaughter-in-law has been so busy these days that she slaps her feet on the back of her head. My ancestors It really hurts me to have someone come over specifically to set the rules without me."
Old Mrs. Jin smiled and said: "You are so busy, what does the rules matter? You don't have to come over. That's right. Why are you coming here now?"
Jiang Wanying smiled and said: "I'm not here to set rules now. I'm just planning the menu for tomorrow's New Year's Eve reunion dinner. My ancestors and my second wife will take a look and see if there is anything inappropriate? If so, now It’s still too late to change.”
Mrs. Jin smiled and said, "My eyes are dazzled. Please read it to everyone." Then he turned to Mrs. Jiang, Mrs. Fang and Fu Qiuning and said, "If you think there is anything wrong, please raise it." After speaking, Jiang Wanying unfolded the menu and read: "The main course is a roasted suckling pig with poria and flower carvings, roasted lamb leg, braised sea cucumber, braised shark's fin, and West Lake vinegar fish. This fish is a New Year's gift from the south of the Yangtze River." , there are dozens of authentic West Lake carps, and I heard the taste is excellent. There are also duck tongue soup, bamboo shoots and chicken soup... "
Because I read a long list, there are a total of sixteen hot dishes, eight cold dishes, and five or six staple foods, such as fried rice pancakes, dragon whisker noodles, rice dumplings, fried mille-feuille pancakes, etc... Fu Qiuning also had a family dinner last year, but at that time he was mainly focused on the reunion dinner in Wanfengxuan. The family dinner in the mansion really didn't taste that good. At this time, listening to Jiang Wanying's long report, he felt a little bit Edible dishes. "
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Mrs. Jin say: "Didn't Zhuangzi send a few deer? Get a plate of venison and replace the duck tongue soup. This meal requires hundreds of duck tongues. It’s too murderous and not suitable for eating on a day like this.”
Jiang Wanying nodded quickly and said yes, then took away the duck tongue soup and replaced it with venison. Then he asked Fu Qiuning: "Sister, is there anything you want to eat? Let's think about it together."
Fu Qiuning smiled calmly and said: "I'll be happy if I have something to eat. These dishes make people drool. I wish it was the New Year's Eve now." After saying this, Mrs. Jin and others all laughed, and Jiang Wanying also laughed, beaming with joy. : "In that case, I will give the order. Grandpa, my granddaughter-in-law is done with her work for the day. I will come back to you tomorrow to set the rules."
Mrs. Fang then smiled and said: "This year has really exhausted Feng Ju's wife. I looked at her face and figure and lost weight. This is the first year after my eldest brother's title was promoted. It's not me to talk too much." , Fengju’s wife should also take care of herself.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang hesitated for a moment, seeing that her niece had indeed lost a lot of weight, and then thinking about Fu Qiuning's peaceful personality, she said: "Wanying, if you feel that you are too busy, let Qiu Ning help. You should too, but you have just been busy these past few days..."
As soon as these words came out, Fu Qiuning almost spit out the tea. Jiang Wanying was caught off guard, and the anger and resentment in her eyes were revealed undisguised. Although she lowered her head to cover it up in an instant, how could Mrs. Jiang not see it? At that moment, I felt a "thump" in my heart, and a chill came over me, but I didn't say the next words.
"Madam, please don't make things difficult for me. If I were a meddlesome person, I wouldn't wait until now. Sister Wan is a safe person. So far, everything is done properly. But she still has one or two days to be busy, and then there will be more than one person. Even if she has a month's rest, she won't be too busy."
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Wanying's face, and she said lukewarmly: "What my sister said is that even if you have good intentions, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it all of a sudden. I really wanted to ask my sister-in-law to help me, but my uncle and aunt moved in. Now that I'm in the new mansion, my sister-in-law will be busy with so many things, so I can't bear to drag her here."
Mrs. Fang smiled slightly, nodded and said: "She is doing well. With the help of several capable aunts and concubines in Luanfeng, she has taken charge of all the affairs of the house now. But since she is the first wife of Luanfeng, she will always have to suffer a little. Tired, otherwise this wife is just a decoration? I admire Qiuning. Although women are said to have three obediences and four virtues, it is really rare to have a temperament like hers. Sister-in-law, don’t you think so? "
When Mrs. Jiang saw that she was being asked, she took a sip of tea and said vaguely: "Everything prospers when a family is harmonious. Only when brothers work together and wives and concubines are harmonious can a family prosper. Grandpa, don't you think so?"
Mrs. Jin smiled and nodded, and Jiang Wanying took her leave again and wandered away. Fu Qiuning concentrated on the meaning of what Mrs. Fang just said. Judging from her usual behavior and words, she should be a generous elder. She wouldn't just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, making Jinfeng's family uneasy, right
After sitting for a while, he stood up and left. After she left, Mrs. Jiang and Mrs. Fang also left one after another. Although the two sisters-in-law often had some witty quarrels. But after all these years, the relationship is generally good. Mrs. Jiang said to Mrs. Fang, "What did you just do? You humiliated Wanying in front of so many people. She, my nephew-in-law, has never offended you."
Mrs. Fang smiled and said: "Who else dares to offend us in these two mansions now? I just feel sorry for Qiu Ning. Ask yourself, is Qiu Ning not tolerant enough? How much does Fengju dote on her now? If she She is that woman with a sense of opportunity. She may have taken away the power of the housekeeper long ago. Now if Wanying knows how to advance and retreat, she should give up part of this power. In the end, no matter how noble her status is, she is just an ordinary wife. Qiu Ning is the one who is serious about getting a wife."
Mrs. Jiang said calmly: "Why are you worried about this? Fengju likes Qiu Ning because she is not contentious. And I think Qiu Ning's temperament is indeed not a quarrelsome person."
Mrs. Fang sighed: "Just because Qiu Ning won't fight, you can't give in. I know you didn't like her before. But think about it for yourself. In such a long time, your daughter-in-law has not given you anything. Are you embarrassed? Even if you couldn't get off the stage twice and said something you shouldn't have said, why didn't you provoke others first? I won't see anyone holding any grudge against you in the future."
Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes at Mrs. Fang, but was speechless, but she heard her whisper again: "Did you see that look at your niece just now? It's strange, I always feel that she seems to be presumptuous recently. How much time do I have to deal with her every day? You are her aunt, so you are so busy every day that you don’t notice? "
Mrs. Jiang simply said: "I didn't realize it. You just take care of the things in your house, but you still have this spirit. Wanying is my niece, and I don't know her yet? Even if she is a little more unrestrained these days, it is because of Feng He ignored her, alas! I'm just worried here. They were cousins, and they seemed to like each other in the first place. How come they are so different now? Isn't it the fault of Mrs. Fu? "