In the afternoon at Yuehua Courtyard, Luo Xiangying was in the side room, weeping at the three or two dishes of meat and vegetables on the table that were still in good order. Zeng Po, who was assigned to serve in her room, advised her, "This is considered good. Grandpa and grandma haven't touched much, and the brothers and sisters don't like it. Auntie is no longer a girl at home, so just eat some!"
Luo Xiangying said, "I'm not hungry, mom, take it away!"
Mrs. Zeng shook her head and sighed, "Then I will go to the kitchen and ask someone to make a bowl of bird's nest porridge. After all, they are sisters. Miss Luo next door gave me some silver and told me not to let my aunt down. I will go to the kitchen from time to time to make some of my aunt's favorite food. Although my master cannot enter my aunt's room, he is really good to my aunt. He secretly bought bird's nests from outside and gave them to me. I cook a bowl every day for my aunt to nourish her body. He loves my aunt very much. Be content!"
After saying that, he took out the dishes along with the small table.
Luo Xiangying couldn't stop crying. Who loved her? Her mother forced her to be a concubine. That slap was like sending her to hell. She fainted and woke up. She felt her hands and feet were soft and her body was burning. She became a couple with Li Zhao in a fuzzy state. She knew that she was given a love potion. She couldn't argue. Even if she cried until her voice was hoarse, it would be useless. She couldn't die. Jinhua Hall sent several strong women to guard her. Where was her sister at this time? She was pulled to kneel and worship the main wife under Li Zhao's pitying eyes. When she served tea, her cousin kept humiliating her and splashed hot tea on her face. If Li Zhao hadn't stopped her, the gold hairpin on Xu Xiaojuan's head would have scratched her face directly! From then on, she was ordered around by Xu Xiaojuan every day, and was treated like a maid. If she didn't obey, she would be beaten. She was really in a dilemma. Her cousin, who used to be smiling and welcoming, now wanted to eat her alive. She made Luo Xiangying eat the leftovers of their family every day, and didn't allow Li Zhao to stay overnight in the new house. Li Zhao quarreled with her, and Xu Xiaojuan said, "My wife is the most important. I am just here to serve you when I am not in a good condition. If you don't listen to me and go to her without permission, she will be the only one who suffers!"
Li Zhao was afraid that Xiangying would suffer a loss, so he had to endure it and thought of comforting the new person when Xu Xiaojuan's menstruation came during those days of the month.
Although Luo Xiangying was newly married, she slept alone in an empty room every day, crying in front of a red candle, hoping that her sister next door would come to see her. But that was just a fantasy, as she had never seen the shadows of her sister and mother in her dreams.
Bai Jingyu knew all of this, and she also had someone keep an eye on Luo Zhaoying. After Luo Xiangying was carried into Yuehua Courtyard, Luo Zhaoying followed her mother to Jinhua Hall. The gentle and elegant woman massaged the old lady's legs while saying, "Brother-in-law Li is very knowledgeable and has a good reputation. He will surely be listed in the imperial list and be granted an official position in the future. It is her blessing that my sister can serve brother-in-law Li and my eldest cousin, but my sister has a strong personality and has been proud since she was a child. She is not willing to be tamed easily. I am afraid that she will not be able to figure it out for a while and do something that goes against filial piety. It doesn't matter to her. It's just that she is not blessed, but I am afraid that it will ruin the reputation of the Hou Mansion, especially now that the Sixth Master's wedding is approaching..."
After hearing this, the old lady praised her for her meticulousness and immediately sent a few strong maids to guard Xiangying to prevent anything from happening to her.
After hearing the news that Huang Mama got from Ruiyun, Bai Jingyu sneered: So by sentencing Luo Xiangying, I've done a good thing for Luo Zhaoying
She knew that the eldest sister-in-law and the sixth master would never yield to the old lady. The eldest sister-in-law was blocked by the eldest brother and could not confront the old lady freely. The sixth master was a filial grandson and had to consider the overall situation, so he temporarily tolerated the old lady. She herself had no respect for the old lady in her heart, but her parents-in-law were there, and her husband had just reconciled with her. The couple loved each other as before. She didn't want to destroy all this, so she could only do superficial work, but she felt uncomfortable with this matter. She liked to mess with the eldest sister-in-law. Anyway, she was free, so she had to do things like messing up a pool of spring water from time to time in the Bai Mansion. It was not difficult. This time the eldest sister-in-law and the sixth master came to her, and there was nothing to say. She let them wait and watch the show.
Li Zhao drank tea and learned a few Chinese characters with his daughter Li Jiao on the couch. Then he got up and went to the academy. Xu Xiaojuan said, "You are not allowed to go to the side rooms!"
“It’s unreasonable!”
Li Zhao stopped and glared at her, then walked away in a huff: This shrew doesn't even give him the slightest bit of face now. When he gets ahead, he will definitely teach her a lesson!
Li Zhao had just left when the maid came to report: "The eldest and second mistresses are here!"
Xu Xiaojuan was stunned: Second grandma is here, but what is the first grandma doing here? She doesn't like me!
She suddenly remembered: what happened yesterday, she came here for yesterday's matter, to settle accounts with her, to scold her, thinking of the words that her sister-in-law said were like knives, Xu Xiaojuan had a headache, God, what should I do? No, I can't see her, I have to hide!
Meimei walked to the corridor but didn't go into the house: "Why is there no one breathing? Where is my aunt?"
Mother Zheng came out with a smile on her face: "Oh, it's the eldest and second grandmothers! I greet the two grandmothers! The eldest aunt just had a headache and has just taken a rest with her brothers and sisters in the back!"
Bai Jingyu said, "Oh, your grandpa and grandma from the Li family are so arrogant! They live in their mother's house, and they don't even greet their uncle and aunt when they come - oh! It's not anyone else's fault. Our daughter has learned such rules, and they still marry her off. It's really a disgrace to our ancestors!"
Mother Zheng's face flushed, and she didn't know what to say. Meimei said, "Everyone in this mansion is prone to dizziness, but most of them are not serious. I know this. I called your grandmother here. Do you want to hide? No way! If she dares not to come to see me, I will personally go in and catch her and slap her in the face!"
Mother Zheng hurried into the bedroom to call Xu Xiaojuan. Meimei and Bai Jingyu entered the room and sat in the main seat. She said to Shuixiang who brought the tea:
"Didn't you just take in a concubine? Ask the new one to serve tea to Auntie!"
Shuixiang hurried down to invite Luo Xiangying, and Luo Xiangying followed Shuixiang out without saying a word. She had met the great-grandmother before, and she respected her great-grandmother's uprightness and style of doing things. If Xu Xiaojuan had not locked her up in the room like a prisoner, she would have wanted to run out and pay her respects to the great-grandmother herself.
After serving tea to everyone, Bai Jingyu saw Meimei solemnly take off a jade bracelet on her hand and give it to Luo Xiangying. After thinking for a moment, he took off a silver hairpin inlaid with pearls from his head and placed it on Luo Xiangying's tea tray.
Luo Xiangying looked at the two valuable items on the tea tray. The jade bracelet came from the palace. Not to mention its excellent quality, this glory alone was enough for her to show off. The silver hairpin inlaid with pearls was from a famous store in Beijing and was the most fashionable style. Before she became Li Zhao's concubine, her cousin took her and her sisters to shop there. She looked at it for a long time and liked it very much. She didn't expect that it would become hers now!
The two valuable items seemed to increase her worth. Luo Xiangying smiled for the first time in many days and kowtowed:
"Thank you, grandmas, for the reward!"
Meimei said calmly, "Why thank me? Since you are Mr. Li's concubine and have become sisters with the eldest aunt, you should also respect us as uncle and sister-in-law. This is what you deserve! You are a good concubine, and you are a guest in our house. According to the rules, you should have your own share. The eldest aunt was foolish and didn't receive it for you, so I will give it to you. Cui Xi, take it!"
Cui Xi brought two maids over, each holding a mahogany tray with many items on it. Cui Xi counted them out to Luo Xiangying one by one:
"Silver, silk, satin, brocade, soft yarn, colorful silk ropes and woolen threads for making lace, rouge, powder, scented powder, pearl flowers, gauze flowers, various beads, jade pieces, crystal grains... They are all here, please check them, auntie!"
Luo Xiangying thanked him again, and two maids came up to answer the phone for her.
Bai Jingyu said, "You are a concubine, only a head shorter than the mistress, what is there to be afraid of? You hide away every day and don't go out. People who don't know would think that our eldest daughter is suppressing you! You can walk around the mansion as you like. Your family is next door. Go and see what's going on. You didn't even thank the old lady when something good happened. You are so rude!"
Luo Xiangying lowered her head, Shao Qing raised her head, tears streaming down her face: "It was my eldest cousin who didn't allow me to go out!"
Xu Xiaojuan came out and saluted to the two sisters-in-law nervously. She turned around and saw that Luo Xiangying had received many good things for no reason. She couldn't help but feel jealous: "What do you mean? The sisters-in-law are spending money on her?"
Meimei slammed the table suddenly, "Xu Xiaojuan! You are so bold! I am your sister-in-law after all, the mistress in charge of the Hou Mansion. I took you in and tolerated your rudeness and shamelessness. You think I am weak and can be bullied, and I can't do anything to you, right? Yesterday I went to the old lady to complain about me, and the old lady fainted. My second uncle, second aunt, all the brothers and sisters-in-law from the two mansions were tired and kept guard all night. You want to harm me, right? Humph! Wait for me to kick you out of the Hou Mansion first! You slowly pack your belongings. Ten days later, the day after your sixth brother Xu Junxuan marries the eldest cousin of the Luo family, it will be the time for your whole family to get out of the Hou Mansion. Do you understand? You are allowed to stay in the Hou Mansion for ten days, and you can't stay for a day more!"
Xu Xiaojuan was stunned, and Luo Xiangying, who was kneeling below, was trembling all over. Hearing the words "Sixth brother Xu Junxuan is getting married to Luo's cousin", she felt as if she was in an ice cellar, or as if someone was stirring her heart with a knife. The pain was unbearable!
The two ladies got up and left. Bai Jingyu pretended to be kind and asked Xiangyun to help Luo Xiangying up. He took her hand and comforted her, saying, "Come to Jinhua Hall tomorrow and thank the old lady. You will get more benefits! If anyone dares to bully you and not let you go out again, tell me and I will scold her for you! Remember that you are a free person, not someone's slave. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. If the slaves dare to stop you, you can kick and hit her, and she will not dare to fight back! Even the mistress cannot dispose of the concubine at will. Besides, you were appointed by the old lady herself, and your sister from your natal family is about to become our Sixth Master's marriage. It has been decided in the next two days. Even our eldest aunt dare not bully you!"
Meimei also said: "If the eldest aunt doesn't follow the etiquette and rules and beats you and scolds you, just go to Jinhua Hall and sue her! You are a relative of the old lady's mother's family. If the eldest aunt looks down on you, she looks down on the old lady!"
Xu Xiaojuan was so angry that she couldn't speak, but she had to bow her head and see her two sisters-in-law off. She watched Meimei and Bai Jingyu walk up the corridor and walk away, and she couldn't help but curse angrily:
"Did you take the wrong medicine? Instead of helping your own family, you helped outsiders to bully your own aunt?"
Luo Xiangying stood aside and looked at her sideways: "You two aunts are only helping the right and not the relatives, you are the one who took the wrong medicine!"
Xu Xiaojuan was so frightened that her mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg. She pointed at Luo Xiangying and cursed, "You shameless little whore who only seduces men! Do you want to die? Get down on your knees and slap yourself twenty times!"
Luo Xiangying sneered: "Why? I am not your maid who made me a lowly concubine. I am a good concubine! I was once the daughter of an official. Even if you are the mistress, you cannot order me around and beat me or stop me from being free. I am going back to my parents' home now. What can you do to me?"
As he said this, he walked down the stairs and left. Xu Xiaojuan was so angry that she chased after him and slapped him in the face. Luo Xiangying dodged lightly and pulled a maid in front of her to block him:
"If you don't hit me, I will respect you as sister and great grandmother. If you dare to hit me again, I will immediately go to Jinhua Hall! Second aunt's grandmother is right. After all, I was given to me by the old lady. I am a relative of the old lady's family. If she doesn't protect me, I will cry and make a fuss in front of her and make her faint!"
Xu Xiaojuan was stunned for a long while, watching Luo Xiangying run away, go up the corridor, and turn back to give her a charming smile. She couldn't help but get furious and yelled:
"Little whore! Let's see if you will come back or not? Let's wait and see!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)