In the afternoon, Mei Niang and Ning Rulan parted ways and went to Qiuhua Court to see Heng'er. When she faced Madam Zheng, she kept muttering in her heart: This is also an unvirtuous woman! She clearly knew that her youngest son and the eldest daughter-in-law were having an affair, but she still condoned and concealed it. Now she simply took back her grandson and raised him as Xu Junying's eldest son, not allowing Xu Junying to have his own biological heirs, and wanted Heng'er to be the prince and inherit the title.
Alas! This is just a woman's opinion. How could Xu Junying be so stupid? He suffered a loss in secret far away from home, but he is willing to let you settle it openly under his nose
Mei Niang held Heng'er in her arms, looking at his facial features which resembled Xu Junying, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: After all, they are close blood relatives, Xu Junying and Xu Junjie should look very similar. If she said that Heng'er was Xu Junying's son, no one would disbelieve it.
She hugged Heng'er tightly and stole a glance at Madam Zheng who was sitting upstairs drinking tea. The good son raised by the old woman dared to have an affair with his sister-in-law. He must have been spoiled since he was a child. Heng'er would most likely be spoiled if she raised him. What should she do? She had to find a way to get her son back, so that she wouldn't harm him again.
Just as she was thinking about it, Mrs. Zheng started to speak, and she was startled: "After the fifteenth, let them go to pick up Yu'er, what do you think?"
Mei Niang suddenly realized: Yes, there is also Zheng Meiyu! Xu Junjie and Qin Mei Niang committed adultery, and there was a key person involved. Without Zheng Meiyu keeping watch and making arrangements, they would not have been able to accomplish anything.
Zheng Meiyu, Mei Niang suddenly figured out something: Why can Zheng Meiyu come and go freely between Tsinghua Courtyard and East Courtyard, act like a spoiled child in front of Xu Junying, and dare to spread rumors that she has an affair with Lord Hou, and Xu Junying was reluctant to give the precious silver fox fur to Zhuang Yulan, but gave it to her - she had already surrendered to Xu Junying and sold out her cousin Xu Junjie! The sweet thing Xu Junying gave her was to marry her into the family and make her his successor, but later Zhuang Yulan, a more powerful and difficult opponent, appeared, and she had no choice but to settle for the second best and be a concubine.
What a rotten cousin, what a hateful woman! Fortunately, Mrs. Zheng still protected her and made plans for her.
Mei Niang said, "It's up to mother to decide. My cousin has been used to living in the mansion since she was a child, so she can't stay there after just a few days at home!"
Madam Zheng put down her teacup and sighed, "That's right! After she was born, my brother from my mother's side suffered from many health problems. He went to many places for divination and they all said that Yu'er and her father were incompatible. Our Zheng family is a big family and we can't give her away to be raised by others. So I and my sisters had to take turns raising her. She loved living with me. After she was five or six years old, she often lived in the Hou Mansion. She got along well with Junying and Junjie. My cousins tolerated her in everything and spoiled her!"
Mei Niang nodded: Raise her, spoil her, and you've raised an ungrateful person, right? Isn't Mrs. Zheng very smart? Why did she only think of letting Zheng Meiyu curry favor with Xu Junying, and never thought that if Zheng Meiyu fell in love with Xu Junying, she would tell everything? It turns out that she thought she had a clairvoyant eye and could see that her niece's heart was on her side. Fortunately, Xu Junjie died, otherwise he would be furious to see what his silly mother and his rotten cousin did.
Qin Meiniang didn't even let the groom touch her, but she did something shameful with Xu Junjie so quickly, and Zheng Meiyu's help was indispensable. Meiniang made up her mind that when Zheng Meiyu came, she would investigate her and thoroughly understand how Qin Meiniang and Xu Junjie hooked up in the first place, and how Zheng Meiyu, the matchmaker, did it!
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Mei Niang asked Cui Xi to go to Xiankelai outside the house. Cui Xi came back and reported that guests had started booking banquets at Xiankelai since the sixth day, and the entire floor was booked until the tenth day.
Cui Xi said uneasily, "I saw Bao Ju at Xiankelai and he almost saw me. I asked Shopkeeper Lu and he said Bao Ju had booked ten tables for a banquet for his colleagues and friends... Grandma, do we really want to take money from him?"
Mei Niang was walking around the pond in Qinghua Courtyard with her hands in her sleeves. When she heard her question, she looked up at the sky and said:
"What can we do? Should we tell him that this is the shop opened by the grandmother and that we won't accept the money from Lord Hou? That would be a death wish! After all, it's Shopkeeper Lu who's in charge, so he can take whatever he wants. We should just pretend that we don't know about it! By the way, when is Lord Hou's banquet scheduled?"
"The twelfth day of the first lunar month."
"Yes. After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the New Year's wine should have been consumed, and you can go to collect the receipts then - but I didn't count that there is also a charge for New Year's wine!"
After the eighth day of the first lunar month, the sun was bright, the weather became more sunny, and the wind was not so cold. Mei Niang took care of the affairs of the mansion every day, looked at the public and private accounts, insisted on walking more, sent the maids away, exercised in the room, paid her respects to the old lady and the lady on time, got closer to Heng'er, borrowed books from Rulan, tried to play the yao zither, gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu, the five-tone mode. It was really difficult to learn. No wonder the younger generations would rather accept the 14567 from the West, which was much easier.
Rulan had given her some Shu brocade and some wool yarn produced in Shu a while ago, saying that they were for knitting. She asked Cuilian to wind the wool yarn into a ball, and then drew a picture on it. She asked Mother Wang to ask someone to go out and make a few silver crochet needles and teach the maids how to crochet sweaters. When there was not enough wool yarn, they went to buy more. They were all addicted to knitting. Cuixi and Cuilian crocheted one for Qin Boqing and Feng, Cuisi crocheted one for Madam Qin, and she crocheted a small sweater for Heng'er and finished it quickly. At that time, thinking of pleasing Xu Junying, she crocheted one for him as well. Whoever wanted to crochet it was ready to have someone send it to him to try. But Mother Wang told her about that incident, which made her lose mood, and she wrapped it up and threw it into the cupboard.
Cui Xi, Cui Lian and Cui Si finished crocheting the first piece, and each crocheted a close-fitting vest for themselves. Cui Lian was quick and crocheted for Mother Wang, so Mei Niang made one for herself.
There was always something to do, so time passed quickly. In a blink of an eye, it was the twelfth day of the first lunar month. Bai Jingyu, Ning Rulan, and even Gan and Fang all returned to their parents' homes to celebrate the festival. Xu Junying didn't say anything, and Mei Niang also didn't say anything. They were hoping that after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when he would be busy at court, they could take the opportunity to go out and secretly return to their parents' home. It would not be a bad idea.
At night, Mei Niang sat under the lamp and looked through the account book for a while. She asked Cui Xi to put it away and took another book to read. She was reading attentively when Mother Wang came in from outside, walked up to her and said:
"Grandma, Ruibao from the East Courtyard is here. I wonder what he wants."
Mei Niang flipped through the pages of the book and said, "Let her in."
Ruibao walked in quickly, bowed to Mei Niang, and said with a sad face: "Grandma, please go over there to see Master Hou. Master Hou, he, he is like last time again!"
Mei Niang was startled: "What happened?"
Ruibao said, "I don't know. My master was outside having a banquet today. When he came back, he went to the old lady's room to greet her. Baizhan said that Miss Zhuang made tea for him and came back to vomit and..."
"Vomiting and defecating again?"
"To answer Grandma, I didn't have diarrhea this time, but I was vomiting and dizzy. Oh, and Master Hou said he was dizzy and had a headache, and he vomited yellow bile!"
"You, didn't you go and ask for the imperial physician?"
Ruibao became anxious: "Grandma! Baizhan said that Grandma can cure Master Hou. Grandma cured him last time. Let me ask you to come over and take a look!"
Mother Wang had already brought Mei Niang's shoes and said, "Grandma, hurry up and go see what's going on. Then let them get the imperial physician!"
Mei Niang said to Rui Bao while putting on her shoes: "Have you informed the first and old ladies? If you have any problems, just come to me. Don't go to the imperial physician. If something happens, I won't..."
Mother Wang coughed and said, "Grandma, hurry up!"
Mei Niang stopped talking, helped Cui Xi put on her outer robe, and hurried to the east courtyard.
In Wenjinxuan, Xu Junying was vomiting until he was hoarse. Mei Niang stood outside, frowning and waiting for him to finish vomiting before going in and asking Bai Zhan to get the imperial physician. Bai Zhan said, "Baoju is gone!"
There were two lights in the room. Mei Niang took one to the bedside and saw Xu Junying's eyes were closed and his face was flushed. He asked Bai Zhan what was going on. Bai Zhan said:
"The Lord Hou had been entertaining guests at Xiankelai since noon. When the banquet ended, he was only a little drunk. He was able to walk back to the mansion with help. He went to the old lady's room to greet her. Miss Zhuang made tea for the Lord Hou to sober him up. After drinking a few cups, the Lord Hou came out. He still asked me and Baoju to help him walk back. At that time, he said he felt uncomfortable, dizzy, had a headache, and wanted to vomit. He really vomited when he walked to the pond. He went all the way back to the East Courtyard and vomited all the way, but there was nothing left to vomit."
Mei Niang sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Xu Junying, not knowing whether he was unconscious or awake. After thinking for a while, she reached out and touched his hands, face, and forehead. They were all cold, and his hands were trembling slightly. She asked Bai Zhan again:
"You saw it clearly. It was the first time that Lord Hou vomited. What was there?"
Bai Zhan thought for a moment and said, "It seems like nothing... I've been vomiting water all the time, yellow bile!"
Mei Niang glanced at him and said, "First it was wine, then it was yellow bile. Your master probably only drank wine and didn't eat any food at all! Ruizhu Ruibao, warm water, mix a bowl of sugar water and feed it to your master."
She stood up and pointed at the braziers at both ends of the room and said, "The weather has been sunny and warm these past two days, so there's no need for the braziers. Open the windows to keep the air in the room fresh. Have someone make some rice porridge. After Mr. Hou drinks the sugar water, he won't vomit anymore, so let him drink the porridge. He drank on an empty stomach, got drunk first, then drank Miss Zhuang's sobering tea, got drunk again, and ended up like this. Don't worry, he'll get better!"
Bai Zhan was stunned: "Drunk tea?"
Mei Niang smiled. What a coincidence! Before she came to this world, a colleague of hers fainted due to tea drunkenness. She called her uncle in the hospital, and her uncle asked a specialist doctor to explain it to her, and she finally understood.
"That's right, drunken tea! Using tea to sober up is not advisable, it is harmful and useless. Next time when Lord Hou drinks, teach him not to drink tea. You have followed him for many years and understand his physical condition. His stomach should not be very good..."
Ruizhu brought in a bowl of sugar water and stood hesitantly in front of the bed. Mei Niang said, "Feed him, one sip at a time, slowly!"
Ruizhu and Ruibao went forward to feed her the sugar water. Just after they finished, Xu Junying vomited again, staining Ruizhu and Ruibao's clothes and skirt. The two girls looked bitter but dared not say a word.
Mei Niang looked at Cui Xi and Cui Lian beside her and said, "Bring another bowl of sugar water and feed her again!"
The second bowl of sugar water went smoothly and Xu Junying did not vomit. Ruizhu Ruibao breathed a sigh of relief and went back to change clothes.
Mei Niang told Bai Zhan: "Just watch over there. I'll go over first. The imperial physician will come to see me soon. You can decide what medicine to take!"
Bai Zhan begged: "Grandma, please wait a moment. I'm afraid that Master Hou will feel uncomfortable again!"
He moved a chair to behind Mei Niang and brought the brazier over: "It's a bit cold with the window open, Grandma, sit by the fire for a while."
Mei Niang said: "You don't have to open the window so wide, just open a small gap."
Bai Zhan hurriedly closed the window again, leaving only a small gap, and came back to stand beside Mei Niang and said, "Grandma just asked about my health. I think my master does have a bad stomach... He was frozen and starved at the border. It would be great if Grandma knew how to treat him..."
Mei Niang's forehead was sweating: "You want me to be your imperial physician? I can treat you as a Mongolian doctor, but if you really have any serious emergency, don't come to me!"
Baoju and the imperial physician waited for a long time but they still didn't come. Mei Niang could no longer sit still. Xu Junying was lying silently in the tent. She asked Bai Zhan to go and check on him to make sure he didn't die from the bowl of sugar water. Bai Zhan went to take a closer look, tucked in the quilt, and came over to say that the master had fallen asleep. Mei Niang then left with peace of mind.
As soon as Mei Niang left, Xu Junying crawled out of bed, leaned against the head of the bed, called Bai Zhan over, and weakly cursed:
"Just go get the imperial physician. Why did you call her here? Didn't you think I was embarrassed enough last time? You even told her all sorts of nonsense... If you dare to do that again, you won't be able to follow me!"
Bai Zhan lowered his head: "I won't dare to do it again! I just think that Grandma understands Master Hou. She only needs to touch Master Hou's hands and face to know what to feed Master Hou to be effective!"
"Shut up!"
"yes!"
Bai Zhan paused and said, "Grandma said that drinking tea to sober up is harmful and useless. Lord Hou should not drink tea after drinking alcohol in the future!"
"Shut up!"
"yes!"
Baoju brought the imperial physician back, and Xu Junying had basically stabilized and was no longer vomiting. He was much better. The imperial physician took his pulse and said that there was nothing serious. He wrote a prescription, took the consultation fee, and Baoju sent him back.
Ruizhu and the little girl brought hot water and hot tea. Xu Junying got out of bed to wash up, and Ruibao brought the freshly cooked rice porridge. Xu Junying ate a bowl of it. Baizhan looked at it and threw the prescription written by the imperial physician into the brazier to burn it - Lord Hou had such a bad temper that he would not take medicine if he could eat food.
On the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Gan came back from her parents' home and brought some local gifts to Mei Niang. Mei Niang was sitting in the yard basking in the sun while crocheting a sweater. Seeing Gan coming in with a bundle, she hurriedly stood up and took it. She asked Gan with a smile what it was. Gan said it was some delicious rice cakes, dried meat, bean buns, etc. Mei Niang put them on the stone table and opened them, looking at them one by one and tasting them. She discussed with Gan which one was soft, which one was crispy, and which one was the most delicious. They were eating happily and chatting happily. Suddenly, they saw Xu Junying coming in from the gate of the yard. Gan and Mei Niang hurriedly saluted Xu Junying. Gan said, "Brother, how are you!"
Mei Niang had something in her mouth and half a cake in her hand. She hid behind her back quietly. She could not make a sound and had to lower her head.
Xu Junying glanced at her, and Gan said, "These are some snacks I just brought from my mother's house. Sister-in-law likes them, so brother, try some too!"
Xu Junying smiled and said, "I just came back from a banquet outside, but I couldn't eat it. Keep it for me, my sister-in-law is so thoughtful!"
Gan spoke a few more words to Xu Junying and then said goodbye and went back.
While they were talking, Mei Niang put the half cake in her hand back into her bag, quickly covered it with the cake, and quickly chewed and swallowed the cake in her mouth. She just had time to say to Gan:
"Thank you, Fourth Grandma. Come sit down again!"
Then she and Xu Junying were speechless. In the past, when she saw him, she would still think of currying favor with him and pretending to be gentle and virtuous as his wife. But now she would rather not see him. When she saw him, she always felt like she owed him something and felt very uncomfortable.
She pointed to the embroidered stool where she had been sitting and said, "The sun is warm, would you like to sit down?"
Xu Junying said: "No."
But he didn't leave. Mei Niang had nothing to say to him. She reached out and picked up the half-crocheted sweater on the stone table. She held it in her arms and slowly crocheted it stitch by stitch, urging Xu Junying to leave quickly.
Xu Junying watched Mei Niang sewing and said, "Your brother came on the eighth day of the first lunar month. I didn't have time to see him. Junting and Junxuan came over and talked in the front hall. Then Junxuan pulled him out, saying that he was going to attend a very important party. He brought some things for the children and had someone send them to the madam... You just went to your mother's house, so you don't have to go again. Go to bed early tonight. I'll take you to the palace tomorrow to meet the queen!"
Mei Niang suddenly raised her head: "Audience, an audience with the Queen?!"
Compared to her excitement, Xu Junying's expression was much calmer: "That's right! Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and the Queen invites ladies from other courts to the palace to enjoy the lanterns. I originally wanted to apply for sick leave for you, but the Queen personally named you, so you have to go unless you are still alive!"
Mei Niang tried her best to control herself and not let her emotions show. She wanted to enter the palace, meet the queen, and meet the ladies of the outer court. Xu Junying had said before that she had no right or opportunity to participate in social activities. As soon as the invitation arrived at the outer court, it was taken away by Xu Junying. She had no way to do anything. Now she could suddenly enter the palace. It was so unexpected. She made up her mind that she must seize the opportunity. The more people she met and the more people she knew, the more hope she would have in the future. It was not a dream to escape from the sea of suffering!
She said cautiously, "I understand. I will be ready tomorrow and follow you into the palace early!"
"You don't have to go too early. Enter the palace at noon. After paying your respects in the palace, go in order to see the emperor. It's your turn, and it's noon. There will be a banquet in the palace in the afternoon, and you can enjoy the lanterns in the evening, and then come back."
Xu Junying told her some things that she should pay attention to when entering the palace, as well as some etiquette rules. Mei Niang listened carefully. The two stood in the sun, a few steps apart, one with her hands behind her back, looking at the other, and the other lowered her head gently. If Xu Junying's expression was not too solemn, they would look like a pair of lovers whispering.
After Xu Junying finished his instructions, he turned back to the East Courtyard. Mei Niang was so excited that she worked very fast on her needlework. She finished the bright purple sweater that was almost finished in one go and moved ahead of schedule.
Her mother in her previous life was the best at knitting. Influenced by her mother, she could hold the crochet hook skillfully when she was eight or nine years old. She would turn on the TV and watch cartoons while knitting countless small and cute clothes for the Barbie doll. After she turned 20, she only crocheted sweaters for her boyfriend. She stopped doing this after they broke up. She didn't have the time for it because she was busy with her career.
I shook out the knitted sweater, and found that all the patterns and designs were from my memory of the previous life. They were exquisite and elegant, with first-class craftsmanship. This is the knitting method taught by my mother, an intangible heritage that must be cherished. Except for a few close girls around me, anyone who wants to learn it has to pay!
Mei Niang smiled at her own thought, stroking the soft sweater, and suddenly another idea came to her: Shouldn't I bring a gift when I go to see the queen? Maybe Xu Junying will take care of it, but if I give her a special gift, won't she be more impressed with me? Who in this dynasty has seen such a beautiful and warm sweater? It would be strange if she didn't want it! I originally knitted it for myself, so I might as well take it into the palace. If the queen is the same size as me, I will give it to her as a gift, and then I can knit another one when I come back! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian. to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)