Old Madam Guo was not in the main house, but in the three spacious side rooms behind the main house that served as a warehouse.
The warm winter sun shines on the box made of purple sandalwood and wrapped with auspicious clouds and copper corners, which looks simple, solemn and noble.
Mrs. Guo stood in front of the opened box and waved to Zhou Shaojin: "Come and take a look at this appreciation vase."
The sky-blue glaze, cracked like a turtle's back, with a round belly and a high bottleneck, has beautiful and natural lines that remind people of a swan's neck.
It is a Ge kiln appreciation vase from the previous dynasty that is comparable to the "Beauty Under the Moon".
Zhou Shaojin suppressed his surprise and said with a smile: "So beautiful!"
Mrs. Guo nodded with a smile and said, "This is my mother's dowry. At that time, there was war and my grandfather's family was a local gentry. They were first robbed by many bandits. Many good things in the house were gone, but this appreciation vase was hidden by my grandmother in the well in the backyard. Later, when I got married, my mother gave it to me. I want to put it in your uncle Chi's treasure cabinet. What do you think?"
"It should be suitable." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile.
Madam Guo ordered Feicui, who was serving beside her, "Take this out."
Feicui agreed, carefully placed the appreciation bottle on the long table beside her, and made a note in the account book.
Madam Guo said, "I remember I also have a Ge kiln crab claw pattern horseshoe stove... Jadeite, look carefully. Put it together with the Ge kiln turtle back pattern appreciation vase, it should look very nice."
Feicui smiled and said "yes", then found ten account books with the word "porcelain" written on them in a full box of account books and began to flip through them one by one.
Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin sighed, "I'm old now, and I have so many things that I can't even remember what they are."
This is the easiest way to be stolen.
The Queen Mother's Nine Treasures Necklace was lost that year, and it was stolen by the eunuch in charge of the storehouse. If the Queen Mother hadn't suddenly remembered this thing when the Princess got married, I'm afraid that even after the Queen Mother passed away, no one would know that this thing had been stolen out of the palace and sold.
But the maids around Madam Guo all seem to have good character, so this kind of thing shouldn't happen.
Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly.
Like blooming daffodils in the warm winter sun.
Mrs. Guo couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
It's no wonder that Jiashan couldn't forget her. Just based on her appearance, she was never boring. As for other things, they were secondary... Zhuang was even better than Zhou Shaojin. This really proved that love is short-lived.
Old Madam Guo patted Zhou Shaojin's hand gently, thought for a moment, opened a box with the word "甲子" labeled on it, took out a small box and opened it. On the maroon velvet cloth lay a red gold chrysanthemum hairpin decorated with kingfisher feathers.
The wine-glass-sized chrysanthemums, inlaid with royal blue kingfisher feathers, with curled and slender petals and golden trembling stamens, are all lifelike.
Madam Guo closed the box, handed it to Zhou Shaojin, and said, "It's almost the New Year, take it and wear it!"
"No reward without merit." Although Zhou Shaojin didn't know where it came from, she knew at a glance that it was definitely not an ordinary item, so she tried her best to refuse it.
Madam Guo smiled and said, "Aren't you helping me copy scriptures? Take it! If you feel bad about it, wait until next spring to make me a shawl. When I gave birth to your uncle Chi, my shoulders caught a cold. It was okay in the winter because I had a brazier, but in the spring, it started to hurt and I had to put something on my shoulders. This year's shawl is for you!"
Zhou Shaojin responded hurriedly and took the box from Mrs. Guo.
She saw that there was nothing in Mrs. Guo's storehouse that was not good stuff. She was afraid that Mrs. Guo would suddenly give her something, so she stood up and said goodbye.
Mrs. Guo didn't keep her and continued to look for things in the warehouse with Feicui.
Zhou Shaojin had just copied two pages of scriptures in the small Buddhist hall when Jiying came over.
She smiled and said, "Do you want to go see the Oriole Hall?"
Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, "Is there anything special in the Oriole Hall?"
Before this, she didn't know that there was an Liyin Pavilion in Hanbi Mountain Villa.
Ji Ying smiled mysteriously and said, "There is a Bagua formation with a Tai Chi formation outside the Oriole Hall. Ordinary people will definitely get lost if they go in. I will take you to see it."
Zhou Shaojin's heart moved.
Could this be the bamboo forest where I got lost last time
She still remembered that there seemed to be a yard to the east of the bamboo forest, with a few bright red pomegranate flowers peeking out from behind the flower wall.
Zhou Shaojin asked: "Do you know the formation?"
"I don't understand." Jiying said, "But Huaishan does. He said that red ropes were tied to the bamboo every five steps, and if everyone followed the red ropes, they would never make mistakes. But what's the point of following his instructions? While Huaishan is instructing the servants to tie the red ropes, we can run over and play. If we get lost, just shout and Huaishan will rescue us. What better time than now?"
Zhou Shaojin is still frightened by what happened last time.
She shook her head like a rattle and said, "No, I have to finish copying these scriptures today. I'll go with you another day!"
Ji Ying was a little disappointed and said, "You are good in everything except that you are too timid."
Zhou Shaojin was embarrassed.
Ji Ying smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go alone. Don't regret it later!"
Zhou Shaojin felt that Jiying was like a child who was tempting him to play.
She smiled, sent Jiying out of the Buddhist hall, and continued copying scriptures.
After she finished copying today's scriptures, she packed up her things and went to say goodbye to Mrs. Guo.
The voice of Jiying could be vaguely heard from the bamboo forest.
Zhou Shaojin was shocked and quickly asked Shi Xiang to find Huaishan.
Shi Xiang quickly came back and said with a smile, "Miss Jiying was dragged out of the bamboo forest by Huaishan."
"Carry?" Zhou Shaojin was a little confused.
Shi Xiang imitated Huaishan's behavior: "Like carrying a chicken."
Zhou Shaojin thought of Huaishan’s icy gaze when he first met him.
Huaishan is probably not an ordinary person.
Zhou Shaojin thought about it and told his sister when he got back.
The elder sister smiled and said, "He should be Uncle Chi's bodyguard, right? Uncle Chi often travels outside for the family business, and meets all kinds of people. Without a bodyguard as skilled in martial arts as Huaishan, how could he dare to deal with those boat gangs and border troops!" At this point, she paused slightly and whispered, "It is said that Old Master Li from the second house died at the hands of the boat gang."
Zhou Shaojin was shocked and asked, "Didn't they say he died of illness?"
The old man Li from the second house is the only son of the second house’s ancestor Cheng Xu, and the husband of old man Tang An.
Zhou Chujin looked around and saw that only the two sisters were in the room, so she said, "When I was a child, I woke up from a nap one day and saw my grandmother and uncle sitting outside the green gauze cabinet talking. At that time, my uncle had just taken charge of the family, and the family was in a difficult situation. I don't know where my uncle got a few salt permits from, because he wanted to go to Yongjia Market to get salt, but my grandmother didn't let him go. She said at the time: Look at Uncle Li from the second house, he has money and goods, and he is smart and capable, but in the end he still died at the hands of the Cao Gang..."
Zhou Shaojin was half-believing and half-doubting, and said: "Hasn't the court always said that the Cao Gang 'gathers all kinds of troubles' and cannot be kept? At that time, the ancestor of the second branch should have entered the court as an official. Since Old Master Li died at the hands of the Cao Gang, why didn't they report it to the authorities? Even if they can't find the murderer, they can at least cause great damage to the Cao Gang!"
"I don't know the details." Zhou Chujin said, "The court has said that the Cao Gang is the 'source of legal collapse' every year, but when has it been able to completely eliminate the Cao Gang? I guess the Cao Gang must have its own strengths. Even if the ancestor of the second branch is an official appointed by the court, it is useless. Besides, how could a decent businessman get involved with these desperate gangsters? Maybe what happened at that time was 'unexplainable', and the radish was pulled out with mud!"
Zhou Chujin was somewhat disapproving.
"That's true." Zhou Shaojin said with emotion, "It's just a pity for Mrs. Tang, an orphan and a widow, who has been guarding her son for so many years."
"So they say things change over time. It's not a matter of pity or not." Zhou Chujin said, "If Old Master Li was still alive, with the help of the Second Branch's ancestors, how could the First Branch be where it is today? The Second Branch's ancestors are older than the First Branch's ancestors, and Old Master Li is older than Old Master Xun... This is what it means that man proposes, God disposes. You have to accept your fate!"
The resources of the family are limited. Being older means that one will be more mature at an early age. If one is more mature at an early age, one can gain more resources for himself. This is why the wife is not afraid of her husband having a concubine, but is afraid that the concubine will give birth to a son older than her own son.
Zhou Shaojin thought of the family tree that had always been in the hands of the ancestor of the second branch.
The ancestor of the second branch must have been very unwilling and placed his hopes on Cheng Shi.
The two sisters chatted in private for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, they went to Jiashu Hall.
Who knew that Mrs. Guan had guests.
Si'er quietly told Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin: "It was Mrs. Bai from Cunrenfang. She said she heard about Lanting and Xinlan's affair and came to ask Old An to judge the case."
Zhou Shaojin was so angry that his face turned red. He said, "Have we wronged Cheng Bai? She even had the nerve to ask my grandmother for justice! What justice can she have? It's good enough that we didn't cause trouble for her."
"Don't be angry, Second Miss." Si'er whispered, "She is not here to judge for Cheng Bai, she is here to judge for herself. She said that she knew nothing. When Cheng Bai was around, he was not at home for three days and two days. As a woman, how could she control her husband? She had no idea what Cheng Bai did outside. She also said that when Cheng Bai died, Cheng Lu was only six years old, and he didn't know what his father did. Now that Cheng Bai has done something wrong, it will bring disaster to his descendants. She feels like dying just thinking about it. Yunyun has been talking for almost half an hour, and Old An is so annoyed that she doesn't even bother to say a word to comfort her."
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin both found it funny.
Zhou Chujin even said, "I used to think that although Mrs. Bai was a little impetuous, she was also reasonable. It turned out that she had not experienced any pain. Now that disaster is imminent, she says something like 'harming the descendants'. When a person dies, it is like a light going out. If it does not harm the descendants, then anyone can kill people, set fires and then hang themselves, and all debts can be settled. Then who would be afraid of committing a crime?" As she spoke, she walked towards the main room, "Why is she pestering my grandmother like this? Let her come to me and talk!"
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Today's update, sisters.
PS: Since I continue to update twice a day even though I am busy, sisters, can you give me some pink votes to encourage me
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)