After the Lantern Festival, it rained for several days in a row. The continuous spring rain made it inconvenient to go out. Old Mrs. Wei was getting old and she didn't like going out. When it rained, she would rather play mahjong with the third and second wives in the house.
In addition to the Third Madam and the Second Madam accompanying them, the Marquis of Ping'an's wife also came over when she had time. Seeing how lively they were, she joined in the fun: "Why are the Second Madam, the Third Madam, and Nanny Hua accompanying you? Princess Shouning isn't here?"
Mrs. Wei smiled and said, "Don't want her. She doesn't know how to play cards. She plays cards so slowly that it makes people irritated..."
The second and third wives also laughed and said to Ping An Hou's wife, "You don't know, An An is very smart in other things, but she can never learn to play mahjong no matter how many times she is taught. Even if she can, she can't play well. Every time she plays a card, the old lady gets so anxious that she simply doesn't want her to play..."
Aunt Hua had already stood up and offered her seat to Lady Ping An, who then sat over with a smile, touching the cards and laughing, "Speaking of which, Ah Si learns this very quickly. In just half a month, he has become very proficient. You will have a companion in the future."
Old Madam Wei said "oh" and looked up at her. Seeing that Miss Xu Si didn't come over, she said softly, "Why didn't Miss Xu Si come over today?"
The wife of the Marquis of Ping An played a card game and frowned with some worry: "Come to think of it, I was just about to tell you that I was fine before, but I don't know if I caught a cold on the Lantern Festival. I haven't felt well these past few days. I've been taking medicine every day, but I haven't gotten better. My nose is red."
But the wedding is just around the corner. After the first month, the third day of the second month is the wedding day. They have asked a fortune teller to calculate the date. Old Mrs. Wei couldn't help but frown and said, "Is it serious? Otherwise, why don't we ask the old doctor to take a look? After all, the old doctor is an old man and has more experience."
The second wife was also a little worried: "We can't be careless about this. Although it's a cold, it depends on what kind of cold it is. We have to prescribe the right medicine. Let's ask the old doctor to take a look. The sooner it's cured, the less it will become a serious illness if it's delayed."
The wife of the Marquis of Ping An felt even more relieved. The people of the Wei family were very concerned about the fourth Miss Xu. She nodded and said, "It's not a big deal. Let her take the medicine and see if she doesn't get better. If she doesn't get better, I will ask someone to ask the old doctor to come to the house to see her. She can't come to pay her respects, but she asked me to apologize to you."
"This child is too cautious." Old Madam Wei shook her head: "We are all family, why do we still care about these empty formalities? As long as she is healthy, it is better than anything else. Tell her to take good care of herself and come back when she is well."
Old Madam Wei really likes Fourth Miss Xu. This girl has a tenacity that ordinary girls don't have. She is like the weeds on the roadside that can never be burned out. Such girls have their own opinions, but it is rare that they can still walk the right path after going through so many things, and they have a good heart.
She thought for a moment, and then instructed Aunt Hua: "Go to the storehouse and find a few old ginsengs. Then bring them back to Madam Ping'an to nourish the Fourth Young Lady."
Mrs. Ping An Hou hurriedly stood up to thank Miss Xu on her behalf, and then asked Mrs. Wei, "Didn't you see the Fifth Master during the Lantern Festival the other day?"
Old Mrs. Wei glanced at her.
It is very inappropriate for a woman from the rear house to ask questions about a man from another family. In the past, the wife of Marquis Ping'an had come so many times, but she had never asked about anything else about the Fifth Master except his marriage.
This time, the wife of the Marquis of Ping An suddenly mentioned that the fifth master was absent during the Lantern Festival. Old Madam Wei ate her cards and then said calmly after drawing a new card: "It seems that something delayed him that day. What happened?"
The second and third wives also noticed something was wrong and turned to look at the wife of Marquis Ping'an.
The wife of the Marquis of Ping An did not panic. She played her cards first, considered for a moment, looked at Mrs. Wei cautiously, and seemed to think about her words for a while before saying, "It's not a big deal, it's just... our Marquis heard from someone that the Fifth Master seems to be..."
Old Madam Wei seemed to understand something, so she stopped what she was doing, looked at the wife of Marquis Ping'an seriously, and nodded to signal her to continue.
The wife of the Marquis of Ping An did not hesitate any longer and said directly, "I just heard that the Fifth Master seems to be going to those places more frequently recently."
Those places
Where are those places
The second and third wives looked at each other and instantly understood what Marquis Ping'an's wife meant. They couldn't help but blush.
Old Madam Wei's face remained calm. She looked at the card table calmly and asked the Second and Third Madams, "How often has Old Five been spending money recently?"
If you want to go out for social events and spend money, you need money. With Wei Yangqing's salary, he can only afford a few meals at Sanyuanlou. How can it be enough? He must ask for money from home.
If money was taken home too frequently, the second and third wives, the housekeepers, would not be unaware of it.
The Second and Third Madams could not help but frown, feeling that something was not right. After hesitating for a moment, they looked at Old Madam Wei and shook their heads, "But, Uncle Wu has not... withdrawn any extra money from the mansion recently!"
At that time, Princess Changning's dowry had already been sealed in the warehouse, ready to be given to Wei Jie's wife. Even if Wei Yangqing wanted to touch the money there, it would be impossible for him to do so without going through the Third Madam and the Second Madam. If the Second Madam and the Third Madam both said that they had no money, then Wei Yangqing had no money. If he had no money, how could he still spend it on wine and women outside
Madam Wei's eyes darkened, and she immediately turned back to look at Aunt Hua: "Go and call Lin Hai over. Also, check if the Fifth Master is in the mansion. If he is... forget it, don't disturb him for now."
Mrs. Ping'an Marquis waved her hands anxiously: "Madam, that's not what I meant... Maybe it was a misunderstanding..."
"If it's a misunderstanding, that's even better." Old Madam Wei raised her hand to stop her from saying anything. After watching Nanny Hua leave, she said, "I really want to get married, and I've explained this matter very clearly to him. He should either not agree to it or he shouldn't do it so recklessly... If he's really so ignorant..."
Old Mrs. Wei snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Feicui, who was standing by, stepped forward and cleared the table. She helped Old Madam Wei sit on the couch, took out a hand warmer and covered her with it. She asked softly, "Old Madam, do you want to invite the princess over?"
It was raining, so Old Lady Wei exempted Wei An from paying her respects and specifically told her not to come.
But at this time, Feicui knew that only Wei An's words could be listened to by Old Lady Wei.
Old Mrs. Wei nodded slightly. (To be continued)