Chapter 818: Rongguo Prefecture, East Courtyard, Zhao Yiniang's room

Zhao Yiniang originally thought she had taken advantage, and was quite complacent in her heart.

When she saw the object sandwiched in the robe, she couldn't help but be startled, and fear couldn't help but rise in her heart.

She hurriedly covered the package tightly, a trace of forced smile appeared on her face, and she said to the old woman: "I didn't expect Jinxiu to be so quick; it was done in just two days."

The old woman apologized with a smile: "This robe is so expensive, the price must not be low. The Yiniang is generous and truly loves her son."

Zhao Yiniang smiled stiffly: "I only raised this one boy, so naturally I have to treasure him."

She hurriedly turned back to the room, grabbed a handful of copper coins from the money box, and felt it was too much, really reluctant, so she put half back.

She went out and stuffed it into the old woman's hand, saying: "Trouble you for running an errand. These copper coins are for you to buy wine."

"Don't talk nonsense to others about this matter; if the Lady knows, she will blame me for spending silver indiscriminately."

The old woman smiled: "Yiniang, don't worry. Helping Yiniang run errands is what I should do, so I won't be gossiping."

Zhao Yiniang sent the old woman away, returned to the room, opened the package, and took out a bright green sachet from the round-collar robe.

She cursed in a low voice: "This dead girl is simply bold; does she want to kill me and Huan-er!"

Zhao Yiniang opened the package just now, looked at this bright green sachet, and immediately thought of the origin of this robe.

Her son Jia Huan had the same bright green sachet and had boasted to her that it was made and given to him by Cai Xia.

Later, this bright green sachet was lost by her son, and he was uncomfortable for two days, so Zhao Yiniang remembered this matter clearly.

The sachet sandwiched in the robe just now was exactly the same in handmade style as the bright green sachet Jia Huan originally had. Zhao Yiniang saw at a glance that it was made by Cai Xia.

She couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "This shameless girl, she got a big belly from Bao-yu, and still wants to come and provoke Huan-er."

"She doesn't look at where she lives. There are so many people coming in and out of the West Prefecture; she dares to do this kind of thing."

"If someone sees it by accident, Huan-er will be ruined by her, and I am still waiting for him to win a scholar title for me!"

Zhao Yiniang was muttering to herself when a figure flashed at the door, and Jia Huan actually walked in. Zhao Yiniang was startled and hurriedly stuffed the bright green sachet into her sleeve.

She scolded: "You maggot-hearted thing, not studying hard, and wandering around again. Be careful if Third Sister knows and beats you!"

Jia Huan said with a bitter face: "Yiniang, I got up at the third quarter of the Chen hour and have already studied for an hour and a half. My waist and back are sore. Bao-yu has been studying for a month and hasn't read as much as I have in one day. I'm not a beast; you should let me rest and catch my breath."

Jia Huan said lazily, and suddenly saw the package on the table. He curiously picked up the robe inside.

He gestured on his body and smiled: "This robe is truly decent. Yiniang still loves me, not forgetting to make new clothes for her son for the New Year."

"My son is going to enter the Imperial Academy after the New Year. There are all decent scholars inside, and my son should be dressed properly. This robe is just right for the time."

Zhao Yiniang said impatiently: "If you want to wear it, wear it. Why so much nonsense."

She didn't forget to add: "Now you know, only I think of you. I made this for you. You just need to study hard."

After sending Jia Huan to study, Zhao Yiniang sat alone and thought for a while. Thinking of the West Prefecture, how many eyes were growing inside and out, she was finally uneasy.

She shouted at the outside: "Little Jixiang, where did you die again!"

As soon as Zhao Yiniang's voice fell, a little maid drilled out from some corner and shouted: "Yiniang, I am here. What is the matter?"

Zhao Yiniang rummaged through the money box and picked out a three-tael silver piece, saying: "You go to Jinxiu-hao and run an errand. Make a round-collar robe for Huan-ge'er."

"Don't use the wrong color, let them be quick, and it must be done before New Year's Eve!"

Count's Mansion, Jia Cong's courtyard.

The sun set in the west, the red clouds filled the sky, and Jia Cong returned to the mansion. As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he saw maids and old women coming in and out of various rooms and verandas, looking very busy.

Idle rooms and pavilions began to be dusted and cleaned, colorful lanterns were being hung on verandas everywhere, and curtains and window lattices in common halls were being dismantled and washed. The atmosphere of the New Year was already overflowing.

The lanterns, screens, tables, chairs, and utensils in stock had to be taken out of the warehouse, arranged for people to dry and clean, and used for New Year's guest banquets.

The green plants in the flower gardens everywhere in the mansion had to be pruned and managed by gardeners, picking withered and supplementing new, growing lush, to meet the meaning of welcoming spring and asking for good luck.

New Year's Eve ancestor worship was a major event at the end of the year. Cleaning the ancestral hall, hanging ancestral portraits, incense burners, meat and vegetarian offerings, and inviting monks and Daoists all needed to be complete.

During the New Year's sacrifice, not only the descendants of the eight branches of the Divine Capital had to be present, but the twelve branches of Jin Ling would also send people to participate, and the accommodation for guests had to be arranged.

Jia Cong was the head of the two prefectures, and the ancestor worship involved the two prefectures. Yingchun was worried that the West Prefecture's manpower was tight and difficult to take care of one by one.

She sent Musk with four maids and old women to the Phoenix Sister's courtyard to listen to Wang Xifeng's orders and help handle the miscellaneous affairs related to the sacrifice.

Wuer and Ping'er were slightly freed up and began to organize the list of guests for the New Year's banquet, including both relatives by marriage and family friends of generations.

Ping'er had followed Wang Xifeng to manage the West Prefecture for many years and was familiar with the guests at the end of the year, while Wuer was literate and skilled in writing. One said and one wrote, complementing each other.

Wang Xifeng dealt with two batches of reporting old women and checked and supplemented the list listed by the two, and the three were talking about things.

The warm curtain at the door was lifted, and Lin Zhixiao's wife brought two maids in, each carrying a bundle in their hands.

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "The various fabrics ordered by the Grandmother have all been bought. They are all good goods in the city."

"The Grandmother is generous and loves people, not forgetting to spend her own private money at the end of the year to buy materials for the little sister to make clothes."

Wang Xifeng smiled: "Where am I generous? I don't have the position to do this. I'm just an errand runner."

"It is the Grandmother who uses her own private silver to buy materials for the grandsons who haven't formed a family and the granddaughters who haven't left the boudoir, so everyone can have a celebration."

"Bao-yu and Huan-er's share, I asked the maid to pass a message to the Second Lady earlier, but because I didn't know their preferences for clothes, I let the Second Lady handle it."

"The expenses for this matter on her side will be offset by the Grandmother's private money."

"Originally, Third Brother also wanted to buy materials, but Second Sister said that she had already prepared top-quality ones for her brother at the beginning of the month."

"Buying materials again would be idle and wasted, so it's considered that she has already helped her brother receive the Grandmother's reward, without wasting silver."

Wang Xifeng chatted while playing with the fabrics, and Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "Third Master is also blessed. Second Sister is so thoughtful and considerate."

Wang Xifeng played with the fabric and smiled: "They are also rare. Second Sister treats her brother like a treasure, holding him in her palm and reluctant to let go."

"Last year, several noble families wanted to climb the relationship, and the Grandmother thought of matchmaking, but was pushed away by Second Sister with various reasons."

"Now she is also a young lady who manages the house, and the Grandmother is not easy to force her too much, so it dragged on for another year."

"I think she is reluctant to part with her brother, and doesn't even care about her own marriage. Now Third Brother is a Hanlin official, and his reputation is louder than before."

"Others are naturally staring at Second Sister more and more. This New Year will definitely be livelier, and I don't know how many people will come to step on the threshold."

Wang Xifeng chatted, and looked at these top-quality fabrics, suddenly seeing a treasure blue group-flower material, very elegant and noble.

She asked curiously: "I only asked you to buy materials for the young ladies, why are there materials for men to wear?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife looked at it and smiled: "It was my carelessness. This material was bought together with other materials, and I forgot to separate them."

"This was bought by Xing young lady of the East Prefecture. I don't know where she found out that I was purchasing materials for the West Prefecture and was familiar with the market."

"Yesterday, she sent the maid Zhuan'er to pass a message, saying she wanted to buy top-quality fabrics, regardless of the price, as long as the things were good, and she also said the style and pattern."

Wang Xifeng was slightly stunned, rubbing the fabric that was as soft as silk, and suddenly understood, smiling: "I know who Xing sister bought it for."

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "The Grandmother is still transparent. I guessed it right. Although Zhuan'er didn't say it clearly, I could hear it, so I naturally picked the best one to buy."

"This is the top-quality satin from Gusu Weaving, thicker than ordinary satin, and the style and pattern are also atmospheric. It is exactly for men to wear in winter."

"The price of this satin is more expensive than other materials. Because I am an old customer, I got a discount and it still cost three taels and seven coins of silver."

Wang Xifeng said: "Yo, things are tight at the end of the year, and the price is really not cheap. Xing sister is treated the same as the young ladies in the mansion, and she also has two taels of monthly allowance. I heard that Uncle Xing is old and his body is not hard, so most of Xing sister's monthly allowance is used to subsidize the family, and she doesn't have much silver in her hand."

"This piece of material is afraid of taking up half a year of her monthly allowance. She is willing to spend it; she is a girl with a heart."

Wuer also stepped forward to look at the material and said: "Although Xing young lady has two taels of monthly allowance, and Second Sister also spoils her, she rarely uses silver in daily life."

"The clothes, shoes, and socks she wears are made by herself and her maids, and she uses very little rouge and powder."

"Second Sister saw that she only had one maid and was worried that she wouldn't have enough to use in daily life, so she wanted to assign one, but she said she didn't want it."

"It's Third Master who likes her simple temperament and often talks about her benefits. When he goes to Second Sister's room, he always finds Xing young lady to talk."

Ping'er smiled: "This is not all. Xing young lady also has good popularity, and the young ladies in the mansion feel she is close, and Shi young lady is inseparable from her."

"Before, Miao-yu young lady lived in the mansion, her temperament was strange and she spoke little. Except for Zhi Shao sister, even if she got along with others, she didn't speak much."

"Unexpectedly, she was very compatible with Xing young lady and kept her overnight in the Nanpo small courtyard, which is also a strange thing."

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled: "This little daughter-in-law who hasn't entered the door of Third Master is really reliable."

Wang Xifeng smiled: "Although the Eldest Lady had some delusions at the beginning, she also did a good thing. Although she will be a concubine in the future."