Chapter 841: Glory and Shame of Family and Country

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Inner Court, Granary Side Room.

Wang Wang Xifeng carefully examined the earring and said to the nanny: "Go call Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife here. If you dare to talk too much about today's matter, I will pull out all your teeth!"

The nanny was so scared her face turned pale, and she hurriedly said: "Second Grandmother, rest assured, I absolutely dare not talk too much."

As she spoke, she hurriedly went out to call someone. After a while, Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife came in, and Wang Wang Xifeng told her about the pouch and the earring.

She smiled and said: "Lin Qu Da Niang is also an experienced person; you should be able to guess what kind of business happened in this side room today."

Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife said: "I have always been clear about Bao Er Ye Bao's temperament. Even if he is absurd, he shouldn't be like this. In broad daylight, what does it look like?

There are widowed aunts and grandmothers living in the prefecture. If word gets out, the reputation of Lady Rongguo Prefecture will be ugly."

Wang Wang Xifeng said: "Lin Qu Da Niang is right. You take this earring and screen all the maids and young wives in the prefecture to see whose it is.

Forget about those who are ugly and clumsy; don't let go of any of those who are clever and glib, or who usually have words with Jia Baoyu!

Once you find out whose it is, don't alert others first. Keep her under watch; I want to interrogate her carefully."

……

After Wang Wang Xifeng gave her orders, she took Feng'er to Rongqing Hall for the banquet.

Just as she reached the entrance of the hall, she saw two nannies and a maid sitting under the walkway not far away. They looked somewhat unfamiliar and were not people from the prefecture.

She thought they must be servants who followed the Xia family, and didn't take it to heart, lifting the curtain to enter Rongqing Hall.

Wang Wang Xifeng entered the hall and exchanged a few pleasantries, and Jia Mu ordered the maids to start the banquet. Everyone took their seats.

Wang Wang Xifeng passed by Xia Gu Niang's side and smelled the fragrance on her hair bun—it was the scent of balsam hair oil.

Her heart jumped violently, and a strong sense of strangeness arose. Could it be that Xia Gu Niang and Jia Baoyu, a young couple full of vigor, couldn't hold back and were having an affair in the side room?

Thinking of this scene, Wang Wang Xifeng felt it was too shocking and absurd, and too bizarre.

If one were to say Jia Baoyu was lecherous and absurd, and caused such a thing, Wang Wang Xifeng would believe it a little.

Although Xia Gu Niang and Jia Baoyu were engaged, they hadn't met many times. Wang Wang Xifeng didn't believe a young lady from a wealthy family would be in such a hurry.

She carefully looked at Xia Gu Niang's earlobes and saw she was wearing a pair of pearl earrings, exquisite and luxurious, not ordinary items, and they were a pair, with nothing missing.

Xia Gu Niang clearly hadn't been to the side room. The earring found in the side room looked relatively ordinary and didn't look like something belonging to a wealthy young lady.

Everyone chatted at the banquet, and Wang Wang Xifeng heard Seeing Yingchun mention that Xia Gu Niang had been to the Ningguo Prefecture to tour, but not with Jia Baoyu, so she let go of her doubts.

……

During the banquet, Jia Mu asked: "Why don't I see Miss Lin and Miss Yun? Is Cousin Cong still busy meeting guests?"

Seeing Yingchun smiled: "Cousin Lin Daiyu is helping Cousin Cong receive female guests. The visitors today are all Cousin Cong's official connections.

Both of them are young ladies from official families, and they are even more clever than me in helping Cousin Cong entertain the official wives.

Because Cousin Cong is a male from a different branch, it's naturally not appropriate for him to show his face in the hall, so I, as his sister, will entertain the guests for him."

Hearing this, Jia Baoyu felt somewhat comfortable. Jia Cong kept the gate of the Ningguo Prefecture shut tight, constantly saying others were "outside men."

Now he was acting as an "outside man" himself, not even having the face to enter Rongqing Hall. It was truly satisfying!

Jia Mu smiled: "He hasn't started a family yet, and he's still so young, so why so many taboos? But his guests are also important, so let it be."

Jia Baoyu was just feeling proud, but hearing Jia Mu's words, he was instantly deflated. Jia Cong was the same age as him, yet just because he hadn't married, he could take advantage of him.

It shows that all the rules and etiquette in the world are just nonsense...

……

Hearing Seeing Yingchun's words, Xia Gu Niang felt gloomy in her heart. She had come to the Jia house today to pay a New Year's call, hoping to take the opportunity to get close to Jia Cong.

She hadn't expected that after half a day, she had only seen him from afar across the walkway. Not to mention not being able to speak to him, she had also seen him being entangled by other women. She was truly angry to death.

Even though she had an excuse to stroll around the Ningguo Prefecture, she couldn't see him at all.

According to Sister Seeing Yingchun, the rules of these great clans were extremely strict. Even if she married into the house in the future, she feared it would be difficult to get close...

At this banquet, Jia Mu and Mother Xia chatted happily, and Lady Wang also felt honored.

But although Xia Gu Niang had a smile, there was always gloom between her brows, and she was depressed in her absent-mindedness.

Since the banquet started, Jia Baoyu had been feeling guilty and terrified. Fortunately, Seeing Baochan was not in the hall, which made him feel a little more at ease.

Seeing Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun were proper hosts, and both understood how to entertain, but because they each had their own thoughts, they rarely spoke at the banquet, just waiting for it to end early.

Wang Wang Xifeng, on the other hand, was in a good mood, smiling and chatting with Mother Xia, making the atmosphere lively and harmonious.

It was just that she was always thinking about whether the cheap girl who lost the earring had been caught by Lin Lin Zhixiao's wife...

……

After the banquet, the Xia mother and daughter bid farewell to Jia Mu and thanked her for the return gifts.

Lady Wang took Jia Baoyu and Seeing Tan Chun to see the Xia mother and daughter to the second gate, and then they returned separately.

Looking at Seeing Baochan's back, Jia Baoyu felt itchy and unbearable, but also felt a sense of relief. When she married into the house with Xia Gu Niang in the future, there would be more romance, and he secretly rejoiced.

The Jia family's sedan chair set off from the second gate, passed through layers of doors, walked through two ceremonial gates, and spent a quarter of an hour before carrying the Xia mother and daughter to the West Corner Gate.

Mother Xia sighed in her heart; the grandeur of a Duke's family was truly extraordinary. She was very proud of the Xia family's connection to such a noble family.

Since her daughter became engaged to Jia Baoyu, after the news spread, the Xia family's business had become smoother, and there were many more conveniences in trade.

Sure enough, the name of being an in-law to a Duke's Prefecture made people wary in all aspects.

Even the nobles who had invested in the Xia family's business, such as the Zhao Prince's Prefecture, all showed more kindness to Mother Xia.

Seeing the benefits of marrying into a powerful family, Mother Xia valued this marriage even more.

……

But Xia Gu Niang didn't care about the grandeur of the West Prefecture. After getting off the sedan chair, she was still depressed, looking at Seeing Baochan who was following the sedan chair.

She frowned and said: "You dead girl, you are getting more and more sloppy. Why are you bare on both sides when you go out? You don't even wear an earring. You don't look like a maid from a wealthy family at all.

If you are still so loose, you will lose my face. Be careful with your skin. I won't take you out again in the future, and I'll just marry you off to a little servant to settle the account."

Hearing the words about marrying a little servant, Seeing Baochan's legs went soft with fear. She was still waiting to marry into the Jia family with her mistress, so she could have a long-term romantic relationship with Jia Baoyu.

If the mistress really went crazy, wouldn't all her calculations fall through? By then, it would truly be worse than death.

With only a few months left before the mistress married, she had to coax this young lady well. When she entered the house in the future, with Bao Er Ye Bao supporting her, she wouldn't have to be afraid...

Just now, when she was fooling around with Jia Baoyu in the side room, the two were too intense, causing her to lose one earring.

She didn't notice it at the time, but after leaving the side room and finding a quiet place to tidy her clothes and messy hair, she realized something was wrong.

She knew that the mistress and the young lady were shrewd people, and that wearing one earring was too eye-catching and easy to lead to questions, so she simply took it off...

Seeing Baochan begged with a bitter face: "Young Lady, it's all my fault. I was flustered when I went out this morning and forgot to wear the earring. I won't dare to do it again next time.

Young Lady, don't marry me off to a little servant. I won't marry anyone; I will only serve you for the rest of my life."

……

Mother Xia heard Seeing Baochan's pitiful plea and felt she had some loyalty. Her daughter was about to marry, so she always needed someone she could trust by her side.

Seeing Baochan had grown up in the Xia family and served her daughter since childhood; she could be said to be her daughter's confidante.

This maid would definitely have to accompany her in marriage in the future. If her daughter had an extra right-hand woman, she should still be won over.

She said: "You girl are also getting more muddled as you grow up. The Jia family is a wealthy family that pays the most attention to rules and etiquette. Be more careful in the future, and it will be fine as long as there are no mistakes."

Hearing this, Seeing Baochan breathed a sigh of relief. She followed Xia Gu Niang into the carriage, curled up in the corner of the carriage, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

In her heart, she thought of the side room in the Jia house, where Jia Baoyu had used great means on her, and the two were intimately entangled. She couldn't help but feel her pretty face burn, and she hurriedly lowered her head to cover it up...

……

Lady Rongguo Prefecture Back Street, a single-entry small courtyard.

Two towering locust trees stood at the entrance of the courtyard, standing tall and upright. The cold wind was biting, and the trunks were withered and vigorous, pointing straight to the sky.

The persimmon tree in the courtyard had vigorous branches, and many fiery red fruits hung on the branches, adding a touch of brightness to this simple small courtyard.

This was the home of Jia Cong's wet nurse, Zhao Mama. The small courtyard was quiet, clean, and dust-free. Although simple, it was quite comfortable to be in.

Today was the second day of the first lunar month. Although there were many visitors for the New Year, with Lin Daiyu managing the reception, everything was handled smoothly.

Seeing Yingchun had eaten the noon banquet at the West Prefecture and returned to the Ningguo Prefecture with Seeing Tan Chun. There were more visitors in the Ningguo Prefecture in the afternoon, but with a few sisters helping, it seemed even more manageable.

By the time the Shen hour (3-5 PM) approached, they happened to have some free time, so Jia Cong called Zhi Shao to bring the prepared New Year's gifts and went to Zhao Mama's home to pay a New Year's call. ===== CHAPTER 842 =====