The cold wind of winter blows the majestic century-old imperial capital, covering the palace, residences, and mountains of the West Mountain with a layer of withered yellow and white winter. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

After the 23rd day of the lunar month, the firecrackers of the ancestors in the city are heard one after another. Cracking sound! The smell and sound of firecrackers echoed in the streets and alleys of the city. The flavor of the year gradually became stronger.

It is a century-old imperial capital with a population of more than 3 million. The New Year Festival is approaching, and the shops, streets and alleys where Qipan Street, Lamp Market, Chenghuang Temple Market, Chongwenmen and other places gather goods from the north and south are densely populated, and the prosperity is indescribable. People with different accents, different costumes, and different purposes shuttle through it.

Or choose and buy New Year's goods: gold and silver oranges, hibiscus cakes, powdered plum slices, snowflake candy, rattles for children to play, New Year's paintings, blessing characters, Spring Festival couplets, firecrackers.

Or talk about various wholesale and retail transactions. The honeycomb coal in the capital, the Xinfeng Ji blue snow paste that is still in business in the Four Seasons Workshop, and the cheap porcelain, leather goods, cloth, charcoal, rice noodles, silk, tea, and fine wine fired in Dongzhuang Town.

Or buy some New Year's festivals: green fruits, medicinal herbs, mountain goods, miscellaneous grains, a few pieces of cloth to make new clothes, oil for eating, oil for lighting. Coal burned at home, white flour for adults and children, and rice. Chickens, ducks, geese, fish, pork, beef, mutton, and bought some of the money in their arms.

The scenery of the capital is probably like this. In this world and life of ordinary people, it shows the atmosphere of peace and prosperity.

On the afternoon of the 24th day of the lunar month, the Jia family of Rongguo Mansion welcomed two young people in the north and south goods stores on Chongwenmenwai Street. Wind and dust servants, green clothes and small hats, slave dress.

Shopkeeper Luo, who was sitting at the counter and was about to plate, raised his head, a polite smile appeared on his round face, and when he was about to say hello, he was slightly stunned.

Qian Huai helped his yarmulke felt hat, patted the counter and scolded with a smile: "Shopkeeper Luo, you don't know me anymore." The third master has returned from Jinling. Xiao Si and I came to play the front station. ”

Shopkeeper Luo smiled and said, "Look at what you said, although I am old and dizzy, how can I not know your brother Huai'er?" Yes? The third master returned. No wonder I heard magpies barking at the door early this morning. Some time ago, the government sent someone to tell me to pay attention. I don't want the third master to arrive today. The lords and wives in the house don't know how happy they should be when they get the news. ”

Qian Huai and Hu Xiaosi both laughed. Who doesn't like to hear good words? They are the relatives of the third master.

After a few pleasantries, he went to the shop to drink hot tea, and Qian Huai instructed: "I still have to go to the house to report the news." Little Four stays here. Shopkeeper Luo, arrange it here. There are more than 30 people in the third master and Miss Lin. ”

Shopkeeper Luo hurriedly patted his chest and came down. What is the status of the third master in the mansion? Who dares to snub?

Hu Xiaosi stayed, and Qian Huai took a carriage to Jiafu at Four O'clock to report the news: The third master is back.

…

…

On the evening of the 24th of the lunar month, the nine gates of the inner city of Beijing were closed. Jia Huan, Daiyu and their entourage lived in the inn outside Chongwen Gate.

The night is light and the lights are lit. At eight o'clock in the evening, you can hear the lively sounds in the streets and alleys in the distance.

Shopkeeper Luo arranged for Jia Huan to live in an inn outside Chongwen Gate. In the quiet courtyard behind the inn, Jia Huan talked to Daiyu in the room. When they arrived outside the city, it was getting late, and he and Daiyu would enter the city early tomorrow morning.

At this time, the Jia Mansion had already received the news that Jia Huan and Daiyu had arrived in the capital. The houses of Rongguo Mansion and Ning Guofu have been spread everywhere: tomorrow morning, Jia Huan will return home with Daiyu.

Daiyu was the last time she went to Yangzhou to see her father Lin Ruhai in the late summer and early autumn of the eleventh year of Yongzhi, under the leadership of Jia Lian. Jia Huan left for Jiangnan to study later. Jia Lian had already returned to the capital in the winter of last year. At that time, Yuan Chun was canonized as a concubine, and the power of the Jia family increased greatly. And Jia Huan and Daiyu have not returned to the capital until now.

It's been more than a year.

At this time, Jia Fuzhong was still immersed in the atmosphere of Jia Yuanchun, who was canonized as a noble concubine in November and had already come to the next year. But Jia Huan and Daiyu's return to the house is still a major event in the two mansions of Rong and Ning.

However, the people who pay attention to Jia Huan and Daiyu are different.

Jia Mu, Baoyu and others paid attention to Daiyu. Daiyu is still very favored in front of Jia's mother at this stage. Daiyu's mother, Jia Min, is her favorite youngest daughter. At such a young age, both parents died, how sad!

Jia's mother pays attention to Daiyu, which will naturally cause a group of people in Jia's mansion to pay attention to her. A little sincerity, don't ask.

And the people who pay attention to Jia Huan are other people, with different moods.

…

…

Rika-in Temple is shrouded in night. At what time the lights came on, there was a whispering sound in Aunt Xue's room.

The news that Jia Huan is about to return home has arrived. Aunt Xue heard the news from Jia's mother, and after dinner, she took Baochai back from Jiafu West Road through Yongdao and Jiaomen. She felt a little bad.

Although she was forced by the situation to agree to the marriage of Jia Huan and her daughter Baochai. But Jia Huan beat her son to death. This made her feel unhappy.

beat the side drum for Wang Xifeng every day, saying that this family business is good, if you want to say how angry she is in her heart, it is really not enough.

She's a person who understands. Jia Huan's momentum has become unstoppable. Even the concubine cried for him in front of the Son of Heaven in the palace. When he returned to the capital at this time, everyone knew that it was for the examination in February next year. If he was in high school, it was conceivable what his status would be in Jiafu and among the four major families.

But she has a thorn in her heart after all.

Baochai knows her mother's thoughts. took other words to comfort her mother. On one side is her fiancé, the teenager in her heart; On one side is her brother.

Wait for Aunt Xue to be in a slightly better mood and prepare to rest. Baochai took Ying'er and Xiangling back to her room.

Baochai glanced at the bright moon in the sky, remembered that the courtyard next door was called Mochizuki Residence, and remembered the sentence in the masterpiece with the title "and Baochai": I wish people a long time, thousands of miles together. Now, he's coming back. The meaning of longing swelled irrepressibly from the bottom of my heart. One year and five months.

"Ying'er, go talk about the needlework that was not done a few days ago." Baochai commanded softly.

She wore a pale pink cotton jacket and a yellow silk cotton skirt. Sit on the kang. Holding the girl's high bun, her skin is snow-white, her appearance is outstanding, and her posture is plump and beautiful. In a few days, she will be fifteen years old. The year of the girl and the hair.

was busy closing the window, the charcoal-burning Ying'er answered, and the wardrobe in the house was taking out the semi-finished purse and embroidery made by Baochai. Another high table to the front of the kang.

Xiangling poured hot tea and put it on the high table. The center of his eyebrows was a little red, and his charm was difficult to draw, so he stood beside him gently and quietly, and said, "Girl, the third master is afraid that he will be able to go to the house tomorrow morning." ”

Baochai came back to her senses and nodded softly. The needle and thread in her hand actually didn't move a stitch for half a day.

The charming and cute big girl Ying'er joked with a smile: "Xiangling, are you thinking about the third master?" The third master has to take the exam first. ”

The girl treated her very well. When the girl gets married, she will definitely go with the girl. And Xiangling, I'm afraid she will also follow, she is the person who the third master wants to come out of the mouth of the uncle (Xue Pan), and what a big storm for her.

Xiangling Qiao's face was slightly red, and she lowered her head gently, "No." ”

She didn't think about it. It's something else. The third master said in the letter to the girl through the third girl (Tanchun) that he had inquired about her parents in Jiangnan. I wonder how things are going now?

…

…

Jiafu Middle Road, in the small courtyard next door to the east cross courtyard.

Aunt Zhao served Jia Zheng in the bedroom to wash her feet and prepare for bed. While twisting the towel in the basin, he muttered in his mouth: "Master, Brother Huan'er's conscienceless thing, I didn't know until I came back after going out for more than a year." He took a gun and beat people in Jinling, and he didn't know how. ”

The mother of the child is worried. Not to mention the news that came back that Jia Huan angered the Jinling magnates and assassinated them.

Jia Zheng was speechless for a while. He knows what's going on. It was his brother-in-law Lin Ruhai's concubine who was shot. The other party wants to kill Daiyu. Who would dare to kill someone who has a meritorious name?

Aunt Zhao continued to chatter and wiped Jia Zheng's feet.

Jia Zheng reprimanded impatiently: "What do you have to worry about? Brother Huan'er is able to endure now. I'm going to listen to him. He only needs to be in high school today, and this mansion will depend on him in the future. ”

Aunt Zhao was stunned for a moment.

After Jia Huan was lifted, her treatment in Jiafu was very different. But in her heart, Jia Huan is still that skinny child. But now listen to what the lord means...

Jia Zheng shook his head and ignored Aunt Zhao.

He is enthusiastic about fame and fortune, and intends to bare the lintel. I was very concerned about Jia Huan's actions in Jinling. The more I pay attention, the more frightened I become.

You can't afford to be wasted. His family is Baoyu's. But as long as he is in Yongzhi thirteenth year high school, he will walk on a thoroughfare. Baoyu is afraid that he will not be able to compare in the future.