In the Grand View Garden, a fiery red petite figure rushed into the Xiaoxiang Pavilion and peered in from the west window.

"Sister Lin, what are you looking at so fascinated?"

"No, it's nothing..."

Seeing the people inside is like doing He looked as panicked as a thief being caught, and a little doubt flashed in Shi Xiangyun's big eyes.

He walked around the room and was about to find out what happened, but found that everything in the room was back to normal, with no clues to be traced.

"Sister Lin, today is Sister Bao's birthday. Why are you staying in the house if you don't come out to play with us."

As Xiangyun's words fell, The voices of Tanchun and others came from outside the hospital, which was obviously the arrival of a large force.

Daiyu was a little nervous when she saw Xiangyun walking around her desk, looking here and there, but she didn't know what to say. Once she mentioned this, the little girl who was overflowing with curiosity must have become more suspicious and wanted to get to the bottom of it. It's so annoying.

So he ignored her and waited for Tanchun and others to come in. He enthusiastically held their hands and said with a smile: "Today is the birth of Sister Bao. Please forgive me for getting up late. Yes. Where is Sister Bao?"

Xiangyun searched for a long time but couldn't find the letter Daiyu had read before, so he could only give up and turned back, "Sister Bao went home to see her aunt. She should be there soon. I will come with my aunt. We won’t wait for them. Let’s go to the mansion first. I heard that there is a big show in the mansion today, and I don’t know if there is anything new and lively.”

"It's rare that Sister Bao Bao celebrates her birthday. We have agreed that after the old lady leaves, we will gather together in Hengwu Garden to drink and compose poems. We must seize the opportunity to give Sister Bao a few glasses of wine." .

It’s a pity that sister Zhen is gone and brother Lian is not at home, so we can’t invite her over.”

The Zhen family did not go back to the south to celebrate the New Year, but stayed in Staying in the capital, it seems that something has to be delayed. Therefore, during the Chinese New Year, Mrs. Zhen's wife came to visit with Zhen Yuhuan. Mother Jia used the excuse that the Zhen family's mother and daughter were lonely in Beijing, so she forced them to stay as guests for a few days and spent the Lantern Festival together before letting her go back.

Tanchun’s words made everyone feel a little regretful. After all, although there are many noble ladies in the capital, most of them are not educated like Wang Xifeng and are not in the same league as them. Either they are under strict control at home and have no chance to play together. Nowadays, it is rare to have a sister from the Zhen family who is not inferior to them in appearance and talent. Moreover, they are both elders of the Haitang Club, so they are naturally very close to them.

The sisters and others sat in Daiyu’s room for a while, waiting for Daiyu to tidy up, and then they all went to Rongqing Hall.

Sure enough, Rongqing Hall had already started playing with it, and the stage in the backyard was also set up. When the sisters came over, twelve little actors were dressing up in the curtain, their bodies were blue and green, their faces were painted with colorful colors, and they were chattering.

Shi Xiangyun thought it was interesting, so he ran over and mixed in a bunch.

Sanchun, Daiyu and others came to Rongqing Hall to greet Jia Mu and others, and then sat down with them. Because they felt that listening to the gossip of the elders was boring, they went their separate ways soon. Spread out and have fun.

　……

Jinxiangyuan is not the best brothel in Xicheng, but it is very popular with some young men from aristocratic families and dandies.

The reason is probably that its service tenet of appreciating both refined and popular tastes and being adaptable and easy-going easily touches the heartstrings of young men. To put it in layman's terms, Jinxiangyuan is not as fancy and appetizing as some of the famous buildings in Beijing, nor is it like an ordinary tiled house with hooks and lanterns, where you just have to take off your clothes and there is no other kind of show. .

At Fangshikou, under the plaque, a tall, pale man with a rickety back covered his hands and looked up in anticipation.

Suddenly he saw five or six men and horses coming majestically from the East Street. He looked delighted and hurriedly greeted them.

"Brother Xue, here!"

"

"Young Master Wang and Brother Feng have already gone in. I am here specially to wait for you, Brother Xue."

Xue Pan nodded and was about to greet the man. Entering the workshop, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the gauze he had been covering in his left hand, which was still soaked in blood. He couldn't help but asked in surprise: "What's wrong with Brother Sun's hand?"

"No, it's okay, a little bit. A minor injury..."

At first glance, I was shocked to find that the man's left hand was missing two fingers!

"Brother Sun, who did this...?" Xue Pan shouted angrily.

The man is Sun Shaozu, who was arrested and sent to the Bingma Division Prison as soon as he entered Beijing last year. Xue Pan was the first noble person he was lucky enough to get to know after finally escaping from the inhumane prison of the Soldiers and Horses Division, and he was also the only person who sincerely helped him.

Looking back on the past year, he couldn’t bear to use the word “unlucky” to describe himself! Anyway, some strange encounters that he could have imagined or unexpectedly all happened to him. It was with such a miserable life that he paid special attention to Xue Pan, a noble man who could give him warmth in the cold winter. .

As for his hands...

When people are at their lowest point in life, they are always eager to make a comeback. And after he, Sun Shaozu, was cornered, there was only one chance he could think of to make a comeback.

Bet!

There was no other way. When he was tortured by those non-human beasts in the Soldiers and Horses Prison, he wanted to seek death several times. He didn't even expect to get out alive, but in the end he miraculously came out! Only later did he learn that it was his mother who had spent so much effort and exhausted the last bit of the Sun family's savings before she finally begged the Jia Mansion to allow him to escape.

After coming out, in order to take the opportunity to climb the big tree in Rongguo Mansion, he dragged his weak and sick body to visit Rongguo Mansion. I didn’t meet the head of the Jia family, but by chance I got to know Xue Pan, the head of the Xue family, one of the four major families in Jinling with the Jia family!

Xue Pan felt fond of him because he said that he was a disciple of Rong Guofu and had some unlucky experiences that ordinary people would never encounter. He became his best friend that day.

With the support of his good brother Xue Pan, Sun Shaozu, who finally had some capital, naturally wanted to become bigger and stronger and make a comeback. And looking at the capital, the only ones who can realize his wish are the underground gambling houses that regard gold and silver as dirt.

It’s a pity that his luck is as bad as ever. After going through the repetitive and addictive stages of winning, losing, and losing, he owed a huge gambling debt.

Yesterday, he accidentally escaped and was blocked by those vicious moneylenders. After he once again moved out to be a disciple of Rongguo Mansion and a close friend of Prince Xue, he still could not escape a severe beating. , and the other party took away two fingers that no longer belonged to him.

His ten fingers have long been lost. The reason why the other party didn't take them all away was just to enable him to continue raising money to repay the money.

If it weren’t for the life-saving straw of Xue Pan, he would have thought of fleeing the capital long ago.

After a performance filled with snot and tears, he finally reluctantly told his story in front of Xue Pan.

When he heard that he owed more than three thousand taels of silver in less than ten days, even the wealthy Xue Pan could not help but take a breath and asked tentatively: " Well, have you been cheated by others?"

Sun Shaozu looked defeated. Although he himself had realized this a long time ago, was there any way to make a written statement and not pay back the money? Just die.

Seeing that Xue Pan didn’t seem to want to help him, he pretended to be helpless and sighed: “That’s all, I think it’s my grandson who is destined to have this disaster, since I owe it to myself. The gambling debts, at worst, I have to pay them with my life. I'm just worried that those desperadoes won't let my mother go...

So, I only have one thing I want to ask Brother Xue, and there will be many more in the future. Help me take care of my mother. After all, the only person I, Sun Shaozu, can trust in the capital is Brother Xue."

Sun Shaozu said with a carefree bow,He looked like he had already put life and death aside, not wanting to harm others, but only seeking the safety of his mother.

As for the money, I’ll just pay it back for you.

Brother Sun, you don’t have to be afraid of them. Those who run gambling houses are the most bully and afraid of the hard. When I turn around and say hello to them, they will definitely not dare to do it again. It's trouble for Brother Sun."

Sun Shaozu was overjoyed when he heard this, and thought that he had never seen it before. This fool Xue was really the noble man in his desperate situation!

So after thanking him repeatedly, he led Xue Pan into the most prosperous market in Xicheng like a dog-legger. There was no trace of the sensual, arrogant and domineering temperament he had when he was in Datong Mansion.

…

The Rongqing Hall of Rongguo Mansion is once again a bustling and lively scene today.

In front of Jia Mu’s big flower hall, a drama was slowly unfolding. On the wide corridor in front, extending from Jia Mu's left and right, more than a dozen high tables were covered with delicacies and fine wines. There are many servants in front of the porch and under the house.

Women and ladies dressed in luxurious clothes sit in a row, tasting wine and enjoying the show, enjoying the splendor of the prosperous age.

Jia Mu is the happiest. She likes this kind of scene full of children and grandchildren, wealth and prosperity. As I tilted my head to chat with Aunt Xue for a few words, I saw Baochai sitting beside Aunt Xue with a dignified and quiet posture, which was incomparable to her four granddaughters, and I couldn't help but feel more and more satisfied.

"Baoyu, today is your sister Bao's birthday, don't you know how to come up and pour wine for your sister Bao?"

Jia Baoyu originally thought the opera was boring, but after hearing the news Yan Li carried a jug of wine with all his might, came forward to pour wine for Baochai, and said with a smile: "Sister Baochai, today is a good day for you. You have to drink a few more glasses to live up to this." May you have a prosperous life."

"Hahaha, Baoyu, this child can talk, much better than other children. Baochai, I still haven't thanked you, Brother Bao."

In fact, Baochai didn't need Aunt Xue's instructions. She stood up as soon as Jia Baoyu came forward, thanked Jia Baoyu gently and politely, and after having a drink, she asked him not to be too polite. Go back and sit down.

It’s just that it’s rare for Jia Baoyu to find an opportunity to get close to Baochai openly and openly. If he is willing to let it go, he will naturally give full play to his "kid" advantage and find all kinds of gags. Because he was teased by Aunt Xue, he threw himself into Aunt Xue's arms and acted coquettishly, making Aunt Xue touch his head and laugh.

Others only think that Jia Baoyu is childish and close to her aunt. Only Jia Baoyu herself knows that Aunt XueThe embrace was so fragrant and sweet, more fragrant and softer than any other woman's embrace he had ever been in, but it was a rare occasion for him to enjoy it.

"Hehehe..."

Jia Mu looked at this scene with a smile and couldn't help but look back at Mrs. Wang, only to see that Mrs. Wang had the same look as her. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other, and there was a rare feeling of understanding, so both parties couldn't help but nodded, and everything was understood.

While enjoying themselves, Jia Mu suddenly remembered something, looked at Sister Feng beside her, and lowered her voice a little: "Girl Feng, I saw Zhen's daughter-in-law and Xiao Qin before, where are they going? "?"

Sister Feng smiled and said: "The old lady doesn't know something. Today is not only Bao Yatou's birthday, but also the birthday of your two great-grandsons. Old lady, guess who it is?"< br />
Jia Mu’s eyes lit up, “Could it be that today is the birthday of those two little guys?”

“Haha, the old lady guessed it right. Today also happens to be the birthday of those two little guys?” Sister-in-law Zhen’s daughter’s birthday is still one year old. The two of them have gone back a long time ago. They must be busy preparing first-year gifts for their nephews and nieces.”

Jia’s mother understood and remembered last year. It was indeed on the day when Baochai and Hairpin were born that You gave birth to a pair of twins, a dragon and a phoenix. But Mother Jia couldn't help but frown immediately, wondering if You was too cautious, keeping silent even about important events such as her son's first birthday, doing it quietly, without even informing her, the ancestor.

Sister Feng saw what Jia Mu was thinking, and she said: "Speaking of it, Bao Yatou and Sister-in-law Zhen are also destined to have two children, and they coincidentally have their birthdays on the same day. But Sister-in-law Zhen is also very hateful. A little while ago, such a happy event was not publicized. If I hadn’t happened to hear her talking to Bao Yatou before, I wouldn’t have known about it.

I originally thought that the old lady must know, but no Chengxiang... Yes, I think Sister-in-law Zhen is also afraid of embarrassing the old lady. On the left is the treasure girl, and on the right is the great-grandson. They are both born in the same day. If she also comes to invite the old lady, where should the old lady go then? Which side should I not go to?

Having said this, Sister-in-law Zhen understands. How can this junior go beyond the order of the elders? How can her son and daughter, no matter how valuable they are, be able to go beyond When they go to Aunt Xue, they will naturally take a back seat. If the old lady really feels sorry for herself, she can wait until Bao Yatou's birthday is over before she goes to see Heng'er and Wu'er. She can also have one more drink. Madam, you are good at everything."

Although she knew that Sister Feng meant this, Mother Jia was still amused by her blunt words. She waved her hand and said with a smile: "You are right. As a nephew and niece, you really can't steal the spotlight from your aunt. Not to mention that she didn't come to invite me, even if she came to invite me, I have to celebrate Bao Yatou's birthday first. .

But what you said makes sense, and daughter-in-law Jane is sensible., we cannot seriously ignore those two children. After we've had enough of the show, let's go to Dongfu together to see the two little guys. "

The singing of Jia Mu and Sister Feng settled the matter. Others immediately started talking.

Yingchun Daiyu and others were just whispering to each other, but Tanchun was Looking at Jia Mu, she smiled and said, "Old lady, what Sister Feng just said is absolutely correct. Are Sister-in-law Zhen's two children destined to Sister Bao?

Not to mention the birth of children in one day, what’s even more coincidental is that one of them is called “Heng’er” and the other is “Wu’er”, and the yard where Sister Bao lives happens to be Heng Wuyuan, so the two characters are combined. all the same! Isn't this just a coincidence?

You must know that the two characters "Hengwu" in Hengwuyuan were chosen by the imperial concubine herself during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. It is difficult for Sister-in-law Zhen to think of giving Henger Wuer these two names in the first place. Son. ”

Tanchun’s words immediately ignited the conversation among everyone. Everyone was amazed, and Xiangyun was the most excited. Even Baochai herself pursed her lips and smiled, and even she felt It’s too much of a coincidence, let alone anyone else.

At this extremely lively and joyful time, a woman from the Xue family stumbled over.

“Mrs., mrs. , something bad has happened, our uncle was captured by the officers and soldiers! "

"What! "The whole house was shocked when she said this.

Aunt Xue stood up suddenly. Seeing that the mother-in-law didn't look like she was lying, she swayed for a moment and felt that the sky had fallen. Because Xue Auntie knew very well that with the relationship between the Xue family and the Jia family, who wouldn’t think twice before taking action against the Xue family?

Although the snow-skinned Baochai was also full of shock, she helped her calmly. Aunt Xue kept asking what was going on.

The mother-in-law said: "They said they were fighting for an oiran named 'Yun'er', and they got into a fight and accidentally beat the person to death! ”

Aunt Xue’s eyes blurred and she fainted.