Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen
Wugou, who has always been calm, messed up his marksmanship; he complained in private that Aunt Ji shouldn't talk nonsense and ruin the reputation of Ganluan;Then he persuaded her resentfully, repeating the principle of "disaster comes from the mouth", talking endlessly.
Of course, the wording was not only tactful, but also very subtle; Aunt Ji couldn't understand what she was saying, and couldn't even question her, so she had to ask Xia Yun for help.
"Listen, what does Mrs. Wugou's words mean? What is causing trouble; what is the reputation of Ganlu Temple? I don't understand at all."
Of course Xia Yun could tell that something was wrong; but it was rare that Aunt Ji couldn't understand it, so she saved a lot of right and wrong; she immediately replied: "Master Wugou is also kind, I advise Auntie to pay attention to what she says. An irrelevant sentence, Maybe it will cause disputes." Then he talked about others, and broke the words.
But Wugou became more and more uneasy. I don't know if Aunt Ji didn't understand, or knowing what she meant, she deliberately pretended to be stupid and refused to admit it?Just when he was hesitant to speak, Xia Yun gave him a wink; the signal was very obvious: don't say anything for now, find a chance to talk in detail.
Sure enough, Xia Yun came to Ganluan alone the next day; when she was the only one with Wugou, she frankly explained her intentions: "Master, is it because my aunt's indiscretions caused something to go wrong; It's inside."
"That's right! Aunt Ji said such things out of fun! Even if no one believes her, she will have a bad reputation after all; and if Second Grandma Zhen is involved, the housework will become a big joke if the housework gets into trouble."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yun was taken aback; hurriedly asked: "What did Aunt Ji say that shouldn't be said?"
Wugou hesitated for a while and said, "It's about the second grandma Zhen, maybe you haven't heard of it?"
"Second Grandma Zhen is my youngest mistress, so the family often talks about it; I just don't know which one it refers to?"
"Yes—." Wugou said with difficulty, "It's about your nephew."
Xia Yun was even more surprised, and after thinking for a while, he said: "You probably mean Longguan. The Second Mistress Zhen is in charge of the house, and sometimes she sends Longguan out on errands; there are rumors outside. Mrs. Wugou, you mean this matter no?"
"Exactly! We have heard rumors outside. Aunt Ji should also know that family ugliness should not be publicized, so why bother to tell people who have nothing to do with it."
"Who did you tell? Please tell me, my teacher, so I can quietly persuade Aunt Ji."
"That's right! I want you to persuade her; otherwise, there will be great disaster."
"That's right! We all know the reputation of our family's second grandma. The famine has to be fought if right and wrong are caused by her." Xia Yun asked immediately, "Who did Aunt Ji tell?"
"It's Mrs. Zhang Wu."
"It's Sai Guanyin!" Xia Yun was shocked, "What did she say?"
"Miss Xia Yun, don't ask. I'm not blaming Aunt Ji. There are occasional slips of the tongue; I'm just afraid that Aunt Ji will cause trouble."
It's not just about right and wrong?Xia Yun thought to himself, the Cao family's family rules are extremely strict, if Aunt Ji really said such things to Sai Guanyin, let Second Grandma Zhen know, and sue the "Four Masters"; even Tang Guan is so old , will still be thrown out the door without mercy.Then how to get it?
Therefore, Xia Yun Wuxin no longer dealt with Wugou, hurried back, thinking along the way, although Aunt Ji is confused, she is not so ignorant.As soon as you go back, you should clarify the matter first. If Sai Guanyin spread rumors, you must quickly clean up Aunt Ji; if she really said this, how to remedy it is a matter of urgency.
When I got home, I saw Aunt Ji tore a big hole in a new fine linen coat for Tang Guan, and she was scolding endlessly; Xia Yun said: "Auntie, don't vomit with Tang Guan over such a trivial matter! I have something urgent to say." Then, he wiped Tang Guan's tears with a handkerchief, and coaxed him to say, "Good boy! Go read those eight poems of 'Qiu Xing', and recite them to me later; you can recite every word well. I'll teach you how to use dental cards to tell fortunes."
When Tang Guan left, Aunt Ji asked: "The little girl said you went to your uncle's house; why did you say something important when you came back, what's the matter?"
"I went to Ganlu Temple. Auntie, you have to tell me the truth."
"Huh!" Aunt Ji was surprised, "When have I ever lied to you?"
"I also know that my aunt won't lie to me, but this matter is too different. I have to remind my aunt not to tell half a lie." Xia Yun pulled Aunt Ji aside and sat down. On the square table, they asked face to face: "Auntie, have you ever told Aunt Zhang Wu that Second Grandma Zhen is raising a nephew in the clan?"
"What—?" Aunt Ji's voice was so loud that she seemed about to jump up.
"Don't yell, just speak softly."
"When did I tell her. I'm not a shit eater, can I still say that?" Xia Yun fell to the ground with a stone; but he was still a little worried, "If you think about it again, maybe you didn't speak very clearly; words There was such a sentence indistinctly."
"Don't say a word, there's not even half a sentence. Mrs. Zhang Wu and Second Grandma Zhen have a heart problem, so why should I bother to mention people who don't want to be mentioned." Aunt Ji asked immediately: "How did this come about? I have to ask to understand; really True, false or false, if I said it, I would never be bad; if I didn't say it, I will be forced to rely on me—"
"Hey, hey! Can you please stop yelling?" Xia Yun said, "According to Wugou, it was Mrs. Zhang who told her. Since Auntie didn't say it, it's Mrs. Zhang talking nonsense. We have to find a way to wash ourselves out .”
"That's easy. Find Wugou, Mrs. Zhang Wu, and Second Grandma Zhen. The three Caos and the six are right. Let's explain it face to face. Isn't it all right?"
"Hmph," Xia Yun sneered, "Auntie, I'm not talking about you, you really take things too easily. Then, yes, you've been washed out; but it's like putting a urinal on the second wife's breasts. Come on, it's no wonder she doesn't hate you to death!"
"how?"
Aunt Ji had a new problem of convulsions in her right eye, her left eye was wide open at this moment; her right eye kept twitching, describing it as both ridiculous and terrifying; Xia Yun then moved away and said, "Auntie, calm down! There is no wrong step in this matter; according to your method, it is equivalent to "selling the morning newspaper" for others, and everyone knows about the trouble, how should they behave?"
Aunt Ji wanted to say: "I don't care how she behaves?" After thinking about it, wouldn't this be arguing with Xia Yun?So he changed his tune and asked, "So what do you say?"
Xia Yun bit her nails and pondered for a while, then said: "First, ask Mrs. Zhang Wu, did she tell Wugou about this? Wait until she admits it; then ask her: When and where did Aunt Ji tell you about this?" talk?"
"Yes!" Aunt Ji said, "I suspect that the bald woman Wugou is fabricating rumors!"
"How could this happen? If Wugou hadn't heard Mrs. Zhang Wu say this, why would she have come here to persuade you yesterday?"
Aunt Ji thought about it carefully, and it was really good; she laughed and said: "I'm confused too!" She asked again: "I think Zhang Wusao will definitely deny it; so what about her?"
"We have to find Wugou. Let them figure it out for themselves. At that time—" Xia Yun thought, while saying, "There are two ways; which one should we choose, we'll see when the time comes."
"You said, those two methods?"
"One is to blame Wugou. You are the one who spread the word. Anyway, no matter what you say, it doesn't matter to me. For this level, you have to go to Second Grandma Zhen to explain it clearly, so as not to misunderstand. The other is to explain this matter The ins and outs of the situation, quietly explain to Second Grandma Zhen that what she does is her business."
Aunt Ji remained silent, thinking thoughtfully, there seemed to be a third way; Xia Yun couldn't help but bewildered, she felt that she had thought very clearly, and there could be no better way.
"I was thinking," this time it was Aunt Ji who automatically lowered her voice, "Let's take this opportunity to look through it, shall we?"
"How to reverse the law?" Xia Yun looked stunned, "Auntie, don't think about it like this! You're going to cause a catastrophe!"
"I'm just talking!" Aunt Ji hurriedly said with a smile, "I can't be so ignorant."
"You can't even say it." Xia Yun was still wary, "Auntie, I want to explain to you now; if you believe me, let me handle this matter, don't meddle in it! Anyway, I can't cause trouble for you .”
Aunt Ji is as indispensable as Xia Yun, just as Bi Wen was indispensable in the past; at that time she replied without hesitation: "Okay! I won't interfere, I will let you handle it."
So, Xia Yun made calculations for midnight; he only slept for a while (eyes left and right), and went to Xuanrong Hall to knock on the door as soon as it was dawn; it happened that Qiuyue also got up early that day, and when she understood the question, she opened the door, unavoidably A little panicked, "I didn't comb my hair, I didn't wash my face, and now I'm knocking on the door," she asked, "What happened?"
"I came to you just for fear of accidents." Xia Yun looked at the rattan chair coffee table and a bowl of freshly brewed lotus tea in the yard; then he smiled and said: "You will enjoy the happiness." As he spoke, he picked up Chawan came to take a sip.
Seeing this, Qiuyue felt relieved; she sat down on a rattan chair at the other end.Xia Yun started from Wugou's visit to Aunt Ji; he continued to talk about her reason for coming here at this moment.
"I thought about it half the night, and I was afraid that before the truth came to light, the words had already reached Second Grandma Zhen's ears. It would be a step too late to defend myself at that time. If so, I will pull you out to be a witness; let Second Grandma Zhen I know, not only did Aunt Ji not say this, but she was already quietly investigating this matter."
"Okay! You stand firmly on your feet; in case of such a situation, I will speak for you."
"One more thing." Xia Yun said again, "I have to go to Sai Guanyin, but I don't know how to find it; I can't ask around. Once I ask, people will ask, why are you looking for her? What should I say? "
Qiuyue thought for a while and said, "This matter has to be entrusted to someone. When are you going to find her?"
"Go back and do business while it's cool."
"Okay! You go back and pick it up; I'll find someone for you."
"Who are you going to find?"
"Uncle He will come back to exchange calligraphy and paintings; I asked him to accompany you." Qiuyue said again, "Only he is mature and reliable."
So Xia Yun went back to freshen up, had breakfast, changed clothes, and came to Xuanrong Hall again; He Jin was already waiting.
"Come here," Qiuyue pulled her aside and said, "I only told Uncle He to take you to Zhang Wufu's wife; but I didn't tell him what it was. The less people know about it, the better." .”
"I see."
This day I went to nothing, and Sai Guanyin sent someone to pick him up for Ganluan.I don't know when I will come back; Zhang Wufu said that her wife sometimes lives in Ganlu Temple.And he also suggested that Xia Yun might as well go to Ganluan to look for it. Xia Yun didn't want to do that.It was agreed at the time to come back the next morning; if Sai Guanyin did not come home that day, Zhang Wufu, please inform He Jin early in the morning, so as not to miss again. Fortunately, Zhang Wufu never came to inform; Xia Yun also found Sai Guanyin smoothly.He Jin is very old, guessing what they are going to talk about, it is not humane, so not only he himself does not want to be sandwiched between Xia Yun and Sai Guanyin; he also wants to transfer Zhang Wufu, and invite him to drink tea at the alley teahouse . "Sister-in-law Zhang," Xia Yun said straight to the point, "Aunt Ji asked me to come; no, I asked for it myself. Why? Because I was afraid that Aunt Ji would start a fight when she met you." This opening remark is very good; because although I don't know why Aunt Ji quarreled as soon as they met, Xia Yun asked for this job out of good intentions, but it has been clearly stated. "Oh," said Sai Guanyin with a smile: "Miss Xia Yun, with you here, Aunt Ji can't quarrel with me. I don't know why?" "Because of Mrs. Wugou, she came to persuade Aunt Ji, and her words should be cautious. She said, Mrs. Zhang told her that Aunt Ji told you that our Second Grandma Zhen has a nephew in the family. Mrs. Wugou, you and Mrs. Wugou Did you say that?" Sai Guanyin's face turned red and then turned white; his lips moved, wanting to speak.This is naturally very clear, she said this to Wugou. "Sister-in-law Zhang Wu," Xia Yun said in a complaining and sympathetic tone, "You have made a big mistake in this matter! What can you say? How can you say this? Second Grandma Zhen, you have never been taught; You also know about the matter, so don’t hide it from you, our Aunt Ji is also very pitiful; if your words reach Second Grandma Zhen’s ears, will she have a better life?” Sai Guanyin exchanged tears, "Miss Xia Yun, I was wrong. However, I was also forced to come here: I can't tell you the details. Now, now," she seemed to have suddenly made up her mind, "Only what you say, what should I do!" "I don't know what to do? You and Wugou are the ones who caused the disaster; I think you are the only one to discuss with Wugou. How to let Second Grandma Zhen know that Aunt Ji didn't say this. Just wash her out." gone." Sai Guanyin remained silent; it turned out that the "friendship" between Wugou and her had changed!Someone in Ganluan went to the abbot Yuanming to speak out, saying that just by the nickname Sai Guanyin, one could tell her character; His reputation has also been tarnished.Therefore, Yuan Ming took Wugou to him and gave her a severe reprimand; she was not allowed to associate with Sai Guanyin, and of course the four pieces of jewelry had to be taken back. It's such intrigues and self-defeating; this is the key to making an enemy, and there can be mutual understanding and work together to deal with difficulties.It is conceivable that if this matter is not mentioned, it will be fine, if it is mentioned, it will be mutual accusation, of course Sai Guanyin will accuse Wugou of not going to talk to Aunt Ji about the secret of Second Grandma Zhen; There is reason to blame her for not talking casually about Aunt Ji.She was the one who caused the disaster; why did Wugou ask Second Grandma Zhen to explain it?How does this actually explain it? After much deliberation, she couldn't accept Xia Yun's request; this made the pretty girl in Cao's mansion very coquettish. "Sister-in-law Zhang Wu, what's the matter with you? To be honest, if I hadn't tried my best to mediate this matter, I'm afraid that even your brother Zhang Wu would be ashamed. Aunt Ji cares about the past and does not care about the future; your family is also a machine for weaving government offices. Hu, haven't you heard of it? Besides, Aunt Ji is not at fault in this matter, and she can speak everywhere; now she would rather be wronged, and she is thinking of you. If you don't even want to do this at least Do it; there is no other way but to tell Second Grandma Zhen exactly what she wants to do, anyway, Aunt Ji always has an explanation." "Miss Xia Yun, Miss Xia Yun, don't be angry!" Sai Guanyin hastily said in a low voice: "I don't know where you and Aunt Ji are taking care of me. Really, really—cough, it's hard to say! You are a girl, It is inconvenient for me to tell you some things; if I say it, you may not understand it. All in all, all in all; I am wrong, I am wrong, Aunt Ji is always good, I am sorry for Aunt Ji, I must find a way not to let Second Grandma Zhen misunderstand Aunt Ji. Miss Xia Yun, this is what I say in my heart." "The reason is to 'don't let Second Grandma Zhen misunderstand Aunt Ji's words', as long as you know it." Xia Yun asked again: "You are going to think of a way, so you might as well talk about it." "There must be a way! I still can't say it right now." Sai Guanyin's heart suddenly moved; after thinking for a while, his voice became excited and confident, "Miss Xia Yun, there must be a way. You go back and tell Aunt Ji , please rest assured." Xia Yun didn't know what kind of medicine she was selling in the gourd; but her tone brought her confidence, but she still had to remind her: "If you have a way, you have to do it quickly. In case of shock, the second grandma will come and ask Aunt Ji first. , isn’t it a dumb person who suffers from lawsuits and has difficulty in arguing?” "That's true! I'll do it today." Sai Guanyin added: "Anyway, I must be worthy of Aunt Ji." The talk has come to an end, and it's useless; Xia Yun just said: "I and Ji Auntie is waiting to hear the good news." Then he left; he went to find He Jin in the teahouse at the alley, and went home together.
Naturally, Zhang Wufu also went home; Sai Guanyin told him to go immediately to Cao Zhen's servant Xing'er, and asked him to come and have a midnight snack. "What's this for?" Zhang Wufu said, "I'll tell him if there's something else." "Don't worry about it! Just find him." Zhang Wufu knew that it was useless to talk too much, so he obediently went to find Xing'er, made an appointment for a night snack, and came back to take over his life. When it was more time, Xing'er Shi Shi came; Sai Guanyin had already stewed a first-class pot and was waiting.Xing'er smelled the fragrance, swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva and asked, "Fifth Aunt, you don't get rewarded for nothing; tell me first, what do you want me to do? Explain it clearly, so I can eat with peace of mind." "It's okay! Tomorrow is three volts; 'the first ham and two volts of chicken, three volts eat only gold and silver hooves'. There are only two people in my family. I can't eat this first-grade pot. It's a pity that it's broken; I specially invite you to talk about it. Even if I have something to ask you, I will definitely You can do it; you can eat as much as you want, just don't drink so much that people don't know." "No, no." Xing'er sat down; accompanied by Zhang Wufu, he chewed according to the case. On the second watch day, there were only bones and soup left in Yipinguo; Xing'er got up and wiped his mouth, and while filling his stomach, he shouted inside: "Aunt Wu, I'm full and I have to go; I have something to do quickly." Say it!" "Don't be busy!" Sai Guanyin came out with an earthen jar, and said to her husband, "Go to the alley and bring back a jar of sour plum soup; that stuff is the best for sobering up." Zhang Wufu did as he said; Xing'er also understood that it was Sai Guanyin who deliberately diverted the tiger away from the mountain, so he waited for Zhang Wufu to leave the house before opening his mouth. "Fifth Aunt, it's just the two of us now, if you have something to say, please tell me!" "Sit down!" Sai Guanyin said, "Your mother and I used to be the best, you always know." "I know. Why don't you know." "You know, I'm telling you the truth, I don't treat you as an outsider. If I ask you, if you are willing to tell me, of course it's best; if you don't want to tell me, it doesn't matter, but you can't talk to others; even you Don't tell him, including Uncle Wu. Can you promise me this?" "Okay!" Xing'er replied without hesitation. "I'd like to ask you, do you know about your second grandma and Longguan?" Sai Guanyin said immediately, "Moonlight Bodhisattva, please don't tell anyone if we are together tonight; if not, Tell him to die badly." Xing'er hesitated for a moment before replying: "I heard it too, I don't know if it's true or not." "How did you hear that?" "I heard that Longguan has a place; it's specially prepared for him to meet his second mistress." "Do you know that place?" "I don't know." Xing'er replied quickly. "Can you—" Sai Guanyin stopped suddenly after a few words, and walked inside. When she came back, she had an extra handkerchief bag in her hand. "This," she said, "bring it to your wife." "What are you doing! Fifth aunt is still polite?" "I'm not being polite." Sai Guanyin said again, "It's not to buy your words. I don't think you may know about this place; you can't even inquire about it. Why? The first thing Longguan wants to hide is you." "I really don't know." Xing'er looked anxious, as if he was afraid that Sai Guanyin would misunderstand him, "Fifth Aunt, you are my mother's friend, I can't tell you nonsense." "Don't worry, don't worry! I know." Sai Guanyin patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, "However, if I ask you to do something, you can do it, will you help me?" "of course." "Then I'll tell you, can you quietly ask Second Lord Zhen to come here for me?" "Everything else is easy. Only—" Xing'er said with a wry smile, "it's a bit difficult." "Difficult? Are you afraid that Second Grandma Zhen will know?" "That's exactly why." Xing'er replied, "Second Grandma Zhen sent another spies to follow Second Master Zhen and make every move; Second Grandma Zhen knows all about it." "Second Master Zhen wants to come by himself, but you can still stop him from allowing it." Sai Guanyin said, "You just refuse to help." "Absolutely not!" Xing'er hurriedly argued, "There is another reason; Second Grandma Zhen told me that I went there with Second Master Zhen, and I had to report to her when I went back. Otherwise, I would never want to stay in the mansion again. Yes. Fifth Aunt, think about it, of course I will keep Second Master Zhen coming to you, but if a spy reports to her and asks me, what shall I say?" Sai Guanyin nodded: "I blamed you." She thought for a while and said: "Well, you tell Erye Zhen that tomorrow night, it's better to be later, more quiet, and let him be alone. Unknowingly touched it; told him not to drink at night, but to come to me for a drink, because I have something important to tell him, and I must make him wake up." Xing'er thought for a while and asked: "Aunt Wu, you mean that I don't have to follow, and it's nothing to do with me. Isn't it?" "That's right! That's what it means." Sai Guanyin said again, "If you still feel embarrassed, tell us about your difficulty and we can discuss it later." Xing'er thought about it for a while, and felt that doing so would be enough to get rid of the relationship; she nodded her head to express her commitment, but then asked, "Aunt Fifth, what is your important question?" "You'll know when the time comes." Xing'er was waiting to ask again, but saw that Zhang Wufu had entered the door, so he kept silent; drank a large bowl of sour plum soup, and got up to thank him. "What's the deal! Come here if you have time; I still have a few specialty dishes that I can cook for you. Just don't forget what I entrusted to you." "No! What's the situation, I'll answer it for you tomorrow afternoon." There was a reply before noon the next day. He said that Cao Zhen had a social event that night and he had to drink, but he would never get drunk.When the entertainment is over, come to the appointment; it's probably around the second watch. It was midsummer, and there were still a lot of people enjoying the cool air in the second watch, so it was inconvenient; but he didn't care about the many; Sai Guanyin asked, "What about you?" "I'll pretend to have a stomachache when I get back. I'll ask Second Mistress for medicine, and let her know that I didn't go out with Second Master today." "That's a good idea. As long as it doesn't hurt you, I can rest assured." Sai Guanyin said again: "You tell the second master to come in through the back door; there is no need to call the door, just push in." In the evening, Sai Guanyin took two or three taels of silver and asked Zhang Wufu to spend the night in the casino; then he prepared wine, vegetables and fruits, took a bath, and it was time to wake up; the weather suddenly changed and it began to rain Come on, drive those who are enjoying the cool outside back into the house. "Wonderful! It's the wish of God." Sai Guanyin said in his heart: "Just don't let it take too long." The rain stopped after half an hour. Those enjoying the coolness just took advantage of the summer heat to make up for the lack of sleep in the hot summer and restless nights. Therefore, the alley was empty, and only the bright moon illuminated the stagnant water. It's a good time to come to a secret appointment. Cao Zhen, who was slightly drunk, hadn't been in such an excited mood for a long time, not only because Sai Guanyin, who worked in Niye, was one of his many old loves, which he seldom cared about often; Words", brought him a reason of anticipation eager to uncover the answer. Entering the very narrow alley, every house turned off the lights; fortunately, the direction was facing the last quarter moon;Arriving at the back door of Zhang’s house, I checked carefully, and there was a basin of “Wannianqing” on the wall. I was sure it was good, so I stretched out my hand and pushed it lightly as agreed. When he stood still and coughed lightly, a figure appeared in the window. He couldn't see his face clearly with the light on his back, but it was undeniable that it must be Sai Guanyin.Otherwise, trespassing on a private house in the middle of the night would have already yelled "there is a thief" at the owner's house. "Why did you come here at this time?" Sai Guanyin came up to meet him, held him, and asked in a very low voice. This made him realize that the house is shallow and crowded, so you must not speak loudly; so he leaned close to her ear, but couldn't help but kiss her first, and then replied: "Isn't it better to say later? " "Thanks to the rain. Otherwise, there might still be people in the alley right now!" Sai Guanyin asked again, "Did you meet anyone?" "Not only are there no people, there are no ghosts." "Don't talk nonsense!" Sai Guanyin slapped him lightly. Taking advantage of the situation, he took her hand, carried both of them into the room, and looked carefully under the lamp; Sai Guanyin had loosened her hair and braided it loosely; she was wearing a black veil, reflecting her creamy complexion, All of a sudden, his excitement was pushed to the end, and he couldn't let go of it. "Why are you so anxious! It should be yours, it's always yours; if it's not yours, even if it's tied to the railing of the bed, it will still fly off." "That's a good word, but—" Cao Zhen suddenly remembered, "If you have something important to say, say it quickly!" "No." Sai Guanyin's answer was unexpected, "It's not that I have something important to say, how could I coax you here." She then asked, "Where is Xing'er?" "I have a stomachache, so I asked for leave; I went inside to ask for medicine. This little monkey," Cao Zhen scolded with a smile: "The ghost has a lot of thoughts." "What the hell are you thinking?" Cao Zhen already guessed that Xing'er was afraid that he would come to the secret appointment. In case Second Mistress Zhen knew about it, she would "walk around without food", leaving room for shirking responsibility; but it would be boring to tell Sai Guanyin the truth.So Gu Youyou talked about it and asked: "You said you want to drink and come here to drink; where is the wine?" "In the back room." The back room is Sai Guanyin's bedroom. There is a table and a half in front of the bed, and all the sundries have been removed; a large gauze cover is covered, and when it is opened, there is a plate of dried fish, a plate of shrimp mixed with bamboo shoots, and a bowl of hot steam. Chicken soup, and a plate of boiled soybeans with bamboo shoots that have been dried with lime. "This is the only way for a poor family to treat guests." Sai Guanyin said, "Sit on the edge of the bed, it will be more comfortable." Saying that, Sai Guanyin went to hold out a small jar of wine; I don't know what kind of medicinal material it was made of, but seeing that it was a very delicate light yellow color, Cao Zhen couldn't help but take a sip. Only when you can speak well will you know how powerful it is; you dare not swallow it, for fear of choking your throat, so you hold back the bitterness in your mouth for a while before swallowing slowly. "Good guy!" Cao Zhen shook his head, "The color is like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old chick; the hotness is like a wolf and a tiger, just like you in bed." "Ivory doesn't come out of a dog's mouth!" Sai Guanyin rolled his eyes at him, and then said, "I soaked a pot of honeysuckle dew in there, and used it to drink it." The Yanghe sorghum mixed with honeysuckle dew is much more catchy; while drinking, Cao Zhen asked, "How are you doing?" "It's not hard life. I can't make it out!" Saying that, Sai Guanyin sighed faintly. Cao Zhen kept silent, feeling guilty; because he couldn't even think of a word to comfort her. "Where's Wufu?" He said without words. "Didn't you go to see his 'best friend' again?" "Oh!" Cao Zhen couldn't help paying attention, "Does he still have a girlfriend?" "That's right! Not only are there lovers, but there are three of them." Cao Zhen knew she was joking when she said this; Zhang Wufu likes to "catch old sheep", and the three "friends" refer to three dice. "It's been a night since I fell in love with my girlfriend." Cao Zhen asked with a smile, "Isn't it?" "What about you?" Sai Guanyin looked at him and asked; Diluted wine is not easy to get drunk, but there is something intoxicating in the style of a mistress; Sai Guanyin's brows and eyes are provocative everywhere.She did this on purpose, and waited for her body to be in her arms, to settle the lovesickness debt, so that she could talk about business. "You drink slowly and listen to me tell you a piece of news that you must inquire about." "Oh!" Cao Zhen was a little confused, and Xing'er said that she had something important to say; she came and said no, it was just an excuse to coax him to come; but this meeting said it was a piece of news that he must inquire about.Words flicker, what kind of tricks are they. "You think I'm playing tricks, don't you?" Sai Guanyin said, "I didn't say it on purpose just now, because once I said it, you would lose all interest." Hearing this, Cao Zhen put down the wine glass; a little anxiously, "Stop haggling!" He urged, "Speak quickly." "At first, I didn't want to tell you, just because I said something wrong, and I was afraid that I would hurt an honest man and make him feel safe; I had no choice but to confess for this honest man in front of you—" "The more you talk, the more mysterious it is!" Cao Zhen was a little impatient, "What's the matter?" One was in a hurry, while the other was slow, "If you don't beat the gong, you don't know what to say; if there is no incoming dragon, then there is an outgoing pulse?" Sai Guanyin said again: "You are so urgent, it makes people flustered; I Don't know where to start?" Cao Zhen came to a realization from his perplexity. It seemed that Sai Guanyin wanted to ask for something, so he gave it with his body first; at this moment, it was difficult to speak, so he had this kind of tone. Thinking of it this way, she was not in a hurry, smiled and held the wine glass again with her left hand; stretched out her right hand to her chest and said, "Don't talk about it; I will know what is in your heart just by touching it." Knowing that he had misunderstood, Sai Guanyin asked, "Do you know what I want to say?" "You are embarrassed to say, let me tell you, it must be that Wufu lost the bet and forced you to get a few taels of silver. Tomorrow, my name is Xinger, and I will give you twenty taels of silver." "Thank you! But you didn't guess right. I won't tell you. I want to tell you a piece of news that you must inquire about. Whose news do you think it should be?" "be mine?" "It's almost the same. If this news spreads, you must be mentioned." Sai Guanyin suddenly recalled the vicious and merciless memory of Zhen's second grandmother who cursed viciously and mercilessly; News about tigers and vinegar jars." Hearing this, Cao Zhen's face turned red; but he pretended to be calm and asked, "What news did she have?" "Things have already happened, but I'm afraid it's the first time you've heard it, and that's news." Sai Guanyin suddenly became alert, if he told the truth and Cao Zhen couldn't hold his breath, he would yell loudly at that time, and the quarrel broke out, and the quarrel was known to all neighbors, what can we do?Therefore, she felt that the tone should be softer; and that it should be warned. Therefore, she immediately said: "Second Master, don't make news yourself, and keep everything in your heart; what should we do, let's discuss it slowly." The words "Don't make news yourself" reminded Cao Zhen in time: face matters!He nodded and said, "That's right! Tell me, what's going on? I won't lose my temper." "That's right." Sai Guanyin got up and changed to another place to sit; she sat down next to Cao Zhen on the edge of the bed, and asked in a low voice, "Do you know about the matter between Second Grandma Zhen and Long Guan?" When "Longguan" was mentioned, Cao Zhen felt as if Jiao Lei was on his head, and his heart jumped up suddenly; then it sank again.really!What he had always suspected was finally confirmed. Because Sai Guanyin's earnest and caring face has a soothing effect; Cao Zhen didn't feel too embarrassed, and it was easy to say: "I have been suspicious! I am inconvenient to inquire, and you know their affairs, no matter what." He said, "You tell me in detail, don't worry about it." Sai Guanyin heaved a sigh of relief.She felt that what she was doing was the so-called "setting wildfire", and of course it was a very "exciting" thing; she was afraid that the wildfire would burn out of control, and even herself would be drawn into the flames.Looking at Cao Zhen's expression now, the wildfire will not burn endlessly, at least it will not burn Aunt Ji and her, so I can rest assured. So she said: "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's birthday two days ago, Wugou, a well-known guest of Ganluan, invited me to help. We sleep together at night, so we know that Wugou is a monk..." Sai Guanyin laughed: "I don't even know how to say it. Is that good?" "I understand." Cao Zhen nodded slightly, "I also vaguely heard people say that Ganluan is unruly. You can talk about it in the future." "Afterwards, Wugou said that she did good deeds and 'rescued' the young mistresses and concubines of wealthy families. I asked her, did she 'save' those people? She refused to say. My heart was moved, is your second mistress The protector of Ganluan; she may have 'saved' her too, so I'll use words to trick her—" "What do you say?" Cao Zhen asked interrupting her. "I said, there are rumors outside that the second grandmother Zhen of the Cao family has raised a nephew in the clan; is there such a thing?" "What about her? How did she answer?" "She didn't say yes or no; she just asked me: who told me this? Let her urge me so hard that I got flustered, so I just pulled someone out; it happened that Aunt Ji also came to burn incense that day. , I couldn’t think of anyone else, so I said: Aunt Ji told me. The conscience of heaven and earth,” said Sai Guanyin very solemnly, “Aunt Ji has never talked to me about your second grandma. You think, everyone is polite, and she It's not that you don't know that your second grandma vomited with me, why bother to mention this person I don't want to listen to?" "I know, this matter has nothing to do with Aunt Ji." "No! There's more to come." Sai Guanyin hurriedly said, "A day or two later, Wugou went to see Aunt Ji and advised her to be careful with what she said. .She has a girl named Xia Yun——" "Oh, Xia Yun! He used to be someone close to my old lady; very capable." Cao Zhen asked, "How is Xia Yun?" "You're right, Xia Yun is very capable; I went to Ganluan to interrogate Wugou, what did she mean by those words? Wugou told me all about it, saying that Aunt Ji told me how Second Grandma Zhen was doing? Xia Yun went back and asked Aunt Ji: Aunt Ji is very angry, but I can't make a noise so that everyone knows; I am afraid that this word will reach your second grandma's ears, and I will make things difficult for Aunt Ji, so Xia Yun came to me because of this. Said that the trouble was caused by me Yes, I have to clean it up myself. What she said is true, I wronged Aunt Ji, and I want to wash it for her. But I can't go to your second grandma to admit my mistake; even if I admit my mistake, she will not forgive me. After much deliberation , I have to invite you to come and explain clearly. Please think of a way no matter what, and don’t embarrass Aunt Ji; that will help me a lot!" 曹震默不作声，他根本没有理季姨娘的事，赛观音看他的脸色阴沉得可怕，不安的感觉复起，但亦不敢多问，只全神贯注地要听他说些什么？ “五嫂子，”曹震终于开口了，“你能不能帮我一个忙？” “我能帮二爷什么忙？”赛观音颇感意外地。 “目前只有你能帮我的忙，请你暗底下留心，知道那一天他们又约在甘露庵，赶紧来告诉我。”曹震又说，“我让兴儿天天到你这儿听信息。” 莫非他要捉妻子的奸？赛观音这样在想；口中答说：“看样子不会再在甘露庵了。” “那么在什么地方呢？” "I have no idea." “无垢总知道吧？” “也说不定。” “你能不能替我打听打听？” “不行！”赛观音摇摇头，“我跟无垢闹翻了。” "why?" 赛观音自然不肯说实话；不过恰好有个说法：“还不是为了季姨娘。”她紧接着又问：“二爷，季姨娘的事怎么样？” 曹震想了一下说：“不要紧！我自己跟季姨娘说，没有她的事，叫她放心好了。” “不行！不行！”赛观音乱摇着手，“这一来不都知道了，所有你们二奶奶的事，都是我一个人弄出来的。” “那有什么要紧？你是怕她？” 曹震这话惹得赛观音起了极大的反感，“莫非你不怕！”她说：“我吃她的亏，都是为你。她那么折腾我，你也不出来说句话；事后又不敢出头，脖子一缩，真像个——。” 到口留情，“忘八”二字没有说出来，但说与不说都一样；曹震自是刺心般痛，“你瞧着好了！”他重重地说，“看我这回饶得了她？” 赛观音正好发问：“你打算怎么办？” “第一步自然先要把他们的窝找出来。这一点办不到，什么都无从谈起。”曹震接着说道：“'青竹蛇儿口，黄蜂尾上针；两般皆不毒，最毒妇人心。'说的就是她。打蛇得打在七寸上；'七寸'要看准了，才好下手。还不能打草惊蛇，所以我只好托你。” “曹织造是南京第一家大户人家；那么多人，就没有一个人好托？”赛观音摇摇头，“我不相信。” “说起来似乎不能教人相信。等我说明白了，你就知道了：第一、老实人办不了这件事；第二、能干的也许暗中让她收服了，或者正好去告密换赏，我这里一说，她那里就知道了；第三、这种事到底是家丑，遇到嘴不紧的，一传出去，我的面子都绷不住了，还做人不做？” “兴儿总靠得住吧？” “不错，兴儿靠得住；可是起码有三个人盯着兴儿，他也动不了！” “既然这样，你刚才怎么说，让兴儿每天到我这里来听信息，莫非就不怕你们那口子知道？” “光是说一句话的事，好办。兴儿家不是跟你也熟；你告诉她家里，兴儿一回家就知道了。” “这还差不多。”赛观音踌躇地说，“我倒有心帮你的忙，只是帮不上。” “不会帮不上。”曹震答道：“替我出出主意也是好的。” 说到这句话，赛观音便往深处去想了，“你们家二奶奶，平时不大出门；出门坐轿，还有底下人照料，丫头服侍，照规矩说，一举一动并不自由，不难打听。”她紧接着又说，“而且去的一定也是有限的几个地方；若是无缘无故去了一个陌生地方，难道不怕轿夫，底下人在背后谈论？” “你这话不错。因此，我疑心还是在甘露庵。” “不会！”赛观音答得很快；显得很有把握。 "why?" 赛观音不便道出实情，已经这样子追踪过了；想一想答说：“如果真的还是在甘露庵相会，事情倒好办了。她要到甘露庵去烧香，总是预先定了日子的；到了那天，你找兴儿去找隆官，把隆官找到了，不就水落石出了吗？” “对！从这个人身上去追根，是个好法子。不过，我这会在想无垢既然怕事，一时不会让他们在甘露庵相会，也是可想而知的。” “果真如此，谢天谢地，就此断了吧！” 曹震想不到她是这种作恕词的口吻；听来有些猫哭耗子假慈悲的味道，想来她是怕麻烦不肯插手，心里不免反感。 “不行！这件事非弄个水落石出不可。”曹震率直问道：“你也不必说这种话，只说肯不肯帮我的忙就是了。” “我刚才说过，只要帮得上忙一定帮。”赛观音凝神盘算了一会问道：“这件事，能不能让兴儿知道？” "certainly." “那好！”赛观音说，“我来替你出个主意；不过话要先说明，我出的主意，你愿意就照办，不愿意也随你；只别问我为什么要这么办？” 曹震点点头说：“好吧！你先说。” “第一、你到苏州或者杭州去一趟，就说有公事。第二、你让兴儿到我这里来一趟；还有，要跟兴儿交代清楚，我说的话，就跟你自己交代他一样。” 曹震一口承诺；但到底还是提出要求，赛观音是何主意，最好说出来大家商量。因为关于震二奶奶，他到底比任何人都知道得多；赛观音要跟她“斗法”，无论如何该听听他的意见。 “这话当然不错；而且是你的事，应该跟你商量。不过，这件事关乎——，”赛观音迟疑了一下，改口问道：“如果我把他们相会的地方打听到了，你打算怎么办？” 这可把曹震问住了。心里盘算又盘算；终于定了主意，“我不怕闹家丑。”他说，“拿住了，问她自己怎么办？” “这，”赛观音不断摇头，“我可不能作这个孽！” 曹震愕然，“你这话什么意思？”他问，“你是帮我忙，怎么叫作孽？” “怎么不是作孽？你这么一闹，她还能见人？不是投井，就是上吊；岂不是一条命送在我手里？” “不会！死不了。”曹震答说，“她舍不得死。” “不是她舍得舍不得的事；是她还有没有脸见人？没有脸见人，舍不得死也要死。何况她是那么好强的人！” “那，”曹震想想也不错，便即问道：“那你说该怎么办？” “我也不知道。我刚才不愿意跟你说我的主意，就因为虽打听到了地方，可不知道下一步该怎么办？这得慢慢儿想，想到了好法子，我才跟你说；想不出来，我干脆说一无结果。免得你冒冒失失把他们拿住了；弄得无法收场，非出人命不可。” 曹震连连点头，“你顾虑得不错，我也不愿出人命；当然，若有那样的事，我自然不能再要她了！她娘家有势力，我倒也不怕；只是出了人命，那就又是一种说法了。”他停了一下又说：“这样，你归你去打听；打听到了看情形再定办法，反正这件事怎么办，我一定跟你商量，绝不会冒失。” “这话当真？” “自然当真的。”曹震忽然觉得他跟赛观音的感情不同了；仿佛在共患难似地，因而情不自禁地将她搂在怀里，柔声问说：“我给五福几两银子，让他另娶一房；写张纸给你好不好？” “写张什么纸？”赛观音明知故问地。 “自然是休书，一刀两断，男婚女嫁各不相涉。” “你倒真有良心！”赛观音故意这样说，“你叫五福把我休了；我靠谁？” “当然靠我。”曹震很认真地，“一时还不能接你进府；我在外头买房子。只要你肚子争气，能替我生个儿子，在曹家自然有你的名分。” 赛观音不作声；她得考量考量利害得失。不过曹震既有这样的心，总是件值得安慰的事，所以口中不言，眼中有情。 “五福把你休掉；我也要把她休掉！”曹震说道：“得想个什么法子，让她乖乖儿拿着休书回旗。事情就圆满了。” 这“圆满”二字，在赛观音听来别有意味；忍不住问说：“怎么叫圆满？” “她，”曹震很坦率地说：“这些年积了不少私房；又不是她马家带来的，我当然得想法把它截下来。将来是她陪嫁的东西，尽管带走；不是她从娘家带来的，全得留下。” “这怕是你的如意算盘！那么厉害的人，能听你摆布？” “只要拿住她的把柄，不怕她不就范。”曹震加重了语气说：“对！咱们就照这条路子上去琢磨，一定能想出法子来。” “好吧！慢慢儿想。”赛观音说：“太晚了！你请吧，别忘了；明儿让兴儿来。”
经过彻夜思考，赛观音自觉看得很清楚，想得很明白；跟震二奶奶的冤家是做定了，解不开，逃不掉。如今只看谁先动手？若是震二奶奶先发制人，根本就无法招架；自己呢，先下手不一定有胜算，但如占了上风，那就像脱胎换骨一样，后半辈子另是一番境遇。这是赌命；值得赌，不容不赌。 既是赌命，自然放手大干，要多找帮手；第一个是兴儿，非把他收服了不可。因此，等兴儿一来，打起精神全力对付，亲热得让兴儿有受宠若惊之感。 “五婶儿，你别张罗了。有话就说吧！”兴儿又问：“五叔呢？” “打酒去了。”赛观音端了一碗绿豆汤来，“话多得很，得跟你慢慢儿细谈；先凉快凉快。”说着，便坐在他身边，为的是“一人扇风二人凉”。 “不敢当、不敢当。”兴儿一面喝绿豆汤，一面问道：“五婶儿，你在替我们二爷办一件什么事；是不是？” “不光是替二爷；为我自己，也为你。” “为我？”兴儿既困惑又好奇，笑着问道：“一件事拴着三个人；是件什么事？可真想不出来了。” “回头你知道了。我先问你，二爷跟你怎么说来的？” “他让我到你这儿来，说你交代的话，就跟他自己交代一样。”兴儿皮里阳秋地笑一笑，“五婶儿，我真服了你了。” "how?" “跟二爷好久不见；一见就把他摆布得服服贴贴。五婶儿，你真是好功夫。” 赛观音脸一红，“什么功夫不功夫？别胡说八道。”她忽然收敛笑容，一本正经地说：“兴儿，我问你句话，你老老实实告诉我，有你的好处。” 看她的神情决非开玩笑。兴儿也正色道：“好！我一定说实话。” “你们府里那么多妞儿，总有你看中了的吧？” 这又像是开玩笑的话；兴儿便仔细看一看她的脸色，要弄清楚了真意，才好作答。 “别害臊！”赛观音又说，“我不是无缘无故跟你瞎扯；你跟我说实话。” “我不说，你也知道。” “那是说，有你看中的。”赛观音紧接说，“我也不问那是谁；你说我也不知道。反正，只要你替二爷把事情办成了，包在我身上，把你看中了的妞儿，娶回家去。” 一听这话，兴儿越发要细看她的神态；怎么样也看不出她是在开玩笑，可也不能就这么信了她的话。想一想问道：“是件什么事？” 赛观音不即回答，眨了一阵眼，方始开口：“二爷跟你说了，我的话就像他自己交代一样？” "yes!" “那么，你该知道，我现在跟你说的话，就是二爷的话。” “我明白。你说啊！” “你们二奶奶跟隆官的事，你知道不知道？” 兴儿一惊，几乎将一碗绿豆汤打翻；定定神问道：“这是二爷让你来问我的？” “也可以这样说。”赛观音又说：“就这件事，拴着三个人，二爷、你、我；办好了大家都好。” “要怎样办？”兴儿惊疑不定，“不会大闹一场吧？” 赛观音知道他胆子小，赶紧安慰他说：“不管闹不闹，绝不会把你扯在里头。我跟二爷已经商量好了；只要你听话，包管有你的好处。而且，好处还不小。” 兴儿凝神想了一会；点点头说：“好！我有什么说什么。二奶奶跟隆官的事，我也听说过；没有敢打听。” “当然，谁也不敢打听；你们二奶奶不是好惹的。”赛观音又说，“话又说回来，我又怎么敢打听、敢惹她呢？就为的有二爷在。天塌下来有长人顶；没有什么好怕。” “这，”兴儿迟疑地问道：“二爷想拿二奶奶跟隆官？” "right!" 兴儿一哆嗦，“能拿得住吗？”他结结巴巴地说，“拿不住，或者拿错了，那可是没法子收场的事。” 赛观音毫不在乎地笑一笑；“这还用你说？自然都想周全了。”她说，“不但要拿住真赃实犯；还闹不起来。怎么闹不起来呢？是你们二奶奶不敢闹；一闹不是自己出丑？” 听得这话，兴儿松了口气，“想来是有高招。”他说，“五婶儿，想不到你还有这么一手。” “别恭维我！这件事还得你好好儿出点力。”赛观音很郑重地说，“兴儿，你这会说一句，愿意不愿意出力；如果不愿意，也不要紧。这件事不能勉强，我不怪你，二爷也不会；因为知道你怕你们二奶奶。” “二爷又何尝不怕二奶奶？”兴儿答说，“谁都怕。” “那么，二爷现在不怕她了；你又怎么样呢？” 兴儿想一想答说：“我说实话，只能暗底下出力。” “本就只要你暗中出力，越暗越好。”赛观音说，“以后我会常去看你妈；有话在你家谈。”
This day I went to nothing, and Sai Guanyin sent someone to pick him up for Ganluan.I don't know when I will come back; Zhang Wufu said that her wife sometimes lives in Ganlu Temple.And he also suggested that Xia Yun might as well go to Ganluan to look for it. Xia Yun didn't want to do that.It was agreed at the time to come back the next morning; if Sai Guanyin did not come home that day, Zhang Wufu, please inform He Jin early in the morning, so as not to miss again. Fortunately, Zhang Wufu never came to inform; Xia Yun also found Sai Guanyin smoothly.He Jin is very old, guessing what they are going to talk about, it is not humane, so not only he himself does not want to be sandwiched between Xia Yun and Sai Guanyin; he also wants to transfer Zhang Wufu, and invite him to drink tea at the alley teahouse . "Sister-in-law Zhang," Xia Yun said straight to the point, "Aunt Ji asked me to come; no, I asked for it myself. Why? Because I was afraid that Aunt Ji would start a fight when she met you." This opening remark is very good; because although I don't know why Aunt Ji quarreled as soon as they met, Xia Yun asked for this job out of good intentions, but it has been clearly stated. "Oh," said Sai Guanyin with a smile: "Miss Xia Yun, with you here, Aunt Ji can't quarrel with me. I don't know why?" "Because of Mrs. Wugou, she came to persuade Aunt Ji, and her words should be cautious. She said, Mrs. Zhang told her that Aunt Ji told you that our Second Grandma Zhen has a nephew in the family. Mrs. Wugou, you and Mrs. Wugou Did you say that?" Sai Guanyin's face turned red and then turned white; his lips moved, wanting to speak.This is naturally very clear, she said this to Wugou. "Sister-in-law Zhang Wu," Xia Yun said in a complaining and sympathetic tone, "You have made a big mistake in this matter! What can you say? How can you say this? Second Grandma Zhen, you have never been taught; You also know about the matter, so don’t hide it from you, our Aunt Ji is also very pitiful; if your words reach Second Grandma Zhen’s ears, will she have a better life?” Sai Guanyin exchanged tears, "Miss Xia Yun, I was wrong. However, I was also forced to come here: I can't tell you the details. Now, now," she seemed to have suddenly made up her mind, "Only what you say, what should I do!" "I don't know what to do? You and Wugou are the ones who caused the disaster; I think you are the only one to discuss with Wugou. How to let Second Grandma Zhen know that Aunt Ji didn't say this. Just wash her out." gone." Sai Guanyin remained silent; it turned out that the "friendship" between Wugou and her had changed!Someone in Ganluan went to the abbot Yuanming to speak out, saying that just by the nickname Sai Guanyin, one could tell her character; His reputation has also been tarnished.Therefore, Yuan Ming took Wugou to him and gave her a severe reprimand; she was not allowed to associate with Sai Guanyin, and of course the four pieces of jewelry had to be taken back. It's such intrigues and self-defeating; this is the key to making an enemy, and there can be mutual understanding and work together to deal with difficulties.It is conceivable that if this matter is not mentioned, it will be fine, if it is mentioned, it will be mutual accusation, of course Sai Guanyin will accuse Wugou of not going to talk to Aunt Ji about the secret of Second Grandma Zhen; There is reason to blame her for not talking casually about Aunt Ji.She was the one who caused the disaster; why did Wugou ask Second Grandma Zhen to explain it?How does this actually explain it? After much deliberation, she couldn't accept Xia Yun's request; this made the pretty girl in Cao's mansion very coquettish. "Sister-in-law Zhang Wu, what's the matter with you? To be honest, if I hadn't tried my best to mediate this matter, I'm afraid that even your brother Zhang Wu would be ashamed. Aunt Ji cares about the past and does not care about the future; your family is also a machine for weaving government offices. Hu, haven't you heard of it? Besides, Aunt Ji is not at fault in this matter, and she can speak everywhere; now she would rather be wronged, and she is thinking of you. If you don't even want to do this at least Do it; there is no other way but to tell Second Grandma Zhen exactly what she wants to do, anyway, Aunt Ji always has an explanation." "Miss Xia Yun, Miss Xia Yun, don't be angry!" Sai Guanyin hastily said in a low voice: "I don't know where you and Aunt Ji are taking care of me. Really, really—cough, it's hard to say! You are a girl, It is inconvenient for me to tell you some things; if I say it, you may not understand it. All in all, all in all; I am wrong, I am wrong, Aunt Ji is always good, I am sorry for Aunt Ji, I must find a way not to let Second Grandma Zhen misunderstand Aunt Ji. Miss Xia Yun, this is what I say in my heart." "The reason is to 'don't let Second Grandma Zhen misunderstand Aunt Ji's words', as long as you know it." Xia Yun asked again: "You are going to think of a way, so you might as well talk about it." "There must be a way! I still can't say it right now." Sai Guanyin's heart suddenly moved; after thinking for a while, his voice became excited and confident, "Miss Xia Yun, there must be a way. You go back and tell Aunt Ji , please rest assured." Xia Yun didn't know what kind of medicine she was selling in the gourd; but her tone brought her confidence, but she still had to remind her: "If you have a way, you have to do it quickly. In case of shock, the second grandma will come and ask Aunt Ji first. , isn’t it a dumb person who suffers from lawsuits and has difficulty in arguing?” "That's true! I'll do it today." Sai Guanyin added: "Anyway, I must be worthy of Aunt Ji." The talk has come to an end, and it's useless; Xia Yun just said: "I and Ji Auntie is waiting to hear the good news." Then he left; he went to find He Jin in the teahouse at the alley, and went home together.
Naturally, Zhang Wufu also went home; Sai Guanyin told him to go immediately to Cao Zhen's servant Xing'er, and asked him to come and have a midnight snack. "What's this for?" Zhang Wufu said, "I'll tell him if there's something else." "Don't worry about it! Just find him." Zhang Wufu knew that it was useless to talk too much, so he obediently went to find Xing'er, made an appointment for a night snack, and came back to take over his life. When it was more time, Xing'er Shi Shi came; Sai Guanyin had already stewed a first-class pot and was waiting.Xing'er smelled the fragrance, swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva and asked, "Fifth Aunt, you don't get rewarded for nothing; tell me first, what do you want me to do? Explain it clearly, so I can eat with peace of mind." "It's okay! Tomorrow is three volts; 'the first ham and two volts of chicken, three volts eat only gold and silver hooves'. There are only two people in my family. I can't eat this first-grade pot. It's a pity that it's broken; I specially invite you to talk about it. Even if I have something to ask you, I will definitely You can do it; you can eat as much as you want, just don't drink so much that people don't know." "No, no." Xing'er sat down; accompanied by Zhang Wufu, he chewed according to the case. On the second watch day, there were only bones and soup left in Yipinguo; Xing'er got up and wiped his mouth, and while filling his stomach, he shouted inside: "Aunt Wu, I'm full and I have to go; I have something to do quickly." Say it!" "Don't be busy!" Sai Guanyin came out with an earthen jar, and said to her husband, "Go to the alley and bring back a jar of sour plum soup; that stuff is the best for sobering up." Zhang Wufu did as he said; Xing'er also understood that it was Sai Guanyin who deliberately diverted the tiger away from the mountain, so he waited for Zhang Wufu to leave the house before opening his mouth. "Fifth Aunt, it's just the two of us now, if you have something to say, please tell me!" "Sit down!" Sai Guanyin said, "Your mother and I used to be the best, you always know." "I know. Why don't you know." "You know, I'm telling you the truth, I don't treat you as an outsider. If I ask you, if you are willing to tell me, of course it's best; if you don't want to tell me, it doesn't matter, but you can't talk to others; even you Don't tell him, including Uncle Wu. Can you promise me this?" "Okay!" Xing'er replied without hesitation. "I'd like to ask you, do you know about your second grandma and Longguan?" Sai Guanyin said immediately, "Moonlight Bodhisattva, please don't tell anyone if we are together tonight; if not, Tell him to die badly." Xing'er hesitated for a moment before replying: "I heard it too, I don't know if it's true or not." "How did you hear that?" "I heard that Longguan has a place; it's specially prepared for him to meet his second mistress." "Do you know that place?" "I don't know." Xing'er replied quickly. "Can you—" Sai Guanyin stopped suddenly after a few words, and walked inside. When she came back, she had an extra handkerchief bag in her hand. "This," she said, "bring it to your wife." "What are you doing! Fifth aunt is still polite?" "I'm not being polite." Sai Guanyin said again, "It's not to buy your words. I don't think you may know about this place; you can't even inquire about it. Why? The first thing Longguan wants to hide is you." "I really don't know." Xing'er looked anxious, as if he was afraid that Sai Guanyin would misunderstand him, "Fifth Aunt, you are my mother's friend, I can't tell you nonsense." "Don't worry, don't worry! I know." Sai Guanyin patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, "However, if I ask you to do something, you can do it, will you help me?" "of course." "Then I'll tell you, can you quietly ask Second Lord Zhen to come here for me?" "Everything else is easy. Only—" Xing'er said with a wry smile, "it's a bit difficult." "Difficult? Are you afraid that Second Grandma Zhen will know?" "That's exactly why." Xing'er replied, "Second Grandma Zhen sent another spies to follow Second Master Zhen and make every move; Second Grandma Zhen knows all about it." "Second Master Zhen wants to come by himself, but you can still stop him from allowing it." Sai Guanyin said, "You just refuse to help." "Absolutely not!" Xing'er hurriedly argued, "There is another reason; Second Grandma Zhen told me that I went there with Second Master Zhen, and I had to report to her when I went back. Otherwise, I would never want to stay in the mansion again. Yes. Fifth Aunt, think about it, of course I will keep Second Master Zhen coming to you, but if a spy reports to her and asks me, what shall I say?" Sai Guanyin nodded: "I blamed you." She thought for a while and said: "Well, you tell Erye Zhen that tomorrow night, it's better to be later, more quiet, and let him be alone. Unknowingly touched it; told him not to drink at night, but to come to me for a drink, because I have something important to tell him, and I must make him wake up." Xing'er thought for a while and asked: "Aunt Wu, you mean that I don't have to follow, and it's nothing to do with me. Isn't it?" "That's right! That's what it means." Sai Guanyin said again, "If you still feel embarrassed, tell us about your difficulty and we can discuss it later." Xing'er thought about it for a while, and felt that doing so would be enough to get rid of the relationship; she nodded her head to express her commitment, but then asked, "Aunt Fifth, what is your important question?" "You'll know when the time comes." Xing'er was waiting to ask again, but saw that Zhang Wufu had entered the door, so he kept silent; drank a large bowl of sour plum soup, and got up to thank him. "What's the deal! Come here if you have time; I still have a few specialty dishes that I can cook for you. Just don't forget what I entrusted to you." "No! What's the situation, I'll answer it for you tomorrow afternoon." There was a reply before noon the next day. He said that Cao Zhen had a social event that night and he had to drink, but he would never get drunk.When the entertainment is over, come to the appointment; it's probably around the second watch. It was midsummer, and there were still a lot of people enjoying the cool air in the second watch, so it was inconvenient; but he didn't care about the many; Sai Guanyin asked, "What about you?" "I'll pretend to have a stomachache when I get back. I'll ask Second Mistress for medicine, and let her know that I didn't go out with Second Master today." "That's a good idea. As long as it doesn't hurt you, I can rest assured." Sai Guanyin said again: "You tell the second master to come in through the back door; there is no need to call the door, just push in." In the evening, Sai Guanyin took two or three taels of silver and asked Zhang Wufu to spend the night in the casino; then he prepared wine, vegetables and fruits, took a bath, and it was time to wake up; the weather suddenly changed and it began to rain Come on, drive those who are enjoying the cool outside back into the house. "Wonderful! It's the wish of God." Sai Guanyin said in his heart: "Just don't let it take too long." The rain stopped after half an hour. Those enjoying the coolness just took advantage of the summer heat to make up for the lack of sleep in the hot summer and restless nights. Therefore, the alley was empty, and only the bright moon illuminated the stagnant water. It's a good time to come to a secret appointment. Cao Zhen, who was slightly drunk, hadn't been in such an excited mood for a long time, not only because Sai Guanyin, who worked in Niye, was one of his many old loves, which he seldom cared about often; Words", brought him a reason of anticipation eager to uncover the answer. Entering the very narrow alley, every house turned off the lights; fortunately, the direction was facing the last quarter moon;Arriving at the back door of Zhang’s house, I checked carefully, and there was a basin of “Wannianqing” on the wall. I was sure it was good, so I stretched out my hand and pushed it lightly as agreed. When he stood still and coughed lightly, a figure appeared in the window. He couldn't see his face clearly with the light on his back, but it was undeniable that it must be Sai Guanyin.Otherwise, trespassing on a private house in the middle of the night would have already yelled "there is a thief" at the owner's house. "Why did you come here at this time?" Sai Guanyin came up to meet him, held him, and asked in a very low voice. This made him realize that the house is shallow and crowded, so you must not speak loudly; so he leaned close to her ear, but couldn't help but kiss her first, and then replied: "Isn't it better to say later? " "Thanks to the rain. Otherwise, there might still be people in the alley right now!" Sai Guanyin asked again, "Did you meet anyone?" "Not only are there no people, there are no ghosts." "Don't talk nonsense!" Sai Guanyin slapped him lightly. Taking advantage of the situation, he took her hand, carried both of them into the room, and looked carefully under the lamp; Sai Guanyin had loosened her hair and braided it loosely; she was wearing a black veil, reflecting her creamy complexion, All of a sudden, his excitement was pushed to the end, and he couldn't let go of it. "Why are you so anxious! It should be yours, it's always yours; if it's not yours, even if it's tied to the railing of the bed, it will still fly off." "That's a good word, but—" Cao Zhen suddenly remembered, "If you have something important to say, say it quickly!" "No." Sai Guanyin's answer was unexpected, "It's not that I have something important to say, how could I coax you here." She then asked, "Where is Xing'er?" "I have a stomachache, so I asked for leave; I went inside to ask for medicine. This little monkey," Cao Zhen scolded with a smile: "The ghost has a lot of thoughts." "What the hell are you thinking?" Cao Zhen already guessed that Xing'er was afraid that he would come to the secret appointment. In case Second Mistress Zhen knew about it, she would "walk around without food", leaving room for shirking responsibility; but it would be boring to tell Sai Guanyin the truth.So Gu Youyou talked about it and asked: "You said you want to drink and come here to drink; where is the wine?" "In the back room." The back room is Sai Guanyin's bedroom. There is a table and a half in front of the bed, and all the sundries have been removed; a large gauze cover is covered, and when it is opened, there is a plate of dried fish, a plate of shrimp mixed with bamboo shoots, and a bowl of hot steam. Chicken soup, and a plate of boiled soybeans with bamboo shoots that have been dried with lime. "This is the only way for a poor family to treat guests." Sai Guanyin said, "Sit on the edge of the bed, it will be more comfortable." Saying that, Sai Guanyin went to hold out a small jar of wine; I don't know what kind of medicinal material it was made of, but seeing that it was a very delicate light yellow color, Cao Zhen couldn't help but take a sip. Only when you can speak well will you know how powerful it is; you dare not swallow it, for fear of choking your throat, so you hold back the bitterness in your mouth for a while before swallowing slowly. "Good guy!" Cao Zhen shook his head, "The color is like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old chick; the hotness is like a wolf and a tiger, just like you in bed." "Ivory doesn't come out of a dog's mouth!" Sai Guanyin rolled his eyes at him, and then said, "I soaked a pot of honeysuckle dew in there, and used it to drink it." The Yanghe sorghum mixed with honeysuckle dew is much more catchy; while drinking, Cao Zhen asked, "How are you doing?" "It's not hard life. I can't make it out!" Saying that, Sai Guanyin sighed faintly. Cao Zhen kept silent, feeling guilty; because he couldn't even think of a word to comfort her. "Where's Wufu?" He said without words. "Didn't you go to see his 'best friend' again?" "Oh!" Cao Zhen couldn't help paying attention, "Does he still have a girlfriend?" "That's right! Not only are there lovers, but there are three of them." Cao Zhen knew she was joking when she said this; Zhang Wufu likes to "catch old sheep", and the three "friends" refer to three dice. "It's been a night since I fell in love with my girlfriend." Cao Zhen asked with a smile, "Isn't it?" "What about you?" Sai Guanyin looked at him and asked; Diluted wine is not easy to get drunk, but there is something intoxicating in the style of a mistress; Sai Guanyin's brows and eyes are provocative everywhere.She did this on purpose, and waited for her body to be in her arms, to settle the lovesickness debt, so that she could talk about business. "You drink slowly and listen to me tell you a piece of news that you must inquire about." "Oh!" Cao Zhen was a little confused, and Xing'er said that she had something important to say; she came and said no, it was just an excuse to coax him to come; but this meeting said it was a piece of news that he must inquire about.Words flicker, what kind of tricks are they. "You think I'm playing tricks, don't you?" Sai Guanyin said, "I didn't say it on purpose just now, because once I said it, you would lose all interest." Hearing this, Cao Zhen put down the wine glass; a little anxiously, "Stop haggling!" He urged, "Speak quickly." "At first, I didn't want to tell you, just because I said something wrong, and I was afraid that I would hurt an honest man and make him feel safe; I had no choice but to confess for this honest man in front of you—" "The more you talk, the more mysterious it is!" Cao Zhen was a little impatient, "What's the matter?" One was in a hurry, while the other was slow, "If you don't beat the gong, you don't know what to say; if there is no incoming dragon, then there is an outgoing pulse?" Sai Guanyin said again: "You are so urgent, it makes people flustered; I Don't know where to start?" Cao Zhen came to a realization from his perplexity. It seemed that Sai Guanyin wanted to ask for something, so he gave it with his body first; at this moment, it was difficult to speak, so he had this kind of tone. Thinking of it this way, she was not in a hurry, smiled and held the wine glass again with her left hand; stretched out her right hand to her chest and said, "Don't talk about it; I will know what is in your heart just by touching it." Knowing that he had misunderstood, Sai Guanyin asked, "Do you know what I want to say?" "You are embarrassed to say, let me tell you, it must be that Wufu lost the bet and forced you to get a few taels of silver. Tomorrow, my name is Xinger, and I will give you twenty taels of silver." "Thank you! But you didn't guess right. I won't tell you. I want to tell you a piece of news that you must inquire about. Whose news do you think it should be?" "be mine?" "It's almost the same. If this news spreads, you must be mentioned." Sai Guanyin suddenly recalled the vicious and merciless memory of Zhen's second grandmother who cursed viciously and mercilessly; News about tigers and vinegar jars." Hearing this, Cao Zhen's face turned red; but he pretended to be calm and asked, "What news did she have?" "Things have already happened, but I'm afraid it's the first time you've heard it, and that's news." Sai Guanyin suddenly became alert, if he told the truth and Cao Zhen couldn't hold his breath, he would yell loudly at that time, and the quarrel broke out, and the quarrel was known to all neighbors, what can we do?Therefore, she felt that the tone should be softer; and that it should be warned. Therefore, she immediately said: "Second Master, don't make news yourself, and keep everything in your heart; what should we do, let's discuss it slowly." The words "Don't make news yourself" reminded Cao Zhen in time: face matters!He nodded and said, "That's right! Tell me, what's going on? I won't lose my temper." "That's right." Sai Guanyin got up and changed to another place to sit; she sat down next to Cao Zhen on the edge of the bed, and asked in a low voice, "Do you know about the matter between Second Grandma Zhen and Long Guan?" When "Longguan" was mentioned, Cao Zhen felt as if Jiao Lei was on his head, and his heart jumped up suddenly; then it sank again.really!What he had always suspected was finally confirmed. Because Sai Guanyin's earnest and caring face has a soothing effect; Cao Zhen didn't feel too embarrassed, and it was easy to say: "I have been suspicious! I am inconvenient to inquire, and you know their affairs, no matter what." He said, "You tell me in detail, don't worry about it." Sai Guanyin heaved a sigh of relief.She felt that what she was doing was the so-called "setting wildfire", and of course it was a very "exciting" thing; she was afraid that the wildfire would burn out of control, and even herself would be drawn into the flames.Looking at Cao Zhen's expression now, the wildfire will not burn endlessly, at least it will not burn Aunt Ji and her, so I can rest assured. So she said: "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's birthday two days ago, Wugou, a well-known guest of Ganluan, invited me to help. We sleep together at night, so we know that Wugou is a monk..." Sai Guanyin laughed: "I don't even know how to say it. Is that good?" "I understand." Cao Zhen nodded slightly, "I also vaguely heard people say that Ganluan is unruly. You can talk about it in the future." "Afterwards, Wugou said that she did good deeds and 'rescued' the young mistresses and concubines of wealthy families. I asked her, did she 'save' those people? She refused to say. My heart was moved, is your second mistress The protector of Ganluan; she may have 'saved' her too, so I'll use words to trick her—" "What do you say?" Cao Zhen asked interrupting her. "I said, there are rumors outside that the second grandmother Zhen of the Cao family has raised a nephew in the clan; is there such a thing?" "What about her? How did she answer?" "She didn't say yes or no; she just asked me: who told me this? Let her urge me so hard that I got flustered, so I just pulled someone out; it happened that Aunt Ji also came to burn incense that day. , I couldn’t think of anyone else, so I said: Aunt Ji told me. The conscience of heaven and earth,” said Sai Guanyin very solemnly, “Aunt Ji has never talked to me about your second grandma. You think, everyone is polite, and she It's not that you don't know that your second grandma vomited with me, why bother to mention this person I don't want to listen to?" "I know, this matter has nothing to do with Aunt Ji." "No! There's more to come." Sai Guanyin hurriedly said, "A day or two later, Wugou went to see Aunt Ji and advised her to be careful with what she said. .She has a girl named Xia Yun——" "Oh, Xia Yun! He used to be someone close to my old lady; very capable." Cao Zhen asked, "How is Xia Yun?" "You're right, Xia Yun is very capable; I went to Ganluan to interrogate Wugou, what did she mean by those words? Wugou told me all about it, saying that Aunt Ji told me how Second Grandma Zhen was doing? Xia Yun went back and asked Aunt Ji: Aunt Ji is very angry, but I can't make a noise so that everyone knows; I am afraid that this word will reach your second grandma's ears, and I will make things difficult for Aunt Ji, so Xia Yun came to me because of this. Said that the trouble was caused by me Yes, I have to clean it up myself. What she said is true, I wronged Aunt Ji, and I want to wash it for her. But I can't go to your second grandma to admit my mistake; even if I admit my mistake, she will not forgive me. After much deliberation , I have to invite you to come and explain clearly. Please think of a way no matter what, and don’t embarrass Aunt Ji; that will help me a lot!" 曹震默不作声，他根本没有理季姨娘的事，赛观音看他的脸色阴沉得可怕，不安的感觉复起，但亦不敢多问，只全神贯注地要听他说些什么？ “五嫂子，”曹震终于开口了，“你能不能帮我一个忙？” “我能帮二爷什么忙？”赛观音颇感意外地。 “目前只有你能帮我的忙，请你暗底下留心，知道那一天他们又约在甘露庵，赶紧来告诉我。”曹震又说，“我让兴儿天天到你这儿听信息。” 莫非他要捉妻子的奸？赛观音这样在想；口中答说：“看样子不会再在甘露庵了。” “那么在什么地方呢？” "I have no idea." “无垢总知道吧？” “也说不定。” “你能不能替我打听打听？” “不行！”赛观音摇摇头，“我跟无垢闹翻了。” "why?" 赛观音自然不肯说实话；不过恰好有个说法：“还不是为了季姨娘。”她紧接着又问：“二爷，季姨娘的事怎么样？” 曹震想了一下说：“不要紧！我自己跟季姨娘说，没有她的事，叫她放心好了。” “不行！不行！”赛观音乱摇着手，“这一来不都知道了，所有你们二奶奶的事，都是我一个人弄出来的。” “那有什么要紧？你是怕她？” 曹震这话惹得赛观音起了极大的反感，“莫非你不怕！”她说：“我吃她的亏，都是为你。她那么折腾我，你也不出来说句话；事后又不敢出头，脖子一缩，真像个——。” 到口留情，“忘八”二字没有说出来，但说与不说都一样；曹震自是刺心般痛，“你瞧着好了！”他重重地说，“看我这回饶得了她？” 赛观音正好发问：“你打算怎么办？” “第一步自然先要把他们的窝找出来。这一点办不到，什么都无从谈起。”曹震接着说道：“'青竹蛇儿口，黄蜂尾上针；两般皆不毒，最毒妇人心。'说的就是她。打蛇得打在七寸上；'七寸'要看准了，才好下手。还不能打草惊蛇，所以我只好托你。” “曹织造是南京第一家大户人家；那么多人，就没有一个人好托？”赛观音摇摇头，“我不相信。” “说起来似乎不能教人相信。等我说明白了，你就知道了：第一、老实人办不了这件事；第二、能干的也许暗中让她收服了，或者正好去告密换赏，我这里一说，她那里就知道了；第三、这种事到底是家丑，遇到嘴不紧的，一传出去，我的面子都绷不住了，还做人不做？” “兴儿总靠得住吧？” “不错，兴儿靠得住；可是起码有三个人盯着兴儿，他也动不了！” “既然这样，你刚才怎么说，让兴儿每天到我这里来听信息，莫非就不怕你们那口子知道？” “光是说一句话的事，好办。兴儿家不是跟你也熟；你告诉她家里，兴儿一回家就知道了。” “这还差不多。”赛观音踌躇地说，“我倒有心帮你的忙，只是帮不上。” “不会帮不上。”曹震答道：“替我出出主意也是好的。” 说到这句话，赛观音便往深处去想了，“你们家二奶奶，平时不大出门；出门坐轿，还有底下人照料，丫头服侍，照规矩说，一举一动并不自由，不难打听。”她紧接着又说，“而且去的一定也是有限的几个地方；若是无缘无故去了一个陌生地方，难道不怕轿夫，底下人在背后谈论？” “你这话不错。因此，我疑心还是在甘露庵。” “不会！”赛观音答得很快；显得很有把握。 "why?" 赛观音不便道出实情，已经这样子追踪过了；想一想答说：“如果真的还是在甘露庵相会，事情倒好办了。她要到甘露庵去烧香，总是预先定了日子的；到了那天，你找兴儿去找隆官，把隆官找到了，不就水落石出了吗？” “对！从这个人身上去追根，是个好法子。不过，我这会在想无垢既然怕事，一时不会让他们在甘露庵相会，也是可想而知的。” “果真如此，谢天谢地，就此断了吧！” 曹震想不到她是这种作恕词的口吻；听来有些猫哭耗子假慈悲的味道，想来她是怕麻烦不肯插手，心里不免反感。 “不行！这件事非弄个水落石出不可。”曹震率直问道：“你也不必说这种话，只说肯不肯帮我的忙就是了。” “我刚才说过，只要帮得上忙一定帮。”赛观音凝神盘算了一会问道：“这件事，能不能让兴儿知道？” "certainly." “那好！”赛观音说，“我来替你出个主意；不过话要先说明，我出的主意，你愿意就照办，不愿意也随你；只别问我为什么要这么办？” 曹震点点头说：“好吧！你先说。” “第一、你到苏州或者杭州去一趟，就说有公事。第二、你让兴儿到我这里来一趟；还有，要跟兴儿交代清楚，我说的话，就跟你自己交代他一样。” 曹震一口承诺；但到底还是提出要求，赛观音是何主意，最好说出来大家商量。因为关于震二奶奶，他到底比任何人都知道得多；赛观音要跟她“斗法”，无论如何该听听他的意见。 “这话当然不错；而且是你的事，应该跟你商量。不过，这件事关乎——，”赛观音迟疑了一下，改口问道：“如果我把他们相会的地方打听到了，你打算怎么办？” 这可把曹震问住了。心里盘算又盘算；终于定了主意，“我不怕闹家丑。”他说，“拿住了，问她自己怎么办？” “这，”赛观音不断摇头，“我可不能作这个孽！” 曹震愕然，“你这话什么意思？”他问，“你是帮我忙，怎么叫作孽？” “怎么不是作孽？你这么一闹，她还能见人？不是投井，就是上吊；岂不是一条命送在我手里？” “不会！死不了。”曹震答说，“她舍不得死。” “不是她舍得舍不得的事；是她还有没有脸见人？没有脸见人，舍不得死也要死。何况她是那么好强的人！” “那，”曹震想想也不错，便即问道：“那你说该怎么办？” “我也不知道。我刚才不愿意跟你说我的主意，就因为虽打听到了地方，可不知道下一步该怎么办？这得慢慢儿想，想到了好法子，我才跟你说；想不出来，我干脆说一无结果。免得你冒冒失失把他们拿住了；弄得无法收场，非出人命不可。” 曹震连连点头，“你顾虑得不错，我也不愿出人命；当然，若有那样的事，我自然不能再要她了！她娘家有势力，我倒也不怕；只是出了人命，那就又是一种说法了。”他停了一下又说：“这样，你归你去打听；打听到了看情形再定办法，反正这件事怎么办，我一定跟你商量，绝不会冒失。” “这话当真？” “自然当真的。”曹震忽然觉得他跟赛观音的感情不同了；仿佛在共患难似地，因而情不自禁地将她搂在怀里，柔声问说：“我给五福几两银子，让他另娶一房；写张纸给你好不好？” “写张什么纸？”赛观音明知故问地。 “自然是休书，一刀两断，男婚女嫁各不相涉。” “你倒真有良心！”赛观音故意这样说，“你叫五福把我休了；我靠谁？” “当然靠我。”曹震很认真地，“一时还不能接你进府；我在外头买房子。只要你肚子争气，能替我生个儿子，在曹家自然有你的名分。” 赛观音不作声；她得考量考量利害得失。不过曹震既有这样的心，总是件值得安慰的事，所以口中不言，眼中有情。 “五福把你休掉；我也要把她休掉！”曹震说道：“得想个什么法子，让她乖乖儿拿着休书回旗。事情就圆满了。” 这“圆满”二字，在赛观音听来别有意味；忍不住问说：“怎么叫圆满？” “她，”曹震很坦率地说：“这些年积了不少私房；又不是她马家带来的，我当然得想法把它截下来。将来是她陪嫁的东西，尽管带走；不是她从娘家带来的，全得留下。” “这怕是你的如意算盘！那么厉害的人，能听你摆布？” “只要拿住她的把柄，不怕她不就范。”曹震加重了语气说：“对！咱们就照这条路子上去琢磨，一定能想出法子来。” “好吧！慢慢儿想。”赛观音说：“太晚了！你请吧，别忘了；明儿让兴儿来。”
经过彻夜思考，赛观音自觉看得很清楚，想得很明白；跟震二奶奶的冤家是做定了，解不开，逃不掉。如今只看谁先动手？若是震二奶奶先发制人，根本就无法招架；自己呢，先下手不一定有胜算，但如占了上风，那就像脱胎换骨一样，后半辈子另是一番境遇。这是赌命；值得赌，不容不赌。 既是赌命，自然放手大干，要多找帮手；第一个是兴儿，非把他收服了不可。因此，等兴儿一来，打起精神全力对付，亲热得让兴儿有受宠若惊之感。 “五婶儿，你别张罗了。有话就说吧！”兴儿又问：“五叔呢？” “打酒去了。”赛观音端了一碗绿豆汤来，“话多得很，得跟你慢慢儿细谈；先凉快凉快。”说着，便坐在他身边，为的是“一人扇风二人凉”。 “不敢当、不敢当。”兴儿一面喝绿豆汤，一面问道：“五婶儿，你在替我们二爷办一件什么事；是不是？” “不光是替二爷；为我自己，也为你。” “为我？”兴儿既困惑又好奇，笑着问道：“一件事拴着三个人；是件什么事？可真想不出来了。” “回头你知道了。我先问你，二爷跟你怎么说来的？” “他让我到你这儿来，说你交代的话，就跟他自己交代一样。”兴儿皮里阳秋地笑一笑，“五婶儿，我真服了你了。” "how?" “跟二爷好久不见；一见就把他摆布得服服贴贴。五婶儿，你真是好功夫。” 赛观音脸一红，“什么功夫不功夫？别胡说八道。”她忽然收敛笑容，一本正经地说：“兴儿，我问你句话，你老老实实告诉我，有你的好处。” 看她的神情决非开玩笑。兴儿也正色道：“好！我一定说实话。” “你们府里那么多妞儿，总有你看中了的吧？” 这又像是开玩笑的话；兴儿便仔细看一看她的脸色，要弄清楚了真意，才好作答。 “别害臊！”赛观音又说，“我不是无缘无故跟你瞎扯；你跟我说实话。” “我不说，你也知道。” “那是说，有你看中的。”赛观音紧接说，“我也不问那是谁；你说我也不知道。反正，只要你替二爷把事情办成了，包在我身上，把你看中了的妞儿，娶回家去。” 一听这话，兴儿越发要细看她的神态；怎么样也看不出她是在开玩笑，可也不能就这么信了她的话。想一想问道：“是件什么事？” 赛观音不即回答，眨了一阵眼，方始开口：“二爷跟你说了，我的话就像他自己交代一样？” "yes!" “那么，你该知道，我现在跟你说的话，就是二爷的话。” “我明白。你说啊！” “你们二奶奶跟隆官的事，你知道不知道？” 兴儿一惊，几乎将一碗绿豆汤打翻；定定神问道：“这是二爷让你来问我的？” “也可以这样说。”赛观音又说：“就这件事，拴着三个人，二爷、你、我；办好了大家都好。” “要怎样办？”兴儿惊疑不定，“不会大闹一场吧？” 赛观音知道他胆子小，赶紧安慰他说：“不管闹不闹，绝不会把你扯在里头。我跟二爷已经商量好了；只要你听话，包管有你的好处。而且，好处还不小。” 兴儿凝神想了一会；点点头说：“好！我有什么说什么。二奶奶跟隆官的事，我也听说过；没有敢打听。” “当然，谁也不敢打听；你们二奶奶不是好惹的。”赛观音又说，“话又说回来，我又怎么敢打听、敢惹她呢？就为的有二爷在。天塌下来有长人顶；没有什么好怕。” “这，”兴儿迟疑地问道：“二爷想拿二奶奶跟隆官？” "right!" 兴儿一哆嗦，“能拿得住吗？”他结结巴巴地说，“拿不住，或者拿错了，那可是没法子收场的事。” 赛观音毫不在乎地笑一笑；“这还用你说？自然都想周全了。”她说，“不但要拿住真赃实犯；还闹不起来。怎么闹不起来呢？是你们二奶奶不敢闹；一闹不是自己出丑？” 听得这话，兴儿松了口气，“想来是有高招。”他说，“五婶儿，想不到你还有这么一手。” “别恭维我！这件事还得你好好儿出点力。”赛观音很郑重地说，“兴儿，你这会说一句，愿意不愿意出力；如果不愿意，也不要紧。这件事不能勉强，我不怪你，二爷也不会；因为知道你怕你们二奶奶。” “二爷又何尝不怕二奶奶？”兴儿答说，“谁都怕。” “那么，二爷现在不怕她了；你又怎么样呢？” 兴儿想一想答说：“我说实话，只能暗底下出力。” “本就只要你暗中出力，越暗越好。”赛观音说，“以后我会常去看你妈；有话在你家谈。”