Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen
This year, the emperor lived a long life in Pentecost, Jiangning Weaving Yamen was notified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare silks and satins for ministers next year, and changed to weaving patterns such as "five blessings holding birthday" and so on, mainly for blessings.Due to the delay in the notification, work had to be rushed; however, an order from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was received: "The pieces that should be woven in Jiangning will be sent to Beijing when the dragon clothes are handed over to Suzhou Zhizao for delivery." There is a certain deadline for sending the dragon clothes; No matter what the day is, I can't keep up.
If you can't catch up, you have to catch up; Cao Zhen discussed with the official of the weaving yamen, and there is only one way, which is barely feasible, let the boats from Suzhou to untie the dragon clothes depart on the scheduled date; Ships from Jining, Shandong and other Suzhou arrived and were handed over.If Jining can't catch up, they will chase along the canal; anyway, the water route is slow and the land route is fast, so they will definitely be able to catch up.Although this way, the shipping fee is more wasteful than the dedicated shipping; but after all, it is handled according to the order, and there is no way to be picky.
For this reason, I specially sent people to Suzhou to meet up.Gao Bin's wife in Suzhou weaving is the wet nurse of the fourth elder brother Hongli who just got married this year.
The fourth elder brother and Pingjun Wang Fupeng are the closest classmates in the study room; with this relationship, Gao Bin is very willing to help, saying that if he fails to catch up, he can wait in Jining, but it will not work for too long, and there will be no news in two or three days. Big problem.
When it came time to discuss sending people to escort the documents to Jining by land, Cao Zhendao didn't need to send people, he went by himself.
"Drought is very hard, and it's hot." Mrs. Ma was very considerate, "I think we should send someone else!"
"I'll go." Cao Zhen calmly explained: "First, since he has such kindness, I should thank him in person; second, the fourth uncle has not replied yet, and he didn't say anything in the letter, probably because of inconvenience. Let me explain in detail. I want to talk to Mr. Gao, he is much more informed than we are now, and he may be able to reveal something; the third is the relationship with the fourth elder brother, he is now a celebrity, so we might as well try to win him over."
"From what I've said, it seems that you are the only one." Mrs. Ma asked, "How long will this trip take?"
"It will take half a month."
"You should work harder, try your best to catch up, and go back early." The wife said again, "The fourth master is not at home, so you went again; I'm afraid that there is something wrong with the yamen."
"It doesn't matter, I left Xing'er at home; he knows almost everything in the yamen." Cao Zhen said again, "I also told Guan Long to come and see him often, and let him handle things."
So, as soon as Cao Zhen left, Cao Shilong would come every day; Second Grandma Zhen could find out so many things and leave them to him.There were some things that only Cao Zhen knew, and now he had to ask Xing'er; therefore, he had to stay on guard all day, playing chess and chatting in the porter's room, or running around.One day, I met Xia Yun in the alley; she called him up.
"Do you know that your second master came back that day?"
"Didn't it mean half a month?" Xing'er counted with his fingers, "Today is the eleventh day."
"Uh," Xia Yun asked after thinking for a while, "Do you sit in the concierge every day?"
"Yes?" Xing'er asked, "Why are you asking this?"
"If I ask you something, don't tell anyone."
"What words?"
"You have to promise me, and I'll talk."
"Okay! I won't tell anyone." Xing'er said with a smile, "However, you have to promise me something."
"What benefits do you want?"
"Give me this pouch on your body, will you?"
"I can't do it. You know the rules in the mansion. If you want a purse, I'll give you Tangguan's." Xia Yun looked around and said, "You come with me; by the way, I can ask you .”
What he wanted was what Xia Yun wore close to his body; Tang Guan's purse was not rare.But having the opportunity to talk to Xia Yun in private is always a rare thing; at that time, he left with her.
"Aunt Ji is not at home." Xia Yun explained this sentence first, meaning that you can talk with peace of mind, "Let me ask you, did you see the Zhike teacher of Ganlu Temple yesterday?"
"See you in the afternoon."
"when?"
"Probably not right."
"When did you leave?"
"I don't remember clearly." Xing'er thought for a while, "I was playing chess with Uncle He at that time: I seem to see her shadow."
"Oh." Xia Yun didn't say anything more, with a disappointed expression on his face; then he went to get a brand new purse.
"You embroidered it?"
"no."
"You didn't embroider it, so there's no need for it." Then she turned around and left.
"Slow down!" Xia Yun called him suddenly: "You want the purse I embroidered?"
Xing'er was quite surprised, but he didn't have time to think about it; he just thought it was an opportunity, "You don't have to embroider it." He said, "Just give me this one on your body."
"Okay!" Xia Yun agreed without hesitation; but there was more to come. "It's what you said just now, you have to promise me some benefits."
"Say it, tell it!" Xing'er was very excited, "What do you want? As long as I can get it out, I will offer it with both hands."
"I don't want your stuff, just do something for me." Xia Yun untied the purse, took it to his nose and sniffed it, and then said slowly: "You can't tell anyone about this; You have to be quiet and don't show any traces. Can you do it?"
"Why can't you? Don't look at people through the cracks of the door. You look down on everyone."
"I know you can do it! It's just a reminder." He said and handed over the purse.
Xing'er received it in his hand, hurriedly smelled it first, and blurted out: "This smells good!" Then he asked: "What do you want me to do?"
"Pay attention to Second Grandma Zhen Zhen these two days," Xia Yun said softly, "See if she has something on her mind; what should you say to Long Guan?"
Xing'er was very surprised, thinking that he had come to a road.But he was also very careful not to ask why, but only promised to do it.When I asked clearly, there was nothing else to say, and then I left.
Xia Yun felt a little relieved; she came to visit Second Grandma Zhen after she heard about Wugou, and she was deeply afraid that the thing she had been worrying about would happen. The color of words drives him to die, and he obeys orders, which is also a proud thing to say.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a little girl who went to Mrs. Ma's place with Aunt Ji hurried over and said in a hurry, "Sister Xia Yun, go quickly! Auntie wants me to call you; His face is extremely ugly, as if he had quarreled with Second Grandma Zhen!"
Xia Yun's heart sank suddenly, his head seemed to be pierced by countless needle points; he forced himself to ask calmly: "How do you know that my aunt and Second Grandma Zhen quarreled? Who else is there?"
"I heard it vaguely. At this moment, Qiuyue is also rushing away."
This reminded Xia Yun that everything would be easier with Qiuyue around.I'm afraid that Aunt Ji can't speak, it should be fine, but it will cause accidents.At the same time, she also blamed herself deeply; Mrs. Ma sent someone to invite Aunt Ji, it must be for no reason; she should have thought that it might be because of this dispute, and she should have accompanied her there.
It's useless to regret and blame yourself; the important thing is to arrive as soon as possible, so I didn't say a word, walked straight to Mrs. Ma's place; On the surface is a vigilant look; but the room is very quiet, no one can hear anyone talking.
So, she walked through the main room, went to Madam Ma Xia, a small flower hall with ventilation on three sides, coughed lightly, and heard Aunt Ji say: "Xia Yun is here! Madam, please ask her; what did the bald woman Wugou say?" of?"
Hearing her straightforward tone; Xia Yun immediately had an idea, lifted the curtain and entered the room, just in time to look at Qiuyue, immediately gave her a wink, and then calmly greeted Madam Ma and said: "Madam is looking for me, do you have something to tell me?"
"The wife is—"
Aunt Ji rushed to speak; but Wei Qiuyue quickly stopped her: "Aunt Ji, don't worry; the matter must be clear."
"Yes, the matter must be clear. This is all caused by Wugou out of nothing." As she spoke, she took two quick steps, walked up to Aunt Ji, and grabbed her arm: "Auntie, please go back first; fine!"
"I'm not going back."
"Auntie," Xia Yun said in a calm but resolute voice, "You promised me! Let me take care of this matter; please go back as if there was no such matter."
Aunt Ji was still reluctant; Mrs. Ma said, "Xia Yun's words are good, please go back first." She warned and persuaded again: "Calm down, don't say anything: the more you talk, the more you talk about right and wrong."
Aunt Ji didn't dare to refuse, "Then, I'll go first." She asked Xia Yun, "You tell your wife what happened before and after; if you want to cause trouble, there will already be a big dispute."
"Aunt Ji," Qiuyue frowned and said, "Can you say a word less?"
"Okay, okay!" Aunt Ji also realized that this remark was useless, and said repeatedly, "I won't say it, I won't say it."
After she left, Xia Yun had the opportunity to see Second Grandma Zhen's expression, her brows were deeply furrowed, she was filled with infinite grievances: she was not as usual with raised eyebrows and a strong expression on her face; she couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Because of this matter, I couldn't sleep for several days!" Xia Yun used this sentence as the opening remark; then he recounted it in detail, from Wugou's visit to persuade Aunt Ji to questioning Sai Guanyin.She speaks in a very measured manner, and the content of the "rumor" is exhausted; and she is concerned about the Second Grandma Zhen, never doubting her innocence, and finally blames herself: "I was really scared out of this incident." I always feel that it is a matter that has no shadow at all. They have chewed their tongues and forget it. Why tell the second grandma Zhen? It is too unreasonable for a head of the family to worry about it all day long and make her angry. Had I known In this case, it is really better to tell Second Grandma Zhen first. I was really wrong."
In fact, Second Grandma Zhen was wrong.It turned out that she had heard Cao Shilong tell her that Wugou persuaded him to restrain himself a little, and there were gossips about them outside.Second Grandma Zhen brought Wugou over to ask him what happened.Except for the part where Wugou shared the bed with Sai Guanyin; the rest is truthful, even the part where Xia Yun went to Ganlu Temple to ask questions.But she didn't know that Xia Yun went to ask Sai Guanyin; the cause and effect were all clear, and there was no movement, only when Aunt Ji really said this; Xia Yun was sent to question her, just to pose It's just the appearance of being accused.
Second Grandma Zhen misunderstood again, thinking that because of Aunt Ji's temper, she was wronged, so there is no reason not to make trouble?Now that the troops are standing still, I don't know what tricks they have in secret?In order to preemptively strike, he cried to Mrs. Ma; he also planned to sue the "Four Masters".But I know that people are taking the overall situation into consideration, thinking of her situation everywhere; since they speak with emotion and reason, and there is such a witness as Qiuyue, it shows that there is no pretentious words.If I had known this before, I should have asked Xia Yun to inquire clearly, and then make sense.
Thinking back to this, I remembered that before Xia Yun came to Aunt Ji's place, she had come to confess her sincerity; if she asked her, she would definitely give her advice and cover up the matter without any trace.Now, if they make a mistake, they will lose everything, even though Xia Yun and Aunt Ji have repeatedly said that Wugou and Sai Guanyin have nothing to do when they are full and have nothing to do;What's more, she knew the details of the plot that couldn't be investigated in detail.
"Okay! Aunt Ji is not wrong." Mrs. Ma said to Xia Yun, "She is lucky, she went to Biwen, and you helped her. You go back and tell her, I know about this; Second Grandma Zhen is also in a hurry , She doesn't have to take it seriously if she speaks improperly."
"Yes!" Xia Yun echoed, "Who is not in a hurry for something like this? Not to mention Second Grandma Zhen, even our servants cannot afford such a reputation."
The words always cover up and excuse the second grandma Zhen; and the more she is like this, the more she knows a lot.The Second Grandma Zhen was in a panic, she didn't know what kind of demeanor she should hold to be considered appropriate?Qiuyue was a bystander, thinking that words would be enough; now the most urgent task is to quickly appease Aunt Ji, but she couldn't think of a good way at the moment; she had to wink at Xia Yun and slap her lips slightly.
Before Xia Yun understood, Mrs. Ma noticed it, and immediately asked, "Qiuyue, what do you want to say?"
I have to answer this question; I think about it for a while and say: "Aunt Ji is impatient and can't bear to be wronged; she should be persuaded."
"That's right." Mrs. Ma nodded deeply; consciously or unconsciously, she turned to look at Second Grandma Zhen.
It was she who wronged Aunt Ji, and logically speaking, she should go to accompany her; but it is harder than death for her to bow to Aunt Ji.But she also knew that Qiuyue had a good opinion; appeasing Aunt Ji is indeed a very important matter, and if there is a little delay, Aunt Ji will go around to find someone to judge and publicize it so that everyone knows, what face is there for others?
Knowing what to do but unwilling to do it, she was naturally anxious; her face was swollen and flushed, which made Qiuyue very unbearable.
"Let me go!" She volunteered, "However, I have to ask Second Grandma Zhen, what should I say?"
"Oh!" Second Grandma Zhen sighed, "What can I say? Xia Yun has already said it."
"Then," Qiuyue asked cautiously, "I told Aunt Ji that Second Grandma Zhen was very remorseful too, she was too reckless. So, is that okay?"
"Regret, of course." Second Grandma Zhen smiled wryly, "Anyway, I am completely useless about this matter; say whatever you want!"
"Go now!" Madam Ma said, "Say something nice to Aunt Ji. Fortunately, Xia Yun is helping me."
"Yes." Xia Yun replied, "I will persuade Aunt Ji; this is not a big deal."
Hearing these words, Second Grandma Zhen unconsciously gave her a grateful glance; and in just this glance, Xia Yun felt that all the painstaking efforts in nursing were not in vain, and she was greatly comforted in her heart.
So Qiuyue and Xia Yun left together, walking all the way, discussing in low voices.Like Bi Wen, Xia Yun has a thorough understanding of Aunt Ji's temperament, and the way to deal with it is to use both soft and hard methods; as for where to be soft and where to be hard; It all depends on the situation and adapts to the situation?Qiuyue just looked at Xia Yun's wink and acted.
"Hey!" Aunt Ji saw Qiuyue coming together, and immediately got up to say hello: "Rare guest, rare guest. Please sit down."
"Aunt Ji, you're welcome." Qiuyue asked, "Where's Tang Guan?"
"I just took a shower and I'm reading a book."
"You're so good!" Qiuyue laughed, "I'll take a look at Tang Guan."
This is to give Xia Yun a chance first, so that she can say a few inhumane words to Aunt Ji first, "The matter has been clarified. The second wife sent Qiuyue here for the sake of it, and you have enough face." She said, "People carry people in flowery sedan chairs; when others support us, we must also support others."
"Who are you talking about? Holding Qiuyue?"
"To hold Qiuyue is to hold the second wife."
"How do you say it is flattering?"
"It's nothing more than what people say, you agree to it heartily."
"This is fine." Aunt Ji pointed her hand, "What about that? No word?"
This naturally refers to Second Grandma Zhen, "You have to think for others." She said, "If it were you, what should I say?"
"I don't care." Aunt Ji's attitude suddenly became tough, "If she doesn't make up for me, I can't finish with her."
"It's coming again! It's coming again!" Xia Yun said angrily, "I shouldn't meddle in your business."
Seeing this situation, Aunt Ji softened again, "I'm just talking; if I have something to discuss, we can discuss it." She said, "You have to think for me, maybe let her bully you."
"It's not that I'm bullying, but I'm anxious, and my marksmanship is a little messed up." Xia Yun said again, "You were at a disadvantage this time, and this time you should have the upper hand; but you still have to lose."
"I don't understand what you said. Could it be that being wronged is the upper hand?"
"That's not what you said. It's not that you were wronged, it's that you don't care about her; this shows that you are superior! If someone says a word; of course! Aunt Ji is usually angry, but this time she seized the opportunity, it's not too big Get angry?" Xia Yun said again, "It's predictable for a person to do things, what kind of expert is he?"
Aunt Ji didn't quite understand this reasoning; she thought for a while and said, "Even if it's to save face for her, we must get some benefits, right?"
"It's too shallow." Xia Yun replied, "Don't worry. Is Second Grandma Zhen a person who doesn't know what to do? If you want her to feel that she owes you, she will naturally try to make up for it."
Speaking of this, they both stopped talking when they heard Qiuyue's voice.Xia Yun winked, then smacked his lips again; Aunt Ji understood, and when Qiuyue came in, she made a gesture of goodwill before she opened her mouth.
"It's too tiring for you to come here, there is really no need; Second Mistress Zhen is too young to hold her breath. She doesn't even think about it, why would I say such things to people who have nothing to do with me? Now that the Second Wife is asking you to Come on, knowing that it's nothing to do with me, my anger is also calmed down."
Although this passage is not beautiful, it is reasonable and considerate of the overall situation; Qiuyue just wanted to compliment her a little bit, to please her, and added a word without saying anything, but it was not very pleasant.
"However, there will be more disputes later; don't blame me again. I don't go around asking people to judge."
Qiuyue frowned, Xia Yun pouted; they were speechless, but Aunt Ji didn't know that she said something wrong, she was surprised by herself.
"What? I'm not telling the truth."
"Yes, yes! You are telling the truth." Xia Yun said very bluntly, "You never know, it is better to say one less sentence than to say more."
"To be honest, you don't have to say that old saying." Qiuyue said in an enlightening tone, "I don't know if there will be right or wrong in the future; anyway, there is no business with you, Aunt Ji, and I am very determined. Now this saying has spread all over the world. In the ears of Second Mistress, I misunderstood that you were secretly stirring up trouble, how unjust! The matter of Aunt Ji is over, and if someone knows about your grievances, it is not considered a grievance. From now on, don't mention it!"
Aunt Ji nodded half-understood, Xia Yun wanted to speak more clearly for her, but an unexpected guest came, it was Jin'er; behind her was a little girl holding a round cage made of Jianlacquer.
When she came here and brought something with her, it naturally attracted the attention of Aunt Ji, Qiu and Xia. Jin Er saw the three people's eyes and felt threatened. Consummation, simply cut to the chase and explained the purpose of coming.
"Tang Guan's birthday is coming soon; this year is ten years old, the rules and regulations have been prepared, exactly the same as Qin Guan."
As he spoke, he opened the cage himself and checked them one by one: a hand-relief knife inlaid with gold thread; a jade wrench finger; a gold spring watch; and an endstone.Another pair of purses, each containing a piece of money; and another ten taels of silver, with the Chinese character "Longevity" twisted from red paper pasted on it.
"These four things should be given by Gongzhong as usual. The good inkstone is too big to be used; I have to be a little bit wronged. The watch and the thumb are better than those given to Qin Guan." Jin'er said: "Purse and silver. It was the same gift from our second grandma; it was the same gift to Qin Guan the year before last. The second grandma said that when Qin Guan was ten years old, he put on wine and sang operas, and it was in the name of the old lady, and everyone was eating and drinking for free. Tangguan is lively and lively, and Second Grandma will pay for it."
Qiuyue knew in her heart that Second Mistress Zhen wanted to buy Aunt Ji's mouth, but it was inconvenient to show too much, so she came up with the idea of treating Tang Guan and Qin Guan the same;Judging from Second Mistress Zhen's usual attitude towards Aunt Ji, she must have felt aggrieved for taking such painstaking efforts, so she had to help.
So, she rushed ahead of Aunt Ji and said, "Really, Second Grandma Zhen is the most fair in these festivals."
It was this sentence, reminding Aunt Ji to think back, and she really couldn't find out that Second Grandma Zhen had any partiality and injustice towards Qin Guan and Tang Guan.Of course, it's another matter to use Mrs. Cao's name to support Qin Guan; she still understands this level.
"Thank you, Second Mistress, for your thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness. Make Tangguan lively and lively, and let's talk about the old lady getting rid of her spirit next year."
"That's right! If the old lady's spiritual offering wasn't there, Tang Guan's whole birthday would have been lively for a day or two anyway." Jin'er turned to ask Qiuyue, "When did you come?"
"I've just been here for a while." Taking advantage of Aunt Ji's inattention, Qiuyue gave her a wink, which meant that there was no need to mention the second grandma's matter again.
"All of you eat here! I steamed a piece of ham today." Aunt Ji turned her face to discuss with Xia Yun: "Shall we make something delicious to treat the guests?"
"Aunt Ji really wants to keep us, so don't make any fuss." Qiuyue said: "It's such a hot day, I'm sweating every time I move; the less you save, the better."
"That's a good statement." Jin'er interjected, "It's best to have ready-made ones. Let me think about it, what do we have there?"
Everyone was trying to please Aunt Ji, so Jin'er asked the little girl to go back and deliver four dishes; Qiuyue made a pot of glutinous rice and lotus root, and when Dongxue brought it, she simply kept her and put it on the table in the yard. Round the table, everyone sat down, Aunt Ji's place hasn't been this lively for a long time.
Jin'er was supposed to appease her, and when she saw the opportunity was good, she would not let it go; she quietly ordered the little girl to go to the small kitchen to take care of Zhu's mother, making a pot of marinade and a pot of noodles.When it was delivered, he said, "Let's eat Tang Guan's birthday noodles today."
Now that there was a problem, everyone teased Tang Guan; they also respected Aunt Ji's wine.It was still dark, and the four gauze lanterns hanging high in the corridor were lit; reflecting Aunt Ji's flushed face, she looked more and more beaming.
When it was the second watch, we broke up happily.Qiuyue and Dongxue went home together; as soon as they entered the door, the little girl told Qiuyue: "My wife sent someone to explain, no matter sooner or later, I will let you go as soon as you come back."
Qiuyue was very surprised, "It's the second watch!" She asked, "What do the people at Madam's place say?"
"I'll ask you first, why aren't you at home? I said I was having dinner at Aunt Ji's place, and even sister Dongxue went too. My wife is looking for me, and I'll go and inform; she said no, anyway, as soon as I come back, it doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later."
Obviously, this is because she doesn't want people to know that Mrs. Ma has secretly looked for Qiuyue; but who is she trying to hide?What else is there to hide?
Thinking of this, Qiuyue realized that the situation was serious; the relaxed feeling brought back from Aunt Ji disappeared completely, "You wait for me, don't sleep!" She told Dongxue, "I'll come as soon as I go." After finishing speaking, bring a The little girl holding the lantern left in a hurry.
As soon as she arrived, she was brought into Mrs. Ma's bedroom; seeing her sitting with her make-up off, with a tired face on her face, Qiuyue felt that the boss was very sorry; she was about to apologize, but Mrs. Ma shook her hand to stop her from speaking.
"Get out, all of you!" she said in her unusually authoritative voice. "No eavesdropping through the windows."
This allowed Qiuyue to be sure that she had made a good guess along the way, that she was talking about the rumors about Second Grandma Zhen, and she started with Wugou.
"What about this person? Have you ever heard of her?"
Mrs. Ma is a Catholic, and has nothing to do with Buddhism; Qiuyue has always obeyed the saying "Three aunts and six wives are real intermediaries for prostitutes and robbers", and has no contact with Wugou, and rarely inquires about these people, so at this time she honestly replied: " I don't know her; I can only say that she has a good tongue."
"Of course, it's not about being able to speak well. How can you be an acquaintance. I just don't understand," Mrs. Ma beckoned, and forced Qiuyue to sit beside her, before she lowered her voice and said, "How can a monk talk to Fifth Sister-in-law? This kind of thing; is it not afraid of ostomy? Besides, what does this matter have to do with her? I want her to come forward and persuade my aunt to be careful. This, I have thought about it carefully, and the more I think about it, the more I think it is inappropriate. What do you think? "
Qiuyue thought about it and sure enough!She couldn't help but nodded and said, "It seems that there may be something hidden in it. If it wasn't for asking Xia Yun to ask carefully tomorrow? Only she knows this matter best now."
"Let's think it over first." Mrs. Ma said worriedly, "The fourth master is not at home, I'm really afraid that something will happen!"
"No." Qiuyue comforted her and said, "The misunderstanding has been explained clearly; Aunt Ji has also suppressed it. As long as everyone doesn't mention this matter, it will be forgotten after a little longer."
"No! If it's really a misunderstanding, it's natural to make it clear; looking at it now, I'm afraid it's not a misunderstanding." Mrs. Ma said immediately, "I think there must be some innocent part in this matter; otherwise, why would she do so much?" Mind your own business?"
"Madam is right." Qiuyue didn't understand whether she wanted to know the truth or to dispel the rumors, so she didn't say any more.
"If there is such a thing, it will be spread out. Qiuyue," Madam Ma was almost crying, "you say, now I am the head of the family. If I die in the future, how can I see the old lady and the old man?" ?”
"Don't worry, madam! It's not something urgent. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter whether there is such a thing or not; the first thing is to make the second grandma calm down." Qiuyue paused and said, "Today Didn't Second Grandma Zhen make a fuss about it? If she thought about it, Aunt Ji might be confused, but Xia Yun wasn't. When Xia Yun was sent there, to be honest, she wanted to take care of Aunt Ji ;With Xia Yun here, why did Aunt Ji say such things that would cause a catastrophe? It can be seen that "he who talks about right and wrong is right and wrong."
"'Whoever talks about right and wrong is right and wrong,' is absolutely true. I don't think Wugou has anything to do with it; I need someone to persuade her and be careful with what I say."
As soon as Qiuyue pointed it out, it made people feel that Second Mistress Zhen's handling was abnormal, almost a guilty conscience.So Mrs. Ma thought that when Cao Zhen came back, she would know about it sooner or later, and then there would be a storm; thinking about it was really disturbing.
"Oh, I really can't do anything about it!" Mrs. Ma's heart suddenly moved, "Qiuyue, please write a letter to Fourth Master for me, please come back soon."
Qiuyue didn't understand why she had such a sudden idea, so she couldn't help but said: "Please come back quickly, there must be a reason; I really can't think of anything that my wife can't take care of, and I need to ask the Fourth Grand Master to decide."
"I, I'm afraid that Second Master Zhen and his wife will start a fight over this matter. I don't know what to do?"
"Hey," Qiuyue said disapprovingly, "Where did Madam think of it! There is no proof, what's the matter with Second Master Zhen? Let me say one more thing, Second Master Zhen is going to make trouble, and Second Mistress Zhen has her own way to prevent him from making trouble." It wasn't the case that time, why should my wife worry about it?"
"The words are good, but I always feel—" Mrs. Ma couldn't describe the feeling in her heart as if a catastrophe was imminent, and she could only sigh: "Oh! I can only ask the old lady to bless me."
Cao Zhen returned to Nanjing as scheduled; no more, no less, exactly half a month.I met Mrs. Ma, and talked about the meeting with Gao Bin in detail; Second Mistress Zhen specially cooked some of Cao Zhen's favorite dishes for Guan Xiang's small kitchen, welcomed him, and invited Qin Guan and Tang Guan to accompany him.Cao Zhen talked about how he saw the sailors returning to the empty tanker in the canal and the hooligans on a pier named Yaowan on the way back. The next day, everything was as usual; Madam Ma was worried all night, fearing that the couple would have a quarrel over Wugou that night. However, on the afternoon of the fifth day, the fight finally broke out.The cause was that Cao Zhen found a purse in the bedside table; there were two IOUs in the purse, signed "Cao Shilong".This is the ironclad proof. "Okay!" Cao Zhen yelled at Jin'er: "Where's that shameless person? There, tell her to come and see!" As he spoke, he slammed the purse onto the table. Jin'er was so frightened that her heart was torn apart, she supported the door and asked calmly, "Why are you yelling so much?" "Look! Whose purse is this? Why did Longguan's personal things fall here?" As he spoke, he picked up the purse, roughly pulled the rope, took out the two IOUs, put them on the table, and repeated them again and again. He clicked and said: "It's written in black and white, it's clearly written, let's see what she says?" Jin'er was stunned; how could Cao Shilong's IOU be found here?Gathering my mind, it suddenly occurred to me that maybe it was a note left behind by borrowing money from Second Grandma Zhen.This time I asked urgently, and I felt relieved. "Longguan is inconvenient for a while, so it's not a big deal to borrow a few taels of money from Second Mistress—" "You're dreaming!" Cao Zhen cut off her words, "Take a look, who did you borrow the money from?" After he made a fuss like thunder for a while, Jin'er became calmer; then he picked up the IOU and looked at it carefully, only to see one written: "I borrowed twenty taels of silver under the name of Mrs. Zhang Wu, and the interest rate is one cent per month; half a year Both capital and profit are clear." In addition to Cao Shilong's signature, the date, month, and date are also recorded: "Ri Li on the second day of May in the second year of Yongzheng." The wording of the other sheet is similar, but the amount of silver and the time are different. "This is strange." Jin'er thought to herself, if something is wrong, there must be an explanation; the way to deal with it is to take it easy-you are in a hurry and I am not in a hurry; she said immediately: "Don't make trouble! Wait for me to find out Second Grandma Zhen, what's going on?" Second Grandma Zhen was at Mrs. Ma's; Jin'er hurried over, invited her out, and found a secluded place to explain the reason in detail. Grandma Zhen's face turned pale at first; but since that time when a little girl accidentally found Li Ding's sweat towel, she has been extra careful and always checked. Why did such a purse suddenly appear? So after thinking about it, he asked, "Who found the purse?" "Second Master himself." Jin'er replied, "He asked me, where is the cardamom box? I said, I remember there is one in the bedside table, you should look for it yourself. After a while, there will be a commotion!" "Hmph!" Second Grandma Zhen's eyes suddenly showed a cold light like frost: "He planted it!" "Ah!" Jin'er was reminded, "It must be. Those two IOUs may have been forged." "No! The IOU is not fake." Second Grandma Zhen said, "Go back and let him come here; I will explain it to him in front of his wife." Seeing that she was so confident, Jin'er was a little worried for Cao Zhen; she was afraid that he would be in the wrong again and make a mess, so she went back and persuaded Cao Zhen, "Don't mess around? You can't get out of trouble again." Taiwan; I feel sorry for you." "What? I'm messing around!" Cao Zhen was furious, and said indiscriminately, "Oh, you two are walking the same way? You also let Long Guan sleep?" Hearing this, Jin'er was furious; she spit on Cao Zhen's face, and cursed rudely: "Put your ass on your ass! Get out! Get out with your wife, Second Mistress is waiting to settle with you!" What about the account! Shameless, planted!" The word "planting" is a theory of condemnation; Cao Zhen was shocked and remorseful, but also made Jin'er cursed so badly that he became angry, so he swung his palm over, making Jin'er stagger back and forth; Blocked, it never fell. Now, Jin'er is going to do her best!Taking advantage of the momentum of the rebound behind him, he plunged into it; grabbed Cao Zhen's clothes, twisted them indiscriminately, and cursed: "You have no conscience! I will fight you." While struggling, Cao Zhen grabbed her by the hair and beat her violently; he kept yelling angrily, "Let go, let go!" The more this was the case, the more Jin Er refused to give up, crying and shouting: "You hit me, you hit me! If you don't kill me, it won't be over." At this time, the old mother of the head gathered together after hearing the sound; it was hard to pull them away.Jin'er sat on the chair and burst into tears; Cao Zhen made her rage, and she felt extremely useless, and her face, which was already pale, turned pale like a ghost. Abandoning Jin'er, thinking of his wife, he walked away.Go all the way, think all the way, the evidence is full, don't be discouraged.So he straightened his chest and strode forward to see Mrs. Ma. Once there, it was very quiet; the head opened the curtain in silence, and Cao Zhen went in to see that only Mrs. Ma was there. "Tongsheng!" Mrs. Ma said in a begging voice in fear: "I can't stand your quarrel. I specially asked your wife to stay away, so that you don't make a big quarrel in front of you. The pouch you found, the IOU inside It's strange; Longguan and Zhang Wufu's woman borrowed loan sharks, everyone knows. In the past two years, Longguan has been mixed up, returned the money to others, and took back the IOUs; In your purse, take it with you? Think about it for yourself, does it make sense?" Cao Zhen knew that it was self-defeating - it was Sai Guanyin's idea; she had IOUs that Cao Shilong had not taken back, so she found two and put them in her purse as a frame. It's plausible for Second Grandma Zhen to see through the mechanism as soon as she comes up.But never mind, there is evidence. "Ma'am, don't listen to one-sided words; if she didn't have an affair with Longguan, why don't I get a shit bowl and put it on my head? It's not a day since there are rumors; this time I found out clearly that he and Longguan are Hands on Ganlu Temple. Let’s just talk about this trip,” Cao Zhen raised his voice after panting and said, “While I was going to Shandong, we were together blatantly; Let's go, stay with her for a whole hour and a half; two days later, we will stay for another afternoon. From that day on, she came to my wife to sue Aunt Ji, and the Longguan stopped coming. Wife, you think, What's going on, don't you understand?" Mrs. Ma was stunned; she thought: There is no way out!Only let the couple confront each other face to face.So he turned around and asked, "Where is Second Grandma Zhen?" The Second Grandma Zhen hid in Xuanrong Hall—Cao Zhenqi was a little short, but she never had an attack in front of her; although she was under the momentum of the thunder, she was not knocked down head-on. , took the opportunity to fight back.At this moment, the two "sentries" temporarily arranged have reports; when Mrs. Ma sent a girl to invite her, she had already thought about her words, and went to Mrs. Ma's place in a leisurely manner, and complained first when she entered the door: "Second Lord Holding Jin'er's hair, I beat him up hard; slandering Jin'er, I couldn't learn the harsh words, now Jin'er hangs herself with a rope, and wants to twist her hair to be a sister-in-law, what a mess! " Upon hearing this, Mrs. Ma was naturally displeased; she immediately scolded Cao Zhen with a downcast face: "You are making such a scene too! How could you hit someone?—" “太太，太太。”曹震气急败坏地分辩，“锦儿跟她是一伙；处处回护着她，其情着实可恶。” “你这话说得好笑，锦儿不回护她，还能回护你吗？”马夫人又问震二奶奶：“得要有人劝劝锦儿才好。” “是啊！我又不敢回去劝她，怕二爷说我作贼心虚，得在太太这儿等着'打官司'，只好请秋月去劝她。” 有秋月在，马夫人放心了；接着便将曹震指控她的话说了一遍，问她是怎么回事？ “不错！隆官一回来了一个多时辰；一回也待了很久。头一回是开八月半送礼的单子；今年年节因为老太太的丧事不送礼；去年八月半的单子，可又遍找不着，只好一家一家一面想，一面开，对了两遍，才弄清楚，花的工夫自然大了。早知道二爷暗底派了'探子'在查，我根本不找隆官了。” 她一面说，一面留心曹震的神态；只见他“嘿，嘿”连声，知道他的伎俩尽于此了，因而又提高了声音说：“再一回是对帐。隆官今年经手领的款子，一共五笔；总数差了一千二百两没有着落；我当然不能就这么算了，让外帐房送了帐簿来一笔一笔对，到底对出来了。太太，你猜是怎么回事？” “我怎么猜得到？你说吧！” “喏，”震二奶奶手一指，“是咱们这位二爷，从隆官那里挪了一千二百两银子，让他报在正帐里面。隆官忘了这回事；数目自然就不对了。” 这一下搞得曹震狼狈不堪——事实上是有这回事：隆官又何尝会忘了报这笔帐？不过早向震二奶奶泄了底细；此时却好用来反打一耙。 曹震一看官司快由原告打成被告了，不由得情急吼道：“不相干！那是另外一回事；隆官经手的款子，事后每一笔都报了的，何用这时候来算总帐？全是胡扯！” “哼！”震二奶奶冷笑，“恼羞成怒了。” 这句话说到曹震心里，就像剥了他的疮疤；一时冲动，忍不住要用对付锦儿的办法来对付妻子。但手一抬，立即警觉，这一动上手，官司就输到底了，而一口气不出，这只手缩不回来；万般无奈，只好拿自己出气。 “我浑蛋！我窝囊废！”曹震一面骂，一面打；左右开弓刷了自己几个嘴巴。 丫头们都不敢笑，马夫人也觉得其情难堪，但震二奶奶却觉得这是个说话的机会，“你也不用这样子！”她平静地说：“我当这个家，里里外外也不知道得罪了多少人；打着伙想致我于死地。”她转脸向马夫人说道：“如今我说请太太自己来当，别让我再为难。不过，这一回，又栽赃，又有暗探；我可是越想越害怕。等四老爷回来了，请太太跟四老爷商量一个章程，另外找人来接我的手吧！不然，我真不知道我将来是怎么个死法？” 听得这一说，马夫人一颗心不由得往下沉：她的言外之意，似乎是指季姨娘勾结了外人，设圈套来陷害她？果真如此，就太可怕了。 就这一念之间，她便用开导的语气对曹震说：“你别听人挑拨，没事找事；闹出笑话来，你自己也没有什么面子。四老爷不在家，外头都靠你；如果你这里先就生是非，只怕祸事不远。通声，你不能不顾大局！” 以此相责，令人气结；曹震像斗败了的公鸡似地，颓然低头。这时，在窗外已待了一会的秋月，方始走进来；却什么话也不便说，只是表示关切而已。 “锦儿怎么了？”马夫人问。 听得这一声，曹震才发现秋月，只听她说：“也就是哭一阵，诉诉委屈；莫非真的就绞了头发当姑子去？”说着，正眼去看曹震。 曹震内疚于心，突然有种冲动；站起来说：“我走了。” “慢着！”马夫人问：“你上那儿去？” “我回去。” “你别又跟锦儿去打饥荒。” “不会。”曹震答说：“太太真当我是不懂好歹的人？” “唉！”马夫人叹口气；心里有千言万语，却是那句话也不便说。 “太太，”震二奶奶突然双膝跪倒，还挤出几滴急泪，“我这个家可真是不能当了。不然，将来还不知道死法呢！” “起来，起来！”马夫人叹口气，“咱们干脆回旗吧；让四老爷在这儿当差。”
锦儿的眼泪是住了；眼肿未消，原本是一双杏眼，也更显得伤心。 “好了！”曹震掀帘而入，冲着锦儿作了个揖，“我不对！我替你陪不是。我打算好了，不必多久，我拿你扶正。”说完，一掀帘子，倒又走了。 让他这一阵旋风似地卷过，人影都没有看清楚，便已消失；锦儿不免茫然，慢慢定下心来，先要思索他这句话的意思。说将她扶正，自然是要休掉震二奶奶，这办得到吗？办不到，他又何必信口开河？不过，他能这样认错陪不是，总算他还知道好歹。这一转念间，倒又觉得曹震可怜。 正这样痴痴迷迷地想着，听得震二奶奶的声音；锦儿突然心慌，倒像做了一件对不起震二奶奶的事似地。 这种感觉从何而来？她很用心地想了想，明白了其中的缘故；只为有那“扶正”一句话，自己仿佛便处在与震二奶奶敌对的地位。因而又生警惕；曹震的话也许有人听见，会到震二奶奶面前搬嘴，不可不早自为计。 不容她再往下想，震二奶奶已经进房门了；皱着眉，直奔锦儿，拉着她的手，先看她头上。 “差点让他把头发都揪下来。”锦儿一阵委屈，不由得又淌热泪，“下那么重的手，一点情分都不顾。” “对我还不是一样！他简直是要我死。”震二奶奶冷笑，“我死了，他也没有好日子过；莫非以为我娘家人都死绝了？” “都是那个臭娘们！”锦儿骂道，“出那种馊主急。” 她骂的是赛观音；震二奶奶却一直在疑心季姨娘，“家贼难防。”她说，“我倒得好好留点儿神。还有，”她迟疑了一会，终于还是说了出来：“你看，夏云怎么样？不会替她当狗头军师吧？” “不会！夏云不是那样的人。” “那么，她怎么倒不拦着她一点儿呢？” “栏着她什么？”锦儿不知所谓。 “暗底下做狗腿子啊！，”震二奶奶说道：“把人家什么时候来，什么时候走，都记下了。” “我看，”锦儿慢吞吞地说，“不像是她。这一阵子我从没有看她到咱们附近来过。” “那么是谁呢？”震二奶奶又说，“她也不必亲自来，随便打发个小丫头来串串门子，就瞧在眼里了。” 锦儿突然觉得，震二奶奶似有指责她失职之意——曹世隆在此地逗留；都是她留意关防；说随便有人来串串门子，就瞧在眼里，不就等于说她根本不管事？这却不可不辩。 “没有！”她斩钉截铁地说，“都是我亲自在外面看着，不会有那样的事。” “不——，”震二奶奶想了一下说，“算了！咱们丢开这段儿；倒想想他还有什么花招？” “谁知道呢？不过看样子是很不服气。” “怎么？”震二奶奶问道：“你怎么知道？他回来过了？” “来打了个转就走了。” "Say something?" 锦儿决定冒个险，不说实话；“那时我正头晕，没有听清楚；只看他气鼓鼓地，挺不服气的样子。”她又编了一句话，“仿佛要来找什么东西，没有找着就走了。” 震二奶奶不作声，坐了下来想了好一阵，才低声说道：“该怎么给隆官通个信让他到那里避一避才好。” “这，”锦儿老实答道：“我可不敢胡出主意了。” “你不管！你有主意就说吧。” “二奶奶信得过谁，就叫谁去传话。” 震二奶奶眨着眼沉吟了好一会；突然走出去，喊住一个小丫头说：“你到中门上传话出去；交给隆官办的事，怎么没有交代？叫人去通知，让他明天一早来回话。”
听曹震颓丧地讲完他跟妻妾冲突的经过，赛观音的感想很多，觉得也可笑、可怜；但也为他不平、不甘。不过，她认为首先要辩解的是，不是她出的主意害了他；是他自己“栽赃”的手段欠高明。 “我没有想到你这么不中用！”她说，“像你这样做法，谁都看得出来是栽赃。我倒问你，譬如规规矩矩的妇道人家，忽然找出这么一个荷包，有名有姓的两张借据，你说，该怎么办？”她又补了一句：“仔细想一想，再告诉我。” 曹震设身处地想了一下说：“这要看是什么人？大致总先是告诉丈夫，说有这么一样来历不明的东西；至于像我家的那个泼辣货，必是找了丫头、老妈来，先查问明白了，再作道理。” “你懂这个道理，为什么不等她自己看到了；再看她是不是照这么做？那时拿住的赃，才是真正的赃！” 这一说，曹震如梦方醒，但仍有看不透的地方，“她惯会使诈，故意大张旗鼓，找丫头老妈来问，那又怎么办？”他说，“那一来，是真是假就搞不清楚了。” “她那里敢！她要防着那个丫头、老妈说一句：'只怕是隆官自己掉在这里的？那天，隆官不是在这儿好半天？'请问，她怎么办？” 曹震这时才算开了窍；心想，若是震二奶奶发现了，不是悄悄藏了起来，便是找了隆官来问。绝不敢声张；不敢声张，便是作贼心虚。还不必自己大吵大闹；只请马夫人来问她，看她如何辩解得清？ “唉！”曹震重重叹气；狠狠自掴，“死脑子！笨得跟猪一样。” “也许是锦儿发现了，当然要悄悄儿跟她说，那就更好办了；你只追锦儿好了——。” “慢一点！”曹震突然打断她的话说，“如果她找了隆官来问，隆官说钱还了，借据没有收回，不知道怎么会在这儿的？那不就证明了是你我搞的把戏吗？” “怎么能证明？你不承认；我也不承认，说是借据当时就还了。他有什么办法？” “是啊！那有还了钱不收回借据的道理？” “我再跟你说吧，就承认也不要紧；不过你不能拉出我来。你只说特为找了这么两张东西来，就为的外面风风雨雨的闲话太多，不能不明白真情；一试果然试出来了。如果隆官根本未进卧房，绝不能有东西掉在那儿；可见得这东西来路不明，既然来路不明，何以不查；私下去想法子？这不是无私有弊！” 曹震紧闭着嘴不作声。他在考虑一件事，震二奶奶泼辣；想不到赛观音亦工于心计，两个人都不好惹；以毒攻毒去了一个，却又沾上一个不好惹的，那又如之奈何？ 转念又想，两人的身分到底不同；赛观音跟自己又没有名分。将来纠缠不清时，无非多花几两银子，不会有大不了的事。 回过头来，又想妻子。从结褵至今，他一直为她的裙带捆得动弹不得；夫妇道苦，但毕竟有结发的名分在那里，曹震到底还记着长辈谆谆的教训：忠勤事主，勤厚传家。做得太决绝，于心总有些不忍。 可是想得远些、大些，退后两步，昂起头来看曹家一家；他却在自惭之中，也看出来一种真相，织造上的亏空，一大半要由他妻子负责，打着老太太的旗号，不管收入大不如前，总是多方侵蚀剥削，说起来是这一家子要维持；其实，每月家用至少有三分之一，变了她的私房。 此刻想来，最使得曹震愤慨的一件事是，有一次接到内务府转来的朱笔“交办事件”，必得两万银子购料，才能交差；四面张罗，而机缘不巧，竟一无着落。 他跟曹俯都急得坐立不安，犹须瞒着老太太；那日子过得非人所堪。震二奶奶明明知道，袖手不问；迫不得已跟她商量，问她能不能调度一笔钱，暂渡难关？她冷冷回绝了；后来是由曹俯亲自跟她央求，才说去“试试看”。结果是借到了，利息特重，期限特促；说是分几个地方借来的。其实，是她自己的私房。 转念到此，曹震有了一个果敢的想法。但他也知道，这是一时冲动，未必就是最好的主意。但盘算又盘算，越想越觉得这件事值得去做。 于是又转来想赛观音，拿她跟妻子摆在一起来考量了一会，方始慢慢开口。 “不是我恭维你，你也算是足智多谋的厉害脚色，能跟我那个泼辣货见一见高下。”他说，“我有件大事跟你商量，你别当我是随便说的。” “你不必表白。”赛观音说，“你是大爷脾气，说到那里算那里；还是仔细想过才出口的话，我听了自然知道。” “那好。我就跟你说得透澈一点儿，把我家的情形跟你说一说。现在是四老爷顶着织造的名儿；可是亏空的公款——。” “怎么？”赛观音大为诧异，“亏空着公款？” “是啊！”曹震羞惭地说，“你们都看得这是头等阔差使，不知道一年能进多少万银子。其实呢，织造本身没有什么好处；要派上税差、关差——瞎，这话也不必细说，官场上的事，你也未必明白，我只归堆了说吧，四老爷名下，现在有二十万银子的亏空。倘或一道上谕，江宁织造换人；四老爷没法子办交代，马上就得家破人亡。所以能有办法补上这笔亏空，什么法子都值得去试试。” “我懂了。”赛观音说，“你要跟我商量的这件大事，就是去找二十万银子来填这笔亏空。” "correct." “那么，你是什么主意呢？” “我的主意是，把我那个泼辣货的私房挤出来；完亏空有余。当然，她是'不见棺木不下泪'，我要拿住她一个非卖帐不可的把柄，叫她乖乖儿听话。你替我想一想，怎么样才能拿住她的把柄？” “说来说去，还是这件事。俗语道得好，'捉贼捉赃，捉奸捉双'。这个把柄不好拿；尤其是经这一闹，她一定步步小心，永远都拿不住。” 曹震大为泄气，嗒然若丧地，脱口说道：“原来你也没有法子！” 这话让赛观音大不服气；她心里其实已有主意，只是要慢慢商量，现在听曹震如此说法，便凝神细想了一会，觉得并非不可行；如果做不到，那是曹震自己的事。 但有一点她得先弄清楚，“二爷，”她问，“能把衙门里的亏空补上了，四老爷自然无债一身轻；你呢，有点儿什么好处？”她紧接着又说：“你别以为我在打什么主意！我是为你。这件事办起来很吃力；而且我替你出的主意，说起来有点儿伤阴骘，若是于你没有什么好处，就犯不着了。” 听她说得很诚恳，曹震亦就说了实话，“我自然也有好处。”他说，“织造是可以世袭的差使；老太太在日说定了的，四老爷下来，保芹官承袭，不过，四老爷的意思，芹官最好在科场上去巴结功名；那一来自然归四老爷的儿子棠官承袭。但如我办成了这件事，能替四老爷把亏空补上，这个差使，十之八九就会保我。” “这一说，好处还不小。” 赛观音慢条斯理地说：“虽说捉奸捉双，可是奸夫自己承认有这回事，写下一张'伏辩'拿给你家二太太看，不就是老大一个证据！如果她不认这回事；叫隆官，叫甘露庵的知客，当面对质，看她敢不敢？”曹震很仔细地听完，随即答说：“如果有这么一张'伏辩'，事情就好办了；只是隆官绝不肯写的。” “你拿刀架在他脖子上，看他写不写。” 曹震悚然一惊，心想赛观音说得出这样的话，可见心亦够狠的；但即令如此，曹世隆是否肯写，仍是疑问。 “照'大清律'，他这个罪名是'斩立决'；写也死，不写也死，干嘛要写？” “这是告到当官；如果是私了，那里会砍脑袋？” 曹震心想不错，“事情是一定私了。”他说，“绝不会见官的；不过，到那时候就怕隆官不相信。” “这要看办这件事的人，怎么个说法？开导得透澈，自然能让他相信。”赛观音用鼓励的语气说：“只要你愿意听我的话，一定办得成。” "How did you see that?" 问到这一点，赛观音就不肯道破缘故了；只说：“你别问！我有把握。” “等我想一想。”曹震又说：“就要办，也没有人。” 赛观音立即接口：“只要决定办，自然有人。”这话中便有文章了，曹震立即追问：“谁？你说！” “现在还不能说；等你下了决心，我自然会告诉你。如果你不愿意这么办，又何必去问它？” 想想这话也不错；他便重申她说过的话：“好！只要我愿意这么办，你可以替我找人。是不是这样？” "yes." “找来的人能弄到他的'伏辩'？” “对了！弄得到。” 曹震深深点头，“我得好好想一想。”他说：“办成了，自然也有你的好处。”
Cao Zhen returned to Nanjing as scheduled; no more, no less, exactly half a month.I met Mrs. Ma, and talked about the meeting with Gao Bin in detail; Second Mistress Zhen specially cooked some of Cao Zhen's favorite dishes for Guan Xiang's small kitchen, welcomed him, and invited Qin Guan and Tang Guan to accompany him.Cao Zhen talked about how he saw the sailors returning to the empty tanker in the canal and the hooligans on a pier named Yaowan on the way back. The next day, everything was as usual; Madam Ma was worried all night, fearing that the couple would have a quarrel over Wugou that night. However, on the afternoon of the fifth day, the fight finally broke out.The cause was that Cao Zhen found a purse in the bedside table; there were two IOUs in the purse, signed "Cao Shilong".This is the ironclad proof. "Okay!" Cao Zhen yelled at Jin'er: "Where's that shameless person? There, tell her to come and see!" As he spoke, he slammed the purse onto the table. Jin'er was so frightened that her heart was torn apart, she supported the door and asked calmly, "Why are you yelling so much?" "Look! Whose purse is this? Why did Longguan's personal things fall here?" As he spoke, he picked up the purse, roughly pulled the rope, took out the two IOUs, put them on the table, and repeated them again and again. He clicked and said: "It's written in black and white, it's clearly written, let's see what she says?" Jin'er was stunned; how could Cao Shilong's IOU be found here?Gathering my mind, it suddenly occurred to me that maybe it was a note left behind by borrowing money from Second Grandma Zhen.This time I asked urgently, and I felt relieved. "Longguan is inconvenient for a while, so it's not a big deal to borrow a few taels of money from Second Mistress—" "You're dreaming!" Cao Zhen cut off her words, "Take a look, who did you borrow the money from?" After he made a fuss like thunder for a while, Jin'er became calmer; then he picked up the IOU and looked at it carefully, only to see one written: "I borrowed twenty taels of silver under the name of Mrs. Zhang Wu, and the interest rate is one cent per month; half a year Both capital and profit are clear." In addition to Cao Shilong's signature, the date, month, and date are also recorded: "Ri Li on the second day of May in the second year of Yongzheng." The wording of the other sheet is similar, but the amount of silver and the time are different. "This is strange." Jin'er thought to herself, if something is wrong, there must be an explanation; the way to deal with it is to take it easy-you are in a hurry and I am not in a hurry; she said immediately: "Don't make trouble! Wait for me to find out Second Grandma Zhen, what's going on?" Second Grandma Zhen was at Mrs. Ma's; Jin'er hurried over, invited her out, and found a secluded place to explain the reason in detail. Grandma Zhen's face turned pale at first; but since that time when a little girl accidentally found Li Ding's sweat towel, she has been extra careful and always checked. Why did such a purse suddenly appear? So after thinking about it, he asked, "Who found the purse?" "Second Master himself." Jin'er replied, "He asked me, where is the cardamom box? I said, I remember there is one in the bedside table, you should look for it yourself. After a while, there will be a commotion!" "Hmph!" Second Grandma Zhen's eyes suddenly showed a cold light like frost: "He planted it!" "Ah!" Jin'er was reminded, "It must be. Those two IOUs may have been forged." "No! The IOU is not fake." Second Grandma Zhen said, "Go back and let him come here; I will explain it to him in front of his wife." Seeing that she was so confident, Jin'er was a little worried for Cao Zhen; she was afraid that he would be in the wrong again and make a mess, so she went back and persuaded Cao Zhen, "Don't mess around? You can't get out of trouble again." Taiwan; I feel sorry for you." "What? I'm messing around!" Cao Zhen was furious, and said indiscriminately, "Oh, you two are walking the same way? You also let Long Guan sleep?" Hearing this, Jin'er was furious; she spit on Cao Zhen's face, and cursed rudely: "Put your ass on your ass! Get out! Get out with your wife, Second Mistress is waiting to settle with you!" What about the account! Shameless, planted!" The word "planting" is a theory of condemnation; Cao Zhen was shocked and remorseful, but also made Jin'er cursed so badly that he became angry, so he swung his palm over, making Jin'er stagger back and forth; Blocked, it never fell. Now, Jin'er is going to do her best!Taking advantage of the momentum of the rebound behind him, he plunged into it; grabbed Cao Zhen's clothes, twisted them indiscriminately, and cursed: "You have no conscience! I will fight you." While struggling, Cao Zhen grabbed her by the hair and beat her violently; he kept yelling angrily, "Let go, let go!" The more this was the case, the more Jin Er refused to give up, crying and shouting: "You hit me, you hit me! If you don't kill me, it won't be over." At this time, the old mother of the head gathered together after hearing the sound; it was hard to pull them away.Jin'er sat on the chair and burst into tears; Cao Zhen made her rage, and she felt extremely useless, and her face, which was already pale, turned pale like a ghost. Abandoning Jin'er, thinking of his wife, he walked away.Go all the way, think all the way, the evidence is full, don't be discouraged.So he straightened his chest and strode forward to see Mrs. Ma. Once there, it was very quiet; the head opened the curtain in silence, and Cao Zhen went in to see that only Mrs. Ma was there. "Tongsheng!" Mrs. Ma said in a begging voice in fear: "I can't stand your quarrel. I specially asked your wife to stay away, so that you don't make a big quarrel in front of you. The pouch you found, the IOU inside It's strange; Longguan and Zhang Wufu's woman borrowed loan sharks, everyone knows. In the past two years, Longguan has been mixed up, returned the money to others, and took back the IOUs; In your purse, take it with you? Think about it for yourself, does it make sense?" Cao Zhen knew that it was self-defeating - it was Sai Guanyin's idea; she had IOUs that Cao Shilong had not taken back, so she found two and put them in her purse as a frame. It's plausible for Second Grandma Zhen to see through the mechanism as soon as she comes up.But never mind, there is evidence. "Ma'am, don't listen to one-sided words; if she didn't have an affair with Longguan, why don't I get a shit bowl and put it on my head? It's not a day since there are rumors; this time I found out clearly that he and Longguan are Hands on Ganlu Temple. Let’s just talk about this trip,” Cao Zhen raised his voice after panting and said, “While I was going to Shandong, we were together blatantly; Let's go, stay with her for a whole hour and a half; two days later, we will stay for another afternoon. From that day on, she came to my wife to sue Aunt Ji, and the Longguan stopped coming. Wife, you think, What's going on, don't you understand?" Mrs. Ma was stunned; she thought: There is no way out!Only let the couple confront each other face to face.So he turned around and asked, "Where is Second Grandma Zhen?" The Second Grandma Zhen hid in Xuanrong Hall—Cao Zhenqi was a little short, but she never had an attack in front of her; although she was under the momentum of the thunder, she was not knocked down head-on. , took the opportunity to fight back.At this moment, the two "sentries" temporarily arranged have reports; when Mrs. Ma sent a girl to invite her, she had already thought about her words, and went to Mrs. Ma's place in a leisurely manner, and complained first when she entered the door: "Second Lord Holding Jin'er's hair, I beat him up hard; slandering Jin'er, I couldn't learn the harsh words, now Jin'er hangs herself with a rope, and wants to twist her hair to be a sister-in-law, what a mess! " Upon hearing this, Mrs. Ma was naturally displeased; she immediately scolded Cao Zhen with a downcast face: "You are making such a scene too! How could you hit someone?—" “太太，太太。”曹震气急败坏地分辩，“锦儿跟她是一伙；处处回护着她，其情着实可恶。” “你这话说得好笑，锦儿不回护她，还能回护你吗？”马夫人又问震二奶奶：“得要有人劝劝锦儿才好。” “是啊！我又不敢回去劝她，怕二爷说我作贼心虚，得在太太这儿等着'打官司'，只好请秋月去劝她。” 有秋月在，马夫人放心了；接着便将曹震指控她的话说了一遍，问她是怎么回事？ “不错！隆官一回来了一个多时辰；一回也待了很久。头一回是开八月半送礼的单子；今年年节因为老太太的丧事不送礼；去年八月半的单子，可又遍找不着，只好一家一家一面想，一面开，对了两遍，才弄清楚，花的工夫自然大了。早知道二爷暗底派了'探子'在查，我根本不找隆官了。” 她一面说，一面留心曹震的神态；只见他“嘿，嘿”连声，知道他的伎俩尽于此了，因而又提高了声音说：“再一回是对帐。隆官今年经手领的款子，一共五笔；总数差了一千二百两没有着落；我当然不能就这么算了，让外帐房送了帐簿来一笔一笔对，到底对出来了。太太，你猜是怎么回事？” “我怎么猜得到？你说吧！” “喏，”震二奶奶手一指，“是咱们这位二爷，从隆官那里挪了一千二百两银子，让他报在正帐里面。隆官忘了这回事；数目自然就不对了。” 这一下搞得曹震狼狈不堪——事实上是有这回事：隆官又何尝会忘了报这笔帐？不过早向震二奶奶泄了底细；此时却好用来反打一耙。 曹震一看官司快由原告打成被告了，不由得情急吼道：“不相干！那是另外一回事；隆官经手的款子，事后每一笔都报了的，何用这时候来算总帐？全是胡扯！” “哼！”震二奶奶冷笑，“恼羞成怒了。” 这句话说到曹震心里，就像剥了他的疮疤；一时冲动，忍不住要用对付锦儿的办法来对付妻子。但手一抬，立即警觉，这一动上手，官司就输到底了，而一口气不出，这只手缩不回来；万般无奈，只好拿自己出气。 “我浑蛋！我窝囊废！”曹震一面骂，一面打；左右开弓刷了自己几个嘴巴。 丫头们都不敢笑，马夫人也觉得其情难堪，但震二奶奶却觉得这是个说话的机会，“你也不用这样子！”她平静地说：“我当这个家，里里外外也不知道得罪了多少人；打着伙想致我于死地。”她转脸向马夫人说道：“如今我说请太太自己来当，别让我再为难。不过，这一回，又栽赃，又有暗探；我可是越想越害怕。等四老爷回来了，请太太跟四老爷商量一个章程，另外找人来接我的手吧！不然，我真不知道我将来是怎么个死法？” 听得这一说，马夫人一颗心不由得往下沉：她的言外之意，似乎是指季姨娘勾结了外人，设圈套来陷害她？果真如此，就太可怕了。 就这一念之间，她便用开导的语气对曹震说：“你别听人挑拨，没事找事；闹出笑话来，你自己也没有什么面子。四老爷不在家，外头都靠你；如果你这里先就生是非，只怕祸事不远。通声，你不能不顾大局！” 以此相责，令人气结；曹震像斗败了的公鸡似地，颓然低头。这时，在窗外已待了一会的秋月，方始走进来；却什么话也不便说，只是表示关切而已。 “锦儿怎么了？”马夫人问。 听得这一声，曹震才发现秋月，只听她说：“也就是哭一阵，诉诉委屈；莫非真的就绞了头发当姑子去？”说着，正眼去看曹震。 曹震内疚于心，突然有种冲动；站起来说：“我走了。” “慢着！”马夫人问：“你上那儿去？” “我回去。” “你别又跟锦儿去打饥荒。” “不会。”曹震答说：“太太真当我是不懂好歹的人？” “唉！”马夫人叹口气；心里有千言万语，却是那句话也不便说。 “太太，”震二奶奶突然双膝跪倒，还挤出几滴急泪，“我这个家可真是不能当了。不然，将来还不知道死法呢！” “起来，起来！”马夫人叹口气，“咱们干脆回旗吧；让四老爷在这儿当差。”
锦儿的眼泪是住了；眼肿未消，原本是一双杏眼，也更显得伤心。 “好了！”曹震掀帘而入，冲着锦儿作了个揖，“我不对！我替你陪不是。我打算好了，不必多久，我拿你扶正。”说完，一掀帘子，倒又走了。 让他这一阵旋风似地卷过，人影都没有看清楚，便已消失；锦儿不免茫然，慢慢定下心来，先要思索他这句话的意思。说将她扶正，自然是要休掉震二奶奶，这办得到吗？办不到，他又何必信口开河？不过，他能这样认错陪不是，总算他还知道好歹。这一转念间，倒又觉得曹震可怜。 正这样痴痴迷迷地想着，听得震二奶奶的声音；锦儿突然心慌，倒像做了一件对不起震二奶奶的事似地。 这种感觉从何而来？她很用心地想了想，明白了其中的缘故；只为有那“扶正”一句话，自己仿佛便处在与震二奶奶敌对的地位。因而又生警惕；曹震的话也许有人听见，会到震二奶奶面前搬嘴，不可不早自为计。 不容她再往下想，震二奶奶已经进房门了；皱着眉，直奔锦儿，拉着她的手，先看她头上。 “差点让他把头发都揪下来。”锦儿一阵委屈，不由得又淌热泪，“下那么重的手，一点情分都不顾。” “对我还不是一样！他简直是要我死。”震二奶奶冷笑，“我死了，他也没有好日子过；莫非以为我娘家人都死绝了？” “都是那个臭娘们！”锦儿骂道，“出那种馊主急。” 她骂的是赛观音；震二奶奶却一直在疑心季姨娘，“家贼难防。”她说，“我倒得好好留点儿神。还有，”她迟疑了一会，终于还是说了出来：“你看，夏云怎么样？不会替她当狗头军师吧？” “不会！夏云不是那样的人。” “那么，她怎么倒不拦着她一点儿呢？” “栏着她什么？”锦儿不知所谓。 “暗底下做狗腿子啊！，”震二奶奶说道：“把人家什么时候来，什么时候走，都记下了。” “我看，”锦儿慢吞吞地说，“不像是她。这一阵子我从没有看她到咱们附近来过。” “那么是谁呢？”震二奶奶又说，“她也不必亲自来，随便打发个小丫头来串串门子，就瞧在眼里了。” 锦儿突然觉得，震二奶奶似有指责她失职之意——曹世隆在此地逗留；都是她留意关防；说随便有人来串串门子，就瞧在眼里，不就等于说她根本不管事？这却不可不辩。 “没有！”她斩钉截铁地说，“都是我亲自在外面看着，不会有那样的事。” “不——，”震二奶奶想了一下说，“算了！咱们丢开这段儿；倒想想他还有什么花招？” “谁知道呢？不过看样子是很不服气。” “怎么？”震二奶奶问道：“你怎么知道？他回来过了？” “来打了个转就走了。” "Say something?" 锦儿决定冒个险，不说实话；“那时我正头晕，没有听清楚；只看他气鼓鼓地，挺不服气的样子。”她又编了一句话，“仿佛要来找什么东西，没有找着就走了。” 震二奶奶不作声，坐了下来想了好一阵，才低声说道：“该怎么给隆官通个信让他到那里避一避才好。” “这，”锦儿老实答道：“我可不敢胡出主意了。” “你不管！你有主意就说吧。” “二奶奶信得过谁，就叫谁去传话。” 震二奶奶眨着眼沉吟了好一会；突然走出去，喊住一个小丫头说：“你到中门上传话出去；交给隆官办的事，怎么没有交代？叫人去通知，让他明天一早来回话。”
听曹震颓丧地讲完他跟妻妾冲突的经过，赛观音的感想很多，觉得也可笑、可怜；但也为他不平、不甘。不过，她认为首先要辩解的是，不是她出的主意害了他；是他自己“栽赃”的手段欠高明。 “我没有想到你这么不中用！”她说，“像你这样做法，谁都看得出来是栽赃。我倒问你，譬如规规矩矩的妇道人家，忽然找出这么一个荷包，有名有姓的两张借据，你说，该怎么办？”她又补了一句：“仔细想一想，再告诉我。” 曹震设身处地想了一下说：“这要看是什么人？大致总先是告诉丈夫，说有这么一样来历不明的东西；至于像我家的那个泼辣货，必是找了丫头、老妈来，先查问明白了，再作道理。” “你懂这个道理，为什么不等她自己看到了；再看她是不是照这么做？那时拿住的赃，才是真正的赃！” 这一说，曹震如梦方醒，但仍有看不透的地方，“她惯会使诈，故意大张旗鼓，找丫头老妈来问，那又怎么办？”他说，“那一来，是真是假就搞不清楚了。” “她那里敢！她要防着那个丫头、老妈说一句：'只怕是隆官自己掉在这里的？那天，隆官不是在这儿好半天？'请问，她怎么办？” 曹震这时才算开了窍；心想，若是震二奶奶发现了，不是悄悄藏了起来，便是找了隆官来问。绝不敢声张；不敢声张，便是作贼心虚。还不必自己大吵大闹；只请马夫人来问她，看她如何辩解得清？ “唉！”曹震重重叹气；狠狠自掴，“死脑子！笨得跟猪一样。” “也许是锦儿发现了，当然要悄悄儿跟她说，那就更好办了；你只追锦儿好了——。” “慢一点！”曹震突然打断她的话说，“如果她找了隆官来问，隆官说钱还了，借据没有收回，不知道怎么会在这儿的？那不就证明了是你我搞的把戏吗？” “怎么能证明？你不承认；我也不承认，说是借据当时就还了。他有什么办法？” “是啊！那有还了钱不收回借据的道理？” “我再跟你说吧，就承认也不要紧；不过你不能拉出我来。你只说特为找了这么两张东西来，就为的外面风风雨雨的闲话太多，不能不明白真情；一试果然试出来了。如果隆官根本未进卧房，绝不能有东西掉在那儿；可见得这东西来路不明，既然来路不明，何以不查；私下去想法子？这不是无私有弊！” 曹震紧闭着嘴不作声。他在考虑一件事，震二奶奶泼辣；想不到赛观音亦工于心计，两个人都不好惹；以毒攻毒去了一个，却又沾上一个不好惹的，那又如之奈何？ 转念又想，两人的身分到底不同；赛观音跟自己又没有名分。将来纠缠不清时，无非多花几两银子，不会有大不了的事。 回过头来，又想妻子。从结褵至今，他一直为她的裙带捆得动弹不得；夫妇道苦，但毕竟有结发的名分在那里，曹震到底还记着长辈谆谆的教训：忠勤事主，勤厚传家。做得太决绝，于心总有些不忍。 可是想得远些、大些，退后两步，昂起头来看曹家一家；他却在自惭之中，也看出来一种真相，织造上的亏空，一大半要由他妻子负责，打着老太太的旗号，不管收入大不如前，总是多方侵蚀剥削，说起来是这一家子要维持；其实，每月家用至少有三分之一，变了她的私房。 此刻想来，最使得曹震愤慨的一件事是，有一次接到内务府转来的朱笔“交办事件”，必得两万银子购料，才能交差；四面张罗，而机缘不巧，竟一无着落。 他跟曹俯都急得坐立不安，犹须瞒着老太太；那日子过得非人所堪。震二奶奶明明知道，袖手不问；迫不得已跟她商量，问她能不能调度一笔钱，暂渡难关？她冷冷回绝了；后来是由曹俯亲自跟她央求，才说去“试试看”。结果是借到了，利息特重，期限特促；说是分几个地方借来的。其实，是她自己的私房。 转念到此，曹震有了一个果敢的想法。但他也知道，这是一时冲动，未必就是最好的主意。但盘算又盘算，越想越觉得这件事值得去做。 于是又转来想赛观音，拿她跟妻子摆在一起来考量了一会，方始慢慢开口。 “不是我恭维你，你也算是足智多谋的厉害脚色，能跟我那个泼辣货见一见高下。”他说，“我有件大事跟你商量，你别当我是随便说的。” “你不必表白。”赛观音说，“你是大爷脾气，说到那里算那里；还是仔细想过才出口的话，我听了自然知道。” “那好。我就跟你说得透澈一点儿，把我家的情形跟你说一说。现在是四老爷顶着织造的名儿；可是亏空的公款——。” “怎么？”赛观音大为诧异，“亏空着公款？” “是啊！”曹震羞惭地说，“你们都看得这是头等阔差使，不知道一年能进多少万银子。其实呢，织造本身没有什么好处；要派上税差、关差——瞎，这话也不必细说，官场上的事，你也未必明白，我只归堆了说吧，四老爷名下，现在有二十万银子的亏空。倘或一道上谕，江宁织造换人；四老爷没法子办交代，马上就得家破人亡。所以能有办法补上这笔亏空，什么法子都值得去试试。” “我懂了。”赛观音说，“你要跟我商量的这件大事，就是去找二十万银子来填这笔亏空。” "correct." “那么，你是什么主意呢？” “我的主意是，把我那个泼辣货的私房挤出来；完亏空有余。当然，她是'不见棺木不下泪'，我要拿住她一个非卖帐不可的把柄，叫她乖乖儿听话。你替我想一想，怎么样才能拿住她的把柄？” “说来说去，还是这件事。俗语道得好，'捉贼捉赃，捉奸捉双'。这个把柄不好拿；尤其是经这一闹，她一定步步小心，永远都拿不住。” 曹震大为泄气，嗒然若丧地，脱口说道：“原来你也没有法子！” 这话让赛观音大不服气；她心里其实已有主意，只是要慢慢商量，现在听曹震如此说法，便凝神细想了一会，觉得并非不可行；如果做不到，那是曹震自己的事。 但有一点她得先弄清楚，“二爷，”她问，“能把衙门里的亏空补上了，四老爷自然无债一身轻；你呢，有点儿什么好处？”她紧接着又说：“你别以为我在打什么主意！我是为你。这件事办起来很吃力；而且我替你出的主意，说起来有点儿伤阴骘，若是于你没有什么好处，就犯不着了。” 听她说得很诚恳，曹震亦就说了实话，“我自然也有好处。”他说，“织造是可以世袭的差使；老太太在日说定了的，四老爷下来，保芹官承袭，不过，四老爷的意思，芹官最好在科场上去巴结功名；那一来自然归四老爷的儿子棠官承袭。但如我办成了这件事，能替四老爷把亏空补上，这个差使，十之八九就会保我。” “这一说，好处还不小。” 赛观音慢条斯理地说：“虽说捉奸捉双，可是奸夫自己承认有这回事，写下一张'伏辩'拿给你家二太太看，不就是老大一个证据！如果她不认这回事；叫隆官，叫甘露庵的知客，当面对质，看她敢不敢？”曹震很仔细地听完，随即答说：“如果有这么一张'伏辩'，事情就好办了；只是隆官绝不肯写的。” “你拿刀架在他脖子上，看他写不写。” 曹震悚然一惊，心想赛观音说得出这样的话，可见心亦够狠的；但即令如此，曹世隆是否肯写，仍是疑问。 “照'大清律'，他这个罪名是'斩立决'；写也死，不写也死，干嘛要写？” “这是告到当官；如果是私了，那里会砍脑袋？” 曹震心想不错，“事情是一定私了。”他说，“绝不会见官的；不过，到那时候就怕隆官不相信。” “这要看办这件事的人，怎么个说法？开导得透澈，自然能让他相信。”赛观音用鼓励的语气说：“只要你愿意听我的话，一定办得成。” "How did you see that?" 问到这一点，赛观音就不肯道破缘故了；只说：“你别问！我有把握。” “等我想一想。”曹震又说：“就要办，也没有人。” 赛观音立即接口：“只要决定办，自然有人。”这话中便有文章了，曹震立即追问：“谁？你说！” “现在还不能说；等你下了决心，我自然会告诉你。如果你不愿意这么办，又何必去问它？” 想想这话也不错；他便重申她说过的话：“好！只要我愿意这么办，你可以替我找人。是不是这样？” "yes." “找来的人能弄到他的'伏辩'？” “对了！弄得到。” 曹震深深点头，“我得好好想一想。”他说：“办成了，自然也有你的好处。”