PNB Chapter 154 Someone's face hurts
Chapter 154 Someone's face hurts
Chapter 154 Someone's face hurts
As the New Year draws to a close, every household has prepared New Year gifts.
Some good friends started visiting early.
Some people who do not want to have too much contact will just wait and see. If the other party sends a New Year gift, they will give one in time without being impolite.
This is the case with the Xu family. Xu Chaoqian has hardly moved from his sixth-rank official position, and it is difficult for him to have close friends. In addition, there is no mistress in the mansion this year, so before Xu Rongrong sent the New Year gift, no family took the initiative.
Fortunately, after the Xu family sent out the New Year gifts at noon, the various mansions responded quickly and returned gifts came one after another.
After learning that it was Princess Ping'an who was handling this matter, the other prefectures did not dare to neglect it, and all of them sent their stewards to bring gifts. Xu Chaoqian looked quite proud when he saw this.
He asked his second daughter to go and receive the gift list on the pretext of his mobility problems.
Xu Yaoyao tidied her hair, walked gently and quietly to the stewards of each mansion, bowed, took the gift list and thanked them softly.
She looks like a lady from a noble family.
The stewards did not dare to accept her gift and avoided her.
Xu Yaoyao smiled and said, "Thank you all for your hard work in this heavy snow. We have prepared some refreshments. Please enjoy some before you go back."
After saying that, she asked Yu Jin to take everyone downstairs to rest.
After everything was arranged, Xu Chaoqian nodded with satisfaction: "You did a good job, generous and decent, not inferior to your sister."
"It's because I have my father in charge that I don't have to be so busy." Xu Yaoyao said with a smile, "I also hope to be able to stand on my own as soon as possible like my elder sister."
"Don't even mention being able to handle things on your own. I don't know how to fill the hole she dug for my father today." Xu Chaoqian felt a little headache.
Xu Yaoyao stepped forward and poured a cup of tea for his father. "Father, why don't you worry about this? Since my eldest sister said it was sent in her name, then you can have someone push the blame on her. That way, the affairs of the Lu Mansion will have nothing to do with you."
"Your idea is good! But how do we spread the news?"
Xu Yaoyao smiled and said, "Aren't those stewards still in the teahouse? Let's have someone discuss things outside. Let them hear how the eldest sister acted on her own and how father tried to dissuade her to no avail... That way, won't the news get out?"
"Second sister is really clever!" Xu Chaoqian waved his hand and called Xu Dong over. "Did you hear what Second Miss said just now?"
Xu Dong nodded: "I heard...I heard it."
"You're not going to do it yet?"
Xu Dong bit his lip and replied, "Yes!" On the way to the teahouse, he found an excuse to go to Wutong Courtyard.
Although he was Xu Chaoqian's long-time attendant, in the past six months, the third young lady was driven away and the lady died suddenly. All of these events were related to the eldest young lady. Now she is still in charge of the household affairs of the Xu Mansion. After much thought, he decided not to offend the eldest young lady.
When he rushed to Wutong Courtyard, Xu Rongrong was watching Luo Shu making a snowman in the yard.
When he finished explaining Xu Chaoqian's plan, Xu Rongrong didn't take it seriously: "Just do as he tells you."
Seeing that the eldest lady agreed, Xu Dong hurried to the tea room.
Luo Shu dropped the shovel and said, "Miss, the master is really short of people..."
"Really wicked, huh?" Xu Rongrong laughed. "He's been wicked for more than just a day or two."
"Then let him plot against you like this?" "He's not wrong. The New Year gift to Lord Lu has nothing to do with him." Xu Rongrong smiled with her eyes narrowed.
……
On this side, the stewards of each mansion took their leave after resting.
Xu Chaoqian breathed a sigh of relief as he watched them leave. He glanced at Xu Yaoyao and said, "I hope they can spread the news as you expected."
Xu Yaoyao smiled and said, "Don't worry, father."
As the two were talking, Steward Xu hurried in from outside: "Master! Someone is coming from Lord Lu's residence!"
Xu Chaoqian was stunned: "Who? Who's here?"
Steward Xu said, "Butler Lu came personally, saying... saying he was here to deliver a New Year's gift."
Xu Chaoqian: "..."
He hurriedly said, "Hurry up and invite Steward Lu to the front hall!" "I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's not possible," Steward Xu stammered. "Steward Lu said they were returning the gifts to Princess Ping'an, so they carried the New Year gifts directly to Wutong Courtyard."
Xu Chaoqian felt as if he had been slapped in the face.
Xu Yaoyao was also shocked:
It actually came true that bitch’s wish!
"Hurry! Go and stop the managers who just came!" Xu Chaoqian shouted.
"Who does Lord Xu want to stop? Do you need my help?" A man stepped into the front hall and asked with a chuckle.
"It's Lieutenant General Ai." Butler Xu hurried forward to greet him.
"I'm here at the Xu Mansion to deliver New Year gifts on the orders of the Marquis. When I arrived at the door, I saw no one there, so I came straight in." Mu Ai waved his hand, and the servant who accompanied him brought up a paulownia wood box with carved patterns.
Upon hearing this, Xu Chaoqian stepped forward to express his gratitude in person: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Marquis, and it's troublesome for Lieutenant General Ai to make this trip." "Here is the gift list, please check it, Lord Xu." Mu Ai presented the gift list.
After Xu Chaoqian opened it...
There was something strange on his face: "Deputy General Ai, this gift list clearly states that there are ten boxes of New Year gifts. Could there be a mistake?..."
Mu Ai waved his hand and said, "That's right! There are ten boxes of New Year gifts in total. One box is here, and the other nine boxes are given by the Marquis to Miss Xu. They have just been delivered to Wutong Courtyard by Yi Changshi and his men."
Xu Chaoqian: "..."
……
Xu Rongrong in Wutong Courtyard was also very surprised at this time.
First, Butler Lu came in person, and she expected that the Lu family would give a return gift.
She first showed the courtesy of a junior. As Lord Lu was a man, he would naturally not ignore it, but... this return gift was really expensive.
The rosewood box is filled with dozens of precious medicinal herbs, each of which is a tonic.
Steward Lu presented the gift list: "My master said that the county lady is in poor health. She has been traveling long distances recently, working hard for the people, and has spent a lot of energy. She doesn't have much good things at home, so she found these medicinal herbs to nourish and recuperate the county lady."
Xu Rongrong bowed gracefully: "Thank you, Lord Lu, for your concern."
I think Mu Rong has already told Lu Zhi what she did during her trip to Jiangnan.
Just after seeing off Manager Lu, I saw Mu Yi coming in, directing people and carrying nine huge boxes.
"What is this?" Xu Rongrong was shocked. What is Mu Rong doing?
Mu Yi stepped forward and bowed solemnly, then said, "Here is the annual gift that the Marquis prepared for the eldest lady."
Xu Rongrong: "..."
Shouldn't the New Year gifts be sent to the front hall? Why were they brought directly to her? She was about to speak when Mu Yi waved his hand and had the boxes opened one by one.
In the first six boxes were piles of silk, neatly arranged antiques, and neatly arranged incense...
Although they are common, each piece is a style that girls like, which shows that a lot of thought was put into it.
He even prepared a box of silver for her.
Xu Rongrong was a little confused.
Mu Yi waved his hand to dismiss the accompanying servant, and he personally opened the seventh box, which contained a set of southern jade and gilded ginseng silk head ornaments. The jade was crystal clear, and the ginseng silk was intricate and luxurious.
Xu Rongrong was stunned.
This set of headgear was bestowed by the Empress Dowager when Mu Rong's mother, Princess Rongyang, married the former Marquis Weiyuan.
There is only one such set in the entire Great Zhou.
Why did he give this to her? "This is too valuable... I can't accept it." She murmured.
Mu Yi said, "My Lord said that since the eldest daughter only returned to the capital yesterday, she might not have enough time to prepare for tonight's family dinner. So he gave her this set from the mansion for her to use temporarily. Please don't refuse."
As he spoke, Mu Yi thought of his master's instructions: "If she doesn't want to accept it, you can say that you are borrowing it temporarily, so she won't refuse."
Sure enough, after he finished speaking according to the Marquis's instructions, Xu Rongrong stopped talking.
Then he opened the eighth box, which contained a small box.
Mu Yi picked it up and handed it to Xu Rongrong.
"What is this?" Xu Rongrong took it curiously.
"These are all the shops and farms owned by the Weiyuan Marquisate."
As soon as Mu Yi finished speaking, Xu Rongrong immediately threw the box back to him, as if it was a hot potato.
"Is Mu Rong crazy?" Xu Rongrong glared at Mu Yi. He actually dared to hand over all the family property to her.
Mu Yi was a little embarrassed: "The Marquis said he is not good at business, and since the eldest lady likes business, why don't you take care of these as well."
Xu Rongrong: "..."
He’s dreaming!
She no longer wanted to look at the ninth box.
But Mu Yi carefully put down the box in his arms: "The Marquis said that the things in this box will definitely be liked by the young lady!"
Xu Rongrong was half-believing and half-doubting.
The box slowly opened, and thick medical books with an ancient fragrance appeared before her one by one.