A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 54 Grandpa, take your time eating.

After seeing Wang Qing off and returning to the house, Ping'er pursed her lips and whispered, "Didn't Grandma say we should be wary of the East Mansion? Why did she entrust Master Rui's affairs to Master Rong? Why not entrust them to Master Rong instead?"

Wang Qing and Wang Xifeng were wary of each other, and she was caught in the middle, making her situation extremely difficult.

Just now, Jia Rong came to inquire about news, but Wang Xifeng brushed him off and took the opportunity to ask Jia Rong to help her tease Jia Rui.

Ping'er was somewhat puzzled at the time, and now she took the opportunity to make a suggestion.

Wang Xifeng, however, had a different perspective. She shook her head and said, "He already has enough leverage over us. You can't judge a book by its cover. Who knows if he still holds a grudge against Second Master or what he's up to?"

Why would Rong-ge'er inquire about him for no reason? It must be that Brother Zhen sensed something was amiss and sent him to find out what was going on. Now that the Old Madam, Master, and Madam value him so much, even if Brother Zhen had the guts, he wouldn't dare to make any more moves against him.

Yes, since Jia Zhen no longer had designs on Huiwen, he no longer had any conflict of interest with Wang Xifeng.

On the contrary, it was Wang Qing who made Wang Xifeng quite wary.

Ping'er wanted to persuade her again, but she understood Wang Xifeng's personality and could only feel helpless in silence.

Wang Xifeng glared at her and said, "You'd better make it clear to him later. If he slips up, I won't admit it!"

"Understood!" Ping'er replied, bowing her head.

……

Meanwhile, Wang Qing, after leaving Wang Xifeng's courtyard, did not return the way he came. Instead, he passed through the back building of the main hall, followed the west wing, and exited the Rong Mansion through the back gate.

Nothing new happens in the grand mansion. Although it has only been a day, Jia Zheng has already hosted a banquet and sent horses as gifts, and everyone in the Rongguo Mansion knows about it.

Along the way, all the servants they encountered were extremely respectful.

When Wang Qing returned to his courtyard, he saw Granny Liu rushing forward, bowing and announcing, "Sir! Madam Zhen has been waiting for a long time!"

As the attitudes of Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng changed, the servants in Wang Qing's courtyard were no longer as alarmed as they had been at the beginning.

They didn't even think that it was wrong for Ms. You to wait so long.

Wang Qing moved unhurriedly to the front hall, bowed to the hastily rising Madam You, and said, "Thanks to Brother Zhen for his mediation, I have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to thank you in person. Please forgive me!"

As he gestured for Madam You to sit down, he asked, "Does Sister-in-law have any instructions?"

"Oh! Brother Qing, you flatter me. We're all brothers, why are you giving orders?"

Madam You smiled and said, "Your eldest brother knows you're busy with important matters, which is why he hasn't come to bother you. Yesterday, he heard that you had a bit of a disagreement with Lian Er and the Xue family, so he asked me to come and ask if there was any misunderstanding."

Lady You was unwilling to inquire with Wang Xifeng, fearing it might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Although Jia Zhen entrusted the matter to Jia Rong, You Shi was meticulous in her work and thought that it takes two to tango, so it might not be just Jia Lian's problem. Perhaps it could even corroborate Jia Rong's information.

Besides, there always needs to be a reason for visiting someone's home.

Wang Qing couldn't possibly tell You Shi about Jia Lian's false reporting of embezzlement. He scratched his head and said, half-jokingly, "To be honest, I'm completely baffled. Perhaps I offended Brother Lian somehow."

"It's a pity that Lian Er left in such a hurry. Your brother Zhen originally wanted to clear up the misunderstanding between you..."

Madam You deliberately expressed her regret, then looked around and said, "I see you don't even have a personal maid in your room. Why don't you send two people over tomorrow, so you won't be left without anyone to serve you?"

Wang Qing quickly declined, saying, "I appreciate Brother Zhen and Sister-in-law's kindness, but the old lady originally wanted to arrange for a few people from the house to help. However, my parents have both passed away, and I am used to doing things myself. In addition, my mourning period for my father has just ended, so I politely declined the old lady's kindness. Please forgive me, Sister-in-law."

It's not that Wang Qing is being pretentious; he just took advantage of someone's offer.

Although Ping'er was just a concubine, and Wang Xifeng was hesitant to act rashly, even if the truth came out, she could claim that it was with Jia Lian's approval.

But ultimately, it's easier said than done.

Last time Jia Zhen hosted a dinner, he clearly had ill intentions. Although the result was not bad, Wang Qing was still very wary of him.

If you rashly accept someone as a hostage, you might find yourself being spies planted in their names.

In addition, Wang Qing thought that among the most beautiful women in the Ningguo Mansion, there were only Baozhu and Ruizhu, and these two were Qin Keqing's personal maids. Jia Zhen would never give them to him.

Of the remaining ones, only Silver Butterfly, who was by Lady You's side, was considered outstanding.

Even if there were a few outstanding individuals, they would probably have been dealt with by the father and son long ago.

Although he wasn't particularly fastidious about cleanliness and didn't mind being like-minded with Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, everything depends on the person.

But he worried that if he picked a maid like Wan'er, who even Mingyan could have her way with, taking her into his room would only cause him trouble.

Therefore, Xie Jing was not interested in You's suggestion.

However, these reasons were inconvenient to state aloud, so they could only use Grandmother Jia as a shield.

After all, the Rongguo Mansion had not made any such arrangements, and he had to pretend to treat his illness in order to marry Liu Wu'er. If he were to take in a maid from the Ningguo Mansion instead, wouldn't it make the Rongguo Mansion seem like it was not treating its guests well?

When Lady You heard him mention Grandmother Jia, she immediately understood his meaning and quickly changed the subject, chatting with him for a while before getting up to take her leave.

Wang Qing glanced outside and said, "It's almost dinnertime, sister-in-law, why don't you have dinner before you leave?"

Wang Qing didn't really want to stay for a meal. After all, compared to the Ningguo Mansion, his meal was just simple fare, and it was only a short walk away, so he wouldn't miss the mealtime if he went back.

However, since it's mealtime, it would be impolite not to try and persuade them to stay.

Unexpectedly, what was originally a polite remark made Madam You hesitate for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Your brother Zhen is still waiting for my reply. There will be plenty of time in the future, and I will have to bother Brother Qing again."

Wang Qing's attempt to persuade Jia Zhen to stay and Jia Zhen's overtures were perfectly aligned.

Madam You originally intended to go along with it, but then she thought that if she visited again next time, she might not have an excuse, so she might as well politely decline this time and leave it for another time.

This……

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Although it's not unusual to offer dinner, there were no female relatives in Wang Qing's courtyard to entertain them.

However, Lady You not only hesitated, but also offered a lengthy explanation and left behind the profound words, "There's plenty of time in the future."

On that day, his martial arts contest with Liu Xianglian was intended to showcase his elegant side to the three beauties of the You family and Qin Keqing, in order to annoy Jia Zhen.

He thought to himself, "Could it be that Madam You has a discerning eye and has recognized my extraordinary talent, and doesn't want to miss this opportunity?"

So, while bowing and seeing Madam You out, he tentatively said, "Since that's the case, next time you must give me a chance to treat you well, sister-in-law."

Madam You covered her mouth and chuckled, teasingly saying, "Brother Qing, don't find your sister-in-law troublesome."

There is a play!

Wang Qing was secretly delighted, but a simple smile appeared on his face: "How could that be! Your presence, sister-in-law, is an honor to my humble abode."

After escorting Madam You out of the courtyard and watching her sway her gourd-like figure disappear through the back gate of the Ning residence, Wang Qingfang withdrew his gaze and turned back.

Just as he was about to return to the backyard, he saw Granny Liu step forward again and say in a low voice, "Although you are not particular about details, nowadays, there should be some decorum in the house. Why don't you set up a gate in the backyard? Whenever someone comes in or out, I, your old woman, will go in and announce their arrival, so as not to offend you."

Although Granny Liu was eager for her daughter-in-law to get into Wang Qing's bed, once she actually did, she hoped to have both substance and appearance.

In particular, Liu Wu'er was the person who had been reserved for the room.

Upon hearing this, Wang Qing hesitated.

If it weren't for Madam You's hesitation just now, he would have agreed without even thinking about it.

After all, in his view, Ping'er and Sister Liu were both acting on Wang Xifeng's orders. The two had risked their lives together and carried the same gun. He had also tested Sister Liu's attitude earlier, so it was most appropriate for her to guard the gate.

But what if Madam You seizes an opportunity to act, and Granny Liu discovers it...?

Wang Qing hesitated for a moment, then said, "I forgot to ask you earlier, do you want your eldest son to stay in the manor, or would you rather he come and serve me?"

In Wang Qing's view, this is not an unsolvable situation.

As long as we hold the Liu family's indenture in our hands, we can solve our problems once and for all.

Granny Liu was taken aback at first, then exclaimed with joy, "Master! My whole family is willing to work for you!"

The Liu family has no foundation in the Rong Mansion. Once Wang Qing leaves, they will likely be exposed and exposed.

Although Wang Qing's family was not as large and powerful as the Rongguo Mansion, he had the advantage of being in the first place and had his daughter-in-law's influence. Granny Liu naturally knew which side was more appealing.

"Alright! From now on, you'll keep watch at the gate for me. I'll inform the manor later and get your indentures!"

Wang Qing immediately made the decision, paused for a moment, and then added, "Tell your wife to take dinner to the back!"

"Yes! Yes!" Granny Liu hurriedly agreed, saying meaningfully, "This old servant will stay up ahead and let her serve the master his meal at his leisure!"

……