Chapter 56 Daily Gossip
Su Qing straightened her hair and followed Mother Wu out. Mother Wu said as she walked forward, "Just now, the youngest son of Baron Bo, Mr. Hong San, and his wife, the third young lady, came to pay their respects to Madam. The young ladies and the maids went to the back hills and haven't come back yet. Go over and help pour some tea."
After saying that, he looked back again and saw that there was nothing wrong. "Don't panic. Serving tea and pouring water is something we are used to. Don't be petty."
Su Qing nodded in agreement while greeting Jiaolian from head to toe. She had just said that the young ladies were back, but she was still scolding herself.
After a while, we arrived at a side hall next to the main hall of the temple. It seemed that it was often used to receive dignitaries, so the decoration was very luxurious, which was completely different from the simplicity of the main hall and the meditation room.
Su Qing lowered her head and followed Mother Wu into the room. The scent of cosmetics filled the air. Mrs. Song was talking, "Is the first snow banquet at the mansion coming soon?"
A young woman in her early twenties said with a smile, "Before I went up the mountain with my husband, my mother told me to send an invitation when I got back. She also specifically told me that Lord Meng's family is in Beijing this year, so we must not miss them."
When Liu heard this, she immediately bowed and said she dared not.
Su Qing followed behind Dongmei, holding the teapot and pouring tea for everyone. She looked up and saw that the woman who was talking was not very pretty, but very dignified, with the temperament of a lady from a noble family. Her big belly could not even be covered by clothes.
"We are really touched by the sincerity of the Third Young Madam. She came in person to fulfill her vow in such a cold weather. It shows that the Buddha always blesses those who are sincere." Liu said with a smile.
The young woman didn't say anything, she gently stroked her belly and turned to look at the young man sitting next to her. This man was Hong Zhe, the third young master of Baron Bo's mansion.
Hong Zhe smiled and said, "My wife is indeed sincere. Since she came to Hongluo Temple to pray for pregnancy and succeeded, she has to fulfill her wish in person every season. She was supposed to give birth next month, and my mother was worried about her health. She wanted me to come alone, but she was afraid that the Buddha would blame her, so she insisted that I come by myself to feel at ease."
Everyone in the room praised Hongzhe and his wife for their kindness, but Su Qing, who retreated to the window, was very surprised. It turned out that the person who had just said those disdainful words about the Huainan Marquis Mansion in front of the stone tablet was this man, the third young master of Baron Bo. Since he looked down on the Huainan Marquis Mansion, why did he come to pay his respects at this time?
Su Qing was curious and secretly raised her eyelids to take a look. She saw that Mr. Hong San was in his early twenties, very fair-skinned and slightly feminine. At this moment, he was looking at his wife tenderly.
After everyone exchanged greetings for a while, a young monk came in to report that the incense-burning arrangements in the Hong family's main hall were completed. Hong Zhe stood up and said goodbye with his wife. The Song family and others escorted the two of them out of the side hall door before returning.
After returning home, Chuan'er asked Su Qing if she had fun while eating vegetarian snacks from Hongluo Temple.
"It's pretty good, the scenery is beautiful, and it would be even better if we went there during other seasons. But I couldn't verify whether the words on the stone tablet were real gold powder."
Chuan Er heard her say this and laughed, "Why, if it was real gold powder, you would still pick it off."
"Chuan'er, what is the origin of Baron Bo's family?"
"Why? Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Don't mention it." Su Qing told Chuan'er the whole story, of course skipping the part about what he heard Young Master Hong say at the stone tablet.
"They were not in the room. Madam Wu asked me to go, so how could I not go? Later, I received a reward from that young lady. Everyone was jealous, especially those around the eldest lady. Now I think our young lady is right to dislike the eldest lady."
Chuan'er put down the snack in his hand, "You, just say this to me, don't let anyone else hear it. Didn't you see that the Third Madam is very proud? I heard that she even wants to interfere with the preparation of the New Year gifts in the mansion. This makes the Second Madam and the Eldest Young Lady very unhappy."
"Didn't she say that she would return to the northwest after arranging a marriage for the eldest lady? What does she need the housekeeper's power for?"
"It's not that easy to decide. Those two have very high standards. Many families would look down on her. I wonder if Baron Nabo will be able to find someone suitable at the First Snow Banquet in a few days."
Chuan'er only remembered what Su Qing had just asked him when he said this, "Although Baron Bo's house is just a baron's mansion, it is the maiden home of Princess Jing."
"Prince Jing?" Su Qing was thinking about the current princes. Prince Jing was the fourth son, born to Concubine Xian. He was usually generous, gentle, polite, lavish, and very popular.
"The Third Young Master Hong is the younger brother of Princess Jing, and is extremely favored by her. They have been married for more than three years but have no children, so they went to Hongluo Temple to pray for a child with great difficulty. I heard that the Third Young Master Hong is extremely handsome. Is that true?" asked Chuan'er.
"Ah? It's okay, pretty fair." Su Qing's mind appeared Hong Zhe's somewhat feminine face. She didn't like him, and she didn't like him as much as Wang Xiaoer.
"You, your standards are too high, aren't they? The four most handsome men in the capital are not worthy of your attention?"
What? Did the ancients also gossip like this? It seems that idol sentiment is not limited to any dynasty.
"Who are they? Which four?" Su Qing became interested.
Chuan Er stretched out his hand and said, "The Third Master of the Hong Family, our Fourth Miss's future husband, Master Zhou Er, and the Prince of the Duke Zhong's Mansion, and there is another one that everyone only dares to think about but not talk about."
"Who?"
"The current Sixth Prince, Prince Rui."
Su Qing nodded. Who made up this story? They even dared to include the prince in it. It was not something they could say casually.
But she didn't expect Meng Qi's husband to be on the list. She only knew that the second son of the Zhou family was engaged to Meng Qi since birth. He was a typical playboy, five years older than Meng Qi. He was only eighteen years old after the New Year, but he was already a frequent visitor to brothels. If he couldn't find someone at home, he would go to the horse farm, gambling house, and cockfighting and bird-racing places to look for him.
He is a guy who always gets into trouble. Even the prince's ruler has been broken several times, but it can't stop him from running away.
"Chuan'er, I feel like Sister Jiaolian has been treating me more and more strangely recently." Su Qing thought of the incident in the mountains when Jiaolian had made up a story out of nowhere. The key point was that afterwards, she actually acted as if it was natural to do so, and she didn't feel embarrassed at all for having lied to her.
"Did you accidentally offend her?"
"How is that possible? I usually follow Sister Yuandong. Even if there is something wrong in the Fourth Miss's room, it is Mama Liu or Sister Jiaohong who tells me to do it. You know that."
Chuan'er spread his hands, "I don't know. From what I can see, she has never liked anyone. She was scolding me a while ago. She only likes Wanxiang in the whole yard."
Ten days later, Su Qing heard that the First Snow Banquet at Baron Bo's Mansion was cancelled. The reason was very sad. Mrs. Hong San went into premature labor and the child was not born, resulting in two deaths.
Su Qing lay in bed, thinking about the time she had a quick glance at Mrs. Hong San that day. She was a gentle and dignified person. When she looked at Master Hong San, her eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles. Just like that, she was gone. They said that the child was too big and it took a day and a night to give birth.
After hearing this news, Su Qing became more determined to learn from Yichun. To become a woman like Yichun who never gets married, one must have sufficient ability and strength, and first of all, one must make his or her own level as high as possible.