The Virtuous Wife

Chapter 57: First Trial

Madam Liu led people back to the yard quickly, and there seemed to be lights in the warehouse. Madam Liu quickly ordered people to stay in the house to guard, and she reported to Gu. Gu was shocked when she heard it. Could it be that a thief broke in? She hurriedly ordered the housekeeper to check around. She told Su Wei about this. Su Wei was also suspicious when he heard it. Who was so bold to steal in the mansion? When Su Wei took people there, there was no one there, and the boxes in the warehouse were opened, but nothing valuable was lost. Obviously, the other party was looking for something! After tossing around like this for most of the night, nothing was found. Jingyi fell asleep on the low couch in Gu's room. The next morning, Jingyi woke up and saw that she was lying on the bed with her mother Gu. Maybe she slept late last night, Jingyi got out of bed and walked around the room, but still failed to wake up Gu. Jingyi looked outside and saw two maids sleeping on the table outside. They were obviously very tired last night. She quietly returned to the bedroom. She walked to her mother's dressing table, thinking about tying her hair first.

She picked up a jade comb and combed it gently. When it was all combed, she remembered that she didn't know how to comb this ancient hair at all, and she couldn't help but feel depressed. She saw a red rope on a dressing box. Jingyi took the red rope and planned to comb herself into a high ponytail.

As soon as Jingyi took the red rope, she was attracted by her mother's dressing box. This is a painted double-layer lacquer box with exquisite decorations, fine workmanship, and exquisite materials. The body of the device is painted with black-brown lacquer, and then a very thin layer of gold powder is brushed on the lacquer surface, and a small amount of silver powder is added to it. Then, oil paint is used to paint yellow, white, and red cloud patterns on the surface of the device, which is dazzling and very gorgeous.

This was the first time Jingyi was so interested in a dressing box. The craftsmanship of the ancients was really amazing. They could make it so delicate! A small drawer on the bottom of the dressing box was half-opened, and a very simple bracelet was seen.

Jingyi took out the bracelet out of curiosity. It was a gilded auspicious cloud pattern peony bracelet. Judging from the color, it didn't look new, but rather like an antique.

Jingyi was studying the bracelet here, and then she heard Gu say: "Why? Do you like this bracelet? Then I'll give it to you."

Jingyi looked at Gu who was about to get dressed, and smiled: "Mother is so generous. This bracelet doesn't seem to be new."

Gu walked to the dressing table, sat in front of the dressing mirror, looked at Jingyi and said: "This is what your grandfather left me, along with this dressing box. Your grandfather gave these two things to me after he gave birth to you. Now that you like them, take them. Just be careful not to lose them."

Jingyi nodded and bowed: "Thank you, mother. But since it was given to me by my grandfather, I won't take it."

"I heard from your grandfather that this bracelet originally belonged to your grandmother. It was passed down from generation to generation in their family. Your grandmother originally wanted to leave it to her daughter. Unfortunately, until your grandmother died, there were only two male children, your father and your second uncle, so your grandfather kept this bracelet. Until you were born, your grandfather said that he had no daughter, so he would leave it to his granddaughter. Now that you have seen it and like it so much, just take it." Jingyi realized that it was her grandmother's heirloom. She nodded and put the bracelet away. At this time, several maids came in from outside. Some prepared hot water, and some folded quilts. The bedroom became lively. Jingyi accompanied Gu for breakfast and asked about what happened last night. Gu said that there was nothing to gain. Su Wei ordered the guards to take good care of it last night. Today, he would select some of the wives and daughters of his former subordinates who would participate in martial arts. Jingyi nodded, and when the housekeeper came outside to ask for a card match, Jingyi got up and returned to her own yard. Jingyi took the bracelet that Gu gave her and looked at it carefully. She always felt that although the bracelet was beautiful, it was a little strange. Thinking that it was a heirloom from her grandmother, she looked at it carefully.

Jingyi remembered that the old lady had asked Liu to find something, and a plan came to her mind. She went to the desk and drew a pattern based on the bracelet.

After the pattern was drawn, she asked Haitang, Liu Xing'er, Liu Ju, Liu He, and Liu Mei to accompany her, and went to Heshou Hall to pay respects to the old lady.

Jingyi sat with the old lady for a while and then went to the East Cross Courtyard for class. Haitang couldn't help but wonder, what is the young lady doing? Just come here to pay respects, why bring so many people, doesn't the young lady always think that too many people are troublesome?

Today we are learning court etiquette. Jingyi and Jingwei are both daughters of wealthy families, and entering the palace is inevitable. Learning court etiquette well will not make people look down on them. Jingyi had been upset by all the cumbersome etiquette, and finally waited until Madam Hong released her. She immediately wanted to go back and have a good rest.

Jing Wei saw that she was different today and brought four or five maids with her, so she asked with a smile: "Why did you bring so many maids with you?"

"Oh, there was a thief in my mother's yard last night, and I was scared, so I asked a few more people to follow me."

Jing Wei smiled, "It's daytime now, how could such a bold thief dare to enter the mansion?"

"Sister is right, I was too nervous." Jing Yi looked as if she had suddenly realized something, and then she became a little excited, "But I still have to buy embroidery thread later. They are not too many to follow."

"Buy embroidery thread? You want to do needlework?"

"Well, when I was paying my respects to the old lady this morning, I accidentally saw a painting that was very beautiful, so I thought of embroidering a purse according to the pattern."

"Do it yourself?"

When Jing Yi heard this, she was like a deflated ball, "Sister knows my needlework. The fish I embroidered look like a fish, and the birds I embroidered look like a chicken. How can I embroider anything good? It's just a try."

Jing smiled and said, "How about I help my sister embroider? Anyway, I have nothing to do when I'm free. It just so happens that I still have some fabric left from you the other day, and I'm just wondering what to embroider for you."

"Okay, okay. Let's go get the pattern now." After saying that, Jingyi took Jingwei's hand and ran straight to her yard.

Jingwei took the pattern, laughed and joked with Jingyi for a while, and then went back.

Jingyi looked at her back and called softly, "Siqin!"

"Miss!"

"Follow her farther, Yuanxi said that Aunt Peng's skills are average, but her Qinggong is still good. Don't let her find out."

"Yes!" After saying that, she flew out.

Jingyi walked into the yard and looked at the chrysanthemums that the servants had just moved to her yard, adding a few traces of autumn colors to the yard. Jingyi walked to a white chrysanthemum and gently slid her hand over the slender petals. She whispered softly, "Blessing? Disaster? It seems that the big fire last night may not be a bad thing?"

Jingwei returned to the room and called the maid beside her to go out to find out something. She looked at the painting carefully several times.

There are two paintings, one is a plum blossom; the other is some auspicious cloud patterns, two symmetrical auspicious clouds, and a peony flower pattern in the middle.

Jingwei poured out all the things in the dressing box, took out the red silk cloth inside, and placed a folded paper underneath. Jingwei took it out and compared it carefully with the one Jingyi gave her.

After a while, the person she sent out to find out the news came back to report. As soon as she left, someone reported that Aunt Peng was here, and Jingwei hurriedly let her in. She handed the two pieces of paper to Aunt Peng for comparison.

"It's exactly the same! Where did you get it from?" Aunt Peng asked after comparing them.

"Jingyi got it from the old lady."

"Old lady? Are you sure?" Aunt Peng looked suspicious.

Jingwei nodded, "The person I just sent out said that Jingyi did pay her respects to the old lady in the morning. She was empty-handed when she went, but she was holding a piece of paper when she came out. And the servants said that Jingyi looked very happy."

"Did anyone see with their own eyes that the old lady gave it to her?"

"No, someone said that Jingyi took it from the outer room of Heshou Hall. At that time, the old lady was in the inner room and didn't see it."

Aunt Peng looked at Jingwei, and then looked at the two patterns again and again. The dark and unclear eyes saw the same pattern. Jingyi was only seven years old. Usually, I only heard that she practiced calligraphy, but I had never heard that she painted. Looking at this pattern again, although it is simple, the lines are smooth, the peony is vivid, and the coloring is very even. At first glance, it is a work of someone who is good at painting, and it is definitely not something a little kid can draw. After a moment, she handed both drawings to Jing Wei. "Take them first. Now, I will report to the master and then make a decision!"