bayedsolid Chapter 222 The Lin Family Arrives in Fuzhou
Chapter 222 The Lin Family Arrives in Fuzhou
"Since you've moved to Fuzhou, you should spend more time with me. I felt a warm welcome the moment I saw you, and I couldn't help wanting to get closer to you."
"Wan Ning is the same. She feels very warm to see Madam Li. It is Wan Ning's honor to be able to spend more time with Madam Li."
The two chatted back and forth until lunchtime was almost over, when Shen Wanning politely tried to persuade her to stay. Mrs. Li tactfully left.
On the day before the Lantern Festival, Aunt Zhang and Lin Dashan finally arrived in Fuzhou. Not only them, but also Lin Jingce and Lin Jingcheng came.
Except for Lin Jingyou who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, the whole family was present.
The family stood in front of the Shen Mansion. Aunt Zhang looked up at the two big words above and felt excited. They could also use the word "Mansion".
Lin Jingce went up and knocked on the door, and Beiji came over to open it. "Hey, sir, you're here. Please come in."
Aunt Zhang and the others came to the hall under the guidance of Beiji. Shen Wanning guessed that they should come to Fuzhou for lunch today, so she waited here early.
Seeing Aunt Zhang first, Shen Wanning hurried over and called out, "Mom, you're finally here."
"Oh my goodness, the emperor is so generous! Such a big house should be bigger than our house in the county. It must cost a lot of money, right?" On the way here, Aunt Zhang looked at the layout of the house and kept sighing in her heart.
"Yes, not only that, but the location of this house is excellent. Next to it on the right is the prefect's residence, and less than one kilometer to the left is the governor's residence." Shen Wanning introduced.
Xu added, "It's better to be next to the two adults. That way, we don't have to worry about thieves coming in and stealing things."
Aunt Zhang glanced at her and said, "Are you stupid? How could someone so blind as to come here and steal things?"
Shen Wanning thought about it and realized that Aunt Zhang and her family had never been to the house she bought in the county town. No wonder they were so amazed to see such a large house now.
"If mom likes it, she can live here with dad and not go back to Daqing Village." Shen Wanning said.
"Well, that won't work. We still have a lot of land in the village! Your father and I have been farming all our lives. If we don't farm, we won't feel comfortable." Aunt Zhang waved her hand and refused.
Shen Wanning understood what she said. In modern times, some elderly children have made a lot of money and want to bring their parents to the city to enjoy a better life. However, many parents are unwilling to do so and still prefer to farm occasionally in the countryside.
"That doesn't matter. If mom wants to come, she can come anytime. I've reserved the main courtyard for dad and mom!" Shen Wanning said.
Mrs. Wen was holding Lin Hai, and Nanny Hong was standing behind her with a bundle on her back.
As they walked, Matron Hong kept gazing at the mansion, her astonishment growing. Although it couldn't compare to the imperial palace, it was still quite luxurious compared to the residences of ordinary officials.
She interjected at the right moment, "Since the Master and the Madam are going back to the village, why don't the First and Second Madams stay here? They can't help much in the village anyway. Living here is more comfortable and will be more helpful for the children."
She had been happily moving to the Lin family that day, no longer having to live in that shabby house. She was so happy, but then she heard that Shen Wanning had taken all the other servants to Fuzhou, leaving her alone in the village. She was furious and filled with regret.
"Wherever our parents are, there we are. We can't just focus on enjoying ourselves and leave them to farm in the countryside. That would be extremely unfilial. Besides, we've been used to living in the village all our lives, so it's fine to come to Fuzhou occasionally for a visit."
As soon as Madam Wen heard her words, she knew what she was up to. She had already gotten to know Madam Hong's personality perfectly well over the past few days. Just because she was gentle didn't mean she was a pushover, so she retorted.
"Even if Second Madam doesn't think about herself, she should think about the young masters! If the young masters go to school in Fuzhou, they will be able to meet more knowledgeable teachers. This will be very good for their studies." Nanny Hong continued to persuade.
Aunt Zhang was furious. She had been displeased with Madam Hong for the past few days. She always used the excuse that she was too old to hold the baby for long periods of time and that she was enjoying a leisurely life at home. She would just wait for them to prepare the meal and then come over to eat.
"Even the Bailu Academy in the county requires one to pass the examination to become a student before entering, let alone Fuzhou. Besides, Xiaohai and the others are studying very well in the village, so there is no need for Madam Hong to worry too much." Aunt Zhang said with a cold face.
Shen Wanning disliked Nanny Hong even more, but if she said this herself, she was afraid that Xu and Wen would feel uncomfortable, so she didn't say anything.
She turned around and asked, "Second sister-in-law, Madam Hong has attended to the births of nobles in the palace, so she must be very experienced. I just wonder how you've been taking care of Xiaohai at home these past few days? Can you take good care of him?"
Without saying a word, Wen handed Lin Hai to Madam Hong. Lin Hai hugged Wen tightly and began to cry loudly.
Aunt Zhang understood what she meant and quickly clapped her hands, pretending to hug Lin Hai. "Oh, my darling, please don't cry."
As he said this, Lin Hai let go of the hand that was holding Wen, turned around and threw himself into Aunt Zhang's arms, and stopped crying again.
Shen Wanning was furious and slammed the table. "Madam Hong, I told you before I left that if I didn't take good care of him, I would not let him off easily. Is this how you've taken care of Xiao Hai these past few days?"
Nanny Hong was frightened, but she remained calm. She was sent by the Emperor, and if Shen Wanning punished her, it would be disrespectful to the Emperor. So she remained calm, simply bowing and pretending to be respectful. "The young master is still young and hasn't gotten to know me yet, so he's just shy of strangers."
Shen Wanning snorted coldly, "In a few days, if Madam Hong is willing to hug Xiao Hai more, he will remember Madam Hong, right?"
Lin He was outspoken and pointed at Madam Hong, saying, "She's talking nonsense. She never held Xiao Hai at home. It was Second Aunt who held him all day. And she doesn't cook. My mother and grandmother cook, and she just comes and eats directly."
"Madam Hong, since you can't take good care of Xiaohai and can't do other housework, I can't afford a servant like you. From today on, you should pack up and go back! I will explain the situation to the emperor, and he will definitely understand." Shen Wanning threatened.
At this moment, Madam Hong was truly frightened and quickly knelt on the ground, "Please forgive me, my Lord. I didn't mean it. I will do my best to serve the young master from now on and will never dare to be lazy."