Chapter 503 Granny Liu Enters the Grand View Garden (V)
Hearing that Lady Jia had already entered the garden, Sun Shaozong hurried out to greet her - although according to the current circumstances, it was very unlikely that the thief was still hiding in the garden, but since he had promised Baoyu, he would not go back on his word.
When they arrived at the Qinfang Bridge, they saw two old ladies sitting in the pavilion on the bridge, talking to them with Mrs. Wang, Li Wan and Wang Xifeng.
Jia Baoyu, led by Daiyu and Xiangyun, stood side by side on the bridge, looking around. Even in the bridge hole below, there were Zijuan and others standing guard, as if they were afraid that thieves would emerge from the water and launch a surprise attack.
Seeing Sun Shaozong rushing over, Jia Baoyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to go down the bridge to greet him, someone suddenly stood up from the table, muttered something and knelt on the ground. It was none other than Granny Liu who had described Sun Shaozong as the King of Hell yesterday.
When everyone saw this, they couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh, except Jia's grandmother, who said it was not allowed and asked someone to help Granny Liu to get up quickly.
As a result, the maids nearby were dawdling, but Sun Shaozong came up quickly, stretched out his hand to pull the old lady up from the ground, and helped her to the stone bench covered with a cotton mattress, saying with a smile: "I had an appointment with Brother Bao to stroll around the garden, but I didn't expect to disturb the two old people's leisure. If I had known this would happen, I would not have come."
Jia Mu beside her hurriedly said, "What's the point of making trouble? They are all relatives anyway, and there are no outsiders. If Erlang doesn't mind, why don't you just accompany us two old ladies for a walk?"
Jia Baoyu and Mrs. Wang beside him all echoed in support, so Sun Shaozong naturally went along with it.
So at Jia's mother's command, everyone gathered around her again and went to Lin Daiyu's Xiaoxiang Pavilion in a bustling manner.
Speaking of which, it was the first time for Sun Shaozong to enter this courtyard. He saw Xiangfei bamboos planted on both sides and the ground was covered with moss. There was only a small path in the middle that looked like a sheep farm. It was paved with stones and could be used by pedestrians to enter and exit.
When Granny Liu saw this, she rushed to make way for Lady Jia and the others, while she herself walked forward on the moss.
When Amber, the maidservant beside Grandmother Jia, saw this, she hurried over to her and grabbed her, saying, "Grandma, please come up quickly, or you will slip on the moss!"
Granny Liu waved her hands and grinned, "It's okay, it's okay. We country folk don't have to worry about slippery floors. Just keep walking, girls. If your beautiful embroidered shoes for brides get dirty, I, an old woman, will feel bad for you."
She was so busy waving her hands and talking that she suddenly slipped and fell flat on her face. Everyone who saw her couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Although Grandmother Jia couldn't help laughing, she hurriedly urged, "Little girls, why don't you help her up quickly? You're just laughing!"
Before she finished speaking, Granny Liu had already climbed up from the ground, still grinning and saying, "I got slapped just as I was talking. It's not the girls' fault for laughing."
Not to mention how Lady Jia asked her if she was hurt, and how Granny Liu responded with witty remarks.
However, Jia Baoyu, after being reminded by Sun Shaozong, saw some flaws. He tilted his head and sneered, "Brother is right. She obviously fell on purpose to make people laugh. It's a pity that she is so old and still willing to work so hard."
Originally, he felt somewhat close to this interesting old country lady, but when he saw that the old lady was acting, he felt that his family had been fooled and deceived, and he unconsciously began to dislike her.
Sun Shaozong just sighed and replied quietly: "How pitiful are the parents in the world."
Before Jia Baoyu could figure out what this meant, Jia's mother and others had already arrived at the door. Zijuan opened the Xiang curtain and invited Jia's mother and others to come in and sit down. Lin Daiyu then personally brought tea to Jia's mother on a small tea tray.
When asked about Mrs. Wang's preferences, she replied indifferently, "We don't drink tea, so you don't have to pour it for us, young lady."
Although this statement was not impolite, it was actually a hint of alienation.
Therefore, the smile on Lin Daiyu's face suddenly became embarrassed, and while ordering someone to send a chair to Mrs. Wang, she quietly stepped aside.
Tsk~
Sun Shaozong saw this scene through the curtain outside and cast a sympathetic look at Jia Baoyu - it seems that this pair of happy enemies still has a long way to go if they want to achieve a happy ending.
Seeing that his sweetheart was scolded by her own mother, Jia Baoyu was naturally very embarrassed. He wanted to comfort Lin Daiyu, but it was not convenient to leave Sun Shaozong alone. So he could only chat with Sun Shaozong about irrelevant things while secretly flirting with Lin Daiyu through the curtain.
But Jia's mother chatted with Granny Liu for a while, and suddenly she pointed at the window screen and said to Mrs. Wang, "This screen looks good when it's new, but it won't be green after a while. Besides, the bamboos are already green, so it doesn't match well with this green screen. I remember we have four or five different colors of screens for the windows. Let's replace the window with new ones tomorrow."
The first person who should be asked about the trivial matters in the garden should be Wang Xifeng, or at the very least Li Wan. However, Lady Jia talked to Mrs. Wang, and her words implied that she was blaming Mrs. Wang for not caring about her niece Daiyu.
This time it was Mrs. Wang who was in trouble, but unlike Lin Daiyu, she had her own ally in the room - Wang Xifeng jumped out immediately and made jokes in an attempt to cover up the embarrassment.
It is often said that three women make a play, and the Rongguo Mansion is simply a continuous play.
Sun Shaozong shook his head secretly and was too lazy to listen to the witty remarks between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Seeing a bamboo pavilion not far away, he planned to invite Jia Baoyu to sit over for a while.
Who knew that just as she was about to speak, Jia Baoyu suddenly took a few steps forward and called out happily, "Aunt? Why are you here?!"
Sun Shaozong then discovered that there were several masters and servants rushing towards him along the narrow path. Although the one in the lead was wrapped neatly, it was still difficult to hide her ripe and plump body. Who else could it be but Aunt Xue?
"I came to see your sister. I happened to hear that the old lady was in the garden, so I hurried over to say hello to her."
Aunt Xue was speaking with a smile on her face when she suddenly saw a majestic figure flash out from behind Jia Baoyu. Her expression immediately became a little unnatural.
"Meet auntie."
As Sun Shaozong stepped forward to greet him, he felt a little embarrassed. After all, that kind of thing had just happened a few days ago, and it was bound to be a little awkward to meet again.
Fortunately, Jia Baoyu was now fully expecting Aunt Xue to come in and put an end to the awkward atmosphere, and he did not notice the strange atmosphere between the two. He stepped forward and pulled up Aunt Xue's white and soft hands, and hurriedly urged: "The old lady mentioned you two days ago, I will take you in!"
Sun Shaozong stepped aside, watched Aunt Xue go into the house, and then went to the pavilion to rest.
About half a quarter of an hour later, the old lady came out first, followed by Granny Liu, Mrs. Wang, Aunt Xue and others. They were all talking and laughing, and there was no sign of the open or surreptitious struggle that had just taken place.
It was not until the very end when Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu appeared that the harmonious atmosphere of the family was suddenly destroyed - Jia Baoyu leaned over and said something flatteringly, but Lin Daiyu kept a straight face and ignored him.
Sun Shaozong originally wanted to quietly follow the angry couple so as not to disturb their flirting, but as soon as they left Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Lin Daiyu deliberately slowed down her pace and walked side by side with him and said, "Second Brother Sun, do you think those thieves will come back?"
“It’s hard to say.”
Sun Shaozong shook his head and said, "After all, it's not easy for men to enter this garden. At most, it's tight outside and loose inside."
"Don't be afraid, sister!"
Jia Baoyu followed Daiyu closely. After hearing this, he immediately patted his chest and said, "If those thieves really dare to come back, I will definitely protect you."
Lin Daiyu didn't even look at him, she just sneered and said, "If it weren't for Xiren and the others yesterday, I would have been careless a long time ago, right? How dare you speak so shamelessly here!"
Jia Baoyu was so choked by her words that he rolled his eyes. It took him a long while to recover. He did not dare to provoke her again, so he went to Sun Shaozong to talk about it: "The gymnastics that Second Brother taught you are really useful. Sister Lin has become much stronger since she learned the gymnastics. Otherwise, she would have fallen ill today after being frightened last night."
"how?"
Unexpectedly, Lin Daiyu got angry again, glared at him with her watery eyes, and said angrily: "Do you think I am weak and sickly, and timid?"
"I didn't say that!"
Jia Baoyu was attentive and attentive to her for a long time, but seeing that she was still unmoved, he became a little annoyed and threw his sleeves away, ready to retort.
"Second brother."
At this moment, Jia Tanchun suddenly turned back and said jokingly, "It's rare that grandma's behavior and conversation are so interesting. Why is Second Brother still only talking to Sister Lin?"
Jia Baoyu was annoyed that Sister Lin was taking her anger out on him, and he also disliked Granny Liu's deliberate ugliness, so when he heard this, he immediately raised his eyebrows and sneered, "I think that old woman is not only boring, but also very annoying!"
This actually proves the old saying that 'the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional'. Tanchun is grateful to Jia Baoyu for Jia Huan's arson yesterday, and is thinking about how to repay him.
Now, hearing that he was very displeased with Granny Liu, Jia Tanchun rolled her eyes and went to the front to find Wang Xifeng and Li Wan, saying with a smile, "Every day we say that the gentlemen outside have to have a bamboo-striped man to accompany them when they have a drink or a meal, so that they can amuse themselves with him. I never thought that we would get a female bamboo-striped man today."
Li Wan was a kind person and didn't understand much.
Sister Feng knew she was talking about Granny Liu, so she also laughed and said, "Since this opportunity is so rare, let's just make fun of her today."
So the two aunts and sisters-in-law discussed it privately, only to hear Li Wanzi shaking her head and saying that they did not do any good things and were even more naughty than their own Lan Ge'er.
After making up her mind, Wang Xifeng hurried over to ask Lady Jia where they would have lunch.
Hearing Grandmother Jia casually order Jia Tanchun's Qiu Shuang Zhai, Wang Xifeng had no more scruples in her heart. She turned around and took a shortcut to Qiu Shuang Zhai with Tanchun, Li Wan, Amber, Suyun and the waiters, and set up a table in Xiaocuitang and arranged the food and wine.
