The Precious Lady – Chapter 125

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第125章 屋漏偏逢连夜雨
陈妈眼观鼻鼻观心,瞧见姑爷没跟着来,就知道这小两口还在闹别扭。

温家宅院不算大,平日里家中有个风吹草动,都逃不过她陈妈的眼睛。

姑娘已经在书房睡了两三日了。

少主人夫妇吵架,连带着温家下人们都小心翼翼。

四人行至绿萍爹娘家,那是一处土坯瓦房,院子不大,院内挂着白灯笼,白布一搭,灵堂一摆,几张简陋的席面,稀稀拉拉的一些客人,便是全部。

乡下人家不讲究,更何况绿萍早就卖给温家,说起来也不算他们家的人。

温婉看见那简陋的灵棚,眉目一拧,“不是拨了他们二十两银子办丧事吗?”

陈妈心知绿萍那爹娘要暗中克扣,可到底是在别家灵堂上,她担心温婉眼下揉不得沙子,便只好囫囵道:“还要办席面呢,那是大头。再说一副好棺也得花费好几两银子。乡下人家…只能这样。”

又担心绿萍爹娘为了五十两银子来找温婉闹,陈妈便将此事告知温婉,只不过推说是温维明的主意。

眼下姑娘和姑爷闹成这样,她哪儿还敢说是赵恒的主意。

温婉得知绿萍爹娘没讨到好处,也不在乎这五十两银子的事儿,不过这会气过了头冷静下来,也知道那一晚赵恒做得对。

人死灯灭,眼下这一切的热闹都是做给活人看。

温婉自诩冷静,不料也有矫情的时候。

她大步跨进去,绿萍嫂子接待的她,那是个老实内秀的妇人,瘦成枯柴,手不停磋磨围裙一角,讨好殷勤的招待她,“温掌柜来了?您坐,您坐…婆母在后院忙活着呢,我去叫她来。”

说话间,小院坝里十几个亲戚们都争先恐后的往这边看,又大喇喇的指指点点,红梅青着一张脸,也不反驳,只是默默的站在温婉身后替她遮挡住那些探究的视线。

“不必。我来上柱香便走。”

“哦哦…”小媳妇拿不定主意,脚像是焊在那儿一样不动弹,眼瞅着温婉一行人上了三炷香。

好在绿萍那老娘从后院窜了过来,一瞅见温婉就跟见仇人似的,上前就捉住温婉的手腕,呜呼哀哉的嚎啕起来,“大家都来看啊!就是这温家酒坊的少东家…她害了我女儿!我都听人说了,是这温掌柜在外面得罪了人,那些人本来要抓她的,这女人心肠恶毒,明知外头有仇家,还让我女儿穿上她的衣裳在外头跑…我女儿是代她死的!”

“温家家大业大的,给我们二十两银子就完事!那可是一条活生生的人命啊——”

“你害死了我女儿就想走,那不能够!”

绿萍娘一屁股坐在地上,开始哀嚎,“大家伙都评评理啊——我女儿死得惨…二十两银子够干啥啊,买棺材都不够!”

红梅气得直呛她,“放你娘的屁!那绿萍早就被你一两银子给卖了!是我家姑娘好心,特让你二人领了尸体回去,还给你二十两银子风光大葬!你出去打听打听,哪个丫头死了主家还这么大方的?!”

绿萍娘哭得更惨了,“大方?那是她心虚!她也知道是她害死了我女儿,所以才拿银子捂我们的嘴呢!”

温婉一动不动,任凭她抓着手,怒极反笑,顺势问道:“那你想如何呢?”

那妇人听她口风有转圜余地,眼睛滴溜溜的转,“你必须赔我五十两!你那日亲口答应了的!你堂堂掌柜,怎可言而无信?!”

说一千道一万,无非是想讹银子罢了。

温婉看了一眼灵堂,想着绿萍的模样,终究吞下这股火。

“我并没有言而无信。那五十两银子…我已经给了你家族老…”温婉不动痕迹抽出手,“不信你可以寻他们问问。”

绿萍那娘眼睛一下瞪大,“当真?”

“千真万确。”

说话间,温婉已经抽身离开,而绿萍那娘已经招呼着绿萍爹去找家中族老们要银子。

温婉并没有走远。

绿萍下葬的时辰定好,不好再改,温婉眼睁睁的看着绿萍爹娘丢下绿萍出了门子去,只留先前跟她搭话的长媳并两个堂兄弟操持下葬一事。

这后事…办得潦草又糊涂,半点规矩不讲。

她站在山坳上,看着他们十几个人抬着那副棺材到了落定的地方,一番敲锣吹打后,几个穿白麻孝服的人开始挖土下棺。

大陈朝未出嫁的女子后事简单,尸体随意用草席一裹,选个山清水秀的好地方落葬,甚至不需立碑写名,放几块石头看着像个坟包便可。

像绿萍这样的,能穿一身像样的寿衣,再打一副厚棺材落土,那已经是极其体面的事情。

细细的雨又开始,仿若老天垂泪。

红梅撑起一把油纸伞,遮住三人头顶。

温婉忽然觉得这一切好生无趣。

红梅感慨着:“早知这后事办得如此潦草,还不如由我们来操办,总好过便宜这对豺狼夫妻。”

陈妈便骂:“你还嫌温家不够热闹?若是小姐办了这后事,平县老百姓还不知道怎么议论咱家没规矩不体面…”

想想这大半年以来,老爷病重、小姐招婿、绿萍出事,一桩桩一件件,温家已经沦为平县百姓茶余饭后的笑料。

红梅鼻头酸涩,抿抿唇,“我不过是…替绿萍觉得不值罢了。”

雨势渐起。

模糊了视线。

陈妈忽然听到温婉问她,“陈妈,那地方不好…潮湿背光…我们能给绿萍挪个更好的地方吗?”

红梅闻言,也紧张又期待的看过来。

陈妈吓了一跳,“小姐莫说胡话。这好端端的坟…哪能扒开挪动啊…”

陈妈又念了好几声“阿弥陀佛”谢罪。

温婉抽回视线,转身而去,“绿萍…红梅…我们走吧。”

话毕,一阵沉默。

这些日子,她忙着抢酒坊、制新酒、斗元敬,忙得脚不沾地,刻意的让自己不要去想绿萍。

只要她如鸵鸟一般蜷缩起来,绿萍便没有死。

她却一直忘了一件事。

那就是…适应没有绿萍的日子。

“啊…”雨丝淡淡,一如那女子的侧颜,水雾迷了眼睛,温婉心底一阵被撕扯的痛,偏她脸上还笑着,“又忘了。绿萍已经不在了…”

走到城门处,早有温家小厮撑伞而至,他一看见温婉的马车便冲了过来,着急忙慌的说道:“大姑娘,不好了…老爷病重!”

雨声淅淅,平县的天空乌云遮蔽,风雨欲来。

温婉回到温宅,赵恒在门前等她,夫妻两前一刻还在闹别扭,这一刻却已经相携入内。

赵恒的声音比外头的日光还要沉上一分,“早上你刚离开平县,父亲去茶楼小坐,吐了一回血,紧接着便是昏迷不醒。店小二帮忙将父亲抬回来,我请了严大夫来给爹治病,也把府内下人盘问了一遍。”

(本章完)

The Precious Lady

The Precious Lady

万金娘子
Author:

The text is as follows: "【The Merchant Lady vs. The Cunning Power Lord】 It is said that the Wen family in Ping County has a fortune made of gold and jewels, even the bowls for eating are made of gold. Unfortunately, Old Master Wen has difficulty producing heirs, with only two daughters. With Old Master Wen gravely ill, the Wen family is about to be stripped bare by relatives. The newly arrived Wen Wan is quite anxious. She desperately needs a well-behaved and docile son-in-law—just as Wei Zheng, the Marquis of Huai'an, who was sent to Jiangnan to investigate a case, is ambushed and left in critical condition, he is knocked unconscious and urgently delivered to Wen Wan’s bed. The amnesiac Wei Zheng becomes the Wen family's son-in-law Zhao Heng. His hand that once wielded a sword turns into one that cooks soup. Finally, Wen Wan diagnoses a pregnancy and without hesitation throws the drugged Wei Zheng into the snow-capped mountains five hundred miles away, leaving him to fend for himself. Meanwhile, she dons a white flower on her head and black gauze on her arm, throwing a banquet to bid farewell to her "suddenly deceased" husband. When the citizens of Ping County mention the merchant lady, they all sigh: This young woman is suffering! Her man is dead, leaving her to live with her old father and two children. Don’t let her wealth fool you; she must be in immense pain. Wen Wan wipes her tears with a handkerchief, repeatedly agreeing, fearing others might see her secretly delighted heart. Later, as the Wen family's fortunes attract envy, Wen Wan is thrown into prison. The one handling the case is none other than the renowned Marquis of Huai'an. The Wen family exhausts all their wealth in efforts, but the case makes no progress. In the prison, a cold-eyed man in a blue shirt asks her, “Merchant Wen, I’ve heard that you once vowed to remain faithful to your deceased husband for life?” Wen Wan trembles: Brother, I was being honest, please let me go."

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