A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 76: Three Refusals and Three Withdrawals?

evening.

When Wang Qing returned from his official duties, the servants in the courtyard all came forward to pay their respects.

They were all officially transferred to Wang Qing's name, and they became even more respectful to this old man.

Yesterday, upon learning that Wang Qing had been ordered to enter the palace, I felt even more honored.

Unlike the last time when Grandmother Jia invited him to stay for dinner, Wang Qing was late last night, but I was filled with joy as I waited for him.

Upon their return, they showered them with compliments without restraint, attempting to bring good luck.

In fact, to show their loyalty to Wang Qing, they all expressed their desire to bring their families along to serve him.

Although Wang Qing's family is not as wealthy and powerful as the Rongguo Mansion, they have the Liu family's outstanding daughter as a precedent. Although they do not have a daughter as outstanding as Liu Wu'er, they have the advantage of being able to attend the early event.

Wang Qing neither agreed nor disagreed with the suggestion, but generously allowed Xiangling to distribute the reward money.

Today, the initial enthusiasm hasn't faded yet, so I'll have to be extra attentive.

Just as everyone was chattering away, Granny Liu, who had been pushed to the sidelines, suddenly announced loudly, "Sir! Grandma Zhen has been waiting for a long time!"

"What's going on?" Wang Qing's face immediately darkened. "Your sister-in-law is here! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Everyone lowered their heads.

When Wang Qing was ignored, they treated You Shi like a treasure. Now, all the proper ladies and grandmothers in the mansion are rushing over to support him.

He didn't pay much attention to Madam You, the second wife of the Ningguo Mansion.

But Wang Qing clearly didn't think so. Although it was unexpected, it was also reasonable that Madam You came so quickly.

He assumed the other party was there for a secret rendezvous, so he naturally had to put on a good show and didn't bother to reprimand them further before rushing into the front hall.

Originally, Madam You was quite pleased with herself for the neglect shown by the servants in Wang Qing's courtyard.

Thinking that Wang Qing might become arrogant and disregard his position once he gained power, he might have a good opportunity to shirk his responsibilities.

Unexpectedly, Wang Qing had just finished reprimanding someone when he rushed into the front hall in a hurry.

Caught off guard, Madam You hurriedly got up.

Wang Qing said apologetically, "The servants were ignorant and neglected you, sister-in-law. I will discipline them later. Please forgive me!"

As expected, when she returned yesterday, Jia Zhen gave her a severe scolding, ordering her to come over every few days and telling her to stay as long as possible.

The more enthusiastic Wang Qing was, the more flustered Madam You became, and she quickly said, "They didn't mean it, Brother Qing, please don't be like this!"

"Hey! Last time you made my sister-in-law come all this way for nothing, this time you absolutely have to give me a chance to treat her properly!"

"This..." Madam You was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to push or not, and was momentarily at a loss.

"Since it's rare for my sister-in-law to come over, let's eat and chat at the same time."

Wang Qing assumed she was just putting on an act and quickly rushed outside to order, "Tell Liu's family to send the wine and dishes to the back; I want to treat my sister-in-law well!"

Upon hearing that Wang Qing was going to entertain them in the backyard, Madam You became even more flustered and subconsciously glanced at Yindie.

Seeing this, Wang Qing misunderstood and hurriedly went outside the hall, angrily saying, "You don't know any manners at all! Go and call Xiangling and Wu'er here, and let them keep Miss Yindie company for a few more drinks. If they dare to be negligent again, you'll see how I punish them!"

Soldiers faced soldiers, generals faced generals, and maids naturally had to accompany them.

However, Wang Qing was only using this opportunity to test her, but to his surprise, Yin Die didn't even refuse, and gracefully bowed, saying, "Then this servant thanks you for the wine, sir!"

Wang Qing grew increasingly confident and said with a smile, "You're my sister-in-law's relative, how could I not treat you well?"

The servants were already terrified. Although they felt it was inappropriate, the master was trying to make amends for himself, and since Yin Die had no objections, why would they want to provoke Wang Qing?

Just then, Xiangling and Liu Wu'er arrived upon hearing the news.

Wang Qing quickly invited them into the front hall to keep him company, while he gestured for them to enter.

Madam You was put on the spot, and could only follow Wang Qing's lead, walking awkwardly towards the backyard.

Once inside the backyard, with no one around and no Silver Butterfly watching over them, Madam You hesitated before saying, "I'm sorry to bother you, Brother Qing. You must be busy with matters at the yamen..."

Wang Qing assumed she was just putting on an act and quickly interrupted, "Everyone's off duty now, what could possibly be going on? Besides, even if I'm busy, I can't miss the chance to treat my sister-in-law to a meal, can I? I'm more than happy to have you here, please don't be shy!"

Lady You originally planned to take advantage of Yindie's absence to get a few words out of Wang Qing so she could deal with Jia Zhen when she got back. Unexpectedly, she became unusually enthusiastic towards him.

She was afraid of provoking Wang Qing's frequent invitations to visit again, which would backfire, so she dared not say anything more.

Thinking it over, it's just a meal; I can just wolf it down and finish it quickly.

Once inside the main room, the guests and hosts took their seats, and the food and wine were served. Wang Qing picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for You Shi and himself, asking tentatively, "I wonder if there was anything important for you when you came last time, sister-in-law?"

If anything were to happen, it would be Jia Zhen who would come looking for her. When they were in the front hall, he was worried that You Shi wouldn't be able to find an excuse and that the servants would notice something was wrong. But now, he could use that as a test and also inquire about Qin Keqing's situation.

This put Lady You in a difficult position. She couldn't very well say that Jia Zhen had sent her to give Wang Qing some sweet treats, could she?

He could only stammer, "Nothing special, I just heard that the master's house was robbed, so I thought I'd come and ask."

Sure enough, the arrest of Qin Fu and the other two caused quite a stir. Grandmother Jia even gave them the Divine Arm Bow, so why would she need to ask her about it?

Wang Qing said calmly, "I heard from my sister-in-law yesterday that something happened at home, I don't know..."

"It's nothing! Just some trivial matters, no big deal!"

Fearing he might spoil the mood, Wang Qingsheng didn't press the matter further. He slapped his forehead and feigned sudden realization, saying, "I invited my sister-in-law to stay for dinner, but I didn't tell Brother Zhen. I'll send someone right away..."

"No need, no need. I already told your brother Zhen when I came that I wanted to stay for a meal!"

He originally intended to subtly hint to Wang Qing that Jia Zhen was aware of his presence, so that he could eat quickly later and make an excuse to leave without seeming abrupt.

However, Wang Qing mistakenly thought that You Shi was implying that he should not stay too long, lest Jia Zhen become suspicious.

So, he continued tentatively, "Then let's eat quickly later?"

He added to himself, "I need to eat before I get to work!"

Little did Madam You know the complex thoughts swirling in his mind, and hurriedly said, "Yes! Yes! Eat quickly!"

One of them was thinking about finishing their meal and making a quick getaway, while the other was thinking about finishing their meal and getting down to business. In the midst of toasting and exchanging drinks, a pot of wine was emptied.

As the saying goes, three cups of wine bring flowers together, and two cups of wine serve as matchmakers.

A light buzz is the most romantic; too much is not good, and if Mrs. You gets completely drunk, it will be difficult to explain when she gets back.

Wang Qing shook the wine pot and tentatively suggested, "It's getting late, how about we skip the drinking tonight?"

"Yes! Very good!" Madam You couldn't have been happier and readily agreed.

As she spoke, she braced herself on the armrests, rose from her chair, and deliberately rubbed her forehead, saying, "I'm not a good drinker, Brother Qing, please excuse my poor drinking!"

Mr. You had a good capacity for alcohol, but he didn't drink much. Originally, he just wanted to make a show of it so that he could use it as an excuse to avoid drinking next time he visited.

But Wang Qing thought she was pretending to be drunk to embolden herself.

He had already stood up when Madam You got up, ready to pounce. As soon as Madam You finished speaking, he quickly moved closer, wrapping one arm around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace. He grabbed her other hand, which was resting on the armrest, and reminded her, "Sister-in-law, hold on tight!"

The darkness before dawn usually makes people relax their vigilance. You Shi thought that she had already accomplished her mission, but she did not expect Wang Qing to launch a sudden attack, and she was stunned.

It wasn't until that hot, large hand caressed her abdomen that she was startled. She bit her tongue sharply to suppress the desire in her heart, and struggled to break free from Wang Qing's embrace.

Wang Qing felt that things would fall into place naturally and did not deliberately restrict them.

Although their strengths were not on the same level, he could still sense whether it was a bluff or not, so he quickly let go and offered a forced explanation: "I saw that my sister-in-law was unsteady, and in my haste, I apologize for any rudeness!"

Given the extreme reaction from Ms. You, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Unexpectedly, Lady You was even more guilty than him.

Previously, he was thrown into a panic by Wang Qing's attack, and after regaining his senses, he reacted subconsciously.

At this moment, however, he remembered Jia Zhen's advice and quickly seized the opportunity to back down: "Yes, yes, yes! It's just that I can't hold my liquor, but I appreciate Brother Qing's kind intentions."

Seeing that she not only did not investigate further, but also gave herself a way out, Wang Qing muttered to himself: Could it be that Madam You is shy and has to refuse three times and do a lot of pretense before she will agree half-heartedly?

Then, looking ashamed, he said, "I have offended you today, sister-in-law. I hope you will give me another chance to make amends!"

Upon hearing this, Madam You breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded in agreement, "Yes! Yes!"

Jia Zhen had been ordering her to come over every now and then, and You Shi had no choice but to hide her embarrassment and agree to Wang Qing's invitation.

Seeing this, Wang Qing became even more certain of his guess and decided not to rush things.

……