Maid of a wealthy family

Chapter 14
When I saw Chrysanthemum, I saw a large bed under the window on the north wall of the room. The bed was covered with a purple satin quilt and a long white poplin pillow.Next to the south window, there is a dressing table, which is full of large and small women's powder boxes, combs, and other things, and there is a low-backed chair in front of the table.There is also a large wardrobe diagonally opposite the bed.In addition, there was a small round table covered with a tablecloth and surrounding it were some matching chairs.Chrysanthemum couldn't believe that she lived in this room, she took a deep breath, but smelled a thick, refreshing fragrance.She didn't know whether the fragrance came from the embroidered quilts and tents inside the house, or the flowers, trees and herbs outside the building.She looked at Wang Ma anxiously and asked, "Just live here..."

Wang Ma seemed to see Chrysanthemum's hesitation, and said, "The old lady told the wife to live here! It's close to the old lady and the wife, so it's convenient."

Chrysanthemum was still worried, and then asked: "I live here alone!"

Wang Ma said: "Why are you alone? Next to this is the house of the master and his wife, and opposite is the old lady's Yiyuan. You can hear the voice of talking."

Chrysanthemum no longer asked.For a moment, thinking of Xi Juan's tragic beating, she couldn't help but said to Wang Ma: "Wang Ma, why did Xi Juan scold the master and the old lady?"

Wang Ma sighed, and said after a while: "Girl, who knows? Strange things can happen in this mansion. Miss Xi Juan may feel wronged somewhere." After finishing speaking, she hurried downstairs.

Chrysanthemum stood alone in the room, thinking about Wang Ma's words for a long time, and finally returned to the matter in front of her.She stood there blankly, not daring to touch the things in the house, thinking: "What a strange thing, is this where I live? Is this where a servant or a girl lives? No! No! It must be a mistake." !" However, Wang Ma's words sounded clearly again: "The old lady and the wife have said that they will live here! This place is close to the old lady and the wife, so it is convenient!" The two voices were fighting in Chrysanthemum's heart. A timid little mouse walked gently to the bed and touched the quilt with his hand.The quilt was so soft, and a faint fragrance was constantly inhaled into her lungs. When she heard the "stabbing" sound of her rough palm touching the quilt, she immediately retracted her hand in fear.Then, she put her bundle on the bed, walked carefully to the dressing table, picked up those powder boxes and looked at them, she didn't know the words on them, but she saw that the beauties on the boxes were extremely beautiful.She opened one, only to see that as the fragrance powder drifted away from the box cover, a strong smell stimulated her to open her eyes wide, her nostrils were itchy and she wanted to sneeze, she quickly closed the box cover, put it back, Walk along the dresser to the table.She lifted up the light green tablecloth and looked. The table turned out to be vermilion, very bright.She covered the tablecloth, and finally went to the wardrobe.She opened the door of the cupboard, only to see several clothes neatly folded inside, all made of satin, smooth and beautiful.She wanted to touch it with her hands, but retracted again, and then closed the cupboard door with a "slam" as if she had accidentally peeped into someone else's privacy.At this time, she suddenly believed: This is definitely not the house she lives in!Wang Ma must have made a mistake!She should live in a shabby, damp house, in a house that smells of mold, sweat, and swill.She should only be in the company of mosquitoes, flies, and mice!And this place was a place she couldn't even dream of.Thinking of this, she immediately went to the bed to grab the small bundle, ran downstairs in panic, and ran out of the Moon Gate.

The old lady and Mrs. Ning were standing by the lotus pond talking, when she saw her running out in a panic, the old lady hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Chrysanthemum came to them, and after a while, she lowered her head and said hesitantly: "Old lady, madam, I, I should live in the next room..."

When the old lady and Ning heard this, they laughed again.Ning said: "That's where servants live, you go and live."

Chrysanthemum blushed, but still murmured, "I, I'm here to do the work..."

Before she finished speaking, the old lady pulled her by her side and said, "Girl, don't worry, we won't treat you as an outsider! Although you came to our house to be a servant, in my heart, I only regard you as a daughter." You go! There are clothes in the closet, but I don’t know if they fit you? If it doesn’t fit, I’ll do it later. When you come to our house, you have to look like a member of a big family. Don’t let people look down on us! Go, ah! Change your clothes, come down and have dinner with us later."

When Chrysanthemum heard this, she was still a little dubious.After a while, he bowed gratefully to the old lady and wife, and walked into the Moon Gate again.

When she came to the room again, she became a little curious and happy when she saw everything, and her eyes swept over the furnishings in the room again. Now, she finally believed that this was where she lived!She put down her burden, rushed to the bed eagerly, pressed her hands hard on the satin quilt, then went to open the previous powder box, held it in front of her nose for a long time, and breathed in the strange fragrance vigorously.This time, she felt that her nostrils had adapted to the smell.Sniffing, this peasant girl who had never seen and enjoyed such nobility and wealth gradually filled her heart with a kind of dizziness and happiness. She remembered what Wang Ma said, and asked herself in her heart: "I really fell into the blessing In the den? Really?"

Then, she quickly affirmed her thoughts.Yes, a kind old lady like a grandmother, a beautiful, rich, kind, and kind wife, a beautiful garden, a house that only rich wives and young ladies can live in... She believes that she really walked into a good family After the days of disquiet and the pain of parting in the morning, her spirits were now settled and beamed with joy, at least for the time being.She said in her heart: "I, a girl from a poor family, unexpectedly came here. I must serve the master here just like I serve my mother and father!" At this time, Chrysanthemum suddenly developed a sense of responsibility and mission. feel.Yes, she did not come here to enjoy herself!Her identity is a maidservant, a servant, and her master treats her so benevolently, she can't be unfaithful to her master, she must do a good job to repay him.Thinking of this, Chrysanthemum suddenly re-covered the powder box, put it back on the table, came to untie her burden, took out a coarse cloth apron, tied it on, and hurried downstairs.

She wanted to help Wang Ma with work.

As soon as he walked out of the garden, he was seen by the old lady and his wife again, and they asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"

Chrysanthemum said, "I'll help Wang Ma with work."

The old lady said, "What do you want to do? Come here, girl."

Chrysanthemum walked over, and the old lady took her hand and said, "Girl, look at your hands, which should be thin and tender, but they have become washboards. It makes people feel distressed to look at them."

Chrysanthemum also looked at the calluses on both hands, remembering the "stinging" sound when she touched the quilt, she blushed and said, "I'm used to it."

The old lady said: "Just rest, ah! Our family doesn't need a girl like you to do rough work."

Chrysanthemum wants to ask, what do you want me to do?But the words stopped at the edge of his mouth, he only looked at the old lady and wife hesitantly and asked: "Then I..."

At this time, Ning put her hand on the chrysanthemum shoulder and interrupted her kindly, saying: "You just listen to the old lady! If you can't be idle, you can talk with the old lady and relax in the garden."

Chrysanthemum gave an "um" to show that she understood.

The old lady looked at the chrysanthemum again and said: "Why are you still wearing this dress? Be obedient, go and change your clothes quickly! Don't let people say that our Lan Manor is unfriendly!"

Chrysanthemum felt a little sorry when she heard what the old lady said so seriously, she hurriedly responded, turned around and ran towards the Moon Gate.

Back upstairs, she opened the closet door and opened the clothes one by one.God, what clothes are these!It was all silk, soft, smooth, and radiant.She has never seen such a good material!In the past to rush to the market, she could only stand far outside the gate of the silk and satin shop, and hurriedly glanced at the colorful silk and satin. It was a place she dared not even visit in her dreams!But now, she has so many gorgeous clothes!She couldn't believe it was true.She picked up a beige short jacket with a full front of cloth, looked at it again and again, then pressed it to her face, and stroked it gently.A refreshing, creamy, comfortable feeling like the spring breeze blowing across the cheeks immediately appeared in the bottom of my heart.She couldn't tell how intoxicating the feeling was.After rubbing for a while, she put it down, quickly took off the coarse cloth gown on her body, and put on this silk gown.When she walked to the mirror and looked at it, she unconsciously screamed, my God, is this me?Is it yourself?

However, that is the true self!In the mirror, her waist is so slender and slender, but her chest is so protruding.Through the thin material, she could vaguely see two breasts protruding like small hills.She had never discovered that her breasts were so developed.Now, she's a little shy about what she's found.She hastily took off the satin and changed it to another.She wanted to find a dress that was wider and could hide her breasts, but after changing several pieces in a row, she found that these clothes were cut too small, almost as if they were framed on her body, and she couldn't hide her body lines a little bit. do it.Facing a lot of clothes, she was worried: Which one should I wear?Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she remembered the cheongsam her wife was wearing.Immediately, she completely subconsciously decided to wear that long cheongsam herself!She shook off two cheongsams, one of which was exactly the same as his wife's.She picked it up and was about to wear it, but hesitated again.After a while, she put it down again, picked up the lotus-colored one, looked at it, and then put it on.Then I went to the mirror and took a look, and found that the cheongsam seemed to be custom-made for her, and it fit her slender and well-fitting body so well.Although she also felt embarrassed by the lines of her whole body, she faintly felt that wearing this dress, she seemed to have the fashionable, dignified and somewhat reserved temperament of her wife.She looked at herself back and forth, and the more she looked, the more she felt like a different person.

Just after changing clothes, Wang Ma called her to eat from below.Only then did Chrysanthemum come back to her senses, and hesitated for a moment.She didn't know if she should wear this eye-catching outfit.After hesitating for a while, I finally mustered up the courage to go down.

Beside Quchi, the old lady and his wife were waiting for her.Chrysanthemum walked over anxiously, and the old lady cried out: "Oh, it's so beautiful, it looks like a person walking out of a painting."

Chrysanthemum blushed, a shy and embarrassed look appeared in her eyes and cheeks.She shouted anxiously: "Old lady, madam..."

The old lady seemed to see what she was thinking, and immediately took her hand and said: "My child, don't be shy! Put on this dress, the more I look at it, the more I want to see it." Saying that, she took Chrysanthemum's hand Hand, like holding his own daughter, walked to the dining hall.

When she got there, Chrysanthemum was stunned again.There were seven or eight plates on the table, and the things inside were very fragrant, but she couldn't name any of them.She eats sweet potatoes, radishes, and wild vegetables at home. The best meal she ate in her life was the "nine big bowls" she ate on the day her cousin got married.Seeing her dazed look, the old lady hurriedly said: "Miss, eat! This duck is called Bazhen. If you are not used to eating it, eat this Babao duck!" Then she moved the plate containing the duck to the table. When he came to the chrysanthemum, he picked up a small knife on the plate, cut off a duck leg, put it in the chrysanthemum bowl, and said, "Try it, my child, it is much more delicious than the duck you eat at home!" Then, as if to show off, he said: "Although ducks are very common, it is not easy! It is very troublesome just to choose this duck. This duck can only use fat ducks that were raised in the past. It should not be too heavy or heavy. It is too light, usually only about two catties. After killing and washing, apply high-quality soy sauce on the duck, adjust with monosodium glutamate and spices. Fresh lean meat should also be chopped into meat paste, mixed with Yutang vegetable crumbs, Kaiyang powder, Dried, winter shredded, add mother and child soy sauce, monosodium glutamate to reconcile. Then add mushrooms, black fungus, day lily, mixed with a small amount of shrimp, stuff it into the duck belly, sew it with thin gut, put it on this plate, and then Cook it on low heat for half an hour. This was my favorite food when I was young, try it."

Chrysanthemum picked up the duck leg and took a bite. It was really soft and delicious, and it was very delicious.She couldn't help but think of the egg-laying hen she killed at home in the morning, thinking, the same thing, money.What you enjoy is different.

After eating, Chrysanthemum returned to the room, thinking about it again.Take a look at the house, the clothes, the food, and the intimacy of the old lady with each mouthful of "my child". Is this the day of a servant?No, it's clear that Lan Mansion treats itself as the most honored guest.Why is Kelan Mansion like this?They waived the rent owed by their own family, and paid back the money every month to bring themselves here, just to let themselves wear silk and satin, eat delicacies from mountains and seas, and live like a fairy?Is there such a beauty in the world?No, absolutely not!But how to explain the current situation?Why did the Lan family support themselves for nothing like this?Are they planning for the future?But what can she do in the future?As a weak woman, she can neither guard the house for such a large manor, nor go out to rob their houses or wipe out their enemies for them, let alone manage their property for them, so why?After much deliberation, Chrysanthemum only thought of one answer.That means she has just arrived, as the saying goes, she has only been here for three days as a guest, Lan Mansion is a benevolent person, and treats her as a guest.Maybe in a few days, they won't be like this.At that time, the master is the master, and the servant is the servant, and they may have to assign themselves to work to show their face.But I thought again, even if I was a guest, I wouldn't be able to prepare such nice clothes for myself and eat at the same table with the old lady and wife!Thinking of this, Chrysanthemum was confused again.She really couldn't find the answer, so she wasn't going to think about it any more.However, based on her intuition and sensitivity, Lan Fu must have some purpose in treating her like this.There is no such thing as a free meal in the world.Therefore, psychologically, she instinctively built a dam of defense.In her heart, she told herself, "No matter what, I have to be careful! Don't be fooled, definitely not be fooled!"

Thinking of this, tiredness gradually came up.She lay down on the bed and soon fell asleep.

In her sleep, she seemed to have returned to that poor, shabby home again.She saw a group of younger brothers and sisters playing games in the moonlit yard, wearing tattered clothes.While doing it, I sang an old-fashioned nursery rhyme:

"The big moon, the little moon,

My brother got up and learned to scorn the craftsman,
Sister-in-law got up and hit the soles of her shoes,
The mother-in-law got up and steamed glutinous rice.

The cowherd boy smells the fragrance of glutinous rice,
Play the gong to pick up the girl..."

She watched it with gusto, and was about to join in.Ran Longgui suddenly stood up from among his siblings.Ran Longgui stared at her with big eyes, as if he didn't know her.She looked down and found that she was still wearing the lotus-colored sleeveless cheongsam given by Lanfu.She understood, smiled embarrassedly at Ran Longgui, and said, "Long Gui, it's me." But Ran Longgui ignored her, turned around and left.She was in a hurry, and hurried to catch up, calling: "Long Gui, wait for me, I'm Chrysanthemum."

But Ran Longgui didn't seem to hear him, he just kept walking forward.She ran after her.But she chased fast, and Ran Longgui also ran fast, and she chased slowly, and Ran Longgui also walked slowly, anyway, there was a distance between them.She knew it was the satin dress that was causing the trouble, so she took off the cheongsam while chasing her, and said to Ran Longgui, "Long Gui, don't run away, I won't wear this dress anymore!"

As she spoke, she threw the clothes in her hand aside.But at this moment, she suddenly heard a "bang bang," and the ground in front of her cracked, and the cracks became wider and wider. She could no longer chase Ran Longgui, so she cried and shouted: "Longgui, save me!" Help me—" she shouted, jumping down the cliff recklessly, she woke up and realized that she had a nightmare.

(End of this chapter)