Maid of a wealthy family

Chapter 23 Taking away the innocence (1)
However, there is one thing that still makes Chrysanthemum confused, and that is the attitude of some servants of the Lan Mansion towards her.

First of all, it was Wang Ma.Chrysanthemum really doesn't understand, this old woman, for some reason, always looks at her with complicated and examining eyes, as if she wants to find out some secrets from her.When Chrysanthemum saw this kind of gaze for the first time, she still felt a kind of concern.After a long time of loving affection, Chrysanthemum felt uncomfortable, and felt that the old woman was like a spy lurking beside her, a legendary witch with malicious intentions.One day, Wang Ma called her to her side mysteriously, stroked her hand and asked affectionately, "Girl, tell me, are you really born to your mother?" Afraid she might lie.

When Chrysanthemum heard this, she suddenly became angry, and as if she had been greatly insulted, she suddenly withdrew her hand from Wang Ma's and said angrily, "You're a strange person! You weren't born by my mother." , who gave birth to it?"

She wanted to say a few words to Wang Ma: "A dog bites a mouse, mind your own business", but suddenly she saw Wang Ma's face became very pale in an instant, her eyelids trembled as if she was about to cry, so she held back The swear words that were about to come out, left the old lady unhappy.

Back in the room, she opened the package, took out the silver collar and longevity lock that her mother gave her before leaving, rubbed it repeatedly, and thought in her heart: Could it be that she was not born by her parents?Do not!She didn't want to admit it in her heart, but she also believed that her mother would not tell lies.Besides, what did mother do to lie to her?Which parent does not love their children?So, who gave birth to her?Why did her biological parents abandon her cruelly?Also, the old woman in the garden seemed to know her secret.This series of questions bothered her, and she couldn't think of a clue.In addition, it was the head of the outer court named Xi Juan who always regarded her as an enemy.As soon as he saw her, he wanted to swallow her in one gulp.The girl named Dacui, although a little better, was depressed all day long, with a gloomy face and a look of despair. Chrysanthemum didn't know why she was like this, and formed another mystery in her heart.

Chrysanthemum couldn't figure out what was happening in front of her eyes, and couldn't solve the mystery in her heart, so she didn't plan to figure it out and seek the answer.Wherever she went to sing the songs of which mountains, she only felt that her life as a servant was good.If there is any deficiency or regret, it is that she feels that this day is too quiet and lonely.

It's no wonder, after all, she is an elf who came from nature.A busy and tiring life used to living an unrestrained life, a peasant girl with a bit of wildness.Now, shut up in this garden like a bird, how could she not feel lonely?
One day, she was alone in the garden, looking at the bright lotus flowers in the lotus pond and the faint clear water under the green leaves, and suddenly remembered the lively scene of singing "Yangge" at home, and hummed involuntarily:
"The rice paddies are harvested in opposite rows,

Love brother, follow up quickly!

May the harvest be good this year,
To arrange the happy event. "

Just after singing, there were two applause of "Papa" from behind.Chrysanthemum looked back, but the master applauded and said, "Juhua, you sing so well! It's so good!" After saying that, Lan Hongen came over.

Chrysanthemum blushed and immediately lowered her head.

Lan Hongen didn't care about this, and went straight to Chrysanthemum, still kindly asking: "Chrysanthemum, tell me, what song are you singing?"

Chrysanthemum's face became more and more red, red to the back of the ears and neck.Her skin was originally fair and tender, but after this embarrassment, her red skin looked even more delicate and charming.She didn't know that Lan Horn's eyes were on her skin, so she said shyly and softly: "I didn't sing anything."

Lan Horn said, "Why didn't you sing? I heard you singing!"

Chrysanthemum said: "Hum whatever you want."

Lan Hongen said: "Humming casually is so good, but singing seriously is even more amazing, isn't it, Chrysanthemum?"

After hearing this, Chrysanthemum didn't know how to answer.There was a trace of panic in her heart.Because apart from Ran Longgui, no other man talked to her so close, so close that she could already smell the aura emanating from Lan Hongen's body.Although he is the master and the master, Chrysanthemum still feels uncomfortable.She wanted to leave, but she was afraid of being scolded by the master, so she could only stare at the tip of her shoe, and gently stirred the hem of the clothes with the index finger and thumb of her left hand.

Lan Hongen may have noticed her embarrassment, so he didn't ask Chrysanthemum any more, but said: "Wait, Chrysanthemum!" After saying that, he went back to his room.

After a while, Lan Hongen took a guqin in his arms, came to the pavilion of Tongming Pavilion, put the piano on the stone platform, and then said to Chrysanthemum, "Chrysanthemum, sit down! Listen to me playing a song for you."

Chrysanthemum is still standing, she remembers her identity.

When Lan Hongen saw this, he didn't force her anymore.He tuned the strings and began to play.It is also an ancient tune, and the sound of the piano is clear and crisp.After playing the song, Lan Hongen raised his head, looked at Chrysanthemum and asked, "Do you understand?"

Chrysanthemum really couldn't understand the song, but thought the sound of the strings was very pleasant, crackling like hailstones hitting the roof tiles.

Lan Hongen didn't wait for Chrysanthemum to answer, and explained himself: "Yu Boya threw the piano to thank his bosom friend! Yu Boya played the piano for Zhong Ziqi to listen to. Yu Boya played a piece, and Zhong Ziqi said: "We are as tall as a mountain 1 Yu Boya played again Qu, Zhong Ziqi said: "Dangdang's ambition is in the flowing water 1 The two hit it off, met each other for a long time, and became close friends. When they parted, they agreed to play the piano here at this time next year to express their feelings. Unexpectedly, Zhong Ziqi died of illness. Yu Boya heard that Finally, he sighed to Tianchang, "Zhong Ziqi is the one who knows my voice in the world." Then he dropped the piano and never played it again!

Chrysanthemum listened, but still didn't understand what the master said.However, she understood one thing, that is, one person plays the piano for another person to listen to.She immediately thought of the scene of singing "Yangko" in her hometown, and she couldn't help saying: "Master plays the piano really well, and the stories he tells are really hard to understand. We sing in our hometown, men sing for women, and women sing for men..."

Unexpectedly, before Chrysanthemum finished talking, Lan Hongen laughed again and said, "Yes! Chrysanthemum, you can sing a song for me today, okay?"

When Chrysanthemum heard this, she suddenly came back to her senses, knowing that she had slipped her tongue.How could she sing those hot and sour songs in front of the master?However, after she had spoken, the master asked her to sing again, what should she do?She knew that the master's eyes were looking at her at this moment.She felt that her body was burning, especially her face, as if all the blood in her body was flowing back to her cheeks.She stood flustered for a while, and suddenly said wisely: "Master, I will sing from now on!" After she finished speaking, she turned around hastily and ran towards the house.

Back in the room, Chrysanthemum's heart was still beating and her cheeks were still hot.She wondered if the master would be angry with her?In the few days since she arrived in Lan Mansion, she has never talked to the master face to face like this, and the master has never asked her to do anything.Every time the master saw her, there was a kind and kind smile on his face.Every time he talks to her, he speaks softly and politely, just like treating his own sister.The master is so kind to him, he wants to sing a few sour words, but he doesn't satisfy the master's wish, what if the master gets angry?The more Chrysanthemum thinks about it, the more she feels that she is wrong, she is really a rustic and silly girl who has never seen the world.She wanted to apologize to Lan Hongen, but she didn't have the courage.She remained restless until noon.During the meal, she saw that Lan Horn was still smiling at her as in the past, and said cordial greetings, without any hint of anger.Only then did Chrysanthemum feel relieved, thinking: "It's different for a person who is knowledgeable about books and etiquette after all! The prime minister can hold a boat in his belly, how can he be as small as himself?"

Thinking about it, I felt ashamed for my paranoia.

This morning, after chrysanthemum got up and washed, she just went downstairs when she met Wang Ma carrying a plate of melon seeds and candy and hurriedly walking to the wife's room of "Banxiatang".Chrysanthemum felt a little strange, because she had never seen his wife have the habit of eating candies and sunflower seeds, so she couldn't help asking: "Mother Wang, what are you doing with these things?"

Since Chrysanthemum snatched Wang Ma last time.When Wang Ma saw Chrysanthemum, she seemed to have done something wrong and dared not look at Chrysanthemum's face.At this time, after hearing what Chrysanthemum said, she had no choice but to raise her head and answer: "Madam is accepting a son today."

Chrysanthemum said: "Take a son?"

Wang Ma said: "My wife adopts a godson every year, and this year is the tenth."

Chrysanthemum said: "Isn't harvesting dry children on the day of Duanyang Festival?"

Wang Ma said: "In previous years, it was the Duanyang Festival, but this year, this cadre is my wife's nephew, who belongs to the rat family. He turns three years old today, so my wife put the date of accepting the cadre on today."

Chrysanthemum understood and said, "So that's how it is."

In the morning, as expected, some children came one after another.The children were big and small, the older ones were brought in by Wang Ma, and the younger ones were brought in by their mothers.After entering the garden, she kowtowed and called her godmother when she saw Ning. Ning couldn't help being overjoyed. She hugged all the bullying children in her arms, kissed them again and again, and then distributed candy to the children herself.At noon, the nephew and sister-in-law of Ning's family who were going to recognize today came.This kid is fat and stout, with a "fate" on his forehead, and a pair of small round eyes that move around, giving people a lively and clever impression.When Ning saw it, she hurriedly dropped the other children, rushed over and hugged him, shouting "my son" all the time.The child looked at it, but suddenly broke free from her hand, ran to his mother, pointed to the lotus in the pond and said, "Mother, mother, I want flowers."

The natal sister-in-law immediately patted the child, and sniffed and said, "Naughty thing, what flowers do you want? Kowtow to your godmother."

As he spoke, he pressed the child's head to the ground.But the child didn't kneel, so the natal sister-in-law patted the child's head lightly, and said, "Silly thing, how did you teach you at home? Didn't I say, I want to kowtow to the godmother."

The child still does not kneel.

Seeing this, Ning's eyes got wet.She grabbed a handful of candy in her hand and coaxed, "Kowtow to the godmother, and the godmother will give you candy."

When the child saw it, he knelt down, kowtowed to Ning, and said, "Kowtow to the godmother."

The tears in Ning's eyes couldn't help but "squeak" and she said tremblingly, "Good! Good! Be good, my son!"

Seeing her, the sister-in-law of her natal family knew what Ning was thinking, and hurriedly said: "Sister, what's wrong with you?" After speaking, she said to the child: "Knock two more for the godmother."

The child was also working hard at this time, kowtowing several times in a row.

When Ning saw her, she went to pull the child up and said, "Okay, don't knock it." Then, she first stuffed the candy in her hand to the child, then took out a silver collar from her bosom, and put it on child's neck.Then, he took out a silver necklace and hung it around the child's neck.The lock is called "Longevity Lock", which means to bless children with a long life.The child saw that the lock was shining silver and it was very fun, so he was about to take it off, but his natal sister-in-law patted it lightly and stopped it.Then, the natal sister-in-law said: "Sister, you can name Gan'er, and ask your brother to write a 'inheritance paper' and send it over later."

Ning thought for a while and said, "Then I'll be called Lan Guiping, nicknamed Pandi!"

The sister-in-law of the natal family said: "Yes, Guiping, Brother Pan, this name is good." Then she said to the child: "My son, do you hear that? The name given to you by the godmother is Pandi, and you give it to the godmother again." Kowtow to bless the godmother to give birth to a fat brother soon."

However, the child had already escaped from her natal sister-in-law's hand.He saw that the stairs were fun, so he ran over and climbed up the ladder.Turned around again and ran down "dongdong".

When Ning saw her, she still had tears in her eyes and said, "Forget it, sister-in-law."

My natal sister-in-law said: "This child is used to being naughty, so please don't take offense, my sister!" That's what she said, but her tone showed a bit of complacency and pride.

Ning's heart was sour again, and she said: "Children, what am I seeing? Today is his birthday, and I didn't buy anything for him. I only prepared some small things like clothes, hats, shoes and socks for him. There is also a red bellyband, take it back and tie it to him."

My natal sister-in-law said, "Thank you, sister."

Ning said: "Thank you? I will be happy to bring him to see me more in the future!"

The natal sister-in-law said: "Of course I want to see you, we know you like children."

At this time, Wang Ma set up a table in the pavilion.Today's table is all vegetarian dishes.The ingenious kitchen chef made rice, noodles, and tofu into cakes, peaches, poultry, and animals in various shapes.As soon as the children saw it, they swarmed over.

On this day, Chrysanthemum came to Lan's mansion and felt the most lively and happiest day in the garden.After lunch, the children played hide-and-seek in the garden, climbed the rockery, and climbed the stairs.The crisp children's voice and joyful laughter made Chrysanthemum feel that the garden was full of vitality. Even the air and sunshine seemed fresher and brighter than before.It wasn't until dusk that the Ning family reluctantly sent the ten godsons and their natal sister-in-laws out.

After seeing off the children, Ning staggered a little when she returned to the garden.Her eyes were still covered with tears, and she bit her lip tightly, as if afraid of crying.At this time, Chrysanthemum was in the pavilion, helping Wang Ma clean up the children's leftover gums.Seeing that Ning Shi came staggering like a little drunk, she immediately put down the plate in her hand, ran over, grabbed Ning Shi, and asked, "Ma'am, what's wrong with you?"

Ning suddenly stopped in her tracks, raised her head, and stared fixedly at Chrysanthemum as if she did not recognize her.Her face was facing the setting sun, so Chrysanthemum saw that the tears in Ning's eyes were as red as blood.

Chrysanthemum had never seen Ning Shi look at herself like this before, she couldn't help but shuddered, and hurriedly asked: "Madam, what's the matter? What happened?"

(End of this chapter)