[Red House Chai Dai] Salted Pork Knuckle, Crab Rice Wine

No matter how clever Baochai was, she was just an unmarried girl. After all, she didn't know how far men could go if they messed up.

She had received orders from Aunt Xue, and was waiting at the corner of the corridor with all the maids and women at home. When she saw Aunt Xue peeping under the window of the study from a distance, she felt very inappropriate. When she saw Xue Pan When Aunt Xue fainted in anger, she was startled when she came out in a dawdly way, and hurriedly rushed forward with the maids and women to help Aunt Xue up.

Seeing Aunt Xue's appearance like this, Xue Pan felt embarrassed.Seeing that the situation was not good, his fellow apprentices straightened their clothes one after another and left quietly.The Xue family was busy treating Aunt Xue, so they ignored her.

Because Aunt Xue is an elderly person, this is no small matter, the old mother who has passed through some scenes in Xue's family has long been urging to find a doctor.Baochai and Xue Pan discussed that Jia's mansion had been operating in the capital for many years, and had many contacts with the imperial physicians of the imperial hospital, so it was necessary to report to Mrs. Wang, and it would be good for the Jia family to invite some highly skilled imperial physicians to show them.While discussing, Mrs. Wang rushed to help a servant girl, and found out after asking, but it turned out that a young servant assigned by Jia's mansion to Lixiangyuan ran over to pass the news.Not long after, an imperial physician surnamed Zhang from the Imperial Hospital came over. He said that he was just out of breath and confused by phlegm for a while, and said that although Aunt Xue was old, her foundation was still strong. Just take a few doses and you'll be fine.Only then did Baochai feel relieved.

After that, Baochai focused on serving Aunt Xue's decoction every day. Sure enough, as the doctor Zhang said, Aunt Xue's foundation was strong, but after taking a few doses of decoction, her health gradually improved.It's just that the servants of Jia's family have a lot of talk, and they always like to spread rumors to slander their master. In a few days, it was rumored that the uncle of the Xue family and a few younger brothers were caught playing arhat at home. There must be someone with nose and eyes, even Xue Pan felt ashamed, and was so angry that he wanted to find out the rumor-monger, but there was nothing he could do.

Aunt Xue was lying on the bed in the afternoon, while Baochai was watching the tent in the next room. Suddenly, Qianxue shouted loudly from outside: "Miss Lin, Miss [-], Miss [-], and Miss [-] are here to see you!" Baochai was wondering, even if all the postings had not arrived on weekdays, why did they all arrive today, when she saw a group of sisters wearing scarlet gorilla felt and feather satin, coming to her room together.

Baochai got up quickly with a smile, and called Yinger to pour tea quickly.Qianxue came here early with a few big maidservants to undress the girls.Baochai let the sisters sit down and said, "It's snowing heavily, it's rare that you all arrived so neatly."

Yingchun smiled and said, "There is more snow this year than in previous years, and it's also very cold. But why is Big Sister Xue here?"

Baochai was taken aback for a moment, knowing that Yingchun had a good heart, but she was stupid and didn't know how to say auspicious words, so she was about to make up for it when Tanchun beside her said, "It's the auspicious snow that heralds a good year. Sister Bao's blessing."

Baochai smiled, but Yingchun sighed: "A few families are happy and some are sad. At this time in previous years, the family has already started to set up a shed to provide porridge. This year, I don't know how the people outside are."

Baochai listened silently, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that although Yingchun was soft-tempered, she seldom had feelings of compassion for the world and others, and she cast the previous doubts to the sky.But seeing Lin Daiyu burst out laughing, pursing her lips, she said, "Second Sister is sympathetic to the poor. Has she forgotten the story of the charcoal seller? The charcoal seller wanted to sell his own charcoal for a good price. Therefore, I worry about the low carbon and wish for the cold weather. I think the people outside the city are also looking forward to the heavy snow in winter in order to have a good harvest in the coming year."

Yingchun smiled and said, "That's right. It's cold, so we can freeze some pests to death."

After hearing this, Xichun interrupted impatiently: "All of us don't work hard, we don't know the five grains, and we discuss the harvest like farmers. That's all right, but we shouldn't forget the serious business."

Baochai smiled and said, "What's the serious thing?"

Seeing that Lin Daiyu was busy winking with Xichun, she smiled and covered it up: "It's nothing serious. I just heard that my aunt was ill, so I came to see her, but she fell asleep, so I didn't want to be disturbed, so I came to see Sister Bao. Speaking of which It’s been a while since I saw you.”

Baochai was surprised when he heard this, so he secretly took another look at Lin Daiyu.She chatted and laughed with her sisters a few more times, then she figured out what was going on, knowing that they must have heard some gossip, and seeing that Baochai didn't go to the Rongguo Mansion to play with them for many days, she was afraid it was because of her brother's business. Wu Guang, embarrassed to meet people, made an appointment to come and explain to her.

Baochai chatted and laughed with her sisters on the surface, but secretly she was thinking: Yingchun is soft-tempered and kind-hearted. Tanchun and Baochai have always been friends and valued each other. The family atmosphere in the mansion is not good, and she lived in the Rongguo mansion all year round to avoid the limelight. Now that Baochai's brother Xue Pan has had this incident, although she is withdrawn, she inevitably feels sympathy for each other, so she deliberately comforts her.These people are fine, but Lin Daiyu has always been used to being petty and mean, but now she comforts her with all kinds of soft words, which makes one unavoidably flattered.

Baochai settled down, and explained to the sisters with a smile: "A few days ago, my mother was not in good health, and she couldn't take time off. Seeing that she is in better health these days, she originally said that she would go to play with the sisters, but who knows that the family The business is too busy, my brother can't take care of it alone, so I have to help."

Lin Daiyu wondered: "It seems that it is the end of the new year, why is it busier than usual at this time?"

Baochai saw that all the sisters present showed curiosity, so she slowly explained: "It's not a matter in the palace! The court fought a few battles in the north the year before last, and it is said that the Khan there bowed his head and bowed his head. In the past few years, because I envied the people in my country, I begged to betroth the princess to him. I heard that the court rejected it, but in the past few days, it has been rumored that there is a princess in the palace who understands righteousness and justice. Please marry me. The court was also very moved, and hurriedly named the princess as the eldest princess, and ordered the imperial merchants to prepare a dowry for the princess, so they were very busy."

After hearing this, Yingchun nodded and said, "Very well. If the frontier turns hostility into silk from now on, it would be a great thing."

But Tanchun sneered and said, "This is Zhaojun's old way of going out of the fortress. Don't you hear that 'the pipa has been used as a nonsense for thousands of years, and you clearly hate the theory in the song'? In the end, it is still men who can't do anything. If you really worship, so what Will you give gold, silver, silk and marry the princess?"

Daiyu hurriedly interrupted her and said, "How many men in the world are successful? Don't talk about others, just look at this mansion, and you will know when you first look at Baoyu. Not to mention these, but to say Does this eldest princess have a name?"

Baochai said: "I heard that the emperor gave the name Mingjia the eldest princess, and issued a long dowry list. Not to mention the Western utensils, my family has 24 embroidered screens alone, and what pearls and agates are there?" , Jade and emerald, the car loads. It’s not just our family, I’m afraid all the imperial merchants in the capital are too busy to turn their backs on their backs.”

All the girls shook their heads when they heard this, and said: "There is no one in such a hurry. I'm afraid there is another mystery." After all, they are all unmarried girls, so it's not good to discuss the princess's marriage too much, sigh once, Also diverted the conversation.Everyone talked for a while, drank a few cups of tea, and saw that Aunt Xue hadn't woken up and couldn't sit for a long time, so they left.

After the sisters left, Baochai was still sitting in a daze, when suddenly Yinger came up to her and opened a bundle, in which there were dozens of silver zippers shining brightly.Baochai was startled when she saw it, and asked in a low voice, "Where did you get it?"

Ying'er said: "Maybe you forgot. A month ago, the girl said that it was cold this year, and she was afraid that the price of charcoal would rise, so she ordered her to take out 50 taels of silver that she had saved over the years, and asked my brother to take it with her, and secretly made a charcoal fire." The business. Who would have thought that the girl guessed it, and it was more than a profit. No, my brother is busy sending the money over."

Baochai heard this, and said, "It was originally for Xiangling's business, to earn some money in advance, and to leave a way out. Now that my brother has sworn, I think it's all right, so there's no need for it. Your brother handled things properly. , the money will be rewarded to him."

Ying'er shook her head again and again and said: "Although the girl doesn't care about these little money, but we are servants, and we can always make things clear." She kept refusing.Baochai had nothing to do.

Yinger asked curiously again: "How does the girl know that it's cold this year?"

Baochai said with a smile at first: "The ancients often said that when a leaf falls, you can know the autumn of the world. What's more, the ancient sages all knew astronomy from the top and geography from the bottom. For example, Zhuge Kongming can even borrow the east wind. Our generation Compared with them, they are naturally very different, but you can still guess one or two occasionally."

Yinger was amazed.Seeing that she really believed her, Baochai became embarrassed, and told her, "I was coaxing you earlier. The moon is hazy and windy, and the ground is moist and rainy. These things have ready-made signs. This year the snow is coming sooner than later." It's early in previous years, so it gets cold faster. It's not worth it."

While the master and servant were talking, Qianxue lifted the curtain and came in. When she saw the silver box on the kang table, she didn't seem to have seen it, but she just said to Baochai, "Madam is awake, and she wants to call the girl over." Woolen cloth."

Baochai nodded and said, "Go back to your wife, and I'll come if you say so."

Qianxue responded, and Baochai hurriedly ordered Ying'er to put away the money, and then sighed: "Unexpectedly, this Qianxue is quick at work."

While sighing, she went to Aunt Xue's room, and saw Aunt Xue leaning on the bed with two plasters on her forehead with a sleepy look. Seeing Baochai coming in, she asked her, "Listen to Xiangling, Lin Cai just now Girls are they here?"