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

The old housekeeper who delivered the account book was the old man of Xue's family. His ancestors were all in Xue's family. His name was Chen Yi. Now that Heng Shu Dian was working, Baochai pretended to be an accountant to check the accounts, but he did not hide it from him.Chen Yi knew that Xue Pan was ineffective, and Baochai had no choice but to make such a move, so he concealed it everywhere for him, and brought some account books and goods from every now and then to ask Baochai to check.

Chen Yi listened to Ying'er's order, nodded repeatedly and remembered it, and asked again: "The shopkeeper of the silk and satin village took his wife and son to take the money and fled. The shop is in a mess right now. If no one comes out to preside over it, why not?" There is a way, please show me the girl."

After hearing this, Ying'er hurriedly turned around and went into the house. After explaining this to Baochai, Baochai thought about it, and then ordered: "Isn't the youngest son of Chen Yi's family working in this shop? I heard that he is smart, so I called him Let him take care of it for the time being, the most important thing is to sort out the accounts of the shop first. The cotton and satin of the silk and satin shop have always been supplied by our business, so there is no need to worry about this. It is better to appease the tailors as soon as possible. I've been a veteran for decades, don't let this matter make you cold." Ying'er replied and went.

But said that the silk and satin shop is on the Gulou Street, which is the first-class bustling area in the capital. The surname of the shopkeeper who fled with the money is Liu.Just because Xue Pan didn't care about everything when he inherited the family business, he inevitably, like other shopkeepers, kept a small amount of selfishness and kept a part of the profits.This was not a big deal at first, Xue Pan couldn't understand the account books anyway, and Xue's family knew that shopkeeper Liu was a simple person, and no one cared about small profits.

Unexpectedly, Xue Pan took the prostitute Yun'er he had hooked up with recently to wander around the silk and satin factory, and happened to meet the shopkeeper's son in front of the stage.Xue Pan saw that he was very handsome, so he teased him a few words. Although the young shopkeeper was from a small family, he was pampered since childhood. He had never suffered such idleness, and he couldn't help but deal with it improperly, which aroused Xue Bawang's monstrous anger .Xue Bawang held up the banner of checking the accounts. He didn't listen to the dissuasion of the old people at home, and was worried that people outside would check the accounts and cover up shopkeeper Liu.Before Baochai had time to say anything wrong, the Liu family boy was cowardly and had already confessed beforehand, and since then he has become a domineering man, and he is allowed to mess around wantonly, so he dares not speak out.

Shopkeeper Liu was busy with the affairs of the Xue family's silk and satin factory. He didn't know that his precious son had been ruined by others. Those who knew the truth would only dare to joke behind his back and point fingers, saying that he was selling his son for glory. But no one dared to gossip in front of him.Unexpectedly, one of the arhats that Aunt Xue bumped into in Lixiangyuan that day was a kid from the Liu family.This kid is timid. He sneaked back after putting on his clothes that day. He already had a guilty conscience. After inquiring about it, Aunt Xue became seriously ill because of this incident. Afraid of being blamed for something, she knelt on the ground and cried with Shopkeeper Liu. said.Shopkeeper Liu was furious when he heard the news, just in time for his old friend Su shopkeeper, who had become a bandit, to come to the house to lobby.

When Chen Yi heard Baochai's order told by Ying'er, he knew that she had understood the ins and outs of it, and that she was so thoughtful and clear about the seriousness of the matter, he was very impressed.It was getting late that day, Chen Yi went back to his home to rest with a bag of account books on his back, first told the family about the person who took over the silk and satin village with his third son, the whole family was happy and grateful for Baochai's promotion.Chen Yi's mother-in-law went outside to drink a pot of wine, steamed a piece of Chinese sausage hanging under the eaves for the Chinese New Year, and cooked a few dishes.

Chen Yi drank a few glasses of wine, his mind was a little flustered, and he sighed: "I cried for my old club. Such a shrewd and capable person actually raised such a son! Even if there is such a delicate and water-tight girl, it is impossible I can only blame myself for being born into the wrong family!"

Although his mother-in-law is doing some rough work outside the second door, she is also aware of the Xue family's affairs, and said, "What are you talking about? Even if the uncle is not good, what can hinder the girl's success? I heard that Mrs. I'm discussing with the concubine in that mansion about marrying the girl to Second Lord Bao, and if such a marriage has been made, what else is there to worry about?"

Chen Yi stomped his feet and said: "You women really have long hair and short knowledge! The talent of our girl is much better than those men outside! Then what is the second master Bao! A dude, no matter where he is Got her?"

His mother-in-law was stunned and said, "It can be seen that he is drunk and talking drunk. No matter how you say it, Second Master Bao is also a noble son of the Duke's family, and he looks like that. There are still people in the world who are not worthy of him The woman in the house? Our girl is of course good, and I know it, but if you say so, what about the girl's life-long event, could it be that she really entered the palace and went to match the Long Live Lord. "

Chen Yi thought for a while, then he was speechless for a while, and said bitterly: "It can be seen that it is a woman's foolish opinion! Our girl's talents are just for outside use. If she is a man, she will take charge of the overall situation outside. Our Xue family is in the Royal Shang Dynasty. It’s better to get a row in the front row.”

Seeing that he was slurring his words, his wife rushed up and helped him to settle in the back room. She smiled and said as she walked: "It can be seen that you men always talk about victorious things. Miss If she is really such a great talent, she would have taken care to take the dowry money early on, and I want to see what she can free up."

Chen Yi staggered and muttered to himself: "You're talking nonsense again, the girl is going to enter the palace to run for election, how can she get married privately?" He slapped his head one by one and said: "Your words are also reasonable. I looked at the uncle coldly With this kind of virtue, I'm afraid that sooner or later this family business will be tossed empty by him. It's just that it's not easy to remind the girl."

His mother-in-law smiled disapprovingly: "Such a big family business, gold and silver, no matter how hard it is, her dowry money is still indispensable! If you really want it, just talk to your wife and it's over. Anyway, the old master When she was alive, Tete pointed to her dowry and said that she would learn to take care of it by herself, but his wife said that she was young, afraid of being ignorant, and wasting money, so she still took it as a dowry and entrusted it to the uncle to take care of it. It’s just according to me Look, it's better not to come back, and when you please your wife, when you leave the pavilion, you're afraid that your wife won't give her more?"

Chen Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and when he wanted to argue, he was already drunk, and felt his tongue was too thick to speak, so he let his wife wait on him and lay down.

The shadows of the candles were flickering, the lights were flickering, the night was already deep, but Baochai still sat under the lamp to read the account book, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing.Ying'er was puzzled and said: "It's very good, why are you sighing?"

Baochai said: "I see that several pawnshops account for the majority of our family's business. You must know that the business of pawnshops is to help the poor in name, but in fact, they take advantage of people's danger and rely on how much spare money they have to make a living. Things that were pure gold were said to be broken copper and iron, and they were sent out at a low price. If things go on like this, if they are not handled properly, I am afraid it will arouse public resentment."

After hearing this, Ying'er laughed and said, "Miss, you are too careful! The world is as black as crows. Is it possible that our family is the only one who can be domineering?" There are death pawns and live pawns, if he can make money in the future, he will treat it as a pawn and redeem it with money, but only give a few cents of interest. What's the point?"

Baochai said: "Although I said so, there are many things in Chang'an city now. I'm afraid there is something wrong. That's all, that's all I said. You put away this account book and go and do what I have done every day. Find that needle and thread."

Yinger responded and went away, but at this moment, Qianxue came in from outside with a bowl of bird's nest porridge, and said, "Young lady, haven't you stopped yet? This is the bird's nest porridge that Yinger's sister asked the kitchen to make."

Baochai took it, took two sips, and unconsciously said, "This stuff nourishes yin and moistens lungs, it's the most nourishing thing. I'm afraid Miss Lin can eat it."

After hearing this, Ying'er said, "Since that's the case, why don't you give her ten catties of bird's nest directly on her birthday? It also saves you from going to bed at night after reading the account books, girl, and rushing to do sewing!" Send her the needle and thread that Baochai prepared for Daiyu's birthday.

Seeing this, Baochai couldn't help laughing: "You girl is talking nonsense again. The friendship between sisters, and sending vulgar things like bird's nests to her for her birthday, isn't it an insult to her? If there is some excuse in the weekdays, it's all right. When she comes in the daytime, you think you have seen her, she has good intentions, how can you let her down?"

Ying'er didn't speak, but pouted her mouth high.When Baochai saw this, she couldn't help laughing.But Qianxue suddenly remembered something, she hesitated to speak for several times, waited until Baochai served her porridge, and finally said: "Miss Lin is an elegant person, and she likes poetry, calligraphy and painting the most on weekdays. If you give her a needle and thread, She is naturally happy when she sees it, but if you give her a painting or calligraphy, she will like it even more. I have heard that the girl draws well, so why don't you give her a painting, wouldn't it be cheaper?"

When Baochai heard this, she wondered, "How did you know I could draw?"

Qianxue bowed her head and said, "I remember that Second Master Bao got a pair of fans in the summer, and he was so happy. When he invited Miss Lin to come and see, he said yes. When he found out that the fans were drawn by the girl, he kept silent. I thought that since the girl is interested, Mo Ruo will also give her a pair of fans?"

Baochai thought for a long time before laughing: "That's right. In the early summer, Brother Bao saw a fan that was often used at my house. He said that the fan was well painted, so he wanted to grab it and use it. At least he painted another fan that he had never used before. I gave it to him, that's all. If Miss Lin wants it, she just needs to say a word, and I will give it to her. It's not worth anything. It's just that her birthday is in February, so I will give it to her in the cold weather. The fan is not suitable. This is one. The second is that I know she is an elegant person, and I like such elegant things as singing the wind and playing with the moon. I am afraid that it will help her temperament, and she will become more and more unworldly. Wouldn't it be harmful to her? ?”

When Qianxue heard the words, although she didn't understand what it meant, she could only let it go.

It was late at night, Baochai drank the porridge, and went to do needlework under the lamp.Qianxue packed up the teacup and sent it to the small kitchen. Yinger was going to the kitchen to fetch hot water, so she and Qianxue went on the same road, chattering and chattering along the way:

"Miss Lin didn't say anything when she saw the fan painted by our girl. Could it be that she is jealous. I'm afraid she won't be able to draw it."

"How would I know. Miss Lin is also ingenious. I'm afraid there are other reasons, but I don't know."

"Oh, you just came here, and you don't know that our girl is the most knowledgeable about the past and the present. She is proficient in everything from piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. What she is best at is not painting fans, but playing the piano. You haven't seen it before. There are very few things she can’t do. She is proficient in what she does and what she does not. Only one thing is that she doesn’t like those fancy things on weekdays. She often says that an inch of time is worth an inch of gold. Just dress up, if you dress up beautifully every day and spend all your time and energy on these things, there will be no time to learn or do other things.”

After hearing this, Qianxue couldn't help being secretly surprised.She used to serve Baoyu, a master who would abandon her homework and spend a lot of time making gouache and rouge. Now that she heard that Baochai acted like this, she couldn't help but exclaimed: "I can't think of a girl who thinks so! Many men are much stronger! But there is one thing, no matter how strong she is, she is only a woman, she will still marry in the future, I feel sorry for her."

Ying'er snorted coldly, and was about to speak, when suddenly she saw a person walking towards her in the corridor in front, it was none other than Xiangling.Both Qianxue and Ying'er wondered: "Now you are serving your wife, instead of waiting in the front room, what are you doing here?"