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

Aunt Xue shook her head with a smile and said: "You are the most sensible person on weekdays, why are you talking stupid things instead? Women still have to marry after all. Look at those nuns who are nurturing, because they are old, there are also people who are not happy with their marriage. , there are also those who can't get married, although they look decent on the outside, I don't know how bitter they are in their hearts."

Baochai was valued by her father since she was a child, and she invited the grandma Sun, who was released from the palace and returned to her hometown of Jinling to support her, to learn the rules for her.She saw that although Grandma Sun was not married, she behaved in a demure manner, with a calm demeanor. In her free time, she would be a female celebrity, burn incense and play the piano, or read and practice calligraphy. People respect her identity, no one dares to offend her, isn't it beautiful to be peaceful all day long?Therefore, Baochai has secretly admired her since she was a child, and respects her very much.

Seeing what Aunt Xue said about how miserable the women released from the palace were, Baochai couldn't help feeling very disapproving.Secretly thought, a child is not a fish, how do you know the joy of a fish?Everyone in the world thinks it is good to marry a good man and marry a wealthy family, but do these married women really have no troubles?

Taking Mrs. Wang as an example, her natal family is the famous Jinling royal family, and her elder brother, Wang Ziteng, is a holy family member, so no one dares to take a peek at her.Husband Jia Zheng has been fond of reading since he was a child. Compared with his elder brother Jia She, he can be regarded as a good man.However, although Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang respect each other as guests on the surface, in fact the relationship between husband and wife is normal, and they often stay in Aunt Zhao's room.Mrs. Wang guards the vacant room alone at night, not to mention loneliness, but also always pays attention to sister-in-law disputes, sister-in-law fights, serving in-laws, and discipline children. If she is not careful, she will be criticized by others.

So Baochai looked at it with cold eyes, and only said that this matter is like drinking water, knowing whether it is warm or cold, each has its own happiness, and each has its own troubles.Those who marry into a wealthy family may not have everything going well, and those who never marry for life may not be lonely and desolate.Baochai's own thoughts, on the contrary, tend to be more towards the latter, and she often thinks foolishly, if she can enter the deep palace like Grandma Sun, return to her hometown after she reaches the age of 25, and continue to stay by her mother's side to serve her filial piety, wouldn't it be Isn't it a hundred times better than marrying into another family, being disturbed by wives and concubines fighting for trivial matters, and not returning home for a few years?

Thinking of this, Baochai said to her mother, "It's better if you don't marry. After going to the palace for a few years, your status will naturally increase. After I come back, I will be with my mother every day. When we have serious business, we will discuss together. When I have nothing to do, I will accompany my mother to have fun, isn't it good?"

Aunt Xue couldn't help sighing after hearing this: "Outsiders say you are the most mature and prudent, but unexpectedly you talk about this child. How can a woman never marry in her whole life? Even if I feel reluctant in my heart, but because of this reluctance, Wouldn't it be a sin to miss your life?"

Baochai hurriedly said: "My daughter really doesn't want to get married, and really wants to be with her mother for the rest of her life. It's just because our family is not as good as it used to be, and we need to do a few things to honor the lintel, so we agree to enter the palace and wait for election. Otherwise, you must be reluctant to stay away from your mother."

When Aunt Xue saw Baochai saying something childish, she shook her head in her heart, she just thought that she would think about it when Baochai was a few years older, she didn't care much, she just smiled and said: "Mother knows your filial piety. Your brother Bao is still young, and the matter of discussing relatives is only just beginning. You just have an idea in your mind. Whether it will be successful or not is still a matter of discussion. But even if you don’t mention this matter, our family lives in Jia’s house, and we have to Make good friends with the people in the house and please the old lady, otherwise, wouldn't you offend relatives? Your second aunt also has no brilliance on her face."

Baochai hurriedly smiled and said, "Don't worry, the mother, the daughter knows. As long as the mother doesn't talk about such embarrassing things as proposing marriage, the daughter will only double the joy of the old lady, and it will definitely not be difficult for the second aunt. That's great. ?”

Aunt Xue showed a look of relief, and happily embraced Baochai in her arms.Baochai lay in Aunt Xue's arms, and Aunt Xue rubbed her head with her hand, feeling extremely happy and satisfied at that moment.

I don't know how long it has been, Aunt Xue patted Baochai's shoulder with a smile and said, "Get up now. Your brother is afraid that he will come back for dinner at night, so let me order the meal."

When Baochai heard this, she got up reluctantly and said, "Why do you need to bother your mother with such trivial matters? Just send Ying'er to the kitchen and tell her. If my mother is worried, there is me. I know what my brother likes to eat."

Aunt Xue nodded and said, "You're right. If Pan'er is half as careful as you are, I wouldn't have to be so worried."

Baochai was praised by her mother, and she felt very happy, so she asked Yinger to instruct the kitchen to cook some of Xue Pan's favorite dishes in the evening, adjust the taste, add and delete side dishes, and explain in detail when the heat is important, just like no other day. different.

Unexpectedly, Xue Pan returned home early that day, and the manager of a shop, shopkeeper Su, came home to seek Xue Pan's business. In the back alley not far from Rongning Street, Sui ordered to eat before leaving, as a reward.So dinner was served early, Aunt Xue, mother and daughter dined on the small kang table in the inner room, added food and wine in the outer room, and Xue Pan accompanied them to have a few drinks outside.

It was decent at first.Aunt Xue listened in the back room, and couldn't help but feel relieved that her son was finally showing some signs of being sensible.Unexpectedly, after a few glasses of wine, shopkeeper Su suddenly felt confused and couldn't help making suggestions, but Xue Pan started to lose his mind again.

Speaking of business, shopkeeper Su said that a new well was dug on the ground near the west mountain recently, and fat water began to flow out for some reason, and that fat water could be used to make "fire oil". If this piece of land is bought back, if they can snatch this piece of land, they will definitely make a lot of money.

When Xue Pan heard it, he asked, "What is 'Menghuo Oil'? Can it be used for cooking?"

Shopkeeper Su choked on one sentence, so he had nothing to say, so he could only explain that fire oil is a kind of fuel, which has miraculous effects when attacking a city, and can also be supplemented to make various firearms. Now that the imperial court is using troops in the north, it is afraid that it can be used.

When Xue Pan heard this, the overlord lost his temper again, and said loudly, "Since that's the case, why didn't you report to me earlier? We must find a way to win this business."

Shopkeeper Su saw that Xue Pan was in a good mood, and instead of saying goodbye in a hurry, he discussed with the dumb king how to buy the land, who to find as a guarantee, how to make this "fire oil" in the future, etc. Xue Pan became more and more excited when he teased him , patted his chest and said that he had to find someone to discuss and finish the matter that night.

Baochai was in the room, frowning at first and listening, but when she heard Xue Pan calling for horses, and was about to order to go down despite the imminent curfew, she couldn't hold back anymore, and hurriedly ordered people to go out and call Xue Pan to stop.

Seeing Xue Pan's eagerness, shopkeeper Su was quite excited, and was about to go out with him, so as to show off his ambitions, when suddenly he saw a woman coming and stopping in front of the horse, saying that the girl wanted Xue Pan to go back, and there was something important to do. Say no at this time.

Xue Pan suddenly felt a little disappointed, and when he wanted to leave, he was stopped by his mother-in-law, who was Ying'er's mother, who was quite respectable in Xue's family, so he had to turn his head and go into the back room to listen to Baochai.Shopkeeper Su, seeing that success was imminent, was suddenly stopped by someone, and he was very surprised. He watched Xue Pan enter the house, but many of them did not come out.

Shopkeeper Su didn't know how long he waited until he saw the old woman and a maid came over.That maid was born with delicate features, and there was a red mole between her eyebrows, shopkeeper Su couldn't help but take a few more glances.But he heard the servant girl say to him: "The shopkeeper, please go back. Our uncle said that it is late, and there are many inconveniences at home, so it is worthwhile to keep the shopkeeper. It is not beautiful to miss the curfew."

Shopkeeper Su was confused, and hurriedly asked: "Where is the uncle? The uncle originally said that he would go home with me."

Before the words fell, the old woman spat at her: "You still dare to mention this? You said that our uncle doesn't worry about it, but you talk nonsense and take advantage of my family? If the girl hadn't seen the opportunity early, she would have been deceived by you." Is it easy to accuse the crime of privately producing firearms?" While talking, he found a broom on the spot to drive people away.

The maid with the red mole between her eyebrows is Xiangling. She was instructed by Baochai to come here hand in hand with Yingerniang to send shopkeeper Su away. , and said to Shopkeeper Su: "The uncle said that there has long been a record in "Mengxi Bi Tan", saying that this kind of fat water is produced near the water, mixed with sand, gravel and spring water. It looks like pure lacquer and burns like hemp. It is true that some people use it to make kerosene, and some use it to make firearms. It’s just that this kind of thing is not benevolent, and even if there are huge profits, according to the Xue family’s ancestors, they dare not mess with it. Thank you, shopkeeper Su, for your trouble.”

Shopkeeper Su was even more surprised when he heard the words. He knew that these words were definitely not the knowledge of Xue Pan's overlord, but he couldn't say it clearly, and he had ulterior motives. It was inevitable that he would be guilty of being exposed by others, so he couldn't say anything for a while. Can answer, hand in hand salute, ashamed to go.

When Xiang Ling saw that the words were successful, her face couldn't help showing excitement.At this moment, Ying'er came over and said with a smile: "Xiangling, why have you been away for so long? Could it be that you are dropping your book bag again? Why bother talking to this kind of person?"

Xiangling smiled embarrassedly and replied: "Seeing that what the girl said is clear and logical, I will remember it in my heart." The two girls walked back to the room to report to Baochai, arm in arm.

As soon as Xue Pan got up the next day, a clerk from the shop sent a letter, saying that shopkeeper Su had resigned from his position as shopkeeper for some unknown reason, and had moved overnight.Xue Pan was originally stopped by Baochai at night, and he still had a bit of resentment in his heart, but when he heard the news, he had nothing to say.

The person in charge of a shop suddenly dropped the pick, and it was inevitable to reassign the dispatching staff. Xue Pan was already devastated, but he still had to listen to Aunt Xue's complaint: "In theory, if there is any difficulty at home, or if you return to your hometown when you are old, we will be the owner of the shop." There will definitely be wine and banquets, and some Cheng Yi will be given away. There must be something wrong with this person surnamed Su who left in such a hurry. He knew that he was seen through, so he fled overnight. I thought your sister was making a fuss over a molehill From this point of view, it actually saved you. You have learned to do business for so long, and you still don’t know the taboos, how will you survive in the future?”

Xue Pan's head was as big as a bucket by these endless nagging, and in a blink of an eye, he saw Xiangling standing in the corridor outside.Although her face was calm, as if nothing had happened, Xue Pan still felt that she had lost face, and couldn't help being impetuous, wishing to find a place to hide.It just so happened that Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion sent someone to invite him to visit the mansion, and as if he had received an amnesty, he left the family business and all matters behind, just told Aunt Xue, and led all the servants in a hurry. .

Xue Pan's departure left behind a few elderly people who often took care of business, helpless and in a mess.Aunt Xue sighed, Baochai had no choice but to stand up and preside over the overall situation.Fortunately, she knew the details of the Xue family's business on weekdays, and at this time her orders were very methodical, and in a few words, she transferred a suitable person to temporarily assist the shopkeeper Su's seat, and after a few more words, everyone immediately felt that there was something wrong again. backbone.Some people lamented in their hearts that if Baochai were a man, they would be able to keep the family property of Xue's family well.However, Baochai was completely unaware of these thoughts, she only acted on behalf of her brother and shared the worries of her mother, and still took needlework and weaving as her main business.

Who knows that shopkeeper Su has another source.He had been in business for generations and worked for Xue's family. A few years ago, his wife and son were infected with the epidemic and died. Since then, his temperament has changed drastically.He appears to be loyal, but in fact he bullies Xue Pan who is young and ignorant of affairs, and encourages him to take the luscious land in Xishan, so he has no good intentions.

After being called out by Baochai, shopkeeper Su thought that his travel possessions had been seen through. He was afraid that the Xue family would report to the officials, so he packed up his bed and fled overnight in fright. He took refuge on a mountain and reported to the leader: "The matter can't be done. It turns out that although the Xue family has always relied on the prestige of Jia Wang's second mansion, it is not as easy to fool as it was previously thought. The Xue idiot agreed to it." Unexpectedly, he was called in by his sister and had a conversation, and then changed his mind."

The leader didn't believe it, and said angrily: "Nonsense! I found out clearly that your boss is notoriously deceitful. A widowed mother and a younger sister are all women's generation. The women's hair is long but short-sighted. What idea do you have? You must have been careless during the day, showing your tracks in the shop, and being guarded by others."

Shopkeeper Su recalled the situation that day, and recalled that the maid with a red mole between her eyebrows was able to tell a great truth, and her owner must be extraordinary, not comparable to those ignorant and foolish women.But when he failed his errand, seeing that the leader was in a fit of anger, he naturally didn't dare to make any distinctions. He thought he was unlucky and received the punishment, and was sent to do other things.

After learning this lesson, Xue Pan really put his hand away from the fat land in Xishan.The land changed hands several times, and finally fell into the hands of General Shenwei's son, Feng Ziying.Feng Ziying has a bright and cheerful nature, and the purchase of the land was just a novelty, without any extravagant plans.This was originally a temporary play of the wealthy son, and no one cared about it at the time.