The Maid's Strategy in the Red Chamber

disease

Niu deeply felt that his son was a top-notch young talent, even a princess and princess would be a good match, and he was upset when he heard An's words like that, and murmured: "Hmph, just because of her mother's death, I'm sorry." Not happy yet!"

An was amused by these words, but she knew that her sister-in-law had a lonely personality, and if she persuaded her too much, it would be counterproductive, so she could only slowly say: "Brother Ru is my own nephew, I have no objection to her. It's just that she is the eldest daughter of Tanhua's family. It's all right to say this in front of me. If someone else hears it, I might even cause trouble for my elder brother and brother Ru. After all, Mr. Tanhua is still a doctor of Lantai Temple. !"

Although Niu's knowledge is crude, he also knew that Lantai Temple was a place dedicated to impeaching officials, so he stopped talking when he heard this.

She pursed her lips helplessly, raised her eyebrows suddenly, and asked, "By the way, wasn't that maid just now a New Year's gift for you? Why didn't you show it to me? Are you afraid that I will steal it from you?" The little maid Fang'er quietly rolled her eyes: I'm not afraid that you will snatch it, but I know you will definitely want it!

An Shi replied helplessly: "Look at what my sister-in-law said, is there any good thing here that I lack for your share?" Then she told Xiaofang: "Go to the next room and bring the things that Xueyan brought to uncle. Look, madam."

Fang'er reluctantly went there, just as Grandma Sun was keeping accounts with a small book, she couldn't read a few words, and kept accounts by drawing, when she saw Fang'er coming, she hurriedly grabbed her: " You came just in time, I don't recognize these words, you just came here to help me read the details."

Fang'er pouted and said, "What are you looking for? My uncle and wife insist on seeing it, but my wife asked me to take it over."

Hearing this, Mama Sun whispered: "What a troublemaker! Our wife is just too sexual." While muttering, she hid the brightest two of the few silks and satins in the cabinet, and also hid the pen and ink. Got up, and then moved the remaining two bolts of silk and snacks into the main room with Xiaofang.

Niu looked at it: "It's a big New Year's day, isn't there just a little New Year's gift over there?"

Hearing this, Xiaofang panicked a little, but Mama Sun replied in a calm manner: "It's not like this when I go back to my uncle and wife. These things are made by the eldest girl from her private room, from Tanhua's mansion." The New Year gift has already been delivered earlier, and the chicken, duck, bacon and other things that were sent to you a few days ago were given by the mansion over there."

Niu still didn't believe it: "Really?"

This time even An's was a little worried: "Look at what my sister-in-law said, any sister-in-law in my family knows better than me, can I still lie to you? Besides, she is a child, and now Or live in my grandfather's house, and I can't control everything, so what good things can I have?"

Thinking of the age of the other party, Niu finally believed it, and said with a smile: "If you don't tell me, I will forget, that big girl is only six years old, and she is always called by big girls and big girls, which makes me feel that she is really an old lady." You're a big girl." She thought about it, there was no six or seven-year-old girl who was the housekeeper, but she didn't know that Daiyu held more private houses than her family's property.

In the end, Mrs. Niu had a lunch here, and took away a box of Suzhou dim sum, a box of eight treasures produced by Jia's mansion, and two pieces of chitou.

I left contentedly.

Mrs. An asked Mrs. Sun to hire a sedan chair to take Mrs. Niu away. When the sedan chair turned out of the alley, Mrs. Sun spat angrily: "This uncle and wife are really worrying, and you are too good-natured, madam, that's all." Leaving her alone!"

Anshi sighed helplessly: "What can we do? If I don't give at all, we can live in peace this year? Well, don't be annoyed, this time at least half of the materials are left for us. I Seeing that the green lotus-colored material is very bright, didn’t you make a blue dress for Brother Ming last time? Then use this to cut him a new one. He has to go to his classmate for a walk during the New Year’s Eve , can't dress too shabby."

"That's true, but my uncle has never liked materials that are too bright, and I'm afraid he won't wear that green lotus-colored one even if it's made into clothes." Mother Sun replied, seeing An's frown, she smiled again. Said: "But madam, don't worry, the slaves and maidservants have been prepared for the uncle, Xueyan also brought a lake blue satin, the color is much lighter, I think the uncle will like it."

Hearing this, An asked in surprise: "Didn't the snow geese bring those two bolts of satin?"

Mother Sun laughed and said: "It's not that the servant girl doesn't know what the uncle and wife are, so how can she not be on guard at all? Such material is for the uncle at first glance, and the servant girl is reluctant to let her take it away."

Anshi opened her mouth, and finally sighed heavily: "That's all for now, don't do this in the future, let my sister-in-law know and make trouble again."

Mama Sun complied straightforwardly, but decided in her heart that she would continue to do this in the future...

Niu returned home with a full load and saw his master reading a book under the kang by the east window. He took out a piece of brown-yellow material from it with great interest: "Master, look, what a color it is! It's still brocade satin. This year's Chinese New Year I'll use this material to make you a new dress, and I'm sure you'll look decent when you wear it out."

Uncle An looked up, frowned and said, "You went to my sister's house again to ask for something?"

Niu retorted unyieldingly: "Why did I ask for it? It was the eldest girl of the Lin family who gave her a gift, and happened to be there when I was there, so my sister shared a share with me. She said it was for filial brother and sister-in-law. Afraid of pushing her face, I had no choice but to accept it."

After many years of husband and wife, how could Uncle An not know the nature of his wife and mother-in-law? Hearing her irrational words, he couldn't help throwing the book on the kang: "How many times have I told you, my sister is orphaned and widowed? It's not easy for my brother to study, but our family has made some money anyway. Their family relies on the master and servants to do a little sewing, so why do you have the nerve to fight the autumn wind every day?"

Hearing such accusations, Niu didn't buy it, but sneered and said, "If it wasn't for our family's difficult livelihood, do you think I want to lose face? I'm that shameless? You say our family has income, What kind of income? As far as your little salary is concerned, more than half of it is spent on entertainment among colleagues, and the rest is given to my son to buy some paper and pens. The family’s food and drink expenses have to be exchanged for a few by our mother and I. It's a coin to deal with. I've been like this for the rest of my life, but I'm just making do with it, but Brother Ru and Sister Zhen are still young, so it doesn't cost money to marry each other in the future? I don't pick on others, what do I get Come to fill the hole in our house?"

Seeing that Uncle An was silent, Niu became even more excited, and continued: "If my sister's family is worse than ours, then that's fine. But my sister's embroidery skills are outstanding, and she can earn a lot of money every month. Besides, they have Tanhua's family to take care of them." I don’t have to worry about daily food and clothing. Look at this material, we can’t find a place to buy it if we have money. They give us two horses. My sister originally said that we would share half of them.

Husband.The two of them have also lived in our house for a while, so they naturally know our family's situation. My sister-in-law is an outsider after all, and she didn't give these things to supplement your elder brother.Since she is kind, we will accept it, and it is the same to take care of her when we have a better life in the future.Isn't that how caring for each other is between sisters? "

Uncle An was originally full of anger, but was thoroughly poured out by her words. He didn't know that a large part of An's words were to put gold on his face, but Uncle An was sad I found that I had no room to refute.Alas, when I heard words from my fellow countrymen that "it's not easy to live in the capital", I still thought it was because of people's incapacity, but how can my situation be better now?

He sighed and said: "If we knew that the daily expenses were so difficult, we shouldn't have bought such a big house in the first place, or we would have sold this house and bought a smaller one. There are only a few people in our family. It’s enough for my sister’s house to be as big as my sister’s house!” Their house was entered by juniors, there were more than 20 rooms in front and back, and there were only seven or eight people in the family including the mother-in-law and maidservants, so there was no need for such a big house at all.If you change to a smaller one, you can free up hundreds of taels of silver, and it is almost enough for two children to get married.

Niu refused straight away, "No, no matter what you say, this house can't be sold. Brother Ru will get married in the future, and when his daughter-in-law has a grandson, this house won't be big at all."

Uncle An didn't insist either, but just said: "Then you can't go to other people's houses to enjoy the autumn breeze in the future. It seems that I can't afford to support you. If you continue to do this, I will really sell this house. I will go to Dongjie Go up and down, and come back before dark." After finishing speaking, he got up and got off the kang, flicked his clothes and left.

Niu's annoyed breath was blocked in his heart, unable to move up or down.

But after Xueyan left An's place, she went to the old house of the Lin family with Zhu Mei. Since she knew that Mrs. Ji was ill, she had to go and have a look.

Just fine.

When she saw Aunt Ji and saw that she had lost a lot of weight and looked haggard, Xue Yan also felt a little sad.She said a few words of comfort, and then said to Zhu Mei: "You two are good at taking care of Aunt Ji. The girl said that it is enough to stay here for one night. I have to help the girl buy some things, so I won't stay here." Stayed for a long time."

After leaving the courtyard where Mrs. Ji lived, she happened to meet Jin Luo. Xueyan was very pleasantly surprised, and then saw her slightly protruding belly, and couldn't help covering her mouth: "When did you have it? I didn't even know it all the time."

Jin Luo touched his belly lightly, and said with a smile, "Before it was less than three months, I didn't dare to say anything. Then I got busy and didn't have time to say it."

Xueyan sincerely congratulated and said: "It's great. In half a year, someone will call me aunt. It seems that I need to save some money so that I can give my little nephew a golden lock." The two said as they walked. .

"Yo, I've written this down, don't forget it when the time comes." Jin Luo said with a smile.

Xueyan replied: "I will never forget it." Then, seeing that it was some distance away from Ji's courtyard, she asked worriedly: "What's wrong with Mrs. Ji? Why does she look so bad."

Hearing this, Jin Luo sighed heavily: "Oh, I'm afraid she will never recover from this illness."