The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Time flies, and it is almost the Dragon Boat Festival in a blink of an eye.Every household has started preparations for the holiday.There are more and more hawkers selling zongzi leaves on the street. A bundle of zongzi leaves costs three renminbi, and a bucket of glutinous rice costs ten renminbi.Damselflies, Aihu, Changshoulian and other ornaments are also hung on the shelves above the small stalls, and there are more colorful boats from every household on the river.Even the major restaurants are equipped with realgar wine and other things.Naturally, the servants of the Xue family also bought the items and began to prepare.

Dispelling the solution, dispelling the elimination, avoiding the five poisons and avoiding the five poisons.In the kitchen, all hands began to make zongzi, and Yinger, who was beside Baochai, also made a few for fun.She is ingenious, and figured out the nine rice dumplings by herself. The big ones may be the size of a fist, and the small ones are only the size of a thumb. Or wrap the zongzi in the shape of small animals, and then weave a wicker basket out of wicker and put it inside.Although it is not a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation, the wording is innocent and full of childishness. Even Mr. Zhuang gave him a few words of praise when he saw it.Seeing this, Mrs. Xue fortunately asked all the servants in the kitchen to make zongzi in this way. Nine zongzi were filled with nine kinds of fillings, each of which was filled with longan, bacon, lotus seed paste, candied fruit, chestnut, hot pepper, sour, and fire. Zongzi, salted eggs, etc., and the Zongzi made of small animals are filled with dried fruit wrapped in fruit, which tastes sweet and delicious.

When Mrs. Xue saw her, she simply made a few packets of her own zongzi and distributed them to acquaintances. Not to mention the Zhen family, even the Wang family in the capital also gave away a lot.Xue Zhizhang sneered that when the zongzi arrived in the capital, they might be sour, Madam Xue ignored them.He took the gift list and compared it with the people he came and went.After hesitating again and again, he also sent a copy to the Rongguo Mansion in the capital.After all, Mrs. Xue and Mrs. Wang are biological sisters. Although they didn't have a good relationship when they were at home, and they haven't had much contact with each other for many years after they got married, who made Master Xue and Yangzhou Lin Yanzheng get on the line this year!If it was due to courtesy and reciprocity, it would be a relationship between the Jia family and it would not look good when it came to Mrs. Lin.

Not to mention Mrs. Xue's thoughtfulness here, but also to say that Yangzhou Linfu received the seasonal gift from Xue's family, but she also sighed a lot.Jia Min leaned on the bed and said softly: "Although it is an in-law relationship, but because I was not close to my sister-in-law when I was at home, I didn't see Mrs. Xue very much. Who knows that last year, the master and the master of the Xue family There are exchanges outside, and our two inner houses have gradually become familiar with each other."

"I see that the master of the Xue family is exquisite in everything, and he is a person who can get along with each other. But I didn't expect that the wife of the Xue family also manages the house well. Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about the zongzi, although it is not worth much. It’s a little money, but it’s better because the gift is exquisite and thoughtful, and it’s more humane than that precious thing.” Lin Ruhai said, and glanced at the young girl who couldn’t help playing with the wicker and rattan basket containing small animal-like rice dumplings. When she saw Daiyu staring at the little poems on the basket, she couldn't help but feel agitated.

After pondering for a moment, he said: "I remember that Master Xue once said that he has two sons and daughters under his knees. Needless to say, the son is naughty and lively, and the daughter Baochai is about the same age as Daiyu in our family. The most important thing is that he is generous, generous, and quite masculine. I think...it's better to ask Daiyu to write a letter to the girl from the Xue family. The daughter grew up in a deep house and has no brothers or sisters to take care of her. The two exchanged letters and talked Talking about poetry and songs, or some children's affairs. It's better than being stuck at home every day, bored, weak and sick."

Jia Min sighed softly upon hearing this.Looking at Lin Ruhai with an apologetic face, he said: "It's all my fault, I don't live up to expectations at all. Ever since I had Daiyu, I've become more and more decrepit. I haven't heard from you anymore. The master's knees are desolate—— "

"Okay, Daiyu is still here!" Lin Ruhai sighed softly, holding Jia Min's soft clothes, "Daiyu is very good, smart and smart, and willing to study. She is more witty and quick-witted than many men." What! I think she will be like you in the future, knowing everything about poetry and poetry."

"But after all, he is not someone who can stand on top of his family..." Jia Min sighed gloomyly, pondered for a while, and then said: "How about... give the master another..."

As he spoke, the circles of his eyes turned red, and he could no longer speak.In a moment of urgency, he coughed again and again.Seeing this, Daiyu quickly put down the wicker basket in her hand, walked to Jia Min's bed, and shouted nervously: "Mother..."

"Hey, you're just thinking too much." Lin Ruhai shook her head helplessly, and personally helped Jia Min lie down. "Don't think about it, I think it's almost time, you take a nap first, and I'll call you when you have dinner in the evening."

As he said, he thoughtfully tucked the corners of Jia Min's back.He and Daiyu tiptoed out of the room.

"Father, mother, she..." Daiyu hesitated to speak, her brows seemed to be furrowed, her eyes were slightly sad, and her unparalleled beauty was faintly revealed.

Seeing this, Lin Ruhai couldn't help sighing again, stretched out his hand to caress the top of Daiyu's head, and said softly, "Your mother is fine, don't worry about it."

"I'm fine, don't worry about daddy either." Daiyu nodded obediently and said softly.

The more obedient his daughter was, the more unhappy Lin Ruhai felt.Thinking of what was discussed with Jia Min just now, he couldn't help asking Daiyu: "Daiyu, besides serving soup and medicine, you just study in the study at home. There is nothing else to do, do you feel lonely?"

Lin Daiyu was a little confused, so she tilted her head and looked at Lin Ruhai. After a while, she shook her head in a daze, and said, "My daughter is fine."

Just being okay, not not being lonely.Lin Ruhai sighed again, and said to Lin Daiyu, "Daddy is going to return the gift to the Xue family in Jinling. There is a daughter in the Xue family who is about the same size as Daiyu. Would Daiyu want to write a book and talk to that little sister?"

Daiyu's eyes lit up, and after a while, she asked hesitantly: "Is it too disturbing? Besides, is sister Xue willing to write to her daughter?"

"I heard from the master of the Xue family that his daughter is the most generous and warm-hearted, and likes to be kind to others. She is also talented and intelligent. She can read and write like a man. I think she should be able to chat with Yu'er." Lin Ruhai encouraged softly.

"Then..." Daiyu revealed a look of excitement when she heard the words, looked at Lin Ruhai with radiance, and said, "What did I write in the letter?"

"You can write whatever you want. If you have any thoughts on reading and writing on weekdays, or write any poems, you can write them in the letter. It's just a chat, and it's all about sending loneliness away." Lin Ruhai saw her daughter's expression of excitement, He sighed again.Although he is honest and upright, when he enters the officialdom, he has to be like the light, and because he is the confidant of the Holy One, he was sent to the south of the Yangtze River to investigate the affairs of the salt administration, and his status is sensitive, so he cannot make close friends with the local officials of the aristocratic family.Moreover, the number of heirs in the family is weak, and Min'er is already weak, so she devotes all her attention to her heirs... This leads to her daughter being raised in a deep boudoir without close friends, and everyone is cautious when she is born.Compared with ordinary children, he is a little less arrogant and innocent, and a little more serious and timid.

Daiyu heard Lin Ruhai say this, thought over and over again in her heart, and then nodded and said: "My daughter understands, my daughter will go back and write a letter to sister Xue."

After finishing speaking, he looked at Lin Ruhai very hesitantly, thought for a while, and then said: "Father, don't worry, my daughter will definitely study hard, practice calligraphy and painting diligently, and I will definitely not disappoint my father."

Lin Ruhai was taken aback when he heard the words, and when he saw his daughter looking at him anxiously, he couldn't help but feel his nose sore, rubbed Daiyu's neck, patted his daughter's thin shoulder, and opened his mouth, feeling speechless. explain.

Daiyu bowed to bid farewell to Lin Ruhai. After returning to her study, she hurriedly sat at the desk, looked for the colored paper she usually used for inscribing poems, and carefully selected a colored paper with dark ink and bamboo patterns and put it aside.Then I turned out the manuscripts of the poems I wrote on weekdays, compared them one by one, and selected the two most proud poems, and copied them carefully in the exquisite small letters with hairpin flowers. .

At the beginning, I wrote "Sister Xue's Sincerely", then I hesitated for a moment, thought about it, and replaced the word "Jin" with the word "Jing".Then he went on to write: "I have been known to be intelligent, and I am very famous. I was taught by my hand suddenly, and I learned one thing. After reciting the imperial edict, I yearn for it deeply. I got a big instruction in a short time, and I gave it a gift. The book is well received, and it is like meeting an old friend. .Lucky to inherit Mingjiao, Mao Sai suddenly realized... Now I attach two old poems, please be correct, sister."

Finally, he signed the payment carefully, and after browsing it again and again, he felt that there was nothing negligent, so he asked someone to send it to Lin Ruhai's study.And Lin Ruhai prepared the gift in return, and handed Daiyu's letter to the steward who brought the gift from Xue's house, and said with a smile: "The little girl is withdrawn and not good at words. Fortunately, she can still know a few words. I heard that the big lady of Xue's house He has a refined manner and is good at reading. It is unavoidable that Hongyan has a taste for passing on letters. Please send this letter to the eldest lady of your mansion, and hope that the eldest lady can reply to you in her spare time."

"Master Lin, please don't worry! The younger one will definitely hand over the letter to the elder girl." Hearing this, the steward carefully put the letter in his arms, put it away carefully, and then said to Lin Ruhai.

"Thank you." Lin Ruhai nodded, and immediately ordered: "Reward."

Butler Lin who was standing on the side immediately stepped forward to take 50 taels, but the steward of Xue's family shirked it again and again, but finally accepted it with great kindness.It's just that the smile became more and more sincere, and the attitude became more and more warm.

So when the steward went back to Xue's residence to report the matter, he boasted to the Lin family for a while.In particular, he talked about how the master of the Lin family was respectful and courteous, and how the servants of the Lin family were respectful and respectful. At the end, he handed over a collection of letters to Xue Zhizhang, and said emphatically: "This is written by the girl of the Lin family to our girls." Master Lin told me again and again that if the girl has spare time, she must not forget to reply."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Xue Zhizhang glanced at Mrs. Xue inexplicably.Mrs. Xue stroked her temples with her hand, and asked again: "You said... this letter was written by the girl from the Lin family to our girl? Didn't Master Lin write it to our master?"

"Isn't that right! Master Lin has instructed you several times, and you can't go wrong." The steward replied immediately.

Xue Zhizhang took the letter and glanced at it, and sure enough, he saw the big characters "Sister Xue" written on the envelope with exquisite plum hairpins.After pondering for a moment, he said: "Maybe it's an elegant matter on the spur of the moment of the Lin family girl. When you return to the inner courtyard later, you can drop the letter to Baochai."

"Okay!" Mrs. Xue accepted the letter without hesitation.Then he turned his head and asked the steward: "You went to Yangzhou Lin's Mansion this time, and you can see Mrs. Lin, is she okay?"

"I haven't seen it before. I just heard from the servants of the Lin family that Mrs. Lin has been lingering and sick for a long time. Therefore, the whole family did not dare to tire Mrs. Lin. This time, Mr. Lin personally took care of the gift return." The steward still bowed his head. body replied.

"Then you really need to take a good rest." Mrs. Xue was just asking in accordance with the etiquette, and inquired about Lin Ruhai's attitude towards the Xue family.He didn't really care about Jia Min's body.Feeling that there was nothing more to ask, he waved his hand to let the steward step down.Turning around and facing Xue Zhizhang, he said, "Master, it seems that the girl from the Lin family wrote a letter to our Baochai, but Master Lin ordered it?"

"Don't worry, it's okay for a girl to hand over a handkerchief. What's more, brother Lin is also a man of glory, so he won't make his mind on the inner house." Xue Zhizhang waved his hand meaninglessly, One word sent Mrs. Xue away.

"Since this is the case, I will directly hand over the letter to Baochai. By the way, ask her to reply the letter as soon as possible. After all, the distance between Yangzhou and Jinling is not close. If there is a serious wait for the reply, there will be no delay." Madam Xue said, Get up and go to the back house.

Xue Zhizhang also nodded in agreement, and waved: "Go!"

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Note:

Dear Sirs, the writer of the letter is a person who states things respectfully and asks the other party to allow him to tell what he wrote below.It can be used both for peers and for inferiors to superiors.

Sincerely, sincerely means prudence and solemnity.For peers.

That is to say, the former is more significant than the latter.Daiyu wrote this because of respect for Baochai (after all, Lin Ruhai ordered the letter to be written), and because Xue Baochai's talent can be compared with that of Daiyu, while Daiyu sincerely hopes to have someone to talk to herself because of her loneliness. good.

[-]. The content in that letter was cobbled together by Wa on Baidu, and the words did not convey the meaning.That's what it means.Don't take offense everyone O(∩_∩)O~

This writing here mainly expresses Daiyu's uneasy mood.I personally thought that Daiyu, as the daughter of a second-rank official, didn’t have any arrogance when she first arrived at Rongguo Mansion. Lu, for fear of being ridiculed by others..." There must be a mysterious reason. (After all, if it is a heartless person like Wa, the mother died and went to the grandmother to relax. Apart from all kinds of sadness and curiosity about the new life and new relatives, I should not have thought of these~~~)

So here is where Wa arranges to drop some things O(∩_∩)O~Because the Lin family doesn’t have the inferiority complex of a man, Jia Min is very stressed. This kind of pressure is invisibly pressed on Daiyu, making her faintly feel that she is superfluous Yes, why isn't it a boy...

And this kind of shadow has caused her to be cautious, suspicious, defensive, and mature and sensible...so she hopes that someone can understand herself and talk to herself...

probably a meaning