Dowry maid's daily life [Red Mansion]

"Woof!" Hu Zi let out a low growl from his throat after barking twice, staring at the figure who knocked on the door threateningly.

"Sister An, it's me!" The fat aunt carried a basket with two bowls of hot food in it, and smiled at Du Yun'an who came out to open the door: "Usually I missed some good things from your house, but today my sister The family brought some good flower mushrooms, which are very fat. I fried one with chicken and one with vegetarian food. They are very fragrant, try it.”

Du Yun'an hurriedly thanked her, and then said hello to the tall woman in brand-new clothes next to the fat aunt.

Mrs. Song had secretly looked at her a few times before, and said with a smile on her face, "I am your Aunt Pang's older sister. My husband's family name is Song. Everyone calls me Mrs. Song. Oh, what a beautiful girl."

After talking a few gossips, the two fat aunts went home.

On the way, Mrs. Song kept sighing and sighing: "It's a pity, I didn't turn out to be such a good-looking person, and she seems to have a good temper..."

The fat aunt wondered: "What a pity?"

"I'm sighing for my eldest nephew. I really didn't expect such a handsome girl to be raised in the Zhuangzi. Why didn't I think of coming to see it in the past, but the duck beside the bowl flew away!"

The fat aunt curled her lips: "Daniu dare not have such a beautiful dream when he is asleep, can Phoenix still fall into the chicken coop?"

"Bah, I'm going to get angry when I see how unmotivated you are!" Sister-in-law Song only had her youngest son after being married for more than ten years. In the past, she loved her nephew the most. Flowers, how can we not feel embarrassed.

"As long as the daughter-in-law is kind and capable, it's fine as long as her appearance is not crooked. This farmer's family can't ask for a fairy." The fat aunt didn't think so.

An angry Mrs. Song stopped and pinched her arm: "You are what Yumu's head said! You have delayed the child for nothing!"

"You don't want Da Niu, you don't want your grandson and daughter to be able to work in the mansion one day, and fight for dignity in front of the master?"

Mrs. Song said earnestly: "Everyone knows that the barriers to entry in the mansion are high. If you want to get a monthly salary, you don't only need someone who is capable and well-connected. The most important thing is to look good! If you don't look good, you will be the housekeeper." The girls in the family don’t even think about getting ahead!”

"You have never seen before. The girls and daughter-in-laws that the master serves in front of him are all like flowers. Even the servants in the outer courtyard must at least look upright. Otherwise, wouldn't the master lose face?" Sister Song pointed out. Looking at her younger sister, she said, "Otherwise I have repeatedly said that you must ask me about Daniel's marriage, so you must not ignore it. If you marry a good-looking daughter-in-law, you may be able to help Daniel in the future."

"Let's go! When there are girls who should be released, I'll look at the good ones and ask someone to assign them to me." It's useless to talk too much, and Mrs. Song is thinking that her man can talk now, so she wants to go to the second housekeeper's place more. It is justified to find a good girl for my nephew.

The fat aunt patted her thigh: "It's strange that several housekeepers and grandmas are asking about Sister An. I thought she was a capable brother and loves her sister. I also thought that Sister An is good at everything, but her appearance is a bit out of the ordinary. , I’m afraid I won’t be able to hide it when I’m idle.”

This time it was her sister's turn to curl her lips: "It's too late to say anything. Anyway, Daniel's wife has to be chosen carefully, and only a good-looking wife can give birth to good children." As she spoke, she suddenly turned around and pointed to a fat black girl who was poking her head in the distance. Said: "If this dignified appearance is still round, I don't even want her in the laundry room."

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Before dawn the next day, Du Zhong had already driven his master's carriage to send his sister to Beijing.

Du Zhong had a note stamped by the steward of the palace in his hand, and Du Yun'an left Zhuangzi openly.When she walked forward, Li Jia, the head of the village, got the letter and smoked a pot of cigarettes, choking his child to cough.

Li Jia's daughter-in-law slammed the curtain and entered the house: "It's good that you promised so many people before. They patted their buttocks and went into the house. Those who give gifts and ask for favors can't blame you!"

Li Jia knocked heavily on his cigarette bag, stared at me and said in a low voice, "I'm complaining? It's supposed to be assigned, but both families must be willing." Then he sneered: "Besides, that Du girl can't get on I have to go to Gaotaipan to talk about it. If I don’t win this time, I will not be polite to his brothers and sisters! The Du family’s dew face is just right, so that everyone will know that I have a peony flower in Li Jiazhuang. Let's talk when the benefits are enough!"

Seeing his stern words, his daughter-in-law turned her worry into joy: "So you have taken care of it, and this girl from the Du family will definitely be dismissed?"

Li Jia ignored her, squinting the smoking bag.He spoke harshly, and his heart was pounding: Who would have thought that Du Xiaozi would be such a ghost, and instead of going through Baitong's easy way to go, he would go to Ren Dexuan's place to sign up in a serious manner, otherwise he would be killed if he quietly scribbled his name early in the morning. It's done.He didn't know about this until the management office approved the note to Zhuangzi yesterday, and it was too late for him to think about it.

The back door of the Prince's Mansion on Jindong Street was very busy, and people with notes came in from time to time. Two young men were guiding the way through the door, the man went to the left and the woman to the right.

Ten feet away, the place where the horses were parked and dismounted was even more chaotic. Some people walked on two legs, some rode donkeys, and some rode ox carts.Du Zhong parked the carriage far away from the intersection, so as not to be eye-catching, but he couldn't sit still, he stroked his horse's mane and looked at the back door of Wang's house.

Sizheng, after being quiet for a while, the gate of Shichen became lively again. People kept coming out from inside, waiting for the family members in the sheltered place at the base of the wall to gather around to inquire about the situation.

These were the ones who failed to go home, most of them were downcast and unwilling to talk to everyone, but some were still a little happy.

Du Zhong listened closely, but it turned out that the name had been written down, and there was still a chance to get an errand.

Du Yun'an was waiting for the second round of candidates in a small courtyard inside, and several women dressed as housekeepers' wives said in front: "Everyone is standing, what is this place, so many things to talk about at home!"

"Don't think you're guaranteed to win. There are still a few of the half that dropped out that have their names written down. You can come in again when the manpower is short in the future. You won't have the advantage!" One of them said, "The housekeeper's men don't have time to spare!" Pick one by one like us, and the ones who go out this time can't even get a name."

As soon as the words fell, two middle-aged men in silk and satin clothes came into the courtyard, surrounded by young servants, and the scene was not small.

One of them said with a smile like Maitreya Buddha: "There are so many left this time, there must be thirty?"

The daughter-in-law who spoke earlier replied with a smile: "39, there are several outstanding ones, this time it is not worse than the ones bought back."

The Wang's family chooses thousands of buyers, and in previous years, most of them looked better than the family.

With a smile, Maitreya raised his voice and said, "I am Bai Tong, the supervisor. Those under ten years old stand on the east side, those over ten years old and under thirteen stand in the middle, and those over 16 years old stand on the west side. Those over [-] years old can go home."

In fact, this team has already stood up, it is divided into piles according to age, but it is divided into four groups, and the group at the moment is the oldest and the most well-dressed. Some girls' eyes are red with anxiety.

"There are eleven of them here, don't you want any of them?" The daughter-in-law in charge quickly said, "These two in front are rare and handsome!"

Bai Tong glanced at her: "You are too old, and you should be released again in less than two years. Why waste this time?"

Several daughter-in-laws in charge approached and said in a low voice: "Miss Feng still lacks a nest in her house, and she will be born in a few months. This nest must be made up?"

Na Baitong's smiling face remained unchanged, but the corner of his mouth was only raised to one side: "What is Miss Feng's temper, and she asked you to be her masters?"

When the steward's daughter-in-law heard this, she didn't dare to persuade any more, she turned down her face and pushed those who were over her age: "Let's all go!"

At that moment, a beautiful girl in a pink jacket and a green waistcoat stomped her feet and called one of the daughters-in-law aggrievedly: "Auntie!..."

The daughter-in-law in charge gave her a hard look: "What are you talking about, hurry up!"

Bai Tong squinted his eyes and said nothing, the butler next to him, who had been sullen since he came in, took the booklet: "Let's get started."

Ren Dexuan called out a name, and the girls who were called out would tell their origins, parents, and talents as explained by the wives just now, starting with the youngest.

Occasionally, Bai Tong would ask a few questions with a smile. He had an amiable face, much better than the thin and indifferent Ren Dexuan next to him, and some girls who were left behind showed gratitude to him.

Du Yun'an listened attentively, and saw that there were a few who were obviously not so good. Before Ren Dexuan could speak, Bai Tong asked a few questions first, and they stayed.

The old god Ren Dexuan was still there, and he didn't sing against the tune, so he drew a circle on the notebook with a ink pen and left it.

"Du Yun'an."

This name is unique among the nicknames of Honger Cuier and Huaerduoer, and the people in the courtyard looked at it again,

Du Yun'an stepped forward and blessed with downcast eyes: "Du Yun'an, from Li Jiazhuang, his father is Du Dong..."

Bai Tong weighed himself up and down: "What do you know? You're half a year old and not too young, so you're a bit late in learning how to do things."

Just now Yun An said that he knows how to needle and thread, and I know that he intends to make things difficult.

If it were another ten-year-old girl who had never been born in Zhuangzi, she would have panicked when she was denied such a question by the steward, like the few blushing and stammering people before, they would all be crossed out of their names.

"I know needlework and embroidery, and I have learned some cooking skills." Du Yun'an replied.

"Oh? That's capable." Bai Tong smiled half-smile, and then said to the others: "You have to tell the truth, don't be fooled by lard, show off your skills, and even your old lady will be troubled if it is found out in the future!"

Du Yun'an didn't change his face, but a little girl who had passed by on the other side burst into tears, Bai Tong raised his eyebrows, and immediately asked two servants to push the girl out, and then lost his hair.

Bai Tong vented his anger, knowing that his calculations had failed, he was a little unhappy, but he didn't take it too seriously - the filial money from Li Jiazhuang's head was not enough, and it was enough to stop it with a few more words Overwhelmed.

Then he waved his hand and said, "Then go to the big kitchen and do some light work of washing dishes."

At this time, Ren Dexuan said: "There are three vacancies in the sewing room, and the servants still owe half of their spring clothes..."

Bai Tong glanced at him, but he was also kind, nodded in agreement, and then smiled again: "The spring clothes for the sewing room have not yet been handed in, and the summer clothes for the whole family are coming after them. The work is heavy! The person in charge of Jinxiu's house is the second door." One of them is very powerful, and he hates being lazy and slippery the most, so you have to work hard."

He said that he cared about Du Yun'an, but secretly he was fighting with Ren Dexuan.

Du Yunanfu stepped aside, and within a short time, the selection of more than 20 people was finished, and half of them were still left, leaving only thirteen people.

The two butlers wrote down the list, each signed their fingerprints and went to the manager's room to hand over the list without mentioning it.As soon as they left, several daughter-in-laws in charge complained: "Hey, this old dog is really worthless! I don't know how much benefits he has received from the ready-made vacancies in front of Miss Feng. Who should I recommend to enjoy the blessings!"

Turning around, he was kind to the girls who stayed behind: "The family members are still waiting outside? I'll give you half an hour, hurry up and have a word, pick up the burden, and come back to this courtyard in a while, we will take you Go everywhere."

Seeing that someone still has something to ask, he said: "The steward has been assigned an errand, why don't you go in front of it first, if it is not suitable, there will be time to transfer it later."

It was almost noon at this time, and the daughters-in-law in charge went to eat by themselves, but the girls who managed to stay did not feel hungry, and ran out chattering one after another to announce the good news to their families.

After waiting for a long time, the losers were all gone, and Du Zhong knew that it was almost done, and at the same time his heart was sour and astringent, seeing his sister coming out, Du Zhong's eyes were red.

The author has something to say: Ask for a collection, and the column will also be collected~

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Baitong (Baitong) failed, but Dexuan had to choose.