Edge of the Red Chamber

The next day, the family went to Cui's house again.

Because Master Cui came from his step-mother, Lin Hai's mother and step-mother were not very close. After Lin Hai's grandfather passed away, the two families cut off contact.After getting Lin Jue, the two families started walking again.

The Cui family is also a family of scholarly hairpin tassels, only his maternal ancestor's descendants are not succeeding, and they are gradually declining.Cui Ran didn't get angry until he was in his 20s, and then he gradually got better again.In the past few years, I ordered Guozijian sacrificial wine.This house was bought again, and before Cui Mao's wedding, the old lady and the old lady came to live together.Although it is said that five generations live under the same roof, fortunately, the population is not large, but it is still broad.

The old lady was nearly eighty years old, with silver hair all over her head, but her eyes were not dazzled and her ears were not deaf. She pulled Lin Hai and said, "When you came home, you were still in your mother's arms. In a blink of an eye, my son has grown up." He also called Lin Jue, Lin Yan, Lin Daiyu, Lu Huixian and Zhang Feng'e to come to him, looked at this and that, and finally took Lu Huixian to look at him for a while, and said, "Good boy, it's hard for you."

It made Lu Huixian's eyes turn red, she tried her best to persuade Mrs. Tai, and said with a smile: "Why is it not my blessing?"

The old lady nodded with a smile, and said, "You are a sensible person, your luck is yet to come."

For a while, the maids gave gifts, each with two rulers and other things.Lin Juan and Lin Yan both had a pair of top-ranking scholar’s ​​golden locks and a precious inkstone, while Daiyu’s and Zhang Feng’e’s had two necklaces, only Lu Huixian’s was a little thicker, with a pair of ruby ​​heads.Even Lin Hai also has a gift.

Lin Haiyin said with a smile: "I'm getting old, and I still need your old things."

The old lady said angrily: "Don't say you are old, even if you have a grandson or a great-grandson, in front of me, he is still a child."

Mrs. Cui answered and said: "That's it." The group saluted Mrs. Cui again, with their own courtesy, which was slightly inferior to the old lady's. Lin Jue and Lin Yan only exchanged the gold lock for the silver lock. They also added a pair of Ruyi silver handles, Daiyu and Zhang Feng'e had a collar and a pair of Ruyi gold handles, and Lu Huixian's also had a good look.

If there is another grandma, they will wait again, but Lin Hai will be gone.

Mrs. Cui introduced her daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandson to Lin Hai, "This is Maoer's daughter-in-law, this is the second girl." She pointed to Brother Han who was being held by the nanny and said, "This is another generation."

Several people kowtowed to Lin Hai, and the old lady said, "This is the first time you are here today, so ask Maoer and Zhier to come in and meet."

Then a maid went to the second gate to upload a message. After a while, the two brothers came in, kowtowed, met with the sisters, and went out as usual.Lin Hai said, "It happened that I took their brothers and sisters to see my uncle, and asked Maoer and Zhier to lead the way."

The old lady said: "He always talks about you. You father and son can also talk to him. In recent years, I have grown older and more relaxed. When I met Maoer and Zhier, I didn't even smile. I asked each other every day. If there is something wrong with the book, you will scold him, and the two children dare not go to him." Then he said to Lu Huixian's three sisters-in-law and Cui Jiayi: "You bring your sister-in-law, sister-in-law, sister-in-law, and sister-in-law to see the master or come to my side, your grandfather Talking about not even taking care of food, don't teach them to accompany you." Cui Jiayi agreed.

Mrs. Cui also got up, and said with a smile: "I went there with my nephew, but the master forgot, and I reminded you." Everyone in the room laughed,

The old lady also laughed and said, "That's right. I have Maoer's wife and the others here." Then she asked the grandma, "But when did you say you'll be back?"

The grandma said: "It must be a meeting." The old lady couldn't help saying a few words after hearing this, and then said: "If you come back, I will teach you to go directly to his father." The grandma agreed.

Mrs. Cui then led a group of people to make a speech, and they were sent to the hallway.Mrs. Cui led the crowd through the hallway, which was the garden. To the south stood a large screen wall made of pink and oil. Further forward, there was a courtyard gate, but they did not go in. Further forward, there was a winding corridor. Entering the veranda, walking a distance, and turning around, it is the main courtyard.

As soon as he went in, Master Cui was already there. When he saw Lin Hai and his children, he smiled and said hello a few times, but he didn't care about anything else. He pulled Lin Jue and Lin Yan and asked about the book.

Seeing this, Mrs. Cui gave up her seat with a smile, and ordered to pour tea and fruit, and said: "The old ancestors are right," and said to Master Cui: "They came all the way, you also let the children sit down and have a rest. Drink some water and talk before it's too late."

Lin Hai then said: "Uncle is willing to teach them, that's their blessing, they are young, what's the value of staying longer?"

Master Cui snorted coldly, and said: "Mao'er and Zhi'er usually suffer too little, and they don't know the hardships of the world." Cui Mao and Cui Zhi rushed forward to plead guilty when they heard what his grandfather said.

Seeing this, Mrs. Cui knew that she wanted to preach again, so she stood up and said, "If you talk, we girls will talk too."

Master Cui then said: "She is the only girl in our family now, the old lady is spoiled, if there is something that offends you, just say it."

Lu Huixian said: "Sister Yi is very good, we hit it off too."

Master Cui nodded, and Mrs. Cui led a few people inside to talk. When the old lady came, Mrs. Cui personally sent them out, ordering those who needed her to go to the old lady.

Still going back on the same road, when passing the small courtyard just now, Cui Jiayi pointed and said: "This is my sister-in-law's room." It turned out that Grandma Xiaomao lived with the old lady, and Daiyu's place should be from behind the old lady. The garden was cut off.

Cui Jiayi is only 11 years old this year. Her mother only had her in her thirties. Her brothers and sisters are much older than her.Since her eldest sister left the cabinet, she was the only girl left in the family, so she was a bit lonely, but seeing Zhang Feng'e and Lin Daiyu today, they got along very well, and she was even happier.

"Let's go in from the back, so as to surprise our ancestors." After saying that, he led the three of Lu Huixian to pass through the goose-warm stone corridor on the side.

The two maids who led the way quickly stopped her and said: "My good girl, it's far away here, the wind is blowing again today, it's freezing carefully."

Cui Jiayi didn't bother, and just said: "The sun is so big, it's going to make me cold." She also said: "I'm afraid I'm going to sweat all over this way."

It was difficult for the two to talk, so I had to come back and say to Lu Huixian: "Our girl has such a temperament, she always refuses to listen to others, grandma, please forgive me." Then she asked Daiyu: "How is Miss Lin?"

Cui Jiayi took Daiyu's hand and smiled at her, "Sister Lin's hand is warmer than mine."

Daiyu smiled and said, "I wear more clothes than you, and I keep my hands in them all the time, so I'm naturally warmer than yours."

Lu Huixian then said: "Then let's go for a walk, and I will trouble my sister to go first, so as to save the old lady from worrying in vain."

Cui Jiayi couldn't wait any longer, she took Zhang Feng'e with one hand and Daiyu with the other, and walked forward, while walking, she turned her head and said to Lu Huixian, "Let's go first, sister Xian is coming too."

As the few people walked together, Cui Jiayi talked about where the garden was so beautiful and where the scenery was good.In fact, Cui's house is small, and there is no other garden. When Cui Mao got married, this place was separated a little, and there is no scenery.However, after hearing Cui Jiayi's words, it became very different.

"I love that pavilion the most. In summer, I can sit in the pavilion and fish. Those fish are so stupid. That time, I didn't even put the bait in, but I actually bit the hook and caught it. How strange do you think it is?" Another time, in a hurry, he actually hooked his own lips, and the hook was taken off, and his lips were hurt. Even though he put it back, he didn’t know if he survived or not.”

Hearing that they were not alive, Zhang Feng'e and Daiyu both thought of their mother who died young, and immediately became sad.When Cui Jiayi saw the expressions of the two of them, she thought they were pitiful fishes, and it was funny, and she was grateful for the kindness of the two of them, so she hurriedly tried to comfort her, then changed the subject, and asked them what books they were reading now, and who was invited to the family As a teacher, how about learning, I talked about interesting things in school, and then I talked about needlework.

Daiyu said: "I can't do it." After finishing speaking, she pointed to Zhang Feng'e and said, "Sister Feng's needlework is good. All mothers agree."

Cui Jiayi clamored to see it, but Zhang Feng'e couldn't resist her, so she untied a purse containing betel nuts and handed it to her.Cui Jiayi took a look at it, but before she could take a closer look, she felt very elegant.On the satin of the color of a fragrant concubine, there is a clump of orchid grass sparsely, and next to it, I learned the technique of Huiwen, and drew a small order with black wool.

Look at the attire of the two of them again: Daiyu combed her hair, tied two strings of red coral beads, a lotus-colored double-breasted gown, only the neckline and cuffs were hooked with silver threads in a cloud pattern, and she wore a long skirt covered in gold. Pressed with a green ring, she wore a white fox-lined cloak with a light yellow face; Zhang Feng'e was different. Pearls the size of rice grains were intertwined with gold beads and her hair was braided into a long braid, tied with a palace ribbon the color of a fragrant concubine, the color of lotus root. The small jacket, light yellow and bijia, is tied with a long floral skirt, the color of the flower is slightly plain, a tourmaline with a butterfly pattern and a palace belt with long spikes of Wufu Ruyi are tied around the waist, and an orange-yellow satin cloak with squirrel lining is worn.

Cui Jiayi looked at it, and couldn't help but praise in her heart: "The elder sister of the Zhang family is a sensible person."

Dressed equally elegantly, hers was a little lower than Daiyu's.

Lin Daiyu saw that she was looking at the purse first, and then just staring at people, so she pushed her away and said, "My sister has a demonic disease? Is this purse good? Why don't you look at the purse and stare at us, but our face Is there something wrong with it?"

Cui Jiayi came to her senses, and said with a smile, "I thought, only a person like Sister Zhang can do such a good needlework."

As we talked, we arrived at the old lady's backyard, and there were only two little maids sitting on the terrace outside talking. When they saw them coming, they greeted them with a smile and said, "Grandma Lin, why do girls come in from here?" Competing to open the curtain.

A few people went in, and Cui Jiayi rushed to the old lady, took the purse, and said, "Look at the old ancestor, how about this purse?"

The old lady took it away and glanced at it, and said, "It looks like Huiwen." She asked for glasses again, and a maid next to her brought them over. Cui Jiayi took them and put them on for the old lady herself. The old lady took them closer and looked at them carefully After looking at it, he just nodded and said with a smile: "The stitches are dense, what's rare is this kind of thought, it's not worse than the Huiwen."

Cui Jiayi stretched out her hand and said with a smile: "The old ancestor can reward me."

The old lady pointed her finger hard on her forehead, and said with a smile: "What a shameless girl, you do such a good job in sewing, why didn't you use it to honor me earlier?" Zhang Feng'e, "Good boy, I think he worked hard."

Cui Jiayi clung to the old lady's arm and asked, "How did the ancestor know that it wasn't Sister Xian's needlework?"

The old lady just laughed and didn't speak, so a maid quietly pointed to the old lady's head, and Cui Jiayi finally understood when she saw her forehead wiped.

The forehead wiping was originally Lu Huixian's needlework, all the sewing old ladies in the family knew about it, but now it was not done by Lu Huixian, and since Daiyu is young, Zhang Feng'e is the only one.

After laughing for a while, Cui Jiayi stood up and apologized to Zhang Feng'e, saying: "I was just playing around, I taught my sister a joke."

Knowing that it was about her sewing and joking just now, Zhang Feng'e hurriedly stood up and returned the salute, saying: "It was a joke between sisters, sister, please don't take it to heart."

The old lady saw it, and she was also happy in her heart, and said, "This is Zhili's child."