Evening Shaohua in the Red House

Li Wan was only in a daze, Fu Ling had combed her hair several times, and tied her hair loosely with a white jade lotus hairpin, and asked, "Grandma looks like this, can it be done?"

Li Wan came back to his senses, glanced at the mirror, and said, "That's it."

As soon as the words finished, Mei Xiang lifted the soft curtain and came in, saying: "The medicine is ready, it's time for grandma to take the medicine."

When Li Wan came to the outside room, Mei Xiang lifted the lid of the filigree holding box on the table, and brought out a bowl of amber medicinal soup, "Grandma, drink it while it's hot, it will be even more bitter when it gets cold."

Fu Ling hurriedly fetched a plate of candied fruit and came over. Li Wan held his breath, picked up the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. It took a lot of effort not to spit it out.

Mei Xiang had already prepared a spittoon for hot tea, and when she saw this, she hurriedly handed over the teacup: "Grandma, rinse your mouth quickly."

Li Wan rinsed his mouth and ate two pieces of candied fruit before suppressing the bitter taste in his mouth. He glanced at the Western clock on the wall and said, "It's already three o'clock in the unitary hour, and I haven't left the house today. I'm going to the courtyard." let's go."

Now my body is still relatively weak, and I can't do other exercises, so I can only walk around the courtyard every day, which is right for me to exercise.

Fu Ling said: "That's okay, the former doctor Wang also explained that you can't lie down all the time, and walking around every day is good for your bones."

Li Wan was very grateful to Doctor Wang, if he hadn't spoken, he would have been detained in the house and not allowed to go out.

"Wait, it's cold outside, I'll get some clothes to put on for grandma." Mei Xiang said, and went back inside to get a green cloak for Li Wan to put on.

A few maids and women in the yard were sweeping the fallen leaves, when they saw Li Wan coming out, they stopped and saluted, "Grandma."

Li Wan waved his hand, "I'm just going out for a walk, you go do your own work."

Fu Ling acted the most prudent and cautious, supported Li Wan's hand and said with a smile: "There is a lot of dust here, why don't you go for a walk on the gravel road at the back, where the camellias are blooming well, you can enjoy the flowers."

Li Wan nodded, and looked carefully as he walked.

This courtyard is the west-span courtyard behind the main building of Rongxi Hall. The courtyard is spacious, with flowers and stones planted in the courtyard, and it is neatly arranged.

The whole yard has two entrances, which are divided into front and back yards. The back yard is inside. It has a pattern of three fronts and four ears. There are two ear rooms for things such as boxes and cages.

There are three east and west rooms each, and four south rooms, all of which are connected by corridors. There are about two rooms in total.

There are more than ten houses, very neat and spacious.

The courtyard is paved with square bricks, and the bluestone steps are very clean. On the steps are a row of bonsai such as wintersweet and camellia.

In front of the house is a large crabapple, and behind the house is a stone-paved narrow path surrounded by white walls, with a few clumps of thin bamboos planted beside it.

The original owner and his wife lived in the three main rooms in the north house, and the four upside-down rooms were used as Jia Zhu's study. However, since a year ago, Jia Zhu's family used to live in the main room and moved away from the main room. Living in the outer study in the front yard.

One was Li Wan's physical inconvenience after pregnancy, and the other was to concentrate on studying poetry and books in preparation for Qiu Wei, so the couple slept in separate rooms.

The west wing room is prepared for Jia Lan to live in, but he is still young, and he is usually taken by his nanny, and only lives in the two side rooms on the east side of the main room. Wan was seriously ill, so she moved to the West Wing room because she was afraid of getting sick.

The two side rooms on the west side have been used as warehouses, and there are countless boxes and cages piled up, all of which are the original owner's dowry.

Jiazhu's two housemaids lived in the two rooms in the east wing, the remaining one was used as a tea room, and the maids and women lived in the back room and the inverted seat.

In the past two days, she gradually sorted out the complicated memories in her mind.

It is still several years before the official opening of the story of the Red Chamber, Wang Xifeng married into Jia's family only a few months ago, Jia Yuanchun just entered the palace in the old year, Jia Baoyu was only five years old, and the girls in the first and second books were still children.

The original owner was born in the Li family in Jinling, and his father was Li Shouzhong, who offered sacrifices to the Imperial Academy.

Although the Li family is not as rich as it is, it is also a famous family in Jinling, a family of scholars from generation to generation, with a rather solid foundation.

Although Guozijian's sacrificial wine was only for the fourth grade, it was extremely noble. The Jia family also chose to marry Li Shouzhong because it could pave the way for Jia Zhu's future because of Li Shouzhong's contacts in Qingliu.

The original owner married into the Jia family after Jiji, and it has been exactly two years since they entered the door. After entering the door, they treated Jia Zhu as a guest, and they became pregnant within half a year. Their married life can be considered happy.

Coincidentally, this year is the [-]th birthday of Emperor Yongyuan, and Enke will be added.

Jia Zheng was overjoyed. He loved reading since he was a child, but unfortunately he failed to pass the imperial examination to become an official. In the end, he got the shadow of his father. Today, he was awarded an additional title of director of the Ministry of Industry. However, his ability is limited, almost 20 years He was only a Yuanwailang from the fifth grade, so he was very strict with Jia Zhu, who had already entered school, and only wanted him to pass the examination for Juren and Jinshi, so that he could shine on his family.

Everyone said that Baoyu was born with the title of jade, which was a great fortune. Jia Zheng also had high hopes at first, but Baoyu caught the hairpin and hairpin when he was in charge of the Zhou Dynasty, and he had a bad temper

He didn't like to study, but only loved to hang out in the inner room, and he was spoiled by Jia's mother. He didn't dare to take care of it, so he put all his hopes on his eldest son, and he tightened his grip on Jia Zhu, urging him to study hard day and night, and to participate in the autumn palace. .

At the age of 14, Jia Zhu passed the boy's examination and passed the scholar's examination. Although she failed in the township examination that year, she was already outstandingly talented.

Moreover, Jia Zhu was young after all at that time, although Jia Zheng was a little disappointed, he felt it was reasonable and didn't take it to heart.

Later, Jia Zhu was recommended as a tribute student to study in the Imperial College because of his excellent grades. He was originally talented and intelligent. Among the children of aristocratic families who have obtained the qualification of supervising students, it can be said to be a clear stream.

Furthermore, although Jia Zhu was born in the Houmen family's mansion, he does not have the dandy habits of a son of a family. Li Shouzhong liked him even more, and Li Shouzhong, the Chinese Zijian Jijiu, was even more fond of him. In the end, he betrothed his eldest daughter to him and became Weng's son-in-law.

At the age of 17, Jia Zhu participated in Qiuwei again. Everyone said that he must be the winner, and Jia Zheng also had high hopes, but who knew that he was not listed again, and Jia Zheng felt a little depressed.

Although Jia Zheng didn't say it clearly, but Jia Zhu thought carefully, how could he not detect it, he felt a little bit bitter. He had been going smoothly for the first ten years or so, but since the birth of his youngest brother, the old lady only cared about Baoyu in her eyes, and everyone waited for her. It is said that Baoyu was born with a beautiful jade in his mouth, which is a great fortune.

Mrs. Wang had a son when she was old, and she also doted on Baoyu in every possible way, which inevitably left Jia Zhu indifferent, and she failed the rankings one after another, and she couldn't help feeling a little depressed.

This Enke is also a rare opportunity for him, so he studies hard day and night.

On the ninth day of August, the township examination officially started. Jia Zhu was supposed to go back to Jinling to take the test, but the Jiansheng and Gongsheng students who were studying in the Guozijian did not have to go back to their hometown to take the test directly in the capital.

The imperial examinations have always been exhausting, but Jia Zhu was unlucky. The dormitory he was assigned was close to the hut, and there was air leakage everywhere. He was already weak. carried it back.

Mrs. Jia Muwang and others were frightened out of their wits, and hurriedly asked for a doctor to extend the medicine. However, Jia Zhu was always restricted by Jia Zheng to study for several years, exhausted his efforts, and really hurt the foundation. He invited many famous doctors but nothing worked. On the sick bed, he often vomits blood.

When the results of the township examination were released, Jia Zhu failed again, and Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang were put to death.

, people in the house are not allowed to leak the news, but this matter cannot be hidden from people, and when the day of the announcement comes, Jia Zhu keeps asking, but the servant sees that he can't hide it, so he has to tell the result of the announcement.

Jia Zhu was already a bit preoccupied, and years of hard study had hurt his foundation. This time the provincial examination was even more debilitating. Now he heard that he failed the ranking again, while several classmates in the Imperial College who were far worse than him in their homework on weekdays were on the list. It was a stagnation in his heart, and his condition became more and more serious day by day, and finally passed away on September [-]th.

The original owner came back from the Tiekan Temple to send the spirit back that day. You might as well have heard Zhang Nanny and Wang Xing's family secretly discussing that Jia Lan was born on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. In other words, the original owner was already depressed because of Jia Zhu's death. After hearing this, he was shocked and angry, and immediately vomited blood and fell to the ground. After waking up, he was replaced by the current her.

Although her family background was ordinary in her previous life, her parents and elder brothers loved her very much. Although there were occasional twists and turns in her life, she did not suffer much. After graduation, she found a leisurely and stable job and lived a comfortable life.

I thought that the days would pass like this, but I never thought that I would travel through time, not only became a widow, but also had a child.

These days, when she dreamed back at midnight, she did not know how many times she cried in secret, but whether she wanted to or not, all of this was a foregone conclusion, and she had to accept it if she didn't accept it.

The most worrying thing now is how to take the next road. The Jia family is destined to raid the house. Although according to the original book, because Li Wan is a chaste woman and Jia Lan is young, both mother and child escaped, but the orphans and widows It is not easy for mothers to survive in this society.

If she was a man, she could still go out and start a career, but it's a pity that this world is not the future, and the etiquette is strict, and women can't show their faces at all, let alone go out to work.

The law protects women's property and personal safety very weakly. Orphans and widows are the targets of bullying. If there is no man to support the family, it is not uncommon for clans and even domestic slaves to bully widows and orphans. They are even sold as prostitutes by brothers and uncles. all have.

The Rongning Guofu Building is about to fall, she has no way to turn the tide, she can only take one step at a time, but fortunately she is familiar with the Red Chamber in her previous life, and she is familiar with the characters and plots in the book. Plan the way out.

***

On the other hand, Mrs. Wang has aged ten years since the death of Jia Zhu, and most of her original desire to fight for glory and show off has faded away. Previously, she did everything from taking up lawsuits and lending loan sharks. This time, the death of her eldest son, she felt that it was retribution. Now I didn't do any of these things, lest it would be retribution to Baoyu again.

, the family only eats fast and recites Buddha all day long, and some household things are also handed over to Wang Xifeng and the daughter-in-laws.

It's just that the end of the new year is coming, besides settling accounts, I have to start busy with the year, buy winter clothes, new year's goods, and take care of various New Year's gifts, there are many things.

Mrs. Wang is nearly forty now, and this time she has experienced the pain of her eldest son again, her vitality has been severely damaged, and her health is not as good as before. Now that there are too many things, she is a little powerless, and she feels more and more powerless, so she intends to ask Sister Feng to help the housekeeper, so as to be an arm .

Li Wan's health has not yet recovered, and he is a widow. He usually has to take care of the young Jia Lan, so he can't be a housekeeper.

Moreover, Mrs. Wang knew very well that although their second wife lived in the main courtyard, it was only because of Jia's mother's partiality, and Jia She would be the one who would inherit the title in the future.

Jia Lian is the eldest son of the head of the Rongguo Mansion, and Sister Feng is the daughter-in-law of the big house and the daughter of Prince Teng, so the housekeeper's name change is justified.

So I talked about it when I greeted Jiamu this day.

"It's been two or three months since Feng girl got started. I want to entrust her with the housekeeping. What do you think, old lady?"