The widowed mother of the red mansion

The next day, Li Wan and Bi Yue went to see Aunt Wu in her yard.Aunt Wu had already taken the medicine, and her complexion improved a lot. She was falling asleep on the bed, and Aunt Qian was fanning the medicine jar beside her with red and swollen eyes.Seeing Li Wan coming, she quickly got up and said hello: "Grandma came so early, have you had breakfast yet?"

"Just eat, you don't need to greet me, just sit down. How is she?"

"It's much better. I retched for a while at night, but I slept well after tossing around." Aunt Qian said with a smile, "I'm still talking about her. Fortunately, you are in this yard. If anyone else cares that you have a fever It’s still a stroke, grab a few doses of herbal medicine to fool you, and you will be lucky.”

Although Aunt Wu used to be dressed in red and green to sing operas, after becoming an aunt, the house is extremely clean.There are gauze curtains with floral patterns on a blue background, an incense burner and a porcelain tea set on the long table, except for a few necessary counter decorations and a large amphora with fresh orchids in the corner, there are no other decorations in the room.

Li Wan looked at it, and said puzzledly: "Why didn't you get out those antique decorations that were given to you earlier, it looks strange and deserted like this."

Aunt Qian smiled embarrassedly and said: "I made grandma laugh. I like to tidy up the house with colorful flowers, but she also likes to be clean and tidy. She said that there is no place to put them in my room. I will ask someone to take them." return."

Li Wan also smiled: "No, if she is willing to give it to you, it must not be forced by you. In a few days, I will send someone to find some generous things for her. I didn't think about it at first, thinking that you young girls just like to play with it." It's going to be lively."

After the two of them had tea, Li Wan said, "I used to have a small kitchen in my place. The old lady who had just given birth to Lingxi asked someone to prepare nourishing soup. It has not been used very seriously. I have already ordered Biyue and her sister-in-law Come and take care of the tea, water and meals in our several yards, as usual, but I will pay the cook's monthly money, so even if you are on business, you will not lose anything."

Aunt Qian was startled: "Is someone trying to harm us?"

Li Wan said: "That's not true. You keep these words in your heart, so don't tell the outside world. There are many things in the big kitchen outside, so it's inevitable that sometimes it's rough, and people come and go to get stuff. I'll let it go, Your Second Grandma Bao has a body that can be blown by the wind, if she suddenly eats something unclean and catches a cold, Baoyu will be in a hurry."

Only then did Aunt Qian feel relieved, and said: "Grandma is still careful. It's strange that others say that grandma is a living Bodhisattva. She loves people like this for a long time, unlike others who just run for profit and take advantage of opportunities. Aunt Wu and I both You must recite the Buddha's name well, but I hope you will follow grandma in your next life."

Li Wan said with a smile: "What do you do with me? Wouldn't it be better for you to be the mistresses and wives in your next life?"

Aunt Qian couldn't help laughing and said, "We don't dare to imagine how lucky we will be to repair it."

"If there is something missing in normal times, just come and tell me, don't let it leak when you are seriously ill like this time."

Aunt Qian agreed with tears in her eyes.

Just after I came out from Aunt Wu's place, I saw Zijuan smilingly inviting Li Wan to play.The courtyards where Jiali and Baoyu lived were very close together, so she didn't have to do anything, and walked two steps to Daiyu's room, and saw her sewing something on the kang table.

Seeing Li Wan coming in, Daiyu hurriedly put away the sewing basket, and ordered Xueyan to lay out the chessboard: "Last time you let me have five pieces, but this time you won't let me go. I have thought of a way to beat you."

"It's so clever, how did you come up with it?"

"It was drawn by Second Master Bao dancing and gesticulating. He was afraid that our grandma would be angry, so he didn't dare to say it outright. He tried to hint at grandma, and we all laughed secretly."

Daiyu blushed, spit Xueyan lightly and said: "You talk too much, who saw him playing around there? Obviously I thought of it myself."

Both Zijuan and Xueyan laughed: "Yes, grandma is very smart, how can I ask the second master to teach me?"

Li Wan also smiled: "Since you have figured out a way to break the game, then I will change the trick today and see what you do."

Daiyu came to her senses: "You still have ancient chess leftovers? It's hard for you, where did you get them? I've read all the chess records, but I've never seen such a simple and simple method of making moves."

Li Wan shamed her and said: "You can read a few chess books, just fill up your energy like this. I just have nothing to do to think about it for a while, you can't beat me, these words make people laugh."

Daiyu also realized that she had made a slip of the tongue, so she smiled and sipped the tea and covered the topic.Seeing that the joke had been made, Li Wan no longer taunted her, and ordered the little maid to go back to the courtyard and ask Suyun to bring out the book "Xiao Ozi".Daiyu looked like a treasure, she read several pages in a row, raised her head and said with a smile: "Just looking at it, I feel that it is unparalleled, it is really a rare thing."

Li Wan said: "It's enough to pass the time. I don't want to be a female national player. I don't need to light a lamp to cook oil and study indiscriminately. Playing chess is for clearing the brain and nourishing the mind. If you are greedy to comprehend the tricks and hurt your body, then the cart before the horse. .”

Daiyu smiled and said: "I know, this book must be hidden, otherwise that stupid person who pretended to be a scholar will have to go to Java again."

Li Wan asked, "What has Baoyu been up to lately?"

"For some reason, he fell into the eyes of the great Confucian I told you about before, and he goes to ask for advice every day. It's rare that he is free sometimes, and he wants to visit the old gentleman and other students. The few things that I don’t like are all done now.”

"Do you blame him in your heart?"

Daiyu smiled: "Whether he is crazy or pretending to be serious, isn't he still a fool? I knew about it a long time ago, and I can't blame him. Sometimes I scold him for drinking and hurting his health, but he will teach me a serious lesson." I, say something crazy, and I don’t bother to pay attention to it after a long time.”

Zijuan covered her mouth and said with a smile: "Second Master Bao's appearance is deceiving. When I come back to grandma, I still revealed the truth."

Xueyan said: "What do you know? If Second Master Bao still looks like that outside, our grandma may not be able to live comfortably at home. After all, it is because of Grandpa's thoughts for grandma. Don't say anything else, Second Master continues to be absurd Go on, can my wife follow me? No matter what, it must be said that grandma’s persuasion is not effective.”

Li Wan sighed lightly.A eccentric and smart person is still world-weary and cynical at all. Although Baoyu was able to do this, although his intentions were reluctant, his literary talent in the past had also lost a lot of his wit and aura. Aggrieved.There may be less bohemian ghosts in the world, and more mediocre ordinary people. Whether it is good or bad, worth it or not, only the person involved understands what it means.

While she was thinking, a daughter-in-law outside came in to greet her: "Grandma, Second Mistress, Qiao Xiang's family is here to find Grandma."

Daiyu said, "Just let her in, there's no need to hurry back."

Li Wan also said, "Bring it in." The daughter-in-law quickly lifted the curtain and went out.After a while, a clean and neat daughter-in-law came in to kowtow to the two of them. Seeing that she was dressed very neatly, Li Wan nodded secretly: "I heard that you were originally an official cook?"

Qiao Xiang's family said: "Back to grandma, this servant has worked for the official cook of the prefect's family since she was a child. She saw that this servant is clever, and she taught her unique skills to each other. She dare not say that she is better than the master. After learning a lot, it is not bad. Boasting. After the master got married, I stayed in the prefect’s house to cook, and was released only after the master broke the official, and married to the youngest son of Qiao’s steward.”

Daiyu smiled and said: "I know, you guys have a long history, and you are not treated like ordinary cooks. You need seven or eight little maids to serve you to cook a dish. Some are in charge of washing vegetables, and some are in charge of sliced ​​dishes. It’s just a matter of frying it. I heard that you will have a big feast during the New Year and holidays, and you will be rewarded with a whole horse of rulers, but?”

The daughter-in-law smiled and said: "It's all the rules of the past. Nowadays, few people can afford such a high-spirited cook. When working at grandma's place, the girls who serve are delicate and weak, no more than the people who serve a table. , I have to make five or six dishes in a whirl, otherwise it will be embarrassing and bad."

Now that the discussion is settled, Qiao Xiang's family will work in the small kitchen, three taels of silver a month, and holiday gifts are calculated separately.The small kitchen is on the porch near the corner door in the side yard of Qingge Courtyard, just facing the side door of Yixiang Courtyard, so it is very convenient to deliver and pick up meals.There are four rooms in the small kitchen, the smallest one is for Qiao Xiang's family and her youngest daughter Ning'er. Ning'er learned how to cook from her mother, so it happened to be her helper.

Li Wan suddenly thought of something: "The incident about Jiang made a lot of noise in Feng girl's place. Anyway, there are few people in her yard, so let's eat with us."

Daiyu whispered: "Although she came down, at least she still has some power, who is so blind to bully her?"

Seeing that there was no one around, Li Wan said hesitantly: "I asked about the background of the troublesome daughter-in-law later, she is new here. Probably no one mentioned something, and I don't understand the joints, so I'm blind."

Daiyu said for a while: "Who would have thought that she would suffer such a boring loss."

"It's all a matter of fate. Whoever can see through it can become a god." Li Wan smiled and said, "Go to her if you have nothing to do. She didn't treat you badly in the matter between you and Baoyu."

Daiyu said angrily, "I go there often. If you say that, you think I'm that snobbish person. How does it feel to be left out? Let other people do it. How can I not know?"

Li Wan thought of Daiyu's grievances before, and couldn't help loving her even more. He stroked her temples and said, "Yes, who knew that now you have become the precious second grandma, those who didn't have long eyes back then, now their intestines are full." Are you going to regret it?"

Daiyu laughed so much that she bent down on the table, poked Li Wan with her finger and said, "It's so hard to see!"

When they were playing around, Mei Niang was making children's shoes and socks in her room. The maid Shuangxi she brought into the mansion whispered in her ear for a long time, she raised her head in surprise and asked, "What's the matter, Second Mistress won't be with you?" Let's eat together on the big stove, and someone else will send it?"

Shuangxi said: "That's right, the rice, grains, and vegetables in that small kitchen are all first-class fineness, and game is brought in from time to time. I heard that the sister-in-law who is in charge of the spoon used to be taught by a serious official cook, and her craftsmanship is even better than that on the big stove." A few stupid slaves can't compare."

Mei Niang was speechless for a long time, and at night Jia Lian saw her pitiful face with red eyes.Because Jia Lian was pregnant, she cherished her very much, and she was afraid that something was not right, so she naturally asked after her.After finally asking, I realized that she didn't want to eat the food on the big stove, and also wanted to follow the guys in the small kitchen.

Jia Lian thought for a long time, but dared not tell Li Wan directly, so she went to Sister Feng.Sister Feng said slowly: "How can I be in charge of this matter? You are not afraid of being laughed at. I am attached to it. Where is the reason to take someone else? She is pregnant, so she can eat and drink as she pleases. It's even more troublesome."

Jia Lian was anxious, and sneered: "You usually pretend to be virtuous, but now you are showing it. The elder sister-in-law is a very generous person, but you dare not bring it up because of your sour heart. Mei Niang, she I can't get used to big cooking, so why would I want to be with you? Even if I tell the old lady, the old lady will not object to it."

Sister Feng said with a smile: "In that case, you can go and tell the old lady. You can say that I am not virtuous or jealous. I will not provoke this matter."

Ping'er couldn't help it, and said coldly: "It turns out that the eldest grandma didn't build a small kitchen, so my aunt can still eat well and sleep well? Master is a courageous person, even if you go to the old lady for your aunt's sake, see if she disagrees. The crutch drove you out."

Jia Lian heard those aunt's harsh voices, and said angrily: "Little Sao Tiaozi, you say she is an aunt, what are you yourself? Don't be angry, I will promote her tomorrow and ask her to be your serious master. You have to kowtow when you see it, and you still talk?"

Ping'er was short of breath, and Sister Feng laughed loudly and said, "Amitabha, please do me a favor, go and praise her! Someone has replaced Lao Shizi's Second Mistress, I wish I could leave the house sooner in peace."

Jia Lian was so choked up that he couldn't speak, stomped his feet angrily and kicked the door out.