Love of Friends in the Red Chamber

Compared with the daily expenses in Jia's mansion, Lixiangyuan is rich and rich. It's just that Daiyu has always been noble, so she doesn't care about these mundane things. Although she is not confused, she also touched some housework when she was in Lin's house However, because of his bad nature, he cares about every penny, so he doesn't care much about housework.However, Jia Cong is the one who loves current affairs and economics the most, and seeing that his beloved doesn't like the mundane things of daily necessities, he hastily assumed the responsibility of housekeeping.

Speaking of which, Daiyu's dowry is also a big part of the family property, but Aunt Lin is considerate and has sent appropriate stewards to the farms outside the pass and the tea gardens, mulberry gardens, and orange hills in the south, so she doesn't have to worry about traveling thousands of miles in Beijing. And there are people from the Lin family there to take care of them nearby.But her old man also knows the truth that too much is too late, so the hot spring village in the suburbs of Beijing is left to the young couple to manage it themselves. Even the four shops in the capital, the foreign goods store, the southern goods store, the silk and satin store, and the silver building, are only the shopkeepers of the original class. Staying with the buddy, I don't give any ideas anymore, it's all up to Daiyu and Jia Cong to make their own opinions.

So at the beginning of the ten days and the end of the month, the shopkeepers of various shops often came to ask for instructions with their account books and invoices. Daiyu was impatient to see people, so she just went to read books, taste tea, enjoy flowers and listen to music, but Jia Cong was quite interested. The operating conditions of the store, and quickly got started, and found that he is a good businessman.He even took time out of the city to visit the hot spring Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing, and found that Zhuangzi was actually a villa specially used for soaking in hot springs. The Zhuangzi was not big, with a small mountain inside, and tens of acres of Susukida under the mountain, because the terrain was low-lying and swampy. It is not conducive to farming, so Aunt Lin didn't spend a lot of money when she bought it. She only built a few green tile houses for Daiyu to bathe and recuperate because there is a living spring on the mountainside.

Jia Cong looked around and found that there were very few promising things here, especially the land was barren and the crops were meager. The tenants all lamented their poverty.However, it is only a stream away from Jia Shefen and his own farm, and they are connected to a large scale.After watching it for a few days, he vaguely came up with some ideas in his mind to promote the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages, but he lacked a useful person to implement them.Just at this time, the Zhen family in Jinling, the family friend of the Jia family, was recently convicted and ransacked their home, but Master Zhen recommended Bao Yong, the servant of the family, to the Jia family. If you recommend someone without knowing the current affairs, you will be even more displeased, but it is not easy to retreat.Just when he was in trouble, Jia Cong happened to hear it from the side, and saw that Bao Yong was tall, with thick eyebrows and bright eyes, honest and honest. He couldn't help but praise him, so he asked Jia Zheng for it. .

Jia Cong brought Bao Yong over, first sent him some errands, and was very satisfied with the few errands. Seeing that Guo was a brave and meticulous servant, he promoted him to be a housekeeper and sent him to Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing. Take care of it.In less than a year, Bao Yong was really capable, so he managed the small farm to flourish. First, he planted fruit trees all over the hill, mainly jujubes, chestnuts, and persimmons, and then asked the tenants to dig mud to form ponds. , Pile mud to form a foundation, grow vegetables, raise chickens and pigs, raise fish in ponds, raise ducks and geese, and send fresh vegetables, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish and shrimp to the house every five days, and the supply in Lixiangyuan is getting fresher It is delicious, and melons, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs can also be sold in shops in Beijing, and the profit is not the same as that of farming.

Jia Cong also briefly told Daiyu about these things, but Daiyu just laughed it off and didn't take it seriously, but Jia Cong thought it was just the demeanor of a lady, and on the contrary praised it even more.On this day, Baochai, who had never been anywhere, suddenly came to visit Lixiangyuan. Daiyu was surprised, but she was also delighted. Faintly, just don't say it.

Baochai's arrival was unexpected. Baochai was wearing a half-new and not old Xiangfei-colored jacket and skirt, without the bright color of the bride. She was very dignified and elegant. It was commensurate with her status——even though she was still dressed as before, the original peace and tranquility could no longer be seen in her eyes, and she only felt that there was slight sadness and hatred, which couldn't be concealed.

Jia Cong and Daiyu hurriedly gave up their seats with a smile, and Daiyu said with a smile, "Sister Bao is a busy person now, and it's really brilliant to visit me." But she still called her the old one, and she didn't change her words.Baochai also laughed and said, "Tiao'er has become more and more mischievous after marriage, and Cong'er doesn't care about him." Jia Cong just smiled and didn't say anything.He knew that Baochai must have something to ask for when he came here, and it was inconvenient for him to be here, so he sat down for a while, found an excuse, and went to study in his own study.

When Baochai saw him go out, Fang sighed: "I used to see that Cong'er was no different from Huan'er over there. Who would have thought..." But Daiyu didn't want to hear her sigh, because it must be said about Baoyu. The one who went, said: "Sister Bao is rare to come here, today is a half-day leisure for Fusheng, I will not let you go back easily, you must try the new good tea I got here."

Saying so, he ordered Zijuan to take Qing Zhi to lay a tea mat, set up a stove to boil water on the porch outside the window, put Chaoshan stove, Mengchen pot, and Ruochen pot on the tea mat, and Daiyu scattered a few red fruits Inserted in the beauty cup of the Ru Kiln, it is red and chic, simple and refined, and can be painted.Baochai praised: "Nowadays, some pretentious people list drinking tea with flowers as one of the ten most unsightly things, but Yuan Hongdao says drinking tea with flowers is an elegant thing. My sister uses red fruits instead of flower branches, and the tea is fragrant. Walking among the branches, straight and straight, with unique meaning, but without invading the tea flavor, it is very thoughtful."

Daiyu said with a smile: "Just listening to my sister's high-sounding remarks, I know that I am a person who understands tea, but my manipulation is suspected of being a gangster." Saying this, Qingzhi has already brought the kettle in and said water When it was boiling, Daiyu took out some tea leaves from Mengchen pot with a teaspoon, poured them into the teapot, and said, "This is the newly picked Longjing Pekoe this autumn. Although it is not as good as spring tea, it is rare in this season." While brewing it calmly, I poured a cup shallowly and held it to Baochai. Baochai took a sip and said: "The tea tastes very good, with bitterness and sweetness, and water is even better. I cook tea with snow. My sister is really elegant." people."

Daiyu laughed and said: "It's not too bad to say that it's arty. This is when I had tea at Miaoyu's place that year, and I was harassed by her before I stole my teacher. I took three maids with me. Time, collect the snow that falls on the green calyx plum, and make a flower vase, it is really clear and sweet."

While drinking tea, Baochai looked at the celadon teacup in his hand. The small lotus leaf cup was as warm and moist as jade. Fa, sighed: "Even though there are hundreds of treasures in the tea table, it is not necessary, but a deep feeling is indispensable. When making tea, different people can make thousands of flavors. People who love tea are probably because of Tea is like a person, with true temperament."

Daiyu laughed and said, "My sister is like an eminent monk who has enlightened today?" Baochai laughed at herself, "Where did I become an eminent monk? Which one of our family is a half-ordained monk? I can't be happier every day." In the past few days, I suddenly started reading Buddhist scriptures again, and neglected those newly recruited aunts, making a fuss every day."

Daiyu was inconvenient to answer, so she just lowered her head slightly and watched the tea smoke curling up silently. Baochai was also in a daze for a long time, then remembered the business, and Fang said: "Let's get down to business. Today's building of the mansion is to catch up with my sister, and to have a Ask for help." Daiyu said: "My sister, why should you be polite? Just send me what you need."

Baochai sighed: "Recently, my wife has put the responsibility of managing the house on me. My sister grew up in this mansion, and she knows the power of it. Which housekeeper's wife is vegetarian? What's more, there are so many of them in these years. The income is small, I looked through the account book, and it was already Yinnian who had eaten the food, but my wife insisted on holding on to empty airs and refused to be frugal. Even so, the family members complained and complained blindly. It’s hard for a woman to cook without rice. Let’s say that my wife will go to Admiral Yang’s house to deliver porridge and rice in the future. Four or five compradors will go out and only collect [-] eggs, and there are still [-] eggs missing, so I can’t find any. The comprador said that the poultry eggs on the market are very short recently, and for some reason..."

When she talked like this, Daiyu already understood what she meant, so she didn't take Joe, and immediately called a servant, and ordered him to go to the Zhuangzi outside the city to find the housekeeper Bao Yong, and deliver five hundred eggs to the mansion tomorrow morning. , the boy took the order and went.A stone in Baochai's heart fell to the ground, and he said with a slightly bitter smile: "I'm sorry, sister, who would have thought that there would be a shortage of eggs in this house." Daiyu said seriously: "There is a hard-to-read book in my family. Jing, my sister is the most sensible person, why should I sigh? Why should I pay attention to those short-sighted slaves?" Seeing that Baochai was smiling, she could not hide her frustration after all, so she couldn't bear to let her go and forced her to have lunch .

Although Baochai is full of worries and knows that there are still a lot of affairs waiting in the mansion, she is also greedy for the elegant seats in the Mingxuan and the enjoyment of tea and delicacies, so she no longer refuses.So in a short while, a table of extremely clean and exquisite delicacies was packed in the small kitchen of Lixiangyuan.Daiyu ordered someone to invite Jia Cong, but Jia Cong had already arrived, and while pulling up his robe and entering the room, he said with a smile: "You can know the elegance by smelling the fragrance, you don't need to be invited, I will come here myself."

Daiyu laughed at him. Although Baochai also laughed at Jia Cong's humor, she thought of Baoyu's coldness and nonsense in her heart, and she was still sentimental, but she refused to show it on her face.

Daiyu has always had a light diet, although today's banquet is brightly colored and appealing to the appetite, it is mainly vegetarian.Baochai admired the simplest, most rustic but also the most delicious cabbage soup. He saw that the thin tofu slices were fried to a slightly yellowish color, and the shiitake mushrooms the size of a fingernail were floating and sinking. It has been boiled into a translucent shape, served in a deep large porcelain bowl, like a lotus pond in early summer, fresh and natural, with a timeless taste.Isn't this kind of vegetarian and elegant life what I have always yearned for?Why is it that I am caught in a snare now that I am in the jungle?

After dinner, the maids removed the dishes, brought tea to rinse their mouths, and brought out tea and fruit, including Qingzhi's latest product - bayberry crisp, which is sweet and sour. Daiyu gave Baochai first and Jia Cong the second .Baochai chatted and laughed with Daiyu while tasting the snacks, when she turned her head and saw Jia Cong twisting the cake crumbs that had fallen on the front of her front and put them into her mouth, she couldn't help laughing at him.

But Jia Cong smiled lightly, without any shame, and replied as if nothing had happened: "It's not appropriate to flatter people." Everyone laughed, but Du Baochai was so sad that she couldn't sit still when she suddenly saw her in the room. A little maid came running in a panic and said, "Second Grandma Bao, let me find it easier. Sister Xiren asked me to ask Grandma to go back quickly. The two newly promoted aunts started arguing." Baochai put down the tea bowl in a hurry. , got up and left.