Love of Friends in the Red Chamber

But it was said that all the people in Jia's mansion were discussing the Mid-Autumn Festival on August [-]th in Jia's mother's room. , holding a red lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl.Daiyu greeted Jiamu, Mrs. Xing and others, and said hello to everyone.

Mrs. Xing smiled when she saw this daughter-in-law now, and asked: "Daughter-in-law Cong, are you still used to living in Hongguoyuan?" Daiyu laughed hurriedly: "Thank you, madam, everything is fine, follow me The servant girl arranged the furniture and furnishings properly, and it is no different from home." Mother Jia sighed: "That's good, but it's far away." Everyone hurriedly comforted: "Isn't this here? The old lady is too, This way it seems Cong's daughter-in-law is filial and pious, and she always comes to visit the old lady." Jia Mufang laughed.

Daiyu then ordered the four women to open the box, and said, "I didn't realize why it was called the 'Red Orchard' until I lived there. It turns out that there are more than a dozen red fruit trees in the backyard, which have borne fruit in abundance since autumn. It’s amazing that it can also be eaten. I asked someone to choose the best red fruit, removed the core and cleaned it up, and asked Qing Zhi to boil it with good honey and sweet-scented osmanthus sugar, and made some red fruit cakes, please the old lady Taste with the ladies."

The maids and women put all the dishes on the table.When Jia's mother looked at it, she saw red fruit cakes cut into Fangsheng's pattern on a three-inch white crystal plate, which was crystal clear and red.Xifeng laughed first and said, "Oh, why haven't I eaten this yet, my mouth is full of sour water?" Jiamu then forked a piece into her mouth with a small silver fork. People's appetite is very satisfying.

Mrs. Xing ate two pieces, and she also felt that it was beneficial, so she smiled and said: "The weather was very hot a few days ago, and I have no appetite. Well, doing this way, it's quite delicious, but it's a little sweet." Daiyu hurriedly took another plate of frosted red fruit and placed it in front of Mrs. Xing, saying, "Madam, try this." When Mrs. Xing looked at it, she was surprised. Seeing the oil-paper flower paper on the white porcelain plate of the official kiln, and each individual frost-wrapped red fruit on it, she smiled and said, "Isn't this the candied haws sold in the market? It's just not strung together." Baochai laughed and said: "What the eldest lady said is true. She must have followed the practice of the candied haws. They are coated with frosting sugar to reduce the sour taste slightly, but it does not affect the taste of the red fruit itself. It can be placed on a plate by itself, and you can eat it one by one, unlike the episode. The urchins in the market are holding a bunch in their hands, who can eat so much, and nothing will be spoiled." Everyone laughed.

Li Wan also tasted a frost-wrapped red fruit, but looked closely at the flower note underneath, where a branch of red fruit was obliquely printed, and two ancient poems: red and green share good fruit, and Danqing gives good words.Then he smiled and said: "This daughter-in-law Cong has to be so elegant even if she has a snack." Yuanyang suddenly said beside her: "The old lady likes this kind of attention the most, but now she has reduced everything by herself. Make it difficult for the family." Mrs. Wang and Baochai bowed their heads and remained silent.

Daiyu laughed and said: "It's nothing, and it doesn't cost much, but I'm the most leisurely one, so I just find fun in these small things. The old lady likes these, so I have a place to be filial. Qing Zhi I also made a lot of different desserts, the old lady will save them to taste slowly." Saying this, she asked the servant girl to hand it to Yuanyang, who took it and went out.

But Daiyu said to Mrs. Xing: "Madam also prepared a copy and sent someone to send it over there." Mrs. Xing nodded in satisfaction, took another sip of tea, and then smiled: "You child, you are The rules are high, why do you stand and wait all the time? In front of mother and son, there is no need to set up these rules, and you are not in good health, so sit down quickly."

Jia Mu wished Mrs. Xing could say this first, so she said, "That's right. I don't need to make rules here. Since your mother-in-law has spoken, Yu'er will come and sit with me." Daiyu then sat beside Jia Mu.Only then did Mrs. Wang glance at Li Wan and Baochai lightly, and said, "Sit down, too." Everyone thanked them for sitting down, and Fang sat down together, and immediately continued to discuss the matter of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mrs. Xing has always looked down on high eyebrows and low eyes. She doesn't care about the house and doesn't know the difficulties of the housekeeper. What's more, even if there are no difficulties for others, she will find some trouble. For the sake of Jia Cong's relationship with Daiyu, Mother Jia gave her some dignity and respect, and she became restless again.She smiled and said: "The old lady likes to listen to operas the most. In recent days, except for the time when Cong'er was promoted, Mr. Lin's family gave away a troupe, and the family never opened a stage again. It was finally here. It's a big festival, so it should be lively. Isn't Grandma Bao afraid of trouble, or is she trying to save money?"

When Wang Xifeng dared not speak, Mrs. Wang also sat silently with her head bowed. Baochai smiled apologetically and said, "The eldest lady also knows that our family is not as good as it used to be, and we always focus on saving money. For this, I have suffered all these grievances..." Before Madam Xing finished speaking, she took over the conversation: "Hey, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the poor are not poor at this time, why can't we ask the troupe to sing? Besides, If you want to be frugal, what can’t be frugal, such as food and wine, I remember Bao girl, you still helped Yun girl in the garden to hold a crab feast in the autumn last year? It’s so interesting for everyone to enjoy osmanthus and wine!"

Aunt Xue listened to Mrs. Xing's repeated words against Baochai, and she felt sad, so she said: "The eldest lady is talking about the good old days of my family. At that time, there was a shop at home, and the shop assistants were working in the fields. Every year I pick up the good crabs and bring them here, and now the shops are all sold, so where are the crabs?" Aunt Xue was so sincere and sad, Mrs. Xing couldn't say anything, and Jiamu took a look at her, Madam Xing quickly shut up.Mother Jia smiled and said comfortingly: "There is no need to be sad, my aunt. Who can guarantee that the family has always been fashionable? Among other things, the Zhen family in the south of the Yangtze River was fine in the old years. After a short time, he committed a crime, ransacked his home and investigated, and his relatives didn't even know his whereabouts."

Mrs. Wang was naturally protecting her younger sister, so she also said that listening to the play made her a headache, so it would be better for the whole family to sit together and talk happily.Then when he talked about the wine setting, Mrs. Wang calmed down and said, "Since we don't invite theatrical troupe, it saves money. It's enough for Bao girl to arrange a crab banquet. Everyone eats wine and has a lot of fun." Baochai said: "Now If crabs are served at a family banquet, naturally they can’t just serve a few tables. Although everyone in the family can’t have a share, they have to look forward to it anyway. At least 100 catties of crabs are needed. The best crabs on the market this year need to reach One cent of silver, one hundred catties is ten taels, and with food and wine, no less than 20 taels of silver. In addition, there are clothes for festivals and rewards for servants. But there are only 50 taels of silver for expenses in the account room." Madam Wang's face sank, and she asked, "Why is there no such constraints when Feng girl is the housekeeper, and everything is done beautifully?"

Baochai knew that Sister Feng used her own body to make up for it at that time, but Sister Feng went to this side, and the other side used the monthly money to make a loan, so she would not pay it for nothing. Naturally, she couldn't do this. Things choked up.

Daiyu didn't want to talk at first, but when she saw that Baochai was really in trouble, she smiled softly and said, "Sister Bao, don't be in trouble. This time and that time, there is a saying that a clever woman can't cook without rice. I have a way." Then she turned to Jia. Mother said, "Bao Yong, the butler who was taken in by Zhen's family, is really capable. In just two years, he managed the Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing to flourish. The Shengfang crabs raised in the paddy fields are also good. Let the third master instruct them to pick out the good ones and send them in, and the best ham, cured duck and mandarin fish brought by the southern goods shop this autumn, are they not better than the ones bought?"

When Jia Mu saw that Daiyu was willing to rescue Baochai, she felt relieved, so she smiled and said, "It's better like this." As she spoke, she glanced at Mrs. Wang, who was regretting that she had embarrassed Baochai in front of everyone for no reason. The mother looked at her, and explained with a smile: "Don't blame the old lady, Bao girl also knows that I have been depressed these two days, so she attacked her." Jia Mu wondered, "Why are you so sad?" I didn't want to say it, so I gave it up at this time, so I paused and said: "It's a letter from the palace. Our mother is going to give the Queen Mother and Queen the [-]th of August, because now the old sage likes the porcelain from Ru Kiln the most. It became a custom inside, and the empress specially brought out a letter and asked to collect some Ru kiln bottles and tea sets to send in. Now I have a Ru kiln beauty Dendrobium in my room, and Feng girl's room has a Ru kiln large plate, and I bought it from the warehouse. I found a Ru kiln flower box in the store, and made it into a set, which can also be given to the Queen Mother, Lafayette. It’s just for the Queen Mother, so it’s really hard to handle... I was thinking about asking the old lady if she has any..."

Before Jia Mu had finished hearing, she understood in her heart, and said, "What's so sad about this? Yuanyang, go open the box and find that set of Ru kiln tea set. I'm afraid there is still a flower pouch, which is also good." Hearing the voice, he said: "There are tea sets. Didn't the old lady give the flower pouch of Ru kiln to the third girl? The third girl had already brought it to the Beijing Prince's Mansion when she got married."

Mother Jia sighed: "Yes, my memory is normal." Mrs. Wang said happily: "It is good to have a tea set, and in Yuanchun there is a gift to honor the queen. The queen has always taken care of Yuanchun, especially now that Yuanchun is pregnant. Not to mention being ridiculed, it all depends on the support of the Queen Mother and the Empress." At that moment Yuanyang brought a red sandalwood box painted with gold and inlaid with treasures, opened it, and inside it was a set of pieces of Ru kiln with azure blue after rain, which is really rare top grade.Mrs. Xing's heart tightened, she forced a smile and said: "The old lady has something good." Mrs. Wang felt even more guilty.

Jia Mu sighed: "Things are for people to use. Otherwise, I would keep them. After all, they are given to these descendants. Now that they are in my hands, it is better to use them on them. You don't need to be so petty. "Everyone was Weiwei, who chatted for a while and saw that Jia's mother was tired, so he left and left.

Walking outside Jiamu's courtyard gate, Mrs. Xing smiled at Aunt Xue seemingly unintentionally: "The old lady said don't be petty, can it be compared with before? Don't joke, Madam Bao, but Second Grandma Bao said yes. You need to be frugal, even a few liang of silver for the festival is considered clear, but it is still the old practice at home to take care of your relatives, so you don't need to be frugal." Then he got into the car and took Aunt Xue Throat with anger.

Mrs. Wang went with Yuanyang to hand over the Ru kiln tea set, and now she doesn't care about anyone except Concubine Yuan.Baochai knew that her mother was not feeling well, so she accompanied her back to Lixiangyuan.After entering the house, Aunt Xue cried to Baochai: "It's really hard to live here now. In the past, it was only those women and maids who came and went to point at Sang and scold Huai, so I just pretended not to hear it, in order to get rid of The chatter of the Xia family. Today, your eldest wife is talking in people's faces, my son, I shouldn't be living here anymore, and I have nothing to do with you."

Baochai quickly comforted her with warm words: "Why should mother have the same knowledge as that villain? Even the eldest wife is upset in her heart. It's not against mother. Didn't she have a good face in the past?" Aunt Xue sighed: "If Speaking of our family being smoldering, who here is not friendly to us? It’s just that they are poor now, so they don’t even care about their face. It’s just wronged you. I also want to come these days. For your brother, the family has already You have been troubled a lot, and I have added some excuses for nothing, and I have been idle. If you had given your dowry in full at the beginning, now you are in this family, no matter what you say. Now it is not only about that matter, but I am still shy, Live here again."

Baochai forced a smile and said, "Mother, what old saying is she talking about? Who underestimates me now? Besides, I have my wife to support me." Aunt Xue thought about Mrs. Wang's situation just now, and Baoyu's If you don't seek to make progress, you will feel sad again, how can you stop your sorrow when you whimper?