The Eighteenth Century of Xuyang in the Red Chamber

Chinese New Year is full of hectic activities.But Sister Lin is young, and no one treats Xu Yang as an adult, so the Lin family has long been in chaos, but the two of them only drank Laba porridge before the New Year's Eve, and the younger year ate dumplings. , On weekdays, I just read quietly and occasionally went out to play in the snow.

Lin Daiyu's body is not particularly healthy and strong, but she really doesn't look like she will fall down when the wind blows... Xu Yang seriously suspects that she got into such a state because she accompanied her everywhere in Jia's house, this little girl is just not fat , quite lively!

The mouth Hu is too lively!Look at the snow in this collar!Xu Yang reached out and took out a handful of snow from the back of his neck, turned his head resentfully, just in time to see Lin Daiyu running away in panic.Sister Lin can actually have a snowball fight? ! (Just throw it with a snow ball, it's not a snowball fight, right) Hey, where did I wear it!

Going back to the room, she hurriedly asked Juzi to take a dry undershirt and put it on. Lin Daiyu probably just wanted to scare him, but who knew that she just stuffed her neck and slid down her neck to the vest, hiss... so cold!Sitting on the smoked cage, Xu Yang no longer has time to think about how feminine it is to sit on the smoked cage.In this world without heating, kangs are not popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It is too much torture for a wife to stretch out her hand to bake a brazier. There is really nothing to do but just toast the fire. You will feel short of breath!It's still comfortable to sit on the smoker cage, the heat is smoked from bottom to top, and when you put a case in front of you, you can keep warm and read, but sitting cross-legged is not good for blood circulation.

The Chinese New Year is really lively, and the Chinese people's accomplishments in fireworks are really amazing!It's not Chinese New Year yet, and on New Year's Eve, Yangzhou, illuminated by lights and fireworks, has almost become a city that never sleeps.Xu Yang looked at the splendor of the sky, feeling like he was watching fireworks in the 21st century...

Just sighing, I was surprised, what the hell is that?One train?The bird over there is a phoenix, right?Is it Phoenix?Suddenly I heard Aunt Meng say from the side: "Xubaozhai's dragon and phoenix show off fireworks are really amazing! Every year, every year is similar and different, and I can't get enough of it!"

Xu Yang looked up, the dragon was shaking its head and tail, and the phoenix was flapping its wings all over the sky as if it was about to come alive. The gorgeous fireworks almost set the whole sky on fire...Xu Yang knows that many things in ancient China are now lost For example, what he eats these days: several types of rice can’t be found now, at least Xu Yang has never eaten green rice in modern times. The pattern is complicated but extremely soft, and it is a mottled and faded exhibit that can only be seen in museums in modern times.But now, seeing the magnificent fireworks in the sky with his own eyes, Xu Yang was so moved that he didn't know how to express it. He traveled through time and space and lost almost everything, but looking at the fireworks all over the sky, he suddenly felt A sense of belonging here.In fact, this feeling has accumulated for a long time, and the fireworks that lit up the whole sky seemed to illuminate Xu Yang's heart.

The Lin family has a small population, so there are not so many rules. Lin Ruhai took his daughter to worship the ancestral hall, and Mrs. Xu also took Xu Yang to kowtow to his nominal father in his small yard... This is the whole story. The most serious thing of the year.

This is the first time for Xu Yang to kowtow in such a serious manner in accordance with the rules. Mrs. Xu, Lin Ruhai kowtowed three times each, in exchange for two big purses. When I went back and opened them, my mother, they were all little gold coins!Mrs. Xu's is eight, and Lin Ruhai's is also eight. There are two pairs of different styles, and each has one or two taels. When added together, it is exactly 16 taels of gold!

The taels of this era are smaller than the modern ones, estimated to be more than 30 grams, but there are 16 taels per catty, so one catty is still heavier than modern ones. It is estimated that there are 600 grams in modern times, which is two taels per catty.To convert these units, Xu Yang used the weight of the jewelry he brought back from modern times when he went out and redeemed it, and taught Ju Zi to use the small scale that he used to call silver at home to calculate it.This is the difference in thinking between men and women. If girls go back to ancient times, they may not be interested in converting these things, regardless of whether it is the same as the current weight system.But Xu Yang is a boy, even if he is a liberal arts student, he is still very fussy about these things, and he feels uncomfortable if he doesn't understand them.

In ancient times... Speaking of New Year's money, Jin Kaizi really looks more interesting than RMB!No wonder later generations have become popular to give gold bars as lucky money again, just watching it is enjoyable!And the key is that this thing greatly prevents children from spending it randomly... This complete set is like a handicraft, who would be willing to spend it in silver.When he was happy for a moment, his brain twitched again. When he saw Aunt Meng coming, he was also happy to kneel down and kowtow, and Aunt Meng was so shocked that he hurriedly picked him up from the ground.

"Brother Yang, you must not do this, it's not polite!" Aunt Meng lowered her face rarely.Xu Yang suddenly realized the identity of Aunt Meng. Yes, Aunt Meng is a concubine, even though she was a concubine from a good family, and she came in that day. It is said that Mrs. Lin Jia Min directly regarded her as the concubine of the second room, but the concubine is still a concubine after all, even though Xu Yang I regard her as an elder in my heart, but I can't treat her with the etiquette of an elder, especially on such a festival.Xu Yang secretly scolded the damn feudal system in his heart, but he still had to get up honestly and bow to Aunt Meng properly.Aunt Meng took out the purse with a smile: "It's not worth anything, Brother Yang, let's play with it!"

Xu Yang was used to her casually, so he opened his purse casually, and saw that it was a pretty good jade pendant. He looked at Aunt Meng suspiciously, but she heard Aunt Meng say solemnly: "A gentleman has no reason. I know you don't like these things, but just like you can call me Aunt Meng in private but you can't call me like that in front of others, there are some customs, you still have to learn... You will go to the academy next year, and you still need to dress up This kind of sobriety is going to be regarded as a different kind!"

Xu Yang had a sore nose and almost cried again.Why didn't he know what Aunt Meng meant by comparing her status?Isn't it just forcing him to accept these customs, just like he clearly respects Aunt Meng but still can't treat her with the etiquette to the elders, he must use the rules of this society to demand himself.After all, Lin Ruhai is a man, so he doesn't pay attention to these details, and Mrs. Xu has a son who is full of everything, and she treats Xu Yang less than she disciplines Lin Daiyu, as long as he is happy, it's fine.Only Aunt Meng, due to her limited status, could not teach him directly, but she always reminded him of many principles of life at the right time.

Such a good person has a lot of fate, and now he can only be a concubine in the Lin Mansion. Although he is well-clothed and well-fed, how can he be really at ease.

Xu Yang held back his tears, he hadn't cried for a long time.Pulling out a paper tube from the sleeve, she giggled: "Aunt Meng, look, the New Year's gift, I drew a portrait of you!"

Aunt Meng happily opened it, and was really surprised by him. It wasn't that the painting was bad, but that it was too good.

Different from the current paintings, Xu Yang's painting is not drawn with a brush, but an image drawn with charcoal. It turned out to be a sketch.Many things from the West in this world have also spread to China. Yangzhou has a prosperous business. There are indeed Western painting brushes and painting utensils for sale in large stationery stores. However, most of the people who go to buy them are foreigners who are doing business. Several sets.Western paintings are also sold, but very few of them are oil paintings. The women's dress painted on them has been scolded by literati, but it has attracted some popularity... Lin Ruhai also has a painting from a missionary at home. What about the portrait!It is not as artistic as the paintings in our country, but it is quite similar, but it is only similar.At that time, the missionary typed the manuscript with charcoal sticks. Aunt Lin thought it was very interesting. She had never heard of painting with charcoal sticks.Who would have thought that seeing Xu Yang's portrait drawn with charcoal today, his expression was natural and lifelike, and he seemed no worse than the one drawn by the missionary.

Xu Yang laughed foolishly: "I originally gave my mother a portrait to make her happy, but I can't draw well if I don't look at her old man, so I specially asked her to pose, and there was no surprise. I simply drew Aunt Meng first to practice my hand Aunt Meng, don’t think I’m experimenting with you..." The rest of the words didn’t finish, Aunt Meng’s face was exactly that of Sister Zhang Zhi’s, you don’t need to look at the impression of Sister Zhi in ancient costume in your mind, Xu In the portrait of the wife, when I mention the pen, it is Xu's mother in a suit.Aunt Meng didn't know this part, she was so moved that she rolled up the painting carefully and put it away.He turned back and said angrily, "Hurry up and draw a picture for your mother! Otherwise, how dare I take it out, I can only look at it secretly, isn't it Jinyi's night walk!"

Strange to say, Xu Yang and Aunt Meng just hit it off.In fact, the reason is also very simple: Aunt Meng's face, like a star in the 21st century, has both intimacy and no sad associations, so Xu Yang naturally likes to get close.Of course, Aunt Meng is really a good person. I have never seen her care about anything about herself. She is always busy for others, and she handles things in a very orderly manner. People can't fault it, not to mention that they are still so dignified, beautiful and generous after they are over forty.Such a person, who is not the wife of the house?However, her life is hard, her relatives are dead, so she can only treat the people of the Lin family as relatives, and here she is a housekeeper who is a concubine in name.

Xu Yang finally drew a portrait of Mrs. Xu. The one of Aunt Meng is holding a fan to enjoy the cool air (look at this season! It’s not realistic, the composition is pure imagination!), and Mrs. Xu’s is a very upright sitting portrait in winter clothes. As soon as the painting was sent to Mrs. Xu, she laughed and beat him: "You made me look too young! I lost a few creases..." Xu Yang also laughed, but his heart was astringent. Be careful, it still looks like Xu's mother...

Who knew that this painting was seen by Lin Daiyu again, and she pestered Xu Yang to draw it for her too, so Xu Yang asked Lin sister to sit aside, pretending to be reading, and sketched a picture—fortunately, it was a sketch, so it was not a waste of time .Who knew that sister Lin became addicted after watching it, and asked him to draw a portrait of herself playing the piano!In the end, I painted one after another, and was caught by Lin Ruhai when I was painting the third one for Sister Lin.So he was scolded by his uncle, and obediently went back to study in a dejected manner...