By Jia Xiuzhen

The princess attends the reading and chooses, and everything that should be scattered is scattered.The eldest princess Shu Ning of Danyang Palace was sitting on the porch watching a pair of cranes dancing in front of the palace. Eunuch Chai was standing beside her, and the surroundings were silent.After a long time, the eldest princess suddenly said: "Did you give me a message?" Eunuch Chai hurriedly approached, bowed and replied: "Yes, the servant reminded her that the future is to be determined by her brother. It was delayed."

Princess Shu Ning sneered and said: "What a slippery ghost! That's right. Hmph, the thing that was wiped off earlier came to me, if it came to me, that's all. Got it! I have my eyes on the person, this is not to slap me." Eunuch Chai couldn't answer, so Princess Shu Ning said calmly: "Give me some rouge, gouache and silk handkerchief flowers in a while. My face is not so easy to hit." Eunuch Chai quickly lowered his body and agreed.

In Jia's mansion, Jia's mother's place is bustling, with children of the younger generation sitting around the couch, talking, laughing and playing.Li Wan came in from the outside, and the two nuns behind her were carrying cages the size of washbasins.Sister Feng looked at it, and said to Jia Mu with a smile: "Look at the old ancestor, just said that the large piece of glass that the elder sister-in-law respected looks good with the windows embedded, so she came here with a steamer. Could it be that she wanted to fight for her breath without fighting for steamed buns! "

Jia's mother laughed and scolded for a while, Li Wan had come to the front, greeted Ann politely, and then said: "The farmer sent some fruits, and some peaches in them are very soft. I think the old lady loves this one." I'll send it here for the old lady to have a taste." After Yuanyang heard this, she wanted to lead the two nuns to the next room, and Jia Mu stopped her and said, "Don't bother, it's such a rare thing, and you still take such a thing away." It! Let’s put it on the table and open it, let’s see what your sister-in-law is steaming!”

Everyone laughed at the words, and then the two nuns lowered their faces and put the cage on the table in front of the bed, bowed and stepped back, Li Wan stepped forward to lift the lid of the cage, and saw six plum blossoms on the steamer grid. The peaches are not very big, the whole body is jade-colored, with a little red rhyme inside, and the tangy peach fragrance.Jia Mu laughed and said, "It's sweet just by smelling it. It's hard to find it for you, why do you still have this?"

Li Wan said with a smile: "I heard that it was an autumn peach plant that no one took care of. It was made into candied fruit before it was fully ripe. I forgot about it this year. How could I expect it to be reborn after the frost?" During the conversation, the mandarin duck had already been taken out in a drawer, washed and cleaned, peeled and cut into pieces, and put it on a fruit plate for everyone to share.There is still a clean whole one on the middle plate, and a half-cut one to reveal the peach core.

Jia Mu first took an ivory stick and put it in her mouth, only to feel a spring in her throat, the sweetness of honey and the strong fragrance of peaches, she couldn't help smiling, and nodded: "Try it all, it's better than before." The peaches are better." Yuanyang laughed at the side and said, "When I was cleaning up just now, the peel was torn off lightly, and the juice ran down the fingers, and I dare not use force. If I don't pay attention, it will be a finger socket. The strange way is to use it. It’s stored in a cage. I cut it open with a knife, and it’s still intact, what a coincidence.”

Jia Mu laughed and said, "Don't worry, those who listen to this praise, you are indispensable." She pointed to the two remaining and rewarded the mandarin ducks.Sister Feng tasted it on the side, and said jokingly: "But thanks to the ancestors, let us also taste the taste of this fairy peach." Daiyu laughed at her and said, "Do you know that this peach is called Xiantao again?"

Sister Feng pouted at Jiamu, and said seriously: "Isn't the peach that the old birthday star and god like to eat?" What's the name?" Li Wan shook his head and said, "There's no name, there's only one peach like this on the whole mountain, and everyone in the village calls it Mao Taoer."

Baoyu frowned and said, "Vulgar, vulgar, unbearably vulgar. It's like a beautiful woman who didn't get a good name, but she has such a taste." Daiyu preferred to twist with him, and said, "Why are you vulgar? Now, whether it’s called Maotao or Xiantao, the taste of this peach is still the same. It’s not tasteless, so I chose an eye-catching name. It’s called vulgar because it doesn’t match the reputation! Because the name is useless, it can be seen that you Just a layman."

Tanchun chimed in and said, "Second elder brother is just like that. It's just a peach. Could it be called Xiren, Qingwen, Bihen, and Sheyue?" It was Xi Ren who was serving, and now she blushed and said, "Girls prefer to make fun of us!"

Tanchun pulled Baochai and said with a giggle, "Who made you follow such a master?" Listening to the commotion, Jia Mu said, "What are you arguing about? This peach doesn't have a decent name yet. It's all right." Get one of you." Baoyu couldn't wait for this sentence, and immediately got up, talking non-stop, from "Peach Zhiyaoyao" to "Last year, today in this door", from "Peach Cheek" to "Peach Dimple" "Peach Blossom Powder" and "Peach Blossom Makeup".

Daiyu listened for a long time, frowned and said to Yingchun: "Second sister, I think we'd better go back to the house to rest for a while before coming back. Brother Bao hasn't finished talking about the peach blossoms for a long time, and we have to wait until the peaches grow and grow. When the peaches are ripe, I don’t know when I’ll go.” Tanchun laughed out loud when he heard this, Baoyu stopped talking embarrassingly, and gave Daiyu a wink with his eyes.

Daiyu pretended not to see it, and said to Jia Mu with a smile: "Old ancestor, just now my sister-in-law said that the peaches can only get this taste after frost, and there is only this peach tree in that mountain." A tree like this shows that it has received spiritual energy. Why not call it Lingshuang peach. It is so sweet and sweet, so its nickname is Shuang'ermi."

When Jia Mu heard that she couldn't love her, she hugged Daiyu and said with a smile, "my dear, why are you so lovable? You gave Taozi a name and even a nickname, but you still listen to me like this." It's reasonable and interesting." Baoyu also praised her incessantly, and she was happier than herself when she got the praise.When Baochai saw her, she just pursed her lips and smiled without saying a word.

When Li Wan went back to his yard and told about Taozi, he said to Madam Xu: "Mama didn't look at it, the old lady really loves this, if Feng girl didn't stop her, I'm afraid she might eat the whole peach. Go." Madam Xu looked at Li Wan, hesitating to speak.Li Wan only thought that she wanted to talk about Ji Liang's work on Liuli, so he found an excuse to distract Suyun.

Xu Momo sighed and said, "Grandma, tell me, what kind of medicine did you give me?" Li Wan was in a daze, not knowing how to bring up this question.Mother Xu said again: "Just now when there were so many people, I casually said that the peach grew on the nearby mountain. How could such a good thing happen! This peach is from the back of the yard on my village. There are five peach trees in a row. The back door is closest, and the plant is half-dead. I don’t worry about throwing away the medicinal materials my grandma gave me, and the dregs of the medicine after making soup. They all fell under the roots of the peach tree at the back of the yard.

These several peach plants are all the same thing. I had to harvest the varieties earlier but failed to pick them up. They were supposed to be dug up, but I think the peach blossoms are just in full bloom.Today, those few plants are still the same, but the fruit is green and hard, the size of a child's fist, sour and bitter.Only this one plant bears such fruit.Besides the dregs buried under the root, what other reason could there be? "After speaking, I didn't ask any more questions, and just brought tea to drink.

Li Wan said with a smile: "The medicinal materials can still have such benefits? In the coming year, I will remember to pour the dregs of the medicine under the other plants. Wouldn't it be more peaches to eat!" She glanced.Only then did Li Wan accept Lai Pi and said: "Earlier, the old ladies and wives have found capable people to look at the medicinal materials that Lan'er took in the bath, but they still don't know the truth. Since I recognized my brother, I gave them the medicinal dregs bag again. , let them refer to the details.

I heard from my sister-in-law that there are several things that we don’t have here, but overseas countries have them.Those are good medicines for strengthening the body.This time when I come back by car and boat, medicinal materials and pills are always indispensable, and I don’t need that much, so I can give it to my mother.On the contrary, Mammy said that even the peach tree has been repaired like this. I have never heard of it, and I can't think of it.I didn't make it clear to Mammy before, because I was afraid that Mammy would push back and be polite to me, and waste more time talking. "

After hearing this, Madam Xu bumped up, gritted her teeth and patted Li Wan twice, then said in a low voice, "This time you said it! This uncle, I don't know how much effort he spent crossing the ocean to find and exchange for you." Here, you didn’t say you kept it for your brother and yourself, so you just sent it out so easily? How can you have such a foolish and prodigal grandma! Ouch!"

Li Wan hurriedly comforted her: "Mother, mother, listen to me, I'm not a child anymore, so I'm so disrespectful. Those medicinal materials were hard to find at the beginning, but now my brother and sister-in-law I have already found a place in Fanguo to grow these medicinal materials, how much will I need in the future? Besides, if this medicinal material is still alive on the ground and mountains, it will naturally be better as it ages, so I dug it up and dried it in the sun. No, it loses its medicinal properties after being stored for a long time. It is not something that can be stored for a long time. This is not a good fruit. It’s okay to eat a few more. Lan’er and I are both in good health. Where can we find a place to use it! You recognize Xiao Qi As a grandson, Lan'er also likes that baby, I should share some of the medicinal materials, shouldn't I deserve it? How can I be a prodigal and foolish!"

Seeing that Madam Xu's complexion improved, she added more strength and said: "There is one more thing, Mama, don't look at my current wealth. I don't need these things. If I give it to the mansion, there will be many people who want it. I can Give it? But if I keep it like this, I have to have a place to put it! Mammy, think about it, is this the reason? Don’t be angry now." Mammy Xu thought about it, and it made some sense , then said again: "There will be no next time! In the future, if you don't explain clearly what you give me, I don't dare to ask for it. I will send it back to grandma!"

Li Wan was busy apologizing, and Madam Xu said: "I said that those daughters-in-law and women who came to bring me ice and medicinal materials at that time did not look like people from our house. They were neat and well-dressed." It's all simple, and I said it really has the meaning of harmony. Now it seems that it is true! Grandma, you have brothers and sisters to rely on, and we are also happy for you, but this smells far away and smells near, and it can't be a trivial matter. People."

Naturally, Li Wan couldn't say that those were servant puppets he had brought out from the Daqian Pavilion in the Fuchen Bazaar. Seeing Mammy Xu thinking this way, he stepped down and said, "What Mammy said is that I don't usually use it very much. Theirs, it's just that things outside are easy to attract people's attention when they go to the mansion. It was nothing before, but now Sister Lao and my brother and sister-in-law are both conspicuous. If there are too many actions, someone will try to get me. They used their people." Madam Xu thought for this reason, so she let Li Wan go, and the two talked about Sister Feng's finding Sihai Trading Company to buy a share in the fleet.

They are talking about Sister Feng on one side, and they are talking about them on the other side.It turned out that Ping'er was proud of Suyun Biyue's gift of rouge powder and peach soap, but he never found a suitable time to use it.She also knew Sister Feng's temperament very well. Although she was close to her, if it was because of Jia Lian, it would inevitably lead to suspicion.Jia Lian's temperament is not one to rely on, and he can tell from the people he sent before and after, that his peaceful life will still fall on Sister Feng.

Therefore, I suppressed my love for beauty, and the rouge and gouache were fine. It would be better to give away the peach soap as a favor, and it would be better than being suspicious in Sister Feng's eyes someday.It just so happened that after seeing Tanchun making some jokes, he had an idea. He accompanied Sister Feng back to the yard, wrapped the soap cake in a handkerchief and went to Baoyu's room.

Seeing a few little girls standing in the courtyard holding leaves and stalks to fight weeds, they asked with a smile, "Is your elder sister Xiren in the room?" , Seeing it was Ping'er, he smiled and said, "Why did you find your back feet as soon as your front feet were separated, but what's the matter with Second Mistress?"Ping'er entered the room and saw a group of maids, big and small, laughing and talking, with fruit shells and melon seeds all over the place, so he frowned and said, "You don't care what it looks like."

The attacker smiled bitterly and said, "I have to be listened to if I say it." Seeing that it was not a place to talk, he took Ping'er to his room and walked all the way. , it will be even more difficult in the future. You are not born in this mansion, once you lose your face, you can have two or three times, and then your second master will not be able to protect you."

Xiren sighed: "You don't know our second master's temperament? Any daughter's family is lovely. If I say it seriously, I'm afraid I won't like it if I recruit him. It's my sin to give birth to something good or bad. Ping'er sneered and said: "You just want to be quiet in front of you. When your temper grows up, and there are so many families with children, then there will be no place for you to stand. What's the use of having a virtuous name!" "The two of them went to Xiren's room while they were talking, and Xiren wanted to find a little girl to boil water to make tea. Ping'er stopped him and said: "Okay, okay, did I come here just for this sip of tea?"

Stuffing a small handkerchief bag into her arms, he said: "I got a piece of fragrant soap a while ago, it's a precious thing, I don't need it, I thought you like these fragrant things, so I gave it to you." You." Xiren was familiar with her all along, so he didn't refuse, and accepted it with a smile, Ping'er was worried about Sister Feng's business, but hurried back with a few words in vernacular.Xiren untied the veil, and saw a brightly pink piece of soap in a thin wooden box with a branch of green peach printed on it, with a faint peach blossom fragrance. For some reason, he remembered the peach blossom makeup and peach blossom fragrance that Baoyu said in the morning, and couldn't help but smile. Yihong, very happy in my heart.

Ping'er called back and forth quickly. When Sister Feng saw her coming in, she said angrily, "I'm busy chattering, and I was just about to talk to you, but in a blink of an eye, everyone disappeared." Ping'er washed his hands and came up to serve her, saying: Instead of entering the house, I told my grandma. Earlier, Biyue and the others gave me a piece of fragrant soap. I thought the fragrance was too strong, so I just gave it away as a favor." Sister Feng said: "What's the big deal, you send a little girl to give it to me. No, let’s make a trip by myself. Look at that peach today..."

Before she finished speaking, Jia Lian came in from outside, and Sister Feng closed her voice, turned her head and asked Jia Lian, "The second master is back, and my wife asked in the morning, I don't know what happened to the rent in the south this year." Jia Lian just wanted to undress. After a pause, Ping'er fetched water and came in, greeted Jia Lian, and said to Sister Feng, "Grandma, I counted yesterday. Why is the box in the room much shallower, and several bolts of satin are missing?" Sister Feng Just as he was about to speak, he heard Jia Lian say, "You don't need to serve me tea. I just want to tell you when I come back. If you don't come back for dinner, the master asked me to accompany the guests."

Sister Feng agreed, and Jia Lian went out.Ping'er asked the little girl to come in and take out the water, and then asked Sister Feng, "What did grandma want to say about peaches?" Sister Feng looked at her with a smile: "I want to ask you, why don't you do it well?" Could it be that they were thieves!" Ping'er said: "There are only so many people in the left and right rooms, I don't remember who took these things, or I should find a master Qingtian to cut them off."

Sister Feng pinched her and said, "Don't play tricks on me as soon as possible. Why did the second master run away like a ghost after hearing you ask this?" Those who make clothes to reward people always keep count, why are there only a few good ones missing now, I don't know who will go to the cheaper ones." Sister Feng teased her: "You are saying that your second master took it? Could it be? Take it to make your own clothes for your little hoof!"

Seeing that Sister Feng was not angry, Ping'er was puzzled, but she refused to give in and said, "Bah! What a broken thing, I would pass by without looking down at it!" Seeing that Sister Feng was annoyed, she hurriedly pulled it over again. Coaxing her: "My girl Haoping, I'm teasing you, don't be angry. It was your second master who took it to reward the slaves the day before yesterday. There are many things, and I forgot about it. I will make you worry."

Ping'er stomped his feet and said, "Why am I so angry! Grandma's things are on the left and right, and grandma just remembers to count them. What care do we slaves have to worry about!" Sister Feng hurriedly said, "I didn't think about it until you mentioned it. , Now that I think about it, maybe there is something asshole hiding from me, no, I have to ask it later. "

Ping'er hurriedly said: "Come on, come on! Okay, I'm just asking for nothing, when the time comes, our foolish master will not get good things from grandma, so he will rely on me, saying that I am a solicitor, and grandma will let me go." Let's go!" Sister Feng laughed and said, "Then Miss Ping is not angry anymore?" Ping'er smiled bitterly and said, "Why am I angry, but grandma said everything." Then Sister Feng let her go.