The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 30: Insinuations are old and spicy

Liuli was suddenly a little surprised. Mrs. Wu was startled for a moment, and sighed lazily, "Are you just letting me go? That's fine, I'll just hide away and wait until the sun goes down to say hello."

Liuli said goodbye with a smile and followed the maid out of Mrs. Wu's yard. A few dozen steps to the south was a winding stream of water. After walking along the stream for a short distance, a courtyard hidden among flowers and trees revealed the cornices. . This courtyard is obviously bigger than Mrs. Wu's. It is divided into two parts: inside and outside. There is running water passing through the wall in the outer courtyard, and there is a small stone bridge on it. After walking through the stone bridge and passing through the middle hall, there are five north rooms. The house is tall and magnificent. , but it doesn’t look like the upper room of Wu Mansion.

Liuli had just followed the maid to the bottom of the steps. The maid had already opened the curtain and said with a smile: "Ms. Kudi is here." She quickened her steps and walked in. She saw that there were silk-backed and brocade-edged tooth mats on both sides of the room. The sandalwood table, the brocade curtains are rolled up high, and the bead curtains are hanging low, giving it a sense of elegance. Mrs. Yang was sitting upright on the tooth mat in the east, surrounded by several maids and women.

Liuli hurriedly took a step forward and said, "I've met Madam."

Mrs. Yang smiled slightly and said, "Please get up quickly. Madam, please sit down and talk."

Liuli sat down opposite her in an orderly manner, raised her eyes with a smile, and met two unexpectedly bright eyes. There was a hint of surprise on her face, she lowered her eyes slightly uneasily, and moved her body slightly.

Mrs. Yang then smiled at Liuli and said, "I haven't seen you for a few months, and my aunt is getting more and more depressed."

Liuli replied in a low voice, "Thank you, madam," and she said leisurely: "Speaking of which, I should have invited my aunt over to talk about it earlier. Your peony and valerian shawl is very outstanding, and the new clothes you made are even more unique." , He is really skillful and smart, and his style is novel and unique, but I don’t know where did the aunt learn it?”

Liuli smiled and gave the standard answer: "My mother likes to play with clothes and fabrics and draw patterns. Liuli learned some from her mother since she was a child. This time I boldly tried it and it met my wife's wishes. It is indeed an unexpected surprise."

Mrs. Yang nodded and said: "It turns out that it comes from family education. No wonder it looks unique and ingenious, unlike the fashion here in Chang'an. Even in the palace, it is rare to find someone with such thoughtfulness and craftsmanship as you."

Liuli's heart tightened when she heard the word "gongli", and she only smiled shyly.

Mrs. Yang said nonchalantly again: "I heard from Shun Niang that you are already fifteen this year, but you haven't married anyone yet, and you have been living in your uncle's house. I wonder what your family's plans are?"

Liuli's heart rang with alarm, she shook her head and said with a smile, "My uncle and aunt love Liuli very much. Liuli just listens to their arrangements."

Mrs. Yang smiled and sighed: "It's a trouble-free child." Then she turned around and asked for two cups of buttermilk.

Liu Liyuan did not like to drink buttermilk, but the two cups of buttermilk that the maid held were actually served in green colored glass cups. The color was very cool, and it was extremely cool and refreshing to take a sip. Mrs. Yang laughed and said, "Now that I'm old, I can't eat ice. This buttermilk is just soaked in well water for half a day to get some coolness."

Liu Li smiled and said, "If it's too cold, it will damage the spleen and stomach. Madam, this is the way to maintain your health."

Mrs. Yang said "Oh" and said in slight surprise: "Does Madam still understand medicine?"

Liuli wondered, isn’t this common sense? He hurriedly explained: "How can Liuli know anything about medicine? It's just that his cousin owns a medicine shop and often talks about medicine, so Liuli only learned a few words." Ansaburo does have a small medicinal shop, but he sells some red herbs from the Western Regions. The flower snow lotus was just borrowed for use at this time.

As expected, Old Madam Yang no longer asked any more questions, and just chatted casually about summer dietary taboos. Liuli accidentally added a few words with a smile on her face. But Mrs. Yang suddenly asked, "Did Shun Niang tell you who those new clothes were made for?"

Liuli hurriedly put down the cup and said respectfully: "Mrs. Shicai just told me that it was for the nobles in the palace."

Mrs. Yang smiled and said: "The one in the palace is my beautiful girl, now she is Zhaoyi. She told me that there is a shortage of smart people in the palace to take charge of clothes and draw patterns. In a few days, there will be a shortage of smart people. During the selection period, if you want to give it a try, I might be able to help you. I wonder if Auntie has such a plan?" As she spoke, her eyes turned around on Liuli's face. Liuli was startled, and finally understood what the old lady meant by calling him here. With a sudden thought, he decided to tell the truth. He smiled slightly and said: "Thank you madam for your love, but Liuli still has some self-awareness, even though she can draw a picture." He is a clothes maker, but he is by no means a smart person. He is not afraid of Madam's jokes. Liuli is the timid one. He can still talk in front of such a kind noble lady. If he meets someone as polite as Madam Wei, he will not be able to say anything at all. . If you enter the palace, I'm afraid you will offend the nobles before you get close to wealth."

Mrs. Yang smiled and said, "Don't you remember that my aunt said that the beauty of peonies is that they bloom late? Why are you so timid now?"

Liuli hurriedly said: "This statement is true, but the good in Liuli's heart is the good of peace and tranquility, not the good of wealth and glory. Although Liuli has no experience, he has also heard the saying that wealth can be obtained in danger, which sounds like me For someone as timid as a mouse, it would be better if he found a safe and wealthy woman to do it."

Mrs. Yang couldn't help but smile and shake her head: "How can you describe yourself as timid as a mouse?" She smiled and took a sip of buttermilk, then motioned the maid to remove the glass cup from the table, turned around and asked again: "You said you are just Listen to your uncle's arrangements. Remember that your uncle is from the Zhaowu An family. If he lets you marry a Zhaowu businessman in the future, do you think it's okay? "

Liuli thought for a while, nodded and smiled: "Liuli thinks it's okay. In fact, Zhaowu merchants are all brothers and parents living in separate households, and they settle accounts openly. Although the etiquette is somewhat different from that in the Tang Dynasty, getting along with the family is extremely simple. Liuli is with his uncle The family lives very comfortably, but they usually don't marry foreign girls, because they don't like Liuli. "

Seeing her confession, Mrs. Yang smiled even more kindly: "Although your Kudi family is not a high-ranking family, it is still nobler than the Zhaowu surname, so don't belittle yourself."

Liuli hurriedly said seriously: "Madam, you have taught me a lesson. Liuli has learned a lesson."

Mrs. Yang nodded, chatted a few more words, and then asked someone to bring Liuli a box. Before Liuli could speak, she said, "It's just something I used in my early years. Now it's out of date, and I'm too lazy to replace it." Go and beat it, and you can renovate it if you have time. If you don't accept it, we won't bother you anymore."

Liuli had no choice but to thank her again and again. Seeing that she looked a little tired, she hurriedly got up to say goodbye and went to sit with Mrs. Wu again. Seeing that it was almost noon, she left the house and returned, but she had one more gift from Mrs. Wu. box. .

Sitting on the Wu Mansion's carriage, Liuli couldn't help but open Mrs. Wu's box first. Inside she saw a pair of heavy silver armbands with cirrus patterns and a beautifully crafted silver hairpin with gilt arabesque and butterfly patterns; she opened it again. Mrs. Yang was shocked when she looked at the box: inside was a red gold comb with ivory teeth and filigree patterns. It weighed two taels at least, and it was probably more than ten thousand dollars...

Liuli felt her palms were hot, as if she were holding a soldering iron. If she is right, a shrewd person like Mrs. Yang will not give out charity at will. She will only invest, but what is there in herself that is worthy of her investment? Liuli thought carefully about today's conversation, and her heart gradually sank.

In the courtyard of Wu Mansion, Mrs. Wu was looking at her mother with a puzzled expression, "Mei Niang is now pregnant with a dragon fetus, so my daughter will naturally visit her more. Hasn't my daughter always been in the palace these two months? What does this have to do with aunt?"

Mrs. Yang looked at her confused daughter and sighed, "You! When will you be more attentive? What do you think of the palace as a good place? Mei Niang had a hard time giving birth to Hong'er last time, so what? What was the situation now? Now that the Queen has joined forces with Concubine Shu, it is a hundred times more dangerous than last time. How can Mei Niang keep an eye on everything without letting others take advantage of her? The more capable people around her, the better. , it’s you, now... are you still as undisciplined as before? "

Mrs. Wu was startled and her face turned red. She lowered her head for a while and then said, "My daughter didn't mean it..."

Mrs. Yang sighed: "My mother is not blaming you. This matter will not do any harm to the Wu family or Mei Niang. It is better than letting the Holy Lord pamper Concubine Shu again. But in this case, you have to be more cautious when walking in the palace." , you have to think more about everything, can you do it?”

Mrs. Wu said after a while: "What do you mean by grandma, let me accompany me to the palace? I'm afraid it won't work. My daughter even talked about it today, and I heard that she didn't want to enter the palace."

Mrs. Yang glared at her with hatred, "You need people like this who don't want to climb high branches. Otherwise, why don't you find someone young, beautiful and smart to support you and become your opponent? Of course, Mrs. Kudi's skills are very good." It's rare, and what's even more rare is her character. I took a look at her outside Ci'en Temple last time. She didn't seem to have a desire for wealth, and she was cautious and polite. Besides, her mother was a barbarian. It’s destined to be a disaster. Is it easy for you to find such a person?”

Wu Shun sighed, "That's what I said, but since she doesn't want to enter the palace, if we take her away, won't we make her blame us? How can we use it?"

Mrs. Yang said calmly: "Of course we don't need to do it." She turned her eyes to the newly made clothes, squinted her eyes and smiled, "Of course there are people who are more anxious than us."

 (End of this chapter)