After worshipping ancestors and giving porridge, the Shen family also has a big dinner, which is a major event for the whole family, including the masters and slaves, representing the prosperity of the people and the prosperity of the family.

The masters and the dignified stewards or grandmothers sat in the inner hall, and the other servants were placed in rank from the hall to the corridors of the courtyard, and everyone else gathered together to eat and drink, except for those who had been specially arranged to guard the candles in various parts of the house.

Shen Ji'an also invited a well-known opera troupe in Beijing, set up a stage opposite the courtyard of the main hall of Shou'an Hall, ordered a few lively plays, and the whole family played until the time came.

It was late at night, and the Xiao family had been serving the old lady Feng's side, and Mama Ji estimated that the matter of touching the sacrifice would not be reported about the evening, so she got up early the next morning and went to the Xiao family's room, ready to talk to the Xiao family in detail.

There are two housekeepers around Xiao's side, both of whom turned out to be her dowry maids, and after getting married, she became Xiao's housekeepers.

Not long after Mama Ji got married, her husband fell ill unexpectedly, and she lived in the house on weekdays, so Xiao let her take care of the affairs of the inner house, and another grandmother surnamed Wu is now working with her husband outside to help Xiao manage the shop and Zhuangzi in the dowry.

However, since Yaohuang and Dailu were also trained by Mama Ji, the four big girls around Xiao's side are responsible for things such as serving Xiao's washing, and Mama Ji rarely gets started in person.

Early in the morning, I was a little surprised to see Mama Ji Xiao: "Why did Mama come here in person today, these little things still require you to work hard, it's not in vain that you are blind to train Minghong and their painstaking efforts." ”

Ting Lan had just made up the bed, and immediately snatched the comb from Mama Ji's hand after hearing Xiao's joke, and said to Mama Ji: "Mama, let me come, Madame said that you can't teach us in vain!"

While combing Xiao's hair, he said with a smile: "I'm clumsy, I've only learned to comb my hair after learning from Mama for a long time, if Mama even did this for me, Mrs. Ming'er should dislike Fei Yinzi to raise me as an idler." ”

Ming Hong shook with laughter at Tinglan's hand that adjusted the rouge, "It's terrible, Mama hurriedly taught this dead girl a lesson, her mouth is getting more and more sharp, and I almost hurt the rouge." ”

When Ting Lan heard this, she grimaced at Ming Hong unconvinced: "Then don't blame me, it's you, you didn't learn well when you learned from Mama, so it's better to let Mama teach you again." ”

Mama Ji smiled and squinted her eyes on the side: "Okay, okay, a few of you, you have learned very well, where do you still use Mama to teach you, Mama still helps Madame teach those who have not learned well." ”

I dare not be unsuccessful in the matter of sacrifices, but don't I still need to learn the rules well?

Seeing that Minghong didn't speak, Xiao Shi knew that Mama Ji was probably something, and asked, "What's the matter?"

Mama Ji talked about yesterday's sacrifice in detail, including how to deal with it later, and was about to kneel down towards Xiao after speaking. Xiao Shi was taken aback, and immediately helped: "What are you doing here?" and what are you still doing in a daze, hurry over and help Mama!"

The four maids who woke up in a daze with a sentence hurriedly came over to help Mama Ji.

Ting Lan has the most refreshing temperament, and said while supporting: "I said Mama Ji, what are you doing here, how can you stand with Minghong and me when you kneel like this, you said that you are also very simple." ”

Mama Ji was going to ask for guilt, she was the old man next to Xiao's side, who knew that the first errand she went back to Laizhou was on a business trip, and her face was a little dull, and she suddenly smiled a little bitterly when Ting Lan said it, where did she kneel.

"What are you doing here?" Xiao sighed slightly, "You have been with me for so many years, you don't know what my temperament is, not to mention that you can't blame you for this." ”

Mama Ji said with some shame: "Madame called me about the affairs in the courtyard, she trusted me, who knew that I didn't even do this well, I really lost my old face for a lifetime." ”

Ming Hong is more familiar with the matter of the sacrifice, "It's not right for Mama to say that, we just came back, and we have been busy sorting out the ceremony a few days ago, and some of the people in charge of the sacrifice this time are not the descendants of our Jingxian Hall." ”

"Madam, I only found out about this later, I went to inquire about it at the dinner last year, but it was a coincidence, but I am afraid that the person who buys and takes care of the treasury is not very dedicated, so it will be like this. "Although Yaohuang's temperament is not as hot as Tinglan's, she has always been the most well-informed of the four girls.

Xiao asked, "Tell me what you have heard?"

"Although this banana has only become popular this year, it has been there a few years ago, and we have a master like the third master in our family, what is new to be missing the third master. Yaohuang smiled and glanced around at everyone and continued: "Speaking of which, our Shen family took the lead in trying bananas, and it was the third master and the third lady who took the lead in trying this fresh fruit back then. ”

Xiao Shi smiled when he heard this: "De'an has married his third brother, and he has become more and more comfortable in life." He sighed and motioned to Yaohuang to continue.

"Therefore, although bananas are rare from the south, our family has always kept some for preparation, and in previous years, they were also purchased from shops all over the world. ”

Ting Lan on the side couldn't help it, but she was personally responsible for the banana: "When I took someone to the cellar, the skin was still green, and it turned yellow and ripe after only a few days, but there were no black spots when I took it out, who knew that it was full of black spots after only one day." ”

"Bananas should be kept for a long time, they can't be put together with apples, in previous years, when they were bought, bananas would pay special attention to separating them from apples, but this year, Sister Tinglan was responsible for sending them to the cellar, and the people who bought them before did not particularly remind them, so they ripened faster than in previous years. Yao Huang said.

Ting Lan was puzzled: "That is, it is ripe faster, how can it be overcooked overnight?"

Minghong explained: "I know some reasons for this, after you told me yesterday, I sent people to the shops in the four seas to ask carefully, saying that if the banana is placed in a place where the temperature is too low or the sandalwood is lit, it will accelerate its ripening and deterioration, and the banana you took out of the cellar has already ripened once, and then put it in the ancestral hall." Today's weather is cold, and the ancestral hall does not put charcoal pots, does not set up a warm house, and lights a lot of sandalwood, probably ......"

Xiao Shi patiently listened to these and asked Mama Ji with a smile: "Mama is pleading for these?"

Mama Ji was quite hateful and glared at Ming Hong: "Madam, these things are actually nothing, but the blind cat bumped into the dead mouse, how could the old slave be so ignorant." Alas, the old slave came to ask for the guilt of not managing his subordinates well. ”

Xiao Shi glanced at it, and saw that except for Ming Hong, everyone else seemed to be confused, so he explained: "This matter is just a small matter, but it is such a small matter, which reminds us that there are still many people who don't listen to us so much and don't take Jingxiantang so seriously. ”

Mama Ji stood up and said to Xiao Shi, "Madam, let me tell you." Shaw nodded.

"Madame is responsible for managing the sacrifices, this is the right given by the old lady, and the relevant responsible boy and maid naturally have to listen to Madame's orders, for example, in this matter, at least the procurement, care of the cellar and the inspection of the sacrifices have the opportunity to report the problem to Madame, but there is no reminder from the beginning to the beginning, and Mrs. is not notified as soon as there is a problem with the banana. Mama Ji said blandly.

Mama Ji's tone changed, and she said sternly to Ming Hong: "You must also remember that the most important thing for you to be a maid and servant is to be able to do your duty for the master, and it is your blessing to meet a generous master like Madame, don't lose your blessing." ”

Minghong's hearts tightened, and they responded in unison: "Yes." ”

Xiao Shi said with a smile on the side: "Mama Ji, look at why you are scared of Minghong, they are all brought out by you, you don't know the temperament, Madam, I am very satisfied with them." ”

Ming Hong saw that the most courageous Ting Lan on weekdays didn't dare to make a sound, so she responded with a smile: "Mama Ji just said a word, Madame praised us first, and it is not our blessing to follow Madame." ”

He walked over to Mama Ji again: "It's also Mama Ji who reminds us all the time, so that we can make fewer mistakes, and if we have any mistakes in the future, Mama doesn't have to be polite to us, just teach us a lesson, we all look forward to learning more from Mama, don't you say?"

Ting Lan, Yao Huang and Dai Lu also reacted and thanked Mama Ji around.

Ting Lan came over, and asked first: "Madam, what should we do now, how many people are from the eldest lady's side?"

Xiao Shi looked at Mama Ji and said, "What does Mama think?"

Mama Ji already had an idea in her heart and immediately replied: "First send someone to Jingde Hall to reply to the eldest lady, and then call the little girl who was on duty yesterday and our subordinates in Jingxian Hall. ”

Dai Lu asked hesitantly beside her: "This matter has ruined the face of the eldest lady, will the eldest lady hand over people to us?"

Ting Lan said quickly on the side: "Definitely, this matter is obviously done by the people below, and if you want to make trouble, it will be the eldest lady's housekeeper who is not good, and the eldest lady may be eager to personally press someone over to ask the lady for guilt." ”

When he reacted, he interjected, and immediately said to Xiao Shi flatteringly: "Madam, I am in charge of this matter, so it is better for me to go to the eldest lady's place." ”

Xiao Shi didn't know Ting Lan's temperament, and said with a smile: "Okay, just go for you." ”

When Shen Junqian entered the Xiao family's main room, he happened to see several rows of maids and wives standing outside the main room, and there were also male servants standing on the outside, Shen Junqian pressed his own question and threw himself into Xiao's arms for a while, and asked, "Mother, why are there so many people outside?"

Xiao Shi thought that Shen Junqian was young, and he was afraid of scaring her, so he said: "Outside, it's the subordinates who have done something wrong and will be punished." ”

Shen Junqian's eyes were full of questions, what was wrong with such a big formation, but he couldn't show it, and he still wanted to ask, Mama Ji was here.

Xiao Shi asked, "Everyone has arrived?" After getting Mama Ji's affirmative reply, he lowered his head and discussed softly with Shen Junqian that he would take her out to play first.

Where is Shen Junqian, who is curious, Xiao Shi can't just order someone to set up a screen in the main hall to block some of Shen Junqian's gaze.

I saw Xiao sitting in the main room, the expression on his face changed, and he said: "Yesterday was a major event for our Shen family to worship their ancestors, and I had to be instructed by the old lady to be responsible for the sacrifices, which is a matter of light on our faces in the second room, but some slaves are disobedient, pointing out that your wife I have just returned to Beijing and don't understand family affairs. ”

Xiao Shi paused, and then said: "I will not specifically investigate any of you today, the person in charge of the purchase of sacrifices, the person who takes care of the cellar, and the steward who guards the sacrifices in the ancestral hall will all be punished with twenty boards, fined three months of silver, and the others will be fined three months' silver. ”

Mama Ji nodded at Ming Hong, and Ming Hong went down to order, and after a while, Shen Junqian behind the screen heard the muffled sound of the board hitting the meat.

Xiao Shiyuan was still worried about scaring Shen Junqian, but seeing that she seemed to be fine, he put his mind at ease and said to his subordinates: "Remember, no matter if you are the subordinates of that room, you are all slaves of the Shen family, and I am the master of the Shen family, and our Shen family does not need a slave who does not take the master in his eyes." ”

Shen Junqian looked up at the Xiao clan with a calm face, and then listened to the faint blood coming from the solemn air, and suddenly buried his head in the Xiao clan's bad, it turned out that this was the difference between master and servant.