The day of the banquet is approaching in a flash, and it is rainy in the south of the Yangtze River, not only for a night, but also for half a minute in the morning.

Lian's has cooked many big banquets before, and she is no stranger to greeting guests, but the sky is not beautiful, and she doesn't know if the guests will not come because of the rain.

Zhang's was entrusted by Lian's to preside over the feed, and he needed to regulate the messengers of his subordinates, each person's monthly silver, and also inspect the places that needed to be repaired in front of the house and behind the house, the food and clothing in the house, miscellaneous expenses and other miscellaneous matters.

Originally, the men's and women's seats were arranged in the morning, only waiting for the guests, and after seeing this day, Zhang's inspected the kitchen and gave advice, and then frowned and went to discuss with Lian's.

In addition to worrying, the two aunts couldn't think of a proper way for a while, and they were about to send someone to invite the girl, but Ling Makeup had already come.

In front of the elders, Ling Makeup was always smiling most of the time, and at this time, without waiting for them to speak, he had already said: "Uncle, the twilight spring is raining, in my opinion, the banquet has to be moved." ”

Zhang replied: "No, it's still time to move a place, but I'm afraid that customers won't come to the door." ”

Lian Shi also nodded busily.

Ling Xiang's smile did not change, and he rubbed to his mother's side: "Look at my mother's comb such an old-fashioned hair, my daughter will comb it for you." "After that, I will dismantle it.

Lian slapped her lightly, slightly disgusted: "Uncle is down to business!" ”

Ling Makeup smiled and said, "What's this, it's been a little hot for days, wouldn't it be cool when it rains?" If the identity of the guest is higher than that of the main family, it will always be more expensive to ask three times and four times, so let's send the little guy to run a few more times. The water pavilion in the garden behind is not bad, prepare some fishing rods and bait, move the women's banquet over, and then put some chicken wings in the nearby pavilion, and prepare more utensils and musical instruments for the ladies and ladies to write poems and paintings, and tell them that they have been invited to have fun, and they will come. ”

Lian felt that most of the female dependents were idle at home, and they would come, so they let go of most of their hearts, and the newly bought maid combed her hair was not satisfactory, so her daughter removed her hair and combed it again.

After hearing this, Zhang hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his forehead, and turned outside to order his subordinates.

Ling Xiang combed a bun for her mother, and the tail of the inclined bun fell a little bit of emerald phoenix and ruby water, and on the other side, three cloud phoenix pattern golden hairpins were inserted in turn, and a large pale green silk silk crab claw chrysanthemum was pressed behind the hair. I picked out a new pea-green rhombic skirt for her to replace the previous dark gold full-sleeved shirt and horse-faced skirt, the green texture of the new clothes faintly floated dark lines, the skirt and collar cuffs were embroidered with green peonies, and the arms were covered with purple flowers, colorful coral beads were dotted around the neck, and the face was thinly greased, and she suddenly looked young and noble, like a concubine.

The maid picked up the back mirror, Lian's before and after the photo, Ling Makeup was quite satisfied with her own craftsmanship, and quipped: "Looking at the front and back mirrors of the flowers, the flowers reflect each other." ”

Lian slapped his daughter, but seeing that the people in the mirror were still beautiful, and they had to be flattered by the grandmothers and girls, there was a little more smile on his face, but he asked worriedly: "Won't it be frivolous?" ”

Without waiting for Ling Makeup to speak, the colored fan serving next to him rushed to say: "No, no, the girl's hands are skillful, and even the lady in the play is not as good as the wife!" ”

Ling Xiang glanced at her sideways, and said in her heart: It is not unreasonable for my aunt to choose this person as the first-class girl next to her mother.

Ling makeup combed a decent peach heart bun today, pressed a handful of mutton fat jade inlaid with sapphire hairpins, both sides of the bun are the same set of inlaid mutton fat jade red and blue gold hairpins, the earrings are also gold inlaid with jade, with a sapphire in the center, a powder blue dark flower silk half-arm long skirt with exquisite materials, without complicated patterns, lining her more ice muscles and jade bones, eyebrows are extremely beautiful.

When she helped her mother out and bumped into Zhang, she couldn't help but cry out in shock: "Sister! Are you and your niece telling me to hide in the room and not dare to come out to meet anyone? ”

Lian couldn't hide the spring breeze on his face: "Look at you, I told my subordinates to listen to the joke." ”

Zhang was born with yellow and dark skin, two years older than Lian Chengxian, and he was very thin and old, which is not an exaggeration. What's more, she has a rather competitive and obedient son, who has long been not very concerned about her appearance, so she also sincerely praises Ling Makeup's mother and daughter.

Ling Chunniang's family also put on the new clothes made by the Zhang family, put on the jewelry given by the Lian family, dressed up rich and harmonious, and divided the men and women to come to Daoxi to help.

After the hour, the door of Lianfu was opened, and the guests came one after another after three urgings and four invitations.

The first to arrive was the female dependents and children of the Chen family opposite, three young grandmothers, a girl, two little young masters and a little young lady, followed by a large number of people waiting, and there was a lot of traffic in front of the door for a while, and the colorful oil-paper umbrellas followed one after another into a colorful picture scroll in the rain and fog.

Due to the notification that there were no adult male guests, Lian's family brought Ling Zhang's family and a group of female relatives of Ling Chun's family to welcome him to the front of the wall.

The two families exchanged a few words of greeting, let them go to the middle hall, and the two sides did not forget to see each other again to inquire about each other's identities.

A young grandmother of the Chen family came forward to introduce that the Ling family knew that their biggest official should be the eldest uncle Chen Jun, who was a regular military attache of the sixth grade, and the second Chen Qi was also a loyal lieutenant from the sixth grade, the third died early, and the fourth Chen Yu had no position.

In the peaceful and prosperous world, although this idle military attache is not valuable, it is generally obtained by the children of the family, before Alin said that the Chen Mansion is an official who donates, Ling Xiang knows in his heart that the matter of donating officials is not common in Dayin, and it is not something that can be donated if there is money, so there is no doubt that the Chen family has a backer.

After most of the masters and servants of the Chen family heard that the Ling family was just a merchant, their attitude was obviously arrogant.

Especially the eldest and youngest grandmother of the Chen family, Bi Shi, and the second young grandmother Ying, who claimed to be the wife of the official family, began to show off their contempt when talking and laughing. Only the four young grandmothers Ye Shi, who was inferior at home, had an extraordinarily humble attitude, so Ling Xiang accompanied her one step behind, talking all the way, through the winding verandah, and leading to the back garden water pavilion maids.

For a while, Lian's invited everyone to sit down and taste tea, Qu Yi praised the clothes worn by Bi's and Ying's and others, Ying's smile was a little more real, he looked around, and his voice was quite high: "This garden is not bad, but Mrs. Ling only invited our family?" If you don't give face, I can send someone to ask for it for you. ”

That's right, so people can't answer it.

The two little sons and two young ladies brought by the Chen family were five or six years old to ** years old, and they had gathered on the railing by the water pavilion at this time, and the children's voice came crisply: "Look, there are so many koi!" ”

Chen Si's grandmother Ye hurriedly went to accompany her daughter to see it, and praised with a smile: "A pool of fish is rich." ”

Grandma Chen's Bi pouted and said lightly: "It's really a mountain that ran out, and it's not a shame." ”

Although she said this in a self-talking tone, the people next to her could hear it clearly, and the Ye family stood far away, which embarrassed Mrs. Ling and the Zhang family.

Ling Xiang quietly lowered his head and took a sip of tea, feeling that the Chen family was not on the table. A really well-educated family or a family of poetry and books, that is, there is a gap between the concubines, and they will never let others see when they go out as a guest, and it is a good thing for Chen to go out as a guest and say a colorful story, but Bi has done it so obviously that he has belittled himself.

Ling Xiang has ruled out the Chen family from helping to overturn the case for his father, and he pretends to be a girl who has not left the cabinet and does not squeak.

However, the fourth grandmother of Chen, Ye Shi, was extremely enthusiastic, settled her daughter for a few words, and then came over to sit next to her and looked left and right, and said to Ying's family for a moment: "Second sister-in-law, we have been to so many princesses' families, have you ever seen such a peugeot miss?" ”

Ying's is not blind, how can he not see Ling's makeup and face are more beautiful than flowers, fairy and moonlight, but when a woman looks at a woman, the other party is very beautiful, but she doesn't like it in her heart, and when she saw Ye's question, she smiled and said: "But, I don't know if the sister of the Ling family has ever promised to marry?" How old is it? I have a brother in my family who is not yet married, and if it is suitable, I will not be able to make peace for you. ”

A matchmaker's face, with a huge wig that is very popular with Qinglou women, is ugly.

Ling Makeup didn't want to offend people, so she had to be a girl's shy fan to cover her face, and said angrily: "Look at what the second sister-in-law Chen said!" After saying that, she felt disgusted herself, and she couldn't help but slander herself.

When going to Beijing along the way, at the insistence of the Lian brothers and sisters, the Ling family had already set up their rhetoric, and even the father and son of the Gong family did not know about the girl, and the Lian family was busy when he heard the words: "Grandma Chen Er has a heart, my daughter, she is eighteen years old, but the fortune teller since she was a child said that she should not marry early, and she must stay for two decades to talk about her relatives, otherwise there will be many disadvantages." I used to eat fasting and chant Buddha, but if I believe it, I can't help but be wild in my mother's house. ”

In fact, Lian's has been worried about her daughter's affairs all night, although Ling Xiang is full of words and does not marry, how can she let her daughter be a green Buddha at a young age? Later, I discussed with the Zhang family, the Dao Ling family is not a prominent eunuch, there is no need to worry too much, if you wait to rescue Ling's father, recruit a small family or a lonely man with relatives, it is also reasonable to live a safe life, anyway, the Ling family is thin, and the son-in-law can still have more helpers, so the Lian family has made up his mind.

Ying laughed and said, "It's a pity that my brother doesn't have that Yanfu", and then turned to Bi Shi and said, "Stay until the second ten years and don't become an old girl?" The description was vulgar, and even the people in the Ling Mansion were dumbfounded.

Ling Xiang frowned slightly, and noticed that the Ye family was secretly relieved when he heard Lian's words, at this time, the sky was beautiful, and the rain was subdued, so he gently took her a hand, and said: "Fourth sister-in-law Chen, there are a few gardens of purple incense planted in the back garden, which are blooming beautifully, and it is still a rare thing in my court, but do you want to take a look?" ”

Xue Shi and Cheng Ai, who were sitting in the back, saw many ladies and ladies who were piled up with gold and jade, and they didn't dare to say much, so when Ling Xiang left, he gave them a look and asked them to help greet them.

Cheng Ai saw that Ying's cousin was even making fun of her fairy-like cousin, how dare she go up again to touch her head, and hurriedly walked to Miss Chen, who looked quite honest and honest, to laugh with her.

Ling Xiang and Ye each brought a maid to the warbler's nest garden at the back to see the flowers.

Ye is also a clever person, when he saw Ling Makeup's expression, he knew that the flowers were fake, and the words were true, and as soon as he entered the Ying's Nest Garden, he sent the little maid and said: "Zhen'er, I am tightly detained on weekdays, I came out as a guest today, and I don't need you to wait for a walk in the garden, follow the girl to play, and I will return to the front in a while." ”

Zhen'er was wearing a half-worn eggplant-colored tooth-pinching vest with an older cotton skirt underneath, she was a guest today, and she could follow the young grandmother out, she must be the big girl in the room, dressed so coldly, it shows the status of the Ye family in the Chen Mansion.

Ling didn't break the makeup, and pointed to the bright flowers in the garden: "What does Fourth Sister-in-law Chen think?" ”

Under the verdant vines and old trees in the courtyard, surrounded by neat and meticulous low bamboo fences, purple, brown, yellow, orange, white and other large teacup flowers are blooming brightly, and the rain rolls on the fine silk-like petals, which are crystal clear and lovable.

Ye Shi looked straight for a while, ran over to stroke this flower, sniffed that one, turned his head and asked with a smile: "Sister Fang Cai said that this flower is a rare thing in my court, what is it called?" I've never seen it before, the colors are so gorgeous, so rich and festive, it's really nice to draw a pattern another day and embroider a dress! ”

Ling Xiang sighed lightly: "Fourth sister-in-law Chen has a good idea, the flower season will pass soon, and it is good to stay on the embroidery." ”

While speaking, the sound of Qiang pipe silk and bamboo came from the water pavilion, and there was a song like a yellow oriole out of the valley: "Dream back to the warbler, the chaotic year is all over." Renli Small Court Deep Court ......"

This situation and this scene, how can it be appropriate.