Zhen Yuan made a cup of tea and brought it to the Su family, and then said slowly: "My daughter doesn't want to marry in this capital now, there are many rich families in Nahui County, and there are also poets and scholars, but whenever the mother releases the wind, naturally someone will come to ask for marriage." How about a daughter marrying in Hui County, she can still take care of her parents and don't have to marry away from home. ”

Su Shi took a sip of tea, and when he heard Zhen Yuan also say such unambitious words, he threw the teacup back into Zhen Shu's hand and said, "Since you were born, how much effort and money have I spent cultivating you?" In order to marry in Beijing one day in the future, I can also get rid of the cold and bitter land of Hui County. Now that you are also saying such depressing words, I might as well die quietly! ”

Zhenshu also gathered around the bed and said: "Mother, Huixian County has a wide sky and a wide land, the Wei River is brewing, and the scenery of the four fields is good, which is many times better than this narrow capital." You don't usually like to go out, if you ......"

Su Shi shouted: "That's enough, don't talk about you." Or as Mrs. Beishun Hou said, I indulged you too much, and indulged you in a Lu woman who doesn't know her etiquette, which is also my fault, from now on, I will correct it for you. ”

The mother and daughter couldn't convince each other, they were relatively speechless, holding their breath in their arms. Zhenyi was still young, and she didn't dare to intervene when she saw that they were angry, but at this time, it was easy to see that they all stopped talking, and walked over and said timidly: "Mother, Sister Zhenyu's cloud shoulders are so beautiful, I want to sell a few parties to use." ”

This cloud shoulder must reach the woman behind the curtain before it can be used. Although Gai is beautiful, her daughter's body is young and she can't hold it up, and the cloud shoulder is used by women when they go out to serve incense, and they are usually not used at home. The cloud shoulder is made of luxurious materials, and there are many cumbersome stitches in the embroidery style, and a fast embroiderer can not do one side without half a year's effort. It was Zhenxiu who deliberately wanted to envelop Zhenyu, and only then did he dare to embroider an ordinary willow leaf spring pattern cloud shoulder. In the embroidery workshop, one side of the cloud shoulder often counts ten taels of silver, which is enough for ordinary people to chew for a year, and they will buy it to wear.

Su Shi was disappointed at this time, and looked at the three daughters in front of him, only Zhenyi was the most like her, the most willing to pursue gorgeous clothes and decorations, and willing to live in the splendid and wealthy township. And the eldest daughters hurt her heart one by one, so it is better to invest the silver in the young girl, and maybe she can realize her dream of returning to the capital again.

Thinking of this, Su Shi hugged Zhenyi and said: "Good boy, if you like it, let's go to the embroidery village tomorrow and buy two for you to change the wear, how about it?" ”

Zhenshu couldn't help but persuade: "Mother, we spent all the money when we came, and now we have some left, and we always have to pay for the carriage and horse accommodation when we go." ”

Su Shi turned around and said angrily: "This family has me for a day, and there is no place for you to speak." ”

She turned around and hugged Zhenyi and said, "I should also prepare a few more fashionable luodian for you, long hairpin......"

Zhenyi interrupted Su Shi with a smile: "I still want a phoenix tail skirt like Sister Zhenyu, and I want a collar with gold and jade like her, and I want ......."

Su Shi nodded and said, "Okay!" Good! It's all for you. ”

Zhenshu and Zhenyuan looked at each other, and they didn't know what to do.

As soon as the Dragon Boat Festival passed, the ancestor of the Song Dynasty, the Zhong family, was close at hand. Because it is a full 66-year-old birthday, it is different from previous years, and it takes three full days to be considered sufficient. Because Concubine Rong is quite respected by the emperor in the palace, and her only prince was in Liangzhou last year and became the king of Ping, now everyone in Beijing looks at Concubine Rong's face, and it is necessary to give the Zhong family a birthday.

The Shen family didn't say how to hold a banquet in their own courtyard, because Zhenshu made a mistake, except for Zhenxiu, their family is now detained in the small west courtyard, and they dare not move. It wasn't until the seventh day of the fifth lunar month that Miao's mother came to summon her: "Concubine Rong in the palace has issued an edict on how to punish several girls, and please invite the second lady and several girls to listen to the announcement in the easy-going house." ”

Su Shi hung his head and was depressed, wilting to help Zhen Yuan, and Zhen Shu Zhen Yi arrived at the easy-going house, and saw that Zhong was still sitting on the circle chair next to the Eight Immortals table, Zhen Yu and Zhen Xiu were sitting on a small table on the side, and their affectionate hatred could not be twisted together.

Su Shi asked a few daughters to ask for peace, and saw Zhong Shi say to Nalu's mother: "Since everyone has come, I will read Concubine Rong's will to them, and let them all be convinced." ”

Mother Lu bowed to her guilt and invited a little eunuch with bare skin and thin face from the inside, and the eunuch bowed to Zhong and cleared her throat and said: "Concubine Rong said in her letter: It has been twenty-six years since I left home. Yu often remembers his mother's suffering, misses his mother's grace, and never dares to stop. The second brother went to the Western Regions in the past to find good medicine for me, so that he could cure my son's body poison, and Yu often did not dare to forget. Yesterday, the wife of the Beishun Marquis Mansion also had a letter to, and the mother also had a letter to. Yu is in the deep palace and has not heard of foreign affairs for many years, but although the trivial matter of the dispute between the daughter-in-law is also related to the reputation of the ladies, Yu has to be cautious. Therefore, I am willing to ask my mother to comfort her heart and make a negotiation between the two houses and the two rooms. I also tell you nieces that grandmother is about to become a thousand years old, and each of them should relax their minds, and do not let the sisters scare each other, and work together to celebrate the grandmother's birthday, and I will remember your merits. ”

After the little eunuch finished speaking, he accepted the letter and handed it to Zhong, and said with a smile: "Niangniang still has something to tell the slave to the ancestors, she said that there is no major fault between the little daughters, and the family and talents are prosperous, please let the ancestors be lenient." ”

Zhong Shi heard this, but he didn't say anything for a while, and the letters were respectfully accepted by Lu's mother and presented in the brocade plate.

The little eunuch bowed down, and Zhong sighed: "Since this is the case, everyone should disperse." ”

Zhenyu suddenly got up and said, "Grandmother, do you mean to let the two of them go like this?" ”

The Zhong family was about to open his mouth, and the Shen family came in to report: "Ancestor, the Beishun Marquis Mansion has prepared two loads of gifts, and a small servant has been bundled, saying that he came to our house to apologize." What should I do with my daughter-in-law? ”

Zhong pondered for a long time before saying, "What else do you bring?" ”

Shen handed over a piece of paper and said: "This is submitted by his slave, and his daughter-in-law is not very literate, so she has never read it." ”

You don't have to look at it, Zhong also knows what is inside. pressed the letter and said: "Although his family has tied up a little girl, how can we fight it?" You take the gifts, return some more gifts, appease the little guy, and send them back. ”

Beishun Hou's wife Zhang is the most short of each other, for many years, for a few children, often with the government of the discord, she can take the initiative to send someone to apologize, it can be seen that one is that Dou Keming's mistake is outrageous, and then Concubine Rong may also put pressure on her, so that she has to do it.

Zhong got up and said, "Well, since the Beishun Marquis Mansion is not investigated, what reason do I have to punish you?" ”

Zhenyu followed up and went into the inner room and whispered: "Grandmother, you let them go this time, and I am afraid that they will kick their noses in the face in the future." ”

Zhong patted her hand and said, "Good child, your aunt asked the little eunuch to read her will in public, because she was afraid that I would not act according to her wishes after I got the letter, and deliberately punished the second room." In the past, the second prince was infected with a strange disease in the palace, and the imperial doctor was helpless, your second uncle found a cure in a book from the Western Regions, but the medicine was far away in the Western Regions, and he went alone to find the medicine, and the second prince was cured. Your aunt always remembers his kindness, and if I act against her will, I am afraid that I will grieve her. As for the few in the second room, when this thousand autumns are over, it will be over if they are sent back together, so let's endure it for a few days. ”

Although Shen didn't say much that day, after all, he saved Zhenshu in danger. Because the Zhong family lifted the grounding of Xiaoxi Courtyard this afternoon, Zhenshu went to the random residence alone to find the Shen family to thank him. When Zhenshu entered the door, he saw the eldest girl Huan Banlan beside the Shen family sitting under the west eaves basking in the sun doing embroidery work, and walked over and asked, "Good sister, can the fourth uncle and aunt be at home?" ”

Banlan got up and said with a smile: "I just coaxed the two little sons to sleep, and I am afraid that at this time, I will draw the affairs of the ancestors on the big kang near the window in the main room." ”

As he spoke, he led Zhenshu to the upper room, and opened the curtain in the West Room to let Zhenshu in. Zhenshu saw that Shen was sitting cross-legged on the kang at this time, and her eldest girl Huan Rongrong was sitting crookedly on the edge of the kang. Ji Fu asked An Dao: "Fourth uncle, can you be busy today?" ”

Shen stretched out his hand and motioned for Zhenshu to move forward, took her hand and said, "I was just about to invite you, so you came, come to the kang quickly, and plan for me." ”

Zhenshu also sat on the edge of the kang, and saw a large book in front of Shen, which recorded some details of the preparation of the Qianqiu birthday ceremony, but the words were not the handwriting that a woman could write.

Shen said: "Your fourth uncle is still busy outside, and he can't come home in time. He sent this list from afar and asked me to do some planning in advance, and I was worried here because of the lack of manpower in our house. ”

Zhenshu took the notebook and looked at it, and saw that sure enough, Song Angu had prepared the objects, people, etc., as well as the ingredients that should be used during the banquet ten days before the birthday banquet, and when to buy them, and estimated the number of guests, who should be placed in that room, and who should be seated with whom, and the rules were very detailed.

Shen finished reading the book and said before saying, "The girls and ladies in our house are now less and less able to do things. I also have to hire some girls who work part-time from outside to do some rough work, but they have a messy population and love to steal and play tricks, so they are not easy to take care of. Moreover, there are more than a dozen people to greet the small people who stop and get off the horse to run errands, and there are only five or six children in our house now, which is far from enough. How can this be? ”

Zhenshu asked, "The rough work that the fourth uncle said refers to taking care of the three courtyards behind my grandmother?" ”

Shen said: "Exactly, although there was a birthday banquet in previous years, it was only a one-day event, and there were few dependents who came, so it was only enough to vacate our courtyards." This year is different, at least five or six of the wives will have to rest in our house for the night, and the first- and second-class maids in our house will not be enough to accompany each other. ”

Zhenshu said: "In my opinion, the little girls outside need to hire some, but they don't need to find these girls to do rough work." The day before yesterday, I went to Guangji Temple and passed by the East Market, I saw that there were many mothers-in-law hired by people who worked part-time jobs in the market, all of them were in their thirties, they had a family and a duty, and they had strength, not more than the little girls who were squeamish and couldn't do heavy work, it was better to hire more mothers-in-law, where they could be used. ”

Shen nodded and said: "The third girl has a good idea, but the mother-in-law also has a lot of cheaters and tricksters, and they like to eat some wine, I am afraid that my maids will not be able to control them, and now that the housekeeper in our house has lost his insider, he is worried about the person who takes care of them." ”

Zhenshu said with a smile: "That day in Guangji Temple, thanks to my uncle and aunt who came forward to save me. When I was in Huixian, I used to do some rough work, why don't I share the matter of cleaning up the house with me, and I will take those mothers-in-law to do it for my uncle, okay? ”

Shen frowned and smiled: "If that's the case, I can't ask for it." Although I haven't been with the three girls for a long time, I can also see that you are a quick and capable person. Since you recommend yourself like this, then I will leave this matter to you. ”

Zhenshu said: "There are four adult girls in our house, and when the nobles of the prince's mansion come, one of them will assign one to take care of them, and they will have a face and be safe, and they will naturally be more willing than the maids." ”

She naturally wanted Zhenyuan to show her face in front of those royal nobles and nobles, and to have a good influence, maybe she could ask for a good family affair for her.

Shen didn't think of this for a while, but he also nodded and said, "That's just right." In this case, the inner courtyard is decided, and I can concentrate on the kitchen. When your fourth uncle comes back, he will take charge of the outer courtyard again, and we will be relaxed. ”

The next day, a group of mothers-in-law were hired, and Shen pushed Zhenshu in front of them, his face was not angry but threatening, and he said in a deep voice: "Mothers, you are also people with identities, and you are only here to work for a short time to earn a few odd and thin money. This is the third girl in our house, you have been in the house for a few days, just follow her, what errand she makes, you have to do it urgently, so as not to lose everyone's dignity, okay? ”