Late in the dawn of winter.

Before the dawn dawned, Xia Ruan had already gotten up.

Fetch water, wipe your face, comb your hair...... It's something she's already familiar with.

In a few moments, she had put on an autumn green embroidered cotton jacket and replaced herself with thick-soled leather boots.

She is not a girl from a big family, and she can't have people around her all the time. It's not that she doesn't like the two little maids newly bought in the house, but she likes to be quieter.

If I am not mistaken, the price of cotton will increase in less than half a month.

A few days ago, Xia Fugui didn't know where he heard the news, saying that this year's cotton harvest was good and he couldn't sell it at a good price.

Xia Fugui was a little hesitant at that time, and he couldn't make up his mind.

Xia Ruan knew that the eldest uncle was suspicious and afraid of suffering, so he put some thought into sending things to the eldest aunt.

The eldest aunt at that time said: "Ruan girl, you are really busy these days, is it possible that the cotton has been sold cheaply, and you are also busy?" ”

"My niece is really busy these days. The niece saw that the merchants outside were selling cotton at low prices, so she planned to buy some back. It is rare that this year's cotton harvest is good, and the price is so low. This year, in the spring of the next year, I will make new clothes for the people in Zhuangzi, so I will delay the day of sending things to your aunt, is it my niece's. When Xia Ruan said this, he smiled slightly, as if he didn't take Zhao's sarcastic words to heart: "But aunt, you don't remember villains, you won't really be angry with nieces, right?" ”

Zhao snorted after listening to it, with a look of disdain.

But 'the speaker has no intention, but the listener has the intention'.

A few days later, Xia Fugui quickly sold the cotton in his hand, and he lost a lot of silver.

Because of this, when Xia Ruan told Li that he wanted to harvest cotton, Li looked at Xia Ruan in surprise. However, after all, the Li family felt sorry for Xia Ruan, and her daughter wanted to do business for the first time, so she didn't want to ruin her daughter's interest.

The amount of silver that Li took far exceeded Xia Ruan's expectations, and she had already exchanged her jewelry for money without telling her mother, but she didn't expect that Li already knew. Li just smiled: "It's naturally a good thing that the girl wants to do business, but our family is not poor enough to mortgage the jewelry, so hurry up and redeem it." If the cotton can't be sold at a good price, it doesn't matter, and it can be sold cheaply to the Zhuangzi guys to make new clothes for them. ”

In the eyes of her mother, it seemed that everything she did was right.

Even when the second sister slandered her like that day, her mother never suspected her for half a point.

Xia Ruan thought that she must not disappoint her mother this time.

It's just that the only thing that surprised Xia Ruan was Zhao Nanke.

When she secretly asked Wang San to collect the cotton sold by the merchants, she never thought that the little girl next to Zhao Nanke was also doing the same thing. And the cotton in the hands of the eldest uncle was basically collected by Zhao Nanke.

It's just that this time it's good that she moves quickly, otherwise she would never have received a satisfactory amount.

The old man of the Zhao family feels sorry for Zhao Nanke, and his food and clothing are not the best over the years, so he will never be sent to Zhao Nanke's side. It is said that the old man of the Zhao family also built a big mansion, and Zhao Nanke could move in when he got married. It's just that no one has known about this news yet. She also heard people talk about it in her previous life, and only then did she understand that this Zhao Nanke is definitely not an ordinary person.

The brazier warmed the room, and Xia Ruan did needlework for a while before stopping.

At this time, the curtain was raised, and a little girl wearing a bamboo blue cotton dress walked in: "Miss, Madame called you to have dinner together." ”

This little girl's mother named her Cuiyun, which Wang San bought from Renyazi a few days ago. It is said that if Wang San hadn't bought it in time, he would have sold it on the flower street. The girl ring that was bought back with Cuiyun was named Cuiyu, and the two little girls had just entered the house, with yellow faces and pitiful muscles.

These days, the two maids have been raised a little better. Mother's meaning, when she gets married in the future. Let Cuiyun and Cuiyu be the maids to marry, so that they can take care of it.

"I know it." Xia Ruan got up and cleaned up the things in his hand.

Jade draped the red cloak in the cupboard over her: "It's snowing outside, don't freeze Miss." ”

Xia Ruan couldn't cry or laugh a little, she was already wearing a lot of clothes, but now the jade wrapped her tightly, making it a little difficult for her to walk.

The sun has come out, and the snow on the ground has cleared a little. Xia Ruan walked cautiously, and when he arrived at the main house, he had already walked for a cup of tea.

Cuiyun opened the curtain, Xia Ruan walked in as soon as he lowered his head, and took off his cloak by himself. Cuiyu, who was on the side, was in a hurry, and hurriedly walked up and said, "Let the slave and maid come." ”

Xia Ruan smiled: "It's not in the way, what about my mother?" ”

"Madame is waiting for the young lady in the room." Jade hurriedly took the cloak that Xia Ruan had taken off in his hand.

As soon as Cuiyu's words fell, Cuiliu walked out of the room. When I saw that it was Xia Ruan coming, I was slightly surprised. After a pause, he smiled and said, "Madam, it's the young lady who is here." ”

Xia Ruan had a smile on her lips, but her heart was a little bitter. Didn't my mother think my father was coming?

These days, although my father has been living in the house, he is reluctant to have more contact with my mother. Even if the mother is pregnant now, she refuses to give a good face. Sometimes, even if he is willing to go to his uncle's house to eat, he will never eat with his mother.

It seems that her father is determined to listen to his uncle's words and marry her to the Xiao family.

Entering the inner room, Xia Ruan saw that her mother had been carefully dressed up today.

Wearing a new silk jacket in a new lotus color, a green satin pinching vest, and a green skirt underneath. Dressed like this, it looks dignified and noble. But over the years, my mother is no longer as beautiful as when she married into the Xia family at the beginning of the year, but now she has a little silver thread on her head.

"Go get some more charcoal." Xia Ruan said to Cuiliu: "It's not warm enough in this house. ”

With so little to wear, how could my mother not freeze.

Mother bothered so much to please her father, but how could my father be ruthless. What the eldest uncle and aunt have done over the years, those who pay a little attention can see that they are uneasy and kind. But his father still regarded them as the most caring people, which made Xia Ruan feel that his father was simply a rotten wood.

Li said with a smile: "It's winter, my mother asked people to make your favorite mutton and radish soup, come and taste it." ”

"I know that my mother loves me the most." Xia Ruan smiled and sat down beside the Li family: "My mother is so beautiful today." ”

As soon as the words fell, a flower smiled on Li's face. Stretched out his hand to hold Xia Ruan's hand, and said, "Now I will also talk about my mother, little girl." "No, my mother is really good-looking today. Just like a fairy, I don't talk nonsense. Xia Ruan was a little distracted, then turned sideways and asked Cuiyu, who was standing on the side, and said, "Cuiyu, do you say my mother is good-looking?" ”

As soon as Cuiyu heard this, she smiled on the side: "What Miss said is that Madame is good-looking." Cuiyu felt that Madame was the best-looking person Cuiyu had ever seen. ”

As soon as these words came out, there was a layer of joy on Li's face, but after a while, the joy subsided again.

"It's all nonsense, you see, my mother's face has wrinkles." When Li said this, there was some resentment in his words: "Ruan Ya is big, and her mother will naturally be old." ”

When people get old, their appearance is not as good as before, and they can't keep the person they want to keep.

Xia Ruan couldn't help but think that someone once said to her: If a woman serves others with sex, she will be weak and loved.

The man's words are not false. It's just that my mother has been working hard for Zhuangzi all these years, and she is exposed to the wind and sun every day, how can she be unhappy when she gets old?

"Mother, you have me." Xia Ruan didn't know how to comfort her mother, so she could only say this.

There is no father, and there is her.

The sorrow on Li's face dissipated, and he smiled: "Yes, I still have Ruan girl." ”