Yingning didn't eat much for lunch, only picked shredded chicken, apricot and white rice porridge. The white rice is boiled fragrant and thick, the shredded chicken and apricot are blanched, and the small porridge is simmered for an hour, sprinkled with a few grains of fine salt, the entrance is very delicious, and then it is accompanied by sweet and sour lotus root, butterfly shrimp roll and also eaten a few bites. Those sweet dates, honey duck breasts, spiced pigeons, and braised red scallops were rewarded without touching them.

In the evening, when the sun went down, the scorching air dissipated for six or seven minutes, and the pavilion gradually became cooler.

Liuyunxuan is equipped with a small kitchen, and the mother-in-law in charge of the kitchen is from the south, and the small dishes in the south are excellent.

"Mother Sun makes a few refreshing dishes, and the girl eats less for lunch, so her son should be hungry."

The grandmother was napping on the bench by the stove, and when she heard the maid Yuebai next to the girl coming, she hurriedly got up and called the little girl who was burning the fire. I wiped my hands, took out the macaroni, and washed the carrots. He also cut the minced meat, winter melon pieces, diced carrots, corn kernels, and loofahs to make hobs. Put oil in the pot, stir-fry the minced meat and garlic until fragrant, pour in the macaroni, add fine salt, and finally sprinkle the soaked shrimp skin, and soon the fragrance will be sprayed out of the pot.

Grandma's hands don't stop, shrimp and other small dices of various colors are stir-fried in the pot, poured some broth, sprinkled with salt grains, and the lid of the pot is stuffy for a while, and it is done. The duck is slaughtered and simmered at noon, and the duck meat has been stewed until crispy, and the winter melon pieces can be poured in. The seventh girl likes farm dishes, these recipes are all in the heart of the grandmother, and it is not a problem to make a dozen or so dishes in one go.

After eating half a bowl of white rice with a side dish, Ying Ning leaned against the flower window and took out Lan Xuan's poetry book to look at it, and flew to the house to escape the summer after reading two pages, thinking about the vendors in the market, the croppers in the fields, and the porters who carried the burdens, and they fell asleep at some point.

In the early morning of the next day, the girl who was sweeping the yard came to report that the maid in the wife's room brought food to the two mothers-in-law. One basket contains pipa, fresh peaches, the other basket contains bayberry, and two watermelons.

"Sister Jiangzi, come into the house and have a cup of tea." She invited her into the house and ordered the two mothers-in-law to carry the two baskets of fruit.

"Why did you send so many melons and fruits, but my mother kept them?" Ying Ning asked for good morning and came back, just changed into a soft silver light lily skirt, and was about to have breakfast.

"This morning, the daughter-in-law of the Wu steward's family in the idle village outside the city sent five baskets full of melons and fruits, and the wife kept it for herself, and the rest was sent to the sisters and the old lady. The old lady sent four baskets to the outer courtyard and five baskets to the outer courtyard, and they could eat after school in the brother's school. ”

"Second sister, can you get it too? It's not good to ask Ann to see her this morning, but I didn't dare to ask more. ”

"The second girl, of course, has. Yesterday, the second girl took the post handed by Miss Zhao and went to the house, it turned out that Zhao Zuo Shilang had set a marriage for her daughter, and Miss Zhao naturally had never seen it, so she didn't agree. I cried to the second girl all afternoon, and I came back without saving the meal. ”

"A woman's marriage, the order of her parents, I'm afraid that the second sister also thinks of herself."

"The second girl is the eldest daughter, and the old lady will look for a good one with her heart." Jiang Zi said with relief.

"I hope so."

"The seventh sister doesn't have to worry, although the master is a stern one, fortunately, the wife is sensible, and the second sister should be blessed. The slave maid went to soak the melons in the well water, and at noon they could eat the cool watermelons. And the bayberry can't be left for a long time, so you can eat it by soaking it in salt water. "Cyanqing said.

"There will be a two-day delay on the way to escape the summer, and some dried meat and pickles should also be prepared. Zitang said.

Knowing that they were relieved, but thinking that they were about to leave the house, Yingning's lost mood was better.

On that day, a flash of lightning swept through the air, and rain began to fall, and then the wind howled, and the thunder exploded, and in an instant the rain poured down.

"Pity that snow lotus, it is just blooming, and it is drenched now." Ying Ning prostrated by the window and watched the rain drip down the tile, as dense as a string of beads.

Zitang came in with the tea used in the evening, and saw that the seventh sister was watching the rain, and said, "The seventh sister hides in, don't let the rain get wet." ”

"This year has just entered the summer, and it has already rained three or four times, although the scorching air has dispersed a little, this wet and wet is uncomfortable."

"It's raining, Seventh Sister can sleep well tonight."

After watching the rain for a while, she felt that it didn't mean anything, so Ying Ning took out the poetry book and looked at it again.

Zitang flattened the brocade quilt, took the pill incense and smoked the bed carefully, set up the neck pillow, put down the white milky embroidered yarn, and said: "Girl, rest early, read the book for a long time." ”

Ying Ning put down her book, took off her coat, took off her embroidered shoes and went to bed, pulled a corner of the brocade quilt, and lay on the bed listening to the sound of the rain, and lost sleep.

"Zitang, are you asleep?"

"Not yet." Zitang, who was keeping vigil by the bed, replied.

"You said it would rain for a few days, but you missed the trip?"

"The summer rain is not as good as the spring rainy season for half a month, and tomorrow will be clear."

"I'm afraid it's getting hotter after the sunshine. I don't know how my grandmother's body is, I closed the door for the past two days and only concentrated on eating and fasting and chanting Buddha, and I became more and more pious. ”

"When the rain falls, the old lady will be in good health."

……

After being silent for a moment, Ying Ning said again: "Although my father is big, I don't have much time to spend with my mother. Today, when I saw my mother in the account, I sighed again and again, and when I came in, although I was smiling, I couldn't sweep away the depression on my forehead. Although I don't know about accounts, I feel distressed when I see my mother's hard work. ”

There was no response for a long time, thinking that Zitang should be asleep.

Ying Ning was delicate and intelligent, thinking about her grandmother's body and her mother's hard work, she slowly turned over, the quilt slipped off, and half of her jade arm was exposed. There was a thin crack in the window, and the cool breeze blew in, and I couldn't help but shiver, and I retracted my arm again. It was only in the middle of the night that I fell asleep in a daze.

On the second day, as expected, it cleared up, and the sun hung high. Ying Ning was going to greet her mother and grandmother as usual. Before she went out, the little maid in the wife's room, Huang Xing, came. Passing on the words of the wife, she left for Qingzhou two days later, telling the girl that she did not have to ask the old lady to say goodbye, and the things she used were quickly packed up.

Qingqing wanted to leave Huang Xing to drink tea, but Huang Xing was busy going to Qingzhi Pavilion to spread the word, and left without entering the door.

"The girl is going to Qingzhou, those embroidered makeup skirts, pipa placket tops, placket feather gauze dresses, smoke cloud butterfly skirts, and pure pleated skirts with flowers must be brought, and then seven or eight thin tops, seven or eight skirts, and four or five outer blouses. By the way, don't forget the satin embroidered tulle robe, it's cool at night. The incense burner, silk painting, and the four treasures of the study must also be brought, as well as the crystal glass carved bonsai and the coral jewel bottle, without which it looks like it is not the same. Green quilt, thin velvet blanket needs to be folded together...... "Zitang fanned Yingning on the one hand, and did not forget to order the little maids who came in and out.

The two of them, Qing Qing and Yuebai, with the other four third-class maids, were busy sorting out the cages. Three large cages have been sorted out and locked, all of which are daily utensils such as cooking tea, incense, embroidered baskets, and bedding. As for personal things such as clothing and silk handkerchiefs, you have to take care of them slowly.

Ying Ning took a small sip of the teacup leisurely, and said when she saw this scene: "It's only been a month, let's be simpler." When you are tired, you can rest, and there is no hurry. ”

A light breeze hit outside the Xuan, blowing the bead curtain crisply, and although the residual lotus was defeated after the rain, those flower bones were in full bloom. Lying on the side by the red window, there is a picture of "lotus flowers on the pond, lotus dragonflies flying".

Half of the small building here stretches out over the pond, and a canal has been opened in the pond to connect to the large pond in the inner garden, and the water from the pond leads to the outside of the house. Although the pond is small, it is living water, and occasionally there is a small wind blowing the water ripples, and the ripples circulate, so it is named Yunxuan.

After lunch, Yingning took a nap on the concubine's collapse, and Zitang fanned as usual. Qing Qingyue Bai took a few little girls to hide and talk in the lower room, and she was busy all morning, her underwear was wet and sticking to her back, and when the seventh girl woke up, she had to pack up her belongings again, and she had to get wet again, so she had to continue to wear forbearance.

At this time, the grandmother came over with a bag of dried honey. It is quiet at noon, only the cicadas on the trees are constantly chirping, and occasionally a small breeze blows. The grandmother had nothing to do, so she also sat down to talk to the girls, and the one in the province was idle.

"The girls just had lunch, and their mouths must be tasteless, I just baked dried honey meat and brought some to relieve my hunger."

"Mother Sun is also busy, Miss loves these little snacks the most, so she needs to prepare more." As she spoke, she grabbed a strip of jerky and put it in her mouth. Delicate and chewy, honey is sweet, the jerky is solid, the sauce is fragrant, the sesame flavor and the meat aroma are mixed together, and the taste is indescribable.

"Mother Sun's craftsmanship is getting better and better, and this dried meat is better than the chef of Yan Pinxuan."

"This meat is real, I chose the most tender loin meat, and I really can't buy it outside." Mother Sun was a little proud.

"Then Mother Sun, you teach me, it's a pity that this kind of craft is not passed on."

"It's not difficult, it's just tedious. The meat needs to be soaked in blood water, and the green onion and ginger, star anise, Sichuan pepper, bay leaves, and white wine are simmered in a casserole for an hour. After it cools, cut it into strips, soak it in soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder for a day, coat it with honey when baking, and then sprinkle it with white sesame seeds...... "Grandma said about eating and eating.

"It took two days to work, it's so delicious."

"Mother Sun is also good at making pickles and pastries, and the pickles are ready, but let us try them."

"Cheng, there are a lot of pickles in the jar, and I will bring you a jar by myself, and the steamed bread and white rice will be completed, but it will be eaten."

……

A group of girls chattered, and after a while, they sat down at the time when Ying Ning got up.

"The seventh sister's hair is slender and thick, and she will pull up her black hair and comb it into a flying fairy bun in two years, but it is beautiful." Zitang picked a beaded green hosta and inserted it for the seventh sister.

"What kind of flying fairy bun does the seventh sister use, our girl is a fairy descending to earth."

"You're a clever mouth, it's really suitable for collecting hooves." Zitang couldn't help but laugh.

"What hooves?" Blue was puzzled

"Go and be a matchmaker to collect your hooves, but will you be buried?"

After Zitang finished speaking, Ying Ning covered her handkerchief and laughed: "It's really reasonable." ”

Qingqing was not annoyed: "I want to have this ability, first tell the second sister about family affairs." ”

"You little hoof, think of my second sister, the second sister treats you as a parent, and she has already become an old girl."

"Miss also teased me with Zitang, and I still eat dried meat with Yuebai."

"Go and see the jerky in your mouth."

Yingning is happy again, there are more of these maids bickering, and there is less boudoir boring. The ice used in summer has arrived, and my wife specially ordered someone to send an extra piece to Liuyunxuan, put one in the middle of the house, and put two pieces next to the dresser, the heat has gone a lot, and the wind outside the house is no longer warm and dry.

In the afternoon, Yingning was painting lotus, and Yuebai came to report that the second girl was coming.

As soon as the second sister entered Liuyun Xuan, there was a fresh lotus fragrance coming to her face. When I entered the main house, I saw that the seventh sister was carefully outlined, and if the lips were like cherry blossoms, I didn't know if the green silk was slipping down. The second girl watched quietly, and when the seventh sister had made the payment, she came back to her senses and took a closer look.

"My sister is also beautiful when she draws beautiful characters, but people are even more beautiful."

"My sister came to make fun of me again. It's about to leave soon, why isn't my sister in the house ready yet?"

"Alas......"

"Why is my sister sighing?"

"It's bad to think about Miss Zhao San. will get married next month, and at this time, he was grounded by Lord Zhao. ”

"Why is that?" Ying Ning was puzzled, although Miss Zhao San was stubborn, she was the treasure of Lord Zhao in his later years, Master Zhao had four sons in front of him, and he had been looking forward to this daughter-in-law, how could he act like this.

"It's not that ......" The second girl wanted to speak and stopped, and called the maids around her to retreat, hesitating that the little sister was still ignorant of her age, and she didn't know whether to say something, not to say that she was panicked again, and she couldn't help it when she saw someone who could talk for a few days.

"Why is the second sister still spitting and spitting, and she doesn't have the same style as before?" The second girl was born like Master Ji, and her temperament is also anxious, unlike the seventh girl who followed her mother, with a gentle and virtuous personality and delicate thoughts.

The second girl thought about it for a while, and then she moved her body and whispered to Yingning, "Sister, do you know the Chu family of Hanlin Temple?" ”

"I've heard that Lord Chu is a well-known Qing official, and I often hear my father talk about it."

"This man is honest and faithful, but he is upright, and he often upsets the saints in the court. In February of this year, Zhao Da's birthday was celebrated, and a banquet was held. Lord Chu also brought Master Chu to the door to congratulate him on his birthday. I never thought that Gongzi Chu got lost in the backyard of Zhao's mansion and met Miss Zhao San, and the two fell in love with each other when they came and went, and often secretly exchanged letters......"

"How can such a thing happen?" The seventh sister couldn't help but cover her mouth.

Lord Zhao didn't know at all, when she told her daughter that she was married, Miss Zhao San didn't follow her, and finally forced her to ask the reason, and Lord Zhao was furious. Lord Chu is a third-grade official, living on his income, and his family background is not solid. Besides, with Lord Chu's temperament, he may provoke the saint one day, who would dare to climb relatives with him. Although Gongzi Chu is young and talented, he has no official position, how can Lord Zhao refuse to marry his baby daughter into such a family. ”

"It sounds like Lord Zhao will beat the mandarin duck even if he hurts his daughter's heart, pity that Miss Zhao San."

"It is the Zhou family of the Cabinet Office who is asking to marry Miss Zhao San. Lord Zhou's fourth son is the head of the guards, and the guards of Zhou are a good product, and the emperor in the palace is on an errand. Although Zhou Ling's guard is a concubine, he is a capable one, if there is no such thing, it should be a good marriage. ”

"What about the product, it's not the right one, and I'm not happy to live a lifetime."

"You're still young, and many things don't go your way." The second girl sighed, she knew that her father was a good-looking person, but she was afraid that her father would give her away for the rest of her life for the sake of her own wealth and glory, and she could only keep this in her heart and not tell her sister.

The weather was hot, and the second sister was sent out of Liuyunxuan, and the seventh girl turned back, she knew what the second sister was worried about, but these things were not something that the women in their house could intervene in, so they had to go to their mother's to find out.