Gaotang Prefecture, located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, is also known as Jincheng because of "goods with kapok, a in Qilu".

The wind of the winter moon blows away the coolness of autumn, and also sends away a group of old girls in the golden house, and when the wedding season is approaching, these girls receive some thin silver and go home to buy dowries. They said goodbye with beads in their eyes. Looking at another group of young girls following Aunt Xiang into the deep house, like a nest bird, she was nostalgic in her heart.

A pair of brass lion rings on the vermilion gate were majestic and solemn, and two one-person-tall stone lions stared at the door with fierce eyes, eight girls in the prime of their lives. They were dressed in coarse linen clothes and shivered in the wind, their little faces were held high, and they looked at the word "Golden House" on the door plaque with longing.

The little girl standing in the front row wore two coarse braids, and a gray cotton cloth was slightly clumsy. She turned her round red face and grinned at the people next to her, revealing a neat row of dambee. "My name is Ling Shan, Ling of Poria Cocos, late Shan. What is your name? ”

The girl who was asked kept her eyes fixed on the door plaque, and only after a long time did she speak: "Linlang! ”

"Linlang! Good name! ”

Ling Shan nodded, her big watery eyes seemed to be able to speak. "You know what? I heard that the young master of the Jin family has just finished the township examination, and if he is a high school student, the Jin family will definitely soar. Ling Shan tilted her head and her eyes bent into crescents, and after a while, she suddenly clenched her fists on her chest and cheered, "If the little master takes a fancy to me, in five years, I can not receive the silver and go home for the cold winter like them!" She glanced at the figures that were fading away, sticking out their tongues mischievously.

At this time, the door of the golden house opened with a "squeak", and Aunt Xiang walked to the steps unhurriedly and apologized slightly, "The aunts have already chosen the maids, you can go back!" ”

Hearing this, the girls in the audience suddenly lowered their eyes, and Ling Shan was even more indignant because she had shattered the dream of the young grandmother. "How can your Jin family do this? Although we are children of poor families, we are also here for the honor of the Jin family. You can't just go in late and don't have a chance! ”

"Yes! Yes! The girls nodded like warblers.

Seeing this, Ling Shan suddenly felt like she was standing on the shoulders of a giant, and her words were a little fluttery. "I came before they came, but you left me outside. This is too unfair, I want to find the grandmother of the Jin family to judge! Ling Shan rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush in!

"What a sharp-toothed girl!" Aunt Xiang didn't get angry, but pinched her waist with one hand and looked at her with a smile, "It just so happens that there is a lack of errand runners around me, you come with me." After serving the Jin family for so many years, my grandmother will give me this old bone face! ”

Ling Shan narrowed her eyes and covered her mouth with joy, turned her head with her chin high and waved her hand, pulling Linlang up and striding up the steps. Aunt Xiang was immediately displeased when she saw this, and said in a deep voice: "Only you are allowed to go in alone!" After speaking, he glanced down at Linlang, and when he saw those clear eyes, his heart trembled!

"Little Seven!"

"Aunt Xiang, you have recognized the wrong person. Her name is Linlang, and she is my friend from childhood to adulthood! Just be gracious and let her go in with me!" Ling Shan pouted and coquettish, but this trick obviously didn't have much effect in front of Aunt Xiang.

"Linlang?" Aunt Xiang looked at Linlang with a somewhat discrete gaze, she slowly shook her head and whispered, "It's too similar!" Just for a moment, Aunt Xiang suddenly lost her temper, and she seemed to be crazy and pushed Linlang and shouted: "No! She can't go in! Can't get in! ”

"You maids are diligent in your eyes, don't think you'll be fine if you stay! Here, here, and there! Must be cleaned every day! If you let the eldest lady get her shoes dirty, it's better to leave as soon as possible! The voice of the third aunt behind the rockery loomed. After a while, a group of little girls resignedly followed her.

"Aunt Xiang, just let me stay! I can do laundry and cook, and I can be a female celebrity, and I ......" Linlang glanced at the third aunt who was getting closer, and suddenly raised her head and said crisply: "I can still dance the Wansha dance!" If it weren't for ......"

Hearing this, the third aunt of Wanshawu suddenly stopped, glanced at Linlang from a distance, and twisted the snake's waist to the door.

"You said you could dance?"

Linlang's eyes were slightly red, and she dipped her cuffs in the corners of her eyes and nodded gently.

The third aunt put down the golden silk silk in her hand, and leaned back slightly to look at Linlang carefully. "Aunt Xiang, this girl is so handsome, follow me in the future! The girl she chose just now looked clever, but she was clumsy. As soon as he arrived at me, he broke the blue and white porcelain sent by the master! It's okay to change it, and you will make mistakes again in the future! The third aunt took Linlang's little hand, and without waiting for Aunt Xiang to reply, she smiled slightly: "You can dance gracefully, but the Tanglin clan?" ”

Yan Fathuan's thin third aunt is really a stunner, a tattooed gold gown can't stop the delicate and slender waist, and the cheekbones on the delicate face are slightly convex, setting off a slightly pointed chin. The only fly in the ointment is the pair of slender sleeping phoenix eyes, which not only do not lose their color but have a trace of enchantment.

Linlang also looked at the beautiful woman in front of her, and she couldn't help but be a little envious as a daughter.

"Enough of that?"

The third aunt, who has always been tricky, was smiling at this time and her voice was soft. The girl in front of her has clear and lovely eyes, danfeng eyes, jade onion nose, and red lips and bright teeth, which can be regarded as a beauty embryo!

"Hmm!" Linlang suddenly felt out of shape, a touch of blush appeared on his face, and only then did he remember to answer the third aunt's question: "My mother is from the Tanglin clan, and I married to Boshan with my father." This time I came to Jincheng to find my brother. I didn't expect ......" said the sad place, couldn't help but his nose and twitch, tears swirling in his eyes, "I met the robbers and separated from my mother halfway, and Linlang came to Jincheng in the hope of finding my mother." ”

"It's still a poor girl," the third aunt glanced at Aunt Xiang, and her slightly astringent smile was full of pity. "Since we are out of Tanglin together, it can be regarded as fate, come with me!" After speaking, the third aunt took Linlang's little hand and turned around like a yard.

Looking at Linlang's emaciated back, Aunt Xiang was suspicious, and she asked Ling Shan in a quiet and cautious voice: "Let me ask you, is the girl named Linlang just now really small with you?" ”

At this time, Ling Shan was still staring at the gorgeous clothes on the third aunt and didn't come back to her senses, and said without thinking: "I just said it casually, in fact, I just met her, and I thought that someone who is not familiar with life here can make a ......" Realizing that she had made a mistake, Ling Shan quickly lowered her head and raised her eyes, "Aunt Xiang, I." ”

"Hey! You girl. Aunt Xiang stretched out her hand and pointed at Ling Shan's forehead. That is, to meet me. In this deep mansion compound, you can't help but talk nonsense, and a wrong word may kill you. ”

Although Aunt Xiang was scolding Ling Shan, these words were also said to the maids brought by the third aunt. She stared at the empty cloister with suspicion on her face.

The strings are threaded with the heartbeat, and the flute plays an ethereal sound.

The lotus foot lightly stepped on the drum, and the thin sand wrapped around the sheng flute.

As soon as the third aunt returned to Furong Garden, she couldn't wait to ask Linlang to dance a graceful yarn dance for her. The melodious sound of the flute is ethereal and tactful, slowly leading her into a strong sense of homesickness.

At this time, Aunt Xiang was taking the new maid to familiarize herself with the entire Golden Mansion. She said as she walked: "Jincheng is prosperous, there are four originals!" Golden cotton, white dragon, forest medicine, Du wine. ”

"The Bai family is a donkey meat seller, how did he become a white dragon?" A maid with broken thoughts.

Ling Shan glanced back, but did not find the person who spoke, and straightened her chest to show that she was knowledgeable, and explained: "You don't know this, the Jin family sells cotton, and the Bai family sells meat." It is not good to call it a white donkey and white meat. Isn't there a saying that 'dragon meat in the sky and donkey meat on the earth'! The Bai family has proclaimed itself a white dragon! However, the Lin family is the most pitiful, and now it has all become the property of the Jin family. ”

"Shut up!" Aunt Xiang turned her head suddenly, her voice carrying an irrefutable majesty. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! In the future, you must not mention the matter of the Jinlin family, this is a taboo for the Jin family! Do you understand? ”

"Got it!" The crowd bent down in agreement.

After leaving everyone and Aunt Xiang returned to the wing room alone, she turned around and closed the doors and windows after looking back to confirm that there was no one. She moved to the bed with a heavy heart, and took out a wooden box with mottled vermilion paint from under the neatly stacked quilt. Aunt Xiang squatted on the bed as if she had lost her soul, and her calloused hands gently stroked the wooden box, over and over again.

For more than ten years, she has never opened!

"Click", the rusty lock pops open! Aunt Xiang couldn't hold back any longer, and the thoughts that had been sealed for more than ten years gushed out with tears.

"Miss, I saw a girl today, like Xiao Qi. Since Xiao Qi disappeared ten years ago, people said she was dead, but I didn't believe it and stayed in the Golden House. This is also what the master meant, and he wants me to wait until the day Xiao Qi comes back......"

Aunt Xiang carefully took out Tian Qiyu's jade pendant lying in the box, which was a full moon gift from the master to Xiao Qi. It was Xiao Qi who was asked to keep it the day before she disappeared!

"Aunt Xiang!"

Jin Xiaoqi held the jade pendant high and ran to Aunt Xiang, "I want to go to the forest with Brother Bai Cheng to play, you help me hold the jade pendant first, I'm afraid I will lose it!" ”

"Aunt Xiang!" Ling Shan stood outside Aunt Xiang's door for a long time and no one responded, and opened her mouth to call again!

Aunt Xiang hurriedly hid the wooden box under the quilt, wiped the tears on her face, and slowly opened the door.

"Come in, now that the end of the year is approaching, it's time for us to prepare New Year's goods for each wife." Aunt Xiang took out a book and pointed it to Ling Shan.