Uncle Zhu took her around, and he didn't know which direction he was going, and finally stopped at the door of a small courtyard. He knocked on the door, and a woman in her forties and fifties opened the door with a smile and came out: "Old man, are you back?" ”

Uncle Zhu threw the whip to her, went in with his hands behind his back, and walked a few steps to look back at Ling'er: "Stinky boy, come in!" ”

Ling'er looked left and right, called out to Aunt Zhu with a smile, and then walked a few steps quickly to follow.

Uncle Zhu entered the hall by himself, poured two cups of tea, one for Ling'er, and one for himself, and drank it by himself, he drank several cups before he looked up and said, "You want to drink water and pour it yourself!" ”

Ling'er smiled awkwardly: "I'm not thirsty, Uncle Zhu, is this your home?" ”

"yes, what, where else are you going?"

"No, Uncle Zhu, you're so good, I don't even know how to thank you?" Ling'er thought about it, and quickly took out one or two pieces of silver from his chest and handed them over with both hands:

"Uncle Zhu, this is what I saved when I was on an errand in Jiafu before, so I should ...... You don't have to worry too little about my accommodation and your hard-earned money. ”

Uncle Zhu didn't shirk either, took it easily, and said to Aunt Zhu, who had just come in from the courtyard: "Old woman, boil some hot water, and then go find two clothes for this girl to change." ”

"Girl!" Aunt Zhu looked at Ling'er in surprise, and when she saw Ling'er's ear piercing, she suddenly realized, and clapped her hands with a smile and said, "Oh, it's really a girl, I said how can the kid grow so handsome?" Come on, girl, come with my aunt. ”

Ling'er took a good bath, and then changed into dry clothes, alas. It's so comfortable, I haven't taken a shower for half a month since I fled, and I haven't even eaten a meal. It's really tiring, when will the little devil be able to make people feel more at ease?

Aunt Zhu came in, saw Ling'er combing her hair, and came over with a smile: "I'll help you!" ”

Ling'er thanked her, sat down in a proper manner, and Aunt Zhu praised while combing: "What a beautiful hair, black and bright." Girl, why do you look so handsome, why do you want to be a dirty boy? ”

Ling'er tugged at the corners of her mouth: "This...... It's a long story. Auntie, Uncle Zhu? ”

"Hehe, don't call me Auntie, I'm old enough to be your grandmother. The old man sent food and grass. ”

"Huh? Did he go to the barracks? ”

"yes. The affairs of the barracks could not be delayed, and he used to go home every time he went home to drink saliva. ”

"That'...... So when will he be back? ”

"It won't be long before the barracks is fine, and we'll be back before dark tonight."

"Oh!" Ling'er replied coyly, and Aunt Zhu smiled: "Don't worry, I won't sell you, the old man probably said about your affairs, and he didn't say it clearly." The old man said that your hometown is also from Ping'an County, Cangzhou? ”

"yes. My grandmother's maiden house is near Poluogou, so we can barely be considered fellow villagers, right? ”

Aunt Zhu smiled: "No wonder the accents are so close." We're fellow villagers. The old man said that you want to be a maid for Miss Jiang? Is there such a thing? ”

Ling'er nodded: "Yes, does the eldest lady know Miss Jiang?" ”

"I've seen it a few times, but girl, the maid is not so easy to be, she can't stand the anger every day, she has to be beaten and scolded and punished at every turn, and if she doesn't say it's good, she will be resold. Are your parents and relatives? ”

Ling'er was a little embarrassed, she lowered her eyebrows and lowered her eyes, thinking that this Aunt Zhu was a kind person, but she had to make up some lies to deceive her...... Alas, after telling a panic, I will make up countless lies to fulfill the lie, and I will soon become the king of lies.

Aunt Zhu saw that she lowered her head and didn't speak, and thought that she had accidentally said something sad, so she hurriedly said: "Oh, look at my crow's mouth, what are you talking about?" Don't be sad, girl, if you really want to go, the aunt will help you. ”

Ling'er raised her eyes and looked at Aunt Zhu: "Auntie, you are so good, my name is Bai ...... Xiaobai, you call me Xiaobai! ”

"Oh, little white girl, you haven't eaten yet, come, go get something to eat with your aunt."

Ling'er stayed at Aunt Zhu's house for one night, but never saw Uncle Zhu come back, and couldn't help but ask at breakfast, Aunt Zhu said: "Now that there is a war in the north, there is a shortage of grain and grass, and the military master is chasing after him for grain and grass. ”

"In such a hurry? Uncle Zhu doesn't have to sleep? ”

"Alas, tired is tired, this old man's errand is not easy to come by, it is good to run more and make more money."

Seeing Aunt Zhu's mournful sigh, Ling'er didn't want to ask too much, and honestly ate her own. After breakfast, Aunt Zhu changed her clothes, took a big wooden basin out, and greeted Ling'er: "Little white girl, don't you want to go to Mrs. Jiang to apply?" Let's go, I'll take you. ”

Ling'er hurriedly cleaned up and followed Aunt Zhu out, they walked in alleys, and acquaintances greeted them all the way: "Aunt Zhu, are you going to pick up clothes to wash again?" Your old man and son will make money, why are you working so hard? ”

Aunt Zhu smiled and said: "I'm idle at home alone, and it's good to be able to do something to supplement the family, big sister, do you want to go together?" ”

It turned out that she took the big wooden basin to Jiang's house to pick up the clothes and come back to wash, and she also invited two people to go together. The accompanying women couldn't help but look at her when they saw Ling'er, and whispered: "Yo, Aunt Zhu, have your daughter-in-law been brought out?" Why haven't you seen it? ”

Aunt Zhu glanced at her with disgust: "What nonsense, this little white girl went to Jiang's house to apply for a maid." ”

"Huh? Applying for a maid? The two women immediately turned to Ling'er's side, took Ling'er's arm and said:

"Oh, silly girl, you don't know how bad the young lady of the Jiang family is! The maids around her have changed several times, and some have been sold, beaten half to death, and scratched their faces and dare not come out to see people.

Oh, isn't it a waste for such a good girl like you to go there? ”

"Yes, yes, you might as well go to Jiang's Mansion to be your daughter-in-law to Aunt Zhu, Aunt Zhu is generous, the old man of his family can make money, and his son is also honest and diligent, so it is better than you to go to Jiang's house to be a maid."

Ling'er smirked awkwardly, and didn't know how to refuse, the more enthusiastic the two women became, and finally Aunt Zhu stopped them: "Little white girl has her ideas, don't embarrass her." Little white girl, it's here. ”

Ling'er looked up and saw that they had arrived at the side door of a mansion, and the mother-in-law who was guarding the door greeted a few people familiarly, and then went in and called a woman in her thirties.

Listening to Aunt Zhu, they all called her Sister-in-law Zhang, and Sister-in-law Zhang saw a few people's faces faintly, "Here you go again, there are a lot of clothes today, come in!" ”

Several people followed Sister-in-law Zhang into the side door, inside was a small courtyard, several women were busy washing and drying, and there was a large pile of clothes piled up into a hill next to it.

Sister-in-law Zhang pointed to the pile of clothes: "The old rule, one piece of paper, wash it in three days and send it back." (To be continued......)