The next day was the eighth day of the lunar month, Zhao Xiu got up early in the morning, had breakfast, and began to prepare for going out.

The birthday gift for Miss Fang Wu, she had already done it. The selection of 36 high-quality colored notes, all by her own handwriting with light color ink on the pattern drawing, 12 are flowers, 12 are landscapes around the country, and 12 are copied ancient master calligraphy, written or popular famous poems and famous sentences. The colored paper made in this way is elegant enough to write poems for the little girl, no matter how you look at it. Besides, it was originally a gift between little girls, and the intention was important, if it was blindly measured by the price, it would be inferior.

After seeing her gift, Zhang also felt that the preparation was good, and he was very interested in letting her be free, and he also drew a few for himself. However, Zhang felt that it was a little too simple to send only this one. Pen, ink, paper, inkstone, this has paper, simply send some pen and ink inkstone, it's a big deal to send it in your own name, only as the elders to the younger generation. Zhao Xiu saw that what her grandmother picked out was only the high-grade new goods in the six-room south store, not antiques, so she relied on her.

Once you've got your gifts, you're ready to dress up.

When you go to someone's birthday party, generally speaking, it's best to dress up festively, but not too prominent, don't suppress the limelight of the birthday star. But Zhao Xiu remembered that a girl in the Fang family died not long ago, and now it can be said that she has lost her family, but people don't care, and she is not too obvious as a guest, so she prepared a set of slightly elegant clothes, instead of wearing red and green.

She dressed herself in a light apricot-colored velvet jacket with a royal blue pleated skirt embroidered with honeysuckle. In order to keep out the cold, an extra light pink silk square neck placket was added, and the whole person felt both pink and soft. She combed her black hair into a double mustache. On the other hand, there is a pearl bead flower, or a specially selected dragonfly and butterfly pattern, instead of looking for a common flower shape, with silver silk tentacles, take a step, and tremble, lining her small round face. It's a bit childish.

Zhang looked at his granddaughter's well-dressed appearance, and was quite satisfied, but he didn't understand a little: "How did you take out this pair of pearl flowers?" Wasn't this what your second uncle gave you when you were seven years old? You're too childish. I didn't wear it again for two years. ”

Zhao Xiu said with a smile: "Today's poetry meeting, I don't know what topics will come out." I've always been mediocre in my poetry, and if I encounter a difficult topic, I don't do it well. There were a few girls in that group who had a particularly nasty personality. You're going to laugh at me. I dressed up to be more childish, and when they saw that I was younger than them, they might be embarrassed to bully the younger. I'm younger than most of them anyway, so I'm not a liar. ”

Zhang said angrily: "On weekdays, I asked you to practice making poems more, but you didn't listen, and now I'm worried that I'll make a fool of myself, so I use the method of the side door to mix it up." How could I have a granddaughter like you? ”

Zhao Xiu smiled and said nothing. If the friends of the poetry club are friendly and fair, in fact, it is not good to write poems well. She didn't plan to be a poetess, even if she was a tail. It's just a laugh. But it is clear that she is at the same level as most of them, but there are always people who want to find superiority in her, so it is no wonder that she uses the method of sideways. If someone who is really capable—such as Miss Fang Wu and Miss Liu—wants to laugh at her poetry for not being good, she will of course accept the criticism of the other party calmly. Fang 2 and Fang 4 are first-class characters, and the poems they write by themselves are not as good as hers, why laugh at her?

Zhang is also teaching his granddaughter a lesson, but he will not be angry because of this little thing. Although the granddaughter is suspected of pretending to be a child, it is also because she usually acts steadily and dresses older than her peers. In fact, the pair of beaded flowers she wears now are in line with her current age. Zhang looked at his granddaughter's dress a few more times, and then asked, "Which cloak do you wear?" Don't wear that finch gold, it's too expensive, and wearing it to such a scholarly family is like showing off our family's wealth. ”

Zhao Xiu said: "The color doesn't match, of course I won't wear that one." "Just kidding, it was given to her by Gao Zhen, and it was too late for her to cherish it, except to see him, if it wasn't for something big, she would definitely not be willing to wear it. Today is just Fang Wu's birthday, and it's almost enough to pick a similar cloak. She said to her grandmother, "I am going to wear that velvet cloak with black flowers on a blue background, which is made of sheepskin, and it is warm and wind-proof. Today's weather, it is enough to have it. ”

Zhang nodded, and then instructed: "Remember to bring the hand stove." What about Bihan? It's her going out with you today, what are you wearing, but have you seen it all? ”

The close-fitting girl is the face of the girls, whether the close-fitting girl is neatly dressed, whether the words and deeds are decent, and whether the character and temperament are passable, all of which are directly related to the dignity of the hostess, so they must not be sloppy. Imagine a daughter of an official family, if she is dressed up beautifully and brightly, but the girl she carries with her is dressed very shabby, and she is also afraid to deal with others, and she can't get on the stage, how can outsiders look at the daughter of the official family who is the master? That only proves that she can't even discipline the people around her well. The Zhang family knows this truth very well, and has a sense of awe for the Fang family, a scholarly family, and must not allow his granddaughter to have a little errand with the people around her, and be rude to others in the Fang family.

It was Bihan who went out with Zhao Xiu today. Originally, the most secure was Bi Lian, who was also more experienced, but she was not young anymore, and she had already left her nationality, Zhao Xiu had the intention to dilute her identity as a maid and let the Lu family find a good family for her, so this time she still chose Bi Han to accompany her. Bihan is not as stable as Bilian, but she is quite clever, and she has followed Zhao Xiu to the palace and the Cao family a few times, and the hot spring Zhuangzi in the palace has also been there, so she has seen a little of the world, and she will not lose face in the Fang family.

Bihan took care of Zhao Xiu's going out, and when she heard that the Zhang family was summoned, she hurried over to see her. Zhang saw that she was wearing a newly made honey-colored cotton jacket, a gray-blue thick silk pleated skirt, and a light gray, soot and white plaid muslin cardigan, also inlaid with sheepskin lining, so he couldn't help asking: "How do you use this material to make a gown for a girl?" "The checkered muslin was sent from Songjiang only two months ago, and it was a fine fine cotton fabric produced by her own weaving factory, and she thought it was bright, so she gave it to her granddaughter. I thought I wanted my granddaughter to make homely clothes to wear, but I didn't expect my granddaughter to reward the girl.

Zhao Xiu smiled and said: "I don't know what the rules of the Fang family are, I held a poetry meeting in the Cao family last time." The girls were waiting outside, not in front of them. If it is the rules of the Fang family, the girls are arranged to go to other rooms, then it will not be very convenient when I want to find someone. This material is very conspicuous, Bihan wears such a gown, I can see her from afar. Never recognize the wrong person. ”

Only then did Zhang understand his granddaughter's intentions, and then look at Bihan's dress, in fact, the color matched Zhao Xiu's. The colors are not exactly the same, obviously giving people the impression that the master and servant are different, but they are all one, and you can know that they are a pair of master and servant at a glance. And Bihan itself is just a delicate look. I wore this dress. There is also a two-inch-wide embroidered belt wrapped around her waist, which makes her more and more slender, tall and long, and immediately stands out among the girls.

Zhang was very satisfied, and compared Bihan's answering demeanor, and asked a few questions, all about what happened to Zhao Xiuruo in the Fang family, and what should she do, a personal girl. Bihan had already been taught by Bilian in person, and she memorized all the countermeasures in her heart. Naturally, the answer is fluent. Zhang was even more satisfied, and immediately ordered the girl to take the jewelry box, and rewarded Bihan with a jade bracelet, a pair of jade earrings, and a silver gilt hairpin, the workmanship was very exquisite, and she was ordered to wear it to Fang's house today.

Bihan originally only wore a pair of silk flowers, and she was naturally overjoyed to be rewarded so generously by the Zhang family, and hurriedly kowtowed to thank her, and then took her things back to the room to dress up. Zhao Xiu was puzzled: "Didn't grandmother say, don't wear too expensive jewelry, so as not to attract people's eyes in the Fang family and be rude to the famous scholarly family?" Why did you give my girl jewelry and tell her to wear it? ”

Zhang smiled: "How can this be the same? Those few pieces of jewelry are not valuable, and Bihan wears them out, which is also your dignity. Then he instructed his granddaughter again: "You have to remember, this time when you go to the Fang family, you can't go to the Cao family, you can't go to the palace, and you can't go to Fengxian's hometown before, you go out with me to visit relatives and friends." The Fang family has been scholarly for generations, and it is a famous family, and everyone in the family is familiar with poetry and books, and knows etiquette, and even the girls who are waiting are a little more elegant than those outside. When you go, act as calmly as possible, don't laugh with people, and don't get into conflict with people. Even if someone says something that you don't like, you can bear it, just put up with it, if you can't bear it, wait until you get home and tell your grandmother and brother, don't quarrel with people on the spot, it would be rude. ”

Zhao Xiu felt that her grandmother had deified the Fang family too much, what about the famous scholarly family? Isn't the Zhang family a famous scholar? Even if my grandmother was not born in the branch and her mother's family was defeated, my ancestor was a calligrapher. This Fang family in the capital, in terms of achievements in the literary world, is not as good as its own family in Tongcheng. It's just that there have been a few high-ranking officials in this dynasty, and many of their children have entered Hanlin, but they have put their shelves high. In contrast, the second uncle, who is also from a scholarly family, and the Shen family from a famous family in Songjiang, are far less hypocritical than the Fang family.

However, Zhao Xiu didn't want to quarrel with her grandmother, so she responded to her instructions sullenly.

But there are still many words for Zhang's instructions: "Making poetry is also, if you can do it, it is naturally the best, if you can't do it, you must do your best to complete it, even if it is to accompany the last seat, you can't help but do it, making people laugh at the talent and rude." If others don't judge your poems well, you should be polite. They are all daughters from famous scholars, all of whom have read poetry and books since childhood, but they are much more attentive than you. You are not as good as others, so you should be humble. ”

Zhao Xiu couldn't help but say, "Few of them are better than me." Haven't you read all the poems they wrote last time? ”

Zhang glared at his granddaughter: "What if you miss it for a while?" The title of that time was not easy to make. You can't think you're a talented girl just because you won a few people in one fluke. Arrogance is not a good thing. ”

Zhao Xiu sighed: "I'm not arrogant...... Well, I got it. I have always admired people who are capable and talented. Like today's birthday girl Fang Wu, I admire her very much. If she is willing to deal with me, I will ask her more about it. ”

The Zhang family reluctantly accepted his granddaughter's promise, and instructed again: "People like the Fang family have rules. You are used to being casual at home, but when you go to someone's house, you can't be casual anymore. Listen to the host's arrangement, don't just walk around. The Fang family lives together, and there are many children in the family, if you walk around casually, if you run into one or two children of the Fang family, it will be rude. You are no longer a child, and you should pay attention to this etiquette and defense. ”

Zhao Xiu responded casually, and somehow a thought suddenly came to her heart.

In the online novels she has read in modern times, isn't this kind of banquet or something the most prone to accidents? For example, a girl deliberately splashed her dress, and then used the excuse of changing her clothes to run into someone's garden and meet a certain son, brother, marquis, prince or something; For example, in order to deal with a concubine or a rival in love, a girl deliberately splashes each other's dresses, and then asks people to lead the other party to a pre-prepared place, and then tricks other men to create a ** for the two, and then brings someone to bump into each other, and then makes the two of them into a pile, completely blocking the possibility of the other party competing with themselves for men; And then there is any deliberate attempt to stain people's clothes and make a fool of them, or to lead people into the garden and into the pond...... And so on and so forth. Even if she hasn't experienced anything, she has read a lot of novels. Although this Fang family doesn't necessarily have any hostility towards her, Fang Er, Fang Si, and the Liu family sisters who were sprayed by her last time are not fuel-efficient lamps, let alone this poetry meeting, I heard that there are also daughters of official families who have never met before.

Zhao Xiu felt that it was better for him to take precautions. Even if nothing happens, she's just in trouble, but if something happens, at least get yourself out of the way and don't get into any trouble. In addition to leaving the crowd and going to a remote place, there is a lot of preparation she can do.

Therefore, before leaving, she specially instructed Bihan: "Bring an extra set of clothes and prepare for any accidents that need to be replaced." Bring the men who comb their hair, and put them in the carriage with their clothes. If I need it, you go and get it right away. After arriving at Fang's house, don't patronize and follow people, remember the route and terrain in and out, and ask where our carriage stops, and where the accompanying coachman and mother-in-law rest. If you need to, you can immediately run from the backyard to the front yard to find someone. ”

Bihan only felt inexplicable: "What is the girl going to do?" ”

"You don't care, just do what I say." Zhao Xiu thought about it, but he was still not at ease, "The handkerchief I brought is changed, no, I have to bring a few more spares, the elements are silk, the most ordinary material, there is no mark on it, and there is no incense." If you lose it, you lose it, don't let people recognize it as mine. She looked down at the jade pendant she was wearing, took it off, replaced it with a green jade card that had not been engraved at all, and then specially picked a very strong silk silk and tied it, and tied a few more knots to ensure that it would not fall off if it swayed.

It doesn't seem to be a new episode for a girl to drop a handkerchief, jade pendant, jewelry or something in someone else's house and be picked up to make a fuss.

Zhao Xiu even asked Bihan to bring a few emergency medicines, such as those for abdominal pain and diarrhea, Jinchuang medicine, and those that relieve drunkenness and refresh the mind......

Bihan was confused: "What does the girl want to do?" I've never heard of anyone going out with you to bring these things. ”

"You just treat me as a whim, just do as I say, and I'll reward you when I come back in the evening." Zhao Xiu replied casually, thought about it, and as a precaution, he picked out a gilded Buddha's hand hairpin with good hardness from the jewelry box and inserted it in his hair. It can be used as a weapon of self-defense when necessary.

"Alright." Zhao Xiu smiled and clapped his hands, "It's ready, let's go!" (To be continued......)