Zhao Xiu returned to the front of the women's seat, and the scene was a little deserted.

The guests had all arrived, but before the meal, everyone sat around, drinking tea and eating melon seeds or something, listening to the female ancestors talking, while laughing and chatting. Unexpectedly, the Fang family suddenly came to the obituary, and the old ladies and ladies of the Fang family all ran away with a hula, and half of the people on the table were suddenly missing.

Today's birthday wine was originally only relatives and friends as the main guests, and because Mrs. Cao's maiden family was not much in Beijing, she only had a son of Cao Tai and the general under her knees, no daughter and grandson, and no in-laws, so there were many relatives and friends of Mrs. Cao's Fang family. As soon as the people of the Fang family left, the seat was half empty, and Mrs. Cao's face suddenly became a little unsightly.

Mrs. Cao secretly complained about why her niece died so suddenly, and how the sisters-in-law didn't take care of the patient in advance, so that she died so suddenly. But no matter how much she complained, it was also her mother's family, she could only pretend that nothing was wrong on her face, still laughing, but privately quietly instructed her housekeeper to replace the table of the banquet with a large table, just enough for the rest of the female guests to sit around, and it did not look deserted.

However, among the female guests present, there were many aunts and cousins of Miss Fang San, and the previous relationship was still good. Even if the relationship is mediocre, it is not good to be too happy now, so it is not like Mrs. Cao to talk and laugh freely, a little sentimental, and shed two tears, secretly complaining in her heart that Mrs. Cao, as an elder, is indifferent to the death of her niece, which is too cold. Mrs. Cao vomited to death, looking at the increasingly ugly look on her mother-in-law's face. There is really no place to complain.

Zhao Xiu's arrival relieved her, and as soon as Zhao Xiu saluted the wives, she got up very enthusiastically to greet her: "Why did you come here?" Are you little sisters happy to be playing high in the back? Is the poetry meeting over? ”

Zhao Xiu smiled and said, "Several girls from the Fang family have left. There are only five of us left, and we can't hold a poetry meeting. I saw that it was strangely cold today, and I was worried that my grandmother was blowing the wind, so I came out to see her old man. ”

Mrs. Cao was busy praising Zhao Xiu: "What a filial child, your grandmother knows your filial piety, and she may not be happy in her heart." ”

Zhang smiled a little and saw his granddaughter coming over. He beckoned her to sit down beside him. Mrs. Cao gave a look, and immediately a girl cleverly moved an embroidery pier over, replacing the small pestle that was originally sitting by the girl next to Zhang's side.

Zhao Xiu sat down. Touching Zhang's hand, he felt that it seemed a little cold, so he whispered, "Is grandmother cold?" Let's ask Mrs. Cao for a hand stove, right? Zhang smiled and waved his hand, and asked, "What kind of poem did you write today?" ”

Zhao Xiu said the title of the poem. It is also said that there is no limit to rhyme. Zhang Shi nodded slightly when he listened: "That's it, I think you should be able to do it." ”

Zhao Xiu's poetry was learned from her, and she had to complete the homework she assigned from time to time, and she knew best about Zhao Xiu's level of poetry talent. Zhao Xiu grinned when he heard this, and heard a wife he didn't know ask: "I don't know who won the championship today?" ”

Zhao Xiu replied: "It's the fifth girl of the Fang family." The smile on the lady's face faded a little: "It turned out to be her again, Renzhu girl does have a bit of poetic talent." ”

Another younger lady next to her asked the lady with a smile, "I don't know how many of your eldest sister's children got today?" ”

The lady's smile faded: "I've always been here, how can I know?" Didn't Sister Zhao just come from behind? Why don't you ask her? ”

The young lady continued to smile and asked Zhao Xiu, "How many did the eldest girl of the Liu family get?" ”

It turned out that the person who asked the question was Miss Liu's mother. Zhao Xiu replied: "Miss Liu is the eye of the list. As for who Tanhua is, she can't take the initiative to answer. Speaking of Fang Huizhu alone, she was unwilling, and she said herself, and she seemed to be a little cheeky.

Who knew that the younger lady turned her head and said to Mrs. Liu: "Your eldest sister is also rare, almost every time she is only a little worse than Renzhu's girl." Renzhu's talent is counted all over the capital, and your eldest sister is already very good in this way. ”

Mrs. Liu's smile was already very reluctant, and she didn't respond to her words, but asked Zhao Xiu very uncomfortably: "I don't know what the second sister of my family is?" ”

Zhao Xiu hesitated: "Before the comments are finished, the girls of the Fang family have already said goodbye in advance, so except for Miss Fang Wu and Miss Liu, the rankings of the others have not yet been finalized." ”

Mrs. Liu's face did not get much better because of this, but it softened a little.

The young lady smiled and asked Zhao Xiu, "What kind of poem did Renzhu write?" Miss Zhao recited it to us, right? ”

Zhao Xiu secretly pinched his sweat. Fortunately, she has a good memory, and she carefully read Fang Renzhu's poems, and they are indeed very well written, describing the night scene after the snow very beautifully, so she roughly remembers it, so she slowly recited it. The young lady smiled when she heard this: "It's really worthy of Renzhu's masterpiece, it's really good." ”

The female guests from other civil official families present, all of whom were well-versed in literature and ink, also nodded their heads in praise. However, a few acquaintances invited by Mrs. Cao, because they were all the daughters of military generals, some people smiled and said: "We don't understand what poetry is not poetry, we just think it sounds very good." ”

The smile on Mrs. Cao's face paused, but she quickly returned to normal, but there was a faint hint of disapproval in her expression.

Mrs. Cao smiled: "My wife doesn't know much about this. Then he asked Zhang: "You are an expert, how do you say the poem of the five girls of the Fang family is written?" ”

Zhang smiled and nodded: "It's really good, the writing is brilliant." It is extremely rare for a girl of this age to be able to write such a poem, but it is too cold. At a young age, it is not a good thing to have such a careful heart. ”

Mrs. Cao agreed: "Although I don't know much about these poems, just looking at the appearance of the five girls of the Fang family, I know that she is not in good health, and I think it is because I think I think too much about it on weekdays." Duosi may be able to write good poems, but it is not blessed, and girls should still be well maintained. I look at your sister Xiu'er is very good, just joke when you need to. Read when you should read, needlework, poetry, talent, housekeeper, everything. It's hard for her to still look so good. If my sister Luo can have half of her, I will be at ease. ”

Zhang smiled and said, "How can this girl be so good?" Old sister, don't praise her too much, look back at her complacency, and make jokes outside. Zhao Xiu just pursed her lips and smiled and leaned on her grandmother without speaking, she was still happy to listen to others praise her. In the past ten years, she has worked so hard every day to study, and today she deserves to be praised by others.

When Mrs. Liu heard this, she couldn't help but ask, "What is the number of poems that Miss Zhao just wrote?" Why don't you memorize it and listen to it? She was actually a little unimpressed. The girl from the noble family grew up in the countryside, although her grandmother Zhang was heard to be from a scholarly family. But the family background has long been ruined, and there was no talent in the past, how strong can the girl who was raised be? Mrs. Cao hasn't praised her daughter, and even Fang Renzhu has degraded a few words. actually praised Zhao Xiu vigorously. How can she be convinced?

I have to say that Miss Liu is indeed Xiao's mother, and both mother and daughter are the same as unwilling to be left behind, on the surface, they look gentle and kind, but in fact they are very strong.

Zhao Xiu played Tai Chi with Mrs. Liu: "My poems are not as good as the five girls and Miss Liu, it's better not to be ugly, just spare me." ”

As soon as she said this, Mrs. Liu was not easy to ask. I can only bow my head depressedly and drink tea.

The young lady asked with a smile again: "Today's poetry meeting, I heard that it is the girl of the Cao family who made the east." I usually see more of the two girls Huizhu and Renzhu. There are also poems by the eldest sister of the Liu family, but I haven't seen Cao Yatou's poems, so they must be well written, right? Sister Zhao, can you bring it to us? ”

Zhao Xiu replied honestly: "Sister Cao has never written poetry today. ”

Mrs. Cao's face changed a little, she turned her head and asked the big girl standing next to her, "Is it time to eat?" ”

The young lady ignored her move to change the topic, and continued to ask Zhao Xiu: "Why didn't she do it?" Isn't she the Lord of the Poetry Meeting today? ”

"This is the second girl Fang and the fourth girl Fang mentioned yì, saying that Sister Cao is the east today, and there is a problem, in order to show justice, there is no need to compose poems." Zhao Xiu faintly noticed the hidden edge between these wives, so he replied vaguely. Mrs. Cao breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, and another good-looking wife, who later learned that she was Feng Xiuqin's mother, suddenly interjected and praised: "That's fine, although the little girl's family doesn't need to pay so much attention to the rules when they have a poetry meeting, but they know fairness and justice at a young age, and they can really be called gentlemen." He blocked back the words of the young lady from earlier. The latter continued to smile, but said nothing more.

Zhao Xiu was a little wary of her, don't look at her beautiful, kind and talkative appearance, and she kept smiling, but what she said was absolutely not kind, as if she didn't miss any opportunity to ridicule others, she really hid a knife in her laughter. Seeing that the other wives around her don't like her very much, what is the origin of this person?

Mrs. Cao was also worried that this lady would say something and cause others to not be able to get off the stage, even if it was still early, she still asked her mother-in-law for instructions: "Mother, is it time to start the banquet?" Mrs. Cao nodded: "Then let's open it." I see that everyone has something on their minds, and they are probably not in the mood to eat and drink. When the meal is over, let's disperse early, and let the guests go back to their own homes to take care of their own affairs. ”

Mrs. Cao was a little surprised by her mother-in-law's straightforwardness, and agreed with a slightly embarrassed face, so she ordered her subordinates to hold a banquet, and sent someone to invite her daughter and a few girls over.

This meal was really as Mrs. Cao said, it was tasteless. No one was in the mood to laugh. Mrs. Feng, as rumored, is a long-sleeved person who is good at dancing, and has twice smiled and said good things about Cao Ran, or congratulated him on his birthday, congratulating Mrs. Cao's children and grandchildren, and Mrs. Cao's children and children were both unexpected, but they failed to attract everyone to congratulate in unison. Mrs. Cao smiled politely and thanked her, but Mrs. Cao looked listless, and the meal ended quickly. Then all relatives and friends said goodbye one after another, and Cao Ran's birthday banquet ended hastily after all.

The relationship between the Cao family and the Zhao family is the best, Mrs. Cao specially left the ancestors and grandchildren of the Zhang family to come down to talk, and the front table also sent her mother-in-law to pass the message, saying that Cao Ran took Zhao Wei to the stable to see his new horse, and the Zhang family and Zhao Xiu also stayed.

Mrs. Cao watched people pack up their things, Zhao Xiu helped her grandmother Zhang, and went to the main room of Mrs. Cao's courtyard to have tea, and Cao Luo also followed. As soon as she sat down, Mrs. Cao stretched her face and said, "It's really bad luck today!" The Fang family is intent on touching our Brother Ran's mold! ”

Cao Luo hurriedly said: "Grandmother, don't be angry, uncles don't want to, who would have thought that the third cousin would suddenly disappear?" ”

Mrs. Cao snorted coldly: "As long as they take good care of people, or pay more attention to their niece's condition, they will not let people die unprepared, no one can predict it." Also, our family is making a birthday for the boy today, what kind of clothes are those girls wearing? The cloak is festive, as soon as the cloak is taken off, it is either silver or blue gray, and some colors are also light, they should laugh at home every day? Or did you come to the door to disgust me? If you look down on our family, you can not come! ”

Cao Luo hurriedly explained again: "Grandmother really misunderstood, the sisters have absolutely no other meaning. They always hate the cheesiness of red and green, and they rarely wear such bright colors at home or when they go out. ”

Mrs. Cao looked at her with disgust: "You have a bad temper, they always don't take you seriously, but you keep saying good things for them." ”

"My granddaughter just has something to say......," Cao Luo said, "It's a fact that I can't study well, and my mother is often angry at my stupidity, they are just telling the truth, and they don't look down on their granddaughter." Besides, my eldest cousin is a very gentle and steady person, and she has always taken good care of me......"

Mrs. Cao sneered slightly: "Yes, the most gentle and steady lady of the Fang family, wearing a silver and blue gown and white pleated skirt to congratulate people on her birthday, she is really sensible." If it weren't for the red gold title pearl phoenix hairpin on her head, I would have thought that someone had just died in her family! But she's not wearing it wrong, isn't her sister dead today? ”

Cao Luo shrunk her neck: "That...... It is the most fashionable material in Beijing today, and it was ...... when Chongyang was in the past."

"When the previous child was Chongyang, the queen mother passed through the palace banquet, didn't she?" Mrs. Cao glanced at her granddaughter, turned her head to Zhang's and said, "That girl's family originally said that they would send her to the palace to be a concubine, but it didn't work, and now she is wearing the same clothes as the queen's mother, and she goes out as a guest for people to see, what does it look like?" Others made clothes out of silver and blue brocade, but they didn't make them exactly the same. Besides, the queen has filial piety, and wearing this at the palace banquet is a ceremony, and her Fang family didn't know in advance that a daughter would die. Fang's goddaughter, that's how she was taught? They also have the face to look down on the girls of our Cao family?! ”

Mrs. Cao was very angry today, and she counted down the Fang family's tutors and door style, and she scolded the ladies at the table one by one, and Cao Luo was restless when she heard it. Zhao Xiu shook her hand and calmed her down. Her grandmother was scolding a few relatives, so why should she be upset for them? Her surname is Cao, and she is not surnamed Fang.

However, Zhao Xiu also knew that the young lady who was smiling but unforgiving in her mouth, her husband's surname was Shao, but she was Mrs. Cao's cousin, but she didn't know why she didn't want to go with Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Cao.

As she spoke, Mrs. Cao came over after finishing the chores, and Mrs. Cao stopped counting her words, which was regarded as saving face for her daughter-in-law.

Zhao Xiu and Zhang's ancestors and grandchildren could only listen dryly, and after talking for a while, they found an excuse to leave. After coming out to meet Zhao Wei and getting into the carriage, Zhao Xiu and his grandmother glanced at each other, and they both showed a wry smile. It's just a birthday drink, and there will be so many troubles.

"Ahh Zhang sneezed and felt a little cold on his body. Zhao Xiu hurriedly asked the girl to add new charcoal to the hand stove and stuffed it into her grandmother's arms: "Let's go home quickly, it seems to be extremely cold today." (To be continued......)