Within two days, the Queen Mother summoned Zhang into the palace again to chat. This time, Zhang happily went easily, and there was no first entanglement.

She also brought a few small gifts, namely a recipe for a few flavors of dim sum that was popular in Beijing when she was young, an autograph of a poet who became famous in Beijing when she was young, and several paintings she painted herself in her early years, all of which were about the four seasons of the capital or the garden scenery of large families at that time. These things almost no longer exist in the world: dim sum has long been forgotten by the world, and the only way to eat authentic is to go to Jiangnan to try your luck; The poet has long since died, and he used to be recognized as Prince Charming in the minds of the girls of the capital because of his talent and appearance, of course, this kind of thing cannot be known to outsiders; As for the scenery, it has not changed much, but the Queen Mother has rarely had the opportunity to enjoy it with her own eyes, and the gardens of those families have also changed hands and renovated several times, and they are no longer the same as they used to be.

The Queen Mother wanted to be nostalgic and want to recall the happy past of her girlhood, except for Zhang, who had a similar experience with her and had similar preferences, she really couldn't talk to anyone about this topic. The most important thing is that even if someone knows something about those things, they will be restrained in front of the Queen Mother, and they may leak the Queen Mother's little secrets to the outside world. In contrast, Zhang's mouth is much stricter, the background is simple, and she is absolutely loyal and reliable, and the Queen Mother has a lot less scruples in front of her. The two fifty-year-old ladies got together to talk about private conversations, and even the most confidant palace people were not allowed to listen, and it was even more impossible for the emperor and queen to know the contents. However, the queen mother chatted happily, and even ate half a bowl of rice, the emperor was filial, so naturally he would not be nosy, and he had to find out what his wife was talking about with her girlfriends.

Zhao Xiu could vaguely guess something. Although Zhang didn't tell her, the gifts she brought to the Queen Mother were all found by her own hands from her grandmother's collection, and the recipes were also written by her own hand under the dictation of Lu's mother. Zhang recalled the origin of the things, and it was naturally not difficult for her to guess her grandmother's intention in rummaging through them. But this is not a bad thing, the grandmother obviously got happiness from it, and the Queen Mother is the same, her love for Zhang's new best friend also made Zhao Wei and Zhao Xiu brothers and sisters also stained - among the things rewarded in the palace, naturally they also have their share, and even what the palace dining room did to let the Queen Mother taste delicious snacks, the Queen Mother also sent someone to send a copy to their home.

When the Zhang family chatted, he often "inadvertently" revealed the interesting stories and daily details of his grandchildren, and happily exchanged children's scriptures with the Queen Mother, so that the Queen Mother also had a good impression of the Zhao family brothers and sisters. Zhao Wei has been in the palace several times, and the Queen Mother is no stranger to him, she loves him so much that she repeatedly said that if she has a granddaughter, she must recruit him as her grandson-in-law. Zhao Xiu has not yet entered the palace, but the Queen Mother also has a good impression of her. When Zhang went home this time, he said that he must bring Zhao Xiu next time, so that she could review the palace etiquette she had learned, so as not to be rude.

Zhao Xiu had to spend half an hour every day to review the palace rites. Speaking of which, since she learned this when she was eight years old, she has never had the opportunity to use it, and now she has almost forgotten it. In this review, she also made a few small mistakes, and finally re-practiced, and began to recite the net worth background of the nobles and related people in the palace under the supervision of her grandmother, and the old relationship between her in-laws and relatives, and her back was dizzy.

At this time, the Fang family's post was delivered to her.

Zhao Xiu couldn't understand why Fang Renzhu, who had only met once, invited her to the birthday party? Probably worried that she would not come, her sister Fang Huizhu also wrote a sincere invitation letter and sent it together in the post, so enthusiastic that she was embarrassed to refuse. Was it just because she had participated in a poetry meeting?

Speaking of which, she really doesn't like to compose poems very much, and her writing is average, and she has to die a lot of brain cells every time, and if she encounters a troublesome topic, she can't make it within the specified time, and her face is not very good-looking. Besides, the daughter of the Fang family held a poetry meeting, and there must be Fang Er, Fang Si and the Liu family sisters among the participants, and Zhao Xiu felt a headache at the thought of seeing the faces of some of them again.

Zhang didn't think there was anything about it: "It's okay to go and have fun, you little sisters are together, what can you not deal with?" It's just poetry, no matter how bad you are, you can still see people. The girls who are invited may not all be quicker than you. Sister Cao Jialuo must be going, and you have nothing to worry about with her as your companion. You stay at home all day, and you don't have a good friend, so it's better to take the opportunity to see the world. When you see how good those famous daughters are, you will know that you still have many shortcomings, and if you work hard in the future, you will be able to catch up with them sooner or later. ”

Zhao Xiu replied boredly, glanced at the post, and was about to throw it aside, when he suddenly thought of something, and said with a snicker in Zhang's ear: "I don't know if the girl who went is older?" In a few years, my brother will reach the age of seeing his sister-in-law. ”

Zhang was stunned for a moment, glanced at his grandson, pursed his lips and lowered his head and smiled: "Nonsense, do you still have to worry about this kind of thing?" Grandmother knew it. ”

She really knows it. The last time she entered the palace, the queen mother accidentally complained to her about the continuation of the king of Guangping, and many families asked their daughters to come to visit her, wanting to fight the idea of the emperor's eldest son's marriage, etc. When Zhang comforted the other party, he casually mentioned that his grandson's family affairs had not yet been decided. The queen mother said, now the official eunuchs and nobles in the capital want to bring their own girls to her, which daughter is good-looking, which daughter is gentle, which daughter is a good housekeeper, she is clear. When Zhao Wei wants to say goodbye, she can provide first-hand exclusive information, and there is no need for the Zhang family to come to see each other one by one. If necessary, she is even willing to be a matchmaker, or directly give marriage. Zhang felt that with the endorsement of the Queen Mother and his grandson being so outstanding, he didn't have to worry about not being able to marry a daughter-in-law at all.

Zhao Xiu actually just said it casually, and he didn't really mean to replace his grandmother to see his brother's future sister-in-law. At Zhao Wei's current age, to consider getting married really makes her feel guilty about destroying the seedlings of the motherland.

However, for the Fang family's post, grandmother's words also make sense. There are only three of them in the Jiannan Hou Mansion, and if they want to socialize with others, no one can be lazy. Grandmother went to the upper echelons and maintained a good relationship with the royal family; The elder brother is responsible for external liaison and making friends with people worthy of friendship in the government and the opposition; She can just have a good relationship with the daughters of other families, and maybe there will be an accident.

She wrote back to Fang Renzhu and accepted the other party's invitation.

Since he was going to Fang's house as a guest, Zhao Xiu naturally had to make some preparations. It was the first time she had gone back to the Fang family, and she was a little upset when she thought of the contempt that several girls of the Fang family had shown intentionally or unintentionally, and the contempt for the military generals and nobles. If it weren't for the fact that the sisters of the Fang family were really enthusiastic, she would have seen Fang Wu quite pleasing to the eye, and she really didn't want to send it to the door to be blinded. However, no matter how much the Fang family looks down on the military generals and nobles, they won't ridicule the guests who are personally invited, right? There are still some scholarly people's gifts.

Zhao Xiu sent a letter to Cao Luo, saying that she had been invited by Fang Renzhu, and asked her if she wanted to go with her, and asked some rules and preferences of the Fang family by the way. Fang Renzhu celebrated her birthday and postponed the poetry meeting to the day before her birthday, so she should naturally prepare a birthday gift. According to the mother-in-law sent by the Fang family to deliver the letter, on Fang Renzhu's birthday, there will only be a family banquet, and no more outsiders will be invited, so Zhao Xiu is an outsider, so naturally he can only give gifts in advance.

Cao Luo quickly replied. She hasn't officially received the invitation yet, but she heard her mother say that the Fang family plans to invite all the girls from the family of relatives and relatives, so naturally she won't be missed, but the matter of sending the post, there are early and late, and she probably just hasn't received it yet. She was very happy to be able to walk with Zhao Xiu when the time came, and she also briefly mentioned the rules of the Fang family or something, but added that the guests didn't have to pay attention to these, they just needed to know a few taboo things. For example, Miss Fang San died not long ago, her sister Miss Fang Liu was most likely unable to attend, and her father lost his official position because he was involved in rebellion, so the people in this room should not mention it, so as not to spoil the scenery. She went to visit the elders at her grandfather's house, and accidentally mentioned the situation of Miss Fang San when she was alive in the past, and she received several blank eyes from her aunt, and even the two cousins were counting her in private, and she shouldn't have mentioned those bad things when the elders were happy.

Zhao Xiu couldn't help but sigh in his heart when he read Cao Luo's words. I heard that Miss Fang San was also the daughter of the Fang family, and she was once a famous lady of gold and jade, so when she was assigned to marry the Marquis of Shanyin, public opinion said that she was talented and good-looking, and it was a pity to be worthy of such a husband, and she was pitiful for her frail and sick, and she was afraid that she would not live long. Now that she is dead, less than two months ago, her cousin, who is also a cousin, has a birthday, and it is lively, so she doesn't have to worry about her death not long ago, and the family still regards her death as a bad thing. There is nothing more warm and cold than this.

However, this is the Fang family's housework, and Zhao Xiu has no preference for meddlesomeness, but with a sigh, he threw it away.

Cao Luo also mentioned Fang Renzhu's preferences. She actually doesn't know very well what Fang Renzhu likes, but the latter's love of poetry is certain, every year on her birthday, the things that others give her are mostly poetry collections and scholars, and occasionally someone sends her own needlework. However, if you want to send needles and threads, you have to pay attention, if the pattern is too vulgar and too colorful, even if Fang Renzhu doesn't say anything, the sisters next to her will laugh. When Cao Luo was learning needlework in her early years, she gave Fang Huizhu an embroidered purse sewn by herself on her birthday, embroidered with a pine crane to prolong her life, thinking that this pattern is auspicious, Fang Huizhu should like it. Unexpectedly, Fang Huizhu just smiled and asked the girl to put away her things, but the cousins of the Fang family and the Liu family laughed at Cao Luo to death. They ridiculed her for giving her grandmother's birthday gift, and thought that the red satin she used to make her purse was too tacky to match her clothes, and finally laughed at her embroidery skills. Cao Luo was still young at the time, and she was so aggrieved that she cried, and was said by her mother and aunts that she had touched her head.

This incident left a big shadow on Cao Luo, and she never dared to send her own needlework to her sisters again. The Fang family is a scholarly family, and whether she sends her elders or peers, juniors, or men or women, she only sends the four treasures of the study. Anyway, as long as the grade of things is enough, the four treasures of the study are the safest choice, but even so, from time to time there will still be people who are picky, and the brushes produced in a certain place are just expensive, but they are not as good as the pens in another place; Or although XX paper is said to be good, it is not as expensive to use as YY paper, etc. Cao Luo reminded Zhao Xiu in the letter that it is best to choose a few stationery stores that are most respected by readers, so as to meet the taste of the Fang family.

Zhao Xiu was a little ridiculous. She began to feel that the girls who were picky about Cao Luo were not noble in taste, but had something wrong with their brains, right? No matter what it is, as long as it is sincere, educated people should accept it with a smile and thank you. It's not good to pick someone's gift in person, this teaching is really intoxicating. Is it because Cao Luo is too soft and is pinched by those girls as a soft pimple, or do they only pretend to be ladies in front of outsiders, and their true form is revealed in front of their own people? The Fang family's tutor is actually exaggerated, right?

In Zhao Xiu's heart, the Fang family's evaluation suddenly dropped a few grades, and he was about to be on an equal footing with the Zhong family. Coincidentally, both of them are so-called famous scholars.

As for the birthday gift for Fang In-joo? She hasn't found anything wrong with the little girl yet, and this time she will prepare with her heart. But if someone really picks on the gift she gave on the day of Laba, which is not good or bad, then don't blame her for being polite. She's not a soft puffer, she can pinch it if she wants!