Mrs. Zuo is older than Xu, and she looks in her forties at this time, but she is well maintained, and there are not many wrinkles on her face. The temper is also very gentle, and when he saw Xu, he greeted him with a smile: "I was still thinking about when you would arrive, but I didn't expect you to come over just after thinking about it." ”

Xu's eyebrows were also very soft: "Sister Zuo's birthday, how can I not come over earlier?" I thought that if I came over earlier, I could help Sister Zuo do something, and I asked Sister Zuo not to dislike me for not knowing how to do things. ”

Mrs. Zuo smiled: "You, you can speak, there is nothing you don't know about your virtuous name in the whole Jiangnan East Road, if you help, it's too late for me to be happy, how can I dislike it?" It's just that I was afraid that my sister would be tired, so I didn't dare to speak. ”

"It's just a little thing, and you can get tired somewhere." Xu said with a smile, the Zuo family is not an authentic Jiangnan East Road person, the imperial court has regulations, there are four avoidances for those who are officials, and the avoidance of origin is the top priority, so this magistrate of Jiangnan East Road must not be a native of Jiangnan East Road.

Mrs. Zuo followed Lord Zuo to take office, and there was no concubine around to help her, so when she held a banquet or something, she could only ask a familiar lady to help. It's just that this help isn't meant to do anything big, just to help greet guests.

Xu is also very skilled in doing this kind of thing, and immediately followed Mrs. Zuo's side to help with a smile.

Shu Manyao and her sisters were led by the little maid to the girl of the Zuo family. The girl of the Zuo family is twelve years old this year, just one year younger than Shu Manyao, one year older than Shu Manjin and Shu Manyu, when she first saw Shu Manyao, there was a trace of surprise on her face, and then she changed her smile: "I didn't expect Sister Shu to come over, I happened to have two taels of Biluochun before, and I didn't know if Sister Shu likes to drink." ”

"The taste of all kinds of tea is unique, and I don't particularly like it, and the mellowness of Biluochun is also very good." Shu Manyao said with a smile, how many years older is the girl of the Zuo family, and she is not as domineering as she was two or three years ago.

Shu Manyu stepped forward and hugged the arm of the girl from the Zuo family: "Sister Zuo, do you have the Lu'an tea I like?" ”

"I won't be missing your Lu'an tea." Zuo Jiagu's eyebrows and eyes are crooked, and her smile is gentle, which is exactly the same as Shu Manjin's smile. Shu Manyao glanced at Shu Manjin, and Shu Manjin didn't stop Shu Manyu, but smiled on the side: "Sister Zuo, don't get used to her, so much so that she only hopes that Sister Zuo is her own sister now." ”

The girl of the Zuo family took Shu Manyu's hand and said with a smile: "I can't wait to have such a lively and lovely sister, if you are willing to have Manjin, you can leave Manyu in my house in the future, and I will be Manyu's sister." ”

Shu Manyu leaned affectionately beside the girl of the Zuo family: "I call you sister now, let's be sisters." Dear! ”

Shu Manyao only watched the three of them laugh from the side, behaved intimately, and her tone was really sisters, in comparison, she, who was the big sister of others, seemed to be a foreigner. It's just that Shu Manyao doesn't care, if it were possible, she would rather not be Shu Manjin and Shu Manyu's own sister.

"We've been standing outside for so long, and you're tired." The girl of the Zuo family smiled and said: "Come in quickly, the sky is beautiful today, the sun is just right here, let's go to the flower room over there, just in time to bask in the sun." ”

"Girl, the two girls of the Li family are here." As she was talking, a little maid came over to report back, and the girl of the Zuo family looked at Shu Manjin and them with a little apology: "I have to go to meet the two sisters of the Li family first, we are not outsiders, you go to the flower room first, and I will go to you later, okay?" ”

Shu Manjin nodded: "Sister Zuo, even if we go, we are not at a loss, besides, there is a maid and a maid, and my sister is still afraid that we will go to the wrong place?" You went to pick up the two sisters of the Li family, and there were many people and it was lively. ”

The girl of the Zuo family responded with a smile and turned to greet the girl of the Li family. Shu Manjin pulled Shu Manyu and was about to walk up, when he suddenly came to his senses, and there was a Shu Manyao next to him, and he was suddenly a little embarrassed and embarrassed: "Big sister, I'm really sorry to ......."

Shu Manyao shook his head: "Between our sisters, when do we need to talk about this?" I am not very familiar with the Zuo family, and I am tired of my two younger sisters leading the way in front. ”

Shu Manjin said a few polite words, and then turned around and walked in front with Shu Manyu. The flower room of the Zuo family is very exquisitely built, it is obviously specially prepared for the girls of the Zuo family to greet the guests, the three rooms are open, and there is only a screen in the middle.

The first room is similar to a study, with pen, ink, paper, inkstone, and the like. The middle room is a piano and a chessboard, and the zuihou room is a soft couch on three sides, and windows are open on three sides, and outside the windows are large fields of flowers.

Of course, in this season, the flowers planted outside will definitely not survive, so these flowers are all planted in the greenhouse, and they are placed outside at this time. Maybe after today, how many of those flowers will freeze to death.

Shu Manyu walked in the door and turned around, and looked at Shu Manyao with some ill will: "Big sister, it's boring to sit, why don't we play a game of chess?" ”

Shu Manyao glanced at her, did not speak, only turned to look at the flowers outside. Shu Manyu's face immediately became a little bad, and she was about to speak, Shu Manjin dragged her, personally took the teacup in the little girl's hand, and then handed it to Shu Manyao: "Big sister, drink tea, the flowers of the Zuo family are very famous, there is no one who doesn't know the flowers of the Zuo family on the entire Jiangnan East Road, big sister see which pot she likes, when she goes back, her sister asks for a pot for the big sister." ”

Shu Manyu pursed her lips, grabbed a chess piece and played with it, Shu Manyao leaned back with a smile: "Second sister, don't say such things in the future, people who don't know will listen to it, and think that our Shu family can't even raise a pot of flowers." Besides, I'm not a child, when I see something good, I desperately pull it to my home, flowers and plants, etc., still have to be appreciated by many people in order to reflect its value. ”

Shu Manjin smiled and nodded: "What the big sister said is, but I think it's bad." ”

Shu Manyu called Shu Manjin on the side: "Second sister, come and take a look, the game of chess I put out is okay, right?" I'm following the endgame that my husband said before, so why don't we try it? ”

Shu Manjin responded, looked at Shu Manyao, Shu Manyao waved his hand indifferently: "You go, I'll sit here for a while." ”

Shu Manjin got up at this time, walked to Shu Manyu's side and whispered. Shu Manyao leaned on the cushion, slowly thinking about Xu's plans for today, it seems a little impossible to ruin her reputation, after all, Xu's own stepmother, Xu's own two daughters, she just doesn't care about the reputation of the entire Shu family's girls, but also has to take into account the reputation of her own daughter.

The most important thing is that Shu Manyao hasn't been out for a few years, and now he finally went out with Xu's family, but his reputation was ruined, and Xu's even if he was innocent, he couldn't wash away the suspicion. The stepmother is not so easy to be, especially the stepmother who is bent on being virtuous.

Since it's not fame, what would it be? Before a girl gets married, isn't her reputation the most important? From the peony jewelry to the clothes on the body, and then from Shu Manjin and Shu Manyu to the girl of the Zuo family, Shu Manyao just couldn't figure it out, what did Xu want to do?

"So you arrived earlier." Just thinking about it, she heard the sound of talking at the door, Shu Manyao looked up, and saw the girl of the Zuo family and the other two girls standing there, the two girls both had long faces, but they only had a round face and dimples, and they looked very sweet, and one was just beautiful.

In addition, about the two sisters are the same sister, the one who looks sweet, dresses more outstandingly, and the jewelry on his body is also more conspicuous, while the one who is delicate has slightly ordinary clothes.

"Sister Li, you're finally here." Schumann smiled brighter than the sun outside. Three or two steps over, holding Miss Li's arm and smiling: "I've been waiting for you for a long time, Sister Li's chess skills are the most outstanding, I got an endgame before, Sister Li came to guide me in two moves?" ”

The round-faced girl smiled: "Sister Manyu has always been smart, what can stump Sister Manyu?" If I can't solve that endgame, won't it make Sister Manyu laugh? ”

As he spoke, he saw Shu Manyao next to him, first a little puzzled, and then asked with some uncertainty: "This, but Miss Shu?" ”

Shu Manyao smiled and nodded: "Miss Li has a good memory, but I met it once a few years ago, Miss Li still remembers it, and Manyao is very honored." ”

"It's not that I have a good memory, but that Sister Man Yao and Sister Man Yu are somewhat similar, so I guessed it." The girl of the Li family came over with a smile and looked at Shu Manyao: "I heard earlier that Sister Man Yao's health is not good, so she doesn't go out often, Sister Man Yao is very good now?" ”

Shu Manyao smiled and nodded: "Thank you Miss Li for your concern, my body is already well, but my grandmother cares about it at home, and I am always worried about my grandmother, and I am reluctant to leave my grandmother's side, so I don't like to go out." ”

Miss Li nodded clearly, this is probably a self-acquaintance, but she was more interested when she saw the new face, and she leaned next to Shu Manyao with a smile and said: "Manyao is thirteen years old this year, right?" I'm three years older than you, it's good if you call me Sister Li, my maiden name is Yingying, this is my second sister, one year older than you, my maiden name is Jingjing, it's good if you call her Second Sister Li. ”

"It's better to be respectful than to obey your fate, then I'm welcome, Sister Li." Shu Manyao said with a smile, and saluted Li Yingying and Li Jingjing quietly, she was at this moment, but she sincerely saluted Li Yingying, if it wasn't for Li Yingying's words, how could she guess what Xu might do?