Ah Sheng and Ning Xia Zi, one big and one small, looked at each other unexpectedly.

Ning Xia Zi, who was caught upright, was startled at first, and then froze, looking at Ah Zheng directly, her little face turned red.

Ah Zheng crossed his arms and said funny: "Why did you run out again?" If my wife knew, she would have been angry. ”

Ning Xia Zi bit her lip and said, "If you don't say it, my mother won't know." ”

Ah Zheng squatted down, looked at Ningxia Zi, and asked, "Do you want me not to tell my wife?" ”

"Hmm." Ningxia Zi nodded honestly.

Ah Zheng nodded and asked, "Then tell me, why did you come to your sister?" ”

Ning Xia Zi showed an aggrieved expression, and said pitifully: "Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there is a lantern festival outside, I want to go to see the lantern with my sister...... "The child is the most discerning, and knows best who spoils her and is used to her."

knows who spoils her and is used to her children, and knows best how to be spoiled and pitiful. Ningxia Zi said aggrievedly: "But my sister is so busy every day, I don't know if my sister can accompany me, so I want to ask my sister." ”

Ah Zheng touched Ningxia Zi's little head melon seeds, and said happily: "I'll take you in and ask." ”

Ningxia Qing was busy, and he saw Ah Zheng coming in, followed by a sneaky Ningxia Zi.

When Ning Xia Qing saw this scene, he immediately showed a helpless expression. No wonder Cao said that before, Ningxia Zi has indeed become more and more skinny recently, not to mention catching ants and fighting geese, it is almost necessary to go to the house to uncover the tiles.

Ningxia Qing said angrily: "Zi'er, my mother said yesterday that you let you stay in the house honestly, why did you forget it so quickly?" If you let your mother know, you will be scolded again. ”

As soon as she heard Ningxia Qing mention the Cao family, Ningxia Zi's little face suddenly showed a somewhat frightened expression, and Ah Zheng hurriedly changed the topic: "The second girl is here to ask you, can you accompany her to go outside to watch the lights tonight." ”

"Look at the lights?" Ning Xia Qing was stunned for a moment, looked at Zi'er and asked, "Zi'er, didn't you say that you would have your mother accompany you to see the lights?" My sister is too busy to go. ”

Ningxia Zi pouted, a little aggrieved, as if he wanted to cry, Ah Zheng opened his mouth to help: "You usually don't have time to accompany her, so go with her tonight." ”

Ning Xia Qing frowned, and said helplessly but resolutely: "I really don't have time tonight." Du Qiutong is going to have a happy event in a few days, and I haven't thought about what to give a congratulatory gift. ”

Ah Zheng replied: "Just go and buy an ornament, if you go to see the lanterns at night, just pass by the burning shop, pick a bottle ornament, or go a little farther to the silverware store, pick a silver chopsticks and silver bowl." ”

Ning Xia Qing paused for a moment and muttered, "It's okay." Ning Ningqing scratched her hair and said, "But Zi'er's going to the academy hasn't been finished yet." Although the favor on the Gu Mansion has already been agreed, I haven't had time to prepare the subsidy for Mr. Lin yet. ”

Ah Zheng replied again: "I went to Wen Moxuan at the corner of the street yesterday and asked, Wen Moxuan will bring in a few pieces of Hui ink from She County this afternoon, if you think it's okay, I'll buy two in a while." ”

Ning Ningqing was stunned again, scratched his head again and said, "It's okay." After thinking about it, he asked: "The account of the second master is still waiting to be settled, not only the money for the shares, but also the money for the goods from the workshop to enter the 'merit perfection'." I'll have to check our warehouse against the purchase records and calculate the general ledger......"

Ah Zheng took the account book and put it in front of her: "I calculated it before, I counted it last night in the warehouse, you only need to check the accounts, if there is no problem, just allocate money to the shopkeeper Dong, and let the shopkeeper Dong go to hand over to the second master." ”

As soon as Ah Zheng's voice fell, Ning Xia Qing stared at Ah Zheng with big eyes: "Go on." ”

Ah Zheng tilted his head and said, "You didn't even ask, what can I say?" ”

Ning Xia Qing looked at him directly, and said unexpectedly: "Anyway, I see, you have prepared everything I have in mind, since this is the case, I don't think I need to bother, you just say everything you have done." ”

Ah Zheng sighed and said, "There is also something you have to go to Liuyang County." Don't you want to know about the silkworm farm over there, I have found a few merchants from Liuyang County to inquire about it in the past few days, and the silkworm farm will not open until the twentieth day of the first month, so let's go directly at that time. There is also the cage tobacco yarn you want to enter, and I also inquired about which workshops are in production in Liuyang County. ”

Ning Xia Qing leaned back in the chair and began to close his eyes with a big grin. Ah Zheng thought of something again, then took out a piece of paper from his arms, handed it to Ning Xia Qing, and said: "By the way, there are also the opening hours of the shops under the hands of Shopkeeper Mei, Shopkeeper Ma, and Shopkeeper Wu, as well as their pricing, I have also inquired about them and listed them on it, you can take a look." ”

Ning Xia Qing turned the paper and looked at what was written on it.

The shops under the hands of the three shopkeepers of Mei, Niu and Wu are all shops of the same scale as Hua Cai Yuan, and they are also the shops with the most comparative significance for Hua Cai Yuan.

Ning Xia Qing glanced at it and found that the days when these three shopkeepers opened their shops were basically the same as Huacaiyuan, and the pricing of most of the materials was not too much fluctuating from before.

Maybe it's because she's been too tired lately, but after watching it for a while, she started to be stunned.

Recently, she has often fallen into an anxious situation, always feeling that a bunch of problems are piled up on her, making her stumble, she can't sleep well at night, and if she doesn't sleep well at night, she will be even less energetic during the day, so she can't finish things.

Maybe because she didn't have a good rest last night, she looked at this piece of paper, couldn't help but let go, and began to wander.

"Sister...... Sister......" Ningxia Zi called her in a whisper.

"Huh?" Ning Xia Qing came back to his senses and looked at the fat man standing in front of him.

Ning Xia Zi said cautiously: "Since Ah Zheng has helped my sister do everything, can my sister go out with me?" ”

Ning Ningqing suddenly remembered something, and said with some embarrassment: "But we can't leave grandma alone at home, I was going to let my mother take you there, and I will accompany ......grandma at home."

Ningxia Zihehe, Yile: "Sister, I don't know, just now a few grandmothers next door came over, please grandma go to chat and drink tea with them at night!" ”

Ah Zheng patted Zi'er's head and asked Zi'er to go back first, so as not to let the old lady be anxious if she couldn't find her.

After Zi'er went out, Ah Zheng helped Ning Ningqing sort out the messy account books on the table that were turned over by Ningxia Qing, and whispered: "In previous years, the master, wife, girl and the second girl went out together, but this year is the first year after the master left, if only the wife and the second girl are left to go out, the second girl will be very disappointed, so you better go together and accompany the second girl to be lively." ”

Ning Xia Qing was stunned, her heart was sour, she rubbed her face, nodded and said, "You're right." ”

On the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Ningxia Qing, who really didn't plan to come to see the lanterns, was almost pushed out by Ah Zheng and Zi'er.

Originally, she just came here to make Zi'er happy, but when she saw that on this street, the lights were scattered, the crowds were surging, and then she saw that the bright moon was in the sky, she walked around for a while, and gradually felt that it was worth it to come out and relax.

Ah Zheng said that he was going to burn the store to see if there was a porcelain vase that could be used as a congratulatory gift for Du Qiutong, so Ning Xia Qing nodded and asked Ah Zheng to pick it. As soon as Ah Zheng left, Zi'er suddenly stretched out her fingers and called happily: "Over there!" There's a mask seller over there! ”

Ning Xia Zi picked a Fu Doll mask, but Ning Xia Qing took a fancy to a Kuixing mask with horns on his head and protruding eyebrows. Ningxia Zi timidly pointed to the Kuixing mask and said, "Sister, this mask is so terrifying......"

Ning Ningqing put the mask on his face, and said tiredly and emotionally: "Only if you are terrible enough can you scare away the bad guys." Rest assured, even if I wear this terrible mask, I'm still your sister. ”

After paying the silver, Ning Xia Qing looked at the Cao family, who was difficult to go out, and said, "Mother, are you tired?" In front of it is Shouhe Building, let's go rest and have some tea and snacks. ”

Cao nodded, and the mother and daughter went to Shouhe Building with Cuiyu.

Tan Wenshi leaned on the railing on the second floor of Shouhe Building and drank tea.

He had heard Du Qiutong say before that whenever he could go shopping at night, Ningxia Qing would often come to Shouhelou to rest on the way to shopping.

Shouhe was crowded downstairs, but Tan Wenshi saw a girl wearing an ice-colored cloak at a glance.

The girl was wearing a Kuixing mask, but Tan Wenshi only glanced at it and felt that that person must be Ningxia Qing.

Tan Wenshi took another look, and saw that the figure was holding a small dot wearing a mask of a blessing doll, and not far behind him was followed by the Cao family and Cuiyu, who were being squeezed by the crowd.

Xue Qianqian, who was wearing a mask as a disguise, stood at the bottom of Shouhe Tower, and saw the figure leaning on the railing at a glance.

Xue Qianqian couldn't help but clench her fists. On this cold day, Tan Wenshi is leaning on the tuyere like that, and he is not too cold? It seems that the person Tan Wenshi wants to see tonight must be very important.

Before Ningxia Qing walked into Shouhe Building, a guy suddenly ran over and stopped Ning Ningqing: "Ning Dangjia, our bamboo shopkeeper invites you to come over and say a few words, it is about 'merit consummation'." ”

Ning Xia Qing was stunned, followed the man's gaze to look outside Shouhe Building, and sure enough, he saw the bamboo shopkeeper sitting in a carriage and waving to Ning Xia Qing. Ning Ningqing was very puzzled and asked the guy: "Didn't that batch of 'merit consummation' have already been cleared up a long time ago?" What does the bamboo shopkeeper want to ask me? ”

The guy said, "I don't know, my shopkeeper didn't say it." In fact, we were originally going to go back to the shop, but when we passed by here, the shopkeeper of my house happened to see Ning Dangjia, so he hurriedly sent me over and asked Ning Dangjia to come over and say a few words. ”

It turned out that she happened to meet, so she was asked to come over to talk? Ningxia Qing immediately asked the Cao family to go upstairs first and go to see the bamboo shopkeeper by themselves.

Gu Xuesong and Gu Huailang walked side by side on the street.

Gu Huailang said with some displeasure: "The women on the street are wearing masks tonight, how can they see their faces clearly?" ”

Gu Xuesong asked: "Let's come to see the lights tonight, what do you want to do to see the faces of others?" ”

Gu Huailang smiled and said, "If you can't see your face clearly, how can you find Sister Ning?" Gu Huailang smiled evilly and said, "I've heard it, my grandmother wants to tell the sixth uncle about the Ning family's sister." ”

"You've got long ears." Gu Xuesong just smiled slightly, and said leisurely: "However, I think the person you want to find is not the eldest girl Ning, but the second girl Ning." ”

Gu Huai Lang was embarrassed to get up, touched his face, and suddenly pointed to the mask stall at the entrance of Shouhe Building and said, "Sixth uncle, let's go buy masks!" Buy the scariest mask and put it on your face to scare that beautiful sister! I've inquired, they always go to Shouhelou to eat snacks, and we'll go to Shouhelou to block them in a while! ”

Gu Xuesong sat in front of the mask stall and said to Gu Huailang, "You still want to scare Second Miss Ning?" I tell you, if you are so naughty and bully your beautiful sister again, your beautiful sister will probably never pay attention to you again. ”

Gu Huailang was stunned, the hand that stretched out to Kuixing's mask stiffened, and he honestly turned around and took a blessing doll mask, and couldn't wait to put it on his face to show Gu Xuesong, and after getting Gu Xuesong's consent, he was still busy asking: "Sixth uncle, which mask do you choose?" ”

Gu Xuesong stood in front of the mask stall, looking at the man, the woman, the Kui Xing, the jade rabbit, the snow doll, the fairy, and the monkey...... But as if he didn't need to compare it with his heart at all, he reached out to take the most vicious Kui Xing without thinking about it, and naturally said, "That's it." ”

Gu Huailang was stunned for a moment, stared at Gu Xuesong with a blank face, and muttered, "Sixth Uncle...... I didn't expect you to pick this scariest ......"

Gu Xuesong smiled slightly, ignored the kid who said a lot, and paid the silver directly. Seeing that Gu Xuesong had paid the money, Gu Huailang turned his head and was about to walk in Shouhe Building, but suddenly stopped and shouted in surprise: "Sixth uncle, sixth uncle!" Look there! Look! ”

Gu Xuesong's footsteps stopped, and he saw a girl in an ice-colored cloak standing at the door of Shouhe Building. Gu Xuesong recognized the girl as soon as he arrived, and the girl took off her mask, and sure enough, it was the face he was familiar with.

Gu Xuesong saw that Ning Ningqing was standing outside a carriage at the gate of Shouhelou, took off his mask and said a few words to the people in the carriage, then nodded to the carriage, and the carriage left.

After that, Ning Xia Qing wanted to turn around and go back, but suddenly saw that there was a hawthorn seller selling rock sugar at the alley east of Shouhe Building, so she paused for a moment and walked to the stall selling rock sugar hawthorn.

Gu Huailang immediately tugged at Gu Xuesong's sleeve and motioned for Gu Xuesong to hurry up and catch up. At this moment, Gu Xuesong saw that the Tan steward who was familiar with Ningxia Qing hurriedly walked out of Shouhe Building and also went to the shop selling rock sugar hawthorn at the entrance of the East Lane.

Gu Xuesong couldn't help but be a little curious, and saw a familiar woman's figure passing by him, walking quickly in the direction of Steward Tan.

He vaguely felt that the woman's figure was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember who this person was.

However, when the woman walked in the direction of Steward Tan, she could be called menacing, and this momentum and anxiety had left a deep impression on Gu Xuesong.

Gu Xuesong couldn't help but groan slightly, thinking that this woman should be the same woman who pushed Steward Tan into the water in the Gu Mansion on the day that Concubine Xiao came to the Gu Mansion in person, and made a big farce! He remembered that this woman was the daughter of Deputy Lieutenant Xue, and now she seemed to be the wife of the Tan steward.

Ningxia Qing said a few words with the bamboo shopkeeper. She already felt that it was a little strange for the bamboo shopkeeper to stop her, and the bamboo shopkeeper really didn't say anything important. Ningxia Qing smiled and dealt with a few words, paid a New Year's greeting to the bamboo shopkeeper, and then sent the bamboo shopkeeper's carriage away.

Seeing the bamboo shopkeeper's carriage leave, Ning Xia Qing immediately prepared to go to the Cao family, but saw that there was a hawthorn seller selling rock sugar at the entrance of Dongjiekou, and thought that Zi'er must like it, so he walked to Dongjiekou.

As soon as she walked to the entrance of the alley, suddenly a few people came from the opposite side, squeezing her into a stagger, she was startled, and suddenly someone pulled her into the long dark alley!