"You are Sun Dan, the housekeeper of Sun Zhong has already told me about you, come in and talk." The one who spoke was a man named Sun Fu, who was said to be the outer housekeeper. Like Sun Zhong, Sun Gui is also a slave of the Sun family of the Marquis of Huichang, and was originally the playmate of the third master of the Sun family when he was a child. The third master of the Sun family died early, and he was not as prominent as the second master with Sun Zhong. Therefore, Sun Fu can only be in the position of Sun Cheng's external housekeeper, unlike Sun Zhong, who can go to both the inner and outer houses, and the Shandong and Tokyo divisions run at both ends, and the life is nourishing.

However, in the eyes of ordinary slaves, Sun Fu is already a big man.

"Thank you, Mr. Sun." Sun Dan thanked him and asked again, "Where did Mr. Sun go?" ”

Sun Fu replied: "You're talking about Sun Zhong, he went to the old man and the second master of Beijing early this morning to listen to the errand, and it is estimated that he will not come back in three or five months." You see, I'm busy here. Let me make it clear to you first, our Changhou Sun family is not a small family, everything has its own rules, it is not to come when you want to, and leave when you want. I can only go home on the first and fifteenth days of the new year every month. You will also be a gardener in our Hou Mansion for a few days, and take care of some chores every day. Now that the New Year has just passed, the brothers in the family and the children from the side branches of the Sun family are resting in the winter, and it will take another three days to start classes, so you can familiarize yourself with it first. This is your lady, if you have something to say, I'll find someone to lead you into the house. ”

After all, it is a big family, and Sun Fu also speaks a mouthful of Beijing films, and his speed of speech is urgent and fast, but soft and pleasant.

Today is the day when Sun's Mansion recruits boys and maids, and there are many children from small families, and Sun Fu is full of people here, and it is very crowded. The parents of the children were all pulling their children around and whispering something.

Hearing Sun Fu say that she was Sun Dan's mother, Zhiniang's face turned red quietly, and she wanted to explain something, but her lips moved, but she didn't make any sound.

However, Sun Dan smiled generously, pulled Zhiniang outside the house, and whispered: "Zhiniang, I'm going to go in, if you have anything to say, say it quickly, otherwise we won't be able to meet until the end of the month." ”

"Yes." Zhi Niang replied in a low voice, and then her expression suddenly became a little gloomy: "Sun Lang, why don't you go into Sun Mansion to work." I help people weave and mend every month, and I can still make a few bucks. Besides, Zou Ping is so big, no matter how you say it, you can find a job to do. Sun Fu is a high-ranking surname, there are many rules, where is there to be comfortable in your own home, I am afraid that you are not used to it. ”

"I'm a big man, how can I live on you. Besides, I already owe you a lot in the past three years. I'm an adult and a man, and I'm always going to have to take responsibility for the family on my own. Sun Dan looked at the little woman's uneasy appearance, laughed in his heart, and comforted: "I am weak, although Zou Ping is big, there is not much work suitable for me to do, you don't have to worry." Fortunately, according to the introduction of General Sun Zhongda, he will not be tired of working as a gardener when he enters the mansion, and his body should be able to bear it. Besides, I am also a child of the Sun family. Although the identity has not yet been determined, Chief Officer Sun went to Beijing this time to find out my identity, and there should be news soon. Since they are all a family, it is impossible for Sun Fu to let me do dirty work and heavy work. The Hou family of Huichang is rich and powerful, and he doesn't care about raising a poor relative like me. ”

Sun Dan still had a layer of meaning and didn't say to Zhiniang, he actually came to the Sun Mansion to learn from the clan. When the gardener is still second, it is just a work-study, to solve the problem of the belly, and by the way, to reduce the burden of Zhi Niang. Not only that, but there is also a monthly salary to be paid. I eat and live in the house, and I don't need my salary, so I can help the Zhiniang at home improve my life.

Only when you study in the clan and obtain the examination qualifications can you participate in the county examination in March, pass all the children's examinations within one year, and obtain the status of Xiucai.

Of course, this is just Sun Dan's preliminary plan, and he has already figured out how to go in the next one or two years.

It's just that it's inconvenient to talk to her about all this.

If she really told her this, I was afraid that Zhi Niang would think that her brain was burned out and she would send herself to see a doctor. Don't think about coming to the Marquis Mansion of Huichang himself.

Therefore, after breaking up with Sun Zhong yesterday and going home, Sun Dan only said in front of Zhiniang that the Sun family's housekeeper recommended him to enter Sun's mansion as a gardener, and he had a salary of a few dollars of silver every month. Anyway, I couldn't help much at home, so I simply went to work at Huichang Hou's house.

Sun Dan originally thought that Zhi Niang would speak out against it.

As Sun Fu said just now, when you enter the Sun Mansion, everything has rules, you can't go home if you want to, and there are only two days of family leave every month. If it is in the next life, my husband can only go home two days a month, but I am afraid that my wives will already make a trouble.

However, Zhi Niang didn't say anything, only asked: "Sun Lang, do you really want to go?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he silently packed up for Sun Dan.

Actually, there's nothing to clean up.

As long as you enter the Huichang Marquis Mansion to work, even if you are a descendant of the Sun family, everyone will be issued with a new set of cotton clothes, and the clothes in Sun Dan's family will not be used.

But Zhiniang still washed Sun Dan's underwear, because it was cold, and the clothes couldn't dry for a while. So she lit the fire and roasted it all night.

Sun Dan is not a careful person, he is still immersed in the vision of the future, and he didn't notice that Zhi Niang sat in front of the stove all night, and her little face was blackened.

When it was dawn, she made breakfast and served Sun Dan after eating, so she hurriedly wiped her face and personally sent Sun Dan to the mansion of the Marquis of Huichang.

Huichang Hou Sun's house is located twenty miles east of Zouping County, the two of them did not say anything all the way, walked for a long time, and arrived at the destination at noon. In fact, the two didn't have much to say. Zhi Niang is a person who doesn't talk much, and Sun Dan was a twenty-seven-year-old adult in his previous life, so he really didn't know how to communicate with an ancient little girl.

The two of them walked one after the other, and they walked out of a hot sweat on a cold day before they saw a huge house. The Marquis Mansion of Huichang has a history of more than 50 years, and it looks simple and solemn, and it is very majestic. There are two bluestone lions at the main gate of the Hou Mansion, and the middle door is closed, and only two side doors are opened.

Sun Dan didn't understand the rules of the ancients, so he walked straight to the left-hand side door, but was stopped by a gatehouse. After asking Sun Dan clearly, the porter pointed to his left hand impatiently, saying that he came to apply for a florist, I heard that Sun Da Butler said, you go around, walk a hundred steps and you can see a small door, Sun Fu Butler is waiting for you there!

Sun Dan didn't feel anything, but Zhi Niang next to her looked a little afraid, but as soon as she saw Sun Dan's calm expression, Zhi Niang's heart settled down.

When I got around the long red wall, I saw a large number of people, both men and women, all eleven or twelve years old. When I asked, it was here.

It turned out that the New Year had just passed. The Hou Mansion had to pay some over-aged subordinates as usual before the year, and the people who should be assigned should be moved to other estates. And the vacant vacancies must be filled by new people from outside.

Therefore, the New Year has just passed. Parents of school-age girls from poor families brought their children to the door to see if they could be favored by the Hou Mansion and begged for a bite to eat.

Sun Dan watched it for a long time, and shouted in his heart that it was interesting. In fact, if the children of poor families enter the Hou Mansion, although they are sold as slaves, they can live a worry-free life, and they can be regarded as holding an iron rice bowl.

The number of subordinates recruited by the Hou Mansion every year is limited, and the vacancies will be filled. But looking at the number of people in front of him, there are thirty or forty in total, and I don't know how many of them can sell themselves into the house to beg for food and clothing.

Recalling when he graduated from college and carried a large bag of resumes to the scene of major job fairs, Sun Dan was embarrassed. ----- ancients also had employment pressure!

Hearing Sun Dan explain herself, although Zhi Niang was very melancholy because she was going to separate from her future husband, she still smiled and said: "Sun Lang is right, I think you were introduced to the mansion by Sun Da Butler, and no one will embarrass you, I also think too much." After speaking, she stretched out her sleeve to wipe the sweat from Sun Dan's forehead.

After walking such a long way, they squeezed in the crowd for a long time, and the corners of their foreheads were steaming.

Sun Dan tilted his head slightly and avoided the side, he was still not used to this kind of intimacy.

Seeing Sun Dan avoiding it, Zhi Niang sighed knowingly, took out a rice ball wrapped in dumpling leaves from the bad and stuffed it into Sun Dan's hand, and then stopped talking.

After taking this rice ball that still carried Zhi Niang's body temperature, a feeling suddenly rose from my heart. The family has become poor like that, and he and Zhi Niangzi make a living by eating porridge on weekdays, like this kind of dry rice ball, which is a kind of food that is so luxurious that it can no longer be extravagant. Remembering that he actually spent a penny to buy a steamed bun yesterday, Sun Dan was ashamed.

Four hours have passed since the morning, and the rice ball is still hot. Thinking that Nazhi Niang has been hiding the rice balls close to her, just to let herself eat a bite of hot food at noon.

Sun Dan's heart suddenly became a little sour, his eyes were hot, and he hurriedly turned his head to the side: "I'm not hungry, I'm about to enter the mansion, after entering the mansion, I should be able to eat hot rice, you better take the rice balls back." With that, he stuffed the rice balls back.

Pushing away the rice balls handed over by Sun Dan, Zhi Niang said, "Sun Lang, you are lying to me." Zhi Niang couldn't see any expression on her face, she still looked like a little daughter-in-law with low eyebrows and pleasing eyes: "What time is it now, big families have regular meals, and if you miss a meal, you have to wait until it gets dark." You're growing up, but you're hungry. ”

His throat was a little salty, Sun Dan couldn't hold back anymore, and whispered: "I really can't talk about you, you haven't eaten...... Don't worry, I will let you live a good life that you can't imagine in the future, I swear, I can do it too. ”

Zhiniang: "Sun Lang, don't say stupid things, I don't ask for anything else." I just hope you can live well and have a good time...... It's satisfied. ”

"Come on, come on, come on, Sun Dan can't pay back your affection in this life." Sun Dan tore open the dumpling leaf violently, took a bite on the rice ball, and swallowed it violently. Then handed the rice ball to Zhi Niang: "Wet each other, be rich and noble, don't forget each other." I've eaten my fill, and you eat the rest. ”

Although she didn't understand what Sun Dan meant by this, Zhi Niang still laughed with relief. She only gently bit a few grains of rice on the rice ball, and then carefully took it into her arms: "I am also full, I will take the rest back, and I can boil a small bowl of porridge at night." ”

"Are you a kitten, that's why you eat this?" Sun Dan glared, and was about to be angry. But I heard someone behind him "Huh! A voice: "This girl is good, I want it, Sun Fu, there is still a lack of a rough girl in my room, just her." ”

Sun Dan turned around, but saw a finger pointing at Zhi Niang.