How big is Xie Pu's mansion? According to Wen's statement, the part that Xie Mulin has walked and seen is actually only about half.

The parts she had not visited, including the guest house on the north side of the front yard, the outer courtyard on the south side, the garden on the east side, and the servant's quarters and carriage barn in the southeast corner, all of which covered a wide area, and the garden was the largest, could it not occupy half of the entire official residence?

There is nothing to say about the guest house, and there is a small door to the north of the flower hall in the front yard. Last night, Xie Mulin could vaguely see a little bit by the light of the lantern. It's just that there are no guests in the guest house now, so the door is locked, and it will last for about ten days and a half, and Wen will send someone to clean it. This time, the Xie family went north, because Yang Chun, who had prepared a second room, might not choose to live with his cousins, so the Wen family also ordered someone to clean the guest house in advance. Since Yang Chun went to Xie Jinzhi's courtyard, the guest courtyard is still vacant.

The outer courtyard on the south side is much larger. Coming in from the front gate, Xie Mulin and his entourage walked to the doorway on the left hand side last night, and on the other side, they could vaguely see a corridor with many lanterns, which was actually the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard is a three-entry courtyard, the first one has a gatehouse, a tea room and a small study room for the staff, and there are a few empty rooms, which are prepared for Xie Pu to invite a few staff members and clerks in Beiping, sometimes when they work late and have no time to rush home, they can rest directly at the boss's house. Among them, Mr. Liu Mian Liu, a local expert who is proficient in medical skills, has occupied a room for a long time, and will only return to his private house to live on his days off. The two friends Cheng Anshan and Mo Yanke, whom Xie Pu brought from Jiangnan, were arranged to enter the courtyard at the back of the outer courtyard, one person and one inside, just enough for them to live with their families.

There is nothing to say about where the servants lived, and what the carriages were. It wasn't far from Shemulin's yard, but it was just blocked by a high wall, and she couldn't see what was going on there. It was the garden that interested her.

Xie Mulin asked Wen, "If there is nothing to do today, can I go to the garden?" I heard Cuijiao say that the rockery there can see the scenery of Shichahai, and I am curious about what it looks like. ”

Wen Shi hurriedly said: "If you want to see the garden, just stroll along the verandah." The verandah is almost built around the garden, a few decades ago there was a wealthy politician who participated in politics, and also paid out of his own pocket to install glass windows for the entire verandah, in autumn and winter along the corridor to enjoy the scenery, you can not be afraid of rain and snow, I am not afraid that you will be blown by the wind. I read that you said in your family letter that you often urge your brothers and sisters to walk more and exercise their legs and feet at home, and even Mr. Du said that this is good for the body, so he also urged the old man to go for a walk from time to time. I still walked with him, and sure enough, I felt that my legs and feet were much stronger, my body was better, and the number of illnesses was greatly reduced. Therefore, if you just go to the garden to enjoy the view, I will not stop you. But the mountain is different, the pavilion is not covered, and it is extra windy and cool in summer, let alone winter? A mother-in-law went up to clean up, and almost caused the wind to blow stiff. You little body, where can you stand it?! ”

Xie Mulin muttered in a low voice: "Isn't it okay to wear thicker?" Didn't I get a new dress? Fang Cai walked all the way, it was extremely warm, and he didn't feel cold at all. ”

Wen refused to agree. It is related to her daughter's health, and she will never be easily accommodating, but she persuaded Xie Mulin: "In a few days, the weather will be finer, and it will no longer be windy, you can wear thicker clothes again, and you can go on board to take a look." Yesterday the snow was light, not even the ground was covered, and the lake was not frozen, and you will go now, but you will only see the gray lake scenery, and there may be fog on the water surface, you may not be able to see clearly, what is the meaning? ”

There is some truth to this. Xie Mulin thought about it, but didn't insist much, and asked about another thing: "Is there really someone who installed glass windows in the veranda in the garden?" That's a big cost, right? Doesn't that mean that you can't change the buildings in this house? ”

Wen said with a smile: "That political sage is from an extraordinary background, and he is still a relative of the emperor, and he came to Beiping just to gild it." He wants to pay for the glass windows in the verandah, and who can stop him? Besides, he didn't make major changes to the verandah, Yan Wangfu was silent, and his glass windows were discounted, so others had to open one eye and close one eye. Wait for his three-year term to expire, and then he will leave, so isn't the glass window cheap for the successors? ”

Xie Mulin laughed when he heard it: "That's actually the case? Is the business of glass windows the property of Yanwangfu? That verandah is long, isn't it? The glass needed must be indispensable, and of course Yan Wangfu will not refuse such a large order. ”

Wen sighed: "Now in the Beiping realm, the only one who can still do glass business is Yanwangfu." In the past, there was a relative of a certain princess Yan who opened a glass workshop outside and grabbed business with the palace, but it didn't last long before it went out of business. Even if the glass sold by his family is cheaper, the officials and people of Beiping still trust the signboard of Yanwangfu more. ”

Xie Mulin thought for a while: "Mother, since the glass industry is owned by Yanwangfu, what about cement?" Is there a lot of cement here? ”

Wen said: "The government still uses it to build roads, and the north side is different from the south, and it does not shy away from using cement, but the materials are more troublesome." The lord read the letter you wrote from your hometown and learned that there were other soil cement recipes, so he also dedicated them to Lord Yan. Nowadays, there are several cement squares in use at the boundary of Beiping, which is much more convenient than before. She smiled at her daughter, "It's your credit." The old man said that he must reward you, but he never took out anything, and only said that he would know when you arrived in Beiping. After such a long time, I don't know if the master still remembers. You can go back and be coquettish with the old man and ask him for this reward. ”

Xie Mulin suddenly became interested: "What could it be?" Did Daddy ever tell Mommy? ”

Wen shook his head: "It must be some books and stationery, or jewelry and clothing, right?" You're a girl, what else can you be rewarded? ”

If it was just these things, Xie Mulin didn't care much, waved his hand, and looked at the account book on the kang table: "Is my mother taking inventory?" ”

Wen said: "Now that the family has a lot more people, and the year is coming to an end, we have to calculate the cost of the year." There are a lot of things that need to be purchased, and you have to have a number in your heart, and you can't do it when it comes to the end, and then you are in a panic, and you miss this and that, and you don't have to add to the chaos. In addition, when your grandmother returns to her hometown, she has to go to worship her ancestors and visit her relatives. If I don't think it through beforehand, it will be useless for me to ask about your grandmother when I ask about it. ”

Xie Mulin saw that it was a serious matter, and said busily: "I don't know a lot of things, but it's okay to help settle accounts." Mother, can I help you? ”

"Okay." Wen smiled, "You have always been the best at settling accounts. With your help, I can settle this account sooner, and I can go to see the two old ladies earlier. ”