Xie Mulin gave up his original plan to go directly to the main courtyard and turned into his younger brother's courtyard to visit Xie Hanzhi.

Xie Yingfen wanted to follow, but was persuaded by Xie Mulin, pointed to the embroidered shoes on her feet and said, "You hurriedly found a pair of shoes to put on and came out, right?" In such weather, it only snowed in the middle of the night, and you went out dressed like this, don't you feel cold on your feet? Go back and soak your feet in hot water and change into clean cotton socks. I know that my mother has prepared winter clothes for everyone in Beiping, and there must be sheepskin boots or something, and I am wearing new boots now. It's never too late for you to put on your own pair and go out again. Otherwise, the fourth brother's illness is not yet cured, and I am afraid that you will also fall. ”

Xie Yingfen looked down at her shoes, they were actually made of cotton, which was a very warm winter shoe in the south, but now she was really uncomfortable wearing it, she felt that her feet were about to freeze, but she was able to walk as usual by diverting her attention with a breath of air in her chest. After she got up early, she was thinking about the first night her brother slept in Beiping, I didn't know if he could get used to it, and ran out without thinking too much, not even bringing a girl, and now I think about it, I am a little embarrassed, so I obediently listened to the advice of my second sister, and went back to the hospital to soak my feet and change my shoes.

Xie Mulin went to see Xie Hanzhi. Xie Hanzhi's face was still a little flushed, and he coughed low twice from time to time, and when he saw the second sister appear, he was also very embarrassed, lying on the kang, covering the lower half of his face with a quilt, and whispered: "I'm fine, just cough twice, just take a break." I really didn't freeze, my body was still warm, not cold at all. ”

Xie Mulin tried his palm, it was indeed not cold, but still a little hot.

His girl, Xiaoying, reported to Xie Mulin: "The fourth young master didn't feel cold last night, but my aunt came over to ask him to change a thick quilt, so we listened. Mother Shi in the yard said that the futon does not have to be covered too thickly, and if you fall asleep on the kang, if you sweat in the heat, it is easy to get sick when the wind blows. My aunt thinks that Mother Shi is unreasonable, even if she falls asleep on the kang, it is just like a soup woman, a smoker or something that heats up the quilt, where can it be hot? Besides, even if it's hot, it's just a hot back, and you still need to cover your body with a quilt, otherwise half of it will be cold and half of it will be hot, and you will also get cold. Mother Shi said that what her aunt said was very unreasonable, and she didn't understand anything at all. The aunt scolded back, saying that Mother Shi was rude, offended the master's family, and asked Mrs. to kick her out, and said that Mrs. ......"

"Hotaru-chan!" Xie Hanzhi suddenly interrupted Xiao Ying's words, "Aunt is not familiar with the fire kang, and she doesn't know that Mother Shi is kind, so she will quarrel." The second sister came to see me, you told her to understand that I was fine, why bother talking about these things? ”

Hotaru shut up.

Xie Mulin glanced at Xie Han with a smile: "Are you afraid that I will be angry if I know what Aunt Qin said offended my mother?" I've already met your sister, and she's told me everything. Don't worry, I know Aunt Qin's thoughts in my heart and I won't misunderstand. But in your current situation, I think it's more like you're on fire than cold. But just in case, it's better to ask a reliable doctor to check the pulse. Don't shirk it. Your body has always been weaker than others, and now it is winter, and you are new to the city, and you don't know if you will not be able to adapt to the water and soil, and if you have any minor illnesses and pains, you must be treated as soon as possible, so as not to procrastinate and cause serious diseases, not only will you suffer more, but your family will also have to worry, so why bother? ”

Xie Hanzhi didn't mention the words of refusal, but his face was still full of shame: "Auntie is confused, I always want to go back to the old days...... Second sister, don't be like her. ”

Of course, Xie Mulin will not be as knowledgeable as Wanqin, this is just a small matter, and there are big things waiting for Wanqin to make a decision.

She instructed her little brother a few more words, and ordered Xiaoying and other girls to take care of him, and she didn't have to force herself to go out at lunch, but she had to give priority to recuperation before leaving the house.

At this time, the cuijiao she sent out in advance had already talked to the stone mother, thanked the other party, and gave a reward. When Cuijiao saw her come out, she said hello to Shi's mother and ran over to her. Mother Shi saluted her from afar, with a happy smile on her face, without the slightest resentment.

On the way to the main courtyard, Cuijiao told Xie Mulin: "This Shi's mother is not from our family, she was hired by the old lady from outside, she was originally a land-sitting household in this Beiping City, and her family lived in the pocket alley in Xizhimen, her son is a merchant, and her family is passable." There are many mothers-in-law and mothers like her who come to work in the official residence, and the work is not hard, and they can supplement the family. But they are not slaves, but good people, so the masters of each house cannot easily beat and scold. In the past, there were deaths, and the main family had to be disgraced and imprisoned! Therefore, the ladies and adults of each family are polite, and only let them do some work that does not need to be close to them. Because there are not many officials from other places who bring them to their posts, they are still very helpful.

"This Shi's mother has been doing this work for more than ten years, since the child born to her son and daughter-in-law is one year old, she came out to do it, and she has changed three or four families, and everyone says that she is good, quick to do things, and is a warm-hearted person, and very well-behaved, she will never indiscriminately inquire about some of the things that are not, and her heart is also decent, and she will not covet some money that should not be taken. It is because she has such a reputation that Mrs. specially arranged her here for the Fourth Young Master, wanting to take advantage of her being a calm old man to mention the Fourth Young Master more in terms of diet and daily life. ”

Xie Mulin nodded: "My mother arranged it like this, naturally she has her reasons, Aunt Qin is still used to the style of the wealthy families in the south in the past, and she doesn't take her subordinates to heart." "But she herself is obviously just a slave, where does she get so much superiority?

There is another point, Xie Mulin couldn't understand: "Didn't Aunt Qin follow my father to stay in Shandong for a few years?" Don't Kaizhou use a fire kang? ”

How could Cui Jiao answer such a thing? Xie Mulin didn't expect her to give an answer, and seeing that the main courtyard had arrived, the three of them turned their heads and walked into the doorway.

Wen was very happy to see her daughter coming over in new clothes, and hurriedly beckoned her to go to the kang.

Xie Mulin took off his sheepskin boots and got on the kang, and saw that there were many account books on the kang table in front of Wen, and without saying much, he first told Xie Hanzhi that he might be sick. Wen hurriedly instructed the girls: "Go and invite Mr. Liu over to show the fourth young master." I remember that Mr. Liu did not follow the master to the government today. The girls answered.

Xie Mulin was a little curious: "Is this Mr. Liu a doctor nearby?" ”

Wen shook his head with a smile: "It was your father who came to Beiping and invited a guest from the house, who was originally a local old household in Beiping, and was most familiar with the customs and personnel inside and outside Beiping City. The ancestors of Mr. Liu's family used to be the house doctor of Yanwangfu, and he also learned some from a young age. Nowadays, everyone in our family, if they have a headache and brain fever, they all ask Mr. Liu to help prescribe it. Mr. Liu, like Mr. Cheng and Mr. Mo, lives in this mansion, and it is cheaper to invite him over than to ask for a doctor outside. ”

Xie Mulin blinked: "Where do they live in the mansion?" How big is this official residence of ours? ”