A mother surnamed Li came in to salute Tian and the two young ladies, bent down slightly and said, "The slave asked Aunt Zhou, and she said that three days before the master's death, she spent the night in her house, and she should have been pregnant on that day."

The slave checked the master's notebook of entering and leaving the house, and the old man came back from Ningbo that day, and he came back late, so he didn't bother his wife, and rested at Aunt Zhou's. ”

Ruoxue remembered that her father asked her to meet him in the study that day and told her about the business in Ningbo, and she was surprised when he came back. He looked good at the time, but two days later he died suddenly, without any warning.

Thinking of this, Ruoxue turned her head to look at her sister, could it really be as she said, her father was killed.

"That's it. Ruoxue, if your father knew, he would be very happy. There were tears in the corners of Tian's eyes, these were tears of joy, and there were few things that could make her happy in her heart like an ancient well.

"My sister and I will go to Daddy and tell him about this happy event." She said.

"Good. also put incense sticks on your father for me, and tell him that I will take good care of his flesh and bones, so that he can rest assured. Tian said and wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.

Ruohong subconsciously snuggled into Tian's arms and said softly: "A-Niang, don't be sad anymore, A-Niang has a body, A-Niang must cheer up and take care of them, so that A-Niang can rest assured in heaven." ”

"My son is right, A-Niang should cheer up, you must take care of the two of you, as well as your unborn brother......" Tian cheered up and sat up a little straighter, Ruohong came out of her arms and helped her sit down.

Tian stared at a few maids and servants in the house, and asked them to keep their mouths shut, Aunt Zhou had a boy's belly in her belly, if it spread, be careful of their skin. At that time, no matter who spreads it, they will all be sold to the bitter cold land for twenty boards.

Several people knelt on the ground, swearing that they would not dare to say it.

Tian pointed to the two servants, and asked the two of them to take turns to keep an eye on the people who entered and exited Aunt Zhou's house, no matter how big or small, they had to write them down, and if there were any unusual people or things, they had to stop them, and let her know.

pointed to the two maids who served her meals, went to Aunt Zhou's house to be a big maid, and took care of Aunt Zhou's food, clothing, and daily life, so that nothing could go wrong.

Ruoxue saw that Tian's spirit was much better at this time, and she was also a little happy in her heart, there are not many times like this, that is, every year during the New Year's Festival, she will cheer up and take care of it.

Ruoxue and Ruohong stayed with Tian's family until the evening, had dinner with her, and chatted for a while before leaving Tian's family and returning to Guanfang Courtyard.

In the early morning of the next day, Ruoxue and Ruohong greeted Tian's family, had breakfast with her, and listened to a few housekeepers' mothers reply to some things in the front hall of Jihui Hall, and ordered a few things that needed to be done urgently, before sending them away.

"My sister will accompany me to Grandma's."

"Well, I haven't seen a few sisters in a few days, and I've forgotten what they look like." Ruohong said with a smile.

The two sisters laughed and went to Songheyuan, and in the second half of the night the north wind began to blow, and now the wind became stronger, and the wind whistled into the thick winter clothes, and the cold people wanted to shrink their bodies, only then could they feel better.

The clouds in the sky, scattered in all directions, like small cotton wool, were blown and rolled by the wind, and after a while, they gathered together and gathered into thick clouds overhead.

"It's going to snow again." Lian Xin said.

"It's windy, not necessarily down." Ruohong said.

Ruoxue and Ruohong entered the east wing where Mrs. Cao usually lived, no one stopped them from entering today, Mrs. Cao accepted their courtesy, let them sit down casually, and turned her head to see the other granddaughters doing needlework.

On the big kang, the other four young ladies of the Mei family sat in scattered places, holding various silk threads on the cloth or embroidering or sewing, and flying needles and threads as if they were busy with something.

That is, when the Ruoxue sisters came in, they raised their heads and shouted to them in a mess.

There are two baskets on the kang table and on the kang, which contain all kinds of gadgets and needles and threads, and small pieces of cloth of various colors, scattered on the edges of several children and the eaves of the kang, looking very messy.

Five-year-old Mei Zhishu is also crowded inside, from time to time to take a cloth tiger to tease his sisters, he doesn't dare to pick up his sister Ruolan, he is afraid that Ruolan will prick him with a needle in his hand, he doesn't dare to say that his sister's embroidery is ugly, every time he comes to Ruolan's back, he has to say: "Xiaohu is sick, my sister will prick it with a needle." ”

At this time, Ruolan would take the embroidery needle and tie the tiger for a while, and would say, "Go back and let it sleep for a while, and it will be fine." ”

Ruolan was on a handkerchief with a pattern drawn. Holding a needle wearing green silk thread and embroidering a small leaf, the big stitch and small thread look like a leaf.

It's not bad for a four-year-old child to embroider like this, and Mrs. Cao praised her from time to time, and occasionally taught her hand in hand.

The second lady Ruoxian and the fourth miss Ruofeng sat a little farther away, Ruoxian was sewing an ingot-shaped purse, sewing a few stitches, she would tilt her body to look at Ruofeng's embroidered handkerchief, and point out what stitch to use under her, and what color of silk thread to use.

Fifth Miss Ruofei sat against the back window, burying her head in threading needles and threads on the embroidered bandage, completely entering a state of selflessness, Mei Zhishu touched her with a cloth tiger, and she ignored it.

Mei Zhishu said that his cloth tiger had a bad stomach and asked her to show it, but she didn't raise her head and said, "Find the second sister." ”

Mei Zhishu crawled from one end of the big kang to the other, looking for various reasons to let his sister prick two needles in his cloth tiger, so that he could rest assured that it would not get sick.

Ruohong looked at the girls on the kang, not knowing whether to go over and do needlework with them, she thought to herself: If she just sat here for a while and left, she wouldn't need to sew those stitches that couldn't see anything.

If she were to stay here for a long time, she would also want to prick something out with a needle, and the herd mentality of people drove her heart to try.

Ruoxue drank two sips of tea, put down the teacup, looked at Ruoxian and said: "Second sister, the day after tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want to do, where to do it, who are you invited, say a charter to come out, I will order someone to buy it." ”

Ruoxian heard her eldest sister talking to her, so she raised her head and put the needle and thread in her hand on her lap, and she was stunned when she saw that it was her birthday.

She had forgotten all about it herself, and she didn't expect anyone to think about it for her.

"Please, I have a good birthday gift for my second sister." Ruofeng hugged Ruoxian with one arm and begged, as if she was afraid that her gift would not be delivered.

"The day after tomorrow is the birthday of the second girl? I forgot, what do you want to do with your sister. I'll give you ten taels of silver to make sure you don't lose face. Mrs. Cao said with a smile.

"I also want to give the second sister silver, hmm......" Ruolan tilted her little head, thinking about how much money she had, and couldn't think of it, so she shouted at a few maids standing by the wall: "Little peach Xiaotao, how much silver do I have?" How much do you want to give to the second sister? ”

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