The snowflakes in the sky, like the catkins of spring, have been lingering for two days, and the high and low pine branches are holding large snow masses, and when the cold wind blows, they fall quietly to the ground or other branches. The infinitely quiet and beautiful silver-white world shone subtly in the faint moonlight, gently blending into the hazy sight, as if there was nothing.

When it is approaching the New Year, the house is gradually revealing a festive atmosphere, although the Xianting Pavilion where I live is blocked impenetrable, but Bai Ge, Ying'er, Magpie's face is also more smiling, Bai Ge while instructing the people below to clean the room, while hanging auspicious lanterns, the porch is full of Gao Wanzhi, Dai Chunrong posted the inverted "Fu" word, meaning as: Fu to.

I stood under the window with the hand warmer, looking at the falling snowflakes, which were clearly hexagonal elves sent from heaven to the mortal world, fluttering like catkins, like reed flowers, like butterflies...... I just stared at the crystalline sparkle with fascination, quietly infiltrating the silent and boundless thoughts in my head. Bai Ge came over and said to me with a smile: "What does the little master think about being so engrossed? ”

I came back to my senses, pulled the corners of my mouth and said, "It seems that I haven't seen Zhirui and them for a long time, and I don't know what they've been busy with lately?" ”

Bai Ge said: "The little lord can not hurt the gods, the slave heard that the palace has spoken, and on Chinese New Year's Eve, the little lord and the master Jin can accompany the family banquet together, and they can also get a good fortune in the palace." ”

My heart moved, and I couldn't help the smile that burst out of my face, "Really? ”

Bai Ge nodded, "Earlier today, the slaves and maids also heard the words of those little palace maids and eunuchs outside, and they should have seven or eight points of truth. ”

I laughed, "That's great," I couldn't help but take a deep breath, and the gloom of Fang Cai was dispelled by the news, and I only felt comfortable, "I can finally see Zhirui, without him walking around with me, this day is really not human." ”

Bai Ge smiled, "The little master thinks that the days are boring, why don't you follow the slave to cut the window flowers together?" ”

I was interested for a while, "This is simple, I will do it," he turned his face and looked around the room again, and after a while, he pointed to the small window and said, "We cut it together and pasted it on the moon veil of the bright window, and people looked lively and happy." ”

Bai Ge happily answered, and after a while, he came in with a stack of colored paper and a few large and small scissors. In ancient times, women loved to use embroidery and paper-cutting to pass the time, and most of the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace were also good at this. First, the masters often have tricks to cut their uniforms, and as a servant, they naturally can't make a living. Second, in order to live on their own, the palace maids and eunuchs had difficult conditions, and many things had to be done by themselves. Therefore, as soon as I heard that I was going to cut the window grilles, the palace maids and eunuchs who were waiting in the house also gathered around the warm bed and cut them.

But only an hour, the table is full of various patterns of flower paper, cut one more delicate than the other, there are drama characters, there are historical legends, as well as flowers, birds, fish and insects, landscapes and auspicious patterns, etc., what "Three Kingdoms Opera", "Water Margin Opera", "Western Game", what "auspicious and festive", "harvest year", "harvest harvest", "prosperity of people and animals", "more than one year in a row", "precious flowers and auspicious birds" pattern lifelike, as if living in general, I see dizzying, I secretly admired the craftsmanship of the ancients in my heart, but it is a pity that there are only a few of these scissors art that have been passed down to modern times.

I carefully picked up the "Three Kingdoms Opera", the story cut above is Zhuge Liang's tongue and the group of Confucians, whether it is the carved fence and jade masonry on the palace or the-for-tat character form, all of them jump on the paper, and the clothes and hair accessories are different. I looked straight and couldn't help asking, "Who cut this?" ”

Bai Ge's face turned slightly red, "It was cut by a slave." ”

I exclaimed, "Absolutely stunning! ”

Bai Ge waved her hand again and again, and said modestly: "What is this slave, where can it compare to Dai's father-in-law's 'heron feather'," as she spoke, she snatched the freshly cut red window flower from Dai Chunrong's hand and handed it to me, "Little master, look, this cut is just like the real thing!" ”

Dai Chunrong put his hands in his sleeves, lowered his head, and his face was a little red, "The little master listens to her nonsense, the slave is just cut at random, there is nothing unusual." ”

I opened the window flower to take a closer look, it is a cut into a "kapok map", the kapok on the top has a straight petal when it first blooms, there are also rolled petals when it is in full bloom, a petal is set with a petal, a petal is hooked with a petal, the pieces are connected in the place where they are cut, the petals are with each other, the thickness and size of the petals are uneven, and the changes are different, just like the feathers of the heron are as plump and beautiful, I looked at Dai Chunrong with admiration, "Grandpa Dai, I didn't expect you to have such a pair of skillful hands, it is really impressive!" ”

Dai Chunrong pursed his lips and smiled: "Thank you for the praise of the little master, the slave is clumsy, and he can only cut a pattern." ”

Looking back at what I cut myself, I felt that I couldn't handle it, so I left it aside, just looked at them and cut it, and suddenly asked curiously: "You talents, why do you want to enter the palace as eunuchs, serve others as palace maids, and live a free life outside?" ”

After a short silence, Ying'er spoke: "There is no way for the slaves and maids, the women of the three banners have to pass this pass, the court maid routine of the Qing Dynasty is to be elected every year, and women over the age of thirteen must be registered by the Accounting Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs according to the flag and age, and the losers can go home to get married." ”

I was about to say something, but I paused again, looked left and right, and then whispered, "Then why didn't you deliberately lose the election?" After returning home, what can you do to make a living, is it better than being trapped in the palace and serving people? ”

Everyone looked at each other for a while, and then Que'er pursed her lips and whispered, "Who dares?" The frowning brows were difficult to calm down, "If someone is exposed on the spot, it will be a great crime of the Nine Clans!" ”

I struggled my eyebrows, then turned my face to Dai Chunrong and Gao Wanzhi and asked, "What about you?" ”

Gao Wanzhi sighed, there seemed to be a flash of water in his eyes, "The minions are either Han people who were arrested by the government and forced to purify themselves, or they are half of the Manchu and Han blood unification, and the family is really poor, so there is no way, so I have to enter the palace and become a eunuch, and the monthly income is enough to support the family outside the palace." ”

My heart trembled, and my nose was slightly sour, "Life is not good, and you sacrificed yourself?" ”

Gao Wanzhi nodded silently, his sigh full of helplessness.

I looked at Dai Chunrong and Gao Wanzhi: "You haven't thought about the sentence 'Why?' 'Is it?' ”

Dai Chunrong shook his head, lowered his eyes and said: "Don't say anything, just because the slave is the eldest son in the family, you have to do this, it is natural to think that the eldest son is like a father, and the eldest son is the pillar of the family." ”

I frowned, with a hint of hidden anger in my tone, "What eldest son is like a father, it's all nonsense, to put it bluntly, it's selfish, the old, and the young want to evade responsibility, so they put all the burden on you, who can decide whether you are born the eldest son or not?" Could it be that the eldest son is doomed to bad luck and destined to sacrifice the happiness of his life? It's too dark and unfair! ”

Gao Wanzhi sighed: "The matter has come to this, and we can only live like this," shook his head, and said, "To say something unpleasant, who among the minions is willing?" It's just that the days are really sad, hungry and cold, and if you don't enter the palace, you can only watch your family starve to death. ”

I raised my eyebrows and said, "Isn't there any other way?" How can you starve to death by working diligently with one hand? ”

Dai Chunrong sighed: "Little master, you are a young lady from a big family, naturally you don't know the hardships of the people outside, if you can rely on your hands to work to support your family, who is willing to enter the palace?" ”

Gao Wanzhi said: "Before the minions purify themselves, they must have thought of thousands of ways and tried them, but they really can't take this road of no return." As he spoke, Gao Wanzhi sniffed, and after a while, wiped his tears with his sleeve.

I exhaled heavily, yes, in modern terms, this situation should be in short supply, there are too many people, and there are too few job opportunities. For a long time, the Qing Dynasty did not pay attention to the development of capital and science at all, the people lived in poverty, and the idea of raising children to prevent old age was deep-rooted.

I shook my head helplessly and stood up, "It's too stuffy in the room, I'm going to go out and take a walk." ”

Everyone was a little anxious when they heard this, Gao Wanzhi hurriedly knelt down and said: "It's all because the slave is not good, what is not good to say, but I told the little master about this matter, which made the little master feel bad, and the slave slapped his own mouth, just begging the little master not to run around the house." ”

Bai Ge also grabbed me and said, "Yes, little master, don't go out, it's too late, the snow road is slippery." ”

Immediately afterwards, Ying'er, Que'er, and Dai Chunrong also knelt on the ground and begged: "Little master, rest!" ”

I looked around, stomped my foot vigorously, and said, "How long have I been locked up in this house, this kind of life without freedom is not at all human, and I am not a prisoner, or a prisoner has to be taken out every day to let loose the wind, anyway, I must go out tonight, and no one will stop me!" ”

Gao Wanzhi had to persuade again, and I had already stepped out of the door in three steps and two steps, stood and looked back: "At this time, the guards standing guard have all rested, so I will go alone, and I will come back in a while, and I will not be discovered, no one is allowed to follow, no one is allowed to shout, and if anyone dares to stop again, he will be punished for kneeling in the snow on Chinese New Year's Eve." ”

Before they walked out of the main gate of Xianting Pavilion, Ying'er and Que'er hurriedly caught up and saluted: "The slave doesn't dare to stop the little master, but I just want to ask the little master to take this octagonal glass lamp and beware of the snow road." ”

I smiled and stretched out my hand to take it, this lamp is very light in my hand, not like the usual palace lamp: "Thanks to your reminder, otherwise I am afraid I will inevitably bump into it." ”

Ying'er put a hand warmer in my other hand: "The little master takes it to keep warm, and when it's cold, come back quickly, the slaves and maids will always wait." ”

I chuckled and shook my head, "You don't need a hand stove, and when the charcoal in it is burned out, it will be cold to hold." ”

Ying'er nodded, "Then the little master of this hand warmer doesn't have it." ”

I laughed, "That's it." ”

Que'er also smiled and advised: "The little master has to come back early, don't let the slaves and maids worry!" ”

I replied, "Go back, I can still get lost in my own house, I can come for a walk, and I can't freeze." Then he turned and went out.