In March, it is already the season of high water and warm wind, and even the air is filled with the fragrance of lush plants.

Zeng Banniang woke up in Toutuo's singing of the dawn, it was the first dawn of the morning, put on a skirt, put on pink embroidered shoes with lotus branches, and was about to go out, when she saw Qi Niang, who was two years older than her, hurriedly entered the house, saw Banniang get up, and said with a smile: "Why don't you sleep more?" ”

While speaking, he cleaned up the dirty clothes he changed yesterday, and planned to go out, and turned back to Banniang and said: "Eighth sister, you are not in good health, sleep for a while, don't look back and get sick again, and tired Daddy and brothers are worried, my mother is making breakfast, you go to bed and lie down for a while, and when I turn back, my mother has made breakfast, I have finished washing my clothes, and I will call you again." ”

After Zeng Banniang woke up from a serious illness, the first person she saw was her own seventh sister, she was lying in bed for more than a month, and the person who had been with her was also this seventh sister, every time she saw her gentle smile, as well as the sweet and soft ironing voice, Zeng Banniang felt that she had less fear of the world, and now, she was in good health, and her fear was gone, one was because she had some understanding of this family and the world, and the other was that she was fully cared for by the seventh sister.

Zeng Banniang smiled sweetly at Qi Niang: "Sister, how long will you wash the clothes of the whole family?" Shall I help you? ”

Now she not only occupies the body of her own sister, but also eats the best food in the family every day, not to mention her father, not to mention, several brothers and this seventh sister are even more caring for her in their hearts, even Jiulang and Shi Niang, who are younger than her, also let her. Therefore, Banniang feels that it is always difficult to eat, sleep and eat like this every day, and she should really do something for this family.

Who knew that Qi Niang did not agree, and persuaded softly: "Eighth sister, you are in good health, your husband said that you can't be tired." After thinking about it for a while, I was afraid that she would be bored by herself, so she smiled and said, "Xiao Jiu didn't go to the school house today, she was playing in the backyard with her tenth sister, if you don't want to lie down, go and play with Xiao Jiu." It's just after the cold food Qingming, and the peach blossoms in the backyard are blooming, don't you like it? Why don't you break a few branches and send them to your father's study? ”

Banniang had no choice but to nod.

Qi Niang saw that she was well-behaved, so she went with confidence.

In the backyard, except for those peach blossoms, there are only some melons, fruits and vegetables, which have just sprouted, and there is really nothing to see. Banniang was reluctant to go, so she turned around and went back to the house a little boringly, only to find that Qi Niang had already prepared a face wash for her, a towel was lying on the side, and there were bamboo salt and shabu for shabu-shabu.

Zeng's family was poor and could not afford to buy supplies such as pine cream for tooth shabu, so they had to use salt instead.

Bamboo salt is a good thing, if it is used to wash the face, and there is also the effect of beauty and skin rejuvenation, Banniang once suggested that Liuniang and Qiniang tried it, but the two sisters said angrily: "How can I wash my face with salt?" It's too wasteful. ”

Later, Banniang learned that this seemingly ordinary salt was not cheap in the Song Kingdom. A pound costs nearly 50 Wen, and it is still bought by the government, and the amount is insufficient, and the actual pound is about 60 Wen. It is equivalent to the price of ten catties of rice, and where she lived in her previous life, a catty of salt is less than the price of a catty of rice, which shows how expensive this salt is, no wonder the two sisters are reluctant.

Naturally, it is more important to be satisfied than beauty.

Banniang dipped a little salt with a shabu-shabu, took a pottery cup and scooped water from the basin, and went out to wash the teeth.

There was a loud reading sound from the next courtyard, and Banniang listened intently for a while while wiping her teeth. Because of the fame of his father and second brother, he accepted a lot of students, but although there are many students, most of them are from the Zeng family, and they don't have to pay tuition, so the income of this school is actually not very good, otherwise the family may not be so difficult.

Banniang thought about it, so she stood under the Xinyi tree in the courtyard and sighed.

Dad once did not suspect that he was the magistrate of Yushan County in the past, because he did not want to be corrupt with Shangfeng, but was falsely accused of corruption, so he was dismissed from office, although it was later found out that he was false, but he also lost the real difference of the county order and the official position of Dr. Taichang, and cut off the family's source of livelihood. When my father was an honest and honest official, he was not deposed, as a magistrate, he was only a Fenglu who was eight times a month, barely enough to support this family, and had no savings, so as soon as the official was lost, the family showed a dilemma of poverty.

If it weren't for the second brother who took a leave of absence from Taixue in the capital and returned home and set up this school, the people in the city sent their children to study because of his fame, and this family would really drink the northwest wind.

sighed, thinking that his illness, the only little savings in the family had been spent, and he had to find some way to get some money, so he went back to the house with a glass of water. After washing her teeth and washing her face, Banniang sat down in front of the bookcase and picked up the pen to draw up yesterday's unfinished paintings.

After only a few strokes, the two nephews of the eldest brother's family came together, and Juelang, who was only half a year younger than her, shouted outside: "Eighth aunt, can I and Huang'er come in?" ”

For this polite and sensible nephew, Banniang still likes it very much, Juelang, this kid is much more honest and sensible than Jiulang Zixuanke: "Come in." ”

Jue Lang entered the house and saw that she was painting, so he took a few pictures and looked at them carefully, and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Eighth aunt, are you painting a picture of a lady?" How does it feel different from the general lady picture? ”

"Uh," Banniang was stunned for a moment, then smiled again, "Sort of, Ba Gu is playing with it." Hey, Huang'er, don't mess with that ink, turn around and stain your clothes, and see if your grandmother doesn't beat you. ”

As he spoke, he dropped his pen and took his six-year-old nephew Huang'er to the stool and sat down: "Don't move, when the eighth aunt is finished, can I take you to breakfast?" ”

Huang'er twisted her ass on the stool, and said in a milky voice: "Eighth aunt, Huang'er also wants to paint." ”

There was such a fuss yesterday, he not only painted himself with a big flower face, but also soiled his clothes, and the angry Qi Niang slapped him hard. Banniang smiled and said, "Does Huang'er want to be spanked by your seventh aunt again today?" ”

Thinking about yesterday's pain, Huang'er hurriedly shook her head and waved her hand: "Huang'er doesn't paint anymore." ”

It's pretty much the same, children just don't remember to eat.

Looking at his cute appearance, Banniang shook her head, turned around with a smile and took the pen, and continued to draw. ”

"There is a new student today, but there are no extra tables and stools in the school, so the second uncle asked me and the ninth uncle to come back first. Anyway, I have learned all the things taught in the school, and it is the same for reading at home, and I read with my grandfather for a while in the morning, because my grandmother was cooking and making trouble, so my grandmother asked me to take him to play in the eighth aunt's house. ”

"Even if you don't go to the school, you have to read a book at home, or your father will come back to check your homework, if it is abandoned, he will beat you up, but no one will help you."

Jue Lang smiled disapprerovingly: "No, there are second uncles and grandfathers watching." I can't be lazy if I want to. ”

The two talked for a while, and after Banniang's painting was finished, Qi Niang had already come over to urge: "Eighth sister, Jue'er Huang'er, it's time to have breakfast." ”

Jue Lang took Huang'er's hand, and the three of them followed Liu Niang to the hall together.

Zhu Zheng came over with food, saw a few people, and said with a smile: "Huang'er, go and call your grandfather to eat." ”

The west room of the hall is the study, at this time, Zeng Budo should be reading in the study, Zhu's words fell, and I saw Zeng Budo pacing into the hall, Banniang and Qi Niang went to the kitchen to help Zhu's serve food, Zeng Budo sat down, Huang'er snuggled up to his grandfather's side to talk, Juelang consciously went to set the dishes and chopsticks.

But after a while, Jiulang Zixuan also took the little tenth sister into the house.

After the family finished breakfast, Zeng Bu undoubtedly went back to the room to read, and called Jiulang, Juelang and Huang'er went with him, Qi Niang cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks neatly, and said to Zhu: "Mother, you go back to the house to rest for a while, this has always been not very good, and Lang Zhong also said that he wanted you to rest more." ”

Zhu is five months pregnant.

Zhu said: "How tired can you be from shabu shabu?" But you, who have been busy all day long, have no time to spare, so let's go back to the house and do needlework. ”

A few years ago, Qi Niang made a family appointment, talking about Wang Pingfu, the second son of the Linchuan royal family. Banniang heard that Wang Pingfu is a very talented, her second brother Zeng Zigu made "Six Treatises" at the age of twelve, the name Zhen Jiangxi, this Wang Pingfu is not bad, thirteen years old wrote a "Title Teng Wang Pavilion", widely circulated among scholars and literati, Wang Pingfu is 17 years old this year, three years older than Qi Niang. After the marriage was decided, Qi Niang was embroidering her dowry in addition to housework.

Banniang said on the side: "Why don't you go and rest for a while, Seventh Sister will do embroidery, and I'll clean up the dishes and chopsticks." ”

Zhu stroked the messy hair on his sideburns and said with a smile: "My son, with your small body, how dare you let you go to shabu shabu chopsticks?" If you get sick again, your mother won't be alive, take Shi Niang back to the room to read a book, it's still early at noon, I'll wash the bowl and rest for a while. ”

Since Banniang came to Zeng's house half a year ago, because of her weak body, the family has taken good care of her, although the family is poor, she has never been short of her food and clothing, and she often wants to help the family do something to reduce the guilt and anxiety in her heart, but she is also rejected by her family on the grounds that she is weak. Banniang knew that it was useless to say more, so she had to hang her head and take Shi Niang's hand and follow Qi Niang back to the backyard West Chamber, where she and Qi Niang lived.

Qi Niang stretched the embroidery frame and began to do embroidery work, and Shi Niang sat on the bed and played with a few small puppets that Banniang made for her. Banniang had to pick up the brush and continue painting. Fortunately, this Ba Niang was born in a Confucian family, received a good education, and was originally a talented girl, although she was only twelve years old, she also painted a beautiful gongbi painting. Therefore, it is not surprising that the family has painted it now.

Qi Niang glanced up and said with a smile: "Eighth sister is painting again?" Why does my sister think that your paintings are different from before? It's a novelty. ”

Banniang simply put aside the painting and smiled, and took the few pictures that had been painted and sent them to Qi Niang to show her: "Seventh sister, do you think my painting is good-looking?" ”

Qi Niang raised her head from the embroidery frame, glanced at it, and then fell on the embroidery frame again, and replied: "Naturally good-looking, don't your second brother and father keep boasting about it?" ”

"Oh, Seventh Sister, I'm not asking you if this painting is good-looking, I'm asking you if the headdress on the head of the lady I painted is good-looking."

Qi Niang raised her head and looked at it carefully for a while, and said in surprise: "What kind of jewelry are you painting?" I haven't seen it, but it's beautiful, new and chic, simple and elegant. ”

Banniang smiled proudly: "It's good-looking." When you and the sixth sister get married, you will make a few heads according to this style, so that you can add glory to your in-law's family. ”

Qi Niang's face turned red, and she glanced at Banniang, then lowered her head and stopped talking. The smile on his face disappeared for a moment, and he sighed softly.

Banniang naturally knew what she sighed about.