"It started a few months ago." Hua Manxi looked at Hua Lanxiang and said slowly, "Once, I went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables, and somehow a group of black-clothed people covered my mouth and nose from behind, knocked me unconscious, and then pushed me off the cliff. The cliff is fortunate to have a lot of trees and vines, I rolled down, scraped all over the body, but did not hurt my life, the next day, the village chief Uncle Liu went to see the hunting pit, rescued me, I was scratched all over my clothes, my hands, feet, waist and face were also scratched, the aunt of the Ding family saw my appearance, and said that I was ruined. said that I was not worthy of her family's talented master, so he came to the door, not only to force me to withdraw from my marriage, but also to return the five taels of silver she had married! ”

Hua Manxi took a big bite of the potato cake, swallowed it, and then continued: "At that time, my uncle fell and injured his leg, and all the money in the family was taken to treat my uncle's leg, and the family really couldn't afford to pay back five taels of silver, and my aunt wanted to come to you to borrow money, but you happened to follow Sun Yuanwai to other places, and Brother Yang couldn't even enter the door!" The eldest lady of the Ding family asked me to marry Ding Erwa, a fool in their family, to pay for the five taels of silver! ”

"What! How dare they bully you like that! What ingratitude! If I hadn't borrowed money to treat her son, where would she have been a talented man! When Hua Lanxiang heard this, she was almost so angry that she was about to faint.

"Hey, mother, don't be angry, don't be angry, this kind of family, wouldn't it be better to withdraw from the family, wouldn't it be worse if the daughter got married and knew that they were such people? Later, I came up with a recipe and came up with a way to go to the village to set up a stall to sell food, and then I paid off the five taels of silver. ”

"Stalls? Poor child, my poor daughter-" Hua Lanxiang heard this, and felt even more guilty, "It's all to blame on the mother, if the mother didn't go out at that time, the five taels of silver can still be taken out, it's all to blame the mother-"

Hua Lanxiang ran over, hugged Hua Manxi and cried, sobbing and choking: "Other people's girls are embroidering wedding dresses at home at this time, but you have to go to set up a stall to make money, it's really hard for you, it's all your mother who can't stand you." ”

Hua Lanxiang cried, and suddenly began to cough again, looking out of breath.

"Hey, mother, don't cry, don't cry." Hua Manxi hurriedly put down the things in his hand and comforted, "Don't say that, isn't it good for me to set up a stall?" I didn't do it later, and I worked as a cook in a rich man's house at the head of the village, and I handed over the recipe to Aunt Liu, and I recognized her as a godmother, and she gave me a lot of things, and besides, the stall could make money, and my aunt and I relied on this stall to send Xiao Song to the academy to study. ”

Although Hua Manxi said it with a relaxed face, the guilt in Hua Lanxiang's heart did not diminish at all.

"It's all my mother's fault, it's all my mother's bad." She burst into tears, stared at a green bracelet on her wrist, and gritted her teeth with hatred, "They bully you like this, my mother must seek justice for this!" ”

"Mother, don't worry about this, isn't it okay for me? Besides, the Ding family is not a good family, am I still in a hurry to get married? Hua Manxi has Xu Jinfei in her heart, and she is really afraid that her mother will make trouble and be involved with the Ding family.

Hua Manxi said that he comforted Hua Lanxiang, living in Sun Mansion, many inconveniences, Hua Manxi is not used to sleeping with others, and he didn't sleep very well one night.

Early the next morning, she got up earlier than she made chili sauce herself, because in the courtyard where the next person lived, there was a queue for washing, and Hua Manxi naturally had to get up earlier to avoid trouble.

After she finished washing, Zhao Xixi came over and asked her to get breakfast.

Zhao Xixi ate the supper made by Hua Manxi last night, it was really like picking up a treasure, that Hua Lanxiang was just a cook, and there was a bit of skill in making dim sum, but if you want to be in charge, it is naturally not good.

But her daughter looks like she has a capability! It's just a simple supper, which is completely different from others, delicious and abnormal, and the taste is excellent.

Zhao Xixi received the benefits of Hua Manxi, and even more calculated in his heart, so he was naturally very affectionate to her, and specially let the kitchen who shared breakfast give Hua Manxi an extra share.

Breakfast is a simple white porridge, eaten with flower rolls and steamed buns.

Hua Manxi brought back breakfast and let Hua Lanxiang eat it, while he nibbled on a steamed bun, and took advantage of the fact that he didn't go to work to fry his mother's medicine.

Xiao Yezi also came early, and when he saw Hua Manxi only nibbling on steamed buns, he said in a low voice: "Manxi, you just gnaw on a dry steamed bun, and you will be able to cut vegetables later, but you have to cut a lot of vegetables." ”

"It's okay, I'm not hungry." Hua Manxi smiled, she hadn't eaten the boiled rice she cooked last night, she got up this morning with boiling water, ate two, and then nibbled on a steamed bun at this time, and she was full.

"I'll tell you, when you can chop vegetables, if the cow god asks you to come here to chop bones and meat, cut vegetables, you don't come, Aunt Hua and I mainly cut the materials and fruits in the master's kitchen, the bones and meat are cut by men, and the people in the kitchen here are responsible for your Niu God and her son and daughter-in-law, her daughter-in-law is pregnant, and she is reluctant to work, she comes here every day, what she wants to do, it is even to others, and she usually likes to call Aunt Hua!" Xiao Yezi whispered.

Hua Lanxiang felt that this girl was straight-eyed and did not hide her words, and she had a good impression of her, and asked, "Did you sign a living deed or a dead deed?" ”

The living deed is to work, although half of the salary is charged, but the construction period is up, you can go out of the house, if it is a death deed, it is a sale, although there is also moon silver, but you have to stay here for the rest of your life, and the creation depends on the mood of the master.

"I signed a living deed, only signed for three years, my mother said that the monthly money for these three years, sent down, sent home, let my brother marry a daughter-in-law, the rest of the pressure in the house, when the time comes, take it to me as a dowry." Xiao Yezi said.

"Then did your brother marry a daughter-in-law?" Hua Manxi saw that she was not very old, smaller than her own body, thin and weak, but she had to work for her brother to marry a daughter-in-law, what is the reason? She was a little angry in her heart and asked one more question.

"Not yet, my mother said that the money I gave was not enough, not enough for him to give a dowry banquet, let me be more obedient in front of the master, ask for more rewards, if my brother can't talk about his daughter-in-law, then I don't want to go home to get married, continue to renew the contract with the master's family." Xiao Yezi was a little helpless when he talked about this.

She sighed and continued: "Actually, where is the money I give is not enough, my brother is lazy, he loves to gamble, drink, and play with girls all day long, how much is enough for him to squander?" Whose good girl would marry him? I see him, he will never be able to marry a daughter-in-law in his life! ”

"And what do you do?" Hua Manxi's medicine was ready, she wet the towel again, and carefully took out the medicine pot.

"What else can I do? Just continue to renew the contract with the master's family, it's not bad to be a cook here for a lifetime, at least you don't have to worry about food and clothing, although this uniform is a little ugly, and this meal is not so delicious......" Xiao Yezi did not complain, but reminded, "You hurry up and bring the medicine back to Aunt Hua'er, it's about to work, I'll go to the big kitchen first." ”

Hua Manxi nodded, carefully carried the medicine pot back to the room, and asked Hua Lanxiang to drink the medicine, then changed into her mother's work clothes and went to the big kitchen.

Xiao Yezi beckoned and let her over, she took a look at the big kitchen, there were not many people, there were only seven or eight people, two who cut meat, two who cut vegetables, and two who burned the fire, the master in charge was Niu Er, who had been mentioned by Zhao Xixi, and he also took an apprentice to fight.

"You're Hua Lanxiang's daughter?" When Niu Er saw her coming, he suddenly asked by name.

"Yes, my name is Hua Manxi." Hua Manxi replied without humility or arrogance, without the slightest fear.

"Do you know how to chop vegetables? You're going to work as a surrogate? The money you make as a foreign government is so easy to earn? That Niu Er looked at Hua Manxi's thin body and said coldly.

In fact, Hua Manxi lived in Xu Mansion, ate very well every day, and had fattened up a lot, but because her mother's work clothes were too wide, it seemed that she was thin.

"If you go back to the master, I will cut vegetables." Hua Manxi didn't have any superfluous expressions, she still replied detached and politely, neither panicked, nor flattered, nor did she have her mother's submissiveness.

That Niu Er was suddenly unhappy, snorted coldly, and was about to embarrass her, but Zhao Haoxi came in time, and saw that everyone was gathered around to watch the excitement, and couldn't help but scold: "What are you doing?" The masters are about to get up, why don't you hurry up and make breakfast? ”

That Aunt Niu complained to this Niu Er last night, and asked Niu Er to find a reason to embarrass that Zhao Zhao this morning, otherwise she would have to deduct her own moon silver!

"Zhao Haoxi, you let such a girl cut vegetables, what kind of vegetables can she cut? How do you want me to cook? Niu Er glanced at Zhao and said coldly.

"Why can't you cook? Didn't she say she could chop vegetables? Since she can chop vegetables, isn't she used it the same as her mother? Zhao Xixiao knew that this Niu Er was deliberately looking for trouble, but he couldn't help but persuade him in a low voice, "Master Niu, Hua Lanxiang has also been working in Sun Mansion for more than ten years, and it is not easy for everyone to work together for so long, she is very sick now, and there is no more vacation, be considerate and considerate, right?" ”

"I understand her, who understands me? If the vegetables she cut are not good, and the masters blame me and deduct my moon silver, will you make it up to me? That Niu Er's eyes widened, and he said unusually arrogantly, "Anyway, today there is her without me, with me without her!" ”

"This, Master Niu, if you don't use her, Xiao Yezi won't be able to cut it alone?" Zhao Xixiao was also anxious, and stomped his feet, "The masters are about to get up when they see it, and this breakfast must be made quickly." ”