In early summer, before the time came, the morning light had already spread all over the courtyards of the palace located in Changle Street, Qingcheng County, Jinan Prefecture, and even the cobwebs on the pile of firewood that had just been moved out of the firewood room piled up on the wall of the large kitchen were all visible. The rough mother-in-law, who was rolling up her sleeves and forking her legs to chop wood, wiped a handful of sweat droplets that were already dripping on her forehead, spat on her hand, rubbed it again, and picked up the axe on her right hand and chopped it again.

Mama Li, who was wearing a soft and cool dark Hangzhou silk gown, glanced at the mother-in-law chopping wood with disgust, took out a handkerchief and printed the beads of sweat that did not exist on the corner of her forehead, and shouted at the kitchen: "Move faster, the old ladies have all gotten up, you lazy mothers-in-law are still grinding, if you make a mistake, I won't uncover your skin!" ”

The mothers-in-law who chopped wood, swept the yard, and carried water all put down their work when they heard the sound, and saluted Mama Li with a shy smile. Mama Li waved her hand with her face up, signaling them to continue their work. The bamboo curtain on the east side of the courtyard, which was specially split into a large kitchen, was lifted, and a young daughter-in-law in her early twenties wearing ginger gauze stepped out.

"Oh, Mama Li, you're early." The daughter-in-law said hello with a smile on her face.

Mama Li finally showed a little smile on her face, but she received the full gift from the daughter-in-law. I saw her slowly take out a gilded pocket watch, open the lid and look at it, and then asked: "Fushun's family, the old lady is going to get up at this moment, and the kitchen meals are all ready?" ”

Fu Shunjia's eyes slipped to the pocket watch, and he smiled respectfully: "Yesterday, I told these minions to get up and work as soon as the rooster crows. Today, the two people in Hefeng Temple are going to Qingming Temple to make a dojo for the third lady, and they will send someone to urge them to do this and that early in the morning. It's easy to serve the little ancestor over there. The old lady's goat milk soup has been stewed, and it is warm, only a little porridge is missing, and there is still some heat owed, and when the old lady passes the meal, it will be all done. ”

Mama Li frowned: "What third lady and third lady?" The third lady is following the third master in office! Beware of taboos. ”

Fushun's family was busy stretching out his hand and slapping his mouth, "Look at my mouth, I'm busy and dizzy, and I'm talking upside down." ”

Mama Li straightened her face and said: "Our Wang family is a hairpin family for hundreds of years, a famous family. Although we are all slaves, even the county lord has to look up a few times when we get out of this mansion. Our words and deeds are related to the face of the house, so we must not be sloppy in our words and actions. You are also a lovely person who was trained by Mama Lin, so it stands to reason that I shouldn't teach you. But to put it mildly, even if the eldest lord and the eldest lady make mistakes, I will also learn a lesson. ”

The Fushun family laughed: "What Mama said is that the eldest master is grandma's grandmother." According to the rules of our family, we will give you a pension for the elderly. It is a blessing for the younger generations that you are willing to teach the younger generations. ”

Mama Li nodded with satisfaction, but said in her mouth: "Don't say anything about the elderly, how can we be slaves and maids." And what's going on with the Hefeng Temple? Why did the old lady have to make way for them? Whose rule is this? ”

The Fushun family pouted and said, "Not really." I don't want to think that it is not easy for us to be slaves and maids, and we wait until the middle of the night every day to rest, and we have to get up when this mat is still cold. is not considerate and considerate of our difficulties, even if it is our duty to serve, then we have to come in the order of dignity and inferiority, right? So this motherless child is ......"

Mama Li nodded, "From now on, you have to follow the rules." The little master has done something wrong, and it is also our duty to be a slave's outspoken persuasion. Tell a girl to bring the milk custard, and I'll go to the old lady's house to have a look. ”

The Fushun family beckoned a little girl to work, and then respectfully sent Mama Li out of the kitchen yard. It wasn't until Mama Li's shadow was no longer visible that the Fushun family put away their smiling faces and pouted, turned around and went in.

Mama Li walked into the old lady Sun's Songling Courtyard, and a little maid had already opened the curtain in the bright room of the main house. Mama Li entered the right room. Because the weather was hot, Sun was greedy for a little bit of the stepping bed inside, so he rested on the wide lacquer-painted gold-inlaid luodian in the right room.

Sun had already woken up, and was leaning on a blue satin backrest pillow with his eyes closed. A delicate-looking maid wearing a red jacket stood beside the collapse, holding a fan with an ivory handle painted with a picture of a beautiful woman, and played it gently. Next to her, there were two little girls holding small silver basins and cotton towels in bright green vests, waiting for Sun to wash.

It is the Sun family who knows the destiny of heaven, and he is very well maintained. The hair is blue and black, there is not a single silver thread missing, the skin is still very fair, although it has the sagging of the elderly, and wrinkles only faintly appear at the corners of the eyes and brows.

Mama Li asked the fanning maid with her eyes, and the maid shook her head gently. Mama Li stood respectfully at the end of the collapse without making a sound. About half a cup of tea time later, Sun opened his eyes. Sun's eyes are slender, with a hint of sharpness with the slightly raised eyebrows.

"Old lady, are you going to get up now? Or will it be closed again? Mama Li stepped forward and asked.

Sun pressed his temples and asked, "What time is it?" ”

Mama Li hurriedly stepped forward and put her hand on Sun's temple and pressed it gently, and her movements were very skillful.

"It's three quarters of the hour."

Sun sighed comfortably, closed his eyes and let Mama Li pinch it for a while, then patted Mama Li's hand and said, "Let's get up now." At this age, it is easy to sleep at night, and I have no energy in the morning. ”

Mama Li took the things in the hands of the blue-clothed maid and personally served Sun's washing, and said with a smile: "Old lady, you must not look in the mirror often, look at your hair, this complexion, you say that you always deliberately bury slaves, right?" ”

Sun Shi looked at Mama Li's sideburns and couldn't pull out the few gray hairs, shook his head and smiled.

Mama Li said: "This summer came early and was hotter than usual, so it is common to sleep this night. The slave maid also tosses and turns all night, I don't believe you ask these little girls if this is the truth!"

The fan maid smiled and responded, "That's the truth, the slave and maid can't sleep well at night." ”

Sun nodded in satisfaction.

After serving Sun's washing, Mama Li instructed the little maid in the courtyard to inform the dinner, and asked people to bring in the bowl of goat milk soup, and Sun used to drink a bowl of goat milk soup before breakfast.

Sun took the spoon and stopped after a few bites.

Mama Li persuaded, "Let's eat two more bites." ”

Sun shook his head and said, "It's sweeter, I'll reward you." ”

Mama Li took it gratefully, and said: "The slave will tell the kitchen to let them pay attention to it tomorrow, this precious thing can't let them be so ruined, and they all look at the old lady You are generous." ”

Sun nodded, and instructed the maid in the red jacket: "Licorice went to the outhouse to call Mama Chang in to comb my hair." ”

Licorice went in response, and Mama Li drank the goat's milk soup in three or two times, and then stepped forward to wait for Sun to sit down in front of the makeup mirror.

"Why did the old lady remember to ask Xiancao to comb your hair again? The Evergreen family is not well served? ”

Sun said: "The name of Xiancao sounds fresh now, and it is a good name. In the future, let's use it for the girls in the house. ”

Mama Li hurriedly responded, then picked up the ivory comb and gently helped Sun smooth his hair.

Sun said, "Yesterday, the Changqing family took leave, and I woke up from a nap to find someone to comb my hair. The girl around me looks very smart on weekdays, but none of them can comb my hair to my satisfaction, and she also broke two of my hairs. Or Gansong remembered that Mama Chang would comb her hair. Try it out with her, and it's good. It's hard for her that she hasn't lost this craft all these years, so I'll let her still serve me to comb my hair in the future, and you from the evergreen family will find another errand with her. ”

Mama Li responded with a smile, but said: "This Mama Chang, with a bad life, originally looked like an unblessed person, but I didn't think that she could still get the old lady's mercy, and it was her blessing." It's just that her life is not good after all, old lady ......"

Sun hissed, his brow furrowed. Mama Li was so frightened that she quickly let go, put down the comb and knelt down, "The slave should be damned." ”

Sun glanced at Mama Li and said unhappily: "You better do your part, don't toss my hair." Mama Li was so frightened that she knelt there and didn't dare to move.

Sun said to a little girl in green on the side, "Go and see if Mama Chang is here?" ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw a woman who was about the same age as Mama Li wearing a washed and somewhat old second-class navy blue vest. The woman looked kind, but she did not smile.

Sun beckoned Mama Chang to go over and comb her hair, Mama Chang glanced at Mama Li who was kneeling beside her, and hurriedly stepped forward to skillfully pick up the comb and move gently. Sure enough, it didn't hurt Sun in the process.

Mama Chang put the last lock of Sun's hair into a bun, looked down at the new pine green woven gold pine and bamboo pattern gown that Sun was wearing, and found a set of tourmaline gold head close to the color of pine green from the bottom drawer of a red lacquer and enamel three-layer jewelry box.

"How about the old lady with this set of heads today? It is refreshing to look at in summer, too. Mama Chang bowed down and asked.

Sun glanced at the face picked out by Mama Chang and was very satisfied.

"That's it."

After Mama Chang helped Sun put it on, she bowed and retired.

Mama Li, who had been kneeling on her stomach, raised her head slightly, staring at Mama Chang's back, and a trace of fierceness flashed in her eyes.

"Why are you still kneeling? Let's get up. Sun straightened his head in the mirror and casually told Mama Li to get up.

Mama Li was frightened, and when she saw that Sun didn't look at her, she breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got up.

"Slave and maid, thank the old lady for forgiveness."

Sun got up and walked towards the kang table on the kang, which was already full of all kinds of breakfast. Mama Li hurriedly stepped forward and hurriedly washed her hands and dried them, and then waited for Sun's to clean her hands.

"Today is the day when Wulang and Sanniang go to Qingming Temple, right? Got everything ready? Sun asked.

Mama Li replied: "It's all ready, and I'll leave when I come over and ask the old lady to say goodbye." ”

Sun said, "Let them not come to say hello today, and go early to come back early." ”

Mama Li complimented: "Where in this world can I find the grandmother of the old lady who loves her grandchildren so much?" No wonder people say that the young masters and young ladies in our house are all the fairies under the Buddha's throne, and they are all blessed, and the old lady is even more blessed. ”

Sun smiled, "You go to find a grandmother from Songling Courtyard to go with the car, and let her go to the tent to get a hundred taels of silver to do things." Then help me add fifty taels of sesame oil to the temple and take it from my private account. ”

Mama Li answered yes and bowed down.

Mama Li walked out of Sun's house, walked to the verandah, and saw a little girl who had not left her head jumping and running. Mama Li beckoned to the little girl. The little girl looked at Mama Li, turned her head and thought about the rules that she had just learned for a long time, and then walked close with her hands down and walked in small steps, bending down and saying Wanblessed.

Before Mama Li could stand up straight, she slapped her hand and slammed it into the girl's face. The little girl fell to the ground before she could scream, and she didn't get up for a long time. Mama Li didn't look at her, and slowly ordered the frightened girl under the corridor, "Call Mama Liu." Then he turned around and went into the inverted room for the girls with heads and faces, and the mothers to rest.

The girl slipped away, and after a while, she led a grandmother wearing a new green vest of a third-class woman into the inverted room.

The mother-in-law hurriedly stepped forward to greet Mama Li.

Mama Li commanded her casually, "Since you begged me for today's errand yesterday, then you have to do it, if you go on a business trip, you know the old lady's temper." ”

Mama Liu hurriedly said: "Mama Li, don't worry, this little thing can be done well." ”

Mama Li nodded lightly: "You go to the account to get 100 taels of silver, and help the old lady donate 50 taels of sesame oil, go ahead." ”

Mama Liu rolled her eyes and her mind turned. She inquired, and there are regulations for such rituals in the house, and all of them are one hundred taels of silver. Mama Li said that she would help the old lady give fifty taels of sesame oil, but seeing Mama Li like that, she didn't plan to give her another piece of silver. So this means that the old lady's fifty taels will also come out of the one hundred taels of silver in the third room? Mama Liu understood what Mama Li meant, and responded respectfully.

Mama Li nodded with satisfaction: "You go down." Let's talk to the Hexiang Courtyard again, the old lady has exempted them from today's greetings. Pack up and go straight out. ”

Mama Liu took two steps out and stopped suddenly. After looking left and right, there was no one left, so he turned around and leaned in front of Mama Li and said with a shy face: "Mama Li......"

Mama Li frowned and said, "What's the matter?" ”

Mama Liu asked in a low voice, "I don't know what happened to my daughter......"

When Mama Li saw her asking about this, she held a shelf and said, "Since I allowed your daughter to enter the old lady's yard, this matter will not be far from ten, if you do a good job, I will naturally not treat you badly." ”

Mama Liu was overjoyed, and said: "I'll just say that Mama Li, you don't have anything to worry about if you take care of this matter, but I just heard from the little girls in the room that yesterday I heard that the old lady had allowed Mama Chang's niece to make up for the shortage, so I came to ask you." ”

"Mama Chang?" Mama Li frowned, and then sneered: "She is also worthy?" Let's see. ”

Mama Liu took a reassuring pill and went to the tent room with a thousand thanks.

*************

Mei Nan's new book: [bookid=2590162, bookname="Conspiracy"] ^^~