Chunying vigorously kneaded the glutinous rice dough in her hand. After kneading well, it is put into a bamboo steamer and steamed on the pot. She turned back to her mother and smiled: "I know that there must be glutinous rice flour and sugar osmanthus at home, my mother loves to eat this, I have to do it several times every autumn, there are osmanthus flowers in our yard, and the house is a species, and my mother will not let it go." ”

Mother Lu leaned against the kitchen door and sneered: "You didn't say hello in advance, so you're not afraid that I'll eat all the sugar osmanthus?!" This time it's your luck, I happened to make a can yesterday, otherwise you would have eaten the northwest wind! She flipped the string of money in her hand: "Mrs. Gu's daughter is generous, but it's just a little rice noodles and seasonings, how much can it be worth if it's full of firewood?" She gave a string, but she lost. ”

Chunying smiled disapprerovingly: "Just think of borrowing Xie Yin from our kitchen and my hard work, she is very rich, what is this string of money?" ”

"You mean really?" Mother Lu was a little surprised, "I heard from other people in the house that Miss Biao obeyed Mrs. Gu's last order and handed over all the Huo family's property to the imperial court, and now there is no silver." can only live in the Hou Mansion, relying on the old lady to live, in fact, he is already poor, and he can't even get the money to repair the ancestral house! But some people say it's nonsense, you wait with her, and sure enough, you see that she is very rich?! ”

Chunying had just returned from Huo Mansion not long ago, and she only vaguely heard some rumors, where did she know so much? I had to say: "I don't know what the industry is, but I heard that it seems to have handed over the fleet." She was also worried about this for a while, afraid that Hu Fei would lose a good opportunity to turn over, but then she thought that in the prosperous place south of the Yangtze River, with Hu Fei's mind, she should be able to find another way out, and she was worried that she couldn't come, so she put this matter down.

She continued: "Except for a few other properties that were handed over to the Hou Mansion for management, the rest were sold, and the silver was a lot, and the housekeeper sent money and things over on a monthly basis. I still have a double monthly payment! The girl Yueyin on the Huo family's side is already more than that of the Hou Mansion, but now it is a lot. I see that Miss Watch's daily use is not bad, but she is in filial piety, and everything is thrifty, besides, she is living too much with the old lady now, and she is not too showy. After a pause, he added in a low voice: "I see that others seem to treat her a lot colder." Maybe it's a misunderstanding, don't be confused, offend people in vain. ”

"Got it." Mother Lu nodded knowingly, "I'll make a gift when you go back, and when you go back, you will bring it and say it's for Aunt Qing." We don't rush to the knot, but we don't stay away from them. Your Aunt Qing is a concubine, and the young lady is not out of her belly, the old lady takes care of her granddaughter, but she can't take care of her, I'm afraid that the things under the big festival are not complete, let's send it, your Aunt Qing will take our love. ”

Chun Ying shouted hello. Miss Biao is very close to Aunt Qing, not at all like the situation when other daughters get along with their mothers-in-law, as long as Aunt Qing has a good impression of their Lu family, Miss Biao naturally will not hate the Lu family.

There was a sound of the door opening outside, and Chunying knew that her father was back, so she hurriedly said to her mother: "Mother, you help me watch the fire, I have something to discuss with my father." With that, he ran out of the kitchen.

Lu Yougui just drank two glasses of wine, and his face was red. Seeing her daughter, she was very surprised, Chunying washed a hot hand towel to wipe his face, then sat down beside him and said, "Dad, I came back today because I have something to discuss with you." After hesitating for a moment, he decided to get straight to the point, "Did someone mention your sister's family affair to you?" ”

"Oh? Did you hear about it in there, too? Lu Yougui said with a smile, "There is such a thing, there are two or three families to propose, your sister is almost old, and if she stays up for a few more years, she will not be able to find a candidate of the same age, so I am discussing with your mother to find an opportunity, and when the old lady is happy, I will ask for grace!" ”

"Isn't it?" When Mother Lu heard this, she came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "You came just in time, turn around and say hello in front of your sister to see what she means." Your father and I have taken a fancy to the two sons of the woodhousekeeper, one nineteen and one sixteen, both of whom are good, no matter which one is matched, your sister will not lose. With that, he turned back again.

Chunying's heart was full of alarm bells: "You guys won't have already settled down, right?!" ”

"Where? I'll have to wait for the old lady to nod, and besides, I haven't asked your sister what she means. Lu Yougui lay comfortably on the bamboo chair and said with a smile, "I asked." Among these two brothers, the eldest is called Mu Xi, who helps his father to take care of Yi Zhuangzi, he is very honest, and he doesn't mess with flowers and grass, but he looks more ordinary; The little one is called Mu Chen, although he is younger than Qiu Yu, but he is delicate, clever and clever, and has a very sweet mouth. The woodsteward didn't have much contact with him before, but now that he is acquainted, I find that he is very righteous, and he is very compatible with me, and if he is a family of children, he will never let your sister be wronged. He even thought in private that if he married Qiu Yu to Mu Xi, and Mu Chen hadn't married a wife for two years, he would marry Chun Ying again.

Chunying was about to open her mouth to refute almost immediately, but when she thought of her past failures, she barely resisted the urge and carefully organized her sentence in her mind. Cai said: "It sounds like an excellent family affair......"

Before she finished speaking, Mother Lu came out of the kitchen again: "Of course it's very good!" The woodsteward is not an ordinary family, he has been waiting by the Hou Ye's side since he was a child, what has he never seen? His wife is the daughter of the second room manager Xu, and the couple is very decent. If your sister marries, she will be promoted to housekeeper in the future, and whether she is in charge of the big grange or the shop, she will be ten times stronger than my mother! ”

Chunying paused and said, "The conditions of the Mu family are certainly very good, if they change before. Dad is still on an errand at the gate, or working with Xiao Chen's steward, this family business is the best......

Mother Lu interjected: "Then it's not our family's turn to kiss." ”

"Yes, then our family is too far away from them to be close to us, but now people are willing to mention it, which proves that our family is not what it used to be. Our Lu family is not bad now, right? Dad is also in charge! Why don't we want to go the long term? Think big? ”

"You mean......" Lu Yougui hesitated a little, "marrying the Wang family?" Or climb the master?! It's not good, there are a few young masters in the house, the eldest young master is from a low background, and he is not treated by the old lady, the second young master has a bad character, and the third young master is too young, besides, he has enough to wait to be a little girl in the courtyard, there is no need to ask your sister to fight for a share! ”

Chunying snorted: "When did I say that I was a concubine?!" Dad thinks my sister only has these few ways out?! She approached her father and said, "Haven't you thought about it...... Looking for a good family out there?! ”

Lu Yougui immediately straightened his waist: "Outside?!" You mean...... The common people?! ”

"As long as it is of good character and promising." Chunying said, "Dad, think about it, if you want to live a good life of prosperity, you don't have to stay in the mansion. Dad is already a steward, so naturally I don't have to worry about money, my sister and I, as well as my younger brother, don't worry about food and clothing. Daddy should also think about going further. I know that you and your mother don't like to listen to me about leaving the country, but if my sister can marry outside and be a young grandmother of a down-to-earth family, isn't it better than staying in the house and listening to others' dispatches? In the future, if you have a child, you will be able to study and become an official...... Wouldn't my father and mother be more decent?! ”

Lu Yougui was silent, but his expression seemed to be a little moved.

Lu's mother was stunned for a long time, and she didn't even know that the water was boiling in the pot, but Chunying found out, and hurriedly ran to extinguish the fire, only to save the steamed cake, and hurriedly put it on the desk to dry, and when she ran back to the house, Lu's mother grabbed her and asked, "Can it really be done?!" Such a good thing...... Why does it sound like a dream?! ”

Chunying smiled: "How can it be a dream?" In the past, our family didn't have that blessing, but now my father is a serious steward. Mother. You forgot? In the past, Steward Liu in one of our courtyards was just a small purchase, and he also planned to find a serious in-law for his daughter outside. Dad doesn't know how many times stronger than him now, is my sister not as good as Liu Xi'er?! Nanqi, who was on an errand with me, was originally the granddaughter of Mr. Wang, and she was also at the age of getting married, but she had never heard of asking for a permit. People say that the Wang family wants to marry her to a rich and noble family outside the mansion to be a serious young grandmother! The Wang family is rich and prosperous like this, what else do you want? Isn't it just a picture of future generations, a glorious lintel? Mother, think about Aunt Lu, she tried her best to let her son go to school, what is the picture?! ”

Mother Lu was already moved, and immediately said to her husband: "Chun'er makes sense this time. Qiu Yu married someone in the house, or waited for someone's life! The Wang family is so powerful, and the children have to go into the house to wait for the little master, if my future grandson can study and study, be a showman, and be a lifter! What do I do with the Tumu family's money? Even if he takes my private room for him to go to school, I am willing! ”

Chunying hurriedly added a fire: "Isn't it?" Even if the child can't be an official in the future, he will buy a small Zhuangzi and be a landlord, and his life will be very comfortable. Maybe when your father and mother are older, he will take you to live with filial piety! ”

Lu Yougui smiled and knocked on Chunying's head: "Ghost spirit!" Will it be coaxing now? ”

"Where?! I didn't coax you! Chunying's eyes shot into a sincere gaze, "My sister said that she didn't want to be a concubine, but the little maid in the house was about the same age, and she didn't look at it very much." Dad think about it, don't most of the other housekeepers who have school-age children marry outsiders? The Mu family is of course very good, but if there is no hundred days of redness, who knows if his family will decay? If something happens to his family and it affects our family, won't it hurt my sister and ourselves? If you marry someone outside the house, even if you offend someone in the house and lose your errand, there is a way out! ”

This sentence hit Lu Yougui's mind, he smiled slightly, turned his head to his wife and said, "Speaking of people outside the house...... When my son Qida* went to the shop to buy clothes, did she mention that she had a brother? ”

Mother Lu immediately remembered: "Yes, yes, I thought that her family was not happy, and she had to go to the house to fight the autumn breeze every now and then, so I didn't pay much attention to her." Her brother ...... I'm just afraid that it's not okay? ”

Chunying remembered a "distant grandmother" mentioned by Qiu Yu, and hurriedly asked, "But the young grandmother of this family?" What kind of person is her brother? ”

"I don't know. I'll inquire later. ”

Mother Lu disagreed: "It's not good, it's not good, if his family is better, why bother to have fun in front of the old lady every day?" I have long heard that the grandmother's house is outside the city, which is only better than ordinary farmers, and it is because Lao Tzu saved the life of the young master of Qida that this family affair was formed. Since you are counting on Qiu Yu to marry a good family, and your children in the future can earn a good future, it is better to find someone to study. I think Mao Xiucai in Dongshi is good. ”

This time, it was Lu Yougui's turn to shake his head: "Mao Yujia's house, it's just that I've been reading dead books for a few years, I can recognize a few words, it doesn't matter if I teach primary school students, but I don't want to be moved." Besides, he is the most upright on weekdays, where is he willing to marry someone like us? Besides, he is ten years older than Qiu Yu. ”

Seeing that her parents were about to argue, Chun Ying hurriedly said: "Don't worry, don't worry, don't be in a hurry, as long as your father and mother have made up their minds, just inquire slowly." It must be the kind of person with good character and promising, and if you don't dislike our family as a slave, wait for the inquiry, and then tell my sister, and let her take a few sneak peeks. But in the Mu family, Dad still has to think of something to push it off, don't offend people. ”

Mother Lu slapped her thigh: "What's so difficult about this?!" The Mu family's most belief in ghosts and gods, took your sister's eight characters to ask Mr. to say, the two of them don't agree, isn't it over? I'll leave this to me, you don't have to worry about it! ”

Chunying secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her mood became happy. finally said that her parents had found a civilian home for her sister, and there were still many years to go, so she would plan slowly.

Hurriedly made the osmanthus cake, she found a basket to put it away, and handed a note to her father: "Dad is now in the silk business, if you need to find a place to buy, there are a few people here, all of them are foreign merchants, and they go to Kyoto every year to live in the Liuyuan Inn near Tonghui Bridge." The silk and satin materials of several of their houses are good, and the price is fair, if my father goes to them, he will report the name of Brother Hu Fei, or my name, they will recognize it. Then look at the younger brother playing on the kang: "Xiaohu should really learn something, even if it's the three-character scripture or counting." I know Dad is very busy, but for the sake of the future, it's better not to ignore these things. After a pause, he was afraid that his father would not listen, so he added: "Our family is different from before, and we can't be as muddy as before." Xiaohu has grown up, and he still has to take over his father's class, right? ”

As soon as she said this, Mother Lu was happy: "That's right! Dad, will you teach your son to count tonight? When he's older next year, I'll teach him to dial the abacus! ”

Lu Yougui thought about it and agreed to come down. Chunying's mood seemed to float in the sky, carrying the osmanthus cake in one hand and the gift to Aunt Qing in the other, and happily left home and returned to the garden.

She persuaded her hard for a few years, and finally succeeded. What could be more pleasing than that?

When she passed by Zhou Nian's courtyard, she wanted to stop by to see him, but when she saw that there was a lock on the door, she knew that he was still in the outer study, and looked up to see inside the wall, the branches of the jujube tree were already full of fruit. When I thought of the last time I came back, the jujube flowers had not yet seen a shadow, but now they have blossomed and borne fruit.

Sometimes, things in this world tend to surprise people when they don't even know it, don't they? Could she have been too impatient before? In fact, as long as you find the right way, many things will become easier.

Chunying looked up at the jujube tree on the other side of the wall, and felt that the sunshine in autumn was exceptionally warm.