It snowed heavily for more than half a month, and finally stopped.

The sky was clear and bright after being washed by the snow, and the snow left on the ground brought the New Year to the eye.

"This year, is it still the same as usual?"

Du Shi held his forehead, and there was a thick stack of ledgers in front of him.

Her maid Qiuqiu was standing behind, holding an abacus in one hand, crackling; Holding a charcoal pen in one hand, jot down something from time to time.

"The first-class girl is three taels a month, and there are ...... in the whole house" Qiu Qiu read in a low voice while planning to dish.

Qiu Qiu is a child who has been raised as Du's dowry girl since he was a child, can read and write, and has a good abacus, often helps Du's housekeeper to manage the accounts, and the level is similar to the grandmother who has been in charge of affairs for many years, and is the most powerful big girl around Du's.

Du Shi listened for a while and asked, "Don't mention these things for now." You help me figure it out, is this year's year too big or too small? ”

small, that is, behind closed doors; It's a big deal, that is, to open the door to feast guests. In the Du family, there is no small saying this year, it has always been all the descendants and branches of the surname of Du to celebrate the New Year together, as long as they are not sent to Tiannan and Haibei, they have to return to the main house. Of course, whether the rooms are comfortable or not is another matter.

This is the third year that Du's marriage has been married, the first year because of welcoming her and considering her eldest daughter-in-law by the way, the year is open, and the second year is back to the normalcy of the New Year in Xufu, and his own people are lively behind closed doors. Xu Guogong had no parents, and the guests of the banquet were only some generals under Guogong who could not return home for the New Year.

Qiu Qiu put aside his calculations and said, "Madam, this is the first year that the fourth lady has recognized it, and I think it must not be underestimated." ”

Du Shi frowned and said, "Not necessarily. I think these four girls, although they are kind to the old lady, there is still a barrier, and they don't look like a mother and daughter when they get along. If it is too big, wouldn't it be embarrassing to face other guests like this. ”

Qiu Qiu comforted: "Madam, why bother? If this is too big, the old lady will naturally tell you in advance. It is impossible not to know you about the arrangements for the New Year. It's not a big deal, but it saves you the effort. ”

After the Du family married into the Xu Mansion, Mrs. Xu did not delay, and simply handed over most of the housekeeper's rights to the eldest daughter-in-law. Of course, Du Shi knew that she didn't have to worry about this matter, but the habit of years made her can't help but think about everything, and things that she couldn't figure out would make her feel uneasy.

She tapped her nails lightly on the tabletop, each sound as if it struck her heart.

Seeing this, the other maid standing beside Du's side looked at this and obediently pressed Du's shoulder.

Ji Dong controlled the strength of his hand, and said leisurely: "The adoptive parents of the four young ladies before are said to be very good to her, when the daughter is raising, it would be strange if she could recognize the old lady as her mother for a while." ”

Du narrowed his eyes, looked at the silk entangled gold jade bottle in front of him, and said, "Forget it, I don't want to." Juqiu, you sort out these two accounts, write down the wrong places, and I'll look at them when I come back. ”

Year-end reconciliation is always the busiest, and Dushi didn't plan to sort it out at this moment, but just asked Qiuqiu to help sort it out a little bit.

Qiu Qiu said "yes", then lowered his head and continued to dial the abacus beads.

Dushi stood up, straightened his skirt and said, "Winter, go out with me." ”

There was no snow everywhere in the courtyard, and the ground that had been splashed and mopped dry with salt water was very clean.

Du Shi sighed: "These four young ladies are really strange. The club will not do anything, but there are many ghost ideas and clever ones. Sometimes looking at her appearance, I really don't know if she really doesn't understand the twists and turns between people or if she doesn't know. ”

Ji Dong couldn't hear the good or bad of his wife's words, and replied tentatively: "Maybe it's from a small family, so I don't understand this." ”

Du Shi did not speak again, and walked in silence.

Mrs. Xu doesn't like to be polite, she thinks that her majesty does not need to be established by tossing the juniors to greet herself early in the morning, and she has not set rules for Du's new daughter-in-law. The morning greeting has always been on the big day, and the lunch on the first and fifteenth days of the new year has to be served in the main courtyard.

It is now the first day of December, and Du Shi is going to see the old lady in the main courtyard. Her husband Xu Yu had just been home a few days ago, and he was busy again.

Now, she is going to hug her son Little Bell. The old lady's favorite thing to look at is this little grandson.

Of course, now I have to go to the back row, and Xu Shuyuan is undoubtedly the person the old lady wants to see the most.

The nurse was teasing Xu Mindong, who was placed on the small bed, and when she saw Du's coming, she hurriedly saluted: "I've seen the eldest lady." Madam, if you want to see the little master, I will give you a hug, and I don't have to work for you. ”

Du raised his hand to excuse her salute, and hugged Xu Mindong, who was originally playing with toys on the side. Children are the most unbearable to interrupt, and as soon as they are lifted away from their toys, they start crying.

Seeing this, the nurse said respectfully: "Madam, I'll hold it for you." ”

Du Shi frowned, but he didn't say anything, just motioned to Ji Dong to take the cloth tiger that Xu Mindong was holding earlier, and walked away with the son in his arms.

The son in his arms kept looking back at his nurse.

Ji Dong followed behind and asked in a low voice, "Madam, the slave maid will help you hold the little master." ”

Du Shi looked at Xu Mindong in his arms gently.

The little bell Xu Mindong was holding the cloth tiger, with two tears in the corners of his eyes, but he was smiling happily. The nurse was gone, and the child of this age could already recognize people, knowing that it was his mother who was holding him, and danced and said, "Mother...... Mother! ”

The vague words made Du Shi very happy, and he wanted to kiss his youngest son's forehead, but he still held back. She said to the winter again: "I know that the old lady is right...... It's just that....... ”

Ji Dong knew what Du was talking about, but she was clumsy and didn't know how to persuade her.

Mrs. Xu has always been very satisfied with Du's, except that Du's has always been a little alienated from her son. Du's always throws his son to the nurse, but it's not that he doesn't like to be heavy, but he will be very clumsy in the face of his son, and he always feels inclose.

Du's looked at the little bell today not to kiss her, but to kiss the nurse and the cloth tiger more, his heart froze, and he subconsciously hugged the little bell in his arms tighter, and accidentally hugged it too tightly, which made Xu Mindong flutter his feet and cry again.

"Hurt ......"

Du's was busy and relaxed, and it took a while to coax this little crying bag into laughter, and he thought about how to change the nurse, and didn't let his son feel reluctant.

After thinking about it like this, before I could come up with a reason, the main courtyard arrived.