After seven or eight days, Qi Su Niang took the official ship of the Yangzhou prefect, sailed out of the back house, and went to Lianfu to go to Chengfu for a banquet with Lianxiang.

Lianxiang got on the boat, drank tea, and carefully looked at Qi Su Niang's cherry-red ocean lotus and broken gold silk 100-fold long skirt, and said with a smile: "Cherry red ocean lotus material, when the lord rewarded me with clothes in June, it was not on the market yet, but Mrs. was in a hurry this time." Seeing the big red gold crested butterfly under her skirt wearing high-soled bamboo shoes, she covered her mouth and smiled: "Mrs. only wears flat-bottomed incense on weekdays, but now she also wears high-bottomed heads?" I'm already half a head shorter than my wife, and I'm afraid it's only up to her neck. ”

Qi Su Niang said with a smile: "It's just a fresh picture, just sit down in Cheng's Mansion today." If we go to your house, why don't we go around? Where can you wear these high-soled shoes, but it's better than the bottom of a flower pot. ”

Banye, who was standing on the side, couldn't stop laughing, and joked: "The slaves and maids are still the first to see the lady wearing big red bamboo shoes, with eight treasures on the head, a short hairpin with burnt gold and green stacks, and this red and broken gold skirt, which is three points more pretty than the bride." ”

Qi Su Niang and Lian Xiang both laughed, and Qi Su Niang said with a smile: "When I was a bride and got married, you didn't see that red body, and I was dizzy from the inside out." Even after that, I didn't wear bright colors anymore. From head to toe, these are all picked by our family Futai, and Baba asked me to change it before going out today, and it was for his dignity to go out, so I endured it and passed. ”

Lian Xiang put down the tea, beckoned Bi'er, looked at the ink and green eight groups of new Qi'er on her body, and said with a smile: "Lord Chen is also coming at noon?" As the saying goes, "check the north and check the south Cheng", the salt merchant in the north is the first in the cha family, and the Cheng family in the south is the first in our two Huai eight chief salt merchants, and the face is big, that is, our family's master and second master have to go. I heard that none of the red sisters in Yangzhou City were pulled, and they were all taken out by those gentlemen to entertain. ”

Sister Gui stood aside and snorted, "Not to mention that our master takes Dong Guan'er, the second master usually favors Cao Sanniang, but today he brings Xu Erguan, but because she plays well in Xiaoguan, can she fight for him on the table?" I heard that the Jin officials of the Shuangqing class were all wrapped up by the salt merchant Mr. Zheng and brought out of the scene, how can there be someone in the girl's eyes on weekdays? I also want to compete for the limelight at this time, there are Yang Xiaobao, Liang Guilin, Chen Sanguan, Su Gaosan, these red sisters, where is her turn? ”

Qi Su Niang stays at home on weekdays, only gossiping in Lianfu, where do you know this. She vaguely remembered that when the Xiang family first mentioned that when the officials and businessmen in Yangzhou drank and entertained, they all took famous prostitutes to fight and win, and the wives and concubines of the family were thrown aside. She suddenly thought that Chen Yan had been drinking and feasting for more than half a year, and he couldn't violate the customs of this place, and she didn't know that there were also private prostitutes around him.

Qi Su Niang thought of this, her heart was bitter and astringent, thinking for a while that Chen Yan had no money to recruit prostitutes, and for a while thinking that with the official position of his parents in Yangzhou, if the red prostitutes in the private house could take refuge in him, I am afraid that they would be willing. Besides, he may not be without money.

In such a trance, the official boat sailed out of Tianning Gate along the Xiaoqinhuai River and sailed along the Slender West Lake to Chengjiayuan at the southeast gate of the new city. The garden opens to the lake, and the painting boats and boats in each house enter along the winding waterway, and the two banks are planted with green willows and red peaches, and the thick shade blocks the eyes.

Half a mile of waterway. Suddenly the eyes are bright. It can be seen that a small water island of more than ten acres of land stands in the lake. The island is full of pavilions. Heavy eaves and corridors. There is a pier in front of the island to park boats. There is a pontoon bridge behind the island to connect the land. From a distance, you can see the northeast gate of Yangzhou New Town.

Qi Su Niang's daughters climbed on the edge of the lake. Walk through the blue brick road with water ripples. At the entrance of the corridor that coils around the whole garden. was caught by the daughter-in-law led by the daughter of the Cheng Mansion. Welcome into the Linglong Shuanglou Zhongdi Gu Ying Building.

Gu Ying Building and Naxiu Building are both three stories high. The top floor is connected by a flying corridor. Roll up the curtains on all sides. Qi Su Niang walked to the railing. The waterscape of the Yangtze River comes into view from afar. It is very clear and open.

Gu Ying's upstairs is very wide. Twenty tables of fine fruit refreshments were placed. For the first female guests to eat tea. Lianxiang took a slice of orange cake. I put it to my mouth and took a bite. Looking at the small flying bridge opposite the Di Na Xiu Building. Whispered and laughed: "The gentleman's seat is on the Naxiu floor." Naxiu Lou looks as tall as this one. The lower two floors are mounds of earth. The cover is extremely spacious. I'm afraid it's seven or eight times the size of the floor here.

Cockfighting, playing cricket, pitching, and archery are all enough. We can watch those red sisters singing, playing the piano, singing, singing and dancing. I can hear you. ”

Qi Su Niang was holding Longjing tea. I came back to my senses for a while. Sure enough, I saw that the length and width of the Naxiu Building on the opposite side were more than 20 zhang. It occupies two acres of land. The curtains were rolled up on all sides. The small flying bridge is just over a foot long. smiled: "It's also thanks to the bright building that this building." I watched as the little guy walked around arranging the table. The dishes on the table can be seen clearly. ”

Lian Xiang laughed, "I just want to let this side see clearly, and the ladies are also happy, and the grandmothers in each house have a banquet, how many of them don't sing?" ”

Rui'er, who was standing behind the two, knew that Qi Su Niang had not gone through such a big banquet in Yangzhou, and said carefully: "If those sisters sing well, they will also cross the bridge to ask for rewards, and the grandmothers here all want to be rewarded." ”

Qi Su Niang was slightly surprised, Lian Xiang looked at her face, and gently reached out to hold her, "It's just to be lively, those sisters originally relied on color art to eat and live." No matter how high or low they are, they can't stand the money they throw on them. After a pause, "No matter how popular the sister is, the master is lost for a while, and after a while, he gets tired of it, and it is nothing if he can't bring it into the house." One year in the General Merchant House

It's also common to have a concubine. Some of the newly rich salt merchants have small rules in the mansion, and the red opportunity first worships the grandmothers in the mansion as godmothers, and flattering grandmothers is more careful than flattering grandfathers. ”

Sister Gui'er listened, sighed, and said: "Those of us who were carried into the mansion, five out of ten had a good life, and the master threw away his hand, and the eldest woman was so powerful that she was beaten into a rotten sheep's head, and she lost her life not long after entering the mansion." And two out of ten had a good life, and gave birth to sons, and they were built into houses. The rest is to live with their tails between their legs and trembling......"

Rui'er said slowly: "Because there are still two out of ten out of ten who can occupy the masters and squeeze the wives to the ground, how can the grandmothers in the mansions be careless, in such a big feast, string together, and press those red sisters who love to occupy the top so much that they can't turn over......"

Qi Su Niang could hear that they all had a stomach full of words, even if she was troubled in her heart, she couldn't help but laugh in amazement, "Listening to what you said like this, where can you still eat noodles and have fun, it is the same as the men who are desperate on the field." ”

The three girls all laughed, and Lianxiang smiled: "It's okay if you don't know these things outside, out of sight and out of mind." Qi Su Niang stood up, Bi'er knew that she was going to change her clothes, and hurriedly asked the girl from Chengfu for the place, and led her downstairs.

In front of the Linglong Shuanglou is a three-acre square wood hibiscus flower garden, it is the time when the hibiscus flowers first bloom in August of the old calendar, the hibiscus flowers compete to open, the drunken hibiscus is not past noon, especially the color of pink and white and noble. Rao is Qi Su Niang was in a hurry to change her clothes, and she couldn't help but take a few more looks.

After she bypassed the flower garden and went up to the corridor, she had finished changing her clothes at the end of the corridor, and after cleaning her hands, she planned to go to the wood hibiscus flower garden to enjoy the flowers.

She went down the corridor, and saw a few servants cutting hibiscus flowers in the flower garden from a distance, and her actions were quite graceful, and she couldn't help but be a little confused when she saw that she was not dressed as a subordinate in Cheng's mansion.

Bi'er smiled: "I'm afraid that some sisters have already arrived first, looking at these flowers, I ordered someone to find a few colors." ”

Qi Su Niang remembered the drunken hibiscus flower that Dong Guan'er wore on the Double Ninth Festival, nodded slightly, Bi'er looked at her face, hesitated for a while, and said softly: "Grandma, the slave maid is inquiring outside, although the master also summons a sister to accompany him from time to time outside, but he does not take it." That sister has a lot of benefactors, and recently I heard that the general merchant Wang's mansion seems to have taken a fancy to it, and most of them are going to be carried into the mansion, grandma can rest assured. After a pause, "I heard that sister is arrogant and has no eyes, and she loves to socialize with celebrities and scholars, and there are many people who have offended." ”

Qi Su Niang was stunned for a moment, "You followed me without leaving the house, where did you find out about the land?" ”

Bi'er said softly: "Xiaolian inquired a little there, and even inquired in the house." ”

"Lianxiang, they must also know......" Qi Su Niang sighed slightly, "What did you say to me......

Bill smiled: "Grandma is too careful, when did you sleep outside?" Going out for a banquet is at most the second watch day to return, if it is daytime, how can there not be a small company to follow? ”

Qi Su Niang looked at her with a wry smile, "I don't know the details of what is going on outside, so I can only believe him." While speaking, the servants who picked flowers each walked out of the flower garden with a lacquered plate of flowers, and the first one with Qi Su Niang's eyes paired, and Qi Su Niang exclaimed:

"Ma'am

"Xu Niangzi" turned out to be the servant woman at the head of Qinghe County.

Qi Su Niang was surprised and delighted, and pulled up Widow Xu who was kneeling on the ground, "Can you find Li'er?" Why are you here? ”

Bill's eyes were very good, and he took a few steps to let the other servants leave first.

Widow Xu is still slender and thin, her face is much older than when she was in Qinghe, looking at Qi Su Niang's eyes with tears, "Although I found it, I couldn't get out of my private house, so the women had to join the building as a servant and take care of one or two." She is now almost fifteen years old, if it weren't for the good heart of the popular girl in the building, and asked her to be a girl, I'm afraid she would be ...... soon" and knelt down and swallowed two heads, "Back then, the woman stole the lady's pearl flower"

Qi Su Niang was sad when she heard this, and hurriedly grabbed her, "I wanted to give it to you, but I don't know what your mind is, I didn't have to force you to suffer these hardships, but I underestimated you, where is it considered stealing?" Holding her calloused hand, he said, "How much is the silver, you name it, and I will pay for you." ”

Widow Xu covered her mouth with her sleeves and cried sadly, "Don't dare to bother Mrs. anymore, it's not a decimal ......" As she spoke, she heard a girl calling: "Mother Xu, the girl's flowers, send them up quickly......"

Xu Niangzi hurriedly wiped her tears, gave a deep salute to Qi Su Niang, and hurriedly went, Qi Su Niang looked at her back in a daze, and said puzzledly: "How much silver is a thin horse in Yangzhou City?" ”

Bi'er smiled bitterly: "It's not certain, even the uncle's bag of Miss Dong is five hundred taels a month, and six thousand taels a year." Although there are clothes, fat powder, and money for chewing, if you want to carry them into the house, I am afraid that it will not work if you don't have this number. If the second master wants to bring Miss Cao in, it only takes half of it......" paused, "If it is a young prostitute, it is naturally not as good as Sister Hong'er, but it is even more difficult to say, it all depends on the girl's character and the price offered by her mother......"

Qi Su Niang said dumbfounded: "Six thousand taels ......" smiled bitterly, "No wonder she said it's not a decimal ......"

Bi'er said: "Madame don't have to worry, the slave maid just looked at this lady, but she was just three points of beauty." When the banquet was about to end, the slave waited downstairs to see how her daughter was, and she would probably have a bottom. (To be continued, if you want to know what will happen next.) More chapters, support &&&&& Chinese net&)