Eleven Niang listened to the words in that sentence.

Xu Lingkuan, the fifth master of the Xu family, is only eighteen years old this year, and he is the general of the Tiance Battalion of the Imperial Forest Army, and he is a fourth-rank military attaché. Three years ago, he married the daughter of Dingnan Hou Sun Kang. In the mouth of the eldest lady, this Xu Lingkuan is a child who does not learn and has no skills, and only knows how to fly eagles and horses by relying on the shadow of his ancestors......

Could it be that Mrs. Qiao is talking about Xu Lingkuan?

Mrs. Tai smiled but did not answer, and led everyone into the flower hall.

There is a ground dragon in the flower hall, which is as warm as spring. The table was placed in the west room of the flower hall, and the plates and chopsticks had already been distributed, and the maids and mothers-in-law who served were standing solemnly aside.

The third lady warmly beckoned everyone to sit down.

After you pushed me to give way, Mrs. Tai, Mrs. Da, Mrs. Qiao, and Mrs. Third sat at a table.

Grandma Luo, Wu Niang, Miss 6 of the Qiao family, and 11 Niang sat at a table.

Aunt Wen took refuge outside the hall.

Some maids cleaned their hands with water soaked in osmanthus flowers, gave Mrs. Tai a table of Junshan silver needles, and gave Grandma Luo a table of Lushan clouds. Then the maids have dim sum, platter, side dishes, cold dishes, hot dishes, hot pot...... An endless stream of people picked it up.

The third lady poured Jinhua wine for Mrs. Tai, Mrs. Da and others on the side.

Mrs. Tai politely said to the eldest lady, "It's commonplace, don't dislike it", and then raised a glass to everyone for a small cup.

The eldest lady and Mrs. Qiao returned the salute.

The feast officially began.

Although there are a lot of dishes on Eleven Niang's side, no one is embarrassed to stare at it from a distance - when the person who helped the cloth vegetables next to him saw it, he would definitely stretch out his long chopsticks and clip it, which inevitably gave people a sense of greed...... So everyone eats their own food in a proper manner.

As for Mrs. Tai, she said that she was not in good health, so she accompanied a small cup, so she put down her wine glass and stopped drinking, and was accompanied by the third lady. Although Mrs. Tai looks about the same age as the eldest lady, she is actually over sixty years old, and everyone dare not persuade her. The eldest lady stared at Mrs. Qiao. After a few glasses of wine, Mrs. Qiao's face was already red, but the eldest lady still looked the same.

I didn't expect the eldest lady to have a good amount of wine!

Eleven Niang sat on the side and watched the show.

In a moment, Mrs. Jo stopped talking.

Mrs. Tai saw that the situation was not right, and looked at the third lady again and again. The third lady was about to substitute wine for Mrs. Qiao when she served the wine cup, and the eldest lady didn't want to make trouble at the banquet of her in-laws, so she gave up.

After a meal, it was the end of the year, and everyone moved to the west to drink tea.

Or because of the wine, Mrs. Qiao said a lot.

“…… Those who can be in-laws with you are all blessed. Don't say anything else, let's talk about the Sun family. If it weren't for your mother-in-law, how could her married daughter live in her mother-in-law's house for half a month, and her mother's house for half a month. ”

Mrs. Tai smiled, seeing that the eldest lady was full of confusion, she explained: "There is only this one daughter under the knee of Dingnan Hou, who is like a treasure, and can marry our family, that is, she has taken a fancy to our family's sons, and her daughter and son-in-law can often go to her mother's house in the future." I am also a child and daughter-raiser. Pity the hearts of parents all over the world. Let them live at home for half a month, and go to Dingnanhou Mansion in Red Light Hutong for half a month. Both sides are trying to get a fresh look. It's unfortunate that you came, it was the second half of the month, and they were still in Dingnanhou Mansion. Wait for them to come back, and let them greet you! ”

"Don't dare, don't dare." The eldest lady hurriedly said, "The fifth lady is the county lord of Danyang who was sealed by the first emperor, and her status is noble, how can she let her greet me!" ”

The sister of the Marquis of Dingnan is the favorite concubine of the first emperor, the knees are empty, and when she is alive, she often announces that the Sun family enters the palace to accompany her, and the first emperor likes it, and she is named "Lord of Danyang County", which is still the first point in the home of the Hou Bo Gongqing.

"Big lady is polite." Mrs. Qiao smiled, "The emperor still has a few poor relatives, let alone you and me?" Besides, our county lord is a first-class virtuous person, and since she married into the Xu family, she has never been called 'county lord' again. Relatives and friends have always been generous, and everyone likes ......"

The eldest lady listened to her more and more unpleasant, and her heart was angry, but she was not good at being a guest at Mrs. Tai's house, so she only sneered in her heart.

It's really a frog at the bottom of the well, and Yelang is arrogant. More than 100 years since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the so-called founding merits, Taizong has used "King Zheng An to seek rebellion" in his later years, or kill or degrade or seize the title, and the family assets are fair or sold, and the remaining few families are trembling like a lost dog can not live all day. Finally, during the period of filial piety, although a few families restored their titles, they were already frightened birds, but they begged for their lives to be saved, and did not dare to contribute to the court. For more than 100 years, most of them have been strong and middle-class, barely maintaining their daily use by relying on their ancestors' fields. How can they compare these official eunuchs whose descendants have become successful, not to mention buying land and opening shops, and even receiving money from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to buy and sell...... If Cheng Guogong hadn't earned some money in the Northwest Army in those years, the Qiao family would just be one of them. actually made a big fuss in front of her......

The more she thought about it, the worse her face became.

Mrs. Tai saw it clearly, sighed secretly in her heart, and stood up with a smile: "It's better to go and see the newly built stage, so you can eat and eat!" ”

The eldest lady knew that Mrs. Tai was relieving her, so she glanced at Mrs. Tai gratefully, and the group went to the newly built stage.

The stage is very small, with two rooms, with whitewashed walls and gray tiles, and the four corners of the eaves are raised high like swallows. The screen wall of the stage is painted with five-color lacquer, which is very gorgeous. Behind the stage is a row of seven wings, on the left is a three-room wing, on the right is a hall, on the opposite side of the seven main rooms, and on all sides of the corridor is a roll shed.

The third lady smiled: "The fifth master's idea." In summer, the curtain fan is hung on the eaves of the rolling shed, and the wind is fanned while listening to the play, and the breeze is slow, which can relieve the summer heat. In winter, you can hang a splint curtain, hang or roll, and then raise the fire tray, roast sweet potato beans, play and play, and be at ease......"

Grandma Luo praised again and again: "It's really a wonderful idea." ”

Everyone said yes.

Wu Niang's eyes were envious, Miss Qiao Liu smiled faintly, and Eleven Niang carefully looked at the surrounding furnishings.

The doors and windows are all made of colorful gold, or carved flowers, or carved birds and beasts, or carved a hundred babies, or carved Bogu. It is very different from the commonly used patterns such as the five bats holding the longevity or the five sons of the Dengke. There is solemnity in the excitement. It can be seen that it took a lot of effort.

Mrs. Tai laughed: "I don't know how much effort it took to make this stage." As he spoke, he pointed to the seven wings behind the stage: "If you don't build this row, you will go directly to the garden." He pointed to the hall again, "Half of Xiao Si's study has been demolished." He has a good temper, and if he meets the old marquis, he is afraid that he will have to eat a meal. ”

Mrs. Qiao let out an "oh" and turned her gaze: "Then if you sing here, don't you want to quarrel with Master Hou?" ”

"What's the noise!" Mrs. Tai smiled, "I moved early." Xiao Wu moved when he married his daughter-in-law and moved to the 'Half Moon Pan' in the back garden. Otherwise, he would not dare to build a large number of buildings here. ”

Everyone laughed.

Mrs. Tai simply led them into the hall.

There is a small courtyard inside, only three main houses facing north and south, with gray tile walls and black painted floor columns, pasted with white mullion window paper. The courtyard is lined with a few pieces of Taihu Lake stone, a few branches of bamboo are planted on the left, and a few plantains are planted on the right, which is quiet and elegant.

The eldest lady praised "good place".

"Not really." Mrs. Tai looked at the third lady with a smile, "If it weren't for Xiao San stopping him and saying, if there is a distinguished guest, you can come here to rest, Xiao Wu would have been demolished a long time ago." ”

The third lady covered her mouth and smiled: "Our master saw that Hou Ye's face turned blue, so he came out to stop him." ”

Everyone smiled and walked out of the courtyard, out of the wing room behind the stage, and on a bluestone-paved road. On the left side of the road is the window wall that leaks, and the window that is built into a round or square or begonia flower style can see the mountains and mountains in the garden, and the clear spring and strange stones.

Mrs. Qiao smiled: "The fifth master really worked hard, and even this wall has been changed. ”

Mrs. Tai laughed and pointed to a few green branches sticking out of the pink wall not far to the right: "That's the residence of the fifth child." ”

Eleven Niang looked over and saw a five-step staircase, where two or three little maids with no heads were throwing sandbags.

Seeing Mrs. Tai coming, they all stepped forward to salute Mrs. Tai, and a woman in her fifties wearing lilac pigment makeup and gowns next to Mrs. Tai took candy from her purse and came out to reward the little maid. The little maidens ran away with smiles on their faces. Mrs. Tai pointed to a piece of pink wall in front of her: "That's Yuan Niang's yard." ”

Bamboo tops are exposed at the head of the wall.

The third lady smiled and pointed to the powder wall at the end of the road: "I live there!" ”

Behind Mrs. Tai's house is the flower hall, next to the flower hall lives Xu Lingkuan, next to Xu Lingkuan is Xu Lingyi, and then there is Xu Lingning...... The Xu family should still have a widowed sister-in-law, I don't know where to live?

Eleven Niang thought. I followed through the courtyard of Yuan Niang, and saw a wide and bright gate on the window wall, the main gate and the side door on the left were closed, and the side door on the right side was opened.

Mrs. Tai said a few words to the two women kindly, pointed to the bright gate and said to the eldest lady: "From here, you will enter the back garden." ”

The eldest lady nodded.

The third lady smiled and said, "After leaving for a while, why don't you go to my place for a cup of tea!" ”

Mrs. Tai looked at the eldest lady, and the eldest lady was afraid that Mrs. Tai would be tired, so she smiled and said, "Okay! ”

They followed the Fantan that the third lady had just pointed out and headed south, and arrived at the third lady's residence.

The third lady's residence has five rooms and four entrances, which is larger than the Luo family's house in Gongxian Hutong. Pink walls and gray tiles, black lacquered Ruyi doors, inverted seats are divided into study rooms and flower halls, and the hall is facing the hall. Entered the hall, crossed the bluestone road, planted plantains, apricot trees, and built flower shelves. Three main rooms with ear rooms, and the verandah is connected to the east and west wings, where the Xu family's grandsons, Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, live. The third lived Xu Lingning and his wife, and the yard was planted with magnolia trees and pines and cypresses. The fourth entrance is the rear cover room.

They drank tea in the hall where the third lady lived.

The clear and bright pale golden tea soup, the green leaves are dotted, and the fragrance of osmanthus wafts wafts wafts.

Eleven Niang was slightly stunned.

Take a sip.

Longjing's unique bean blossom fragrance and the sweetness of osmanthus are intertwined, mellow and sweet, and the lips and teeth are fragrant.

It is osmanthus flower tea.

Although the taste is unique, she doesn't like it.

Eleven Niang likes clear tea - tea has its own temperament, and there are other mixtures in between, and I always feel that the original purity is missing.

She thought about it, and someone had already praised it: "It's really good tea!" ”

Eleven Niang followed the prestige - it was the sixth lady of the Qiao family.

"This is Lingxiu Lou's new flower tea this year!" Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her expression was satisfied.

The third lady smiled: "My sister is really elegant. However, this is not the tea of Lingxiu Building, it was made by the second sister-in-law who personally picked the flowers of the century-old laurel tree in the garden last autumn. ”