"What are you talking about, so happy."

Yan Sui's timely arrival rescued Yi Chen's confusion, and he squinted his eyes at his brother, who had always been confident and high-spirited, and actually looked evasive in front of Shaohua. This made her curious, looking at the bookcase and pen, ink, paper and inkstone under the eaves. Shaohua didn't wait for her to speak, and greeted her with a bright face, "Sister Yansui, you came just in time, Brother Yichen wanted to look for you, but he was embarrassed to go to the wrong yard, but he asked me for a note." ”

In one sentence, he lightly brought the reason for Yichen's appearance over.

"Brother is really, even this is wrong, it can't be intentional." Yan Sui walked over, lightly touched Yichen with his hand, and looked at him with a wicked smile.

Yi Chen couldn't hold her face because of her, turned his head, and glared at her, Yan Sui puffed out his cheeks, looking like he couldn't help me. Shaohua noticed that the atmosphere was not right, and coughed lightly: "Sister Yansui, there are a few places where I don't know how to needle, and I want to ask you for advice." ”

When Yichen found the steps, he answered, "If you have something to do, you should be busy, I should go back to study." With that, he hugged his fists and left, Yan Sui shouted without giving up: "Brother, you haven't said anything about looking for me?" Yichen turned back angrily, Yan Sui was sure that Yichen would not bully her in front of Shaohua, and smiled proudly.

After sending Yichen away, Shaohua breathed a sigh of relief and made up his mind to go to the Ling family later, and let her replace the mother guarding the door. Although there is nothing to say in the Li family's inner house, like today, she can't stay, she can't catch up, and she wasted a few words in vain. It's just that, for the sake of the good news he sent, Shaohua decided to be kind to Yichen, and maybe her happiness depends on his help.

Shaohua instructed the maid to pack up her things, took Yan Sui into the house, and was about to get the embroidery basket, pretending to ask a few words.

Unexpectedly, Yan Sui took the lead, "Fifth sister, what do you think of my brother?" ”

Shaohua squinted, "Good spirits." Chu He had already told the little maid to serve tea, but Shaohua didn't go to see Yan Sui, but only drank tea leisurely.

Yan Sui rolled her eyes and sat down next to her, "I'm not asking you this, have you seen it, he's kind to you." Shaohua paused, "How can you see it?" Yan Sui took a sip, was scalded, put the cup back on the table, and said to Shaohua with a serious face: "My brother is polite and cold, but he speaks softly to the fifth sister, even I rarely listen to my brother speak so gently." ”

"Oh, it must be that Sister Yan Sui often makes Brother Yichen angry." Shaohua's answer made Yan Sui very dissatisfied, and she caught a glimpse of the beads on Yan Sui's hair bun, "The fourth brother is also good to Sister Yan Sui." ”

Yan Sui immediately panicked, and hurriedly waved his hand: "What's the matter, the fourth brother always likes to quarrel with me, he is good to you, and often tells me about your sisters." ”

"Does the fourth brother often talk to you?" Shaohua heard the topic and changed to a flattering smile cooperatively.

"Yes, we always see the fourth brother every day, cough, when I go to say goodbye to the sixth aunt every day." Yan Sui vigilantly stopped talking, "Fifth sister, let me have a heart-to-heart word with you." In fact, I know that my brother has five sisters in his heart, and he has never been so good to his third sister. From the time we went out, when my brother paid for the pen for the fifth sister, the fifth sister should have known. ”

"I'll tell A-Niang and let the account office send this account back." Shaohua nodded.

Yan Sui said curiously: "I don't know if the fifth sister is really shy, or if it's fake, you know that I don't mean that." ”

"What does Sister Yan Sui mean by that? The exam is imminent, isn't Sister Yan Sui more worried about the homework of the fourth brother and Brother Yichen? Shaohua stopped Yan Sui with a word. Seeing that the Ling family took Wanhua every day, trembling and trembling to eat and worship the Buddha for the future eldest son-in-law, even the Liu family no longer welcomed guests, but changed to chanting scriptures in the house.

Nowadays, the Ling family basically has no time to take care of her, in addition to chanting Buddhism, he also has to keep an eye on Wanhua to learn the family. Fortunately, Wanhua has been by Ling's side since he was a child, and he learns quickly, but if it weren't for Wanhua's reminder, Ling's almost forgot about Shaohua again. Another difference between a concubine and a concubine is that the concubine is the head of a large family, and she may have to run into the account book when she marries, while the concubine is more of an aunt, so naturally she doesn't have to touch her hands.

When the two sisters walked into the Xi Garden arm in arm, they heard Ling's roar. The two glanced at each other, looked at each other, and secretly said in their hearts that they didn't know which one was stepping on Ling's tail again, and she was very irritable at this time.

"What's going on with this account!" Ling Shi threw a thick account book on the table, and standing under the hall, a man of about forty shivered sharply, and his originally curled up body lowered his head silently, not looking at Ling. "Raise you bunch of trash! This is the first time I have told you, and when I talk about this kind of account in the future, I will lead them to the Sunny Garden. It's hanging here every time, and after a year, the rent collected is not enough for their expenses! ”

The bookkeeper bowed his head aggrievedly and was silent, both ends were masters, what could he say. It was to lead them to Xuyuan, but Liu said lightly, "The account room will be cushioned first, and then it will be made up when I go back to Xuyuan." "Can he say no? Can he refuse? After careful calculation, Xuyuan is still a big house, but Li Liangxun has an official position, so he handed over the rent of the family's fields to Li Xunzhuo and his wife. This master can't reconcile with each other, how big a face can he have in a small account.

Ling was still angry after scolding, so he picked up the account book reluctantly and fell again. This time he fell far and flew straight to the door, startling the girls who had just come in.

"Auntie, what's the matter, I heard your voice from afar." Wanhua saw the pitiful eyes of the account room for help, and nodded to him, "Uncle Zhang is okay, let's go down first, we have something to talk about with A-Niang." Uncle Zhang was so moved that he almost knelt down, busy with the Ling family and the two ladies, and almost ran away.

Shaohua bent down and picked up the ledger on the ground, the dense and small accounts on it made people dizzy, and they flipped through it a few times at random, and remembered that it was all Xuyuan.

Seeing the arrival of the two ladies, the maids in the room were relieved, and Lianxiang gratefully blessed them, and hurriedly went out to show them tea. "Mother Cui, why is there only one Lianxiang." Shaohua looked around and asked curiously.

Wanhua pursed her lips and whispered, "Mother Cui went back to look at Shuyu." ”

"Shuyu is getting married?" Shaohua was taken aback.

Ling glanced at Shaohua, and his tone had eased a lot, "Why are you so unreminiscing, if your sister passes through the door, she will have to bring the book and chapters over." Cui's mother obviously didn't want her daughter to be a concubine in the future, so she asked for her life early, and matched Shuyu with someone first, and when Wanhua went out, she happened to marry her as a companion. If it is a little later, Wanhua has a body, and she can also help take care of the children.

The Ling family knew Cui's mother's plan, and also agreed with her idea, she had been annoyed by the Su family, and she didn't want her daughter to have some wives and concubines disputes after she went out. What is rare is that the atmosphere in the Yinghua County Lord's Mansion is very strict, and there are only two girls in the house of Fan Erlang, who have clean hands and feet, and will not make trouble. The Ling family himself suffered a crime, so he naturally didn't want his daughter to do the same, so when he was a gentleman, the number of maids in the house was also very clear.

"Oh." Shaohua nodded obediently and handed over the account book. As soon as Ling Shi saw the account book, she was angry again, and she was so frightened that she couldn't put the account book in her hand or accept it. Wanhua took the account book in her hand, helped Ling Shi clean up the messy account book, and asked puzzledly: "Ah Niang, what are you angry about, are you lazy in the account room, or do you make a mistake?" Isn't it a housekeeper whose mother stole the water? ”

"It's the Sunny Garden, right?" Shaohua looked at the two of them and said innocently: "I just looked at the account book and remembered that it was all Xuyuan's accounts. ”

Ling Shi said with a calm face: "What I said at the beginning was good. If you can't write two Li characters with one stroke, since your father is not an official, then hand over all the rent of the fields at home to him. I thought it was a generous thing, but now it seems to be working for them for nothing. Lian Xiang brought the tea up, and Wanhua turned the teacup and handed it to Ling. While giving her a smooth breath, he said: "How can it be for nothing, aren't all the entries in this account book clearly written." ”

"You know what! Your uncle and eldest brother's monthly income is not recorded in the account, and all of them are pressed by Xuyuan himself, but all their expenses are paid out of the account. The exchange of love gifts during the New Year's holidays, the monthly silver of the entire Li family, the four seasons clothes, food and housing, which one is not given by the account room. Ling took the account book, flipped through a few pages, pointed to the white paper and black words on it and said, "Look at it, these pages, as well as these, these, all of them are Xuyuan's accounts. This Xiangyang Marquis's 60th birthday gift is forgotten, what county prince's wife and Lu want to give gifts, what general's mansion Shulangjun marries a daughter-in-law, and what Zhang San and Li Si are promoted and transferred to give gifts. They don't treat silver as silver, thinking that it will give birth to children. ”

Shaohua was amused by Ling's last words, and laughed out loud out of place, and was immediately kicked by Wanhua.

She looked at Wanhua aggrievedly and comforted the Ling family, and slandered in her heart, Li Liangxun and Li Sijin's own monthly salaries were naturally handed over to their own families, how could they be handed over to the account room, which was no better than when Mrs. Li was in charge. Moreover, since the second room takes care of the affairs of the family, the big and small trivial things are naturally under the control of the Ling family.

"Auntie, hasn't this always been like this? There's no reason for you to let your uncle and big brother's monthly stipends be given to us, right? Wanhua said what Shaohua wanted, squinted at her and nodded like pounding garlic, and scolded her softly: "Dog's legs, you will respond." ”

Shaohua didn't care, and rubbed it over playfully, but Ling Shi was still trembling with anger, "Before? In the past, it was even worse, your father also bought a lot of things and sent them to Huansiyuan in three heads and two days. There are so many fields and pavements at home, and you can calculate how much you can harvest in a year. Even if I don't be greedy for merit, I don't count the head, I divide it into three equal parts, and Xuyuan has already spent their share. If there is more, he refuses to come out, and he still expects to count the head and give the share of the Taoyuan over. ”

Hearing this, Shaohua and Wanhua couldn't help but be surprised. "W-How can this be?" Taoyuan is now left with the Pang family, Erlang Li Sinian has not yet returned home, according to the share, Taoyuan does have the thickest bottom.

"Why not, there is a name every time. This time, the two Liu families were counted in Xuyuan, and in order to give them exams, they filled in the tonic decoction. The courtyard where Yan Niangzi lived also spent hundreds of taels to make it look like this, not to mention that Shiro went out at every turn, and he had to pay him back hundreds of taels of silver every month. The more Ling Shi spoke, the more painful his heart became, "I'm afraid that if this continues, I will even have to pay the dowry for you two sisters!" ”

The sisters glanced at each other's faces, but they didn't expect Si Yan to take them out so boldly, it turned out that they were all supported by the family.

"So, can't you talk to Bohm?" Shaohua asked cautiously.

"Discuss? If I say a few more words, your father will think I'm small-minded. Ling raised his forehead and sighed, was silent for a long time, shook his head and said, "That's it, from next month, all houses and courtyards will be reduced by three percent of the monthly silver." This year, the field has been unlucky, and I am afraid that the harvest at the end of the year will not be as good as in previous years, and if it continues like this, this year will be sad. ”