He specially went to a master who made jewelry to learn the craft, and personally created a gold silk double butterfly flower for Qingbao.

Beautiful jewelry has always been a woman's favorite, and Qingbao immediately put on this flower and looked in the mirror. After a long time, she raised her head and asked Fang Qingyue beautifully: "Yueyue, is it good-looking?" ”

Looking at the delicate and lovely little girl in front of him, Fang Qingyue's eyes were as bright as stars, he slowly pursed his lips, and the smile in his eyes spread: "Good-looking!" ”

When the New Year was approaching, Qingbao's fifth uncle Xia Shouzu's family, who had never met, finally returned to their hometown after many years of absence.

On the day he returned, it was just in time for the first snow of the winter.

The goose feathers and snow fell all night, but the next day it was a sunny day, and the snow on the road was all sunburned, and the road became more and more muddy.

Except for the three or four pillars who went to school, Qingbao's family was all at home and did not go out.

Xia Shouping and his wife took the second and fifth pillars to boil sugar, while Qingbao was coaxing his little sister Xia Yao to play.

Xia Shouzu's family knocked on the door of Qingbao's family at this time.

When there was a knock on the door, it was Xia Shouping who stepped on the snow to open the door.

Then the people in the kitchen heard an excited cry: "Third brother! ”

Huang Liuniang stood up from under the stove and said to the three children: "It's bad, why do I hear that this voice is your fifth uncle?" ”

didn't wait for Erwuzhu and Qingbao to answer, she ran out in a pout.

Qingbao also hurriedly took Xia Yao and walked out of the kitchen.

At the gate, there was a man in his thirties, hugging and crying with Xia Shouping.

He looks five points similar to Xia Shouping, but he is thinner than Xia Shouping, and he is also more delicate than Xia Shouping, wearing a black cotton robe and a pair of thick-soled cotton boots.

He was followed by two women and seven children.

The older woman looked about the same age as Huang Liuniang, with a thin face, a pointed chin, a set of purple cotton clothes and cotton skirts, and two plain hairpins on her head.

The younger woman was about twenty-five or sixteen years old, and her appearance was quite standard, but she had a haggard face and a sleepy look, wearing a blue and black cotton dress and a cotton skirt, and a silver and white chrysanthemum hairpin on her head. She held an infant baby in her left hand, wrapped tightly in a small jacarand. In his right hand, he dragged a little boy of three or four years old, who was probably very tired, leaning on her thigh, and was almost asleep.

He was followed by five older children, the oldest being in his teens, and the youngest being five or six years old.

Everyone's shoes and the hems of their trousers were covered in mud, and it was obvious that they had walked for a long time.

Seeing Huang Liuniang come out, the older woman looked at Huang Liuniang without a trace, her eyes paused on the beaded bat golden hairpin and the double phoenix hanging bead hairpin on Huang Liuniang's head, and when she lowered her eyes, she swept the gold bracelet on Huang Liuniang's wrist.

When Huang Liuniang got closer, she pulled the corners of her mouth and forced a smile and saluted: "I haven't seen you for many years, but the third sister-in-law is not old at all." ”

As soon as Qingbao heard it, she knew that this older woman should be her fifth aunt Li Shirong.

It stands to reason that this Li Shirong should be several years younger than Huang Liuniang, but now it looks even older than Huang Liuniang.

Coupled with her dressing, it should be possible to guess that their life is much worse than the current Qingbao family, but it is better than the previous Qingbao family.

Huang Liuniang naturally did superficial work, and said with a smile: "It turns out that the fifth brother and younger siblings are back, go and sit in the house, it's a cold day." Then he turned his gaze to the young woman and asked, "Who is this?" ”

Li Shirong introduced lightly: "She is my concubine, called Qin Niang." Qin Niang, this is the third sister-in-law. ”

The woman named Qin Niang cowered and saluted, and whispered, "Hello third sister-in-law! ”

Huang Liuniang didn't say anything, but Li Shirong shouted in displeasure: "Didn't I give you food, the voice is so small!" ”

Qin Niang seemed to be very afraid of Li Shirong, so she immediately changed her voice and said to Huang Liuniang: "Hello third sister-in-law!" ”

"Good. Come into the house, and see that the child is sleepy, and he is asleep standing up. Huang Liuniang said, and picked up the little boy who was already asleep next to Qin Niang's lap.

Qin Niang glanced at Huang Liuniang gratefully, and after Li Shirong walked into the house, she held the child in her arms and followed her.

Xia Shouping took Xia Shouzu's family to the living room, while Huang Liuniang took Qin Niang to her room first, put the little boy who was already asleep on the kang and covered the quilt, and helped Qin Niang put the child in her arms on the kang.

Qin Niang moved her sore arm, and said to Huang Liuniang gratefully: "Thank you, third sister-in-law." ”

Huang Liuniang smiled: "It's all a family, don't be so polite." You stay here for a while while with the children, and I'll go to Zhang Luo for dinner. ”

Qin Niang was very tired, and after thanking Huang Liuniang, she sat on the edge of the kang and rested against the wall.

After Huang Liuniang came out, she saw that Banxia had already made tea and put out a few plates of snacks and sweets, so she smiled and said to Li Shirong: "Brother and sister, if you are tired, go and rest for a while, and I will go to the kitchen to arrange some meals." ”

"There is a third sister-in-law." Li Shirong sat on the chair and didn't move, but shouted loudly: "Qin Niang, put the child down and cook with the third sister-in-law." ”

Huang Liuniang knew that Qin Niang was already very tired after such a long journey, so she waved her hand and said, "No, no, just fry a few dishes, don't bother her." ”

Li Shirong had a contemptuous smile on his face, and said coldly: "I bought her as a concubine, not as a noble lady." Qin Niang, why don't you go quickly, waiting for me to carry the sedan chair and invite you? ”

Qin Niang hurriedly ran out of the bedroom and stood next to Huang Liuniang cautiously, not daring to say a word.

Huang Liuniang was helpless, so she had to take Qin Niang to the kitchen.

It's not the first time Qingbao has seen the concubine and the lady of the main house together, she had seen Wanyan and Fang Qingyue's mother together, although Fang Qingyue's mother is not as arrogant as Li Shirong, but she is also majestic, and Wanyan is the same as Qin Niang, she is so respectful and trembling.

But Wanyan and Fang Qingyue's mother-in-law, after all, have only seen that short side, so Qingbao didn't take it too seriously. But now, when Qin Niang, who was tired and in urgent need of rest, had to fight hard to do things that she didn't need to do under Li Shirong's orders, Qingbao really realized how low the status of concubines was in this society.

She is just extremely glad now that she made this family rich early, and there is no need to sell her as a concubine.

Qin Niang dozed off on the stove while burning the fire, no matter what Huang Liuniang said to let her rest, she didn't dare to go back to the room, and then Huang Liuniang had no choice, so she had to let Banxia come to light the fire, and let Qin Niang go to sit on the stool next to her and sleep.

Since the Chinese New Year is approaching, Qingbao's family has bought a lot of New Year's goods, so there are a lot of ready-made food at home. Huang Liuniang didn't work for a while, and she sorted out a table of meals.

Qingbao's family has eaten, and only Xia Shouzu's family eats this table of food.

Xia Shouzu and his wife and several children were on the table, but Qin Niang had nothing to eat, so she could only stand next to Li Shirong and give Li Shirong food.

Huang Liuniang beckoned her and said, "Qin Niang, you should also sit down and eat, otherwise the meal will be cold in a while." ”

Qin Niang didn't dare to say anything, but Li Shirong said lightly: "With me, my wife, how can there be a reason for a concubine to sit." Third sister-in-law, you don't care about her, just treat it as if there is no such person. ”

Qingbao deliberately went to look at Xia Shouzu, only to see that he didn't refute Li Shirong's words at all, and he didn't even glance at Qin Niang, but just drank with his own food.

Although Qingbao was a little unsightly, in front of adults, there was no room for her to intervene as a child, so she didn't say anything. And Huang Liuniang naturally didn't want to meddle in her brother-in-law's housework, so she had to keep her mouth shut.

This meal, Xia Shouzu ate very happily, even eating and drinking for a long time, and when the meal was removed, it was already cold.

Qin Niang helped clean up the table, and then shrank under the kitchen and served a bowl of cold rice.

As soon as he took a bite, the child in the house cried, only to hear Li Shirong shouting: "Qin Niang, the child is crying." ”

Qin Niang had to throw down the rice bowl in her hand and hurriedly went back to the room to coax the child.

Huang Liuniang, who saw all this in her eyes, sighed to Banxia who was washing the dishes next to her: "No wonder the old people often say, 'I'd rather be a poor man's wife than a rich man's concubine', you see, this concubine is not as good as your little girl." ”

Banxia also seemed to feel quite touched, sighed softly, lowered her head and continued to brush the dishes.

Qingbao was afraid that Qin Niang would be hungry, so she brought a plate of snacks and gave her a bowl of hot tea.

She was probably very hungry, holding the child in one hand and snacks in the other, and ate several pieces in a row.

"Liuya, you are really a caring child, thank you!" Qin Niang didn't have much energy to speak, and she could see that she was just holding up under the sleepiness.

Qingbao wanted to help her take the child and let her rest for a while, but it happened that Li Shirong came in with the curtain, and Qingbao was afraid of causing trouble, so she hurried out.

After Xia Shouzu heard that his three brothers had helped him rent a house, he was very grateful, and Li Shirong rarely gave Huang Liuniang a smile, and then immediately asked to go to their new home, saying that the house that he hadn't lived in for a long time had to go to the kang to warm the house before it was dark.

Huang Liuniang didn't keep them, but just asked Xia Shouping to take the car and send them over.

The next day, Xia Shouping and Huang Liuniang took Xiao Xia Yao and packed up some firewood, rice, oil and salt and other things to send to Xia Shouzu's family.

Qingbao embroidered flowers for a while, and when she saw that it was almost noon, she went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Braised rice, stewed pork ribs and soybean soup, fried Sizhu and Fang Qingyue's favorite fish-flavored shredded pork, and vinegared cabbage, one meat, one vegetable and one soup, the arrangement was very reasonable.