The mourning hall was withdrawn, and the three masters of the Ming Mansion in Xicheng closed the door to thank the guests, and kept filial piety for the old lady Ming.

The eldest lady could not be idle, she sat at the kang table, and checked the accounts of the past few days with a few housekeepers, which ones were returned and which ones were to be returned, and they were classified and put on the books one by one.

It was late autumn, and it was raining almost at dawn, and the weather was getting colder.

It was almost noon, and the housekeeper's mother-in-law left, and just walked to the moon cave gate, and bumped into Hu's mother who was walking quickly.

"It's been hard for Sister Hu these past few days."

"It's not, there is no one around the eldest lady and there is no Sister Hu."

The mother-in-law flattered a few words, then left, out of the eldest lady's yard, and saw that there was no one around, so the mother-in-law lowered their voices and said: "Have you heard, yesterday the eldest lady hit the cousin, and today the eldest lady's eyes are bloodshot, and she is very angry at first glance, and she didn't sleep well at night." ”

"Why haven't you heard of it? It was Xiuhong who was on duty outside the small hall, because of this matter, she also deducted half a month's monthly money, and the second girl disliked Xiuhong and did not pass it on, so that the eldest lady listened to something that should not be heard. ”

......

In the house, Hu's mother walked in and saw that the eldest lady was gently rubbing her fingers between her eyes, and Hu's mother walked over quickly, stood behind the eldest lady, and massaged her temples with both hands.

"The eldest lady went out of the house not late, and went out once yesterday afternoon, saying that he was going to buy medicinal herbs, and went out again this morning, and said that he was going to buy paints for the eldest lady."

"Buying medicinal herbs? What kind of medicinal materials, there are medicinal materials in the treasury of the house, why does she still let people go out to buy them? The eldest lady asked.

Lao Guo of the concierge looked at the list, the medicinal materials on it were not commonly used, and when he came back not late, Lao Guo looked through her basket, which was indeed medicinal materials, which were bought in Sishitang. ”

The eldest lady's brows moved slightly: "What about paint, it's also not usual?" ”

"What is the pigment, Lao Guo understands, but he saw that the list is all this stone and that stone, and it is not too late to say that the eldest lady likes to make pigments by herself when painting." Mother Hu said softly.

"Well, next time, if she sends someone out of the house to buy something, let Lao Guo write down the items on her list." The eldest lady said lightly.

Hu's mother promised in her mouth, but she was in trouble in her heart, Lao Guo is the eldest wife's companion, loyalty is absolute loyalty, and he also knows a few words, but let him remember all the things on the list at a glance, it will be difficult for him, if he has this brain, he will not be sent to the back door as a concierge.

Mother Hu knew that the eldest lady had been very angry with that in the past two days, and the matter of Mrs. Qian was really nothing, after all, she was just a low-level mother-in-law, but she didn't know how to accept it when she saw it, and she beat her cousin in public yesterday, but the reason for beating her cousin was that her cousin insulted the old lady and the step-family Bai.

Although the Bai family is the stepfamily, but she has a marriage certificate with the old lady, and she is the mother-in-law of the eldest lady, if she is still alive now, the eldest lady will have to settle down in the morning and dusk, and now the big hat that insults her parents is pressed down, and the eldest lady can't defend her cousin.

Yesterday, when the girl played the watch, there were several other ladies next to her, and now I think that this matter has been spread, but fortunately, it is in the filial piety period, and the eldest lady does not have to go out to socialize, otherwise she will have a sulky stomach when she encounters those with broken mouths.

When Hu's mother thought about it like this, she felt more and more that she had to let people keep an eye on him, who knew what kind of moths she was going to make.

Worried that Lao Guo would not be able to remember the words on the list, Hu's mother thought about it and temporarily transferred Dongbao, the little girl next to the second young master Mingxuan, to the back door.

Dong Bao is a few years older than Ming Xuan, he is already twelve, he has read all the "Three Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Names", his eyes are good, and his memory is good.

The next day, Dong Bao came in handy, and went to Hu's mother early in the morning to get the right card, saying that he was going out to buy something for the eldest lady.

Hu's mother didn't ask, so she gave her the right cards.

After a stick of incense, Dong Bao flew over and handed the list that he had written down silently according to his memory to Mother Hu.

Mother Hu took a look at it and took the list to the eldest lady's yard.

Mingya and Mingxuan happened to be there, and the two sisters and brothers were talking with the eldest lady.

Mother Hu stood aside, and the eldest lady glanced at her and said to Mingya, "You take Ah Xuan out to play." ”

Mingya guessed that her mother and Hu's mother must have something to say, so she pulled Mingxuan out of the second room and kicked the shuttlecock in the yard.

Mother Hu took out the rolled up paper from her sleeve, unfolded it and presented it to the eldest lady: "Look at it, it's not too late to go out again, this is the list she brought." ”

The eldest lady looked at the words on it, and her brows were locked into Sichuan characters.

"Cinnamon bark, thatch, angelica, clove bark, cardamom, woody fragrance, fragrant aconite...... What does she buy these for? Cook? ”

Although Hu's mother is not good at cooking, she has also heard of these names, at least cinnamon and cardamom, which are often available in the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, what does the eldest lady want to do with this, she doesn't have a kitchen in her yard." There were only three main houses in that small courtyard, not to mention the kitchen, and there was not even a small stove room that could boil water.

It turns out that there are some things that really can't be said.

As soon as Mother Hu's words fell, there were greetings from Mingya and Mingxuan outside the house, and then, a maid shouted through the curtain: "The eldest lady is here." ”

The eldest lady was stunned, rolled up the list, and tucked it into her sleeve.

Minghui walked in, wearing a light cyan satin gown, a moon-white threaded skirt, and a piece of linen on the placket, as pure as the late autumn sky.

The eldest lady hurriedly smiled and beckoned: "It's getting cold this day, why don't you add a cloak when your sister comes out, it's cold, come and sit down, you go and serve a cup of hot tea to the eldest lady." ”

Minghui smiled and sat down next to the kang table, Mingya led Mingxuan in, and gave Minghui a salute.

The maid served hot tea, Minghui lifted the lid, and the hot air came to her face, Minghui said with a smile: "It's better for sister-in-law to be here, if you want to drink hot tea, you will have hot tea to drink immediately, unlike where I am, hot water has become a rarity." ”

The eldest lady's heart moved, and she suddenly remembered what Mother Hu had just said, and hurriedly said: "It's my negligence as a sister-in-law, I've been too busy these days, and I should have added a stove to the eldest lady's yard a long time ago." ”

"I came here today for this, and I really thought of a place with my sister-in-law, so I'll go back first, and tomorrow it is advisable to break ground and set up a stove, it is a good day."

With that, Minghui got up, smiled at the eldest lady, and left with no later years.

The eldest lady was so angry that her liver hurt, she was just talking, Minghui even read the yellow calendar, and tomorrow is a good day, so this stove can't be delayed, and someone must be sent to build it tomorrow?

In fact, building a stove in the yard is not a big deal, but the eldest lady just can't stand this feeling of being held hostage.

Mingya persuaded the eldest lady softly: "Mother, it's just a stove, and it's not a big deal for you to rely on her." ”

The eldest lady pressed her chest and said to Minya, "The person sent has not come back yet?" ”

Mingya shook her head, Wu Lizhu was beaten by Minghui yesterday, there were too many guests at home, and the eldest lady could only let Wu Lizhu go home.

Therefore, early this morning, the eldest lady sent a decent mother-in-law to her mother's house, and also sent Wu Lizhu a ruby hairpin that she had set for Ming Ya.

Minghui returned to her small courtyard with no delay, walked around the yard twice, found a burnt charcoal branch and marked it on the ground.

"Tomorrow they will come, and they will build a house and a stove in the place I marked, and it will not work if it is wrong, this is the auspicious position I set with my compass, and it is not bad."

It's not too late to look at Minghui's empty hands, how can there be a compass.

"Miss, you have bought a lot of things late these days, do you want to do alchemy?"

Minghui laughed: "Yes, I want alchemy." ”

"But alchemy requires a Dan furnace, only a stove can't do it." Don't be puzzled, although Wang Zhenren is a female crown, but never alchemy, but the Ming master, every New Year's festival will let people send the elixir over, Wang Zhenren has not eaten, and does not let the eldest lady eat, and then once, the eldest lady was too curious, so she ate one, and the result was a stomach, Wang Zhenren ran to the fairy house, scolded the old lady Ming, and since then, the old lady Ming's elixir has finally stopped being sent.