"This is twenty taels of silver, let's make a winter coat for this child for the time being." If you don't take it, you'll blame me. This money is enough to hire a car to sit in. There is nothing to do another day, just come and shop, it is the meaning of the relatives. It's getting late, and I won't leave you in vain, so you should say hello when you get home. ”

Wang Xifeng said as he stood up. Grandma Liu only thanked her for her kindness, took the money, and followed Zhou Rui's family outside.

As soon as Grandma Liu left, Wang Xifeng sat down again, holding her cheeks and frowning slightly. It's just the beginning of the year, and it's not enough to calculate the money of Rongguofu.

There are three or four hundred maids and mothers-in-law in the house in Rongguo Mansion, and nearly three hundred taels of silver are withdrawn every month, and if you count the old lady, wife, and girl, this will cost four hundred taels.

Rongguo Mansion releases monthly silver in the middle of every month, sooner or later, about the fifteenth. This month, however, it was late, and it was not until the twenty-second that the monthly silver was released. The reason is that Laiwang said that a time-honored northern goods store outside was short of money and could not be opened, so he begged Laiwang.

Laiwang told Wang Xifeng about this, and Wang Xifeng heard that although the money was not much, it was safe, so he moved his mind to accept it. After embezzling it for about ten days, he got thirty taels of money.

Wang Xifeng moved his mind, thinking that it was better to let out the money idle in the account, and there would be more or less a profit.

Ping'er brought the tea over, carefully placed it on the kang table, glanced at Wang Xifeng's expression, and said, "Grandma is still thinking?" ”

Wang Xifeng glanced at him and said angrily: "If you don't think about it, I'm afraid it will be impossible to turn around in July." In the past few years, the annual growth has not been good, either drought or waterlogging, and the income in Zhuangzi is afraid that it is only seventy percent of the usual, but the expenses in this house are only a lot more.

My grandmother Daozhu is very interesting, and she handed over the housekeeper's errand without saying a word, but I am afraid that she will already know that she will not be able to make ends meet in this house. ”

There were no outsiders, Ping'er sat opposite the kang table and comforted: "There have been several heavy snowfalls in Layue so far, and they all say that Ruixue is a good year, and it is good to come to this year's New Year." Grandma doesn't have to worry too much. ”

"I can't count on this harvest for the time being...... After a pause, Wang Xifeng said: "I just thought, the silver stored in the treasury is also a dead thing, so it is better to let it out and find a safe one." Thousands of taels of silver, how can the monthly interest be hundreds of taels, and a thousand taels a year. With these thousands of taels of silver, the hand is full of life. ”

Ping'er immediately said: "Grandma, this account is not easy to manipulate, and if you encounter a bad account, you have to have a means to take it back." Besides, grandma put money out, and it is really good to say that it is not good to say it. ”

"I thought about borrowing Brother Rong's name before, but I just thought about it, Brother Rong is not reliable, the silver has passed through his hands, who knows if there is more or less?" After a pause, Wang Xifeng frowned and said, "Let's find Wang'er to discuss first." ”

Ping'er responded, and was about to ask if she had invited Wang'er over, when a maid reported that Jia Rong was here again.

"Why is it here again?" Wang Xifeng raised his eyebrows and said, "Didn't you bump my glass screen?" ”

Ping'er got up and brought Jia Rong in, and Jia Rong saluted and said, "Auntie, I was in a hurry and almost forgot about it." ”

"What's the matter?"

Jia Rong smiled and said nothing, glancing at the maids and mother-in-law on both sides.

Wang Xifeng heard the strings and knew what he meant, and said, "It's okay to step down." ”

A dry maid and mother-in-law responded and quietly retreated.

Jia Rong sat close to the kang table and said, "Auntie, do you know that Uncle Xue was beaten by that Li Weijian yesterday?" ”

"And this?"

Jia Rong reversed black and white and said it, but the relatives who couldn't be beaten with eight poles were riding on the head of their old relatives, which was unbearable.

Wang Xifeng's eyes slanted, because he smiled and said: "Brother Rong is running here to tell right and wrong, what is his mind?" ”

Jia Rong said with a smile: "I can't hide it from my aunt, Uncle Xue can't be angry, so he begged his nephew, saying that he would give the one surnamed Li a good look." ”

Wang Xifeng smiled at Ping'er and said, "Look, my good nephew is asking me to catch a knife." ”

"Hehe, naturally don't let my aunt work in vain." Jia Rong took out a silver ingot from her sleeve pocket and put it on the kang table, gently pushed it in front of Wang Xifeng, and said with a smile: "Uncle Xue said that as long as you are angry, you will have another filial piety afterwards." ”

Wang Xifeng glanced at the silver, about twenty taels, and pouted: "I'm afraid that this silver is hot, and it's not easy to take it." ”

Jia Rong thought for a while, a tangle appeared on her face, and then she took out a silver ingot and handed it over: "Auntie, it's rare for a nephew to open his mouth once, you don't look at the monk's face to see the Buddha's face, so you have a nephew's face, isn't it?" Don't work for the aunt to fight in the ring with the surname Li, and order the people below to embarrass him. ”

Wang Xifeng smiled and didn't respond.

Jia Rong observed her words and said carefully: "Then the nephew agreed as an aunt?" Hey, thank you so much, auntie. He got up and said, "My aunt is busy, and the screen has been waved by my nephew and sent it back in person." ”

Wang Xifeng finally opened his mouth: "Ping'er, go and send Brother Rong." ”

"Hey, Uncle Rong." Ping'er took two steps to the door and opened the curtain.

Jia Rong was happy to arch her hand again, and then bent down and went out.

………………………………

A small courtyard in the northeast.

When Shen was approaching, Hongyu sat on the kang, embroidered with a handkerchief in her hand, not looking outward. Thinking that it's been such an hour, I'm afraid that the fourth master will come back late again.

Qingwen on the kang head was holding a piece of paper, muttering and muttering in a strange tone. Hongyu glanced at it and sneered secretly. After learning that strange Western words, you can read and recognize words? She didn't believe it, but she was afraid that the fourth master was coaxing Qingwen.

There was a sound of footsteps outside, and Hongyu dropped her veil and opened the door to look, only to see two rough maids returning with a basket of charcoal.

Hongyu was slightly disappointed, and was about to close the door, when she was stopped by the rough maid.

"Sister Ruby." Chun Cicada is older than Hongyu, but according to the rules, she still calls Hongyu sister.

Chun Cicada walked over quickly and said sadly: "Sister Hongyu, Mama Wu said that the charcoal in the warehouse was insufficient, and she only gave twenty catties of black charcoal to the fourth master. ”

"Which Mama Wu? Wu Xindeng's family? Ruby asked, frowning.

"Yes."

Hongyu said: "Put the charcoal away first, and I'll go to Mama Wu to talk." ”

The spring cicada responded, and together with Yunzhi, the black charcoal was gathered into the east chamber first. Ruby turned around and picked it up, then pushed the door open.

Wu Xindeng's family is one of the ladies in charge of Rongguo Mansion, and he is used to bullying the soft and afraid of the hard. Hongyu secretly wondered, the fourth master is new, Su Ri and Wu Xindeng's family have never had a past, why was it difficult? Could it be that when he learned that the mother-in-law in the kitchen had the benefit of the fourth master, Wu Xindeng's family was red-eyed?

She thought that she would have to give up a few coins of silver this time.

As soon as I passed through the hall, I bumped into my mother head-on.

"Mom!" Hongyu greeted happily and hurried up to meet her.

Lin Zhixiao's family hadn't seen their daughter for two days, so he stepped forward and grabbed him, looked up and down, and then asked, "Are these two days okay?" What kind of temperament does the thrifty fourth master have? Is it difficult for you? ”

Hongyu smiled and shook her head: "It's all good, the fourth master is more amiable than the second master Bao, and he is good to me." ”

Lin Zhixiao's tiger face said: "You girl, don't report good news or bad news-" She turned her head and swept around, and said: "I heard that the fourth master of Jian Jian beat Uncle Xue all over yesterday!" ”

"I don't blame the fourth master." Ruby Baba told me about last night.

Lin Zhixiao's family was worried: "This thrifty fourth master is only afraid that he will not stay in the mansion for a long time...... The girl will serve first, and then I will ask the second grandmother, I have to find a good place for you. ”

Hongyu pursed her lips and didn't respond. She knew that her mother was for her good, but it was always difficult to say that she wanted to be an aunt to the fourth master.

Lin Zhixiao's family gave a few more words, and then asked, "Who are you—"

"The treasury said that there was no silver frost charcoal, and only gave the fourth master twenty catties of black charcoal, and I went to find Mama Wu to talk about it." (Note 1)

Lin Zhixiao's face changed, and he said, "This is ...... Girl, you better leave it alone. ”

"Huh?"

"Obedient, you can't control this matter!"

slapped Hongyu's hand heavily, and Lin Zhixiao's family hurriedly left.

Hongyu pondered for a long time beside the hall, she was a clever person, just looking at her mother's expression, she knew that this matter was only the meaning of the top. Why? What else could it be, I'm afraid it was because of what happened last night!

sighed slightly, and was about to return, when he saw the curtain open through the hall, but it was Zhou Rui's family who came out with a box.

Hongyu hurriedly greeted with a smile: "Sister, where is this going?" ”

"Little Red, ......"

Hongyu said: "I am now in the fourth master's room, I have changed my name, and I am called Hongyu again." ”

"That's a good dare," Zhou Ruijia took the box in his hand, and said with a smile: "Mrs. Aunt got a box of womb flowers, and sent me to share it with the girls and grandmothers, no, I was about to send it to Miss Lin." ”

"Yo, that's not a good delay, my sister is busy."

Zhou Ruijia smiled and walked away quickly with the box.

Hongyu bit her lower lip, turned around and walked back to the courtyard.

When I entered the courtyard, I saw a crowd of people in the main room, and there was a faint sound of Qingwen chirping. Don't ask yourself, it must be the fourth master who is back.

Hongyu took two steps, opened the door and bypassed the screen, and saw that Li Weijian had only faded the outside, and the clothes inside had not been changed, so he held a three-character scripture and sketched it with a pencil.

After a while, Li Weijian handed the three-character scripture to Qingwen and said with a smile: "Look, if you mark it like this, won't you read it?" ”

Qingwen took the letter and read the pinyin lamely: "People ~ ~ the beginning of the ...... Sex ~ Ben ~ Good, Huh? Sure enough, I was able to read it. She put down the booklet, and her face was full of excitement: "The fourth master's method is really useful." It's just that at the moment, I can only read, not write. ”

Li Weijian said: "I looked for a calligraphy when I turned around, and you just copied it." Turning his head, he smiled and said, "Ruby is back?" ”

"Fourth Master." Hongyu called and stepped forward and said, "Fang Cai Chun Cicada and Yunzhi went to get charcoal, and they only came back with twenty catties of black charcoal." I thought about going to Mama Wu to talk about it, and I listened to the letter halfway, but I was afraid that this difficulty was because of what happened last night. ”

Li Weijian had a smile on his face, Shi Shiran sat down on the chair, picked up the teacup and took a sip before saying, "Then how are you going to solve it?" ”

Hongyu said: "Mama Wu is only afraid that it won't make sense, so it's better to find a few of her mothers-in-law later, and make the money, which will always work." ”

Li Weijian said with great appreciation: "Look, isn't it very good?" In the future, such trivial matters will be dealt with in this way. ”

Hongyu was overjoyed, but Qingwen on the side muttered, "Crooked and heretical!" ”

Without waiting for Hongyu to say anything, Li Weijian said: "I don't want to bow my head under the fence, so I have to break the fortune and avoid disasters." ”

Hongyu glanced at Qingwen proudly, and then said, "Fourth master, I'll go get dinner." ”

Hongyu turned away, Qingwen took warm water, threw a handkerchief and handed it to Li Weijian to wipe his face. Li Weijian wiped it indiscriminately, and his heart was extremely excited.

This time I had a very happy conversation with Gu Weiyue, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, although I got an errand that I couldn't shirk, but I could take this opportunity to take a peek at the leopard and take a look at Dashun's artillery craftsmanship today.

He was thinking about something, and he didn't feel a little distracted, so Qingwen silently read the dozens of words marked on the three-character scripture on the side, trying to memorize them.

After a while, Hongyu came in with a food box, saying that this time it was really difficult again, obviously there was shrimp egg custard hot on the stove, but Sister-in-law Liu said that it was gone. Hongyu gave a penny of silver, and Liu's sister-in-law secretly gave the bowl without shrimp, and asked Hongyu not to spread it.

Hongyu set the dishes and said bitterly: "Now you have to make silver for eating, and you have to make silver for charcoal, so it's better to spend money yourself." ”

Li Weijian came back to his senses and said, "Qingwen can't cook, can you?" ”

Hongyu shook her head, and Li Weijian smiled: "Then you can't let me cook, right?" ”

Hongyu sighed, and said, "Fourth master, I just got a letter, saying that Miss Lin and Miss Xue are sick together." ”

"Sick again?"

"I ran into Zijuan in the kitchen, and said that Miss Lin was very sick this time, and she only took medicine as a meal, and she didn't get better."

Li Weijian said that he was guilty, but he was afraid that Daiyu's illness was because he handed over small words and broke Baoyu's good deeds? The so-called long pain is better than short pain, and it is better to break it while you are still young at this time than to be dragged to death by Baoyu in the future.

But since this matter started because of him, it is not good to let it go.

Because he said, "Hongyu, go to the kitchen and get more garlic." There is a pot of spirits, too. It doesn't matter how much money you throw away, go get it. ”

Hongyu didn't ask much, and went out again.

Li Weijian said again: "Why don't you see Xiuying? ”

Qingwen put down the three-character scripture and said, "I almost forgot, she dozed off next morning, and asked me to wake her up before dinner." I'm going to call it. ”

Qingwen left gracefully, and it took a long time to bring Xiuying, who was sleeping in a daze, over.

Li Weijian said in his heart, how long has this Han Han been asleep?

"Childe, you called me?"

"You go and look for your brother in the back, and send him to buy some glass jars and come back, the more open the better."

"Huh? Oh, I'll go. The girl went in a daze.

Qingwen couldn't resist her curiosity after all, and asked, "Fourth Master, this is garlic and soju, what are you going to do?" ”

"Treat Sister Lin." Li Weijian said in his heart, it was a shame that he had too much time to fish in his previous life, otherwise how would he know that garlic can be extracted by soaking in wine?

Note 1: Silver frost charcoal thousand catties of silver ten taels of silver, black charcoal thousand catties of silver three taels of three cents. This is the price of the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, and the time is about the same as that of this book.