serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 85 Grandma Liu

It was getting dark.

A crisp sound of sandalwood board came from Jiamu Courtyard, followed by a melodious flute sound, and then came an authentic Kunqu opera in Wu dialect:

The moon is bright and the clouds are light and dew Hua Nong, and the pillow is sad and listening to the crickets on the four walls.

It hurts autumn and Song Yu writes west wind.

Fallen leaves scare the dream.

Walking leisurely, the dust falls red.
The eaves outside the window of the flower hall were full of girls, women and daughters-in-law who were on errands. Because Jia Mu was happy, she ordered people to set up a row of stools on the eaves, and picked a few dishes from the table to eat with them.

A group of people sat there, eating and drinking, watching plays and laughing.

Several family banquets were placed in the flower hall, and four bronze ice mirrors were placed at the four corners of the flower hall. A little bit of air-conditioning came out of the ice mirrors, making the hall comfortable and cool.

Mother Jia brought Daiyu, Xiangyun, Xichun and Baochai to a table, Mrs. Xing brought Yingchun and Xing Xiuyan to a table, Mrs. Wang brought Baoyu and Tanchun to a table, and Youshi brought Qin Keqing, second sister You and third Yousan There is a table for the elder sister, and a small table for Li Wan and Wang Xifeng by the door in the west. They do not dare to sit, and they only serve at the tables of Jia Mu, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang.

Grandma Liu sat next to Mother Jia, and Aunt Xue came after dinner, so she didn't eat, but sat on the sidelines, drinking tea and watching a play.

Grandma Liu was obviously a little drunk. While listening to the play, she tapped her finger on the table and hit the knots. Seeing is worth seeing. Today, she has seen what wealth is and what a wealthy family is.

Jia's carved beams and painted buildings, Feige Liudan, deeply shocked her, and the exquisite life, a bowl of pimple soup that is common in the countryside is quite different from theirs, and those pimples are made into various styles There are bean-sized ones, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, lotus pods, and water chestnuts. They are like blooming flowers in a bowl. They are beautiful and appetite-increasing.

According to Zhou Rui's family, several chickens are needed to match the dozen or so bowls of pimple soup, no wonder it is so delicious.

Because the news was timely, Jia Baoyu and Xue Pan were rescued. Mother Jia rewarded 1000 taels of silver, Mrs. Wang rewarded 800 taels of silver, and Xue’s family received 1000 taels of silver. This is something that Grandma Liu dared not even think about. She touched the bank notes in her bosom, smiled again, and stared at the wine bowl in front of her infatuatedly.

Suddenly thinking of the second master everyone was talking about, Grandma Liu was both apprehensive and full of expectations.

Jia's mother said to Wang Xifeng: "Feng girl, pour wine for Liu's family."

"Yes."

Wang Xifeng filled Grandma Liu with wine, and when Mother Jia said "please", Grandma Liu picked up the wine bowl and drank it down.

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "Grandma is a good drinker. This is the top-quality 30-year-old daughter red, and the casual person will get drunk after drinking half a catty. Grandma is almost drinking a catty."

Grandma Liu smiled embarrassingly, "Grandma was joking, I know it's delicious when I don't know what kind of wine it is. We also drink spirits in the countryside, but the taste is different. Also, it doesn't have such a strong stamina. We ran two Going to the latrine is over." Everyone who said that laughed.

Jia Mu laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, go to bed when you're drunk." She said to Wang Xifeng, "Give some vegetables to my in-laws."

"No way! No way!"

Grandma Liu quickly stood up, waved her hands and said, "Grandma, please take care of our ancestors, I can do it myself."

At this time, Lai Sheng's family came in with a food box, and Wang Xifeng stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lai Sheng's family: "The lady in the palace ordered someone to bring a bowl of sugar-steamed crispy cheese to the second master, and the second master sent it to the girls."

Ping'er came up and took off the lid, and there was a big tureen inside.

Wang Xifeng put it on Jia Mu's table, took a look at it, and smiled at Jia Mu: "This big bowl is enough for us to eat."

Jia's mother: "I'll eat some casual food, so I won't fight with their sisters." Then she said to Grandma Liu, "Try it at my old relative's house."

Grandma Liu thought for a while and said with a smile, "This, this is something from the palace."

Glancing at the crispy cheese whose surface is as smooth as soft tofu, "Look at my ugly appearance. I don't deserve to eat such good food. It's smooth and tender. Don't spoil me, my ancestors."

Everyone was stunned at first, then after thinking about it, they all burst into laughter.

Jia's mother laughed and said, "My old in-laws are wrong. Don't we old trash eat these things!"

"Ouch—"

Grandma Liu regretted her slip of the tongue. She was joking about herself, so she forgot about Mother Jia and slapped herself, "Look at my stupid mouth. I don't know anyone."

Jia Mu: "Old relative, sit down, sit down!" As she said, she told Wang Xifeng, "Get up quickly."

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng hurriedly supported Grandma Liu, and said with a smile: "Grandma doesn't have to be like this. We old ladies cherish the old and the poor the most, and we are all relatives. If we do this again, we will despise us."

As he spoke, he helped her sit down, picked up her bowl and filled a large spoonful of crispy cheese, "Grandma, how about trying it?"

Seeing Mother Jia looking at her with a smile on her face, Grandma Liu breathed a sigh of relief, took the bowl, picked up a spoon, scooped it up and put it into her mouth, tasted it slowly, and said with a grin: It is tender and has an indescribable fragrance, much better than tofu and egg custard."

Everyone who said it laughed again.

While joking, Wang Xifeng took Ping'er and distributed the crispy cheese among the crowd, and finally left a few spoonfuls for Grandma Liu.

Grandma Liu smiled and said, "Grandma is kind-hearted, and the Bodhisattva will definitely bless you."

Wang Xifeng was startled for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Thank you for your kind words!"

Before he could say a word, he suddenly heard someone outside say, "Second master is here."

Before the words finished, Jia Hu walked in with Amber, and when he saw Grandma Liu, he smiled and said, "Is this Grandma Liu?"

Yingchun, Tanchun, Daiyu, Baochai and others got up quickly. Grandma Liu had already left the table and knelt down to greet Jia Hu.

Jia Hu hurriedly laughed and said, "Yuanyang, help me up quickly, please sit down, Grandma Liu."

Yuanyang hurriedly glanced at Jia Hu secretly, and stepped forward to help Grandma Liu up.

Jia Hu stepped forward and saluted Jia's mother: "Old lady."

Jia Mu: "Sit down and talk."

"Brother!" Xichun waved her hands vigorously.

"Crying again?"

"No."

"Give way!"

Jia Hu walked up to Daiyu and Xichun with a stool, sat in the middle, glanced at the wine glass in front of Daiyu, "Drink?"

Daiyu pursed her lips: "I was happy just now, I drank two cups."

Jia Hu didn't speak, filled the glass with wine, raised his glass and stood up, saying: "I'm late, I'll punish myself with three glasses of wine!" He drank it in one gulp, and then drank two more glasses in a row.

"Second master is huge!" Wang Xifeng applauded, and everyone laughed again.

Ever since she got drunk and made a fuss in the imperial city, Mother Jia forbade Jia Hu to drink from a big bowl.

"This dish is delicious, brother, try it."

Xichun picked up a chopstick dish for Jia Hu, but saw Lin Daiyu twisting Jia Hu's waist, and asked anxiously, "Sister Lin, why are you twisting brother?"

Lin Daiyu's face turned red, and she lowered her head in a panic.

"What do you know!"

Jia Hu tapped her lightly, and said with a smile, "Sister Gu Lin dusted off my clothes."

"Oh"

Xichun didn't understand, she looked at Jia Hu and then at Lin Daiyu, a little dazed.

"puff"

Xiang Yun suddenly laughed out loud, and Jia Hu glared at her, "What are you laughing at?"

Xiangyun laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe, and lay down on Baochai's body, "I, I didn't see anything."

All eyes turned to Jia Hu. Jia Hu coughed, poured another glass of wine, and said to Jia's mother, "Old lady, please!" and took another sip.

Mother Jia gave Jia Hu a dissatisfied look, "Don't make trouble!"

Jia Hu smiled, poured himself another glass of wine, and turned to Grandma Liu, "Grandma." He said to Yuanyang, "Change the wine glass for Grandma Liu."

"Yes." Yuanyang took a wine glass for Grandma Liu and filled it up.

Grandma Liu raised her wine glass with slightly trembling hands: "Second Lord, please!" She drank it with her neck tilted back, and then pointed the glass at Jia Hu.

Jia Hu drank it in one gulp and pointed the rim of the cup at her.

Grandma Liu smiled embarrassedly.

Seeing that Xiangyun was still smiling, Jia Hu said to Hu Po, "Give the gift list to Miss Yun." Then he said to Xiangyun, "Read it to Grandma Liu."

Xiangyun took the gift list and looked at it, and read to Grandma Liu: "3000 taels of silver from Liguo's mansion, 3000 acres of top-grade farmland in Wanping; 3000 taels of silver from the Southern Xinjiang General Guard's family, and [-] acres of top-grade farmland in Wanping."

Grandma Liu was startled: "God! I. I."

Mother Jia frowned, not because the three families gave more than the Jia family, but because Grandma Liu's family couldn't protect such a large fortune.

Jia Hu looked at Grandma Liu with a smile: "It's a little less."

Grandma Liu waved her hands again and again: "A lot! A lot!"

Jia Hu still smiled: "These three families hold real power, and the original offer was much richer than this, but I declined for grandma."

Grandma Liu looked at Jia Hu: "."

Jia Hu: "Currently there is only a vacancy for the Wanping county lieutenant, so please feel sorry for your son-in-law."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone was stunned. Although the county lieutenant was only from the ninth rank, he also belonged to the official rank.

Wang Xifeng hurriedly pushed Grandma Liu, "Grandma."

Grandma Liu came back to her senses, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Second Lord, for your kindness!"

Jia Hu: "Although the position of the county lieutenant is low, he is responsible for the security of a county and arresting thieves. He has a lot of power. I hope your son-in-law can make good use of the power in his hands, and it is not in vain for me to plan a fight for you."

Grandma Liu patted her chest: "Second Master is right. From now on, Second Master can rest assured that the Meng family will take care of us like this. If we don't show kindness, the world will not tolerate it."

After thinking about it, "My son-in-law doesn't know a lot of Chinese characters, so I asked the second master to send the Buddha to the west to help him."

Jia Hu nodded with satisfaction: "I've thought about this for you. Someone will help him in the first year, and he will have to rely on himself after that."

Grandma Liu kowtowed again: "Thank you, Second Lord, for your kindness!"

Jia Hu glanced at Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng understood, helped Grandma Liu up, and said with a smile: "This is a great joy, Grandma should drink more bowls."

"Hey!"

Grandma Liu smiled innocently, filled her own bowl, and then picked it up: "Second Master, I will respect this bowl of wine for my silly son-in-law!"

As he spoke, she shed tears, raised his neck and drank the bowl of wine, and then lit the empty bowl at Jia Hu.

(End of this chapter)