The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 6 News
What I had for lunch today were steamed buns and Hanamaki. My sister-in-law made the steamed buns Hanamaki and they were beautiful. The multi-grain noodles with ginseng tasted pretty good.

The steamed buns are filled with tofu vermicelli and green vegetables and wild mushrooms. They are all vegetarian and must be kept filial piety.

Multigrain rice, mixed with a little polished rice but not too much. There are also wild mushrooms and green vegetables fried in vegetable oil on the table, and a bowl of egg drop soup. There is no shortage of eggs in summer, but there is no shortage of eggs in winter.

In fact, if the Li family did not observe filial piety, their life would be okay and better than ordinary families. The family still has land and can allow all the children, including girls, to go to school. It can be seen that the conditions are not bad.

After dinner, the men have to go to work in the fields, and the children have to study.

Eat something solid at noon, and eat something thin at dinner.

Xiuniang was eating steamed buns while her sister-in-law took Brother Chun and sat on a chair, making him a bowl of egg custard.

"Eat it yourself, don't rely on your mother. It's time to go to school in two years."

All the children are here today, except Brother Jing from the eldest brother's family, and Li Rui, the second son of the eldest sister-in-law.

This child is introverted and calm, and talks little, but his eyes are clear and firm, and he obviously understands.

"Xiu'er, eat more, you're too thin."

The sister-in-law brought her some food.

"Okay, sister-in-law, the buns you made are so delicious."

"Then if you eat a few more, the wind will blow away your skinny skin."

The original person, Zhou Xiu, was heartbroken. In just a few days of attending the funeral, he had become so thin that he had only a handful of bones left. He had not recovered much in the days of recuperation. His clothes seemed to be hanging on his body and his bones were all gone. Guys.

Xiuniang ate the steamed buns in small bites. She glanced over and saw her niece eating the steamed buns in big gulps. She looked unsightly and almost fell on the table.

He knocked on the table with his hand and said, "Qing'er, stand up straight to eat. Don't bury your face in the bowl. You must sit still."

"Look at you, I said you can't remember how many times I've been told. You're not allowed to carry a bowl, you're a beggar."

The sister-in-law also glared at her daughter.

Qing'er pouted and responded aggrievedly.

"You, you should learn the rules and etiquette, otherwise you will suffer a loss when you go out. My family can harm you. They hang around your aunt all day long, and you don't know how to learn it well. Look at your aunt's manners, sitting, posture, and facial expressions, and then look at you... …”

Grandma also rolled her eyes at Qing'er.

Qing'er lowered her head and didn't dare to choke.

"Eat quickly, I'm afraid that outsiders will find out about your faults, and I'm afraid that you will suffer a loss."

Xiu Niang smiled tenderly at her niece and handed her a bun.

"I remember."

Qing'er grinned, took the bun and ate it happily.

After dinner, Xiu Niang cleaned up the dishes, washed her hands, and took the loom to the yard to start weaving brocade. She planned to weave a simple painting first and see what the price and quality were in the area before deciding on the brocade. Silk painting and weaving.

It's too high and I can't give you a suitable price and I'll suffer a loss. It's too low and I can't sell it at a reasonable price. It's not appropriate to be too eye-catching. Safety is the first priority. Let's weave a tapestry painting to explore the way first.

The children went to the clan school to study, and Qing'er also went.

Brother Chun and grandma are the only ones left at home, and the sister-in-law and mother-in-law have also gone to the fields. She is not well enough to go to the fields and needs someone to take care of her, so it is better not to fill in the burden.

Grandma took a wooden box with a sandbox inside, and watched her great-grandson practice calligraphy. This was the sandbox used by his brothers when he was a child. It was used to teach calligraphy and save paper.

"Grandma, I remember the day before yesterday that you said whose girl came back from the palace and made trouble?"

"Her father is from the same generation as us in the Wang family in the village next door. In the early years, the family was in trouble and his son fell ill and had no money, so he asked someone to send the girl to the palace to be a palace maid. It happened to be the time for selection. Fortunately, the clean place was better than the dirty place. .”

"It's been more than half a year since I came back to live with my brother and sister-in-law. I'm not happy. I guess I work for money. No wonder, I haven't seen each other for many years. When I come back, we treat each other as relatives. How can it be so cheap? It's nothing more than trying to get her pension money. Hey! He's also a poor child." Grandma was holding the soles in her hand, which were grandpa's shoes.

"Grandma, do you know where she used to be a palace maid?"

"I heard that he is a capable person. He seems to be in the palace maid department. He is responsible for teaching the new palace maids the etiquette and rules, as well as reading, embroidery and other tasks."

Grandma looked up and thought for a moment before adding, "It seems like she is in charge, she figured it out on her own."

Xiuniang's eyes lit up and she stopped, "Grandma, let's invite this person back."

"what?"

Grandma was stunned for a moment, confused by her sudden turn of events.

After thinking for a while, he said: "You want to invite her to the clan to teach everyone the etiquette?"

"Grandma, you better understand me. I saw the etiquette of that girl Qing'er today, and I remembered this. If you want a girl to marry well, you must be good at etiquette, playing music, chess, calligraphy, painting, etc. Let the girls Also learn some real skills.”

"It's a good idea, but ethnic studies can't support so many people, and not everyone in our village is rich. Many girls don't go to ethnic studies, so they can barely recognize their names. Their families may not be willing to pay for their education."

Farmers dig food in the fields and spend a lot of real money, which is a big burden.

"Just buy the ancestral field, and let the girl go to school for free to read and learn skills. If she marries well, she can also promote her brothers. Why not do it? She will also take care of the lunch."

Xiuniang had been in charge of a family for more than 20 years in her previous life, so she naturally knew how to persuade the stubborn and conservative old man to allow the girl to study.

"I'll discuss it with your grandfather and make sure the clan elders can communicate with everyone."

"In that case, you tell my grandpa that if it doesn't work, please invite someone to your home first and teach Qing'er alone. I can't control others. Qing'er is my niece, and I have to consider her future."

Xiu Niang likes this girl Qing'er very much. She can't get up from the bed, so her sister-in-law and Qing'er take care of her. At such a young age, they take care of her very carefully by the bedside.

"Think about it, it will cost money to invite her."

Grandma also loves her granddaughter very much. She is the only girl in the family, so it is inevitable that she will be doted on a little more. Besides, the family is not very short of money, otherwise the girl cannot go to school. The education fee is the same for boys and girls.

"I spend the money and it's mine. This girl only represents our family's upbringing if she is well raised."

Xiu Niang urged her grandmother.

"Okay, that girl's rules are indeed too loose and not decent. If you go to your husband's house like this, you will definitely suffer and be picked on."

Grandma is also a daughter of a down-and-out official, so she naturally understands Xiu Niang's thoughts.

"Then you can ask my eldest brother to invite someone tomorrow, okay?"

"Why are you so anxious? I haven't talked to your grandpa yet."

Grandma laughed, this is also an honest child.

"Grandma, the aunt in charge who comes out of the palace is not a person who gets offended. She can have no calculations in her heart. She would have died in the palace long ago. She can still get out of the palace smoothly. If she is late, she will not rush there."

Does Xiu Niang know that all the aunts and grandmothers in the palace are capable people? If you invite her to teach Qing'er at home, she can improve her reputation and let the child learn her true skills. In the future, she will not be wronged when she marries to her husband's family.

"Okay, I'll tell your grandpa tonight and I'll invite someone tomorrow."

Grandma really cared for this little granddaughter, so she hesitated and nodded.

Xiu Niang hurriedly went to the house and took some broken silver and handed it to her grandma, "I'll ask my eldest brother to go tomorrow. I'll give you the money immediately with a nod. It's a rare opportunity. It would be a pity to miss it."

"Zhong, your sister-in-law has no money, I will take advantage of you first."

In order to buy ginseng and medicine for Xiu Niang, grandma and sister-in-law spent all their personal money. They really had no money. They couldn't collect much money from the fields. It was not like Xiu Niang was skilled.

(End of this chapter)