green bamboo dream

Yu Zhu was shocked, her mouth was open and she couldn't speak.

"Although I dare not say that I can tell at a glance... it's just a matter of ten." Ruan's mother bowed.

Mothers like them naturally have a way of distinguishing them. Yu Zhu didn't really doubt what Ruan's mother said, but she didn't react for a while.

Thinking about it now, Ning Qiu doesn't seem to be combing a woman's hair... What has she encountered in these years?

Yu Zhu walked slowly to the edge of the kang and sat down.

She doesn't regret not asking Lin Yuanzhi or Cheng Xunxun for help. After all, she doesn't understand the treacherous courts and political turmoil, and she doesn't want to involve the family in unnecessary risks because of her request...

Lin Yuanzhi loves herself, and Cheng Xunxun values ​​herself, but she doesn't want to make things difficult for them with this love...

Sighing lightly, she stretched out her hands listlessly to prop her chin, forget it, what to do with so many thoughts.

Qinsi led the little maids to set the dishes on the carved black lacquered Eight Immortals table outside. The silver chain came in from the outside, patted her on the back from behind, and said with a smile: "You are hardworking, and you even set the table yourself."

Qinsi was taken aback, and almost missed a green field pastel flower Jiuzi cup in her hand. Seeing that it was a silver chain, she couldn't help but angrily said: "Why are you scaring me?" Little maids, she just smoothed her sleeves, wiped her hands and said, "Madam seems to like Miss Ning quite a lot, so it's better not to neglect her."

Yinlian has long been used to Qinsi's gentle and gentle appearance, so he doesn't say much, winks with her, and lowers his voice: "Do you know the origin of Miss Ning?"

Qinsi understood, and immediately shook her head, "I knew it was from Qingzhou."

Yinlian smiled and told her what she had heard, "Sister Huaruo said that Miss Ning lost her relatives after the Qingzhou epidemic, and was taken by a distant relative to take care of her. That relative treated her well. It's a pity that it's gone in the first month...Our wife was in Qingzhou, and Miss Ning's mother taught her embroidery skills, and took care of her, which is considered a kindness."

"So that's the case, and only sister Hua Ruo, who is following his wife, knows..."

The two went out talking and laughing.

Instead of making people guess wildly, it is better to make up a good reason first, so as to save all kinds of rumors from flying around... It can also give Ning Qiu a clean background, after all, exile is not a nice crime.

I believe this word will spread soon...

Shuanghong awkwardly tugged at the brand new clothes on her body, carefully touching the delicate embroidery and bright trims on it, she just felt like she was dreaming - no lady in the Wang family had ever worn such a good dress.

The little servant girl led her to sit down in front of the dressing table, helped her wring out the slightly withered hair, and carefully applied hair oil, and said in a soft voice: "The girl has a delicate body, and she has no ready-made clothes, so she should wear them before the servant girl." Let’s do it, and make a new one after reporting the measurements to the sewing room.”

Shuang Hong could clearly see from the polished mirror that the little maid's fair and delicate hands were running through her yellow hair, and her face blushed immediately, and she didn't dare to look any more.

Nervously cast her eyes on the table, there was a double-sided embroidered table screen of red plum blossoms and Aoxue, she had never seen such a delicate thing, she couldn't tell what it felt like, the cluster of red plum blossoms looked like real It's the same, just looking at it feels cold.

In a daze, the little maid combed her hair quickly, and picked out a newly made peony silk flower from the box to put it in her hair.

Shuanghong pulled the little girl's sleeve timidly, and said softly, "Thank you sister... I don't know how to call sister?"

"Miss, you're being polite. This is what a servant girl should do." The little maid looked Shuanghong's attire up and down, and seeing that everything was in order, she led her out.

In the main room, Ning Qiu was talking about Shuanghong with Yuzhu, "...it's my original owner's youngest daughter, she's fourteen this year."

After that, she slowly talked about her experiences in the past few years.

The imperial court had three kinds of punishments for exiled criminals during their sentence—serving as slaves, serving as errands, and farming. She was lucky at the beginning, and was assigned to a farming allocation center.

According to the law, a husband allocates twelve acres of land, pays six stones at the age of one year, no difference, and gives seeds and cattle tools, which is only half of the soldiers.Because there has never been a precedent for a single woman to be exiled in a marriage center, most of them are women who follow their husbands under the system of wives, and they live by their men.

The clerk who registered and compiled the book waited for a long time, but she didn't see anything from her, and she was added to the book of sending prisoners as slaves...

Yuzhu shook her hand worriedly. Compared with the land sent prisoners, although the slave sent prisoners don't need to do a lot of heavy work, life must be much more difficult. The border land is no better than the capital city, and the noble servants not only cannot live well. Even life is hard to guarantee, even if he is killed, the master will not cause any trouble.

...And Ning Qiu's original temperament was so straightforward and open-minded.

She still remembered that there was such a clause in the law, "If a prisoner who is sent as a slave without death, if there are still violent people in the future, no matter whether there is a crime that deserves death or not, the master will be put to death, and the master will not have to be punished." .” It can be seen that the harshness of the exiled people.

At any rate, Beijing still cares about reputation and dare not go too far; but in places where the sky is high and the emperor is far away, isn't human life worthless?

Ning Qiu smiled cheerfully, with peace in his eyes, "It's nothing, my life is fine, the master is kind, and all the work is light work." She pursed her lips and said softly, "I have done those tasks before. , it doesn’t bother me.”

Just as she was speaking, Shuang Hong was led in by the little maid, and bowed to Yu Zhu with a stiff posture.

Noticing that she tried her best to imitate the walking posture of the maid who brought her in, Yu Zhu smiled, and ordered Hua Ruo to hold her an embroidered pier to sit on.

Ning Qiu just said that she is 14 years old, why does she look like she is only twelve or thirteen years old?Besides, as the daughter of the master's family, how could she be so dark and thin?

"...Shuanghong's father, Mr. Wu, is the Defense Xiao Riding School. Once a group of detainees in charge rioted and escaped six of them..." Ning Qiu explained in a low voice. Swallowing the words that came to his lips, he glanced at Yu Zhu in a little helplessness.

"After sitting in the carriage for so long, I must not have had a good hot meal." Yu Zhu called Hua Ruo with a smile, "You can take Miss Shuanghong to eat first."

After the two of them went down, Ning Qiu sighed, "She has been resenting the six people who escaped... Don't blame her, she has lived a good life since she was sensible. of."

"I don't think she should hate those six people..."

Yu Zhu nodded, but that's the case. If he escaped from the convict, he wouldn't need to die with a defensive cavalry school.She vaguely remembered that it was a downgrading of the fine salary or something. From this, it seems that he failed in his official career and was pushed out to cover all the crimes.

"When did this happen?"

"It was winter last year, and I heard that soldiers molested their wives and daughters... Nearly a hundred people died in the suppression of the riot." Ning Qiu replied, "I stood at the back door, opened the door a crack, and looked out. A line, it took a while to pass..."

"Not long after, the soldiers who arrested people and ransacked the house came to the door." Ning Qiu's eyes were complicated, she couldn't tell what she felt about such a place.

"Afterwards, the house was in chaos, and I didn't know what to do. Shuanghong followed me, her eyes were dazed, and she still clutched my sleeve, so I ran away with her." Ning Qiu said. The voice became lower and lower, "Finally, I went to another family and became a maid with Shuanghong..."

Yu Zhu didn't want to expose her scar again, so she gently covered her mouth, and said softly: "...Don't think about it anymore, it's all over...Since Grandma Wang entrusted you to me, you can rest assured Yes, the days to come will be long."

She took Ning Qiu's hand and said with a smile: "After talking so much, Shuanghong is almost finished eating, let's go too."

After the two of them settled down, Yu Zhu called Hua Ruo in, and said in a cold voice, "Is there any movement in the Zhenbei General's Mansion recently?" She felt that Ning Qiu was hesitant to speak just now, but she really didn't want to Tell her right now, pretending not to see it, and fooling around.

"A few days ago, I vaguely heard that a little beggar was adopted, and he is still being raised in the mansion." Seeing that Yuzhu was in a bad mood, Hua Ruo hurriedly persuaded: "Madam, don't be angry, Mama Ruan said , I’m in a bad mood and hurt the young master in my stomach.”

Here again, Yu Zhu drank red jujube tea very depressed, got up and went to Mrs. Xie's - two people suddenly came to the house, whether Mrs. Xie knew it or not, she had to take the initiative to report it.

Mrs. Xie got the news early, so she was a little bit critical at first, but seeing Yu Zhu coming over with a smile on her face, and listening to the edited and embellished story, she finally felt a little more at ease.

"Since that's the case, that's all right." Mrs. Xie was wearing a brown Liufu welcoming door tunic with dark patterns, sitting on the kang, with a cane-yellow mirror flower damask blanket on her knees, and said lightly: "But it's always If you don't have a household registration, it doesn't matter if you settle down first, it's better to find a house as soon as possible."

Yu Zhu hurriedly responded respectfully, it's really not good to live in the Duke's mansion all the time, even if Mrs. Xie didn't say anything, she would still find a house or Zhuangzi to settle them down, but the situation is special and it's really hard to find a suitable place.

Here, Yuzhu is discussing with Xie Shi about dealing with several invitations received, while Shuanghong and Ning Qiu are sitting in the arranged wing room and talking in the green courtyard.

"Sister Ningqiu, this place is really nice." Shuanghong grew up in northern Xinjiang and was used to watching Muyi Shaqiu, so she has never seen such a rich and noble enjoyment, "When eating, it's so delicious The tea is actually for gargling, if it wasn't for the sister maid reminding me, I would almost have made a joke."

There was a faint blush on her face, and her eyes were also shining.

Ning Qiu was about to speak, when she heard someone talking outside, she hurriedly stepped forward to open the door.

A servant and two servant girls appeared at the door.

"Hello, two girls. The servant is in the sewing room. The wife ordered the servant to measure and cut new clothes for the girls." The mother was carrying a small bamboo basket with a very attentive smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe and reward. Your support is my biggest motivation.)