Value peace

Chapter 14
Gu Xiyan and Duanniang followed Liu'er into the yard. The yard is square, with a few towering osmanthus trees in the middle, and the Chaoshou corridor next to the wall, which wraps the two osmanthus trees in the middle, and walked through the Chaoshou The corridor is the door of a moon cave, and the door is paved with goose hatch stones, which have been stepped on to make it smooth and smooth.Walking inwards on the road of goose hatching stone, there is a small garden with flowers and trees Fusu, full of colorful flowers, strong fragrance and colorful colors.On the opposite side of the garden is an n-shaped building with five main rooms and three wing rooms on the left and right. They are all whitewashed with red paint, green windows and white screens. A row of birdcages hangs under the eaves of the main room. , Thrushes are jumping up and down, singing tactfully, a scene full of vitality.

Under the birdcage, stood three middle-aged women dressed in red and green, and a little girl who was not as big as Liu'er. When the four of them saw Gu Xiyan and the others come in, they all looked around curiously.

Liu'er went down the steps of the main room and said: "Madam, the second young lady came back to greet you!"

The bamboo curtain of the main room was immediately lifted, and a dignified woman in her thirties came out, with a smile all over her face: "Come in, come in, Madam has been waiting for a long time!"

Gu Xiyan knew that anyone who could serve in this courtyard could be regarded as Mrs. Gu's close servants. Hearing what the woman said, she smiled very politely and nodded towards the woman.

Duan Niang took two steps forward and walked in front of Gu Xiyan: "I am Aunt Duan next to the second girl. My sister has a very strange face, so I don't know how to call her!"

The woman replied: "My husband's family name is Song, Aunt Duan is welcome, just call me Meizhi."

Gu Xiyan thought about what Nanny Li said when she entered the hospital just now, and thought: "Could this person be the Nanny Song they said", and she paid more attention in her heart.Duanniang was also thoughtful, and she had the same thoughts as Gu Xiyan at this time. She hurriedly stepped forward to shake Song Meizhi's hand, and said very enthusiastically: "Mother, please don't say that, if you don't dislike me, How about I call you sister?"

Song Meizhi said with a smile: "My sister is an old person around Mrs. Tai, and she was trained by Mrs. Lian herself. I was afraid that my sister would dislike me. Who would have thought that when I saw her today, my sister was such an easy-going and generous person, but she seemed like a small belly. It's over." After speaking, Song Meizhi picked up the curtain with her own hands and waited for them to enter the door.

Entering the door, there is a main room with mahogany incense tables, chairs, a few short couches, blue floor coverings, pink and white walls, and bright and atmospheric colors. Song Meizhi led them into the small red lacquered door on the left side of the main room.As soon as she entered the door, Gu Xiyan saw a woman sitting on the arhat couch of mountain-shaped rosewood wood inlaid with mica stone, smiling at herself.The woman was about 25 or [-] years old, with black and plump hair, radiant light, fair and delicate skin, normal eyebrows and soft smile.

Gu Xiyan guessed that she might be Mrs. Gu.

Sure enough, someone immediately placed a ball cushion in front of the woman's couch, and Gu Xiyan immediately knelt on the ball cushion and called "Mother".

Mrs. Gu's smile froze slightly, as if she was stunned by her calling "Mother", and she said after a while, "Second Miss, please get up quickly."

The witty maid immediately stepped forward and pulled Gu Xiyan into her arms, sat her down with an embroidered pouch, and served tea.

Duanniang then kowtowed to Mrs. Gu.

Nanny Song personally lifted Duanniang up, and the maid next to her sat down on Gu Xiyan's knees with a embroidered pouch, and served refreshments.

Mrs. Gu asked Gu Xiyan kindly: "I heard from Deacon Ding that the girl occasionally feels unwell on the road."

People do not blame!
Gu Xiyan immediately stood up and replied: "Thank you for your mother's concern. The weather is too hot and I rested for a few days. Thanks to Duanniang and the maids in the house for taking good care of me, I'm fine now."

Mrs. Gu nodded: "That's good, that's good! You don't have to be polite, sit down and talk."

Gu Xiyan half sat on the embroidered pier with a very restrained look: "My daughter is young and ignorant, and she hasn't greeted her mother all these years. Mother's health is okay!"

Mrs. Gu answered "Yes" with a smile, then looked at Duan Niang a few times, and said, "Aunt Duan has worked hard in taking care of the second girl in Shuzhou in the past few years."

Duanniang also got up and replied: "I dare not be, taking care of the second girl is the duty of a servant, and I dare not be a wife to praise."

Madam Gu smiled and beckoned her to sit down, but Song Meizhi at the side spoke in Madam Gu's ear in a cautious voice that could just be heard by Gu Xiyan and the others: "Madam, it's getting late, you Look at this..."

Mrs. Gu raised her chin lightly, and said with a smile: "You have worked hard all the way, after serving the meal, eat at my place and go back to have a good rest. I will see you father and daughter again when the master leaves tomorrow."

Gu Xiyan said respectfully: "But according to mother's arrangement."

It was talking about having dinner, but it was actually just referring to Gu Xiyan and Mrs. Gu. Duanniang was not qualified to eat at the table. The place to eat was at the square table in the middle of the room. Mrs. Gu was at the head and Gu Xiyan was at the On her right side, there is only a little girl serving dishes, with green eyes and delicate hands and feet, who is about fifteen or six years old, her name is Ye'er.The dishes are very simple, one pork belly roasted lettuce, one fried cabbage, one fried water chestnut, a bowl of three delicacies soup with egg skin vermicelli and lean meat, and a bowl of white rice to serve, the taste is just like the way Gu Xiyan eats side stall.

She was motion sick in the afternoon, and because she was a little nervous about seeing little Gu Xiyan's family, she had no appetite at all, and she couldn't eat after a few mouthfuls, but Mrs. Gu ate with relish.Seeing that Gu Xiyan only ate a few mouthfuls, she smiled slightly and didn't say anything, which made Gu Xiyan very embarrassed, and explained: "I, I'm a little motion sick!"

Mrs. Gu smiled and nodded, and said: "Then don't force it, I'll ask Ye'er to bring you some sour plum soup later, and I'll prepare some sesame cakes for you as a midnight snack."

Gu Xiyan hurriedly thanked Mrs. Gu.

After dinner, Mrs. Gu personally sent Gu Xiyan out, and Nanny Song carried a lantern to send Gu Xiyan and Duanniang back to Wuyuan where they lived.

Wuyuan is not far from the Shouyuan where Mrs. Gu lives. Go out the door and turn right onto a tree-lined path, and you will arrive within 20 meters.Two small red lacquered doors, a fan-shaped black plaque on the lintel, and two small gilt characters "Wuyuan" are written in official script.

Push the door and go in, there is a small courtyard.There are three large rooms in the middle of the yard, each with a small side room. Beside the steps on the third floor, there are two thick trees with dense branches and leaves covering the roof like umbrellas. There are two wing rooms on the left and right. , are all red-painted floor-to-ceiling columns, bluestone slabs, red-painted lattice windows with white linen, and they are clean and tidy.

The big red lanterns hanging under the eaves were all lit, illuminating the courtyard brightly, the boxes in the main room were all open, and Hengyue was taking Mo Ju and the others to get things out.

Duanniang sighed, and asked: "Sister Song, don't take it too seriously, I just want to ask, so the girl has been living in Jingxiu Garden, why did she suddenly change to Wuyuan?"

Nanny Song said with a smile: "Sister, I don't know. Four years ago, Auntie Cui Baoyi from Jiangnan County came to Beijing to open a women's school. She fell in love with Jingheyuan, where the concubine and empress lived. She invited Master Fang to tell the master, Aunt Cui's women's school has been booming in Beijing for the past two years, and she wanted to expand the garden. Jingxiu Garden is right next to Jinghe Garden. The two houses used to be in the same yard. After half a year of dawdling with Madam, Madam had no choice but to rent Jingxiu Garden to Aunt Cui. The second girl wanted to come back, and Madam murmured for a long time, but she signed a five-year contract with Aunt Cui. It's not easy to evict people before the due date, so I have to feel wronged and wronged by the second girl, after the new year, the Liuting by the Yuanxiang Lake is due, and I will talk to my wife when the time comes, it would be good to move there!"

Duanniang was startled when she heard this, and said, "Could it be that Liu Ting was also rented out to someone else?"

Nanny Song said: "It's Aunt Qin Qing from the south of the Yangtze River. She specializes in teaching silk strings, and she wanted an open place. She took a letter from her natal sister-in-law, and she had nothing to do. However, it was agreed that it would only be rented for one year. It will be moved after a year. It will expire in winter."

Duanniang's face turned green when she heard this: "The majestic Hanlin Mansion actually..."

Mother Song was a little unhappy when she heard what Duanniang said, and said: "My sister is not in charge of the house, because she doesn't know that firewood, rice, oil and salt are expensive. Such a big Hanlin Mansion, where there is no need to spend money. You don't know, when our girl enters the door, There is not even a tael of silver in the tent, if the girl hadn't come out with the dowry, the whole house would be drinking the autumn wind!"

Duanniang was so embarrassed that she faltered and couldn't say anything.

Thinking that Gu Xiyan was troubled by vacating a house before crossing, but looking at this courtyard, it is surrounded by green belts, a single courtyard, tall and spacious... Gu Xiyan liked it at first glance, and she liked it very much, very satisfied.Seeing that the two people were a little unhappy talking about the house, she hurriedly said: "Nurse Song, no, no, I think this place is very good, I like it very much. There is no need to move, I will live here from now on!"

Nanny Song became happy when she heard this, and said, "Second Miss is really crystal-hearted, she is considerate in her actions and words." Of course, her words were a bit exaggerated to flatter her, and Gu Xiyan would not take it seriously.

After comforting Nanny Song, Gu Xiyan yawned at Duan Niang: "Duan Niang, my bones were almost torn apart by the bumping of the carriage..."

When Nanny Song heard this, she knew the sound and left immediately.

Duanniang sighed, "I didn't expect the Gu family to..."

Gu Xiyan wondered, "How did we live in Shuzhou?"

Duanniang gave a "hmm" and looked at Gu Xiyan in puzzlement.

Gu Xiyan explained: "Where does the living expenses come from?"

"Living expenses?" Duanniang pondered, "The girl asked about monthly bills, right?"

Gu Xiyan nodded.

Duanniang settled accounts with Gu Xiyan: "When I first went to Shuzhou, the master gave 500 taels, and the eldest girl secretly gave 500 taels of banknotes, and the total was 1000 taels. It cost more than 100 taels on the way back to Shuzhou. Later, when I arrived in Shuzhou, the master gave me 200 taels a year. In the first few years, the girl was young and had no expenses, so I saved a few. In the past few years, I have added a few girls, and the girl still has some rouge and gouache, so there is no savings. Now I have There are more than 300 taels of silver."

Gu Xiyan asked: "How much is a house in Shengjing!"

Duanniang said: "It's only two or three hundred taels!"

Gu Xiyan was a little surprised, and blurted out: "It's so cheap!"

Duanniang laughed and said, "Where is Shengjing? At the foot of the Son of Heaven, the really good place is the ancestral property, and you can't buy it with money. The houses outside Buzhengfang are in a worse location, and they are worth two or three hundred taels a piece." .”

Gu Xiyan didn't understand what she was talking about about Buzhengfang, so she didn't want to ask in depth, for fear of showing her feet.Said: "Just tell me, what can we do with more than 300 taels of silver!"

Duanniang smiled lightly: "What can you do, you can help the little gang, and use it until the girl gets married off smoothly!"

Now Gu Xiyan was startled.

Hengyue and the others had already found out that Duanniang was back, and they all stepped forward to say hello.

Gu Xiyan was indeed a little tired, she washed up and went to bed, Hengyue and the others were still packing up, Gu Xiyan told Mo Ju: "Wake me up early in the morning, I have to go to say hello to my mother."

(End of this chapter)