Chronicle of Farming in Muxianfu

Chapter 41 Buying
"Sister, I'm here." At this moment, someone shouted crisply at the door, and then walked in quickly.Mu Ai recognized that it was Shuan Shuan's voice, her face softened immediately, and she directly beckoned her to sit on the couch.Today, Shuan Shuan tied her maids with gouache ribbons, and changed into a grass-green double-breasted jacket with a moon-white butterfly skirt. In this winter, no matter how you look at it, she looks as fresh as a green onion. Ling, exceptionally refreshing.

Mu Ai raised her hand and poured her a cup of tea, and said with a smile, "It's only a few steps from the small gate, why did it take so long, could it be that she was being scolded by grandma again?"

Shuan Shuan was told something embarrassing by her sister, her face turned red, and she shook her arm resolutely, "My sister will laugh at me, you don't know how demanding grandma is, my fingers are all pierced, and she said that I embroidered Lotus is not good."

Mu Ai grabbed her fingers and looked at them one by one. There were indeed a few small needle holes on the middle finger, but it was still too early to prick her, so she didn't pierce her. Instead, she smiled and coaxed her, "Okay, Well, my Shuan Shuan has suffered a lot, let's cook with my sister at noon, my sister will teach you how to cook delicious food, and when you get married in the future, even if you are not a good girl, at least you will have good cooking skills to support your appearance!"

When Shuan Shuan heard her sister mention the word "marriage", her little face flushed with embarrassment. She wanted to refute but didn't know what to say, so she lowered her head and pretended to ignore it.In the past, she was pampered by her grandma, so she had little contact with these things, and her mind was very simple. In the past month, she slept with her sister every night. Mu Ai was afraid that she would suffer under the hands of her stepmother in the future, so she often explained some truths to her before going to bed, slowly Slowly, she will be more sensible.

Mu Ai patted her on the head with a smile and said, "Tomorrow my sister will ask the housekeeper to go shopping in the city. If you and grandma are still missing something, tell my sister so that I can get someone to buy it together."

Shuan Shuan heard her talk about the business, and forgot to be ashamed. He thought about it carefully, and then said, "There is nothing missing. I still have the embroidery thread and cloth that my sister gave me last time. There is a lot of food, and my sister Sending food over every day, there is no need to turn on the stove.”

The little girl spoke in an orderly manner, and Mu Ai patted her head lovingly.I forgot which book I read before said that storms and crises are the path to growth.Now that I think about it, it really makes sense, in just one month, Shuan Shuan completely lost her original innocent innocence, and gradually looked like a grown girl.

"Are you still scared at night? Elder sister sent a little girl to sleep outside your room to keep you company at night."

Shuan Shuan's eyes lit up immediately when he heard this, and he was a little happy in his heart. If he could keep Xiao Qing and Xiao Miao and the others company with him, he would have someone to play with him at night. His eyes immediately dimmed again, and he whispered, "No need, sister, I'm not afraid."

Mu Ai raised her eyebrows slightly, and didn't force her, she changed the subject, "Sister is about to write a list, you go to Xiaoqing and Xiaomiao to talk to them first, and after my sister finishes making arrangements here, let someone call you."

"Okay, Xiaoqing said yesterday that she wants me to teach her how to turn the rope." Shuan Shuan agreed with a smile on his face.

Xiao Qing was one of the two little girls bought back at the time. At that time, Mu Ai was named Xiao Qing, Xiao Miao and Xiao An together with the youngest daughter of Housekeeper Guo.Because among the three of them, she is the more lively and active, so Shuan Shuan Zhuan played very well with her during the month he came here.

After Shuan Shuan left, Mu Ai began to order Chun Equinox to write the list, "Spring Equinox, start to write down. I need to add [-] catties of fine noodles and [-] catties of mutton to the small kitchen. If I can meet a beef seller, I will also buy [-] catties. I also bought one or two hundred catties of lamb spine and pork thigh bones. Let’s keep a few dozen catties here, and let the big kitchen cook the rest every night. As for other oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, just write it down depending on how much is missing in the autumn equinox. gone."

The autumnal equinox was grinding the ink, and when I heard that only these were added, I raised my head and interjected, "Ma'am, it seems that there are not many vegetables and eggs."

Mu Ai remembered her favorite salted duck eggs, and said, "Then add three hundred more eggs, and if there are duck eggs, I will buy three hundred. As for the vegetables, I don't need them, I have my own plan. Oh, right , buy another [-] catties of soybeans and [-] catties of mung beans and come back. Order a few boards of tofu... Forget it, the tofu shop must be very busy now, let's do it ourselves. Do you know that there is a medicinal powder called gypsum in the city pharmacy? sell?"

"Gypsum?" Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox looked at each other, and Autumn Equinox frowned carefully, and asked uncertainly, "Madam is talking about stone powder, which has the effect of clearing away heat and cooling down, promoting body fluid and quenching thirst in medicine. It smells like this."

"Well, almost, the stone powder should be gypsum. Ask the housekeeper to buy half a catty, and another two hundred catties of soybeans, and we will make tofu ourselves. It is best if we can buy cabbage in the village, so as not to have to transport it back from the city trouble."

Chun Equinox carefully wrote down each stroke, looked up at Madam, and waited for her to continue.

"In terms of clothes, I don't need to add more materials. Everyone in the mansion, let the housekeeper buy ready-made clothes directly in the embroidery shop for the cotton-padded clothes and cotton-padded shoes of the men. Each person has two clothes. Let each person make two cotton-padded clothes, and the fabric can be chosen." Softer cotton cloth. Ladies do it by themselves. You can choose the color of the material, cotton, and embroidery thread as you like. Forget it, let the winter solstice go with the car tomorrow, and bring your usual small clothes, makeup boxes, etc. , Embroidery needle scissors and rouge gouache and so on. I don’t like these on weekdays, and I can’t think of adding them to you. When the two bolts of good silk and satin come back, I also make two cotton-padded clothes for the old lady and young lady of the West Courtyard, ready to wear during the Chinese New Year."

Chun Equinox is the most stable temperament among the four maidservants, but, after all, she is still a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old, how could she not like new clothes, now the madam has two clothes for each of them, and she can choose the color she likes, as well as embroidery thread He Yanzhi was very happy in her heart, although her face was still calm, but the slightly raised corners of her mouth revealed her mood, but Qiufen had already grinned.

Seeing them so happy, Mu Ai also had a smile on her face. "From now on, in the mansion, each person will be given two sets of new clothes each season. As for daily necessities, the four of you should think about it on the spring equinox, make a detailed charter, and then purchase and add according to it. Save it like this time It’s the same, it’s snowing and I haven’t bought any cotton clothes yet.”

"Yes, ma'am." The three maidservants responded in unison with beaming smiles.

"Okay, call Shuan Shuan back, it's time for us to cook. By the way, let Aunt Guo come too." Mu Ai got up as she spoke, and asked Chun Equinox to dig out a few crab shell green linen aprons that she had prepared earlier. The autumn equinox went to the small kitchen, and the summer solstice happily went out to find someone, and by the way told everyone the good news that new cotton clothes would be distributed.

(End of this chapter)