in spring

Chapter 15 Food Delivery
Chunying built the awning with her hands and looked at the sun in the sky. It was the time when the sun was very strong. When walking on the road, the wind was not strong, and her body was warm and very comfortable.She tightened the bamboo basket on her arm and quickened her pace.

Originally, children who were not on errands were not trapped in the mansion like those who were on errands. They could move freely, especially in the back streets of the Hou Mansion, where no outsiders lived, so there were often women walking back and forth. Just be careful not to bump into men. .For example, Liu Xi'er and Sister Feng Lian from the same hospital often wander around under the escort of the Liu family's children.

But Chunying just got seriously ill. Although it has been more than a month, Lu's mother is still not at ease, fearing that she will be weak after illness and will not be able to stand the wind, so she will be confined to the yard all day long.Sometimes Chunying wanted to sneak out to get some air while her mother was away, and there were at least ten eyes staring at her in the yard, so she couldn't hide it.She talked hard and exaggerated the pity of her father eating cold food to [-] points, and only then did she convince Lu's mother.Now that she was out of the courtyard and standing freely in the street, the idea seemed even more brilliant to her.

During the Lantern Festival last time, it was already evening when she went out, and she only had a rough look at the surrounding streets, and she went directly to the downtown from the back street.Going out in broad daylight today, the way she walked was different from that night. It turned from the back street to the avenue in front of the main gate of the Hou Mansion. There were many things she had never seen before.

In the backstreets that Chunying is used to seeing, apart from large and small houses, there is only a clothing store and a small grocery store selling oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar. Occasionally, hawkers bring meat, vegetables and other goods to sell, but there is nothing else.Unexpectedly, when I left the back street and turned into the avenue along the mansion wall, I found that there were countless shops there.There are [-] or [-] restaurants, restaurants, and teahouses that hang their signs outside, and two of them specialize in dim sum. In addition, most of the shops sell calligraphy and paintings, study rooms, antiques, jewelry, "Valuable" goods such as silk and satin are crowded with people.

The street here is about two or three feet wide, and there are many hawkers selling goods along the road. From time to time, people ride by on horses and carts, raising waves of dust, but the speed is not fast, and there is no such thing as a common appearance in costume dramas. The case of hawker goods.

But when Chun Ying saw a big carriage passing by, she couldn't help being surprised.The embroidered curtain of the beaded eaves of the carriage is very gorgeous, more than double the size of a normal carriage, and surrounded by dozens of entourages, it goes without saying that it must be the female relatives of officials and noble families traveling, but there is a strange thing about that carriage , that is - it has four wheels.

Chunying wondered: Did there be four-wheeled carriages in ancient China? !How could she remember that in the novel she had read before, there was a plot where the traveler "invented" a four-wheeled carriage?Is it because she is ignorant of history, or...is there someone else who transmigrated into this world?

She immediately remembered the almanac that she had flipped through a few pages when she was free in the morning. Because of her impatience, she couldn't figure out the meaning of those ancient texts, so she picked out the good and bad dates, the acupuncture points of the human body, the classification of objects, the questions and answers of Confucius, and the drawing of the Book of Filial Piety, etc. For the content, directly turn to the farming chapter with the most easy-to-understand text.

It is mentioned in it that the vernal equinox is the time when farmers sow and plant disasters, and the imperial court will hold a grand ceremony to worship the sun.During Taizong's time, he changed the etiquette system originally established by Emperor Taizu and simplified the procedure of offering sacrifices to the sun. However, it was stipulated that starting from him, each emperor had to preside over a sowing ceremony in person to show his emphasis on agriculture.During the ceremony, the emperor led ministers above the fourth rank and under the age of 60 to plant and water a piece of farmland, and spend a certain amount of time every month to look after it. Clan or meritorious officials are rewarded.

The book greatly praised the emperor, and also mentioned that during his reign, he attached great importance to farming. He not only encouraged all parts of the country to reclaim wasteland and build water conservancy, but also used the money from the internal treasury to dig many wells in the surrounding areas of the capital. Send people to plant trees along the Yellow River.He favored several ministers with great talents in water conservancy, and put great effort into controlling floods in various places every year. The Yellow River Dam built by him is still as strong as before 300 years later.

After reading this, Chunying was urged by her mother to go to work, but she still had doubts in her heart.If this Emperor Taizong is really so wise, he should be very famous in history.But the only promising emperor named "Taizong" she knew was the one from the Tang Dynasty. She was sure that she was not in the Tang Dynasty, so... did she fall into an empty dynasty?

It seemed that she had to read the almanac carefully to find out the answer.

While thinking wildly, she had already walked near the main entrance of the Hou Mansion.As soon as she saw the vermilion lacquered gate, she followed what her mother said and turned into a corner gate not far from the gate.This is the place where the servants of the Hou Mansion come and go.

The gatekeeper is an old man who looks to be in his 60s, wearing taupe short brown, gray blue cotton trousers, and a gray Liuhe hat, sitting on a horse tie against the gatepost, holding a small cupronickel pot in his hand , took a leisurely sip, and glanced at her: "Who is it? Look at the eyes."

Chunying smiled and went forward to salute: "Uncle Qiao, I am the daughter of the Lu family, and I am here to bring food to my father."

"Inside, the room on the left, don't run around." Old man Qiao took another sip and narrowed his eyes.Chunying hurriedly walked to the left.

This is actually a small rectangular courtyard, with a small door in the northeast direction leading to the outside, three houses in the north, and one on each side.People could be vaguely seen in the door, all men.Chunying walked into the room on the left. There were not many furnishings in the room. There was a half-old Eight Immortals table with a teapot and several cups, four benches, a charcoal basin in the corner, and a few horses beside it. Two strange men were stirring a few charcoal blocks to keep warm.My father was sitting at the Eight Immortals table, beating his waist and legs, and when he heard someone coming in, he raised his head and was startled: "Chun'er? Why are you here?"

"Mother was worried that Dad didn't have any hot food to eat, so she asked me to bring it here." Chunying smiled and put the basket on the table, leaned closer and whispered, "There are my scrambled eggs." It was because she was familiar with ancient kitchen utensils Finally, the best dish ever made.

The corners of Lu Yougui's mouth curled up slightly, but he scolded: "You two are so troublesome! It's as if I have nothing to eat here." He also asked his daughter to greet his colleagues.

The two men in the corner of the room were also the same as Lu Yougui, dressed in short brown top and bottom blue, and a Liuhe hat. One of them was about the same age as him, and the other was only in his twenties. They both smiled and accepted the ceremony. The younger He joked: "Lao Lu has raised a good daughter, and even brought hot meals here, unlike us, who can only eat cold pickles and steamed buns."

"Who wants to eat cold pickled steamed buns?" A voice suddenly came from outside the door, and then a young man came in. He had a few sparse beards, and his face was quite pale. Although he was wearing short brown clothes, he was wearing silk. Added a stone blue lu silk armor.

When the others saw him enter the door, they all laughed, stood up very cautiously and saluted, calling him "Master Wan Er".Seeing that her father had also stood up, Chunying hurriedly ducked behind him and lowered her head, pretending to be obedient.

Then Master Wan Er walked to the table with a smile, and said to Lu Yougui: "Your home delivered food? Not bad... What good food do you have?" After finishing speaking, before he could answer, he lifted the lid to cover the basket Looking inside, it turned out to be a plate of scrambled eggs, a plate of homemade pickled cucumbers, and a large bowl of steaming rice. There was no meat at all, but there was a small pot of crude rice. rice wine.

Lu Yougui showed a nervous look at first, but after seeing the dishes in the basket, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "It's just home-cooked dishes... Do you want to try Wan Erye?"

Then Wan Erye glanced at him contemptuously, and threw the thick cloth back casually: "No need, you can eat by yourself, drink less wine, you will miss the business!"

While talking, the people in the big kitchen brought over the lunch of the servant at the door, which consisted of two drawers of steamed buns, a large pot of pickles, and a bucket of white rice porridge.Except that the porridge bucket was still steaming, everything else was already cold.The servants gathered around one after another, and one of the young men complained in a low voice: "It's late again..." After being pulled by the people next to him, he shut up.

Wan Er walked out with a cold face, glanced at everyone, bent down to pick up a steamed bun, and said: "I just heard someone complain that we eat steamed buns with pickled vegetables, are you dissatisfied with the arrangement in the mansion? ?”

Everyone lowered their heads and lowered their hands, not daring to say a word, Wan Er continued to look at them and said: "This is white flour steamed buns! There is also hot white rice porridge! Do you know how many ordinary people out there can't even afford a little white flour?! The guy who doesn’t know how to be lucky in the blessing! The old lady, the marquis, the wife, and the masters of the mansion have done their best to us! Don’t complain there!” At this point, he changed his respectful look, He cupped his hands in the direction of the main courtyard of the Hou's Mansion: "The masters are sympathetic to us, we should smash our bodies to repay the kindness of the superior. I will remember all the cheating, rape and slippery things on weekdays, and if I commit any crimes in the future, I will report to Manager Wang. Get him out!"

Everyone answered "Yes" in unison, and they were all very respectful. Wan Er glanced at them proudly, then waved them to eat, and walked towards the corner door by himself. Whether he wanted to go to Dexilou or Sanhezhuang, Wan Er said casually, "The wine in Fengqilou is good, and the ducks are also cooked fat", and went out with the servant with his head held high.

Chunying stretched her neck to watch them leave, then turned her head and asked her father: "Father, who is that?" Lu Yougui smiled wryly: "It's the steward of our door." The younger servant next to him sneered: "It's the king. The son-in-law of the manager, what is it! He was just like us in the past, but now he has picked up money, not to mention embezzling our food money, and going to eat some ducks from Fengqilou..."

Another elderly servant stopped him with his eyes: "Forget it, stop gossiping, if someone gets to his ears, you will have to sweep the floor for another month."

The young servant looked annoyed, so Lu Yougui said, "Forget it, everyone knows it, why bother to take the risk?" He took out the food in the basket: "If you don't dislike it, I will eat these two home-cooked dishes. You share a little too?"

The elder servant hurriedly said: "This is not suitable, you don't have enough to eat yourself, how can you share it with us?"

"I eat the same thing as you guys every day, how can I be spoiled like this?" Lu Yougui picked up the jug with a smile, divided it into two empty teacups, and handed it to the two of them: "You guys should have a sip, too. It’s cold, it’s not like I can bask in the sun.” The two pushed a few words, and then happily accepted.

Chunying didn't say anything at the side, while serving her father for dinner, while trying to flatter them, seeing that they were about to go to work, she packed up her things and prepared to leave.The older servant owed Lu Yougui half a meal, and seeing Chunying's sweet mouth, he was happy, so he gave her a few candied lotus seeds that he originally bought for his own children.Chunying put the things away speechlessly, picked up the basket and went out, and her father's worried voice came from behind her.

At this time, it was past noon, and there were fewer pedestrians on the street, but I saw a shopkeeper yawning behind the counter.Chunying wandered back leisurely all the way, and just turned into the corner of the back street, when she saw someone lying on a tree by the side of the road, covering his face and crying bitterly.

She approached and took a closer look, and found that it was Nan Deng's daughter-in-law Hong Yu whom she had seen once on the night of the Lantern Festival.

(I applied for next month's PK yesterday, and now I am waiting for the review. When it is passed, please support me a lot~~~)
(End of this chapter)