The Red Mansion is so charming

Chapter 290
The gifts from the Wei family are all the latest things. In such a cold day, I don’t know where to find crispy cucumbers with top flowers and thorns, dried yellow croakers, juicy leeks, and a basket of lively prawns.

Jiang looked gloomyly at the people packing up their things, Sui'er persuaded with a bitter face: "This is the kindness of the third young lady, so let's accept it."

Mrs. Jiang spat: "What kindness, how could I be so generous as her? It turned out to be just some cheap things. If it was silk and satin, would she be willing to hand it over to the public? It's just selling favors to everyone, but I Don't eat this set."

Sui'er had no choice but to order someone to carry the things to the big kitchen immediately.In the evening Song Lian sent his three sons and daughter-in-law back to their yard, and only stayed at Mrs. Song's for dinner.I was very happy to see not only sour bamboo shoots and small cucumbers, but also white and plump dumplings stuffed with leeks.

"At the moment, the fresh vegetables on the hot spring village have been sold at sky-high prices. I heard that it is hard to buy even with silver!" The bamboo shoots are from Liuheju, and it will be more refreshing when paired with cucumbers."

Mrs. Song said with a smile: "The wife of the Wei family came to visit during the day and brought these seasonal vegetables. The third daughter-in-law personally brought the dumplings made by the maids in the kitchen. Our family used to eat a lot, but we never called out today. This taste. Even I like to eat it."

Song Lian gradually put down the bowls and chopsticks: "This year's weather is extremely cold, I don't know if it's another disaster year? In the early court, the emperor asked Qin Tianjian, and he probably had the idea of ​​releasing food for disaster relief."

Mrs. Song's complexion tightened, and she quickly asked in a low voice: "But I heard that the emperor plans to hold a lively Lantern Festival this year. In this way, if the victims of disasters flood into the capital, won't the emperor be slapped in the face?"

"That's why I didn't give up my capital and asked the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Officials to allocate money and food to neighboring towns for disaster relief. I heard what Long Live meant, and I seemed to be a little dissatisfied with the Ministry of Officials." Song Lian was the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, and the emperor was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Officials. dissatisfied.

Mrs. Song is really messed up now, Song Lian helplessly smiled: "A few years before the Supreme Emperor abdicated, he was also sympathetic to the suffering of the people, and embezzled his own life money to relieve disasters, but I didn't expect it."

Mrs. Song's expression was gloomy. Of course she remembered that incident. Later, if the current Emperor Xiaozong hadn't interceded for her husband, her husband's position as minister would have been lost.

It is said that if the water is clear, there will be no fish. These petty tricks in the officialdom are repeatedly banned, but as long as they are not excessive, the Supreme Emperor will open one eye and close the other.The Supreme Emperor likes to enjoy himself, and it is said that Lin Ruhai, his confidant and inspector of salt, is specially in the south of the Yangtze River to solicit money for the Supreme Emperor.

That year's disaster relief was really exploited layer upon layer, and the money that actually went to the people was almost zero.When refugees entered Beijing, they almost became bandits.

The Supreme Emperor was furious and took action to punish a group of officials, which was also cheap for Xiaozong. After he ascended the throne, he placed many important positions in his confidantes.

After that, disaster relief continued every year, but today the two ministries are rarely combined. Usually, the Ministry of Households transfers the money and grains and distributes them directly.

Mrs. Song took a chance and said: "There is still some time before the New Year. Although the snow is not light, it may not be sunny! At that time, we will follow the previous practice, the emperor will provide relief, so we will follow naturally and send people to Fahua Temple , Dayuan Temple, Guangyuan Temple Shemi, and keep a low profile during the New Year's Eve, so nothing will happen."

Song Lian nodded. Although his wife is not very shrewd, she often makes people disgusted by her confusion.But after all, they are husband and wife for decades, Mrs. Song still knows what he thinks in his heart.But there is one thing he still needs to be careful about.

"In the past, the eldest daughter-in-law presided over this matter. This year, let the two younger ones follow to see the world, so as not to panic in the future."

Mrs. Song had nothing to object to, and she even smiled happily: "Even if the master doesn't mention it, I still think so. Although the second daughter-in-law is clumsy, she doesn't shy away from work. I will work harder and teach you slowly in the future. But the third daughter-in-law is beyond my expectation, she is really capable. I secretly looked at it, fearing that the eldest daughter-in-law might not be able to catch up with a donkey."

Song Lian laughed loudly after hearing this: "If you say that, you think too much of the third daughter-in-law, but you also look down on the eldest daughter-in-law." Song Lian sighed softly: "If it's an ordinary family, the youngest daughter-in-law is too smart to quarrel. But now that the emperor opened Jinkou to let the young couple move out, we can only agree. The third room is gone, you are a mother-in-law, and you must not be biased just because Xiao Gao is a real niece, and let the eldest daughter-in-law feel awkward. It will be embarrassing for the brothers to meet in the future."

Mrs. Song said slowly: "I don't want to either, just pay attention in the future."

This snow disaster was not as optimistic as Mrs. Song thought, but fortunately, there was a lesson learned from the past, and the relief supplies from the imperial court were quickly distributed to the counties.The exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes in various places have also been reduced by half, and the emperor even ordered the household department to work overtime to settle the accounts. If the spring of next year, how many seeds can the court provide to lend to the people.

The porridge shed for disaster relief is also in full swing. Xiaozong ordered that all relatives of the emperor, hereditary nobles, and Beijing officials of the third rank or above must participate in the disaster relief.Mrs. Jiang was familiar with the road, and was about to order her confidants to buy rice, but Mrs. Song told her lightly and cleverly that she would bring her two sisters-in-law with her this year, so that the bride could also experience the family's behavior.

Jiang Shi didn't want it in her heart, and she lay down on the bed in anger as soon as she returned to the yard, no matter what her nanny and maid Sui'er said.

Jiang's nanny pulled Sui'er to the outside and whispered: "Grandma is unhappy, so it's okay for us to bear it. But with the third young mistress, we can't keep dealing with each other like this. In the long run, even if three The room has been moved out, but what about the holidays? Our grandma is a person who can't hold back, if something out of the ordinary is done, we slaves will suffer."

Sui'er wandered around in the outer room: "Then what does Mammy say?"

The nurse gritted her teeth: "I'll go talk to the third young lady."

Sui'er was startled: "Ma'am, what's the use of you going?" The nanny smiled: "I don't think Third Young Mistress is an unreasonable person. I moved it with emotion and reason, and hope that Third Young Mistress will see our grandma a lot in the future." It's the worst thing to take a step back, and don't join hands with Erfang to run on our grandma?"

Two little maids outside ran in in a panic: "Nurse, sister Sui'er, the third young lady is here."

The wet nurse hurriedly took back the words she was about to reprimand the little maids, and asked one of them carefully: "Be clear, did the third young lady send someone, or?"

"Hey, Mommy, how can I get this wrong? It's indeed the Third Young Mistress herself, with five or six maidservants!"

Sui'er looked at the nurse in fright, her first thought was that the third young mistress came with bad intentions.The nurse glared at Sui'er: "Look at what you're making a fuss about, go and help grandma wash and dress up first, and I'll go after her."

If you don't lose, you can't let Xing see his grandma's dejected appearance.

Jiang's nanny greeted her out of the gate with a smile, and gave Xing Xiuyan a big gift from a long distance away.Xiuyan smiled and said: "I heard that sister-in-law is not feeling well, I'm coming from madam to see sister-in-law."

Jiang's wet nurse personally helped Xiuyan up the steps: "Third young lady, don't worry. Our grandmother got up early and suffered from dizziness. Hey, after all, who will put the family's affairs on whose shoulders? Don't stop for a moment."

Xiuyan patted Jiang's wet nurse's hand: "I know it well in my heart, so I feel more sorry for my sister-in-law. I wanted to help her and add a helping hand, but I am a stupid one, and I will cause more trouble."

Jiang's wet nurse thought to herself: Third Young Mistress, if you call yourself stupid, I'm afraid the entire back house of Shangshu Mansion will be full of idiots.

In the inner room, Mrs. Jiang had already got up and dabbed some rouge and gouache indiscriminately before she dared to come out to see Xing Xiuyan.

"The third younger sibling is a rare visitor. You usually go to the second younger sibling's place, but you seldom come to me."

Hearing these words, the wet nurse and Sui'er were filled with helplessness, the grandma is really serious, she hurts people when she speaks, at least she should keep her affection!
Xiuyan just laughed it off, and turned to Jiang Shi coldly and warmly: "When I went back last night, the third master reprimanded me, saying that I don't know how to be considerate to my sister-in-law, and I count on my sister-in-law to come forward for everything, and I sit back and enjoy the benefits. It's outrageous. Now I regret it. Fortunately, my mother-in-law is willing to ask me and my second sister-in-law to make up for it. When it comes to opening a porridge shop for disaster relief, my second sister-in-law and I must always put my sister-in-law first. We will do what you tell us to do. .”

Jiang looked at Xing Xiuyan for a while, then suddenly smiled: "Sisters and sisters, please don't talk to me against your will!"

"Look at what my sister-in-law said, how dare I coax you!"

Jiang clapped her hands: "Alright, I'm just worried that no one will ask for advice."

Jiang sneered, she would be a fool not to take advantage of the door-to-door delivery.Didn't Xing Xiuyan want to kiss her mother-in-law to please her?Don't you want to be good in front of yourself?Then let her suffer a little bit, not only let her take the money, but also make her suffer so much that she can't tell!
Mrs. Jiang said with a smile: "I heard that the third younger siblings were also in charge of the house when they were in the Xing Mansion. Naturally, I know that there are no small things in this family. The firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea sound like small things, but which ones don't cost money? Now it's New Year's Eve. It was already ridiculously expensive, but the emperor suddenly asked each family to provide rice relief, where did the rice come from?"

Xiuyan smiled lightly: "I heard from my mother-in-law that our family used to store some rice in the village in the past to prevent such emergencies. Although the emperor is in a hurry, it is not difficult to call out three hundred stones."

Mrs. Jiang looked at Xing Xiuyan with strange eyes as if she had heard some joke: "It's easy for the third sibling to say, let's not say that the rice on the village is all old rice, and there is nothing left after removing the rice husks. Finally The important thing is that my brothers and sisters don’t know. We have rules for opening porridge shops for disaster relief in the capital. We cook a big pot of sticky rice porridge. Put the chopsticks straight into the pot and it’s fine if it stands upright. Otherwise, it’s a crime of deceiving the emperor. Those There was a prince in the year, and there was still a concubine at home. What happened? Because her porridge shed was so clear and watery, not to mention standing up chopsticks, even rice grains were hard to see. But his family was unlucky, and met The Taishang Huang who visited privately in a micro-service, disappeared with a click of the guillotine. Naturally, that empress was thrown into the cold palace, and she will never be favored again for the rest of her life."

Xiuyan leaned forward slightly, and tentatively said: "What does the sister-in-law mean?"

　I don’t know if anyone still remembers the big CCTV drama "The Granary of the World". When Xiao He wrote this chapter, he still had a deep impression. Did he go to high school or junior high school?In short, it was very popular at that time~~ I like the classic plot in it

　　
　
(End of this chapter)