Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 15 Meeting Cao Xueqin for the First Time

Mai Xiang didn't sleep well that night, and Ye Dafu, who was next door, patiently warned and exhorted Mrs. Zhao that the matter of family separation must never be mentioned again. As the eldest son and the pillar of the family, he had the responsibility to share the worries of his parents, and he also had the responsibility to take care of his younger siblings. Raise them and let them marry and start a family.

"Father and mother said that when the younger sister leaves the cabinet, the family will be divided. You have to endure it for a few more years, and I will let you live a good life in the future."

Mrs. Zhao muttered, but Mai Xiang didn't hear clearly. What she thought was that when Jiufeng got married, she should get married too. She didn't have the patience to spend time with this big family.

Originally, she thought that if the family could be divided, she would stay.The family separated, with her assistance and Ye Dafu's craftsmanship, she believed that the family's life would get better soon, and there was no need for her to go wandering or wandering.

With her body of a ten-year-old girl, what can she do outside?Even if she can earn a family business, but she is a lonely little girl, can she keep this family business?You must know that this is a feudal society, and there are many harsh restrictions on women. She doesn't know these rules very well, who knows if there will be any troubles?

But without separating the family, let her stay in this house, without enough food and clothing all year round, she can't accept such a life.

Mai Xiang fell asleep drowsily in the swing of walking and not walking.

When she woke up the next day, Ye Dafu had already brought Er Fu and San Fu into the mountains. This day, when she was not cooking at Mai Xiang's house, Mai Xiang wanted to go to the next door to see. She had been thinking about whether Cao Xueqin lived next door. .

"Mai Xiang, your second uncle went to the mountain with your father and third uncle early in the morning. You help second aunt chop and boil the root of the little sweet potato, and help second aunt feed the pigs? Second aunt is really too busy." Seeing Mai Xiang looking around in the yard alone, Qian asked tentatively, wanting to see if Mai Xiang really has eyes.

In the past, she often ordered Mai Xiang to work, as long as Mrs. Zhao did not interfere, Mai Xiang would help her, because Mai Xiang has always been a diligent child.But since Mai Xiang recovered from her illness, Qian found that Mai Xiang was not so active in doing her own family affairs, and every time she did something, she always pulled Mai Huang together.

"Second aunt, our family is not in a hurry to eat. It's the same if you feed the pigs first and then cook. My mother asked me to go to the next door. The wife next door saved my life. His aunt is heavy and there is no one in front of me. I'll go see if I can help."

This excuse was discussed by Mai Xiang with Mrs. Zhao early in the morning. Another excuse Mai Xiang used was to go to Cao’s house to learn needlework. You can also learn a little needlework for light housework, and you can also fully appreciate Mai Xiang's gratitude for the life-saving grace of your master.

Mai Xiang thought that she would not be able to leave for a while, no matter whether the other party was Cao Xueqin or not, she wanted to get closer to the other party and find an opportunity to let the wife of the master teach her how to read, otherwise, she had no reason to say that she could read .If you are illiterate and don't read books, you will definitely be handicapped in doing things.

"Hmph, if you don't help with family affairs, how can you help an outsider?" Qian shook the wooden spoon in his hand unhappily.

"Second Aunt, why is he an outsider? He is my savior!" After Mai Xiang finished speaking, she left the yard without looking at Qian's face.

The reason why Mai Xiang came here so early was that it would be inconvenient for Mrs. Cao's family to cook. She had already seen the smoke rising from the cooking next door from her own yard.

Mai Xiang walked into the yard next door, only to see a carriage still parked in the yard.Just when he was hesitating whether he should go in, the door curtain was lifted, and someone saw the guests out.

"Sir, please stop. My master said that after he has been busy for a while, he will definitely come to visit you."

"Okay, go back and say thank you for me."

The host didn't see Mai Xiang until the guests got into the carriage.

"Are you here?"

"Is my aunt at home? My mother asked me to see if I can help my aunt with some housework." Mai Xiang explained her reason for coming and looked at her.

He is a man in his 30s. Mai Xiang's first impression is that he has a big head, a dark complexion, a fat man, and he is not short. Judging from his clothes, he is indeed a bit down and out, but looking at the other person's eyes, he is still very handsome. Gentle and bright, without the kind of depression after being down and out.

"Your aunt is at home. You can go and see her. You don't need to help with the housework. A friend sent a nanny to take care of her confinement."

Mai Xiang followed him and lifted the curtain to enter the house, only to see a woman in her 40s busy at the stove.

When Mrs. Cao heard the movement, she opened the curtain, saw Mai Xiang, and said with a smile, "Did you come here, haven't you eaten yet? Come, come in and have a taste. This is a snack brought by someone else."

"No need, Auntie. My mother sent me to see if I can do something for you. Since I can't use it, I won't bother you." Mai Xiang knew that the condition of the other party's family was not good, so why would she eat other people's food?
"This child, you are more polite to my aunt." Mrs. Cao held Mai Xiang back.

The master pushed Mai Xiang in and said, "Talk, I'm in the next room, call me if you need something."

Mai Xiang saw a plate of dim sum on the kang table in the house, Cao wife picked up one and handed it to Mai Xiang, and Mai Xiang had to accept it.

While eating, Mai Xiang moved to the bed of the kang, because she found that today's manuscript was beside the pillow of the bed of the bed.Mai Xiang immediately picked up the manuscript, pretending to be surprised and asked: "Auntie can also read and write?"

At the moment of questioning, Mai Xiang glanced at the words on the manuscript, and sure enough, she saw the familiar words "Daiyu, Baoyu". Mai Xiang was excited and her hands trembled slightly.

Mai Xiang is not a real fan of red studies, but a real fan of Zhang Ailing. She has bought and read all of Zhang Ailing's books. Hate things, "One hates the prickly shad, the second hates the crabapple without fragrance, and the third hates the unfinished Red Mansion."

Because Mai Xiang read "A Nightmare in Red Mansions", she re-read "A Dream of Red Mansions", and also read the so-called fat commentary. To be honest, if she didn't read the comments, she would not be able to see the hidden puns in it. , She thinks she doesn't have Zhang's genius, but just a layman.

I remember that Zhang Ailing seemed to say that she really wanted to take a time shuttle, go back to the Qing Dynasty, and read "The Story of the Stone" written by Cao Xueqin. I didn't expect that Zhang Ailing would not come, but she, Ye Meng, would come and become neighbors with Cao Xueqin.

Mai Xiang felt silly thinking about it, she couldn't believe her luck, she secretly pinched her finger, it really hurt, it wasn't a dream.

Mai Xiang recalled the knowledge in her mind. If she remembered correctly, the person in front of her should be Cao Xueqin's second wife, Liu Huilan.

Seeing Mai Xiang staring at him in a daze, the other party smiled and said, "I can barely read a few words, and I'm tired of doing needlework, so I turned around."

"Then is this a book written by Mr.?" Mai Xiang continued to pretend to be naive, wanting to confirm further.

"Well, it's nonsense. Throw it away and eat two more snacks." The other party treats Mai Xiang like a real child.

"Auntie, can I ask your boudoir name?"

"why?"

"I don't think my name sounds good. The village is full of big girls. I don't know who to call when I come out. The name Mai Xiang is not good. My mother said that all the girls in the country have the same name. I know that my aunt is not from the country. , I want to know what my aunt's name is, does it sound nice?"

"I think Mai Xiang is pretty good, it's not unpleasant. My name is also average, Hui Lan."

"Liu Huilan? Is it really you?" Mai Xiang grabbed her hand excitedly.

"You knew me before?" Liu Huilan searched Mai Xiang's memory in her mind and shook her head.Besides, she didn't seem to say what her last name was, did she?

"No, I mean your name is really nice. After hearing your name, I really want to call you sister."

"Sister?" Liu Huilan patted Mai Xiang's head and smiled, "It's been a long time since I've been called my sister."

"If my sister likes me, please call me more. Don't call me Da Ya, call me Mai Xiang." Mai Xiang smiled and made a request.

Mai Xiang also knew that it was too abrupt for a ten-year-old girl to call a 30-year-old woman "sister", so she hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sister, I will just yell a few times, and I will definitely not yell when I go out." .”

"Come on, since you call me sister, let me teach you how to comb your hair. Look at your hair, it's loose." Liu Huilan took a wooden comb and began to comb Mai Xiang's hair.

Where does Mai Xiang comb this ancient Baotou?She just rolled it randomly, but fortunately, Mrs. Zhao is not meticulous and is often unkempt, so others don't take it seriously.

Seeing Liu Huilan brushing her hair, Mai Xiang thought for a while and asked, "Sister, can I come and stay with you for a while every day, there is no spring plowing, and there is no need to weed grass. I want to learn how to read and write with my sister My sister taught me how to embroider handkerchiefs, and I want to learn how to make money."

"Make money? What kind of money can a child like you make?"

"I can sell things. My mother is about to give birth to a younger brother. The mother said that I have no money to treat when I am sick, and I have to rely on my husband to help me. Therefore, I have to start learning to earn money. I can't let my family members get sick and have no money to treat them." Mai Liu Huilan was greatly moved by Xiang's words.

She is a person who has experienced many hardships, how can she not know the sorrow of the poor?Over the years, she wandered with Cao Xueqin, had nowhere to ask for advice, and suffered all kinds of stares from others, so she finally had to live in seclusion in this small mountain village.

Unexpectedly, a ten-year-old child knows how to plan for a rainy day and earn money to support the family. She will soon be a mother. What will happen to her child?So hungry and full?
"Okay, Mai Xiang, come on, auntie will teach you how to embroider, and when auntie finishes her confinement, auntie will also embroider something to sell." Liu Huilan said with her arms around Mai Xiang.

"Okay, from now on I will come to see my aunt every morning after dinner, and today I will go back first." Mai Xiang saw the nanny poking her head a few times, probably because breakfast is ready.

"Let's eat here today." Liu Huilan felt that Mai Xiang didn't look like a ten-year-old child, but she could feel that Mai Xiang had a good impression of her.

"No, my mother is still waiting for me." Mai Xiang waved her hands and hurried out.

(End of this chapter)