Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 29 Cao Xueqin's biological father

After listening to Jiufeng's words, Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Sun simply entered the house, and also looked at the big lock on the box on the kang.

Sun said with a smile: "Mother, I told you this morning, the eldest brother looks honest and honest, maybe he has been hiding his secrets for a long time, how much money Mai Xiang can earn as a child, is it because the eldest brother earns it from somewhere in private? "

"That's right, mother, we must ask about this matter. We are honest and honest, and we have never hidden our selfish intentions." Qian hurriedly added.

"You two are talking nonsense again. This money is really earned by a big girl. When did our child's father hide his selfish intentions? Mom, you know best. You old man must say something fair." Zhao became popular again. Face.

"My eldest daughter is now learning needlework and reading from the lady from the master's house next door. She can recognize a lot of characters, count, and calculate accounts. She is smart." Seeing that everyone didn't believe it, Zhao added another sentence.

"Mother, this is true. Just now Da Ya took twenty copper coins to teach Er Ya a few small counting and arithmetic. My fifth brother and my eighth brother and I are listening here. Da Ya is indeed different. People who have studied feel so different." Jiufeng distinguished a few words for Mai Xiang.

"What is this? My eldest sister is the only one who can speak well." Mai Huang said halfway, then hurriedly covered his mouth, shook his head, with an expression that I didn't say anything.

"Mai Huang, tell me, why is your eldest sister so good at speaking?" Mrs. Sun coaxed Mai Huang.

Mai Huang still covered her mouth and shook her head.

At first, Mrs. Liu just wanted to know what Mai Xiang was doing, and didn't mean to embarrass the elders. Seeing Mrs. Sun and Mrs. Qian staring at the copper lock all the time, she was going to stir up something. There is no benefit for the elders.

In any case, Mai Xiang was able to earn money, which was a help to the elders, and she couldn't bear to see these children wearing tattered old clothes all year round.

It was agreed at the beginning that the money earned by the women of each family will be their own, so they will buy their own clothes for the four seasons of the year.

Mrs. Liu is as clear as a mirror in her heart. If the money earned by the winter women's embroidery is collected, the two daughters-in-law will definitely find all kinds of excuses not to do it. It's better to let them collect it themselves and take care of one thing. In this case , They are willing to do it themselves, and they have the heart to do it.

The Zhao family doesn't know how to embroider, and the old family can't earn a lot of money by weaving straw sandals all year round, so Mai Xiang and the others haven't worn new clothes for many years, they are all Jiufeng's old clothes. , Mai Huang then gave it to Mai Qing. In the end, the clothes were all patched and patched, and the original color could not be seen.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Liu said: "The second and third family, you have also heard that the money was earned by Da Ya, as for how Da Ya earned it, don't worry about it, anyway, it has nothing to do with your elder brother. Let's all go out, I've been making noise for a long time, and I have a headache again."

Mrs. Liu lifted the curtain and went out while rubbing her head.

After Mrs. Liu went out, Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Sun saw Mrs. Zhao glaring at them angrily, and probably couldn't ask any questions, so they had to get up and leave.

Besides, Mai Xiang ran to the next door, Liu Huilan was lying on the kang humming, the mother-in-law was heating hot water outside, Mai Xiang took a towel and wiped Liu Huilan's body.

"Auntie, don't use too much force for now, just save yourself some effort, the mother-in-law will be here soon, it's okay, you will give birth to a fat boy safely." In order to comfort Liu Huilan, Mai Xiang told Liu Huilan in advance The child is the son.

"You, how do you know it's your son?" Liu Huilan twitched the corners of her mouth, unable to smile even if she wanted to.

"Guess, didn't my aunt also say that your fetal appearance is a boy? If my aunt doesn't believe me, don't you believe my aunt? My aunt has given birth to eight sons, so she must have experience." Mai Xiang accompanied He talked and laughed with Liu Huilan while massaging her body.

Mai Xiang only watched the process of giving birth on TV, and knew that someone would be by her side at this time, so that the spirit of the mother would not be too nervous, so that giving birth would be easier.

"Sir, is sir home?" A man shouted from outside.

"The two masters are here, and the husband is going out. Grandma's tire is moving. Please, please ride a horse and go find the husband." The woman outside said.

"Okay, okay, stay here and take care of her with all your heart, and we'll go out and find someone."

After hearing this, Mai Xiang lifted the curtain and came out, and saw that the other party was actually two Dunmin and Duncheng brothers. When they saw Mai Xiang, they were both taken aback.

"You two ride horses, one goes to find Mr., and the other goes to Changning Town. My father hired a donkey cart to find Mrs. Wen. I'm sure not as fast as you on horseback. The most important thing is to pick Mrs. Wen up." Mai Xiang ordered, The matter was urgent and human life was at stake, so she didn't care to avoid suspicion.

After Mai Xiang finished speaking, she went into the house again, and accompanied Liu Huilan. About [-] minutes later, Dun Min brought Mrs. Wen back.

After Mrs. Wen entered the door, she pushed Mai Xiang out first, and let her go in to serve her. Mai Xiang didn't dare to leave, and Dun Min didn't dare to leave either. The two stayed outside the yard.

"Girl, who are you?" At first, Dun Min thought that Mai Xiang was the newly bought maid of the Cao family, but then she felt that something was wrong. If it was a maid, why would she go to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha to sell things that day, and she seemed to mention her father just now.

"I am a neighbor next door, and Mr. Cao once saved my life."

"Have you studied?"

"I learned how to read and write with my wife for a few days."

"What will you do?" Dun Min looked at Mai Xiang. This is also a poor man, poorer than her husband's family. It's a pity. Listening to her talk that day, I have some insight.

"What will I do?" The question was too general, and Mai Xiang didn't understand the meaning of the other party for a while.

"I saw you selling things the other day. It seemed like some kind of flower basket. You can weave these?"

"Oh, no, my father made it up, and I'll sell it. In addition, there are wall shoes, which are wall shoes hanging on the wall." Mai Xiang explained what wall shoes are.

Just as Dun Min was about to say something, Dun Cheng came back with Cao Xueqin. At this moment, a baby's cry came from the room.

"Hui Lan, Hui Lan." Cao Xueqin was excited, and was about to rush in when Dun Cheng held her back.

"Sir, you can't go in yet."

The mother-in-law came out and said with a smile, "Congratulations sir, grandma gave birth to a fat boy."

"Really?" Cao Xueqin wept with joy.

"Great, great, you finally have a wife now, but unfortunately, the old lady didn't wait until this day." Dun Cheng's eye circles seemed to be red as well.

"I also have a child, God, I have a child, I have a child, grandma, do you hear that? I also have a child, you have a child." Cao Xueqin looked up to the sky and sighed, tears streaming down her face.

After hearing this, Mai Xiang thought about it carefully, and felt that Cao Xueqin should be Cao Yong's son, otherwise, why would he only mention his grandmother instead of his parents?
Cao Yin only has one son, Cao Yong, so Cao Yin's wife earnestly hoped that Cao Xueqin would have a son to continue Cao Yin's bloodline. Ten percent.

Cao Xueqin got Lin'er in her thirties, which was indeed a bit late in ancient times. Most people at this age are almost grandfathers.So it was no wonder that Cao Xueqin was so excited.

At this moment, Mai Xiang thought of that damn acne, in what year did it happen?
In my impression, when Cao Xueqin died, according to Zhang Yiquan, the private school teacher, "he died before the age of fifty", there should be more than ten years left, what can Mai Xiang do?

"What are you thinking?" Seeing Mai Xiang thinking hard about some difficult problem, Dun Min felt that this ten-year-old girl was weird everywhere, so she thought of teasing her.

"Ah I..."

Before Mai Xiang could finish speaking, Ye Dafu asked at the gate of the courtyard, "Auntie, how is your aunt?"

"Father, my aunt gave birth to an older son, mother and child are safe." Mai Xiang knew that she could not be of much help if she stayed, so she followed Ye Dafu home.

Passing by the two tied horses in the yard, Mai Xiang wondered if she had made a mistake. This duncheng dunmin could afford horses, so he should not be a poor person.

After Mai Xiang left, Dun Cheng and Dun Min also bid farewell to Cao Xueqin later, and it was not suitable for them to stay at this time.

Ye Dafu followed his friends into the mountains early in the morning when the Cao family's children were in their third year.

Mai Xiang didn't expect that there were quite a few people who came to wash the children of the Cao family, and there were three or four carriages parked in the yard of the Cao family.

Mai Xiang entered the courtyard next door after the carriage left, and when she was entering, she heard Cao Xueqin and Liu Huilan say something, "Since my cousin left, this relative is just like this, and this cousin is another stepwife, who can How sympathetic is it?"

"Who says it's not? His family is not bad now, but the cousin of the second aunt's family is really speechless. The old man entrusted him with no one. It's a pity that the old man's books are in vain." Liu Huilan said.

The room was silent for a while, and later, Liu Huilan continued:

"Unfortunately, this child came late. The prince didn't see that you had a son. It has been three years since he left. If the prince was still here, we wouldn't be in such a difficult situation." Liu Huilan's voice was a little choked up.

At this time, Mai Xiang understood that the prince Liu Huilan was talking about referred to Pingjun Wang Fupeng, the eldest son of Cao Xueqin's aunt. From Liu Huilan's point of view, he took good care of Cao Xueqin, but it was a pity that he passed away three years ago.

Cao Xueqin also had an aunt who also married a prince. Before the Cao family was confiscated, Cao Fu had transferred Cao Yin's books to the second aunt's house, but unfortunately the second aunt's son refused to admit it.

When Mai Xiang was hesitant to go in, the old woman lifted the curtain and came out to pour water, so Mai Xiang had to follow her into the house.

(End of this chapter)