Chang Anqing

Chapter 215
In a blink of an eye, half of March has passed.On this day, the warm sun outside the window is still there, and the melodious song of the oriole adds to the joy.Niannu came in with a cup of sweet soup, and looked at Li Suizheng, who was dressed in light yellow embroidered mandarin duck and auspicious patterns, a skirt with duck eggs and green lotus petals, a maiden bun, and a silver gilt flower pattern headdress. Sitting on the Hu bed, frowning and embroidering the handkerchief in his hand, the serious and serious look between his brows, it seems that what he is twisting in his hand is not a needle and thread, but a peerless chess book that takes a lot of thinking.

"Princess, drink some sweet soup to moisten your mouth—"

Niannu came forward with a tray with a smile, put down a cup of steaming sweet soup inside, added a silver spoon, and looked at the flower frame in Li Sui's hand.

I saw that my princess is still embroidering this last Xipa. The handkerchief is made of high-quality Shu brocade. The pattern of dragon and phoenix showing auspiciousness and wishfulness is very lifelike. Finally, the tassels on the corner of the handkerchief are also like a finishing touch. They don't look cumbersome but add to the playfulness of the daughter's family, but only the eyes of the dragon and the phoenix, the princess of her own family has been unable to sew the needle for a long time, always embroidered with a little After tearing it apart, it has been repeated so far, but the eyes are still empty.

"After all, there is still half a month left, and the princess is not in a hurry. Drink some soup to rest your eyes, and don't stay up."

Hearing the consolation from Yu Nu standing beside him, Li Sui put down the stretcher in his hand with some compromise, and the moment he raised his head, Geng Sheng shook his neck helplessly, then took a sip of the sweet soup Nian Nu handed him Sweet but not greasy, just relieved the fatigue all over, and finally opened his eyebrows comfortably.

"Bao Niangzi Shannvhong, if there is Bao Niangzi at the princess' side to give you some pointers, this Xipa will not be a problem."

Li Sui, who had taken another sip of the sweet soup, heard Nian Nu grunting beside him, thought silently, and his eyes lit up.

That's right, since there is a ready-made master, why worry about it here by yourself.

Thinking of this, Li Sui put down the sweet soup in his hands, and while tidying up the needles and threads in his hands, he ordered aloud: "Yu Nu, go get someone to prepare the car, let's go to the Taiwei's Mansion."

Hearing that the princess said that the wind is the rain, Niannu couldn't help hesitating and said: "Princess, you are waiting to get married in the mansion now, why don't we send a post to invite Mrs. Bao—"

"Baoying is in charge of the Taiwei's mansion now, unlike idlers like you and me."

Before Niannu finished speaking, Li Sui shook his head and twisted the silk thread in his hand, "If you go to invite her, it's inevitable that she will put down all the affairs in her hands and make trouble for me. It's up to you and me." They all grew up in the Taiwei's Mansion, and they are not strangers. You just send someone to prepare the carriages and horses, keep a low profile, let's just go through the back door, put on the veiled hats and so on, and then go to Ah Just say yes, it’s okay.”

After listening to Li Sui's words, Nian Nu naturally felt that it was reasonable. In addition, the taboos against her daughter's family were not so strict at the time, so Nian Nu stopped persuading her.

On this side, Yu Nu went to prepare the chariots and horses in person, and Nian Nu had already mentioned it to Li Zhang in person.

Li Zhang smiled when he heard this, and didn't take it as an important matter. He knew that his daughter had always had ideas, so he didn't stop her. Anyway, the Yang family and the Li family were close, and they went to Xun Baoying to hand over the handkerchief. It's just a good time to relax in the past, it's better than embroidering things locked in the room every day.

Under the protection of the hidden guards, Li Sui brought Nian Nu and Yu Nu to the back door of the Taiwei Mansion. When the gatekeeper saw the familiar carriage, he immediately opened the door and ushered him in. According to etiquette, Li Sui Naturally, it is unavoidable to visit my aunt Li. Li, who was about to take a nap, was surprised and happy when she saw Li Sui. Because the aunt and nephew hadn't seen each other for a long time, they had to talk a lot at this time. It was nothing more than Li Sui's pre-marriage. How is the preparation, what is going on in the Duke's Mansion, and how is Queen Yang doing in Yuqingguan.

After talking for a while, Li Sui knew that Mrs. Li was always going to take a nap at this time, so she got up first and said with a smile: "I just sleep now, let my aunt take a rest, I will go to Baoying's first, and take the napkin I have on hand." The job is ahead."

Seeing Li Sui pouted towards the needlework that Nian Nu was carrying, Li said with a smile, "Go ahead, it's not as difficult as holding a bow and arrow on weekdays."

Hearing Li Shi's joke, Li Sui smiled, and when he was about to turn around, he heard Li Shi say: "Since I'm back, I'll go back after dinner in a while, I'll ask Yinniang to get some of your favorite food and keep it."

Seeing what Li Sui wanted to say when he turned his head, Li Shi added: "After your wedding, Princess Pengcheng and Jieli Khan will return to Turkic. For this return trip, the Taiwei will not come back until late at night. , Erlang Saburo and the others can't eat in the courtyard, so it's just us and my wife tonight."

Seeing the persuasion in Li's eyes, Li Sui thought for a while but did not refuse any more, looked at Yinniang with a smile and said: "Well, Yinniang will prepare her hump tonight, just because she is on fire in the past few days. , Aye doesn’t let me eat these every day, it’s almost making me dream of greed.”

Seeing Xiaojiaoniang's expressionless look, Li's heart was also happy for a long time, and seeing Yinniang beside him smiled and said: "Okay, okay, Princess don't worry, just go back and don't tell the Duke. , lest it be my fault when the time comes."

When Li Sui left with a smile, looking at the pretty back, Li couldn't help but sighed, and said with some regret, "Yu Niang left, and now Ah Man is leaving too. I'm afraid it won't be lively, and neither will my old lady."

Why can't Yinniang hear the loneliness in Li's language? People say raising children to guard against old age, but Dalang and Shilang are separated by their stomachs and people's hearts, so they can't be intimate. San Lang is about to marry a wife, and then he will be busy making contributions and spending time with his wife and children, how can he be as caring as a daughter, talking and talking with Li every day.

Thinking of this, Yinniang glanced at Mrs. Li, and hurriedly said: "You are in your prime now, you are no longer an old woman. Besides, Erniang usually spends morning and evening with you, and spends her time raising flowers and plants with you every day. Slaves, look, the second lady is becoming more and more like a princess, so you are always happy that she is with you."

Hearing Yinniang's words, Li's originally lonely eyes finally got rid of a little gloom.

Indeed, she always rejected Baoying's background in Hongnong with her prejudices.

But this child is really benevolent, filial and docile. Although she is a bride now, she not only manages the affairs of the family in an orderly manner, but also comes to accompany her all the time like Ahman in the mansion before. After these days, even She was also moved by the child's sincerity.

Fortunately, people's hearts will always be warmed up.

Seeing Erlang gradually let go of the past as a teenager, and finally living a peaceful life with Baoying, her heart as a mother finally found comfort.

Unintentionally planting willows and willows into shades, maybe that's how it is.

"you are right--"

Thinking of this, Li smiled and said, "Baoying is sincere and capable, just like Ah Man, he is an excellent child."

After all, Mrs. Li ordered: "Send the pair of crane and magpie pillows to the child, and send some snow swallows, so that she can make up for her body. The housekeeping is cumbersome, so don't tire yourself out."

Seeing Li Shi like this, Yinniang naturally smiled and said yes, and hurried down to get ready.

When Li Sui and his party rushed to the Langao Courtyard where Yang Yan was located, they walked through the arch of hanging flowers, and were led to the flower hall by the maidservant. When they walked down the corridor, Li Sui heard the mother-in-law reporting the detailed accounts from the flower hall. The voice, the maid at the door saw her coming and wanted to make a sound, but Li Sui smiled and put her finger to her lips, then waved her hand and stopped there, not going in.

I saw Baoying wearing a blue water jacquard silk narrow-sleeved jacket and a vermilion deer and bead pattern brocade flower skirt, holding a young woman's shocking bun, her hair was decorated with golden bead hair ornaments, and two fingers of the same color were inserted obliquely. Inlaid with hairpins, a little cinnabar honeysuckle pattern between the eyebrows adds to the feminine charm.

In the bright and bright flower hall, although Baoying was only about seventeen years old, she sat down with a magnanimity that her peers did not have. At this moment, she was flipping through a book in her hand, listening quietly with lowered eyebrows, like Hui Rong who was standing beside her. When Duanzhong called the next woman to come forward, the woman said about four or five sentences, and Baoying's eyebrows moved almost imperceptibly, and when she raised her head, she said in a gentle and pleasant way: "I heard that you have been in charge of the kitchen purchases in our house since you were twenty-two, and you have been in charge for 15 years now."

The woman was interrupted to report, she was a little surprised at first, but when she looked up and saw Baoying's smiling lips on the seat, she immediately glanced at all the women and maids around her, raised her jaw calmly and said, "My lady." If you remember, it will be exactly 15 years until June this year."

"Although I am new to the family, I also know that there are not many old people like you who have worked hard for more than ten years in the whole family. These years are not without hard work."

Hearing these praises, the woman's eyebrows and eyes were somewhat joyful. You must know that at this age she is considered a highly respected person in the mansion, and now she is praised by the second lady, the head of the family. There must be better rewards and comfort in the government.

"Miss, you are overrated——"

Seeing that the woman was about to push back, Li Sui who was standing outside the door raised his eyebrows indifferently, knowing that things were not that simple.

Sure enough, before the woman had finished speaking, Baoying on the seat asked for advice: "You are an old man, so you know better than me about shopping. I just saw some parts of the account that were not very clear. , I just asked together with you, so I can understand better and clear up my doubts."

After finishing speaking, Baoying closed the ledger and handed it to Huirong. When Huirong brought the ledger to the woman, Baoying said, "I checked, it's not yet April this year. The purchase expenses are comparable to last year and the first ten days of the previous year's kitchen expenses, and after a closer look, they are all spent on live poultry and fresh fish, but I don't know why?"

Looking at the accounts in black and white in front of her, and hearing the gentleman's seemingly gentle question for advice, the woman raised her eyelids, crossed her hands and smiled and said, "My lady, the housekeeper didn't know that the fluctuation of the purchase price is indispensable, so I just said that this work In addition to domestic poultry, there are also wild deer that Taiwei likes to eat, roe deer that Taiwei's wife likes, and deer tongue that Sanlang likes. Even the lotus leaf pigeon soup that Erlang likes most requires a dozen wild hens. Cubs are used as supplementary materials. This wild animal is the most rare if it is not domesticated. What's more, the number is huge. Last year, due to the continuous blizzard, the wild animal froze to death, and it was the most difficult to find. If it is not fresh and alive How could it be able to enter the kitchen of our Taiwei's mansion? For such a hard-to-find item, the dealers who supply it will inevitably increase the price. Although the slaves and maidservants save again and again, they will inevitably spend more than before—”

After all, the woman raised her head and looked at Baoying, who was seated up, smiled and said kindly: "These, the maid and maidservant who bought it had talked with Mrs. Taiwei, and Mrs. Taiwei also knew about it. The servant only thought that Mrs. Taiwei told you, my lady, that it was the slave's fault, so I forgot to report it to you again."

Hearing these words, the room was suddenly silent, but the women and maids below all looked at each other and exchanged winks, the meaning of watching a good show was superficial.

Although Baoying is in charge of the family, the housekeeper behind it is Aunt Li. No matter how much these women and maids respect Baoying, they agree with her more in their hearts. Wei, Mrs. Taiwei, Erlang, and Sanlang came to talk about the matter, and they were obviously suppressing Baoying, hoping that Baoying would understand the pros and cons of it.

If this is the case, Baoying will naturally make the masters unhappy, and the master will become a hot potato, not only not getting good, but also alienating the relationship between the second house and the other houses.

But if you don't pursue the matter on a case-by-case basis, the power in Baoying's hands will become empty. If you make an opening today, he will make an opening tomorrow. If you go on day after day, you will only be emptied, and there will be no deterrence. Yang Chongyuan and his aunt would only leave an impression of incompetence.

At that time, if Sanlang married a wife, Baoying might not still be in charge of the house.

At that time, not only will Baoying have a hard time, but there will be something to spread in the whole house and outside the house.

Regarding this, Nian Nu beside him also gradually showed an angry look. When he turned to look at Li Sui, he saw that Li Sui was not in a hurry to go in, but waved his hands as if to wait quietly.

Just when Nian Nu was surprised that her princess didn't go in to help as usual, that gentle but unprovocative voice sounded in the flower hall.

(End of this chapter)