The Red Mansions

Chapter 244 Jokes around the stove, short for parents

While talking, Lin Daiyu, Xi Ren, Mei Ren, Qin Keqing and others came together.

The four wore white fox fur cloaks, each holding a small hand stove, laughing and talking, walking briskly.

The four of them entered the room with a chill, and asked their maids to take away their cloaks.

Seeing that Jia Yun was also there, Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "I was thinking about you just now, but I never thought you were hiding here!"

"I didn't hide either, why are you talking about me?" Jia Yun asked with a smile.

Lin Daiyu shook her head and said, "It's nothing."

Seeing that she didn't want to talk, Jia Yun didn't ask, knowing that this girl is sometimes weird and difficult to provoke.

Qin Keqing sat down, put the small hand stove aside, stretched out her hand to roast on the brazier, and said with a smile:
"Early this morning, my concubine personally set fire to the fire kangs in each room, but they will not be used for a long time, so I'm afraid it will take a few more days before they can be moved."

"The main reason is that this year's heavy snow came in a hurry. Yesterday it was fine, but today there is three feet of snow!"

Xue Baochai said: "There is no rush to use the heated kang. Everyone insists on it for three to five or eight days, and waits until the kang is completely burned before moving. It is not worth the loss if you get sick in this winter because of the convenience of the moment."

"That's the reason. This house is new, and the kang is also new. It won't hurt to burn it for a few more days." Xiren echoed.

Jia Yun said: "Also, when burning the brazier and using the fumigation cage, we should also pay attention. Although we are burning silver frost charcoal, we should not close the room too tightly to avoid accidents."

The earlier smoked cages in ancient times were all made of ceramics.

In the main hall, study room and inner bedroom of the imperial palace, there are huge smokers up to three or four feet high.

Most of them are cloisonné products such as cloisonné enamel, and there are also gilt copper and exquisite chiseled products, which show the luxurious and noble royal style.

Literati and scholars also like to display incense burners with different shapes and elegant patterns on the desks to create a pleasant and elegant artistic conception.

The smoked cage mentioned by Jia Yun is a bamboo cage placed on a charcoal basin, a kind of baking and heating utensil.

It can be used for incense, lavender, and quilt.

The big smoke cage, people can lie or sit on it to keep warm, very popular with the girls at home.

The smoked cage that can sit people is generally made of thicker bamboo poles or wood, and the shape is mostly square, also known as the fire box.

In winter, maidservants keep watch at night, and most of them use fire boxes to keep out the cold.

Lin Daiyu said with a smile: "In the past, when winter came, I was very afraid of the cold. This year, it's better. Maybe it's because my body is much stronger. Although I feel cold, I'm not afraid."

Charming then said: "We are all the same, there is no one who is not afraid of the cold in winter, and the reason why we are like this now is also because of him..."

The girls all looked at Jia Yun at the same time, and then giggled.

Everyone knew that the air flow that Jia Yun left in their bodies could improve their physique and prevent various diseases, which had many benefits, and they had already felt it.

Not long after, Ping'er also came, and was a little surprised to see how lively Wang Xifeng's courtyard was.

Because there were so many people at the meeting, she just carried the box containing the bank notes to the bedroom and hid it.

He was in no hurry to report to Wang Xifeng and Jia Yun what happened in the spice shop.

When Ping'er came out of the bedroom, Lin Daiyu waved to her and said, "Miss Ping'er, come and sit by my side."

"Okay, Miss Lin." Ping'er replied with a smile on his face, and walked over slowly.

After Ping'er sat down, Wang Xifeng said to everyone: "Some time ago, I was chatting with my fifth sister-in-law, and I talked about the temple outside the city. .”

"Hee hee, you still call fifth sister-in-law, when you call mother-in-law later." Lin Daiyu said with a smirk.

Wang Xifeng choked, raised her eyebrows, and stepped forward to yell at Lin Daiyu: "Good girl Lin, if you don't make fun of me for three days, you won't feel well, right? I'll give you good fruit!"

"Ah! Don't! Hehe! Haha... Sister-in-law Feng, I won't say anything, I won't say anything again!" Lin Daiyu repeatedly begged for mercy, laughing until she burst into tears.

Wang Xifeng snorted coldly, withdrew his hands, and said angrily: "Don't talk about this matter in the future, it will be later, isn't it here yet, hehe..."

Speaking of the latter, she also found it funny, so she laughed first.

After everyone stopped frolicking, Qin Keqing reminded: "It's winter now, do you have anything to buy in your respective rooms, count it up early, and I can arrange people to buy it earlier."

Because Xue Baochai is pregnant, Qin Keqing is now in charge of the house, and she has to take care of everything big and small.

Wang Xifeng said: "I'll put a few more quilts in this room. When I'm free, I'll take a break at noon."

"Okay, I will remember this." Qin Keqing nodded, and then asked the others: "What about you, is there anything missing in the room?"

Xiren pondered and said: "I'll add a few smoker cages to my room. Qingwen and the girls will have a hard time keeping watch at night without these things."

Then Lin Daiyu and Meiren also reported something, and Qin Keqing wrote them down one by one.

Finally, Xue Baochai added: "My cousin Baoqin is going to open a new courtyard. Sister Qin remembers to take the time to touch her and make up all the things in the house. Remember to burn the kang in her courtyard first. stand up."

After all, she is her cousin, which is different from other girls. Now that she has become a fact with Jia Yun, she simply takes it one step at a time, and first directly raises Xue Baoqin's treatment to the level of an aunt.

As for the status, I'm afraid we will have to wait until after Xue Baoqin and the Mei family have divorced. Right now, there is no rush. Anyway, the meat is in the bowl, so it won't be too long.

Lin Daiyu, Xi Ren, Mei Ren, and Qin Keqing all looked at Xue Baochai in surprise, but said nothing.

They are not qualified to be the masters of this kind of matter.

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "That's fine. Speaking of which, girl Qin has suffered on my behalf. It's only right that she should be treated better at home."

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth with a smile and said, "I just wondered why you were so calm, so it's your fault!"

As she said that, she took a gouged look at Jia Yun and said angrily, "Well, you know how to play. When you see beautiful girls, you bring them home. From now on, these people will give birth to you. There are children everywhere in the yard. It's good for you!"

Everyone laughed when they heard her angry words.

Especially thinking of the scene of Jia Yun's children running around the yard, mischievous everywhere, everyone couldn't stop laughing.

"It's better for me, don't you have to suffer too?" Jia Yun said with a smile.

Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes and said, "What should I worry about?"

"I mean, don't you want to give birth to me, the yard is full of children, including yours." Jia Yun narrowly said.

Lin Daiyu blushed, opened her mouth, and said, "Bah, even if I give birth to you, it's not as many as yours..."

Jia Yun laughed out loud, and everyone else laughed too.

After laughing, Xue Baochai asked suspiciously: "I heard from my husband that you are pregnant, why didn't I see any movement from you?"

Xiren replied, "There's no rush right now, it's not too late for us to conceive after the wife is born."

This is the result of a private discussion between several aunts. Since they have waited until now, it is better to get pregnant later.

I heard from Jia Yun that Xue Baochai was pregnant with a dragon and a phoenix, and if she gave birth to a child smoothly, her position in the family would be unbreakable.

In this way, the aunts might as well wait a little longer, it is An Xue Baochai's heart to sell her without a trace, to show that he and others have no intention of competing for favor.

Xue Baochai pondered for a while, and then she knew what they were thinking, and cast a grateful look at them.

Pregnant women are most afraid of their status being threatened, and Xue Baochai was a little moved by how few attackers could be so aware of the general situation.

Women, don't you care about that when you stay in the back house?

After everyone talked for a while, it was getting late, so Xue Baochai got up first and left.

Xiren and other women saw that Wang Xifeng and Jia Yun had something to discuss, so they left wisely.

Only Jia Yun, Wang Xifeng, and Ping'er were left in the room, and there was nothing serious about it, just how much money they had earned, and it was over in a few words, and then they began to turn upside down...

It was dark early in the winter night, and the lanterns in the yard were already lit.

Jia Yun let out a long breath after watching Wang Xifeng and Ping'er leave in a sedan chair in the wind and snow.

The attacker behind reminded: "Master, go back to the room, it's windy in the yard."

Jia Yun nodded silently, and asked in a low voice, "Xiren, how is your mother's family?"

"Fortunately, the concubine sent someone to ask in the morning, and she was not affected by the heavy snow." Xiren stepped forward, put his arm around Jia Yun, and replied with a smile.

Jia Yun nodded and said, "This year the snow is falling so fast, many people are afraid that they will suffer."

When he came back from the free school in the afternoon, he heard from Jia Wenlin that people had froze to death on the streets of the capital.

Most of those people were refugees who had recently come to Beijing and sneaked into the city from outside the city to escape the cold, but they never thought that there was no place to escape the cold in the city.

With the resignation of Jia Yun Xuncheng Censor, even if he has sympathy for the refugees, he can't help much.

Right now, the number of workers in Shibafang has been saturated, and it is impossible for him to let the workshop continue to suffer and always help the refugees.

Pressing his thoughts, Jia Yun returned to Xue Baochai's room.

"My husband came just in time. The servant's family is considering a gift for my brother. Come and have a look." Xue Baochai said with a smile while holding an account book.

Jia Yun smiled and said: "The bride price is mainly for a heart, don't give too expensive things."

"Hehe, my husband said so, are you afraid that Sister Ling will blame you in the future? My aunt's family is the most prestigious in her life because of marriage, so you can't just play it lightly." Xue Baochai shook her head and said.

After a pause, she smiled and said, "Forget it, I'd better think about it for myself, so I won't bother my husband."

Jia Yun raised her eyebrows and said, "Let me tell you, it's best for you to send some money directly. Sister Ling's family can buy whatever they want!"

"Anyway, there is still time now. Let them buy things by themselves, isn't it better than what you arranged?"

Xue Baochai shook her head and said, "That's not right, the servants are afraid that the things Sister Ling and the others bought by themselves will not be needed at home, but will be wasted instead!"

Jia Yun thought about it, and felt that what Xue Baochai said was true. After all, Jia Ling's family was poor and his vision was limited. Maybe they took the money and didn't know what to buy.

(End of this chapter)