Foster son and husband

Chapter 137 Donation
Chenger came back and brought back fried rice cakes, which are actually fried rice noodles that modern people often eat. Mei Niang asked Mother Cai to spread the rice milk thicker when steaming rice noodles, steamed them and let them cool, cut them into two-finger-wide rectangles, and put them in the hot pot It can be fried or eaten. If you replace it with rice cakes steamed with glutinous rice, it is fried rice cakes.

Snow-white rice noodles, stir-fried with tomato sauce, shredded lean meat, shredded carrot, coriander, scallion and garlic, and put a few pages of green lettuce in a pot. It is simple and delicious. side dishes, he smiled and said: "Eat this without side dishes, there are peppers in it."

Cheng'er laughed and said, "Back to grandma, there is no pepper in this fried rice cake, so Mama Cai specially cut up spicy side dishes."

"Why not put the chili directly?"

"Master Hou doesn't eat chili!"

"..."

Mei Niang has nothing to say, Xu Junying lives here, and he will have his share of everything in the future.

Ask Cheng'er: "What about you? Cuixi and Cui Siying are also hungry, right?"

Cheng'er said: "Mother Cai has someone else make it, Ping'er is waiting behind with Mrs. Yan, and I will bring back the fried rice cakes from Master Hou and Grandma first!"

Xu Junying came out from the inner room, heard Cheng'er's words, and saw a bowl of fresh and bright food on the table, she couldn't help stretching her eyebrows and eyes, and said with a smile: "I'm really hungry now, this is fried rice cake? Have you heard of fried rice cakes?" Hua, fried rice candy, I’ve never heard of fried rice cakes!”

Cuixi had already set up the bowls and chopsticks, and Mei Niang said, "It's hot, Master Hou, try it!"

Then she said to Cuixi: "Go down first, come back later."

Ping'er probably will be back soon, the fried rice cake is not tasty when it's cold.

Cui Xi took Cui Lian, Cui Si and Cheng Er to leave, Xu Junying and Meiniang sat opposite each other at the round table, following Mei Niang's example, holding chopsticks in one hand and spoon in the other, they pulled out two pieces of fried rice cakes into the bowl Take a bite, it's delicious and sweet, soft and firm, with a unique taste, Xu Junying looked up at Mei Niang, thinking that she would eat it very well, she would try something new and delicious first, don't worry. If the courtyard is smart, go to the kitchen to spread the food and just follow the style of Tsinghua courtyard, and you can eat a lot of good things.

Seeing Xu Junying looking at her all the time, Mei Niang asked, "What do you want to say to me, Lord Hou?"

Xu Junying smiled: "It's nothing...you eat very slowly."

"Eat slowly and don't go anywhere."

Mei Niang put rice cakes into a bowl with a spoon, thought for a while, and asked Xu Junying, "Do you want more, Lord Hou? Shall I serve you some?"

Xu Junying said: "I only ate two bites, why don't I want it?"

Mei Niang smiled, took a spoonful of rice cakes, a spoonful of shredded pork, and filled his bowl: "Actually, it's best to eat by yourself. You can eat whatever you want. Master Hou's taste is quite different from mine. , I thought you might not like this!"

"I said, I'm not picky eaters!"

Mei Niang put down the spoon and asked again: "How long will Lord Hou stay here?"

Xu Junying looked at her: "The east courtyard is going to be refurbished. It's the time when the rain is the heaviest in spring, and it can't be moved. I want to live in the upper room for a while. I usually leave early and return late, and I don't often stay at home. It doesn't hinder you, you can live as usual, but the study over there, you and the girls around you can go in, no one else is allowed!"

"Understood, we will not go in if we have nothing to do."

Mei Niang said with a smile: "It's also a blessing in heaven. Lord Hou will use this as a new house. The old lady has agreed that there is a garden on the right side of Tsinghua University. There is a Shiqu Pavilion in the garden. I can live there. I like the odd-shaped stones there, piled together to form a hill."

"There is a cave in the mountain, have you gone in?"

"No, it's a small mountain, but it's actually quite big. Although those caves are wonderful and interesting, I didn't dare to go deep, fearing that I wouldn't be able to get out."

Xu Junying smiled: "Fortunately, you are smart. If you go in, it will be difficult to find a way out. Several boys in our family have lost their way there. Shiquxuan is named after my grandfather. Those strange stones in the courtyard are a It was left by an ancestor who liked strange stones, and moved all he could find and piled them together, and over time, a mountain of strange stones was formed. In that yard, you can read and play, but no one is allowed to live in it!"

"why?"

"The alchemist has seen it, it is not suitable for human habitation!"

cut!superstitious!

Mei Niang said again: "But we can't just make do with it..."

"How do you make do with it?" Xu Junying was dissatisfied with this statement: "We are husband and wife, living in the same room, which is reasonable!"

"That's the truth!" Mei Niang didn't refute him, but followed his meaning: "I'm just worried that one day, if I have to move in a hurry, it will be messy. So let's talk about it first, book a place or two, No matter who moves away by then, it's better than not being prepared at all!"

Xu Junying raised his eyes, and found that Mei Niang's smile was particularly charming and charming: "The east courtyard is leaking, no matter what, there will be no good concubines this year. Jingyuan, I have already had someone tidy it up. Everything is ready, the old lady said, I can move in at any time. As for this upper room, with the order of the Empress Dowager, you can wear red and hang colors on the same day to welcome newcomers!"

Xu Junying paused, put down his chopsticks, and said calmly: "I am a family man, and the backyard cannot be without a housewife for a day. Before the newcomer comes in, you have to preside over the Tsinghua Institute, so you can't go anywhere. Besides, Heng'er still You didn't want to come back, you left Tsinghua University too early, Heng'er is even more likely to come back! Don't you want Heng'er?"

"Heng'er! Don't be Heng'er..."

Mei Niang sighed, her eyes darkened, her smile faded away, she stood up and walked towards the inner room, Xu Junying stared blankly at her graceful back, walked to the partition and turned back, her pair of star pupils were as bright as before, flickering Huacai:

"It's impossible without Heng'er! He is my son, and I must raise him myself!"

The bead curtain swayed slightly, and people were already hidden in the veil. Xu Junying looked away, let out a long breath, shook her head with a smile, picked up the chopsticks, and concentrated on dealing with the rice cakes. After a while, a large bowl of rice cakes was eaten up.

Cuisi and Cheng'er came in to clean up the dishes, Cui Lian brought wet tea for Master Hou to rinse, Cuixi went in to make the bed, Mei Niang said a few words to her, Cuixi came out, took a lamp and went in, Xu Junying said : "Is grandma going to bed? I just had enough."

Cuixi hurriedly smiled and said, "Grandma said she was sleepy, so she didn't go to bed right away, she just lay down and read a book."

Xu Junying didn't say anything, and went into the inner room, and went back to the ear room next door to read a book. Cui Lian sent a pot of tea in, and then warmed another pot on the stove as Mother Wang told her. Living in the upper room, it's not easy to stay with them at night. A few girls tidy up the room, turn off the lights and close the door to retreat.

Mei Niang read the book for a while, but her eyes couldn't open. She didn't sleep well last night, and she didn't take a nap at noon. It was a lie that she wasn't sleepy. She got up and turned off the light, got into the quilt, and entered the Dreamland.

Still with that thought, she couldn't guard against Xu Junying.If he regards her as Qin Meiniang, then is she considered to be the Seventh Brother, brother and wife?A man in ancient times, he should have this knot; if he regards her as Cen Meimei, he will not be afraid. He might dare to put his arms around his shoulders in front of others, but such things as the overlord's bow are not something like him.

She went to bed early and slept well, and waking up in the morning was not so painful. Mei Niang was woken up by Cuixi, she hurriedly got up to wash, dress and change clothes, and when she came out, she saw breakfast on the table, so she sat down to eat. Cuixi said: "Master Hou gets up early Go out, pass breakfast to him, and bring grandma's back, and put it in a hot pot to warm it up."

Mei Niang nodded: "That's fine, from now on I'll have breakfast at home and then go to Qiuhua Courtyard, don't bother the people over there!"

After breakfast, I went to Qiuhua Courtyard. I didn't see Heng'er after a day, and the little person would pretend to be angry. Just now I heard him screaming loudly in the corridor. When he saw Mei Niang coming, he shrank into the nurse's arms. She lowered her eyes and ignored people, Mei Niang saw that he was very funny, she wanted to tease him even more, she tapped his little nose with her finger, he dodged left and right, and finally couldn't dodge, and finally rushed over with a giggle, mother and son After playing on the porch for a long time, I was very happy. When Mrs. Zheng woke up, Mei Niang hugged Heng'er and went in to say hello. Mrs. Zheng's habit is to sit on the head of the bed for half an hour before getting out of bed, so Mei Niang Niang felt that it was much easier to greet her. She didn't have to wait for her to wash her face and comb her hair, and she could come out after saying a few nice words.Old Mrs. Xu is different. She has to be surrounded by many granddaughters-in-law and granddaughters. She washes her face, washes her hands and combs her hair. She also has to choose clothes for a long time.

Heng'er stopped crying about being separated, and obediently kissed each other's cheeks with Meiniang, and waved her hands to let Meiniang go away in peace.

Go to Ziyun Hall, sit down, the women wait for Cuixi to serve tea, watch the grandma take a few sips, and then start to go forward, ask questions and answer, hand over the right cards, re-deal the cards, ask for instructions When exchanging notes, Meiniang was busy with these daily "work" and was discussing with Chen Mama, who was in charge of grain management, about donating spring grain at the request of the government, when she suddenly saw Bai Jingyu walking in with her girl Xiangyu , I couldn't help being startled, and I was about to stand up to meet him, Bai Jingyu hurriedly walked a few steps, and came to the front to salute first: "Sister-in-law Fu'an! Sister-in-law is busy, please sit down, I'm just passing by to see sister-in-law! "

Mei Niang smiled and said, "Come here! Sit down first, I'll be free after I finish talking with Chen's mother - Cuixi is watching tea!"

Bai Jingyu sat aside, took the fragrant tea Cuixi offered with a smile, took a sip, and put it on the table.

Mother Chen said: "The official documents only say that people with farms should donate some. In previous years, this amount was the same in our house. No matter what kind of rice grain, it is acceptable. Where there is no harvest in the disaster-stricken areas, as long as the victims have a bite to eat It's time to recite the Buddha's name, especially at this time of year, let's not be particular about it!"

Mei Niang said: "Then you can't give people the moldy grain from the year before last! In fact, our Houfu has a document to forgive various taxes. Since we want to donate and have a good reputation, we must do it well and be worthy of our conscience. Our Houfu farm There are a lot of them, and every year the leftover grains are kept in the warehouse, and they are not released when they become moldy, and now no one can eat them, so they are distributed to the victims of disasters, who taught you this immoral thing?"

Chen's mother glanced at Bai Jingyu subconsciously, lowered her head and remained silent, Bai Jingyu couldn't sit still, and hurriedly said with a smile: "This matter has always followed the method of the previous generation, saying that there must be no shortage of food at the bottom of the warehouse. Move it to another warehouse for storage, in case there is a natural disaster in one year, and my family can use it. The matter of donating food is decided by the second master, and he was awarded at that time... It is said that only the food that was more than the year before last was donated Just go out!"

Mei Niang lowered her eyes and thought for a while, the big family has too strong a sense of self-protection, even if they are too rich, they are unwilling to share some of it. Maybe this is the general situation in this dynasty, and it is difficult to change them.

Then he said to Bai Jingyu: "Perhaps the previous generation had their own considerations, or they used to preserve the grains in a very good way to prevent mold and worms. Just now, Mother Chen brought some grain from the year before last, and the corn had worms. The millet is moldy, how to teach people how to eat it? Mother Chen, it must be because of your ineffective management that the grain and rice are spoiled!"

Mother Chen's face was wrinkled like a chrysanthemum: "Damn the servants! The rice was fine the year before last, and the worms only started last year."

Mei Niang said: "Let's put this aside for now. I will go back to the eldest wife to see what to do. Let's talk about it tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)