Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 107
When Mai Xiang was sorting out her thoughts, she only heard Liu Huilan say: "It's all fate, and no one can blame it. Our girl, the day she entered Prince Li's mansion, our master began to live in fear, fearing that someone would kill her." If you are not careful, you will be implicated. How did you know that it was so easy to change the emperor, and after a few years of comfortable life, I still called here."

Liu Huilan and Li's wife talked to each other, both of them were immersed in the memories of the past, as if they forgot that there was such a person as Mai Xiang by their side.

And Mai Xiang pieced together a story intermittently from the words of the two of them. After the Cao family and the Li family fell into ruin, although the masters of the two families were not sold, they were all sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs redistributed them. Go to various palaces and palaces to do rough work and chores.

In this Cao family, there was a girl who entered Hongxi's house back then. Although Yongzheng hated and even killed those brothers who competed with him for the throne, he still took good care of the son of the deposed prince. In the eighth year of Yongzheng, he was still sealed In order to be Prince He Shuo Li, after Miss Cao's family entered Prince Li's mansion, somehow she was favored by Hong Xi by chance.

As for the Li family, there was also a girl who entered Hongli's mansion. Because this girl was fostered in the Cao family since she was a child, when the Li family was confiscated, the girl changed her surname and took the surname of Cao, also as a daughter of the Cao family. He entered the Hongli Mansion, but somehow he was chosen by Hongli.

Because of these two aunts of the Cao family, the life of the Cao family was restored for a while, Cao Fu filled a vacancy in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Cao Xueqin once again lived a life without worrying about food and clothing.

Unexpectedly, the good times didn't last long. In the fourth year of Qianlong's reign, Hongxi was deposed from the title of prince because of the crime of treason. This case involved many people, and of course the Cao family was inevitable. The concubine turned out to be the daughter of the Cao family, the crime of deceiving the king.

Although Liu Huilan and Li Ding's wives didn't say anything about it, Mai Xiang also deduced that the Cao family had entered a state of doom. Fortunately, Qianlong was a relatively lenient emperor, and he didn't rob the Cao family. No one else in the Cao family was involved.

As for the person who pretended to be Cao's family and entered Hongli's mansion, Mai Xiang guessed that this should be the prototype of Lin Daiyu, the person Cao Xueqin's heart was attached to. This was a little information she caught from Liu Huilan's tone. He also died. As for how he died, Mai Xiang doesn't know.

After returning from Cao's house, Mai Xiang has been depressed for several days, and she can't explain why, but she just feels that she should be sighing, and the tragedy of Cao's family is probably more than that, right?
Thinking of this, Mai Xiang was extremely grateful for Ye Tiezhu's decision to leave his nationality. Although his hope of being elected to the palace was zero, it was not impossible for him to be sent to any palace as a maid or concubine. fear.

"Mai Xiang, dad made you something nice today." Seeing that Mai Xiang had been depressed for a few days, Ye Dafu was also very worried.

"What good stuff?" Mai Xiangzheng and Mai Huang lowered their heads and focused on stacking paper cranes. They didn't go out at noon on a hot day.

Ye Dafu handed over a dart board and ten small darts decorated with pheasant feathers.

"It's so beautiful, thank you dad." Mai Xiang took a dart and made gestures.

"Just be happy." Seeing that his daughter finally had a smile on his face, Ye Dafu was also happy.

"By the way, Dad, can we keep those pheasants?" Mai Xiang is really not good at these farm tasks.

"Don't worry, dad is here. Dad can't do anything else. After all these years of hunting, it's okay to raise a few pheasants." Ye Dafu smiled honestly.

"By the way, Dad, when will the construction of our house start?" Mai Xiang asked.

She really wants to move out, the yard is too crowded with all these things raised at home, and besides, Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Sun come to the door from time to time to inquire about what her family is doing and what they are eating. Mai Xiang really doesn't want to Handle.

"It's coming soon, it's already July now, I've already found the man, and the materials are almost ready. I just need to wait for their autumn harvest to start. It just so happens that your fifth uncle will be free."

"Father, what size house are we going to build?" Mrs. Zhao's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she came over.

"Mother, what are you asking so nonsense?" Mai Huang gave her an unhappy look.

"Damn girl, why don't you just ask?" Zhao's only fear was Mai Xiang.

Thinking of Mai Xiang, Mrs. Zhao moved her butt towards Mai Xiang again.

"Is there something wrong?" Mai Xiang knew what Mrs. Zhao wanted to ask her at a glance.

"Big ya, you're angry with your grandma, it's about the same. You didn't send the wild pork to your grandma last time, so I didn't say anything. This time our ducks and geese started laying eggs. You I don’t plan to sell it, so why don’t you send some salted eggs to your grandma? Also, your aunt is about to go out. It will be difficult for me to see her in the future. I want to go back to your grandma’s house for a few days , do you think so?"

"Sure, what's the matter, pack up your things, and I'll ask my third uncle to take you there." Mai Xiang readily agreed.

Mrs. Zhao looked at Mai Xiang, seeing that Mai Xiang would be in a good mood, and said, "Big girl, do you think it's appropriate for mother to bring something? I can't go empty-handed, can I?"

Mai Xiang glanced at her, feeling a little annoyed and funny, this mother actually depends on her daughter's face to get by.

"Mom, what do you want to bring?" Mai Xiang eased her tone.

"Here, bring some duck eggs and goose eggs. Also, I see a small piece of red silk in the cloth bag. It's not bad for making a pair of shoes for your aunt."

"Mom, I'm making shoes. The eldest sister promised to give me and my younger sisters a pair of Chinese New Year's wear." Mai Huang quit.

"Okay, Mai Huang, my aunt is getting married, so let's give it to her, we have other things." After Mai Xiang finished speaking, she found a bundle from the end of the kang and opened it. Inside were small pieces of satin and silk. It was Amu. Xin specially asked Mai Xiang to make shoe uppers.

Thinking of Amu Xin, Mai Xiang doesn't know what's going on with her recently. When will this draft end?

When Mai Xiang went to Tong's house to deliver door curtains last time, she knew that Tong's family always had a carriage to go to the capital. Still not delivered.

"Da Ya, can this make shoes for your grandma?" Mrs. Zhao saw that Mai Xiang was in a daze, and pulled out a piece of blue satin.

When Mai Xiang saw it, she simply picked out two pieces and planned to send them to Mrs. Liu, because a good pair of shoes is also needed for the marriage of five blessings.

Mai Xiang put the things away, took the cloth and went into the upper room, only Mrs. Liu was there, saying that Jiufeng was embroidering purses in Mrs. Sun's room.

"Big ya, Mammy is looking for you. Your fifth uncle is getting married. I see how many big male ducks and geese you have. They are not too small, and they won't grow much if you keep them. Anyway, this meat is not tasty, why don't you sell it to Mammy at a cheaper price, and save Mammy from going out to look for it again.

"Mommy, who said the ducks and geese I raise are not tasty?" Mai Xiang was reluctant when she heard this.

"It's not that the ones you raised are not delicious. The ducks and geese are so fishy, ​​what's there to eat? Mammy also thought that these things are cheap, and they can save a few dollars compared to big roosters, so she thought about making a main dish with ducks." , it's a big dish anyway." Mrs. Liu looked at Mai Xiang incomprehensibly.

Mai Xiang suddenly remembered that she was not the original Mai Xiang, her family opened a salted duck restaurant, and the duck she ate must be different from the local one.

No wonder when I went to buy ducklings and goose seedlings, the woman who sold things saw that Mai Xiang picked ducklings and goose seedlings, and gave Mai Xiang a small cage, probably because she was afraid that Mai Xiang would go back on her word. Xiang found that there were only five or six households raising ducks in this village, and not a single household raised geese.

It turns out that the northerners don't like to eat ducks because they think ducks are fishy. They raise ducks for the purpose of laying duck eggs, which are good for salted duck eggs.

When Mai Xiang thought of this, she knew what to do in the future. When she got her own house, she would open a salted duck shop, raise more ducks and geese, collect duck down and goose down, and make duck down quilts and clothing.

"Mommy, I only have five or six male ducks and geese. If you want, you can take it, and the money is fine. Fifth uncle is married, and I should do something. Also, this is two yuan. Satin, Mammy will take it to make a pair of good shoes for you, grandpa, and uncles, I’m not good at craftsmanship, I’m afraid I’ll spoil a good thing.”

Mrs. Liu took the fabric from Mai Xiang. She really didn't expect Mai Xiang to be so thoughtful. She was a little moved when she thought that they would make a pair of good shoes. In addition, Mai Xiang also said that the duck and goose They don't need money for nothing, Liu thought about it, and said: "That's fine, Mammy, here is a piece of floral cloth, you can take it and give it to you and Mai Huang, each of you can make a jacket. This cotton cloth is still suitable."

After speaking, Mrs. Liu dug out a piece of pink calico from the box at the end of the kang. Mai Xiang knew it was a gift from the old lady Wanjia when she came last time, and she didn't want it, but this time it was given by Mrs. Liu. Whether Mai Xiang wanted to stay or not, and she was afraid that Liu's thoughts would be overwhelmed, she thought it would be okay to take it back and make some clothes for Mai Huang.

"Thank you Mammy." Mai Xiang also did not expect that Mrs. Liu would give her something back.

"My child, you and Mammy are still so polite. Come on, son, sit by Mammy's side. Mammy wants to ask you a few words."

After hearing this, Mai Xiang had to sit down. She couldn't say how close she was to Mrs. Liu, but she had a better relationship with Mrs. Yu, because Mrs. Liu was still a sensible person, at least better than Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Sun.

Of course, Mai Xiang's views are different and correct, because her positions are different. As the housewife of this big family, her position is absolutely opposite to Qian's and Sun's.

But Mrs. Liu has one thing that is definitely better than others. Mai Xiang has been here for more than half a year, and she has never seen her swearing or arguing with others. Even when she is angry, she still wants to reason with others. This is one of Mai Xiang's respect for her. reason.

(End of this chapter)