Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 244

Sure enough, when Liu Huilan heard that Mai Xiang mentioned the word Li Xiangyu, she frowned and was about to refuse.

"Master, just tell me, I'm just curious, is the story of Bao Dai's love in the book the story of the husband or the story of the husband's uncle?" Seeing that Liu Huilan was unwilling, Mai Xiang hurriedly shook her arm again to act coquettishly.

"You child, why do you grow older and live longer, and act like a baby at every turn." Liu Huilan gritted her teeth and poked Mai Xiang's forehead.

"Based on how old I am, aren't they all my goddaughters?" Mai Xiang smiled flatteringly at Liu Huilan, she was so curious, before when she asked something, Liu Huilan always used Mai Xiang's smallness as an excuse not to say anything.

"Alright, I really have nothing to do with you." Liu Huilan smiled and shook her head.She also knew that the reason she pampered Mai Xiang so much was largely because Mai Xiang really changed the life of the Cao family, and therefore Liu Huilan treated Mai Xiang really like a girl.

It turned out that Li Xiangyu had no father or mother since she was a child, and was brought up by Cao Xueqin's grandmother Li Laotai. This is very similar to Lin Daiyu's life experience in the book, but they are not cousins, because Li Xiangyu's father is Li Lao The wife's natal nephew is cousin to Li Xiangyun's father, Li Ding.

In the early years after Yongzheng came to power, the Li family was confiscated. When the Li family's population was checked and reported, one Li Xiangyu was missed. The Cao family had no choice but to expose Li Xiangyu's life experience by themselves. The daughter of the family kept it a secret.

"You also know the following things. At that time, your husband thought that she, the daughter of a criminal minister, was just a little maid when she entered the palace. She would be released in a few years, and she wanted to wait for her. Even the couple of us maids are going to be let out." After that, Liu Huilan's tone was a bit resentful.

After hearing this, Mai Xiang seemed to understand why Liu Huilan had a feeling of resistance to Li Xiangyu, because Cao Xueqin wanted to give up the forest around her for the sake of Li Xiangyu, not only that, but also became a monk when Li Xiangyu died. For the monk.

Such a strong emotion was something that Liu Huilan had never obtained in her whole life. Although she spent the longest time by Cao Xueqin's side and accompanied him through the most difficult period, she still could not become the only one in Cao Xueqin's heart.

"Then what happened later? Didn't you get married before?" Mai Xiang seemed to have the impression that Cao Xueqin's first wife was named Mei.

"We got married, but that grandma died of illness not long after, and even lost her child. This grandma is also a cousin of the husband, who belongs to his cousin's wife. She is similar to sister Lin in the book. If she wants to leave, sir I won't leave the house either."

"Huh?" Mai Xiang was confused, who is the younger sister Lin in Cao Xueqin's heart?
"This grandma is also a very talented woman. My husband and she have had a good time together for two years."

"What about Mrs. Yun?" Mai Xiang wanted to know how many good sisters Cao Xueqin had in her heart.

From Liu Huilan's intermittent narration, Mai Xiang finally figured it out. It turned out that when the Cao family moved from Nanjing to Beijing after the first raid, at that time, Yongzheng did not beat the Cao family to death with a stick, because Cao's family at that time Fu was young, had only been in the officialdom for a few years, and had no deep roots and no reputation. Therefore, Yongzheng still retained the status of Mrs. Li, and ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrange a residence for Cao's family, and also allocated two rooms. The servants specially took care of Mrs. Li.

At that time, the Li family was different. Li Xu was still there. Li Xu was the favorite of Emperor Kangxi. All the women and children in the family were sent to various places to do labor by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Li Xiangyun was allowed to be fostered at that time because she was too young, so she was also taken to Cao's house, and lived with Li Xiangyu in Cao's house for several years, and the two sisters fell in love with Cao Xueqin at the same time.

However, at this time, Li Xiangyu had changed her name to Cao Xiangyu, and within two years, she was drafted into Prince Li's Mansion in the name of Cao's daughter. From then on, she could no longer marry Cao Xueqin.

Cao Xueqin was depressed for a long time because of this, rejected all marriage proposals, and also released the maid at home, wholeheartedly waiting for Li Xiangyu to be released when she was old enough, then he could take her away and fly away incognito.

At this time, Li Xiangyun was always by Cao Xueqin's side. Li Ding and his wife entrusted their daughter to Cao's family. Cao Xueqin gradually accepted the reality under the persuasion of her grandmother.

Just when everyone thought that Li Xiangyun and Cao Xueqin could get together, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent Li Xiangyun to do labor, and she followed the master's family to the south.

As for what happened to Li Xiangyun after he went to the South, Liu Huilan didn't say anything more. After all, Mai Xiang was still a young girl who hadn't married. Moreover, these things involved Li Xiangyun's boudoir reputation, so Liu Huilan had to avoid it to some extent.

"But Shi Xiangyun in the book is an orphan who had no parents in his infancy. This is not like Mrs. Yun." Mai Xiang asked the question in her heart.

"Silly girl, this is a novel, not an autobiography. Miss Xiangyubiao's life experience is somewhat similar to Shi Xiangyun's. In fact, the boudoir ladies in the book are more or less the shadow of several cousin ladies, such as Miss Daiyu. You have Miss Xiangyubiao's poetry and grandma's life experience, so don't go looking for these troubles yourself."

"But Zhipi doesn't always say that there are metaphors in the book, and always reminds readers to think about it." Mai Xiang asked.

"You have to ask your husband about this metaphor, I can't explain it clearly." Liu Huilan shook her hand hurriedly.

"Then Madam thinks, which of these people is important in Mr.'s heart?" Mai Xiang asked, Liu Huilan didn't know much about the story in the book, but in reality, Cao Xueqin and Liu Huilan still had a say.

"Of course it's Miss Xiangyubiao, Miss Xiangyubiao is the most special, but Mr. is a good person, he is also good to grandma, and you know Mrs. Yun, and us who are maids, Mr. try to take care of everyone. A person."

No wonder Mr. Lu Xun commented on Cao Xueqin as "loving Bo and working hard". At least, in Mr.'s life, these women should be used for care, not for disappointment.

"There are so many people in your heart, Master, do you feel wronged?" Mai Xiang asked.

"Grievance? See how I put it, I'm just a servant girl by my husband's side. Being able to be by his side all the time is considered my wish. What's more, he treats me well now, and I let me make decisions about everything in the family. Compared with those young ladies, why should I feel wronged?" Liu Huilan's words were full of contentment.

The rules of this dynasty are like this, mistresses and mistresses exist legally, and there are few women around any man, except for those peasants who can't live on.

Thinking of this, Mai Xiang couldn't help feeling a little depressed, wondering if Huaici could really be the only one by her side.

"By the way, Mai Xiang, you are not young anymore. By this time next year, you should leave the cabinet. Now that it's winter time, you have to prepare for what is almost time to prepare. The Wan family is still an official family, and the rules are strict. You Not only do you have to prepare your own wedding dress, but for the elders of the Wan family, you must prepare a set of clothes for each of you, and for those of the younger generation, you also need to prepare shoes and socks, so don’t just do nothing all day long.” Liu Huilan saw the newspaper on the kang table , casually asked Mai Xiang a few words.

Because she knew that Zhao Shi and Mai Xiang would never have thought of this.When Liu Huilan was talking about these red tapes with Mai Xiang, Dong Zhi suddenly came to the door with the child in her arms, Zhao Shi and Mai Huang all rushed in, Liu Huilan had to leave with a smile.

"Auntie, why are you here in this snowy day?" Mai Xiang felt a little strange.

"It's nothing, but it's snowing, so I have to come over to see you. You know, how can I have time during the New Year?" After Dongzhi finished speaking, he looked at Maihuang and the others.

"Auntie, what do you have to say that you don't want us to hear?" Mai Huang was also clever.

"Erya is also a big ghost. She knows how to tease your old aunt. In fact, it's not a good thing. It doesn't hurt to let you guys listen."

"What's the matter?" Zhao couldn't help it.

"A few days ago, I went back to my mother's house, and I happened to meet my elder sister crying to my mother, saying that the girl Ziju had returned home, wearing gold and silver, and that girl Zilan was also tempted, and wanted to be a concubine in a rich family. , I don’t want my family to talk about kissing, I have been fighting at home for a long time, the elder sister can’t do anything, I want to ask my mother to ask Mai Xiang who knows a lot of rich people, can she find a good family for her? How dare my mother come, It’s said that Mai Xiang is so big-hearted now that she won’t even go back to grandma’s house, so she pushed me here again.”

"What, Zilan is going to be a concubine too? When I went home a few days ago, my mother told me that Qiaoyu's girl is also fifteen. She saw that Ziju had entered Wan's house, she was greedy, and wanted to entrust me Tell Da Ya, can I enter Tong's house?" After Zhao finished speaking, she glanced at Mai Xiang with a guilty conscience.

When Mai Xiang heard the two talking, she was annoyed and laughed, and asked, "Aren't there any matchmakers out there? Or do you all think I'm like a matchmaker?"

Mrs. Zhao knew that Mai Xiang was angry at a glance, and quickly waved her hands and said, "Big girl, this matter has nothing to do with me. It's just that your grandma asked me a few questions, but I didn't tell you anything. I refused at that time." , if your old aunt hadn't come here today, I wouldn't have said anything about it."

When Winter Solstice saw Mrs. Zhao like this, she hurriedly laughed and said, "Actually, I don't want to come either. It's not that your aunt has been crying at home for a long time, and your grandma has been persuading me, saying that I am still close to you, so I just inquired about it." About the Tong family."

"Auntie, I don't care about these bad things. If you are willing to stay for a few days, you can live there with peace of mind. If you want to go home, I will send someone to take you right now." Mai Xiang said with a dark face.

Winter Solstice saw that Mai Xiang had turned against her, she couldn't get down for a while, looked at Zhao, and then at Mai Xiang, her face was flushed.

At this time, Mrs. Zhao suddenly looked at Mai Xiang and asked a very inappropriate question.

(End of this chapter)