Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 282 Another Problem

As soon as the two of them arrived at Wan's upper room, the maid who guarded the door hurriedly lifted the curtain and came out when she heard the movement, and said with a smile: "The old lady has asked several times, but she is back."

After hearing this, Mai Xiang and Huai Ci hurried into the house, everyone from the Wan family was there, and the two sisters Wan Zhihe were chatting and laughing with the old lady.

Jiang Shi was facing the door, and when he saw Mai Xiang entering the room, he asked first, "Why have you been back for so long? The old lady started talking about you just after dinner."

"If you want to go back to your wife, leave my natal house and go to Prince Li's Mansion again." Mai Xiang replied.

When Jiang heard this, he took a look at Mai Xiang, and soon changed his smile again, "Yo, I went back to the Prince's Mansion, you sisters are really affectionate, I didn't know that I thought they were relatives. "

Mai Xiang smiled after hearing this, walked up to the old lady, said hello first, then took out a small wooden box, and said: "Old lady, this is the agarwood wood Buddha bead bracelet that my sister gave me, it came from the palace, and I wear it It is said that it can make people sleep more sweetly at night, I hope the old lady likes it." After Mai Xiang finished speaking, she put it on for the old man herself.

"Well, after all, it came out of the palace. It's really different. Not only does it look round and shiny, but the texture is also clear, and the smell is refreshing." The old lady raised her hand and sniffed it, smiling from ear to ear.

This is an honor that cannot be bought with money.

"Madam, this is also a sachet from the palace. I heard that it is also made of high-quality agarwood. I hope my wife likes it." Mai Xiang put a multicolored brocade sachet in front of Jiang with both hands.

If it wasn't for making a good impression on the old lady, she would not rarely try to curry favor with Jiang.

Jiang took the sachet, hatred flashed in his eyes, and he said with a smile: "Today, I really want to take advantage of my little daughter-in-law to see what the things in the palace look like, and to see the world."

Mai Xiang still smiled when she heard this, took out another box of piled flowers, and said, "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, these are piled flowers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, each of you can choose a pair."

After the women finished choosing the presents, Mai Xiang also gave a box of high-quality Hui ink to each of the three men from the Wan family, and Wan Zhigao's two children were each a pair of newly made golden zizi in the palace.

"This girl is really sensible. It was so easy to go back to the door. We have all the things that your sister Fujin gave you. How is it? How is your family?" The old lady pulled Mai Xiang and talked about the daily life.

Wan Baocai and Wan Chengyao asked Huaici if there was anything missing in his small courtyard, and if he wanted anything, he would tell Jiang.

"If you don't tell me, I've forgotten. Since that's the case, Zhigao's mother, you give Mai Xiang this month's share, and let them start a business tomorrow. By the way, the annual gift money of 50 taels is also included. Give it to her. Also, I see that Mai Xiang brought a lot of clothes, and they are all good materials. It’s a pity to leave them for nothing. It’s better to convert the clothes for the New Year into silver and let them do it themselves. They are young People are willing to wear some new and good patterns. The clothes in our library may not suit their wishes. I don’t think it’s better than this. Even the clothes of the eldest grandson’s family should be converted into silver. In the future, all their clothes will be converted into silver and let them worry about it. Go, you can rest easy, daughter-in-law, would you like to?"

When Kang Yi saw her and asked her, she glanced at Mrs. Jiang, stood up and said with a smile, "It's just according to the old lady. The old lady is thoughtful."

Only then did Mai Xiang know that the masters of the Wan family had four sets of new clothes in a season, plus a set for birthdays and New Years, and a gift money of 50 taels of silver for each of the three solar terms in a year. Not enough to add by yourself.

The highest treatment in the Wan family is the old man and the old lady. Their monthly salary is 20 taels of silver, and they are served by eight maids and eight women. Four maids and four wives, newborn children also have a monthly schedule, before they get married, they are paid two taels of silver a penny, and there are also two maids and two wives around them, and the food standards of the masters are the same.

As for the aunts and aunts of the Wan family, the monthly payment is the same as that of the unmarried masters, except for food and clothes. In addition, each of them has only one maid and one woman.

When the old lady was talking about this with Mai Xiang, the Jiang family had already figured it out, and asked Jiang Wang's family to give Maple Leaf 110 taels of silver plus four slings in front of everyone, because the old lady spoke, Clothes for the New Year and birthdays cost ten taels of silver, and usually five taels. In addition, the clothes expenses of the four servants were also given to Mai Xiang this time.

Mai Xiang looked at Jiang Shi's face with a hidden knife in her smile, and understood that she was not reconciled. What the old lady did was equivalent to depriving Jiang Shi of the opportunity to steal from Mai Xiang. This account is still counted.

In fact, Mai Xiang really misunderstood Jiang Shi, and Jiang Shi didn't pay attention to this little money. Jiang Shi was angry because of the old lady's attitude towards Mai Xiang and Huai Ci, which was what she was most worried about, so At first, she tried every means to drive Huaici out. Who knew, after they got married, the old man insisted on them moving in for three years. Although she vomited, she didn't dare to disobey the old man's wishes.

Early the next morning, Mai Xiang made a list and asked Feng Ye to take the peach leaves to go shopping, and Mai Xiang took the cotinus leaves to go to the upper room to say hello, she still had to do the superficial work she should do.

Fortunately, just after Mai Xiang sat down for a while, the old lady sent her back to cook for Huai Ci, which saved Mai Xiang from being a maid.

Since then, Huaici really closed the courtyard to study.

Apart from going to the house to settle provinces every day, Mai Xiang took a few maids to count her dowry at other times.She first counted all the precious gold, silver and jewelry that did not take up space, labeled them, put them into two large boxes, and carried them to her place of residence, as well as some valuable jade ornaments, antique calligraphy and paintings, clothing materials, Fur, etc., Mai Xiang took them back to her room one by one.

Mai Xiang had no choice but to register and keep those bulky tables, chairs, screens, high tables and other hardwood furniture where they were.

Mai Xiang started to get busy with the New Year's gifts again, busy with accounts, and busy with cleaning up the New Year's gifts from various places. When Mai Xiang just got free, it was the end of the New Year again.

Early this morning, after the snow and the clear sky, the wintersweet in the backyard bloomed even more beautifully. Mai Xiang took a few maple leaves and cut a few branches and held them into the upper room to say hello. I saw that Mrs. Jiang was discussing with the old lady about the New Year's wine and The thing about watching a play.

It was only then that Mai Xiang found out that in order to break into the social circle of the officialdom, the Wan family had specially built a flower hall in their home. There was a small stage in the flower hall, which was also heated by the floor.

"What do you mean Mrs. Pei will really come?" the old lady asked.

When Mai Xiang heard the word "Pei", she hurriedly lowered her head and inserted the plum blossoms into the plum vase, pretending not to care.

"Well, it's hard to invite. She is a third-rank wife, and our master is only a sixth-rank. I also relied on many relationships to get in touch with her. I heard that she likes to listen to operas the most."

"Okay, that's good. Thanks to others, Yao'er can get a good review. Let's see if he can make a move in the spring of next year." The old lady became more and more excited when she thought about it. It would be best if Huaici won a Jinshi again in the spring of next year. It will be more complete.

Thinking of this, the old lady looked at Mai Xiang and asked, "How is Zhiyuan doing now? The food is good, the sleep is good, and the house is still warm?"

"Going back to the old lady, everything is fine. He said that he is in good spirits in the morning, and he will read the book first, and then come to say hello to the old lady and the grandfather in the evening."

"Okay, that's good. You have to take good care of him these days, and you must not catch a cold or get sick."

"understood."

After Jiang heard this, she thought for a while and said, "Old lady, we seem to have missed something."

"What's the matter?"

"It's just that Zhiyuan's daughter-in-law has never returned to the countryside to pay homage to the ancestral hall since she entered the house. It will be New Year's Eve soon. Isn't it inappropriate not to worship this ancestral hall? Besides, Zhiyuan should go to the ancestral hall in the next year. , I should take my daughter-in-law back to pay homage to the ancestors and ask for their protection. Mai Xiang has said all about it. She kowtowed a total of 81 heads last time in Zhiyuan. This time, she has to kowtow no matter what Double copies, right? Only in this way can the ancestors see the sincerity of Zhiyuan and Maixiang’s two children, don’t you think so?” Jiang said unhurriedly, as if she was really thinking about Maixiang and Huaici .

"This?" The old lady looked at the old man.

Although Jiang's reasons are very good, the old lady is still a little displeased. It's freezing outside, so she said she wants Mai Xiang to take good care of Huaici, but now Jiang's nonsense is going back to his hometown to worship his ancestors. Are you going against her on purpose?
These days, she has been in contact with Huai Ci a lot, and she has also observed this grandson carefully. She found that this child is not only smart, but also has a righteous heart, and is also very simple and kind. Just kidding, it's not as naughty as it was rumored before.

As for Mai Xiang's character, Wan Lao knew it too long ago. These two people are not greedy children. Huai Ci was willing to give up everything in the Wan family and run away from home. It can be seen that these two children want to rely on their own abilities to live a good life, and in fact it proves that these two children have done it.

Of course, the old lady likes Huaici, but it is impossible to say that Huaici's status in her heart surpasses that of Wan Zhigao. After all, Wan Zhigao was raised by the old lady. shake.

Mai Xiang also knows the truth that too much is too late, so she didn't try to please Mrs. Wan too deliberately, she just did what she should do, and let the old lady's affection for her seep into her consciousness bit by bit, like warm water Boil the frog.

The old lady is waiting for the answer from the old man. The old man also thinks this is a bit difficult. The theory is that he should go back to worship the ancestral hall. Besides, even if he lives in the city, the men of the Wan family will go back for a few fixed festivals every year .

"Father, why don't we just take Mai Xiang and let Zhiyuan go, it's freezing cold, so it's not safe." Wan Chengyao said.

Seeing that his wishes were not fulfilled, Jiang quickly lowered his head and put away his resentment.

(End of this chapter)