Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 313 Pregnancy

When the old lady saw Huaici, she didn't know what to say. After thinking about it, she had already explained to Mai Xiang why she came, so she found a reason and left.

Huaici sat down, took a look at the banknotes in his purse, and said with a sneer, "They are all quite generous."

"What's the matter?" Seeing that he was still upset with the bank note, Mai Xiang asked.

"When we transferred the ownership today, the old man gave us the title deed of two thousand acres of land in private, and said it was to compensate me. Everyone is very smart, and they all want to buy me with money. Let me not hate them, let me Thinking of the Wan family's good, but afraid of hurting their sweetheart Wan Zhigao's heart, so I can only do these tricks behind the scenes."

"I said, why are everyone rushing to give us money? What about them, we take as much as we give, and we know what to do anyway."

Mai Xiang took the old lady's purse and counted it, and there was actually 1 taels of silver notes. After doing this calculation, not counting the split share, Mai Xiang actually got an extra 6 taels of silver notes plus two in the past two months. For a thousand mu of land, Mai Xiang calculated the general ledger, and with the addition of the split and married shares, Huai Ci also got about 12 taels of property from the Wan family, which was much more than the two expected.

"Forget it, so they didn't treat us badly. We will move out tomorrow. We should build this private school quickly so that we don't delay our going out."

Mai Xiang stretched herself, she always felt sleepy and tired these days.

Three days later, Mai Xiang, who had just returned to Huangye Village, was reading the books of the publishing house on the kang, when Liu Huilan came over.

"Master, I have some good news to tell you. The script of "Dream of Red Mansions" is selling really well, and the version of the novel is about to come out. Is sir at home today?"

In the past two years, the Cao family has relied on manuscript fees and sharing, and the family has become much richer. Cao Xueqin is still the same as before, busy every day to see the poor, go out with a bag to chat with others, collect materials, or go to the mountains to watch See Cao Fu, and occasionally live in the temple for a few days.

"Here, dunmin brothers are here today, drinking and having fun with your husband at home, that's why I came to you to talk to you."

As soon as Mai Xiang heard that the two brothers had come, she stopped thinking about going to Cao Xueqin.

"Master, Mr. has finished writing his book. What plans does he have recently? Will he write a new book?"

"Still writing? It took him more than ten years to write this book. He said that he is still not satisfied and needs to revise it."

"Huh? Still changing? But I've already published a book." Mai Xiang didn't expect Cao Xueqin to be so persistent.

"It's okay, the book is for others to read, but when he wrote this book, he didn't think about publishing it, otherwise, he wouldn't let others play with it and leave these comments. He said that the current state of mind is the same as when he wrote it. When I was writing the book, I was poor and poor, so the writing in my pen is naturally a little different. At first, it was for rushing to submit the manuscript, but now that I have time, he carefully deliberated on "Zhiyanzhai Re-evaluation of Stones."

When Mai Xiang heard this, she suddenly thought of something, and asked: "Master, it is said that novels follow two lines, one bright and one dark. For example, Shi Taijun, one is the old lady of the Duke's Mansion, and the other is allusive Queen Mother, where do you think Rongguo Mansion and Grand View Garden are based?"

"Well, the Rongguo Mansion should be the palace, and the Grand View Garden seems to be the Old Summer Palace. I know he always goes there when he has nothing to do. Do you think ordinary people can have such a big place?"

"Then Mr. is also very familiar with the palace?" Mai Xiang remembered that the book described the directions of each courtyard in Rongguo Mansion very carefully, and later generations of red scholars often argued about this.

"Mr.'s family has so many people who work in the palace. Besides, when this book was written, King Pingjun was still there. He studied in the palace since he was a child, grew up with Lord Kangxi, and later became the companion of Lord Qianlong. , What else does he not know?" Liu Huilan saw that Mai Xiang was married, and she didn't shy away from some things, because after all these years, she knew that Mai Xiang was a person who understood the importance.

"Hehe, Mistress, I have another question. Don't be angry. Is the prototype of this attacking person Mistress?"

"You naughty bastard, you're making fun of Mrs. Shi's head."

"Master, I'm curious. There are not many women in this book who have a happy ending, except for Xiren and Hongyu."

"I can't say this well, it should be considered, I didn't tell you, this is a novel, not an autobiography, but this Jiang Yuhan does have a bit of your husband's shadow, and the second master Yun, your husband is in the south. He likes to watch operas and listen to operas, and he also learned some secretly. Later, when his family was defeated and he was very poor for a while, he secretly went outside to sing operas and make friends with opera actors. Later, his uncle found out, arrested him, and locked him up at home. It got better after a meal."

"What about Yun'er?"

"Isn't Yun'er's family just a widowed mother with a son? Life is very difficult, and I want to find something to support my mother. This is the situation when my husband was down and down. Of course, these are artistic images, not real life. Besides, this book was originally adapted from "Fengyue Baojian", "Fengyue Baojian" was originally written by my uncle, so sometimes the relationship between characters is a bit confusing, big and small, so don't go to the right place, Not even me." Liu Huilan laughed.

Mai Xiang laughed and said, "No wonder I always feel that there are some things I can't understand."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this, I heard that you were separated from the Wan family, what are your plans in the future?" Liu Huilan also knew that Huaici's reputation might not be preserved.

"Wait until the imperial decree comes down. I heard from the prince that the emperor will be spending the summer in Xiangshan. This year, because of many things, I didn't even go to Chengde. However, I have thought about it. When the weather is cooler, if the fame of Xianggong is really gone. , we plan to go to the south for a turn, and come back in three or two years."

"South?" Liu Huilan repeated, longing for it.

"Why don't you go with Mrs. Mister? Didn't the master promise to take us out for fun that year? Why don't we ask him to cash it?" Mai Xiang became interested. She knew that Liu Huilan was from the south, and she followed Cao's family to the place when she was a teenager. I haven't been back since Beijing, and it is impossible to say that I don't want to.

"Why is it so easy? He is a bannerman. Bannermen have to report when they go out. It's okay if the time is short, but it's not allowed after a long time. By the way, you have been married for more than half a year. Why haven't you heard anything?"

"Miss, even you ask this?" Mai Xiang had a headache, and in the past few days after returning home, Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Qian, and Mrs. Sun often pulled her to ask this question.

"Don't be ignorant, how can a mother not care about this?" Liu Huilan poked Mai Xiang with her hand.

"Isn't that what you said? I've asked this girl so many times, but every time I'm impatient, and I don't believe her." Mrs. Zhao entered the door.

"Mother, how many times do I have to say, this kind of thing just goes with the flow, isn't Fifth Aunt also a child who has been married for more than two years, how old am I?"

"Bah, let me tell you, if you can't give birth to a child, my uncle will find a younger one. When you cry, my uncle's conditions are so good. Is there anyone you want to find?" Mrs. Zhao hated iron but steel .

"By the way, do you need your husband to take your pulse for you? Was your last menstrual period normal?" Liu Huilan also took it to heart after hearing Zhao Shi's words.

There is no man who doesn't like three wives and four concubines. No matter how good the relationship between husband and wife is, it won't affect him from marrying a concubine.

"Message?" When Mai Xiang heard this, she suddenly felt something was wrong.

This month, she was busy with Liu's funeral and moving. She seemed to have forgotten her menstruation, and her menstruation itself was not very regular.

"Could it be that you already have it?" Liu Huilan saw Mai Xiang's surprised expression.

"It's unlikely, I didn't react at all." Mai Xiang shook her head.

"This varies from person to person. I'll ask your husband to come over and feel your pulse." Liu Huilan was about to get up as she spoke.

Mai Xiang hurriedly pulled her back, and said with a smile: "Ms. Ma'am is too impatient, Mr. is drinking now, don't spoil his spirits."

"Then you are wrong. Your husband needs to know, he must drink a few more glasses. I have to pull him over before he is drunk." Liu Huilan hurried away after speaking.

Within 5 minutes, Cao Xueqin's laughter was heard.

"Girl, I heard that I'm going to be a grandfather?"

"Godfather, the horoscope hasn't been written yet, it's my wife's wishful thinking." Mai Xiang blushed.

Cao Xueqin sat beside Mai Xiang, and Mai Xiang stretched out her left hand.

Mrs. Zhao stared at Cao Xueqin without blinking, for fear of missing an expression, Mai Xiang looked at her so funny that she couldn't help laughing.

"A person of this age is still naughty." Cao Xueqin knocked on Mai Xiang's head, and grabbed Mai Xiang's hand again.

After holding his left hand, he held his right hand again, and said with a smile, "I'm really going to be a grandfather."

"No way, I don't have any signs at all." Mai Xiang was really surprised, she didn't expect to have a child so soon, so her plan would definitely change.

"Really, oh, great, great." After speaking, Mrs. Zhao ran out like a gust of wind.

After walking a long distance, Mai Xiang could still hear her voice: "The child's father, the child's father, you are going to be a grandpa, you are going to be a grandpa."

"Be more careful these days, the fetus is generally unstable in the first three months, and you are young, so try to move as little as possible." Cao Xueqin glanced at Liu Huilan after finishing speaking.

"Understood, I told her a few words later, by the way, where is uncle?" Liu Huilan remembered now, she hadn't seen Huaici for a long time when she came in.

"He's gone to the publishing house. He's building a house and preparing to build a private school there. There's a shortage of people. He's been busy recruiting people these two days. Also, I heard that the sample version of Mr.'s book has come out. He's going to proofread it in two days. It’s time to go public, and the partners in Nanjing are still waiting for samples.”

"It just so happens that this kid is idle these days, so I leave all these things to him, and you just take care of him." Cao Xueqin laughed.

He never felt how important this fame was. On the contrary, he was not very willing to deal with people in the officialdom. He always felt that people who were officials had a worldly air, and even a talented man like Ji Xiaolan couldn't avoid it.

Mai Xiang smiled and was about to speak when Ye Dafu came in with a cane.

(End of this chapter)