Flowers on the other side [Comprehensive Red House]

79

Time passed the first month without knowing it.

When Daiyu arrived at Rongguohou's Mansion, she went in and out with Yingchun every day, and adapted well.At the beginning, Daiyu refused to accompany Yingchun to deal with family affairs in the morning, so Sister Feng went directly to Daiyu and said earnestly, "Cousin Lin, do you still have memories of what happened when my aunt was alive?"

Daiyu nodded, and a trace of sadness appeared on her small face.

"Does your mother deal with housework every day? Is she in charge of the relationship between the house and the outside? Monthly reconciliation with the shopkeeper in the shop. Every spring, she should pay attention to Zhuangzi's planting, summer should pay attention to the growth of the farmer, and autumn should be calculated. Chuang Tzu's harvest, the twelfth lunar month still has to check the ledger with Chuang Tzu?"

Daiyu thought that her mother was as busy as she told Sister Feng, and from time to time she also participated in banquets between officials and family members.

"Women play piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and hops in their natal family. From now on, they have to take on the responsibility of being the mistress of the house. The seven things of opening the door, daily necessities, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, all have to be carefully considered. When I was two years old, I took it with me to teach these things. In Jiangnan, girls can get married at the age of 15, and girls in Beijing stay longer, no more than two years. There is only one kind of people who don’t need to know these things, cousin Want to know?"

Daiyu nodded. From the bottom of her heart, she didn't like to cook common things.

"Women who are concubines - concubines who have no personal freedom and concubines who are under the banner of good concubines. The former have no chance to be taught by these stewards, and the latter are opportunities that the mistress will not give concubines to intervene. In the eyes of the mistress, a concubine who can make a man happy and spend time with him, no matter if it is bought by a good family, is a vixen who wants to divide her own children's father's love and family property. They are also playthings. To win the man's favor When the man is overheated, or old and decrepit, obedient, like Aunt Zhou of the second room, like an invisible person, keep it, and show a virtuous face. It was your mother back then , there are also a few concubine sisters, where are their biological mothers? Have you heard of my cousin? My sister-in-law said that I was jealous, so my cousin should remember. But when Big Brother Zhu passed away, she also wiped out all the people in the house As a concubine, when there is no man to back her up, it is something that the mistress can handle. Let’s not talk about it, let’s talk about Yingying Yanyan from the old man’s yard. Before moving to this Hou’s mansion, the old man didn’t want If you want it, don’t you sell it to the eldest wife. For a girl, if she doesn’t want to be the housekeeper’s mistress, she can only be a concubine who doesn’t care about the house, which one will my sister choose?”

Daiyu turned pale, "Sister-in-law, can't you leave it to the housekeeper?"

Sister Feng raised her voice and called Ping'er, "Bring the account book from the Lai family."

Ping'er brought three thick account books.

"Cousin, take a look, this is something confiscated from Lai's house. Not counting the ones sent back to the mansion over there, the ones that fell into the hands of my sister-in-law are worth 20 taels, and this house, shop, and Zhuangzi. In the capital, A family of five can live comfortably on a hundred taels of silver a year. The Lai family has worked as slaves for 50 years. To be able to accumulate such a fortune is not counting their family being surrounded by servants like Jia’s mansion every day. Expenses. How did you get this money? The Lai family is a housekeeper. A housekeeper who can handle everything."

Daiyu flipped through the ledger, the more she looked at it, the more surprised she was. She somehow knew that there were some things in Jia's mansion that were not easy to get along with, and she also heard the maids muttering that the silver hair was getting later and later. When can't hear.

"Sister-in-law, how much money does the mansion over there cost in a year?"

Sister Feng felt relieved that her words were not in vain. "About ten thousand taels a year."

Daiyu raised her head, stared at Sister Feng and asked, "Sister Feng, how much is the thing my father left behind?"

"Let's say less than 200 million."

Daiyu laughed, "So much? Why does the second wife still say that the money is not enough, and the maid also murmurs that the silver hair is getting later and later?"

"Cousin, most of the things your father left you can't be cashed in. The second wife is reluctant to sell those treasures. The biggest expense in the mansion is the palace. The second wife gave Yuan Chun to be a maid, and climbing up step by step is all silver. Heaps of them. Those eunuchs are used to Rongguo Mansion’s money so they can get it easily. They would borrow money every now and then, and they would pay hundreds of taels. The second master is just the fifth-rank chief of the Ministry of Industry. Waiting for gray income is very little, his salary for one year is not enough for him to treat those Qing customers to a few drinks. The mansion just counts on the crops of Zhuangzi's shop to live, most of those are handed over to the housekeeper to assign people to take care of them, here, just Get rid of this rich man from the Lai family."

"Sister-in-law, I really don't like it."

Sister Feng said to herself: I don't like it either.I like my original life, I can do whatever I want.I still have to say: "Even a sage can't do something he doesn't like and just don't do it."

Daiyu's face darkened.

"Cousin thinks, if the in-law's family points out that they can't be housekeepers and drives them back, or points out this point to consign their wives to be concubines, will my cousin accept it?"

Daiyu shook her head.

Sister Feng went on to say: "Even if the husband's family doesn't drive people away, but I don't know how to manage the finances, I will be bullied by the slaves. Just like before your big sister Ying, why did her nanny dare to steal her things? The woman in the kitchen dared to steal her things." Neglecting her? Why is Tanchun's nanny silent? She doesn't know how to manage things, and to put it bluntly, she doesn't know how to manage people. If she doesn't manage people, her husband's family will not give power to a new daughter-in-law, and she will have no status in her husband's family , and then those slaves who claimed to have served them for several lifetimes came up to bully them. Do you want slaves to bully you? Like your big sister Ying, who stole almost all of the girl's jewelry from her."

Daiyu shook her head, she had heard a little bit of the harsh words of the Jia family's slaves.

"Then the eldest sister didn't study there?"

Sister Feng sent everyone away, "Miss Lin, you're getting older, I'd better tell you something. Since the old man of Rongguo passed away, the mansion has kept a filial piety for three years. I only got a first-class general who was demoted to attack the noble. He stayed at home and didn't dare to go out to attract attention. The second master Enyin became an official from the fifth-rank Ministry of Industry. It's a pity that the second master doesn't have the temperament to delve into it. The old lady saw that the men in this family could not be counted on, and also saw that the Zhen family was so prosperous because of Zhen Guifei's success, she moved Yuan Chun's mind to enter the palace. Yuan Chun has been in the palace for many years, and finally got the title of imperial concubine , but after all, she is getting older, and it will be difficult to have a son and a half. Yingchun's cowardly temperament is the most suitable for entering the palace to give birth to Yuanchun."

Daiyu covered her mouth in horror.

Sister Feng put her arms around Daiyu's shoulders, patted her shoulders, and said, "For this family to live well, it's not just the men who have to work hard outside. Sometimes, women's sacrifices are also necessary. If only women rely on it, it won't work." The old lady's plan can't be wrong, she also wants the Rongguo Mansion to survive this period of hardship. When Brother Zhu was alive, he studied hard day and night, hoping to revive his family. It's a pity."

The two were silent for a while.

"Then the second sister doesn't need to enter the palace now?" Daiyu asked cautiously, showing her concern for Yingchun.

Sister Feng couldn't answer Daiyu's question directly, but she was very pleased with Daiyu's concern for Yingchun.Knowing that others are good to you, and knowing how to care for people who are good to you, Jia Amnesty's plan, and the contributions of myself and Jia Lian will not be in vain.

"The Tian family drafts every few years, depending on the mood of the Tian family. Girls below the seventh rank, including common people's families, enter the palace - they can only participate in the small election, like Baochai, who participate in the small election. Well, let’s start with the palace maids. Girls from official families with seventh rank or above are usually women who participate in the draft, and powerful people can usually find connections and apply for exemption. My sister-in-law applied for exemption at the beginning.”

"Then why is elder sister Yuan a palace maid?"

"At the time of Yuanchun, it was because when she was 12 years old, there was a draft in Tianjia, and she was not old enough. She was not selected when she was 15 years old, and she was not selected when she was 16 years old. I heard that when she was 17 years old, The Tian family didn't plan to draft a draft either. In the end, they were afraid of being overage, so they entrusted someone to enter the palace through the small selection route."

Sister Feng drank her saliva, and then said: "There were rumors before the Chinese New Year that there will be a draft this year. If the master dares to marry your big sister Ying in advance, not only will you not be able to keep your big sister Ying, but you will also lose the whole family. Five All the officials and eunuchs above rank stopped getting married years ago, and no one wants to be recorded today. If they can be exempted from the election, the master will definitely do it."

Sister Feng pulled Daiyu closer to her, "Today I'm a narrow-minded person who will get revenge, remember. Don't tell anyone."

Daiyu covered her mouth and nodded.

"Sister Feng, is it too late for Big Sister to learn how to be a housekeeper?"

"It's late, it's too late. Your big sister Ying will be sixteen soon, and some girls of that age are already mothers. When you arrived at Jia's house at the age of six, I was already the housekeeper."

"Then, then I learn now, is it too late?"

"It's not too late. Your birthday next month will only be 12 years old. It's just right. You should learn from your elder sister Ying first, and then I will explain everything to you when my sister-in-law is more agile."

"Thank you sister-in-law for teaching me." Daiyu saluted respectfully, and Sister Feng accepted Daiyu's gift calmly.

Sister Feng, having spent all this time talking and convincing Daiyu, hurriedly greeted Feng'er, "Send Cousin to Eldest Miss. Cousin is willing to learn, so tell Eldest Miss to teach her well."

Feng'er responded with two little maids to send Daiyu back to the flower hall where Yingchun was in charge.

Sister Feng let out a long breath.Originally, I thought that I would have to enter the palace for a draft in the early March of the Spring Festival. There were two cousins ​​of the Zhang family and some helpers.Now we have to move, but fortunately we have made it clear that Daiyu will go to learn. I hope such a smart person can get started faster.