By Jia Xiuzhen

The time has passed for Xiaoxue, and one day Hu Po suddenly came to Li Wan's courtyard to invite someone, saying that the old lady and the master had discussed about Lan Ge'er's study, and asked Li Wan to take Lan Ge'er there.Li Wan asked Mammy Yan to change Jia Lan's clothes, and took the maids and mothers to the upper room.Jia Lan was wearing a fragrant cotton robe with dark flowers, a frosted gown with pea green embroidered with folded branches and bamboo patterns, and a blue hooded shirt with short velvet boots.Li Wan was wearing a large stone-blue cloak, and it was not very cold just after the late hour.

When I arrived at Jiamu's place, I greeted you and sat down.Jia's mother said to Li Wan: "today, your master told me about letting Lan Geer study with Baoyu. He said it clearly and logically. I thought how Lange could go to school because he was so smart. I'm afraid he was bluffing." It’s not enough to buy Baoyu, and even Brother Lan has to toss about it. I just called you over, and I’ll ask whose idea this is.”

Li Wan hurriedly got up to reply, and said: "Brother Lan told me a few days ago that the master asked him if he would like to study with Mr. When this matter is over. Now that the old lady said so, this kid has always been eccentric, why don't you ask him yourself. "

Seeing that Lan Geer is a small person, sitting next to Li Wan, and listening to the adult's speech attentively, Jia Mu also found it interesting, so she asked him, "Lang Geer, but your master told you to go to school? If you want to study?" , I can’t get up in the morning, and I can’t do my homework well, but I will be beaten!”

Lan Ge'er stood up and replied: "Old ancestor, Lan'er wants to study with my husband. It's really no fun to stay in the house all day. My mother can only read characters, but can't understand books. If you can study with your husband, you don't have to worry about it." Damn me. Lan'er can wake up in the morning and finish her homework, and if she doesn't finish, Lan'er will accept the punishment."

Jia Zheng was overjoyed when he heard this, and said, "Okay, I have some ambition."

Mrs. Wang slightly raised her eyelids, but said nothing.

Jia Mu looked at it and said, "Since you are going by yourself, you mustn't be naughty. It's almost Chinese New Year now, after Lantern Festival, you can go to school with your second uncle Bao."

Jia Lan quickly agreed.Jia Zheng said to Jia's mother again: "I tested him a few words that day, and I have finished all the basic studies. After entering school this year, it is good to study the Four Books with Baoyu."

Jia Mu glared at him and said, "This is such a good boy. If you hadn't pushed me, I would not be willing to give up Baoyu. Count how many times he has been sick in the past two years. He is already weak. You don't have to rush." Jia Zheng had no choice but to answer.

After returning, Li Wan asked Jia Lan: "Are you really thinking about going to school? One hour in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, one day off every ten days, can you bear it?"

Jia Lan said with a smile: "Mother, this is the rule elsewhere. Our family rests once every five days. Uncle Bao is not in good health. In fact, he sleeps more. It is common to miss classes in the morning, and in the afternoon Two hours is not enough. The master said that Second Uncle Bao doesn't like the Four Books, he only reads the characters and doesn't like to listen to the lectures, but listens to a few more sentences when he talks about the Book of Songs and Yuefu."

Li Wan looked at this eloquent little Douding, and couldn't help feeling anxious, and said, "Lan'er, you have to know that you know more than people of your age, and you learn faster. But since ancient times, there is a saying 'Mu Xiu Yu Lin, the wind will destroy it'. Mother is not pointing at you to become famous, as long as you are safe and happy."

Jia Lan nodded and said, "Mother, don't worry, I won't compete with Uncle Bao. I just need to learn some knowledge at ease."

Li Wan patted his head, "Just remember."

On the second day, Sanchun came to Li Wan's place. Yesterday, he knew that Jia Lan would study with Baoyu after the new year. He was curious, so he came to have a look.They all prepared the things of the study as a gift.Jia Lan thanked them one by one, and Li Wan let everyone go to the big kang in the east room.Xichun sat down, drank tea and said with a smile: "Even if sister-in-law's place is warm, I want to move in with sister-in-law."

Li Wan said with a smile: "They are all ordinary smoked cage charcoal basins. I'm afraid the fourth girl didn't come here for warmth."

Tanchun said: "The fourth younger sister has always been thinking about the tea and fruit snacks from sister-in-law, and the mandarin fish pot last time. Now when it comes to eating and drinking, the fourth younger sister must talk about sister-in-law." Li Wan was even more happy, "Then we have to Come often."

Yingchun asked Jia Lan, "Lan'er, are you really going to study?" Jia Lan nodded and replied, "Yes, the old lady and the master let me study with Uncle Bao during the Chinese New Year." Tanchun said: "Study is very hard. Yesterday Baoyu heard that you were going to study with him, and asked us to save you."

Li Wan said with a smile: "When the time comes, you can't take it any longer, so don't cry to me. I asked you to tell it yourself yesterday."

Jia Lan said: "Second Uncle Bao is afraid that I was captured by the master, and I would be bored to stay in the house all day long. Wouldn't it be a good thing to be with Uncle Second and learn from Mr.?"

Tanchun laughed and said, "It's possible to learn from Mr. Baoyu, but it's not necessarily true to be with Baoyu. Baoyu has a headache when he hears the word Mr. "

After hearing this, Jia Lan nodded and said, "The gentleman is lonely by himself, so it's good for me to accompany him." Everyone was very happy when they heard this.

Xichun said to Jia Lan again: "We are also studying, but unfortunately you are in the study outside the second door, and it will be inconvenient to ask you to play."

Jia Lan said: "Isn't there a rest day, and the meals are all eaten inside. If we get something new here, I will let Primrose to inform my aunt."

Yingchun then said: "By the way, Lan'er is studying outside the second gate, so I need to find some young servants who can use me."

Tanchun answered: "You have to look for it carefully. Those who follow Baoyu can't be skinny, but he is not calculating. He doesn't know how much his belongings have been won by those skinless and shameless people."

It was getting dark early in winter, and Yingchun and Tanchun were about to leave. Xichun looked at Li Wan eagerly, and Li Wan said with a smile: "Si girl, it seems that I haven't had enough fun with Lan'er. If you stay with me for dinner, you won't It's early, you can think about it."

Xichun immediately asked Ruhua to tell the old lady that she stayed at the sister-in-law's place for dinner today.Li Wan said: "Let me go with you, it's almost time for the old lady's dinner." He left Biyue and Yanmao in the room to wait on her, and brought along Suyunchang and the others. They went to Jia Mu's place together.

After hearing the report, Jia's mother said, "the fourth girl and Lan'er are similar in age, so they can play together." Then she asked Yuanyang to order the kitchen to send Xichun's case to Li Wan.

After Li Wan served Mother Jia's meal, on the way to Mrs. Wang's courtyard, she gave some instructions to Nanny Chang to go back and make arrangements.Mrs. Wang is a vegetarian today, so she only asked Li Wan to serve soup and let her go back to eat.Li Wan also felt strange sometimes. According to the past, Mrs. Wang was easily upset and very difficult to please. These days, there are many things she does that don't please her, but she doesn't make any noise. I really can't figure it out.After returning to the courtyard, he ordered the meal to be served, and then entered the east room first.

Jia Lan and Xichun were happily reading storybooks. Seeing Li Wan come in, Jia Lan said, "Mother, Fourth Aunt also likes my books. I have finished reading and lent them to Fourth Aunt."

Li Wan said with a smile: "Your books are all pictures, but they take up space, so you can't move them in a box? Why don't you ask your fourth aunt to pick up a few books and go back to read them. If you have free time, come here. Anyway, after your year I just went to school, and my wife is going home in the next few days, and you just happen to be my companions, so that I won't have a headache from you."

Xichun was very happy to hear that, and said: "That's great, I was thinking that sister-in-law's place is warm and fun, it's better than anywhere else, now I'm getting old."

Li Wan said: "The old lady said that you and Lan'er can play together, but remember to say hello to the old lady when you come to leave a meal." The mothers and maids who followed Xichun should be busy.

For a while, the meals are served, in addition to the individual dishes, there is also a casserole for soup and a high pot.Li Wan said to Xichun: "It's winter, and it won't be cold if you eat a little bit of warming and tonic food. This is stewed lamb with astragalus and angelica. It doesn't have a strong medicinal taste. You can eat a little even when you are young. What's in this high pot is The crispy pot is the taste of Jiaodong, and there are many good things in it, so you can try it."

The medicinal materials used in the mutton stew were all taken by Li Wan from the raw material room in Zhujie, and they were hard to find outside.The crispy pot, because Jiaodong has both sea and land ingredients, the inner ingredients are also very rich. Layers of delicacies from mountains and seas have been cooked on a small charcoal fire for half a day, and the aroma is overflowing when the pot is boiled.Take a closer look at the ingredients, chicken, duck, pig, sheep, abalone, ginseng and belly. Although there are not many of them, they will slowly form a big pot when squeezed together.The soup was even thicker and fresher, and everyone ate it with joy.

Every year in the mansion, there are annual offerings of bear's paws on the Zhuangzi in the north, and they are mostly reserved for the banquets of distinguished guests.It is not easy to stock up seafood and river seafood, and there is no custom in the mansion to eat them. They are entertained outside or occasionally, but they are almost never seen in the inner house.

Xichun was very curious about the abalone, how could there be such a fish?Li Wan said: "This was originally called flatfish. Although it is called abalone now, it is different from what it refers to in the abalone shop. This thing has existed since ancient times, and Wang Mang of the Eastern Han Dynasty was addicted to eating this thing." Withdrew the meal, Li Wan asked again The few people below ate the crispy pot that was less than a third gone, and seeing Suyun Biyue also went to eat with a happy face.

In addition, tea was brewed to relieve indigestion and greasy, and a juicy fruit plate was served.Xichun drank tea, and said to Li Wan with eyes blindfolded: "Sister-in-law, it's great for Brother Lan to have a mother. No matter how cold it is outside, the room is really warm and interesting. It's so comfortable that I don't want to go back." Mammy's expression changed upon hearing this.

Li Wan put his arms around her and said: "What's the matter, you can eat as much as a little person. Come here anytime in the future, don't worry too much, I love you here as much as I love Lan'er." Xi Chun He laughed happily after hearing this, and the people who followed were also relieved.

After all, I didn't dare to wait for long, and several nuns came up to resign.Li Wan thought for a while, took Xichun's cloak and put it on her, took out a piece of jade peanut the size of the tip of a thumb from his sleeve, and said to Xichun: "This is something I had when I was young. Lan'er is not suitable for my brother. Just give it to the fourth girl."

After saying that, she hung it on Xichun's neck. Xichun felt a burst of warmth rippling from her chest. She quickly took the jade in her hand and said to Li Wan, "Sister-in-law, it's so warm. It's too rare. I can't have it." .”

Li Wan patted her and said: "I keep this thing here. You're only a good man. Don't freeze you in this cold wind. I'll wear it for you. Don't you think it's my sister-in-law's thing?"

Xichun hurriedly received the coat, and smiled so much that her eyes narrowed and said, "When I come here, I will be as old as my sister-in-law's stuff, so I dare not come here."

Li Wan said happily: "What a silly girl, she can get things without exerting herself."

Nurse Chang smiled and said, "Miss Si, our grandma is someone who has experienced it. When we are at home, Mrs. Tai loves grandma and always gives things secretly. Our grandma can't wait to grow up in Mrs. Tai's house."

Jia Lan poked his head over from the side, took out a jade walnut from his neck and said to Xichun, "Fourth aunt, look, I think we are the most similar." Everyone burst into laughter.

After that, Xichun often came and went, needless to say, even half of the daily dinner was served at Li Wan's place.Yingchun saw it, and no one blamed her for coming here occasionally.Mother Jia was also very happy to see that their aunts and sisters-in-law were in harmony, and said to Yuanyang: "Your eldest grandma was originally a dull gourd, and the second and fourth girls don't talk too much. Now they prefer to gather together, but the gourd has a meeting."

When Yuanyang spread the word, Sister Feng also made fun of Li Wan.Li Wan's wealth is unusual now, and he feels sorry for Yingchun Xichun, who lost his mother when he was young. His father didn't care about him, he thought of himself, and he showed more affection for the two of them. The two sisters also put Li Wan in the place of Yangchun As a good place to cool down.