By Jia Xiuzhen

A few people were chatting and joking at Li Wan's place these days, and Madam Yan brought in some women and brought in two big boxes. Two big boxes of books." Li Wan asked to carry them into the study on the east side, and asked Biyue to give him money.

Ask Yan Momo, "How come there are so many?"

Yan Momo smiled and said: "They are in business, because of my brother's temperament, they know these books well, and pay attention to them on weekdays. No, as soon as I said it, they got so much after tidying up."

Li Wan said: "But they have bothered them. I didn't expect that there are so many. Is the money enough?"

Yan Momo said: "Nowadays there are a lot of official books, and what grandma wants is not the Song version. The money is enough. There are many more, I just let them pay attention to other things."

Li Wan nodded and said, "That's very good." Jia Lan couldn't wait any longer, so he asked someone to open the box and take a closer look.

Everyone saw that it was full of ancient notes such as "Changchun Real Man's Journey to the West", "Exotic Records", "Old Stories of Wulin", which is also interesting.Jia Lan had already directed Primrose Green to start placing the books on the shelf in the order he had decided, and took one book in his hand first, and sat on the couch without hearing anything from the window.

Daiyu said: "Lan'er also likes to read these miscellaneous books?"

Jia Lan raised his head from the book and said with a smile: "Although I want to read the classics and history books, I don't know what they are. No one wants to tamper with the explanations of these books. It seems more interesting to say what there is."

Daiyu was even more surprised when she heard this, and said, "How do you say things that you don't know the true colors?"

Jia Lan said: "Mr. said that most of the revision of history is for future generations to revise the previous dynasty, and everyone's description of one thing is different, so they don't know the true face. I read these, talking about beautiful lotus roots, honeydew melons, and pepper seeds. If it’s a loquat, no one wants to repair it.”

Yingchun also laughed when she heard this, and said: "Lan'er really doesn't look like a kid at this age, she's rather weird, but she makes sense when she thinks about it."

Li Wan said: "I can't control him anymore, but these books are all read by old gentlemen outside, so that students and children can read them, so he can read them as he wants."

Daiyu also took a copy to read, it was "Helin Yulu", and found in it that there are sentences such as "Worry about the world in a leisurely place, and you can know the heart of the ancients in tranquility".

Li Wan said with a smile: "I said the most wonderful thing about this note is that it is one person and one face. Like classics and history, the person who writes it and the person who interprets it hides himself. 'Words. In this note, each person has one appearance, one person has one temperament, all between the lines. Some people prefer to talk about the cause and effect of the world, some prefer to pick up the details of the official history, and some like to travel around and record the fashion of the moment. Although they are all fragmented, they feel rich .” After thinking about it for a while, everyone laughed and said that it was so.

Jia's mother didn't think about eating these days, and she didn't want anyone to serve her, so Li Wan left Daiyu and Sanchun to eat together.Today Tanchun went to Mrs. Wang's place to have dinner with Mrs. Wang with Baoyu. Only Daiyu Yingchun and Xichun were left, so Li Wan asked Nanny Chang to go to the kitchen to arrange the dishes.Nanny Chang took the silver and walked outside the big kitchen, only to hear the commotion inside.

As he got closer, he could hear the voices of the two stewards in the kitchen, one was the daughter-in-law in charge of the raw materials, Dai Liang's sister, everyone called her the Tong family, and the other was the one in charge of the pans.Folding baskets are the leftovers from banquets or daily snacks. It is not a big advantage in the kitchen. This woman's surname is Jin.At this moment, I was listening to Tong's family's yelling: "In a blink of an eye, everything is gone, and I don't wait for the superiors to say that they are gathered together before they are scattered. I also ask if I don't know, and I am anxious if I ask more questions. There are so many things. Into the dog's belly?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Jin became anxious: "What kind of dog or cat? Don't be ashamed. You usually prepare ten raw materials for a duck. How come you don't see a dog biting a cat? I'm anxious if I don't pick up this inch of hair." It’s wailing, let me tell you, take it easy, it’s not enough to scratch things all day long, it’s like a mountain is piled up in front of me, and I can’t see others eating candy, so don’t get too dark, abducted No matter how much, you can eat enough in the coffin after you die!"

The eldest son of the Tong family is not in good health, and he is too old to find a job in the mansion.Mrs. Jin is not a timid person either. While scratching, she kept talking endlessly about the coffin and retribution.

Nanny Chang coughed, and said, "Is there someone in charge? Who is in charge of the girls' cooking?" They couldn't stop talking, the steward of the kitchen heard the sound, and hurried out to stop the two of them, and asked Nanny Chang again. Mammy took the money for the meal arrangement, and sent Mammy Chang out again.

Turning around, he said to the two arguing daughters-in-law: "If there is still trouble, our small temple here can't tolerate a big Buddha like you. What is the reason, make a fuss, overturn the dog food bowl, everyone I can't eat it! When the time comes, let's see who can let who go!"

Pointing directly at Tong's family, he said: "Everyone is in charge of his own business. Have you ever shown a little bit of what you have in your hands to give them? Now that you can see that people get some benefits once in a century, you start to do it. It’s really a big trend! You don’t like us here, just go, there’s no way to go to the warehouse, we can’t afford the grandmas who go crazy for a little bit of meat!”

The Tong family relied on the fact that their elder brother was in charge of Curry, but they didn't expect to be so shameless, so they went down crying.The angry steward also had some old grudges with Dai Liang, and even hated to talk about the oil and water coming in and out of the kitchen in front of outsiders, but it was a new grudge.

Nanny Chang would not mention this matter when she went back, and some of the women who came with her would inevitably have their mouths broken, so they began to discuss it in a low voice. "What's so strange about this, it's not caused by the second master's big banquet." The one who spoke was a little girl who had just been assigned to this courtyard and was named Miao'er.

In Li Wan's courtyard, very few families had children, and those who knew how to do it all went to places with oil and water.Anyway, old ladies and wives don't think there are too many people serving Baoyu. Sister Feng is happy to be a good person, so she doesn't stop herself.This Miao'er is the son of a deeply rooted family in Jia's mansion. The family's surname is Qiao, but it is not obvious.

The little girl got a few rose melon seeds handed over by the woman next to her, and she became even more excited: "In this kitchen, it goes without saying that there are people who buy it. Even raw materials are big, and each room has its own rules. How many ducks, how many fat chickens, how many meats, how many are used? The prepared ingredients are not needed, so there will be activities in this area. Go straight to the end of the back street and go south, the 'Minfu Building' 'It is supported by the materials in our house. There are not so many people who are in charge of folding baskets on the table. The owners of each house move a few chopsticks, and most of them are scattered to the people below.

After going down layer by layer like this, the leftovers that no one eats are nothing good.But this time the second master's big banquet invited all the chefs outside, and the list was prepared and the ingredients were prepared, which was also rich.There are a lot of things that our house doesn't usually use, so it's a good way to make a fortune buying them.

Those in charge of raw materials are also waiting, but unfortunately, several chefs showed their skills compared to their stature, and they all made dishes.There are only a few people, how can they use so many, and they are not inside, the housekeeper will follow, even if the old lady doesn't mention it, the second mistress will order everyone to gather and go down.There is no one to take care of it outside, so it will be cheaper for those who wait on the table? "

A woman asked again: "What good things can I get? Those chickens, ducks, and fish are all boiled and cut up. If they take too much, can they eat them all?"

Miao'er laughed and said: "My aunt, you don't know, this time, not to mention the dried razor shellfish, deer tendon and bear's paw, there are some strange ways, for example, the whole chicken is stewed with only the tips of wings, claws, If the chicken comb is put into the dish, then the steamed chicken is considered as leftovers."

The woman heard this and said straightly: "Amitabha, this is all scraps!"

Miao'er said: "That's not true, but after all, it's cooked food. Zheluo can free up some money, and the people who are looking for faults in raw materials are really shallow-sighted. I don't think it's because of money, I'm afraid Which dish I want to eat is not eaten."

All the women laughed, "You little bastard, the master is setting up a banquet, and the servants are the ones who will look after the dishes first! As far as you can imagine, that's something we slaves can eat?"

Miao'er shook her head and said: "The mothers are all honest and on duty, and they don't know about those cunning methods. What can't you eat? Rice with green rice, porridge with rouge rice, fresh venison and pheasant, if you have a master, you can have them with one bite One bite, it’s hard to say, even without the mouth of the masters, they can still keep a bite and a half for themselves!”

Several people hurriedly waved their hands and said, "I can't say this."

Miao Er smiled to herself.Those women said to her again: "It's fine for us, you are a son of a big slave, why don't you eat what we can't eat?"

Miao Er smiled and said: "My old lady said, doesn't everything you eat turn into shit? There's no need to argue about it, I just stay honest until I'm old enough, so I naturally begged my superiors to let me out. Is it strong to grab food from inside?” Some women said that her old mother has a good fortune, but of course some said that her old mother can’t eat grapes.Miao'er didn't care, and went back to wander around the yard after nibbling the melon seeds in her hand.

Inside, Biyue was about to find a little girl to do something, when she saw Miao Er, she beckoned her over, Miao Er stepped forward and said, "What do you want me to do?"

Biyue laughed and said, "I can't find anyone here, and I discussed with the girls about eating Chengsha Mint Cake and Tiaotou Cake, and you took the money to let the kitchen buy them."

Miao Er said: "This cake is not made in the kitchen, it is bought outside, why bother to let them sell it? Why don't I buy it outside."

Bi Yue said: "You're a child, how did you get out? And we don't know which one is good outside."

Miao Er laughed and said: "My sister sent me to do it. I have my own way. If the purchase is not good, sister can just punish me."

Biyue was a little happy to see Miao'er's little girl, so she took out a purse with plain face and pink powder and handed it to her, saying, "Okay, I don't care at all, we only have this few money , you just buy me half a catty each. The rest will be rewarded to you." Miao Er took it and put it in her arms, and went out with a jump.Biyue went back to her room to greet Siqi Ruhua and the others.

After a short meal, Miao Er came back, carrying a small bamboo basket the size of a lantern, and handed it to Bi Yue.When Biyue took it over to look at it, there were five or six neatly packed octagonal bamboo shells inside, and said, "You hoof, didn't you lead someone to rob the dim sum shop?"

Miao'er laughed and said: "Because my sister said too much, she rewarded me. It was too much, so I asked for a few more. This Nandian shop can be counted on these streets. Try it."

Bi Yue said: "You can't go out either, I'm afraid you have to entrust someone else to buy it, which makes me feel embarrassed."

He casually pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and said, "I'll give this to you." Miao'er had heard that there were some unusual materials in the grandma's house, so she glanced at the pink and thin silk handkerchief in front of her, she didn't reach out, and smiled Said: "Sisters don't know the market outside. You can buy forty or fifty eggs for one penny. My sister gave me two hundred coins. I bought all the expensive ones and there are still fifty or sixty coins left. My sister's par I don’t dare to ask for another child, and my sister will assign me another job in the future, and if I do well, my sister will reward me.”

After hearing this, Biyue felt that the little girl was even more interesting, so she stuffed the handkerchief into her hand and said, "This handkerchief is not a valuable thing, but this material is only available in our yard. I'll give it to you to play with, I want you to have a piece of it." Said that we also know some things outside, and I will use you more in the future." Miaoer heard this, and Fang accepted it, only to feel that the handkerchief was very smooth, and thanked Fang happily for the reward. .

I talked about it with Suyun and others at night, and sighed: "The strange way is that the kitchen is a big business. We usually order whatever we want, and we are not stingy. Give us one or two hundred yuan, and they will give us two packs of pastries." .It’s not everyday food, who really cares about this. Xiao Miao’er said this today, darling, how much is the difference. I thought to myself, there are few in our yard, and grandma doesn’t like them very much. What's more, there's more than enough food from the village, so what about the others? There are so many people, this kitchen is really going to make a fortune!"

Mother Chang couldn't help laughing out loud when she heard this, and pointed at her and said, "This wood can be regarded as a bit of a trick, but it's still wood after all. Do you think everyone is the same as in our courtyard? Don't say anything else, look at the old lady. How many families in the yard have children? Not to mention Zhou Rui’s and Wang’er’s in front of the wife and second grandmother. Anyone who wants anything can go to the kitchen to ask for it? Usually they are bought by people close to them.

Even the girls also sent their own nurses to nurse their brothers.Look at grandma buying books, isn't it because Yan Momo personally went to find her natal brother?Who doesn't know the tricks bought in this mansion, but the rules handed down from the ancestors, those few rules can't be escaped.They bought unsatisfactory ones that they couldn't use, so who would argue with them?

But it's going to cost you extra money.This kitchen is special, grandma needs to prepare some dishes, and we can't get around in the yard, so we can't get around it.And we don't have much money after all, and we don't hold any big banquets.A total of dozens of taels of silver over the course of a year, and they earned it all, and it's not worth anything. "

Suyun also laughed and said, "Biyue was shocked by Miaoer's account. Normally, I only get two packs of cakes for two qianqian, but today I got five or six packs, which is all good. Miaoer even said it herself It's a lot of rewards. Only we Biyue can't count it, if we count that piece of handkerchief, it's a big loss!"

When Biyue heard Suyun teasing her, she just pursed her lips and stared at her fiercely, humming: "Usually, you can cheat as much as you can, this little girl made it clear to me, she shouldn't Reward her? Besides, we generally don’t lack anything.”

Mother Chang said: "I heard some women talking today. This Miaoer belongs to the Qiao family and has been born in several generations of families. It's hard for her old lady to let her come to our yard. We are not here. The place that everyone's slaves like."

Yan Momo said: "I'm afraid they want to find a safe place to stay until they are old enough to beg to be released."

Nanny Chang listened and nodded: "That's right, it seems that there are some people in this mansion who don't climb high."

Yan Momo said: "It's been several generations of old people, what can't you see through? They climbed high and fell hard." They chatted a little more, and they left after Li Wan and Jia Lan greeted and washed up.