By Jia Xiuzhen

This year's summer was hot early, and soon after entering the summer, I felt that the sun was working hard.Mrs. Wang asked Sister Feng to put up the ceiling as soon as possible. Sister Feng had to clean up the old things from the old curtains, and make a list of those that were insufficient or damaged and then purchased.The people in the whole house changed their clothes and the windows of the houses, and they were very busy.However, it is the big festivals of the May Festival and the summer solstice, and it is also the day to settle accounts with the shops, so I wish I could have a few more hands.

Li Wan was an idler, and as the days grew longer in summer, he led Suyun and the others to redo the interior furnishings, and distributed summer materials to make summer clothes for everyone.Jia Lan doesn't like being popular, but prefers blue and green, so Li Wan has no choice but to let him go.Ge yarn, banana cloth, cotton yarn, etc., the makeup and floral yarn are fragrant and colorful crepes, which are cut in different ways.

From the end of April, I began to prepare things for the May Festival. The spiders, mantis, and phoenixes made of spun yarns were made into phoenixes, sapphire and agate were taken to make insect and fish jewelry, and calamus, angelica, and herb were ground and wrapped in silk Make a sachet.Suyun, Biyue, primrose, and green scorpion are even more varied to make colorful gourds. The cherries twisted out of bright red satin are brighter than real ones. They are threaded with colored threads and hung on the head of the hairpin together with small horned rice dumplings and embroidered tigers. Or worn on the waist, each is interesting.

On the day of May Festival, Li Wan first took all kinds of playthings and sent them to the girls' rooms, and then came out to pay respects to Jia Mu.On the wall of Jia Mu's main room, there is a silk screen with a dragon boat showing auspiciousness. The potted flowers of wormwood, the sea water pattern of Su Maliqing, and the incense of calamus burning in the big incense burner.There are also gourds hanging upside down outside each door, for "dispersing poisonous gas".

The Celestial Master Talisman sent by Qingxuguan early in the morning was even pasted on the hall on the first day of the first day of junior high school.Everyone gathered, or damselflies on their heads, or incense beads on their lapels, colorful longevity threads on their wrists, and children all tied colorful gourds, looking at each other, so interesting.

The Ya Sheng on Li Wan's head was different from others, several green emerald rice dumplings wrapped in silver thread the size of fingertips, moved and swayed between movements, attracting people's attention.When Daiyu and Sanchun came, there were phoenix-lins on their heads, or spiders, mantis, cicadas and scorpions, as well as gourds and fruits, which were lifelike, ingenious and lovely.When Jia's mother asked, she said that the elder sister-in-law sent someone to send it in the morning. Knowing that it was done by Li Wan and several people in front of her, she sighed for her ingenuity, so she called in and gave her a reward.

Baoyu was wearing a long gown of silver-red soft silk with wide sleeves and embroidered Wurui folded branches. When he saw people's hairpins with pomegranate flowers, Fang hated that the color of the clothes could not show the flowers, so let the hairpins reach the top of the crown.Jia Lan was with Li Wan today, wearing a double gauze gown with apricot red five blessings and dark flowers painted with tiger patterns, a dragon boat sachet with five poisonous purses hanging on his waist, colorful longevity threads tied on his hands, and even the chiseled flowers on the collar around his neck. The pattern of calamus and wormwood is decorated with a vivid treasure-embedded spider underneath.The spider was so lifelike that Xichun came over to take a closer look.But it was Li Wan who took it out from the bead world, and it was naturally lifelike. It was really refined with five-color sand spiders, absolutely warding off evil spirits.

Mother Jia is getting old, and she still loves the scene of prosperity and excitement. Dongfu originally arranged a banquet to invite the old lady to go to the garden, but it's really hot this year, so it's all right after all.

While Zhang Luoxi was having a meeting, a little girl came in and said: "I said earlier that the palace gave the old lady a reward for the Dragon Boat Festival. Everyone has arrived. Let me go and thank you."

The people became more and more happy when they heard this, and they were busy waiting for Jia Mu to put on high-grade make-up. The incense table was placed in front, and the eunuch announced the decree. medicine.Thanks for your kindness, Jia Zheng took the father-in-law who came to announce the decree out to drink tea, and then sent it out in person.

There was a banquet in the mansion, and dozens of kinds of zongzi were bought and made by the chef with all their strength, and they were piled up on a large silver plate half a foot long to form a mountain of zongzi, and placed on the big table.The servant woman also sent up a small bow less than one foot and arrows as long as a finger, but they were used for "shooting rice dumplings".

Everyone took bows and arrows to shoot, and he ate the one he hit.For a while, some people wanted to eat salty but shot sweet ones, or some loved archery but didn't want to eat it. The children played and laughed endlessly.

Calamus wine and realgar wine were served again. Jiamu dipped ebony silver-inlaid chopsticks into the realgar wine and drew the character Wang on Baoyu's forehead, but Li Wan painted the one on Jialan's forehead.Because zongzi is made of glutinous rice, which is not easy to digest, Yuanyang took an oily sand zongzi for Jia Mu, and strangled it into several pieces with cotton thread. Jia Mu only picked a corner to meet the occasion.

He also asked Daiyu: "This zongzi smells fragrant, but it is not easy to digest. There are five poison cakes today, so you can eat that." Sister Feng toasted Jia Mu with calamus wine, and peeled another plate Zongzi with mushroom and mung bean paste respects Mrs. Wang.

Seeing Baoyu joking with Daiyu, he said to him, "What are you still doing with us now? Hurry up and find your second brother Lian. They're discussing going to see the dragon boat race."

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang asked, "Where is the dragon boat race?"

Jia Mu also said: "The capital is no bigger than the south, and there is no big water surface. How can you win the dragon boat race?"

Sister Feng laughed and said, "I don't know why they made a fuss. It is said that there are some races and willow shooting in the forest garden on the west side this year. The second master will go with the elder master."

Jia Mu nodded and said, "I'm afraid it's the excitement in the palace."

Sister Feng said: "We really don't have anywhere to go shopping here. I heard that the female relatives of the Southern Province will also have to take a boat to play today."

Li Wan said with a smile: "I know something about it. The southern painting boats are divided into official passenger ships and hall passenger ships, and that passenger ship is specially set up for the female family members. The female family members' sedan chairs went straight onto the boat and went inside, with curtains on all sides. There is a single room at the back, which is very clean and tidy. During the Dragon Boat Festival, the female relatives take a boat trip on the lake, and often return at dusk."

After hearing this, Sister Feng said with emotion: "It's a pity that we don't have such a saying here."

Jia Mu said: "It's easy to settle on the water. The whole boat is full of female relatives. It's quieter than the land when it's strictly guarded. But Beijing doesn't have such a large water surface, and there are no picturesque boats. To put it bluntly, there are really picturesque boats in the south. Very particular." Looking at Li Wan again, he said, "I'm afraid you know that too."

Li Wan got up and said with a smile: "yes, the large painting boat can have two or three storeys of attics, surrounded by embroidered neon flags, with drums, music, flutes and sheng inside. It will cost millions of dollars to decorate the dragon boat alone. Because you can't Mixed with the smell from above, it is necessary to follow the big boat spoon to cook or follow the instructions. There are also special installations of pavilions and story decorations. Although it cannot be compared with the former, the cost of juggling and playing is tens of thousands of taels. Most of them are What the local wealthy merchants have done, but now I don’t know if it is still so extravagant.”

Sister Feng said: "How does sister-in-law know so well? When I was young, I raised a boy and played around with me, but I don't know this."

Jia Mu laughed and said: "You only know how many ideas and things. Our family is only a middle-level family in Beijing, and we can't compare with those aristocratic families in rich places. Your sister-in-law's grandparents were river stewards and salt taxpayers. Yes, how do you compare?"

Li Wan laughed and said, "It's all happened so many lifetimes ago. I saw this boat painting when I was very young when I went out with the old lady at home."

Mrs. Wang said: "It turns out that the customs of celebrating festivals are quite different in different places."

Jia Mu nodded and said: "Mostly it has something to do with the atmosphere of the earth. Where there is water, boats are built, and where there is no water, there are other games."

Li Wan said: "Speaking of this, one year my father's students sent gifts for the Dragon Boat Festival. Several of them were prepared by their own old servants, and they didn't inquire about the local customs. They just followed the methods of their respective hometowns. Needless to say, the zongzi was returned. There was someone who delivered garlic, and I later learned that in my hometown, garlic is hung in front of everyone’s door on May Day.”

Everyone was amazed when they heard this, and Jia Mu said, "We laugh at people's incomprehension. Don't you know that we are going to their place, and our actions are also very incomprehensible." Get something.

After the banquet, Sister Feng led several daughters-in-law to gather their things and then scattered them with the people in the house.Li Wan took Jia Lan back to the courtyard, and Primrose Green took a few girls and mother-in-law to prepare "Baicao Soup" for bathing.The medicinal materials were sent by the imperial hospital. This May is an evil month, and there is a saying that "boil all kinds of herbs to avoid sores and boils".People who don't have access to the medicinal materials from the Tai Hospital also have their own bath medicines prepared by the mansion.

Jia Lan soaked in the bone-strengthening and marrow-filling Chi Mei Zhuang bath potion, and the herb soup didn't feel any effect, but children like to be lively, and seeing everyone like this, she couldn't wait to take a bath.

Li Wan cleaned up for him once again, and then let others play with him.When he came back, there was something extra around his neck. Li Wan told him to take a closer look. It turned out to be a duck egg with a green shell inside a silk thread net. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Who gave this to you?" Jia Lan He said: "It was Yan Ming who hung it up for me. He said to hang it up for fun first, and then eat it when you get tired of it. Now it's not salty, and you can eat it with your mouth." Li Wan knew that it was a southern custom practiced by Madam Yan, so take a closer look Once, he smiled and said, "This duck egg is quite handsome."

Suyun and Biyue laughed, and Jia Lan was even more proud, saying: "I picked it myself, I'm no more stupid than others." Biyue said: "Only grandma and brother can see the beauty of a duck's egg. "

Jia Lan didn't agree after hearing this, and said: "It can be seen that you can't learn embroidery well. You can't even tell the difference. How can you know the subtleties? No matter whether it is a chicken or a duck egg, no two look the same. Take a closer look. You can really tell the difference between handsome and ugly."

When Biyue heard that Jia Lan was talking about her embroidery work again, she just gave him a look and then ignored him.Jia Lan looked at her, shook his head and said, "Young children can't be taught."

That sour look is actually quite ten.Li Wan nodded his nose and said, "Is that how you get things for nothing? Among other things, this network is not easy to make up."

Jia Lan said: "The things on my body are not interesting. I just wanted to ask my mother to share them with others." Li Wan thought for a while and said, "You are a child, and it is not appropriate to give others, so let's share some with us." Give them some food. You should get tired of eating some of these zongzi." Turning around, Suyun asked Suyun to fetch some preserved fruits and sweets, and asked Jia Lan to take them to share among others.

I said that Li Wan now has another joy for the severe cold and heat. In fact, the century-old sun and moon in the Pearl Realm have neither fleeting years nor four seasons.

So he became more active, and first set up a bluestone fish tank in the front yard. The whole piece of bluestone is carved out, the size of a tabletop, half the height of a person, and shaped like a lotus leaf. The whole body is naturally mottled and unpolished. Anyone who sees it will say something. Wild interest.There are dozens of small fish in it, but the length of the finger is short, the red ones are crimson, the black ones are like ink, and there are a few silvery and bright fish mixed in.

The algae whose thin leaves spread out like pine needles are also specially picked, and spread on the bottom of the water like soft waves.There are several stones of different shapes beside the fish tank, which are made of the same material as the fish tank, and only the tops are cut to balance, which are for children of Jia Lan's height to stand on.

There are also pottery pots of different sizes placed around the courtyard, such as young pines and cypresses shaped like pens, ginkgo and sycamore trees that are not as thin as the wrist, and tea maple ingots with a slightly whirling state. The tallest is no higher than the eaves, just like a bonsai garden.

In the backyard, besides a few pots of Four Seasons Bamboo, there is a layer of velvet grass in the courtyard. The grass filaments are so fine that they are like a velvet carpet when stepped on.There are also intricate periods of tuberose, mirabilis, and phoenix hosta, which add a bit of summer vitality.

In the early morning, I put bamboo chairs and rattan couches in the courtyard, watched the little maidservants playing in the courtyard, sat around and cut up apricots in the evening, listened to the fish splashing the water, watched the flowing clouds, and laughed and talked.