By Jia Xiuzhen

In the midst of winter, Miao Er returned to her home in the backstreet one day, her mother happened to be at home, and wondered: "The runaway in broad daylight is here, but he is really being manipulated out of proportion!"

Miao Er hurriedly went up to grab her mother's sleeve, and said crisply: "What, I heard the lady at the door said you were at home, so I just exchanged with someone for a long time and came back."

His mother didn't spare her, and said: "Don't be sloppy with me, didn't you just take a break a few days ago? You have changed with someone for half a day so soon, you are going to take a break for this year! It's only big Grandma Bodhisattva-like person, try another place? There is Xie who is a slave, I have never heard of it!"

Miao'er flicked her mother's sleeves, and was also anxious, saying: "Oh, I'm the one who doesn't know how to block me without asking questions! I'm so anxious because there is nothing wrong with it."

His mother calmed down a little after hearing this, and asked him: "What's the big deal? You, let's grow some snacks. Last time I brought snacks for the big girls, I offended the cook. What's the matter?" Keep your eyes open all the time, don't yell and know everywhere."

Miao Er wondered: "No one knows about this, I asked my second elder brother to buy it, and I won't tell anyone except those older sisters."

Her mother sighed, and said: "In this yard, the matter of the master can't be hidden from anyone, let alone a little girl like you? If you help others, can you get some benefits? No one will see the benefits? If you don't tell me No one knows? Well, even though our family doesn’t want to be a big slave, we have to wait until the day we can be released safely.”

After hearing this, Miao'er rolled her eyes to think about it, pressed her thoughts, and said to her mother: "Okay, my mother! I will only be out for a while, and I just listen to your nagging." He took out a small purse, stuffed it to her mother and said: "Today, the eldest grandma will give us a reward for the next year. We have several people in one room, and I don't worry about leaving it there. You can keep it and save it for my brother to marry a wife." .”

Miao Erniang took the purse and asked: "The rewards for the next year have not been distributed yet, where did you get it first?"

Miaoer turned around to pour tea, and replied: "Hey, this is not from the public school, it is given by the grandma alone. Grandma said that this year is very busy, there are many things, and it is not easy for everyone, so I will give you some New Year's greetings first. flowers."

Miao Erniang opened her purse to look, sighed, and said, "Didn't you confuse other people's money? How can you, a little girl, have this money? It's worth your monthly money for a year!"

Miao Er drank the tea in her hand, smiled and said: "Not everyone is the same, sister Biyue told me secretly, among the little girls, I am the first one. Others have it too, just less than me .”

After hearing this, Miao Erniang hesitated and said: "What did you do? You are so valued by the eldest grandma? Our family is all honest and errands, and we don't like stealing, adultery, and trickery."

Miao'er shook her head and said, "Mother, where did you think! Grandma's yard was originally short of manpower, and those who are rough are not counted, but the real masters and slaves in the yard are only a dozen or so, five taels of silver, from our point of view It's too much, when does grandma add food and don't give it to the kitchen for one, two or two."

Miao Erniang glared at her and said, "What a mess, I don't know what you want to say."

Miao Er said: "What do I want to say? I just want to say, this five taels of silver, how can I tell that Grandma values ​​me? It's just that Grandma let Sister Suyun Biyue and a few nuns watch and give it to me." Mother, grandma is different from other people, she doesn't care much about money. For example, in our yard, only Suyun and Biyue are big girls who hang money. The second-class girl in front of grandma is now serving Brother Lang, and she is still a second-class girl.

Look at Baoyu again, there are seven or eight big girls who hang a penny in a room, I don't think the big grandmother has ever cared about this matter.Although Sister Primrose Qingyu is a second-class girl, who cares about the little girls in our yard calling them Sister?Take a look at the clothes you wear, every single one is rewarded by grandma on weekdays. "

After a pause, he lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the money that the grandma gave to the mother-in-law is enough to buy a house outside!"

Miao Er Niang was stunned for a while, and murmured: "This grandma's hands are too loose."

Miaoer smiled and said: "Mother, what are you talking about, grandma's brothers, sisters-in-law, relatives and friends, how many things are brought in in a year, even the master and slaves are just a few people, how can there be enough to eat. Hmph, some people are greedy. Hot eyes are useless!"

After hearing this, Miao Erniang came back to her senses, patted Miao Er and said: "Stop talking about people's right and wrong!"

Miao Er curled her lips, took out a handkerchief to wipe the tea, and said to her mother: "I just came here to give you the money, and I'm going back now."

Her mother said: "Didn't you change your job for half a day? What are you rushing back to do?"

Miao Er smiled and said: "Oh, mother, you don't know, next year our yard is busy collecting things, I can't miss the excitement, maybe I can get some fresh rewards." Then she walked out, she After hearing this, Niang couldn't help spitting: "Be less frivolous!"

Just as Miao'er left, her mother was about to go back to the house to put away the money, when someone behind her said: "Hey, Miao'er is not on duty today?"

Miao Erniang turned around and saw that it belonged to Yu Xin's family, she conveniently stuffed her purse into the armhole, and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, are you free today?"

Yu Xin's family glanced at Miao Erniang's cuffs, and said with a smile: "Hey, what are you hiding, what good things Miao Er brought to honor you."

Miao Erniang pulled out a handkerchief from the armhole, and said: "Where is there anything to hide? The little girl has shallow eyelids, so she ran back with a handkerchief. But, I don't know this material."

Yu Xin's family came closer and took a look at the veil, and said to Miao Erniang: "It's just a silk handkerchief, but this kind of silk handkerchief is not common. It can be seen that Miaoer is a filial person, every piece of handkerchief is thinking of you, why not Like those in my family, it’s fine if they don’t miss me.”

Miao Erniang said: "Oh, what you said, no one in this whole street knows that your sons and daughters are promising, and the face in front of the master is unmatched by others. You, please be content, and keep doing this. How can we people live?"

Yu Xin's family laughed and said: "What can we have, but if we take care of the monthly regulations in the temple, how dare we compare with the ones in the bank warehouse, let alone the companions of wives and grandmas?" Yes, that is the scenery."

Miao Erniang smiled and said: "That is, that is something we can't even think about."

Yu Xin's family listened, curled their lips, and said: "Hey, it's really nothing. This slave is not in the eyes of the master, and he is not far or near the master. The most important thing is to be able to do things for the master." Erniang glanced at her, raised her chin and continued, "You must be able to handle the important matters of the master."

Miao Erniang echoed, "That's right, how about a confidant?"

Yu Xin's family licked their hair, and said with a smile: "The treasury is just some dead things. The monks of today have all eyes and hands. Who doesn't recognize them, and doesn't know anything? My wife is a Buddhist, how much?" After everything was settled, they entrusted them to the wife. We just happen to be in charge of this situation, so there is nothing wrong with it.”

Miao Erniang didn't know what Yu Xin's family was doing all of a sudden, she didn't know how to respond, Yu Xin's family suddenly changed the subject and said to Miao Erniang with a smile: "Look at me, what are you talking about? It's showing off."

Miao Erniang hurriedly said: "Where are these profound things, if you, sister-in-law, don't tell us a few words, we will never be able to figure it out for the rest of our lives."

Yu Xin's family smiled even more when they heard this, and said, "Hey, I'm here to inquire about things with you, but it's off the mark. Well, the youngest girl in my family is old enough to work as a servant. Spoil her, no, I want to find a quieter place for her. Your family Miaoer is in the yard of the grandma, so I will ask you about it."

Miao'er's wife knew the reason for her visit, she thought about it and said: "Miao'er is just a little girl, so she doesn't know what's going on in the yard. From what she said, she only said that the master and the big girls are kind and have not suffered any grievances. The others don’t know.”

Yu Xin's family smiled and said: "Don't fool me, now that Grandma is well-off, is there any benefit in working in that yard?"

Miaoerniang smiled and said: "How can a little girl like Miaoer talk about the benefits with you, sister-in-law! I don't know what's going on now, but suddenly I talked about how the grandma used her power. I think, no matter how great the grandma is, she can compare Going to the second mistress? How great is the dowry, can it be compared with the wife? You can tell the eyes of the old lady and the master, how many big girls are Baoyu, and how many big girls are Lang Geer? I really don’t know what to say.”

After hearing this, Yu Xin's family suddenly realized something, gritted their teeth and said to Miao Erniang: "Fortunately, sister, you are a real person! You are not! I asked why so many people have been talking about Grandma's yard in front of me recently. How good is it here, I dare to let our girl make a hole, don't make money with others. I'm a pig head!"

He waved at Miaoerniang, and said: "I can't wait like this, maybe they are working hard somewhere. Oh, I'm such a pig brain! Big sister, you are busy, I will go now." Said Walking back and forth, he continued to hate curses all the way.Seeing her walking away, Miao Erniang touched the purse in her sleeve, sighed, and thought, as long as there are benefits, there will be no safety.

Let's say Miaoer went back to the yard, thinking about what her mother said about the kitchen, thinking about it, Biyue naturally wouldn't talk about this matter with the girls, at most she would talk about it with the nuns .The nuns are old and fit, and the trick is not to be taken seriously.Then who spread the matter to the outside world?That day, I went directly to the second gate and asked my second brother to buy it. Without the help of others, even if someone saw it, I didn't know what happened.

After such a circle, only the people in my own yard are the most likely. Thinking of what her mother said about "getting the benefits", a flash of inspiration flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel discouraged—I got Biyue's veil that day. The little girls in the same room saw it, and she seemed to say, "It's a reward for my sisters to buy some experience."Thinking of this, I really want to slap myself——let you show off!She was thinking about something, and entered the room she usually lived in, and was about to lie down for a while, when she saw Xiaoyan, who was in the same room, come in.

Seeing Miao'er lying in the room, Xiaoyan hurriedly said to her, "Sister Biyue has been looking for you several times."

Miao Er hurriedly stood up, and said: "Ah? Today, Jing Er and I switched half-day monthly rest, sisters don't know?"

Xiaoyan said: "Now that I know, I can still find you!" Miao Er didn't have time to defend herself, she went to look for Biyue.

Seeing her coming, Bi Yue smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not looking for you to work."

Miao'er breathed a sigh of relief, and said: "It's good that I didn't delay my sister's affairs, didn't I get the reward today, I can't rest assured anywhere, I exchanged a half-day monthly rest with Jing'er, and I will go back and hand it over to my mother."

Bi Yue laughed and said, "Since you've been changing for half a day, why are you back now?"

Miao'er was embarrassed, and whispered: "No, I'm afraid I'll miss some excitement..."

Biyue giggled, handed her a small package, and said: "You are really lucky, I got a lot of materials this year, cut clothes, and the remaining two pieces are just enough for your size, here are you Right. There is still a piece of leather inside, you asked your mother to make you a vest to wear, it will be warm."

Miao'er took the package and didn't know what to say. Biyue smiled and said, "What do you look like? I don't need anything, and I don't have any brothers or sisters. Just keep it for you. What you do, there are a lot of things to do next year, so it’s better for your family to do it and still catch up with it this year.”

Miao Er sniffled and said, "Thank you sister."

Biyue narrowed her eyes with a smile, "Go, go, today uncle and lord are sending new year presents, we have to clean up." Then she turned and went in.

Miao Er raised her red eyes and murmured: "I have to go home again."