Daiyu of the Red Chamber raised a cat

Chapter 226

Seeing that Xueyan was still frowning, Daiyu looked sideways at her.Xueyan didn't notice, she still frowned, Daiyu tapped on the table with her fingers, Xueyan raised her head.Daiyu asked her, "You're in a daze, like a goose, what's going on in your mind?"

Xueyan chuckled: "I didn't think about anything, but I still don't understand something, I beg you to clarify your doubts." So she bowed very solemnly, and pointed to the two shops, "Most people who buy pens, inks, papers and inkstones are scholars, although they say 'Everything is inferior, but reading is high'. The children of rich and noble families are all well-read poetry and books, but there are also some poor scholars who wear simple clothes. It is understandable. But the antique shops are not always poor, how to dress Is it that simple?"

"You girl, you don't know anything about poetry and books, but your eyes are quite sharp!" Taking a look at Xueyan, Daiyu laughed and scolded: "What do you know, just talk like that! There are many scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the associated elegant style prevails. The richer the person, the simpler the dress, which is called elegance and purity; the lower the status or the poor and suddenly rich, the more they like to wear red and green, and everywhere they pass, they smell like copper. Do they have to wear all of them? Those who wear gold and silver are the ones with noble status? It’s just that I look down on myself in my heart, so I plunge into those filthy things like gold and silver to find a sense of security. I feel that I’m superior to others, but I’m just deceiving myself, what’s the point!”

Xueyan showed a stunned expression: "So that's the case, I have learned a lot."

Daiyu said again: "Even today's noble homes and scholarly gates teach their children to be frugal and simple. Only those upstarts show luxury everywhere. The mansions are piled with gold and jade, and the clothes are inlaid with jewels. The body is beautiful and the scenery is boundless, if you flaunt it out, it will make people laugh."

Hui'er covered her mouth and pushed Xueyan quietly: "Did you hear that? The upstarts only wear gorgeous clothes. I advise you, don't wear those red and green clothes in the future, you will make people laugh when you wear them!"

Xueyan clenched her fist angrily and beat Huier, saying: "Sister Huier, you are making fun of me again!"

Daiyu was still engrossed in looking at the painting, and had no time to pay attention to the banter among the girls.Her eyes rested on a sycamore tree with a green crown, where a woman was concentrating on spinning under the tree, while the second and third children were playing, chasing and laughing, all holding candied haws in their hands.The child is only the size of a soybean grain in the painting, but the depiction is exquisite, and even the candied haws are vivid and lifelike.

"Miao Miao Miao!" Daiyu couldn't help admiring.

At this moment, a little girl poked her head at the door, Hui'er called someone in and asked what's the matter.It turned out that Yingchun came to visit with her children.Daiyu carefully put away the calligraphy and painting, and ordered Ren Haosheng to put them in the study.

Not seen for many days, Yingchun is a bit plump than before, wearing a light pink long skirt, a double-breasted gown of the same color, and a light purple half-arm gauze overlay, with a woman's hair bun, followed by a nanny, a maid and others.After entering the house, Yingchun stepped forward from the nanny, and showed Daiyu the baby in her arms.The little baby girl was wearing pink clothes, a little hat, and gold locks and amulets around her neck. She was like a dough ball. When she saw Daiyu, she smiled and stretched out her arms to hug her.

Such a small person, with such clear and harmless eyes, with a pouting mouth, and innocent appearance, Daiyu's heart and liver turned into a pool of spring water.

"How old is it? Can I go?" Afraid that she would drop the child due to her inexperience, Daiyu didn't dare to hold her, so she just held her pink and tender little hand in the nurse's arms, "Sister Yingchun, this child's hands are so soft , feels so comfortable."

"Children's hands are like this." Yingchun said with a smile, "This girl is one year old, and she can walk a few steps with support." Then she took the child from the nurse and put it on the ground. Giggling with joy, she walked towards Daiyu staggeringly with her hands open, grinning to reveal the upper four and the lower two, a total of six rice grain-sized teeth and pink gums that have not yet grown teeth.

Yingchun said: "This girl is very careful. She is afraid of falling, and she has to be supported before she can leave. Zhuo Zhou grabbed a bundle of embroidery thread. Her father said that she would be a virtuous and virtuous woman in the future. When she was one year old, her grandfather gave her a gift. She took a name, Yurou."

Daiyu teased her with a piece of hibiscus cake, and the little girl asked for it with open arms, but tremblingly, she walked five or six steps by herself.

Yingchun was very surprised, she didn't have time to speak, so she hugged her daughter in surprise, touched her small face and said: "Rou'er, you will leave by yourself!" Then she looked at Daiyu, "Rou'er will leave by herself."

Daiyu smiled and said, "I see." She patted the little girl's head, "Little Rou'er is a smart child."

Rou'er, who was being discussed, stuffed hibiscus cake into her mouth with a blank expression.Her mouth is small, and the hibiscus cake is big, so she couldn't stuff it in. Daiyu smiled and broke off a small piece for her, fearing that she would not be able to digest it after eating too much, so she handed the remaining half to Huier, and let her take it out. In case Yurou sees it and clamors to eat it again.

After playing for a while, Xiao Yurou rubbed her eyes in Daiyu's arms, Yingchun said she was sleepy, and asked the nanny to carry her to a separate room to nurse her and then coax her to sleep.Daiyu ordered people to serve tea and fruits again, and sat down with Yingchun to talk.

Xiuju gave birth to a girl half a year ago, and she has been raised as a serious concubine, Yingchun said: "Fortunately, she also gave birth to a daughter, otherwise, the eldest son would have been born before the first son was born, and it would be a joke to spread the word."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Sister should also work hard to have an eldest son as soon as possible."

Yingchun blushed at the words, lowered her head for a long time, raised her face shyly and said in a low voice: "My husband treats me very well, except for the days in the study, most of the time in a month stays in my room. He also said that the mansion Seriously missing a son-in-law."

Daiyu said: "This is naturally very good."

Huier brought a plate of horseshoe cake, saying that it was newly made by the two new chefs from Jiangnan in the small kitchen, and brought it for the girl to taste while it was still hot.These two cooks were left to Daiyu by Li Xu before he left. They said they were very good at Jiangnan pastries, and their skills were no worse than those of the royal chefs in the palace.Daiyu had eaten the red bean cake they made last time, it was sweet and glutinous in the mouth, very fragrant, and had an endless aftertaste. She expected that the horseshoe cake made this time would also be delicious, and urged Yingchun to try it soon.

Yingchun liked it very much. She ate most of the plate of horseshoe cake by herself.

Daiyu ordered the kitchen to make more, and brought a box to Yingchun later.

When the two talked, they naturally talked about Shi Xiangyun.

Yingchun tells Daiyu that Shi Xiangyun is with Cuilu now.Cuilu was an infatuated person, and begged the scholar who bought her to sell ten acres of fertile land to collect 100 taels of silver, and added another 100 taels to buy Shi Xiangyun.Now Shi Xiangyun lives in the scholar's house, not only does she not let her do any clumsy work, but Cuilu also takes care of her every day, just like when the house was not raided.

Daiyu said: "What kind of status and what kind of life are you living? If you don't know how to adapt, I'm afraid it won't last long."

"Who says it's not." Yingchun pursed her lips, "A few days ago, Cuiyu came to my house to ask for an interview, and I met her temporarily. She cried when she saw me, and said how hard life was, and complained that the scholar was stingy and couldn't give me money. She lived in a luxurious life, and complained that Xiangyun couldn't understand her, and she was so downcast that she still held the airs of a young lady. Cuilu said that Xiangyun had a cold, and it cost a lot of money to ask doctors for medicine. It’s still not good now, saying that my mouth is tasteless, I want to eat candied fruit and nuts, my family has no money, and the scholar doesn’t care, and my eyes are swollen from crying. Alas, I have no choice but to spend 50 taels of body money I saved on weekdays I gave her two denarii."

When Daiyu heard this, she remembered how Cuilu came to her a few months ago, so she simply told Yingchun, "The last time Cuilu came to beg me, I helped her deal with the bully who threatened to buy Xiangyun to torture her, and then I didn't care much. It turns out that Cuilu begged a scholar to buy Xiangyun. Xiangyun is a family member of a guilty minister, so it is not a bad place to end up. She and Cuilu are both excellent needleworkers. Besides, the scholar is also an honest person. Since she married Cuilu, for Cuilu's sake, she will definitely return Xiangyun to free herself in the future. It would be good if she could marry a Qingbai family. If you are rich, you don’t want to cherish the present, for fear that it will be bad in the future.”

Yingchun said: "I think so too, but, they are on the edge of their horns, and I'm afraid it's useless to persuade them."

Daiyu said: "Their path is their own, and my sister has done her best. If Cui Yun asks her again, she will help her if she can help, and if she can't help, just refuse her. Sheng Mi is kind and Mi Qiu, and if there is nothing, she will help out. An enemy is coming."

Yingchun narrowed her eyes slightly, pursed her lips, sighed softly, and said, "That's exactly the reason."