Edge of the Red Chamber

It is the time when peaches and plums compete for beauty.

On this day, the weather was fine, Lin Daiyu and sister-in-law Lu Huixian had nothing to do, playing chess in the house.

"Grandma, there are visitors at home, and they have already got off the car outside the door." Xiangluo hurried into the house to find clothes while talking.

Lu Huixian was holding the chess piece and wanted to keep it. Hearing this, she paused, put the chess piece back into the box, stood up and asked, "Which one is here? Why didn't I hear it beforehand?" Nuange, remembering that Daiyu was still there, turned her head and asked, "Sister, will you rest in my room for a while or go back?"

Lin Daiyu got up and said, "My sister is here to entertain guests. I'll go back first."

Because Lu Huixian was in a hurry to go out to meet the guests, she said, "Then I won't see my sister off," because she then told Hongxiao, "I'll take care of you." Hongxiao responded crisply.

Lin Daiyu walked for a while, and because she asked Hongxiao what time it was, Hongxiao said so, and said, "It's time for the old lady to finish reading the scriptures. Let's go and make trouble with the old lady." After that, he went straight to the plum garden. .

Danruo and Xiangluo had already prepared their clothes, and when they saw Lu Huixian coming in, they hurriedly waited on and changed them, Xiangluo said, "I just said that she is the eldest girl of the Zhang family, I don't know exactly, and I don't know which family it is. Before I came back, I left Fu Rong to inquire about it, I'm afraid I should return soon."

Lu Huixian was still in Xiaoli, because she was meeting guests, she just changed into fine clothes and wore a few silver hairpins to dress herself up. Furong came back and stood outside the bead curtain to answer.

The one who came was the eldest daughter of the former Zhenjiang county magistrate, named Zhang Feng'e.

This Feng'e is from Mrs. Xu, the first wife of County Magistrate Zhang. This Mrs. Xu also comes from Xu's family in Ping'an Prefecture. Speaking of which, she is the old lady's nephew.

County magistrate Zhang was dismissed because he was involved in a case of selling illegal salt.Mrs. Chen is the step-wife he married later, she is the meanest person, and has two sons and a daughter. She has always disliked Zhang Feng'e, the wife of the main house.This Mrs. Chen has one more thing, that is, she can do everything. Zhang Feng'e is harsh openly and secretly, without any taboo, and she is not afraid of gossip.At this moment, County Magistrate Zhang lost his official position and was ordered to return to his hometown. Mrs. Chen was unwilling to take Zhang Feng'e with her, and wanted to give it to someone as a concubine.County magistrate Zhang thought of Mrs. Xu's gentleness and virtuous behavior in the past, and couldn't bear it for a while. After thinking about it, he was reminded of this case.

Mrs. Chen has nothing to say, but she deeply hates why Magistrate Zhang didn't think of this relative earlier, maybe this disaster can be avoided.

Fortunately, County Magistrate Zhang was not really confused, he didn't ask Mrs. Chen to send Zhang Feng'e over, but sent it over by himself.

Just after Furong finished speaking, there was a noise from the bamboo curtain outside, and a little maid said, "Miss Zhang is here."

Lu Huixian hurriedly stood up to welcome the outside, and saw an eleven or twelve-year-old girl walking in.

This is Zhang Feng'e.

Seeing that one of them was dressed in soap, she knew it was the eldest grandmother. Zhang Feng'e hurriedly bowed down and called her sister-in-law.

A goose-yellow double-breasted gown with a moon-white pleated skirt tied underneath.The clothes are fine clothes with exquisite workmanship, and the materials are also good materials, but it's too early to wear jackets on such a day.I also saw Zhang Feng'e shy and shy, she had never even raised her head when she entered the door, and she looked like she couldn't get on the stage.

Lu Huixian sighed inwardly, she is also a miserable person.

Seeing that although she was cowardly, she knew how to be polite, so she liked it a little, and hurried forward to hold Zhang Feng'e's hand, not teaching her how to be polite.

"Sister, you don't need to be too polite. When you get home, you will be just like yourself."

After finishing speaking, he pulled Zhang Feng'e to sit on the Luohan bed, and sat opposite each other to accompany him.The servant girl brought tea, fruits and snacks, gave tea and snacks, then ordered Dan Ruo, "Go and have a look, see what the old lady is doing at the moment."

After finishing speaking, she turned her head and smiled and said to Zhang Feng'e: "Don't be surprised, the old lady is devoted to the Buddha now. She spends six or seven hours in the Buddhist hall out of twelve hours a day. She loves girls the most. Our family There is also a younger sister who is younger than you. Normally, the old lady loves her the most. Now that you are here, she also has another companion, and the old lady doesn't know how to be happy. "

With the temperament of an old lady, and Zhang Feng'e's situation, Lu Huixian reckoned that this person would definitely stay.

After a while, Dan Ruo came back and said: "I just went back as a girl, and I didn't want to go to the old lady's place. The old lady is happy now, so grandma and Miss Zhang go there quickly, the old lady is waiting."

Lu Huixian and Zhang Feng'e got up, and there was already a bamboo sedan chair waiting outside the door.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the sedan chair fell down, the lady-in-law opened the curtain of the sedan chair, and the two got out of the sedan chair.Lu Huixian brought Zhang Feng'e in, and there was a rockery in front of her, with Chaoshou corridors on both sides.Zhang Feng'e saw the large plum tree outside the corridor to the west at a glance, and she didn't dare to look around, so she hurriedly looked away.Turning around the rockery, there are three small halls, and inside is the main courtyard.There are three main rooms on the front, which are simple and generous, with corridors and wing rooms on both sides.Sitting on the steps were four young maidservants with green forging teeth and waistcoats. When they saw them coming, they smiled and stood up to meet them. They fought to open the curtain, while someone said: "Miss Zhang is here."

When the two entered the room, Zhang Feng'e saw a gray-haired old mother sitting on the Luohan bed in the north, and a white girl sitting beside her, so she knew it was her aunt and sister Lu Huixian said, and hurriedly went to see her.

The old lady raised her hand slightly, and Rosary stepped forward to help Zhang Feng'e.Lin Daiyu also got up, met Lu Huixian first, and then turned to meet Zhang Feng'e.

The two sat down one by one in Dongshou, while Lu Huixian stood beside the old lady to wait on her.

"There are rosary beads and wooden fish, you can sit down too."

Lu Huixian didn't delay, and immediately sat down opposite Zhang Feng'e, saying, "It's still the old lady who loves me."

The old lady's complexion slowed down, and she smiled slightly, "You girl..." The old lady sighed, seemingly helpless.Except for Zhang Feng'e, everyone in the room knew that the old lady was happy.As the old lady spoke, she looked at Zhang Feng'e, and saw her timidly lowering her head, and then there was Daiyu. Although she was young, she followed her mother, and she had a sense of grandeur.I unconsciously compare the two, and I don't like it very much.Turning her eyes back to Zhang Feng'e, she frowned and asked, "What's your name?"

Zhang Feng'e said it, and then asked what year she was born in, Zhang Feng'e said again, the old lady counted her fingers, and she was twelve years old. Looking at her stature, she thought she was only two or three years older than Daiyu. age children.I couldn't help but looked it over carefully, and found that Zhang Feng'e was wearing a jacket. Feeling sorry for a moment, she beckoned her and Daiyu to sit beside her, and asked, "Did you ever go to school?"

Zhang Feng'e said: "I never went to school."

The old lady frowned and said: "Although girls are not as good as men, they should know a few words. People like us must not follow the petty manners. From now on, we will go to school with Dai'er girl." , the two of you also happen to be companions."

Zhang Feng'e didn't know the old lady's temperament, she just thought she was not happy, so she was a little scared.Lu Huixian watched, then pointed to Zhang Feng'e and Daiyu and said, "Two days ago, didn't you say that going to school alone was boring? Isn't this one here?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and clapped her palms to say yes, then leaned into the old lady's arms and took Zhang Feng'e's hand, and asked, "Where does Sister Zhang live? Why don't you live in my house."

The old lady shook her head, gently stroked Daiyu's back, and said, "I'm relieved that you are so harmonious." After she finished speaking, she said, "Young girl Feng, stay here with me." : "You watched people clean up the nearby courtyard."

Lu Huixian hurriedly got up and said: "It's almost time to set the meal, let's eat the meal first, and I will take someone there to clean up later."

Zhang Feng'e came in a hurry, and there was no news before, and the family didn't have any preparations.It is not a short-term thing to open a warehouse.

Hearing this, the old lady turned her head and glanced at the small Western clock on the table, and said: "You are here today, and even the time passes faster. It's only a matter of time before we have to eat again." After finishing speaking, she said : "I'm eating vegetarian today, there's nothing to eat, you go back and use it."

"Today, I'll eat fast with the old lady." Lin Daiyu smiled and still fell into the old lady's arms.

The old lady patted Daiyu lightly, and said angrily: "You have always been in poor health, and you still follow me to eat fast, hurry up and go back with your sister-in-law, I don't have any food for you here." Zhang Feng'e didn't say a word, just kept her head down When I first heard Daiyu and the old lady acting like a baby, I was envious in my heart.

Lu Huixian said: "It's rare that the old lady is happy today, I see, there's no need to run around, I can just set up two tables here, and the girls can have fun together."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "That's a very good idea." As she spoke, she got up and said, "Why don't you just put it in the flower hall, which is big and bright."

The old lady was really happy today, the smile on her face didn't fade, she shook her head with a smile when she heard the words, and still said: "Okay, just listen to your sister-in-law."

Lu Huixian got up and went out to mediate.

As soon as she went out, Lu Huixian asked Xiang Luo, "How is the food ready?"

Xiang Luo said: "I just sent Fu Rong to have a look. It's time to see the time."

Lu Huixian nodded, pointed to a woman below and said, "Go and tell me to pass the food to the old lady." The woman agreed and went.

As soon as the table was set, six or seven women came in with large ebony-inlaid silver boxes. Lu Huixian wrapped a pair of ebony-inlaid silver chopsticks in a handkerchief, watching Dan Ruo and the big maids setting up chairs, seeing them come in , handed the chopsticks in his hand to Dan Ruo, and said, "I'm going to invite the old lady."

Before going out, Lin Daiyu and Zhang Feng'e helped the old lady in from left to right, and said with a smile: "I was talking about inviting the old lady."

On the north side is a small square table of nanmu wood, on which the old lady's vegetarian dishes are placed, and below it is an Eight Immortals table, with a chair on the east and west sides.Lu Huixian pulled Zhang Feng'e to sit on the chair on the left, Zhang Feng'e was very reluctant, and the old lady said, "You are a guest today, so you should sit like this," and then ordered the maid to put a piece of paper on Zhang Feng'e's head. She said to Lu Huixian, "How many rosary beads are there? You can sit down too." Lin Daiyu sat down under Zhang Feng'e.

"I know the old lady loves me, and I don't have a chance on weekdays. It's so easy to serve the old lady once today, but the old lady still stops me, so why don't I do my best?" Lu Huixian hurriedly stopped her, and said Taking the chopsticks from Dan Ruo, first the old lady, then Zhang Feng'e and Lin Daiyu.

There were only a few big maids serving in the room, and Lu Huixian stood beside the case to make arrangements.After the meal was over, a little servant girl brought tea to each of them, the old lady rinsed her mouth, and said to Lu Huixian, "Go."

Zhang Feng'e remembered the words taught by her nanny He Naimo, to drink tea after a while after each meal, so as not to hurt the spleen and stomach; however, the rules in her family are not like this, and seeing that the Lin family's rules are actually the same as Mrs. Chen's, Slightly surprised.After all, it wasn't her own home, not to mention, even in her own home, she had no choice but to be easy-going and drink tea.Someone came over with a rinsing bowl, only to realize that it was for rinsing mouth, so he rinsed his mouth, and another maid brought water to wash his hands.Then some preserves were served, but no more tea.

Lu Huixian then got up, said a few more gossips, and then went away holding the maid's hand.

For a while, people from the second door said that Master and Master Zhang were coming. The old lady didn't want to see her, so she glanced at Zhang Feng'e before she nodded and said, "Come in, please."

Because it was the elders who came in, Lin Daiyu and Zhang Feng'e did not avoid it, they both stood up to greet them.