Practical Life in the Red Mansion

This room sent Lin Yang and Mu Zheng away, and the lady Jia Min hired for Daiyu and the maid of ceremonies also arrived there. After guarding the family as a widow, the family fell into decline again, and her natal family couldn't tolerate her anymore, so they relied on their talents to teach the female relatives of rich and noble families to make ends meet.There is also a female gentleman surnamed Sun, who is a famous embroiderer in Yangzhou. When she was old, her eyesight was bad, so she came out to teach the female relatives.Both of them are about 30 years old, with plain silver hairpins on their heads, and they are all clean, but the handkerchief in Sun Xiuniang's hand looks plain at first glance, but it is indeed double-sided embroidery, with cat scenes embroidered on one side Butterfly, embroidered with a cat rolling a hydrangea on one side, presumably she embroidered it herself, with a naive and vivid appearance.

The mother of ceremonies, surnamed Ding, has a round face, and when she smiles, her eyebrows and eyes are curved, and she is amiable.Said she was a nanny, but she had just been released from the palace for a few years, not yet 40 years old, with a pine-colored double-breasted jacket, a bamboo-green skirt embroidered with plum blossoms, her hair combed into a bun, and she only brought a Wufu holding Longevity's red gold hairpin, red gold willow leaf earrings.

Originally, Jia Min wanted to invite a gentleman who would teach Daiyu's poetry and calligraphy, but Yang Xi stopped him. He is fine now. Even if Lin Yang came back, he would have free time in the afternoon. It was enough to teach Daiyu, and Daiyu His qualifications are very high, and he is much better than Lin Yang.

Daiyu's life has become quite busy, starting at [-]:[-] in the morning, going to Jia Min's room for breakfast, learning to be a housekeeper beside Jia Min, learning needlework in the middle of the day, having lunch at noon, taking a short walk after dinner, and taking a half-day nap in the middle of the afternoon. When Shi Chen woke up, he went to Yang Xi's place to study poetry and books, chess and books by the way, and then he learned piano and painting from Mr. Tong.In Xushi, the family eats dinner, takes a walk after dinner to review their homework, and sleeps in Haishi.

Lin Yang and Mu Zheng came back just a few years ago, and Jia Min almost couldn't recognize his son. There were no accessories on his body, and he was dressed in coarse clothes that even his servants would not wear.Jia Min took Lin Yang and Mu Zheng's hands: "It's dark, it's thinner, but it's also growing taller." The youthfulness of the youth faded away, the lines of the face became more handsome, and the eyes became firmer, Jia Min was relieved again It was sad again.

When Lin Yang came back, Daiyu had gone to class, and Lin Hai was in the yamen.Jia Min then drove them to wash and rest.In the evening, the family is reunited.

As soon as Daiyu saw Lin Yang, she hugged him and did not let go. She leaned on his shoulder and said softly, "Brother, I don't want snacks anymore, I want you." As usual, when I heard my sister's words again, my eyes and nose were sour, and I almost cried.

Jia Min kept picking up food for Lin Yang and Mu Zheng: "Eat more, you've become so thin." Mu Zheng is fine. He grew up in Fujian and has seen many things, but Lin Yang is worried.He complained again: "Didn't you bring money, and so did the servants, who didn't know how to take good care of the master." Jia Min glared at Lin Hai again: "I said bring more people, it's all because you stopped me, there is no mature person Protect, how much the children have suffered."

Lin Hai heard Jia Min's accusation, touched his nose, but did not refute.

"But, mother doesn't mean that jade can't be cut or made into a tool, so you can just take the servant with you." Dai Yuyu interjected with doubts. She has a good memory and is often by Jia Min's side. How many people matter, "Mother also said that you are not afraid of suffering a little loss." The voice is as mellow and melodious as a yellow warbler.

Jia Min glared at the tearing daughter: "I also said that you can't eat or sleep without talking." Why didn't you remember this?

Daiyu lowered her head and didn't interrupt, thinking in her heart, it wasn't your mother who started talking, well, I started talking again, it is true that only the state officials are allowed to set fires and the people are not allowed to light lamps.

Jia Min didn't know what her daughter was thinking, so she asked Mu Zheng, "Where did you go?" Mu Zheng only picked places with beautiful scenery and simple folk customs, and his voice was still clear and clear like a teenager. Come on, fascinating.While listening, Jia Min glanced worriedly at the silent Lin Yang, and exchanged glances with Lin Hai.

After the meal, Mu Zheng was taken away by Yang Xi, and Lin Hai took Lin Yang away, and they had a talk with Lin Yang.

Lin Yang's voice was very soft, as if he was talking to himself, and said: "The neighbor of the house where Mu Zheng and I stayed at night gave birth to a girl, and she was drowned as soon as she was born. I can’t afford to throw away more babies. The county magistrate is surnamed Qu, and his own family can’t get rid of it, and he took the lead in donating money to set up the Save the Children Society.”

Lin Yang's tone was flat, as if describing what he did today, Lin Hai didn't say a word.

"Later, when I was walking north, I met a group of refugees. There were homeless refugees for more than a dozen miles outside the city gate. Their clothes were ragged. After eating the bark and grass seeds, they went to eat Guanyin soil and died of abdominal distension. They even change their sons to eat." Lin Yang said this, with some sarcasm in his tone: "I can't see it, I gave those people some money, and the refugees rushed over. Fortunately, Mu Zheng and his attendants are very good. Then I ran out, and just like that, my horse was slaughtered by them on the spot."

Lin Yang recalled the situation at that time, and still felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach: "The horse was cut up so bloody, and the horse's internal organs were all eaten raw. Those people's mouths, hands, and bodies were covered with blood. .”

"Mu Zheng and I entered the city. Mu Zheng wanted to go to the magistrate and ask him to open a warehouse to release food. I stopped him." Lin Yang covered his face with the quilt, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid I will cause trouble for you, The magistrate has connections with the Zhen family, and he is afraid that Mu Zheng's identity will be exposed."

Lin Hai didn't know how to comfort his son, he stretched out his hand and patted his son clumsily.

Lin Yang's voice was choked with sobs: "There is a county magistrate surnamed Zhou, who opened a warehouse without permission to distribute grain to the victims."

"There is another county where the magistrate sold the grain in the granary at a high price. The landlord took the opportunity to enclose the land and bought ten catties of grain per acre. The people had no way of life, and there was a gangster. The magistrate dispatched troops to suppress the mob. Those who were involved were prepared to be killed on the spot. When things got serious, taxes were exempted and food was transferred outside. The people above were starving and dying, but the people above were still spending their days and nights."

"But I can't do anything." Lin Yang's voice came from the darkness, "Scholars running around the king's business should be regarded as family affairs, and life and death are all right. If you are rich and rich, you will not be ashamed." The voice is soft but Loudly.

"Since I was a child, I was well-clothed and well-fed, and I was too self-confident. I always looked down on corrupt officials who only had yellow and white things in their eyes. But in the eyes of others, I became the kind of person I hate the most. Mr. Hengqu's four sentences, in the It seems to me that it is just empty talk with a passion, but if you erect your spine and make up your mind based on this, you can be an upright person—everyone has this responsibility and everyone has this strength.”

Lin Yang's voice was firm: "The country is strong, the morality is just bright, and the country will enjoy the blessing of peace." (From Yang Lian's blood book)

Lin Yang chattered a lot with Lin Hai, and fell asleep in a daze, but the next day he had a headache and couldn't get out of bed, so he invited a doctor to see him, and dropped his bookbag, to the effect that Lin Yang was suffering outside , Stuck in the heart, exhausting the mind, when I go home to relax, the original problems in the body will be stimulated, it's nothing serious, just rest for a while.

Lin Yang took the medicine, and when he woke up, it was already ten o'clock in the evening. He raised his eyes, and saw Daiyu lying beside the bed.

Daiyu wore a goose-yellow satin rabbit fur jacket, with white rabbit fur around the neckline, which set off Daiyu's white face in a cute and cute way. She combed her buns, leaving a four-finger-wide thin slit on her forehead. Thin bangs, red coral pearl flowers on her head, and a pair of pearl earrings on her ears.She was lying in front of Lin Yang's bed with her chin resting on her chin. The rabbit fur on the neckline and cuffs got a little too long and got into her nose. She couldn't help wrinkling her nose and sneezing.

Lin Yang was amused by her, "Brother." Seeing Lin Yang woke up, Daiyu exclaimed, Lin Yang raised his hand and touched Daiyu's small face: "Why did you come here? Who came with you?" He touched Daiyu's little hand again: "Is it cold?" Seeing that her little hand was warm, he felt relieved.

"I haven't seen my brother for a long time." Daiyu's tone was a little aggrieved, counting with her fingers, "one, two, three" stretched out her little hand, "it's been seven months." Lin Yang sat up and put Daiyu carried her to the bed and wrapped her in a quilt.

Daiyu snuggled into Lin Yang's arms, and said, "I learned embroidery from Mr. Sun, but now I can only draw flowers. When I learn it, I will embroider a purse for my father, my mother, and my brother."

Lin Yang smiled: "Then I'll just wait for Yanyan's purse."

"By the way." Daiyu's voice was pleasantly surprised, "Brother, I lost my teeth." She raised her mouth and opened her lower teeth, Lin Yang looked down carefully, "Let me see." Daiyu said again: "Nurse Wang said she lost her lower tooth and wanted to throw it on the roof, but Dad threw it too hard, I don't know where it went, brother, my tooth will not grow out, right?" There was worry in his tone.

"No, I just saw that your teeth have grown." Lin Yang said firmly, comforting his sister.

Only then did Daiyu feel relieved, imitating the adult's gesture of relief, and lightly patted herself on the chest: "Then I'm relieved." Lin Yang was amused: "Where did you learn this movement, be careful of Mother Ding?" Mama saw you and punished you." Daiyu said, "I learned from Mama Guan in the kitchen, the chicken bought in the kitchen ran out and went to mother's yard." Daiyu's eyes were shining, He whispered to Lin Yang again: "Nurse Ding won't punish me, she'll just nag me."

Daiyu followed Nurse Ding's example, frowning, and raised the corners of her mouth: "Girl, this is not right, your steps are too big, please be smaller, that's right, that's it, don't lift the corners of your skirt, Good, good." Before Daiyu finished learning, Lin Yang was overjoyed and rubbed his belly with one hand. He hadn't found out that his sister had this kind of skill, so he coughed while laughing and his face turned red.

Daiyu looked flustered, imitating Lin Yang's movements to comfort him, and touched Lin Yang's back. After a while, Lin Yang's breath calmed down: "I'm fine, don't panic."

Xin Yi, who was waiting outside, heard Lin Yang's cough, and shouted: "Master" and hurried into the inner room, followed by Wei Zi, Daiyu's eldest girl.

"I'm fine, you just wait outside." Lin Yang paused: "You girls are running here, you can bring your cloak and hand stove."

"I'm taking it with me. Because it's hot in my uncle's house, I took it off and put it in the outhouse." Wei Zi replied with a crisp voice.Lin Yang nodded.

Lin Yang hugged Daiyu and listened to Daiyu's childish words. The house was warm and harmonious. The narcissus raised in the celadon jar was so delicate and charming, with a delicate fragrance. Outside, Xin Yi and Wei Zi discussed the appearance of flowers. In the yard, Mulian directed The little girl and the mothers-in-law are sweeping, interspersed with the laughter and bickering of the little girl.A warm and ordinary evening made Lin Yang feel that what he experienced before was just a dream.