The oil bottle of the Red Chamber

Chen Gui looked at Chen Shi's half-smile appearance, still pretending to be stupid, and said with a giggle: "I don't understand what my sister said."

Chen smiled and pointed at Chen Gui, and said with a sneer, "don't lie to me. Don't pretend that I don't know your thoughts. But for the sake of the 500 taels of silver, I'm too lazy to share with you. That's your theory."

Chen Gui smiled and said, "Good sister, just listen to me. There will be many good things in the future!"

After a pause, he introduced Mr. You's family situation to Mrs. Chen in detail, because he said: "Mr. You is 40 years old now, but he has no heirs in his family, but he has a prostitute and several It's just a hairy girl from a concubine. It's not a good thing. If a girl can marry in, although she is a step-wife, but if she really gives birth to a son, she will be the first-born son, and the eldest son. At that time, you will be the first-class son of the You family You are a great hero, Master You will treat you like pearls and treasures. What's more, although Master You is a bit older than my sister, he is the head of the sixth rank of the imperial court, and he has a good relationship with me. Everyone knows each other well. Wouldn't it be better than How much better are people outside who don’t know their roots?”

Chen Gui said all these words in a fit of anger, and smiled more and more complacently: "It stands to reason that even if you have a family background and appearance like Master You, you will not have to worry about it. For example, as far as I know, several colleagues have already called The idea of ​​marrying one's own daughter or younger sister. Not to mention that the daughters will be granted a sixth-rank imperial order once they marry, but that with in-laws like Mr. You, who wouldn't want to marry? The world seeks advantages and avoids disadvantages. It’s much better to marry Mr. You as a follow-up than to marry a poor scholar or someone who raises people. Sister, do you think that brother’s words are justified?”

When Mrs. Chen heard these words, she immediately lowered her head and twisted her handkerchief without making a sound.After pondering for a long time, Fang asked: "Since that's the case, why didn't he marry Yunying's unmarried boudoir girl, why did my brother ask me to be courteous? I don't have to make fun of myself."

After hearing Chen Shi's words, Chen Gui knew that she had been tempted, so she hurriedly apologized and said with a smile: "That's why I said it was a coincidence. It's just because Mr. You is a scholar, it's the most elegant. I heard people say that marrying a wife Marrying a virtuous man, and having the words of a matchmaker ordered by his parents, is fine. Now that he can be his own master, Mr. You vowed to marry a stunning beauty. He doesn’t like the unreasonable wood who waits for peace at any time Beauty. It’s just one thing to talk about a virtuous name outside. If a husband and wife get along in private, they still follow the rules and follow the rules.

"...So when he met my sister on the Lantern Festival, he paid attention to it - let me say something more abrupt, not afraid of my sister's anger. In fact, before that, when my sister was praying to Buddha and praying in various places in Beijing last year, Mr. You I've heard of the beautiful girl's name, and I can't wait to see her again. After the Shangyuan Festival, I am now on an equal footing with him because of God's grace. He became more and more interested. He only said that our two families have married, and one girl is a Stunning beauty, deeply agrees with him; two, my sister is reliable for life, and my parents can be assured; Nothing better than that."

Listening to Chen Gui's words, Mrs. Chen was moved with emotion and reason, both righteous and selfish, and there was really nothing to be picky about, so she couldn't help but be tempted at the moment.I thought about it for a while, and couldn't help thinking of one thing, and immediately sneered: "Brother is talking too much, I'm afraid it's just kidding me!"

Seeing this, Chen Gui hurriedly explained: "How do you say this? If I have such bad intentions, I will immediately ask Lei Gong to strike me dead."

When Mrs. Chen heard the words, she couldn't help spitting on the ground, and said sullenly: "I think you are going to die. If you say these words carefully, you won't be afraid that your parents and sister-in-law will annoy me!"

Chen Gui hurriedly laughed again: "I didn't mean that, I just saw my sister suspicious of me, and I was in a hurry-I only have a sister like you, I am not for you, but for whom? If you think about it seriously, you will be wronged to death me."

Mrs. Chen said: "Brother, don't be wronged. What I said just now is justified. It's just that my brother is a foreigner. I'm afraid I can't think of it for a while. Now I'm telling you that - the imperial court has always granted imperial orders to husband and wife. A wife must be married by a bright matchmaker, and her family background is clean. Even if I am married by a bright matchmaker, I am still a widow remarried, and I cannot be regarded as innocent. So this order to me is just a flower in a mirror, a moon in the water. I am afraid there is no such thing Good luck."

After hearing this, Chen Gui finally understood.Unknowingly pondered for a long time, then smiled and said: "I think my sister is worrying too much. As the saying goes, marrying a man, marrying a man, clothes and food. If my sister marries Lord You, even if there is no imperial order, she will still be the wife of a sixth-rank official. With benefits first, socializing outside, only looking at the lintel of her husband's family, whose family members can be so indifferent, and insult the sister for nothing? Even if someone is jealous and speaks some gossip, that is the sister's ability, Don't have anything to do with others—what's more, if you really reach a certain level, I will support you!"

After a pause, he had to say again: "When my sister inherits the incense for the You family, I will give you two more fat sons. At that time, we can train the next generation so that he can read and write, and my sister doesn't have to worry about not bringing Fengguanxia. day."

Chen Gui's mouth is full of brilliant tongues, even the crown prince and Zhao Bi and those old officials in the officialdom who are used to listening to beautiful words can flatter their eyebrows and eyes, and feel relaxed and happy, not to mention Chen's boudoir who has never been out of the second door. young woman.

Immediately coaxed Chen to just laugh, unable to look forward to it.Just when I was about to say something, I saw the eldest sister and the second sister came after school, holding hands, talking and laughing.Mrs. Chen hurriedly stopped, and greeted the door with a smile, because she asked: "What have you learned today? It's hot outside, and the old lady just sent some fruit with beeswax. I asked someone to use well water. . Waiting for you to come back to eat."

After finishing speaking, he immediately raised his voice and ordered the little girl to bring the fruit.The second sister waved her hand, and said with a smile: "I don't want to eat fruit, so I can ask the girl to mix a bowl of rose water for me."

After hearing this, the eldest sister hurriedly said, "I want to eat dew too."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen hurriedly said: "I asked them to go to convert the dew, and they also have to eat the fruit. It is the fresh fruit brought in by the compradors who got up early. It is crispy and sweet."

Hearing this, Chen Gui joked to the two sisters with a smile: "Look at how stingy your mother is. I've been here for so long, doing business and talking, and I don't even have a sip of tea. When you come back, there is fruit again." There is Lu again, so it can be seen that she is your own mother."

After hearing this, Mrs. Chen hurriedly said, "I'm also your own sister."

After finishing speaking, he hurriedly picked up a blue and white sweet white porcelain official kiln tureen from the table, smiled and said to Chen Gui: "Brother, have tea."

Chen Gui frowned on purpose and said, "It's a hot day, who can be patient with this. I want to eat rose dew too."

Mrs. Chen couldn't do it, so she had to ask the maids to mix another bowl of dew.Passed the two bowls of rose dew that were brought earlier to Chen Gui, turned to the second sister and said, "Give yours to your uncle first, you can wait for a while, and eat the fruit first."

The second sister nodded and smiled.The eldest sister hurriedly said: "Little sister, let me eat first. I am very willing to eat fruit."

The second sister said: "Don't worry about this moment, my sister will eat first."

Then he asked Chen Gui with a smile, "Why is Uncle coming here today? How is Auntie?"

Fearing that Chen Gui would reveal the fact that Mrs. You wanted to marry her, Chen hurriedly winked at Chen Gui.Although Chen Gui valued the second sister's natural intelligence, she didn't want to talk about her mother's life-long events in front of the children, because she said with a smile: "Because there was a gap in the accounts of the previous son's shop, I asked the manager to make up for it. I gave 500 taels of silver to your mother."

After all, he told the whole story of how he saw the steward, how he warned him, how he gave him grace and power, and how he let him go.Yin laughed again: "Speaking of which, this is due to your second sister. At a young age, you can manage accounts and earn money for your mother. Being so smart and beautiful, you must be a lucky person in the future."

Chen Gui's words were unintentional, but when they heard Chen's ears, he was a little moved.My heart is even more calculated.I just feel that with the appearance and character of the eldest sister and the second sister, if they can really recognize a sixth-rank adult as their father, it will be a hundred times better than that dead ghost who died in a woman's belly immediately because of the wind.

In the coming day, the two daughters will talk about marriage—the eldest sister and the Zhang family have been married by fingertips since they were young, so it's fine.When the second sister is on her head, she can make good plans and schemes, and she won't let down her daughter's ingenuity.

A woman is always strong as a mother.If it is said that before thinking about this matter, Mrs. Chen only agreed with Mr. You [-] points, and after considering the important events in her daughter's life, the [-] points also became [-] points.

It's just that talking about marriage should never be rushed.What's more, although Mrs. You has fulfilled one year of filial piety, she could have said that she would be three years of filial piety for that dead ghost Zhao Chen.If the blue mouth and white teeth are publicized, it is not easy to regret immediately.For today's plan, we can only make plans.

Chen was thinking in her heart, but she didn't show anything on her face.Still sitting at the table, asking the two daughters about their problems-the left is just some words about reading and writing, housework and human relationships.Yin said again: "The 21st of next month will be your grandmother's birthday. I think you can read and write now, and have learned needlework female red. Regardless of whether the craftsmanship is good or not, you should write a few words and embroider things—what? Even if it’s a pair of plain socks, it’s also the meaning of your honor to the old lady. Do you think it’s good?”

The eldest sister and the second sister heard the words, of course they agreed.The eldest sister smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mom, we have thought about it a long time ago. In the first month, my sister Wan and my second sister wrote ten birthday characters every day, and we planned to collect a thousand characters and give them to my grandmother." Make a birthday gift. I just didn’t think about the needlework. Since Mom said it, we will do it right away.”

Brothers and sisters Chen Gui might as well have three girls who are so sensible and filial, they were both surprised and delighted and said, "As expected of a big girl who knows how to study well. With this kind of heart, your reading of this book is not in vain."

Chen said again: "Since you write big characters every day, there is no need to add needlework. You are so sensible, the elders all know it. The homework is so tight every day, and now you have to prepare for the birthday gift. If you do needlework again, it will be more and more tiring. If it’s bad, your grandmother will feel sorry for her—that’s not the meaning of filial piety.”

After hearing this, the eldest sister and the second sister had to agree.