The oil bottle of the Red Chamber

In a blink of an eye, it's the end of the year.The imperial court seals the pen, and all officials rest.The city of Chang'an is decorated with lanterns and festoons, red and green, and red lanterns, New Year pictures of door gods, Spring Festival couplets, firecrackers and fireworks, and all kinds of New Year's goods are also displayed on roadside stalls.Red, green and green against the white snow and blue bricks, it shows a bit of the taste of the year.

The pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and other livestock and poultry that usually can’t be sold out in two or three days on the stalls of the shops are now open every day.Even those who are most reluctant to see meat on weekdays, when they come to this stall, those who are a little bit rich will grit their teeth and bring a few catties of meat, buy some stove-top candies, snacks, melons and fruits, roasted seeds and nuts, in order to have a prosperous and prosperous New Year. The coming year is even better.

Not to mention those officials, gentry and wealthy households who didn't care about food and clothing.Not only must carefully prepare the food for the New Year, but also prepare good entertainment and wine, so that when relatives and friends visit, they will neither lose face nor lose face.Therefore, as soon as the first month of the twelfth lunar month came, the well-known juggling troupes in Chang'an City, the well-known actors and actress Xiaoxier, were all booked early.Because of the old affairs at home in the early years, Mrs. Chen was afraid of omissions in the coming date, so she also ordered a group of small opera children to come to her home early.Although there are no famous actors or actresses among them, there are merits in their stature and singing.Because he also ordered the servant boy in the family to build a stage in the inner courtyard where You Lao'an lived, so that relatives and friends could enjoy it when they came.Needless to say.

Now let’s talk about Chen Gui admonishing the prince to implement the "double-entry bookkeeping method" in the household department and to prepare "money for maintaining integrity" in the court to encourage all officials to investigate and govern all matters.Later, when he entered the Daming Palace to pay his respects, the prince told all the advice to his face.

The sage is a wise and benevolent lord, who is most understanding of the world and sympathetic to all officials. Hearing the prince's remonstrance, he was amazed at first, but after thinking about it again, he felt that the whip was penetrating, and he deeply believed it.Then I summoned all the elders in the Qinzheng Hall of Daming Palace to discuss the matter, and all the elders praised it unanimously, and they all thought it was the sage's inexorable grace.Then he ordered the prince to be in charge of the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Officials to draft a detailed statement. After the decree was completed, he chose to announce the decree before the year and announce it to the world.

As soon as this decree was read, all the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty enthusiastically thanked them for their kindness.As the crown prince, the prince won the hearts of the people even more after this incident.The East Palace was in the limelight for a while, and the most important thing was that the prince was praised by the sage because of this, and he compared all the brothers to nothing.

Seeing the third prince's gloomy face every day but forced to smile in congratulations, the prince liked it more and more.Because of the thought of those who have done meritorious service, at the end of the year, he personally gave a group of opera wine and Chen Gui.

Chen Gui paid his respects with gratitude, and made it clear that his family has little income every year, and the royal wine that His Highness the Crown Prince rewarded was worth it. Chen Gui really couldn't afford such a small show, so he had to take it back to show off for a few days. Everyone returned to the East Palace.I also ask the prince to forgive him for his shameful crime.

Your Royal Highness may wish that Chen Gui told the truth in such a way, and his words were so witty and witty, that he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of good tea for a moment.The sixth prince who happened to be sitting under the crown prince was sprayed all over his head and face.

The sixth prince reluctantly took out a handkerchief embroidered with several stalks of green bamboo from his sleeve, wiped his face with his hand, and was led by the little eunuch to the side hall to change and wash amidst the prince's confession.Thinking of Chen Gui's words and demeanor, the sixth prince frowned indistinctly.I just feel that although Chen Gui is exquisite in means and careful in handling affairs, his habit of talking so eloquently and talking about Hu Qin is really displeasing.

At the moment, it is not clear how the sixth prince judges Chen Gui.It only said that Chen Gui returned home with the opera wine rewarded by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.For a while, well-informed officials and courtiers came to the door to express their congratulations when they learned of this matter.Chen Gui couldn't help but greet everyone with complacency.By the way, I will transfer a group of small operas I ordered earlier to others.He also divided the royal wine rewarded by His Royal Highness into three parts and gave it to his friend Xu Zichuan, his first wife Feng's natal brother and You Ziyu.It also means to be connected with each other and share blessings together.

Mrs. Chen received the imperial wine sent by her elder brother, and smiled to You Lao'an and You Ziyu: "Why don't you use this imperial wine to worship the ancestors when the ancestral hall is opened. After all, it is more dignified than other things. Blessed again."

After hearing this, You Lao'an and You Ziyu took it very seriously.Looking at the pot of jade wine, You Lao'an was more happy than looking at mountains of gold and silver, and said to Chen Shi with a smile: "I never thought that her uncle would be so respectable. It can be seen how much His Royal Highness the Crown Prince values ​​it. "

Mrs. Chen also didn't expect her brother to have such an adventure, and she also felt that she had a bright face.He smiled and praised his brother a few words.On the contrary, You Ziyu, as the court ordering officer, learned that Chen Gui's response to the prince's advice was exactly the same as the housekeeper's method that Chen Shi had come up with, so she became suspicious.I had to ask a few words behind my back.

Because Mrs. Chen was busy with the affairs of the year, she casually brushed off the past.Seeing this, You Ziyu had no choice but to let it go.

The Chen family in that room didn't talk about it, but only cared about Zhang Luo's family cleaning the house and cleaning the dust, and preparing all kinds of things for ancestor worship.In addition, I arranged with the eldest girl the gifts for the new year for the elders and the people of the clan, wrote a list of dates for inviting everyone to eat New Year wine, and ordered the comprador in charge to buy red lanterns, New Year pictures of door gods, red paper bundles, and firecrackers for the New Year. Bamboo, fireworks and other decorations.He also begged You Ziyu to write the couplets and blessings in his own hand, and personally watched the stickers of the boys and maids climbing up and down the ladder... He had to think about ordering every little thing, big and small, and he was so busy that he didn't touch the ground.

On this day, Mrs. Chen was sitting in the room with the eldest girl to inspect the new year's pawns that were newly hit by the mansion for the New Year's reward. The silver curb is only two or two heavy, and it is small and delicate, which makes people love it.

Mrs. Chen and the eldest girl looked at it once, and then ordered people to put it away.While talking and joking, a maid said that "Aunt Lan brought the fourth girl to pay her respects to the wife".

Mrs. Chen was startled, but then remembered that because the end of the year was approaching, Mrs. Chen had already sent the Buddhist scriptures written by Aunt Lan and the girls to the temple, and asked the monks, aunts and Taoists to recite them and burn them to the Bodhisattva Buddha in person for pray.After this incident, Mrs. Chen couldn't use this method to torment Aunt Lan any more. Aunt Lan, who was a vegetarian in the Buddhist hall all day, copied scriptures and prayed for blessings, was also freed from suffering.

That's why I have the leisure to pay her respects at this moment.

Chen sneered inwardly, and waved her hand to tell Chunlan to bring him in.Chunlan agreed to go.Turning around for a moment, he led Aunt Lan in.The little girl serving in the room immediately put up two futons for Aunt Lan and Miss Four to kowtow to say hello.

Mrs. Chen looked carefully, and saw that Aunt Lan was wearing a royal blue brocade with silver and chrysanthemum flowers today, a double-breasted long jacket, black satin hemming, and a ginger-yellow cotton satin horse skirt on her lower body. The homely Zhuan'er had a three-tailed little phoenix hairpin dotted with emerald green and inlaid with red jewels stuck in it, and the pearl and red jewel tassel held in the mouth of the phoenix kept shaking and swinging on the swing as Aunt Lan bowed and kowtowed.This half-new attire made Aunt Lan even more gentle and peaceful. Compared with the delicate and fresh appearance half a year ago, she was a completely different person.

Chen shi raised her eyebrows with some interest, but didn't cry.Qiu Ju came over with a bowl of tea on a tea tray.Mrs. Chen reached out to take the tea, opened the tea cover and slowly flicked the tea leaves on the water, took a sip, and asked Qiu Ju with a slow smile, "You come in from the outside, and you can see that the second and third girls are What are you doing in the room?"

Seeing the question, Qiu Ju replied with a smile: "The second girl and the third girl are doing needlework in the third girl's room. They say that it is the end of the year, and one of them needs to embroider a forehead for the old lady, a purse for the master, and a purse for the wife." Embroider a handkerchief. Now it's time to finish it."

When Mrs. Chen heard this, she smiled and said, "This is also the filial piety of their two children. It's just that they are small, and they don't know much about needlework. Unlike big girls, they cut a new set for the old lady and the master. Winter clothes, are you ready too?"

The eldest girl sat on the side, seeing Aunt Lan and the fourth younger sister who were quite favored at home in the past kneeling on the ground, she was already fidgeting.I never thought that Mrs. Chen would ask her something suddenly, and she didn't react for a while.After being stunned for a while, Fang smiled and replied, "The front one is already done. We just wait for the second and third younger sisters to finish their forehead wipes and give them to the ancestors together."

Hearing this, Mrs. Chen curled the corners of her mouth in satisfaction, reached out and patted the elder girl's hand on her lap, because she said: "I know you, child, and you can't speak and behave properly. Your ex-son I also like the set of clothes that I gave to me. I was thinking of wearing it when I entertained my relatives and friends during the Chinese New Year and asked them to take a look at my daughter’s sewing. After all, I also like your kind nature. Never scratch Sell ​​fast to show off. This is the style of our ladies. No matter how you behave or do things, you have to be steady. The elders also like it when they see it."

After finishing speaking, he smiled and asked Aunt Lan: "The master once said that Aunt Lan has a gentle temperament and is the most knowledgeable and reasonable. The fourth girl has been fascinated by you since she was a child, and she must be like her mother. Now that the Chinese New Year is approaching, I don't know Fourth Miss, as a junior, what gifts have you prepared for the old lady and the master?"

Mrs. Chen didn't mention her height, but Aunt Lan was still blushing with shame after hearing Mrs. Chen's words.When Aunt Lan was housekeeper before, there was only the eldest girl and the fourth girl in the family. The eldest girl was an invisible person with a wooden temper, and the fourth girl was too young to hold things steadily. Naturally, there was no need to prepare sewing gifts for the elders.

Now that the Chen family is in charge of the family, and they are disciplining the three girls, they have naturally adopted the Chen family's methods.Aunt Lan was copying scriptures in the Buddhist hall all day long, and she didn't notice these things.At this moment, being pressed face to face by Mrs. Chen, she blushed unconsciously.

Seeing this, Mrs. Chen sneered even more: "I'm the wife who just entered the house. I can't compare to you who have stayed in You's house for a long time. In those days, I heard people say that the eldest girl is dull and clumsy, while the fourth girl is bright and transparent." .Now it seems that if someone with a heart said so and passed it on like this, the people don't know right from wrong, so they believed it."

What she said made the eldest girl panic, knowing that these words were meant for Aunt Lan and the fourth girl, she was still a little uneasy.

Seeing the eldest girl being so restrained, Mrs. Chen smiled even better.He also told Xia He to go to the drawer under her dressing table and take out a small black lacquer box with filigree and mother-of-pearl inlays, and when she opened the lid, she saw inside a pair of red gold and silk-wrapped gold heads, topped with hairpins, distracted, Heart-picking, sideburn hairpins, and gold earrings are all available.In front of all the servants in the room and Aunt Lan's mother and daughter, Mrs. Chen smiled and said to the eldest girl, "I saw that you just made a new set of scarlet satin jacket with gold embossed with a hundred butterflies and flowers, but you didn't wear it. A suitable head and face match. This one is for you to wear."

Seeing this, the eldest girl hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head, and said: "The family has already given a new face. The wife should keep it for the second and third sisters. I will wear the new head face from the house and it will be fine."

When Mrs. Chen heard about it, she smiled more and more cheerfully: "It's an old practice to beat the face in the family. What I give you is my heart. If you call me Mrs., I naturally can't lose you. Besides, you are our special The eldest daughter of the family, your father only has you as a direct daughter, so the food and clothing expenses are naturally different from those of the concubine girls born to your aunt. Besides, you are now grown up, so you should save more good clothes to look good, In the future, when I come to my husband’s house, I will be respected.”

Mrs. Chen didn't pay attention to what she said, but the eldest girl flushed with embarrassment.He just lowered his head and fiddled with the belt, but said nothing.

At this moment, Mrs. Chen remembered that Aunt Lan and Miss Four were still kneeling on the ground, and she hurriedly said with a smile: "Look at my memory, I have a headache because of troubles during the year. I forgot to wake up Aunt Lan and Miss Four. Yes. Get up quickly."

Because he ordered Chunlan Qiuju to help Aunt Lan and the fourth girl up, and gave him a seat.He also ordered the girl to bring tea rolling on her head.Then he smiled to Aunt Lan and said, "Why did Auntie come to greet me today. But why don't you go to the Three Treasures Palace?"

After saying a word, Aunt Lan's face flushed with shame.Thinking about her daughter's future, she still held back her shame and anger and said, "I heard that my wife has hired a nanny from the palace to teach the girls how to behave—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard the servants at the second door reply, "The old man of the You family and several senior and virtuous daughters-in-law and aunts of the family are here."

Seeing this, Mrs. Chen felt curious, but wondered why the well-behaved You family members came here at this time of year.