[Red Mansions] The big maid struggles daily

This spring, the Chinese New Year is early, and the first month comes out just in time for the Awakening of Insects.

Now that the vernal equinox is over, the vegetation sprouts, and the birds arrive and the swallows return, it becomes warmer outside, and the little sisters are willing to tease and laugh on the porch.

A few days ago, the Ningguo Mansion led the Jia clan to worship their ancestors on the vernal equinox, and then sent people back to the south to worship.Together with the men of the clan, they inevitably talked about the rewards for the Spring Festival given by the court as usual. The rewards that were bulging when the two old princes Jia Yan and Jia Yuan were still there are incomparable.

Jia Zhen went back and forth with Jia Mu in private, saying: "... At that time, I was afraid that the old lady would be sad in the first month of the lunar year, so I didn't dare to say it. The old and young men of the former clan gathered together and brought it up again, saying that our family really deserves it. Put someone in front of the emperor. Otherwise, as the days go by, the emperor will be more and more unable to remember, and the officials below will be even more negligent. We don't pay attention to these few taels of silver, but it's the emperor's grace. This silver is decent and blessed, and the ancestors would like it if it was given to them. Now this kind of reward is even more inferior to those poor officials..."

Jia Mu was also silent.But after that, he paid more attention to Jia Yuanchun, even Jia Baoyu was put aside for the time being.

The whole government is dispatched.Girls who are popular in each room start to make all kinds of purses in one style. They bring different base fabrics and embroidery threads from needles and threads. They are all high-quality satin and silk threads. Get the Kesi sachet, all of these have to be prepared and put in a box for Yuanchun to bring into the palace, ready to give gifts and reward people.

Zhu Xiu was sitting in front of the vestibule door of the Upper Court, basking in the warm sunshine on her head, her hands were non-stop, embroidering a shoe with a pattern of blessings and longevity, and a big, glossy civet cat lazily sleeping soundly against her shoe .A few little girls who are not on duty in the hall are kicking shuttlecock noisily.

"Tell me to see what you are doing? I haven't seen you for a long time, so you are hiding here." Shi Xiangyun bounced around from behind the big screen on the red sandalwood shelf in the hallway, and said with a smile.

Zhu Xiu heard the words, put the needle and thread in the basket at hand, and hurriedly stood up: "Ms. Shi is good."

Shi Xiangyun waved his hands without looking outside, and leaned closer to look through her sewing basket, "Tell me to see what good things you have made?"

The big raccoon cat was awakened, stretched itself, bared its teeth at Shi Xiangyun, let out a "meow", and the three of them jumped up the wall and disappeared.

"Wild things!" Shi Xiangyun spat, then picked up the shoe upper and looked through it again, "made it for your mother? I saw that the sisters next to me are rushing to embroider purses, and sister embroidering still has time to do these?"

Zhu Xiu rolled her eyes in her heart, she didn't know why, this Miss Shi often came to talk to her, saying that she didn't look like she came to get close, and it didn't count as finding fault, she just stabbed you a few words out of the blue, not yin and yang It's weird that it's not sunny.

"My skills are not yet on the table, and the nuns in the sewing room have not sent me any errands. The old lady's place has not yet delivered new flip-flops, and the old lady will not let the mandarin ducks and amber The sisters put down their work to do this, and said that they should keep an eye on the eldest girl first. I saw that the houses are busy everywhere, so I wanted to make soft-soled shoes, and I asked the old lady to wear them in the house."

Zhu Xiu replied neither soft nor hard, and Shi Xiangyun was a little embarrassed.

Ever since Zhu Xiu recognized Nanny Zhu, everyone looked at her highly. This time, the sewing room was assigned work. There were better needlework, even mandarin ducks, amber, etc. were assigned, but Zhu Xiu was not assigned. The old lady I haven't talked to Wang Xifeng yet.

During the Chinese New Year, what else? The shopkeeper on Gulou West Street sent someone to pick her up for New Year tea, and two other nuns who worked as errands in the Wang Mansion and Hou Mansion sent people to bring Tuyi in.Zhu embroidered his face and donated a porcelain pot of tea to the old lady for face, and the old lady took it back.

"Sister Yun, I've been looking for you everywhere. The old lady has just rewarded you with a nine-link ring. Let's go play together."

Jia Baoyu ran over, and the group of maids and nannies in the back said their ancestors and second masters told them to be careful not to fall under their feet.

Shi Xiangyun pouted, "Second elder brother." Jia Baoyu loved to see her charming appearance, and came to hold her hand with a smile.

Turning his face to see Zhu Xiu, Baoyu smiled more happily: "Sister Xiu is here too." Seeing the shoe upper in Shi Xiangyun's hand, he smiled at Zhu Xiu: "Last time I saw the sachet that Second Sister was wearing. It’s really unique, good sister, make me a sachet when you’re free.”

Shi Xiangyun didn't wait for Zhu Xiu to speak, he threw the shoe uppers into the basket, and hurriedly pulled Jia Baoyu away, "Second brother, let's go and see your Jiulianhuan, don't let Tan girl get ahead."

In fact, Tanchun wouldn't dare to be stronger than Baoyu, Xiangyun just didn't want Jia Baoyu to talk to Zhu Xiu.

Panting, Huazhu also ran over from the hallway, stroked her chest and smiled, "Good girl, let me find it easy."

Baoyu was dragged away by Xiangyun, and smiled at Pearl again: "It can be seen that we have thought of a place, and we are all looking for sister Yun." Pearl smiled brighter on her face, and followed the two of them attentively.

When turning the big screen, Xiangyun turned to look at Zhu Xiu with complacency in his eyes.

Zhu Xiu shook her head inwardly, this girl Yun is really childish.It was just that Uncle Gan and the two aunts who made friends with Mu Ma gave something to them during the festival. Compared with Shi Hou's mansion, it seemed that they had forgotten that there was a niece like Shi Xiangyun, so they attracted her attention.

But in fact, some prominent housekeepers and ladies in this mansion even invite their masters to have New Year tea, and each family gives birth to each other New Year gifts.Just because Zhu Xiu seemed to have had a lot of luck to recognize a great godmother, it seemed that the situation of the master Shi Xiangyun whose parents both died was better, which made her feel uncomfortable.

Zhu Xiu picked up the upper of the shoe, and it was still a little less than half. It was no better than the purse she gave to the second girl earlier. The sachet was made of modern three-dimensional embroidery, and she could get two in one afternoon.The flowers and plants embroidered by three-dimensional embroidery are three-dimensional, tender and lifelike. The girls here have never seen it before, and they all like it because they think it is fresh and interesting.In fact, that kind of embroidery method takes the least effort, but the shoe surface she is embroidering now is the most labor-intensive.

When she didn't want to pick it up, she saw Lai everyone coming in through the vertical flower gate, so Zhu Xiu had to stand up again to say hello.

Everyone Lai said with a smile: "I was looking for you, but I bumped into you when I came in. What are you doing here?"

Zhu Xiu laughed back: "I'm not on duty today, I'll do some work while it's warm. Sister-in-law Lai has something to do with me?"

Lai everyone just laughed: "No, I have something good to tell you here, if you beg me, I will tell you."

"Sister-in-law Lai loves joking, what good thing happened to me?"

Everyone Lai beckoned the rough envoy behind her to come forward, pointed to a hemp-colored bundle in her hand and said: "This is not a good thing. Your mother misses you, it's only been a long time, and I came all the way from Yangzhou I brought you something, I happened to meet at the second gate, so I brought it for you."

Zhu Xiu hurriedly thanked her, because everyone still had something to ask Jia Mu, so she ordered her mother-in-law to say: "You send the girl to the house and then go out." Then she resigned and Zhu Xiu took her feet and walked inside. .

Zhu Xiu took out a gourd-shaped purse from the basket, stuffed it into Lai's hands, and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law Lai, give it to the children."

Everyone Lai saw the leafy and fruity grapes embroidered with three-dimensional embroidery on the top, and smelled the grapes smelling delicious, so he smiled and said: "But I missed your good stuff, your craftsmanship, no one else has seen it before, But how did you come up with it, it’s strange that the old lady also looks at you differently, and Nanny Zhu also loves you."

-

The mother-in-law sent the burden to Zhu Xiu's house in the backyard of the upper house, and went there with great gratitude after getting the reward.

Holding the letter, Zhu Xiu's hands were shaking, and she realized that her mother was almost seriously ill and dying. Even though the letter had tried to understate it as much as possible, she could still imagine the critical situation.

This kindness of saving her mother had to be repaid, and Zhu Xiu immediately packed up all the medicine bags, prescriptions, and medicinal materials in her hands, and asked her uncle to take them to Lin's house.

When things were piled up on the kang, she suddenly came to her senses: these prescriptions can still be presumed to be family traditions, but these medicinal materials are good medicines, and it would be unreasonable to send them away.Is this the evacuation of the medicine storehouse in Rongguo Mansion, or is there something strange?Otherwise, where did she, a servant, get so many good medicines.Can she explain to others that these are very common common medicinal materials, because she has a emerald pouch, which has been nourished by the moonlight to become such a rare and high-quality medicinal material?

Knocking his head, he was still restless.Mother has repeatedly taught her to calm down before encountering an emergency, and being impatient is more likely to cause accidents.

Before, she asked someone to bring a lot of incense, incense pillows, and incense balls, which should be enough for a month or two. This time, why not make some three-dimensional embroidered purses, hats, shoes, and soft cloth Toys, even Sister Lin, who is a gifted wizard, would like these little girls' things after thinking about it.

Medicinal diet prescriptions should also be given, especially for those who treat children with physical weakness, and those that can be used by adult women to replenish qi and blood. There is no need for too many, one or two is enough.This era is no better than later generations, the broom is self-preserved, and the recipes are the secret treasures of each family. In ordinary families, when the favored daughter comes out of the cabinet, the mother can accompany her to give a few secret recipes, which is the most valuable dowry.

After thinking about it, Zhu Xiu had no choice but to put away the things spread out on the bed.

It was finally tidied up, playing with two silver dimes and a handful of copper coins, Zhu Xiu felt worried: This Rongguo Mansion is not far from the yamen mentioned by the little boss, don’t come in if you have no money, just live your life without raising your hand Feet cost money, not to mention that she sometimes had to ask Mrs. Liu in the big kitchen to bring some medicinal materials and silk thread.Five hundred dollars a month is a waste of money.

It's not that Mama didn't leave money for her when she left. Five taels of silver ingots were left for six at that time, and she gave almost all the cash on her body.They were all put in Cuihua's bag by Zhu Xiu, which was a deposit just in case, and could not be moved easily.

Gotta figure out a way to make some money.

Zhu Xiu secretly figured that no matter the prescriptions or medicinal materials, they can't be sold, it's too eye-catching; instead, they can do some embroidery work and send it to his uncle's shop for consignment. Uncle's shop not only sells silk brocades, but also sells ready-made clothes and embroidery , as long as you do well, you don’t have to worry about buying and selling.Not only the well-crafted embroidery, but the three-dimensional embroidery she made can also be sold as a novelty.

This three-dimensional embroidery is just a novelty. After she made a few and sent them out, those skilled female celebrities figured it out after more reading.However, the thinking of these people is still limited to the mainstream of the four famous embroideries, and they pay attention to artistic conception and exquisiteness.It is not as good as she has seen more delicate and vivid three-dimensional embroidery in modern times.Therefore, this business can also be done. After all, she is quick and can make several finished products in a day.

Together with large-scale embroidery, one takes the path of low price and large quantity, and the other takes the path of high-priced boutique, which can also complement each other.It's easy to say from my uncle that the price will be the same as those embroidered pieces by the embroiderers, and the share will be nothing more than that.At most, it's for the sake of being a niece, and it's just a layer of profit.Uncle is like Mu Ma, he is a sensible person, he knows that wanting to subsidize his god-sister and niece is not on it.

Do whatever comes to mind.Immediately, Zhu Xiu packed two sachets and a pack of fresh snacks that she had just received, and went to talk to Mrs. Liu.

Sister-in-law Liu was overjoyed to see her, but she didn't expect that this girl would really climb a high branch, and what's even more rare is that she still treats others with the same kindness as Feng Xiaoyu after climbing a high platform.Such a person is an amiable and respectable person.

"You still need to buy cloth from outside when you make needlework? Anyway, it's all for old ladies and girls. At most, you can add a second master Bao. It's enough to get it from the needlework. Can they make things difficult for you?"

"That's not the case. My sister-in-law also knows that my mother is a embroiderer. She attaches great importance to this craft. Mine is really not an introduction. How can I give the master the things used for practice. Another thing is that the needle and thread collar They are all made of whole materials, I really dare not spoil the good materials in the mansion."

Sister-in-law Liu didn't take it seriously, "You are too honest." Seeing that Zhu Xiu insisted, she had no choice but to accept the silver, "Oh, this is a five-liang ingot."

Zhu Xiu's heart seemed to be bleeding, it was a mess.

"That's not right, it was my mother who put it in her purse to reward on the day when she set out the wine, just this one, my sister-in-law can change it for me."

After finishing speaking, he told Sister-in-law Liu, "Sister-in-law, you just pick as many patterns and shapes as you want. As long as the material catches the eye, the cloth can be big or small. That's the same thing. The more patterns and colors the better. My mother doesn't care what kind of background she is in." Suitable patterns can be embroidered on the material, I have to learn a little bit."

Seeing Mrs. Liu agreeing again and again, Zhu Xiucai is all right.It's not that she doesn't want to take advantage of it, it's just that she wants to do business. Firstly, Rongguo Mansion doesn't have too many designs, and secondly, she is afraid of buying it from outside. If she happens to be bumped into by the mansion, she will be suspicious.Don't be afraid of buying from outside, and she specifically asked for a variety of colors and patterns, so that when she embroidered the finished product in the future, it would be difficult for her to recognize it in front of Mrs. Liu.

As soon as I got back to my room, a little servant girl came calling, saying that the big fat girl who made it with me earlier is good for her, and I can teach you to make more quickly, she will be useful.