[Red Mansions] The big maid struggles daily

Zhu Xiu hurriedly agreed, and when she saw the little girl had gone, she put on a green satin vest over the little jacket, and went through the back door to the five upper rooms where Jiamu lived.

"Why did you come up again now?" Yuanyang asked when she heard footsteps and was picking up the cover cloth from the bird's cage with a short stick on her feet.

"The eldest girl ordered me to prepare face cream, but the little girl ran away after leaving her words. Let me ask what the regulations are and how much do you want? What kind of packaging do you use?... and the water used for this, too. A nuisance."

"The eldest girl is not here, she went to talk to the wife. It's almost time for the key, do you want to find it?"

...Mother Jia rested her elbows on the arm pillow, and the parrot was holding a mahogany comb to relieve her from fatigue.Jia Mu asked, "Who is talking outside?"

The little maid standing at the gate of Nuan Pavilion immediately went out to ask, and when she came back, she reported that it was Sister Yuanyang and Sister Zhuxiu Yunyun.

Jia Mu then said, "Tell them to come in."

The woman at the door of the main room hastily raised the curtain, and Zhu Xiu followed the mandarin ducks in.

"Since the big girl is using it well, you can add some more. You are Linghui, and I feel that my face is smooth after using that ointment." Jia Mu laughed, "If you have some at home, you can go to the library. If you don’t have any, just tell the comprador in the courtyard, just tell me what I said, and tell him to send it in quickly.”

Then he said to Yuanyang: "Bring an embroidered stool for your sister. It's a pity that you don't ask people to rest at night."

Zhu Xiu didn't dare to sit down.

Yuanyang brought over a pedal, and sat down while pressing Zhu Xiu.She herself sat on a small twig in the corner, and picked up the embroidery frame to do her work.

"There are plenty of things in the ointment, but it's just some Angelica dahurica, Baishui, Atractylodes macrocephala, Bai Fuling, Baiji, and Baifuzi. It's hard to mix this water." Zhu Xiu laughed.

Jia Mu also found it interesting to hear a list of drug names reported by her, so she asked with a smile, "if you have any difficulties, just tell me."

Zhu Xiu pointed to the small bell at the old lady's hand and said with a smile: "Old lady, give me a pot of water for making tea. With this, everything will be complete."

"I used this water for the face cream that I gave you last time. The master chef in charge of the stove poured me half a bowl like cutting flesh. This is because the comprador sent a new jar of water. The master also said , if my old lady doesn't use the ointment well, she will ask me to pay for his water."

After talking, Jia Mu laughed: "What did I say that the water is so stingy? It turned out to be the spring water from Yuquan Mountain. That's all, there should be half an urn on the big kitchen. Ask someone to bring it to our small tea room here. Come." He said again: "Since this is the case, I might as well make a few more boxes and distribute them to your wives, grandma, and girls, so as to save them from boasting that my wrinkles are smoothed and my face is rosy every day. I'm afraid they will come up and touch my old face."

The maids standing below couldn't help but laughed.

Jia Mu said again: "Your room can't be used later, I'm afraid there is still room left. Amber, you can clean up a room tomorrow and put those files, hammers, bowls, and grinders. Put them all back together." , and those bottles and cans, just take them.”

This feeling is good.In fact, Zhu Xiu came here to urn the water from Yuquan Mountain.

This Yuquan Mountain is on the west side of the capital, where there are clusters of large springs, the water quality is clear and sweet, and it is rare good water. Every day, there are palace water trucks with yellow flags flying from Xizhimen to Yuquan Mountain to fetch water.Because the royal palace was built there, except for the use in the palace, not much flowed out, and they were all sold by urn, and the amount of water that a urn could hold was worth a few taels of silver.

That's it, it's not like you can buy it every day. In Rongguo Mansion, it's the water that the old lady uses to make tea.The masters next to him all use water bought from water shops.The servants of the family use the water drawn from the well in the house.

The next day, the backyard was indeed opened up. After a while, the tables, chairs, tools and colors were all ready, and Hu Po even ordered someone to move a Baizi cabinet from the warehouse and put it against the wall: "Those commonly used medicinal materials, there is no need to use them if there are too many of them." Hand it back, it's not troublesome enough. Anyway, you like to tinker with these things, so you don't need to put them here."

When Amber returned to Jiamu, Jiamu asked, "Did Miss come back yesterday?"

Hu Po shook her head and said: "Mrs. Xu has something to tell the eldest girl. Just now, Glass went to the Xiaokua courtyard to deliver the box to the eldest girl. She said that the eldest girl would be sent to the main courtyard if she didn't come back."

Mother Jia waved her hand lightly and said nothing.Amber hurriedly bowed and retreated.

Jia's mother in this room was worried about Yuanchun, while Jia Yuanchun in that room was leaning on the couch and pillow, fiddled with the neatly arranged purses in the box with her fingertips in a daze.

"... Madam, the master said that it will be used directly in Aunt Liu's room, so there is no need to bother Madam any more."

"Understood, let's go down." Mrs. Wang pinched her brows, she didn't see the old man for seven or eight days, and went straight to Aunt Liu's room every day when she came in from outside.This girl is about to enter the palace, and she may never see her again after this trip, and the master doesn't want her daughter?

Resenting the master for a while, and worrying about the daughter: "Yuan'er, it's already this hour, why don't you go to pay the old lady well? It's not good for the old lady to blame her."

Yuan Chunbai was bored, and said with a smile: "I've been in the upper courtyard all day, so why not accompany my wife today? Does my wife hate me?"

"I don't dare to say that. I don't want you to be raised by the old lady. I can bear it because of your kindness. It's just that the old lady didn't enjoy it very much these days. I'm sick. After entering the palace You have to rely on her old man, you are so generous and considerate on weekdays, how come you have a childish temper when you come to me."

Yuan Chun had a grudge against Jia's mother. It's nothing if she punished his wife and grounded her feet. What's the point of bringing in a good concubine for the master when he enters the palace?It also took the life of the nanny, who not only nursed herself, but also Baoqin's aunt, Baoqin must follow her into the palace, so what is that?

Yuan Chun rested his chin on one hand, turned the corners of his eyes, frowned, bit his lips and sighed: "It's just going in to be a slave, what's the fun?"

Mrs. Wang's heart was blocked, Yuan Chun was still affected, she had never done this before.I was deceived before, but now I realize that my family Yuanchun is really not suitable for that kind of weak Liu Fufeng's appearance, mainly because Yuan Chunsheng's plump and dignified appearance does not go well with Xizi who holds his heart.

It's just that regretting is useless, and it's not easy to say it directly, for fear that the child will not be able to get it off his face.

I had to "cough" and said with a smile: "Why does my son say such frustrating words? Our family has already agreed with the Zhen family. With Concubine Zhen taking care of you, you must be a high-quality female history. Besides, this is just Temporary." Pointing to the box, he comforted: "Which maid can bring slaves and things into the palace?"

Yuan Chun's hand fiddled with the purse, no matter how classy she is, the female history is also a slave, not to mention the things she brought are just her and Baoqin's burden.If it is a serious concubine, then the Ministry of Internal Affairs will buy the dowry.She is like this, even if she gets a high position in the future, she won't have such an honor.

Seeing that Yuan Chun didn't answer, Madam Wang also felt sorry for her daughter, and hurriedly said: "This box of purses is filled with silver scorpions, and there are all kinds of patterns. The moon-white ones are two liang, stone blue and peach red. The purse in the mahogany box contains gold coins, the purple purse contains one tael, the honey color purse contains two taels, and the tapestry purse contains silver bills, fifty, There are hundreds of taels. There are also 1 taels of silver bills here, all of which are 100 taels, for your spare; there are also two thousand taels of silver bills for you to use."

These money almost emptied her private house. She has made a lot of profits as a housekeeper these years, but the cash is really not much.If you want to buy a dowry for Yuanchun Zheng'er, you don't have to pay for good wooden furniture, jewelry, shops and Zhuangzi, and she doesn't have to give so much money for the box. If you want a subsidy, she can just come up with five thousand.

As long as it's like this now, those who don't see the rabbits don't scatter the eagles. Even the master didn't send some ladders over, let alone others.While complaining, she suddenly remembered: "Is there something for you from the old lady?"

Yuan Chun shook his head and said: "Not yet, the old lady said that I can't take it with me. When the time comes, she will seal 1 taels and ask the Zhen family to send it in. Concubine Zhen will take it when I use it."

Mrs. Wang's face is ugly, the old lady is fooling people with the respect that should be given to Concubine Zhen.Thinking bitterly, when Yuanchun is promising in the future, she has to get it back with interest before giving up.

But I heard Yuan Chun say again: "The old lady has a good maid, who knows some medical principles. She made facial fat ointment. The old lady gave me a box. After using it, it was really white, tender and smooth. It's a pity that I can only bring one Go girl, or that little girl will become an arm in the future."

Mrs. Wang only stared at the one-third-acre land in the Rongguo Mansion, but Jia Yuanchun was more foresighted, but the luck was bad, and all kinds of ambitions suffered setbacks.

Sure enough, Mrs. Wang just didn't care about it: "That girl is just bought from outside. It's not as good as our daughter who is loyal and easy to use. The parents who hold the piano are all there. She will definitely serve you wholeheartedly."

Jia Yuanchun shook his head, unwilling to say any more, only sighed in his heart that his mother was short-sighted.I thought in my heart that if the girl is really okay in the future, it would be fine to be a roommate for my brother.If you are not successful, you will naturally have to rely on your family. Money is indispensable, and the girl can also help; ...

-

Zhu Xiu grew up in that small room these days, and was very busy with processing and grinding.

This day, the two women brought in another purple-glazed Taibai altar, and Sister-in-law Liu followed behind and said with a smile, "Is this urn of jade spring water enough? The comprador brought it with great difficulty, and the old lady didn't even want to drink it. She told me to give it first." You send it and use it, you are a big face now."

Zhu Xiu put down the nipple mallet in her hand, and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law Liu is here. What you said, this is for the eldest girl to use, but it has passed through my hands."

Sister-in-law Liu looked at the pinky-finger-sized jade ball that was drying in the shade, and sighed, "It's a strange thing. I heard it was a paste. How could this be a pill?"

Zhu Xiu said: "The ointment won't be usable after a long time, and it must be used up within a month. This ball is better than the ointment, and it can be stored for a longer period of time. Use a little water every night after cleansing your face Melt it and apply it on the face, it not only moisturises and moisturizes, but also whitens and beautifies the skin..."

"It's strange to use the water from Yuquan Mountain. I used to mutter that it's all water. Could it be that the water from the sweet water well sent from outside is not enough?"

Zhu Xiu smiled but said nothing, in fact, the water from the sweet well outside was used here.

In this Rongguo mansion, from Jiamu to the next, everyone has lived carefully.Let’s just talk about this old lady. The rice she eats is either Oden rouge rice or Bijing rice. Ordinary rice is not allowed to be served on the table.The water she drinks on weekdays also emphasizes sweetness and mellowness, sweetness and lightness, and the old lady does not use the water drawn from the well of Rongguo Mansion.

Because there are few sweet water wells in the capital, and the water is hard and salty, dignitaries and dignitaries either get water from their own springs or other courtyards, or hire water shops to deliver water every day.The same is true for Rongguo Mansion. Every day, there are watermen pushing a wheelbarrow to deliver water. The two large wooden buckets on the wheelbarrow can hold [-] catties of water for the masters of the whole mansion.The water comes from a water shop called "Jingwozi" in Beijing, and it is all water from sweet water wells with good water quality.

But Jia's mother is more particular. Jia's family paid a high price to order the watermen to fetch water every morning before the sun rises. It is said that the water quality is the best and most pleasant at this time.Occasionally, the family buys a urn of spring water drawn from Yuquan Mountain in the west, and it must be sealed up, only for the old lady to make tea.

Zhu Xiu accidentally discovered that her Cuihua pouch can be used in a clever way, and this is why she said that the fat on the face must be blended with jade spring water.In fact, the Yuquan water had already been tricked by her.However, the well water raised from Cuihua's bag is not comparable to ordinary spring water.

Seeing that Mrs. Liu was very envious, Zhu Xiu took out a few pills of Qibai facial cream from the box beside her and handed them to Mrs. Liu. Even the two women who brought water shared two pills, and said with a smile: "It's not necessary to use that." Made of water, the effect is a little bit worse, sisters-in-law take it."

Sister-in-law Liu held the meatballs to look carefully, and sure enough the color was much darker than the jade-white one on the shelf, she smiled and thanked Zhuxiu.

Zhu Xiu sent Sister-in-law Liu out of the house, and turned around to cover the box.In fact, the meatballs in this box are exactly the same as those on the shelf, except that the medicinal materials and well water have never been stored in Cuihua's pouch.

Since she wanted this rare spring water, she naturally wanted to make some ordinary comparisons to show the difference.