[Red Mansions] The big maid struggles daily

Behind the Fenyou big screen wall, Wang Xifeng's small courtyard is busy, the maids are running around, Ping'er calls to boil hot water quickly, and prepares meals quickly, sweating on his forehead in anxiety.

Fortunately, Jia Lian was reliable this time, and the midwife she hired was very capable.On the one hand, he made people walk slowly on the ground with Wang Xifeng calling, and on the other hand, he straightened out all the affairs with three or two calls.

Wang Xifeng brushed away the mother-in-law's hand wiping her sweat, endured the pain, and asked through the window, "Is your second master back?"

Ping'er was in a hurry, so when she asked, she forced herself to comfort herself and said, "I have already sent someone to look for it, and I'm afraid it will be there in a while..."

Just as Wang Xifeng was about to speak, a sudden wave of pain distorted her face, and her whole body was supported by the two wives.Sister Feng, who considers herself strong, couldn't help asking tremblingly: "Oh, it hurts badly, should I lie down on the bed?"

The midwife had a smile on her face, but she didn't budge when she spoke, she just said: "Grandma just opened two fingers, walk around now, the baby will be born soon, it's good for the baby, grandma just bear with it." .” And told her daughter-in-law: “Bring in brown sugar and egg water.”

There was a table of porridge, rice, snacks, and noodle soup in the outer room, and her daughter-in-law hurriedly took brown sugar and egg water from it.

Wang Xifeng ate a mouthful of the old woman's hand, she was in pain all over, the sweet and slightly fishy egg was vomited out as soon as she took it in her mouth.Seeing such pampered grandmothers a lot, Mrs. Wen just said, "This is the best way to reduce energy, grandma just bear with it."

Zhu Xiu carried the suitcase into the yard, avoiding the busy women and girls, grabbed Ping'er and said neatly: "This is the brown sugar lotus root powder and red ginseng soup I made, you can ask the midwife if you can eat it." After all, I went straight.

Ping'er couldn't bear it anymore, thinking that in the past, the girl Zhu Xiu made it, and grandma could still eat it.At the moment, he didn't care about the saying that women in the maternity room cannot enter the delivery room, so he walked around a few screens and entered the room with a food box.

Wen's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were about to speak when they chased after her, Ping'er said: "I'm just a girl, what taboos do I have to say to the master, I went in and the one who bumped into me, not the master, has nothing to do with you!"

Lifting the felt curtain, I saw Sister Feng with a pale face, her hair sticking to her face and neck, but she was still frowning and swallowing egg syrup, and couldn't help retching twice after taking a bite.

When did Ping'er see her in such a state of embarrassment, he hurriedly opened the food box to show the nanny, and asked with an apologetic smile, "Do you think these grandmas can eat?"

That woman stirred the lotus root powder with a spoon, tasted the red ginseng soup, and said with a smile: "It's just right! Feed the candied lotus root powder to your grandma first, and put the red ginseng soup first, and drink it when it's raw."

Xifeng ate the lotus root powder, it was really more palatable.Zhu Xiu used jade spring water that has been nourishing for many days, which is perfect for a pregnant woman like her who is in need of nourishment.

I ate noodle soup and sugar water several times.

It wasn't until the crescent moon fell to the west on the seventh day that Sister Feng's baby was born.

Seeing that she really was a daughter, Jia Lian couldn't hide her disappointment even though she liked it.Because the third watch has passed, old ladies and elderly people are not easy to disturb, so they have to announce the good news the next day.

Sister Feng suffered a great crime, and she didn't even have the strength to sit up after a night's rest. Fortunately, the baby seemed healthy because of the quick birth.

Just after waking up, I asked Ping'er what the second lord, the old lady, the two lords and wives said, and what rewards they gave. Ping'er picked and said nice things.This Wang Xifeng is his own sperm, half-spirited at the moment, he said after a while: "Forget it, I just hope that it will bloom first and then bear fruit."

Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang still loved Wang Xifeng, and ordered the big kitchen to set up a separate stove for her to prepare meals.

It was just the old hen soup that had been simmered in the big kitchen for a long time. Wang Xifeng didn't like it, and stopped eating after two sips.

Ping'er had no choice but to wrap a few silver lockets and two agate rings, and looked for Zhu Xiu with a cheeky face.She can't do anything about it, if it's an ordinary girl, it's a reward for grandma to use her, but the maids in the old lady's courtyard are all expensive, and the deacons like mandarin ducks, the second grandma will respect her as "sister" when she sees her, let alone this embroidered girl. The girl is already ready to wait, just waiting for someone to move her nest.

This time Zhu Xiu was a little surprised: Sister Feng is so proud and arrogant, she doesn't care about idle girls and servants, if she deliberately makes friends with her, she will only accept the benefits and don't care about her; For business, Zhu Xiu originally wanted to take advantage of Wang Xifeng's weak body and flirt with her, but she never expected that the meals carefully prepared by the master would not satisfy her, so she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Although she has more knowledge and can play tricks, but in the final analysis, she relies on the good taste of the medicinal ingredients nourished by the Cuihua pouch, so she often makes some snacks and medicinal meals. How can she compare this ordinary meal? Mastered by master craftsmen.

Besides, Zhu Xiu was also afraid that Wang Xifeng would get used to the good things nourished by the emerald green pouch, not to mention that she noticed something, but she really didn't dare to open the mouth.

"My dear girl, mix two packs of your lotus root powder with me. We often can't eat the one next to my grandma. No matter how I ask someone to buy it from outside, it's not as good as yours." Ping'er's eyes were red, and he smiled on the road.

Hearing this, Zhu Xiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately took out two big bags for Ping'er, "The original one from Yangzhou is used up, this is my new one. Don't worry, the lotus root from the West Lake is also used, and the taste is only better than the one from outside." good."

As he said that, he took out half a pack of open ones from the drawer, picked up a little bit with his fingers in front of Ping'er, and when he twisted his thin fingers, it turned into a flesh-red color. They are all white, and Duxihu lotus root powder is this color.”

Seeing that she was so talkative, Ping'er relaxed a little, so she couldn't help rambling about Sister Feng's exhaustion and so on.

The good man did it to the end, and Zhu Xiu said: "I heard that it is not good to eat these lotus root starch and chicken soup too early after giving birth, but what kind of egg and millet porridge is more suitable for the second grandma to use for the puerpera in common people's homes... In the past... The family doesn’t teach these things much, let me tell you about someone, Qing Jin in the wife’s courtyard, her mother is a well-known stable woman in all towns and villages, if you don’t ask her, I’m afraid it will be clearer.”

Millet porridge nourishes blood and eliminates food. It is most suitable for women like Wang Xifeng whose gastrointestinal function has not recovered on the first day after delivery.As for Qingjin's side, she has already prepared for it, this is to let her also have a face-to-face relationship with Wang Xifeng, which will be safer in the future.

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Although Wang Xifeng happened to give birth to a daughter on Qixi Festival, it didn't disturb Jia Baoyu's interest in begging for a coincidence with the girls.

"Throwing needles and begging for cleverness" is prevalent in the capital now, and Jia Baoyu couldn't help but regret when he heard Xiao Yao'er's vivid words: the "mandarin duck water" used in this is not available this year.

Unexpectedly, Baochai heard it, and smiled with her face up, "What am I? Come."

Then he said, "Mix the water taken during the day and the water taken at night, this is the 'Mandarin Duck Water', but this is not enough, I have to put the water out in the open overnight, and let's dry it again today." Ri Yang'er, that's what counts." She looked very understanding.

Jia Baoyu was fascinated by this, clapped his hands and shouted: "Such elegant things are done by girls! I'm usually short-sighted."

While speaking, he grabbed Baochai's sleeve and begged: "My good sister, you have so much knowledge in your belly, tell me quickly..."

Xiang Yunben also listened attentively, and when he saw Jia Baoyu's appearance, he was annoyed, and stabbed: "Sister Bao is indeed the most knowledgeable, and we ordinary girls are really incomparable."

Baochai said nothing, and Jia Baoyu was afraid that there would be a quarrel between the sisters, so he went to persuade Xiangyun.

But Baochai said again: "Brother Bao wants to listen, but how can I explain these things clearly for a while? The trivial things are just some common things, such as: protecting orchids, frying tea, incense, burning incense, singing Xu, etc. Fluttering butterflies, fighting weeds, arranging flowers, dyeing red nails...all kinds of things."

Jia Baoyu was stunned, and chanted back and forth in his mouth, only to feel the fragrance in his tongue.

For a while, Ying'er came in with a basin of water, and Baoyu's maids surrounded her.

In the inner hall, Mother Jia was chatting with Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang, waiting for news from Xifeng.Hearing the commotion outside, he took Yuanyang's hand and came out to have a look.

Jia's mother laughed: "When we were young, it was fashionable to thread needles for skill. At that time, I could connect five-color silk threads through nine-hole needles. Now they like to do this again."

Hearing Hu Po come and say that this "mandarin duck water" is thanks to Miss Bao's intentions, Jia's mother was so happy to see Baoyu so happy, she couldn't help being happy too, and said affectionately to Aunt Xue: "Bao girl leaves everything to her brother, and she is considerate..."

Xue Baochai breathed a sigh of relief, and after two days of coming, the old lady will be considered closer.

All the girls held their embroidery needles, and put them into the water one by one.When embroidery needles enter the water, because the mandarin duck water has a membrane, it does not sink to the bottom immediately, so various needle shadows form on the bottom of the water.

If the needle shadow is curved or in the shape of a shoe or scissors, this is a "good luck"; if it is straight, the begging for cleverness has failed.

Some of the girls laughed in surprise, and some sighed. Jia Baoyu was on the side, praising this and comforting that, ten times busier than the others.

Mrs. Wang frowned secretly, this girl's stuff, who came to recruit Baoyu again.It's a shame that the Cowherd and Weaver Girl's purse has not been found out yet, and it has happened again.

When Aunt Xue saw it, her heart sank, she hurriedly called Baochai, and said angrily, "I have never seen so many brothers and sisters before, you are so naughty and forget your shape, your temple hair is loose." A tuck in hair.

Poor Baochai is only so old, he pleases the old lady, but also offends his aunt, his heart changes suddenly, and he said with a smile on his face: "I just saw Brother Bao was downcast, since I have it, I have to take it out. The last time I played Let it go, if you don't give it to him, it will make him think about it, it's not good."

He also deliberately called Baoyu to come over, and said with a smile, "Although what I just said is stuff, if you read "Book of Rites", there are many small sections in it."

Mrs. Wang made sense after hearing this, and she liked it in her heart.

At this time, Zhu Xiu was in the small tea room, and she was familiar with Wen Xing, the little girl of the Xue family.

This Wen Xing was not very old, and his speech was harsh, so Zhu Xiu wanted to inquire about it.Sure enough, I don't know if it was because Xue's family came to Beijing early or because of other reasons, that stupid overlord never beat anyone to death, nor did he forcefully buy Xiangling.

I'm afraid Xiangling will still be called Yinglian at this time. I don't know if she is still in the hands of the kidnapper in Jinling or has already been bought by that Feng Yuan.

At that moment, Zhu Xiu let go of the heart that had been hanging on her all the time: Even the fate of these people can be changed, and the gods and ghosts in this world are not so powerful.

The author has something to say: "Cultivating orchids, frying tea, incense, burning incense, singing catkins, fluttering butterflies, fighting grass, arranging flowers, dyeing red nails..." Adapted from Qing Xu Zhen's "Beauty Book"