Mengying asked him if he had eaten it before, and he nodded yes, but hesitated several times.
Meng Ying knew the doubt in his mind, "You want to ask me about the dowry list and letter, right?"
Yao Chengyao's eyes lit up and he nodded.
Mengying Yun said lightly: "Fake."
Yao Chengyao stared at Mengying in disbelief, and Mengying smiled: "I can't say that it's all fake. At least the Jade Buddha, Jade Ruyi, Paddy Field and Babu Bed are real. Half true and half false, the old lady didn't look at it at first
Come out and believe it is true."
Yao Chengyao was even more confused, "Then how do you know?"
Mengying put the jade Ruyi in front of her younger brother: "I asked someone to find out. This is a gift that my second uncle wanted to give to County Magistrate Wang, so I intercepted it. You can send it to my father for me, I guess.
It’s also my grandmother’s relic.”
Yao Chengyao knew that Mengying didn't want to say more, and it was hard to ask further questions.
"Everyone said that we should choose a wine shop, why didn't the eldest sister choose one?"
Mengying glanced at her younger brother and said meaningfully: "Remember what I said, don't let others lead you by the nose.
That winery seems to be a money-spinner, but now that there is a new war, I don’t need to say where the food will be transported.”
Yao Chengyao bowed his head to the end: "Brother, I understand. Don't worry, eldest sister, I will go to mother to persuade her."
After Yao Chengyao left, Mengying asked Hongying to bring Shi Lanxiu over. She had already thought about the next move.
*
After Yao Chengnian followed his parents to Dongkuaoyuan, he did not leave with his parents. Instead, he took the opportunity to go to the clean room and hid.
It was getting dusk, and no one paid much attention. Yao Chengnian went to the backyard and hid behind the big apricot tree in the corner.
He doesn't care much about his family property, that's what his parents worry about. He just wants to see the person in his dream. He hasn't seen her in three years, but the letters haven't been broken. Now that he's back to his hometown, he hasn't even been able to see the beautiful woman. He doesn't know how she is.
It's because the food is not sweet and the sleep is restless.
Now that he has the opportunity to enter Dongkua Courtyard, how can he be willing to not see his sweetheart?
After hiding for more than an hour, almost freezing, he saw a maid leading Shi Lanxiu into Mengying's room. He was anxious, wondering when Lanxiu would come out.
Fortunately, Shi Lanxiu returned to his residence within two cups of tea. He was overjoyed, and when he looked around and saw no one around, he quietly walked to Shi Lanxiu's door.
I pushed the door open and the gate was closed. I knocked a few times.
"Who?" the voice inside asked with fear.
Yao Chengnian lowered his voice and said: "It's me, Chengnian, Lan Xiu, open the door quickly."
After a while, Shi Lanxiu opened the door, and Yao Chengnian pushed the door open and entered.
The furnishings in the room are simple, with an oil lamp lit on the table and an embroidery basket placed on it. Apparently, Lan Xiu is working as a female dressmaker.
Yao Chengnian wanted to see her wholeheartedly, but when he saw someone, he didn't know what to say. It was Shi Lanxiu who broke the deadlock.
"Young Master, what's the matter with coming here late at night?"
Yao Chengnian looked at the person in front of him. He was slimmer than three years ago. His face was a little thin, but he also looked more charming.
"I know you are back. I have been waiting for you for three years. Lanxiu, are you okay?"
"I...I'm fine. Thank you, Master, for thinking about me." Shi Lanxiu lowered her head. She didn't dare to look into Yao Chengnian's eyes.
Indeed, she once fantasized about marrying Yao Chengnian, even as a concubine. But one thought made it all come to nothing.
"After the New Year, I will be fifteen. My mother has always wanted to give me a maid, but I have never agreed. You know my heart, I..." Yao Chengnian said with a blushing face.
"Young Master, please stop talking. I am of low status and cannot bear to be cared about by the Young Master. You should forget about me." Shi Lanxiu covered her face and tears flowed from her fingers.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Now that we have divided houses, it doesn't matter that you are the eldest aunt's adopted daughter. I will convince my mother. When I am in high school, I will..."
Seeing sister Lan Xiu crying bitterly, Yao Chengnian was at a loss and hurriedly took Shi Lanxiu into his arms, "Good sister, please stop crying, I have everything under control."
Shi Lanxiu quickly pushed Yao Chengnian away, "This is against the rules, young master, please leave quickly!"
Yao Chengnian was not willing to leave before he finished speaking.
But Shi Lanxiu was determined not to let him stay any longer, so she pushed her out of the door. With a "pop", the door closed from the inside.
This was not his own courtyard. Even if he had a hundred more courage, Yao Chengnian would not dare to knock on the door. He stamped his feet, helpless, and slipped back into the outer courtyard.
All this was seen by Hongying, and after a while, Mengying naturally knew it.
After a cup of tea, Shi Lanxiu knocked on the door of Mengying's room. Mengying was sitting at the Kang table, waiting for her, and asked lightly: "Is the person gone?"
Shi Lanxiu replied: "Let's go."
Mengying nodded and motioned for Shi Lanxiu to sit down.
Shi Lanxiu knelt down with a plop and said, "I don't dare."
Mengying supported Shi Lanxiu with both hands, and said: "I heard that Sister Shi has a cousin who works in a wine shop. Now that the Chinese New Year is coming, Sister Shi will go visit tomorrow and bring some snacks for me.
To my second uncle."
Shi Lanxiu replied with tears in her eyes: "Okay, I understand."
*
On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household is offering sacrifices in the ancestral hall, and the Yao family is no exception.
After worshiping his ancestors, Master Yao went to the Yao Family Winery two miles away.
The winery is built on the mountain. Firstly, it uses the spring water there. Secondly, making wine requires a lot of firewood, and it is convenient to transport firewood to the mountain. New Year's Eve is approaching, and business is booming.
After the steward finished reporting, Yao Qingjiang was drinking tea in the banquet hall next to the wine shop.
Looking back on the past, the old man was too cautious and refused to give any credit, causing the business of Moda Winery to be dull.
Now that it is in his hands, he can no longer be as petty as before. The Yao Family Winery will definitely flourish in his hands.
Just as he was thinking about it, the steward knocked on the door: "Second Master, the eldest lady has sent someone to bring you some snacks?"
"Who?" Mengying came to give him snacks. Mr. Yao Er was a little angry. It was too urgent to ask for the account.
"Come in!" Mr. Yao Er sat upright, picked up the tea bowl, lowered his head and drank.
"Second Master, this is what Sister Mengying asked me to send." The voice of the visitor was gentle, yet somewhat familiar.
But even so, he didn't want to give the visitor a good look, and said with a serious face: "Let it go!"
When I looked up, yo, isn’t this Lan Xiu!
"It's Lan Xiu who's here." Mr. Yao Er hurriedly stood up and hid his big belly.
"Someone, bring a chair for Miss Lanxiu."
"You're welcome, Mr. Er. I'll go back after delivering the things." Shi Lanxiu said shyly.
"This is a newly brewed wine with green plum added. Lanxiu, please try it." Yao Qingjiang enthusiastically poured the wine for Lanxiu himself.
"Then thank you, Mr. Er." After refusing, Lanxiu took the wine from Mr. Er.
Lanxiu stayed in the wine shop for half a day before returning, and her steps were a little flustered when she left.
After Shi Lanxiu returned to Dongfu, Mengying rewarded her with two sets of clothes and a pair of silver bracelets.
Even Qing Luo was a little jealous when she saw it. She really couldn't figure out how Shi Lanxiu got the girl's favor again in such a blink of an eye.
*
Tomorrow will be thirty, and the Yao family is generous to their servants. They usually give them wine and meat on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. But this year, the old man passed away, and the master’s family has to be vegetarian, so the servants naturally don’t have to eat.
The Mapo from the old house next door took the opportunity to win over a few servants from Dongfu, and gave each of them thirty or forty coins, saying that it was from the old lady.
Now that the houses were divided, everyone was a little timid, but Mrs. Yu was greedy for money and took the lead.
Not long after, Liu Rui reported the matter to Mengying.
Mengying was reading a book, raised her head and asked: "Have you given any rewards in the past years?"
Liu Rui replied: "I've asked about this, but I haven't had a penny in the past years."
Mengying threw the book down and said: "Call everyone in the house, I have something to say."
Hongying took a chair, Mengying was wearing a thick cloak, and a little person was sitting in the middle of the courtyard.
Although the East Mansion is not big, there are thirty or forty people in total including maids, boys, kitchen cleaners, sundries, gardeners, and stables.
These people thought the little girl was fooling around, so they joked and played around without taking the lecture seriously at all.
Qingluo jumped angrily and said to herself: "I'll let you guys who bully the weak and fear the strong show you how powerful the girl is!"
Mengying is not angry either. She is wearing thick boots and holding a stove in her hand. She is not cold anyway. These people are not afraid of the cold, even if they laugh.
After a while, some people began to complain: "Why didn't this big girl say anything when she asked us to come? In this cold weather, our feet are completely frozen."
"Yes, the little girl is in charge of the house, and there are many tricks. We girls are tormented during the Chinese New Year." Those who took the benefits of the old house were also the few who talked nonsense.
Mengying felt that it was almost time and said: "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. In previous years, we would reward people with wine and meat. This year, each person will be rewarded with a hundred dollars."
"Oh, one hundred dollars, this girl is really generous."
"Yes, yes, this is much more generous than Madam."
"Thank you, Miss"
"Thank you girl"
……
Everyone was talking and smiling happily.
"However, I'm going to say something ugly first. I don't care about the affairs of other houses. The people in our house naturally want to think about the master's family. We should think more about everything and don't be used as a sword by others. <
/p>
If you let me know who is eating the food from Dongfu and smashing the pot of Dongfu, I will never forgive him!"
Mengying's words were not loud, but they were stern. Those who had received the old man's money were all a little uneasy.
Sure enough, when the women came forward to collect the money, they were taken down one by one.
Several people knew that they had made a mistake and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.
"Moms, the state has national laws, and the family has family rules. You have violated a big taboo by giving and receiving privately. Today, each of you will be rewarded with ten pieces of money. If there are any more offenders, they will be sold immediately. No mercy!"
A few boys came over, struck three times, five divided two, and then pushed several people on the bench and started beating them. No one dared to talk about the servant women below.
From then on, no one in the house dared to deceive the superiors and subordinates because of Mengying's young housekeeper.