Chapter 306 Xuan Yekong's Request
Northern Song Dynasty, Qingzhou.
It was late autumn, and the north wind was howling. The courtyard of the servants of Mr. Wu's mansion was covered with a layer of white frost. There was a large stone mortar for pounding rice, which was covered with residual leaves.
The oil paper on the mullioned windows was rustling in the wind, and the bamboo curtain outside the door, which had not had time to be replaced, was also squeaking.
Liang Jin, who lived on the Tukang in the west room, was forced to open her eyes. The room was filled with the sweet smell of overnight glutinous rice cakes.
No one could have imagined that she would travel to the Northern Song Dynasty and become the second sister of Feng, the second wife of an official family, accompanying her mother Diao. She wore a bun and a bellyband and was only eight years old.
This Diao mother also has an eldest daughter named Sister Gui.
Sister Gui is one year older than the second sister. She was pampered by Mother Diao and stayed in the house all day long. She was lazy and carefree.
Liang Jin calculated that the time was almost up, so she got up quietly without disturbing Sister Gui who was sleeping in the kang.
There are two types of children born in the family. The first type is those who have ulterior motives and want to become the husband of the master's family.
The second option is to serve as a companion to a girl in the mansion, so that she can follow the girl to a noble family and become a respectable housekeeper.
This escort is also very particular, just like the old man in the house, Mrs. Zhang, who goes all out to give gifts here and there, just to put her rather colorful second daughter Xiuzhu into the Yuanniang of the second wife. 's yard.
Yuan Niang's marriage was just arranged last year. In the future, her husband's family will be the uncle's house in Bianliang. In the future, she will be the wife of the uncle's house. Being her companion is the most promising in the eyes of the Wu family's servants.
If you were lucky enough at that time, and the husband of your uncle took over your house and became your wife or mistress, you and your family would really go to heaven.
Originally, Diao's mother also wanted to stuff Liang Jin into Yuan Niang's yard and become the lowest sewing girl.
In the words of Diao's mother, she survived slowly in the yard. At the beginning, she also worked her way up from the lowest level of girl.
In addition, she is the companion brought by the second wife, Feng Shi, from her mother's family. She has some dignity in front of Feng Shi.
But Liang Jin didn't want to go. Instead, she went to the place where many girls and women thought they had the least future - the big kitchen.
Even Diao's mother thinks so. The big kitchen is hard and tiring, and there is no dignity in entering the girl's yard. Even if she is a sweeping girl in the yard, it is extremely leisurely.
From time to time, she could still show her face in front of the girl. Maybe when the girl noticed that she was smart, she would be transferred to the house to do things around.
You know, the proud lady next to the master wears gold and silver, and the master is not even willing to give her old gold-woven clothes.
Liang Jin put on a green quilted jacket. She was so dressy that she didn't wear a skirt.
She opened the curtain and came outside. She stood on tiptoe and added some cotton oil to the kerosene lamp, and then it turned on.
On the four-corner cabinet of red lacquered jujube wood to the east of the square table, there was a gapped blue and white porcelain vase.
On the east and west walls, there are various kinds of twine, shoe uppers, straps, bean bags and other sundries hanging.
In the southwest corner, there is a rice urn, which contains half of the rice that has not been pounded.
There are two small stools on the ground. At first glance, you can tell that they are old items that the owner does not want. There are still gold rims painted on them, which is very elegant.
The mud-wind stove is in the center.
Sitting in front of him was a large pot with a sharp spout, just like the kind found in foot shops outside.
Liang Jin picked up the pot with some difficulty. The water inside was still warm, which was perfect for washing her face and teeth.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were toothbrushes, which were made of pig hair. Buying such a toothbrush in a grocery store cost two copper coins. It was more economical to buy it from a salesman in the alley.
She used a brush to rub some tooth powder out of the small porcelain jar containing tooth powder.
This tooth powder is the lowest quality, very rough to use. The tooth powder used by the second wife's wife is very delicate and has a fragrance, but the price is also astonishing.
A box of high-quality tooth powder from Nanjing like that costs a lot of money.
A roommate like Diao's mother only gets one hundred and twenty-five coppers a month. A little girl like her who helps in the big kitchen gets twenty coppers a month.
But this is not a reward. Sometimes there is a happy event in the house, and there will be another reward.
Liang Jin got a reward of two copper coins last month. This was because Mrs. Cai in the kitchen saw that her mother was a naughty mother, so she didn't dare to bully her.
Like those girls bought from dental shops, or girls who have no father or mother in the house, no support, and the lowest level girls, they will inevitably be bullied by those old ladies.
It is common for some old devout women to show no shame to the rewards given by their families. They will extort rewards and monthly payments from anyone they recognize as a godmother.
He even called it euphemistically, helping those little girls save their dowries.
After brushing her teeth, she wiped her face casually with a towel dipped in hot water, and combed her hair a few times with a comb. She did not untie the bun that Diao's mother tied for her with a red headband when she went to bed last night. When you get up the next day, there is no need to tie it up again.
It was getting brighter outside, but it was still a bit foggy.
She carried the copper pot at home and five copper coins and walked out of the corner gate towards the bustling market.
Food is sold everywhere in the market, such as Zhang Laizi’s four pieces of sheep and mutton offal, Wang Mazi’s cooked meat, Zhang Sanniang’s offal, goose offal, and sheep blood soup, all of which are very famous. of.
By the way, there are also Hu cakes from Grandma Cao’s house. Liang Jin often comes to buy her Hu cakes, takes them home and eats them with molded fermented bean curd.
"Little lady, pick up some Fengtang cakes to eat...?"
In the foot shop in the market, there is a woman standing at the door, with a blue and white cloth handkerchief tied around her waist, and she is very warm to people.
Do those regular stores look down on "small customers" like Liang Jin?
of.
Most of the food sold in foot shops is cheap. One copper can buy two pieces of Fengtang cake, which is affordable for ordinary people.
Liang Jin came to Grandma Cao's house by the familiar route and picked up two pieces of Hu cakes and three cooking cakes. Then she went to the corner stall and ordered a chicken and tofu soup.
When she returned to her residence, Diao's mother had already gotten up. Seeing that her second sister had bought breakfast, she went to the yard to cut her hair.
"Second sister, have you bought me chestnut cake??????????"
Sister Gui was still washing her face in the room. When she heard movement outside, she knew that her sister was back.
Liang Jin ignored this sister who was lazy and wanted to eat chestnut cake. Where could she get the money to buy it?
"Second sister, while I'm talking to you, the facial fat on your face is gone...?"
With that said, the curtain was opened, and a pouting and complaining Sister Gui walked out.
She was wearing an 80% new silk jacket, which had been made narrower at the waist.
Although he is only nine years old,
But his slender figure has already begun to appear.
Sister Gui looks like Mama Diao,
There was a hint of meanness in his eyebrows,
But this does not affect her cuteness.
Liang Jin compared with her,
He only looks average.
"Give me money and I'll buy it for you."
Liang Jin used a fire clamp to poke the stove. She didn't stop until the stove was turned on and the fire was bright. She put all the cakes she bought on it and baked the cakes while drying her hands.
Sister Gui did not go to work in the house, so she naturally had no money. She knew she was in the wrong, curled her lips, and stopped talking.
"Isn't it just chestnut cake? If Sister Gui wants to eat it, just buy her two pieces."
Mother Diao is most partial to her eldest daughter. She is already nine years old, and she does not want her to find a job in the house.
With that said, she walked in from the outside, her hair was combed into a neat bun with water, and a silver comb was stuck in it.
She was wearing a lotus-colored plain jacket, with a blouse and skirt made of fine cloth underneath, which was already a little yellowed.
On his left wrist is a narrow gold bracelet.
A few years ago, some people called her Lady Diao, but in the past two years, she somehow became Mother Diao.
When Liang Jin heard this, she became very angry. Why did she buy chestnut cake for her to eat, and let her eat it and continue to have the dream of climbing up the dragon and becoming a mistress?
As a sister of hers, there is really no other sister in the whole house. As a son of the family, she is planning every day to be the wife of the husband she marries, or to be the mistress of the young man in the house.
But she was lazy and greedy, so she was asked to work in the house, but she was unwilling to go, so he encouraged her to steal some good snacks and soups from the big kitchen all day long to eat at home.
She usually kept all her dresses and shirts at home and asked Liang Jin to wash them for her. When Liang Jin saw that Diao's mother was not at home, she closed the door and gave her a rough treatment before she felt a little better.
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