Lin Xiao followed Mengying's instructions and found a merchant ship heading south. On March 3, Shenshi weighed anchor and headed for Yangzhou.
Hongying packed up some baggage with Xinruan and arranged a road guide. Just waiting for Mengying's order, the three of them took advantage of the wind and headed south.
But he said that on the first day of March, Mrs. Zhou came again and gave Mengying a bag of silver.
"My girl didn't like your clothes and gave it to the maid next to you. This is thirty taels of silver."
After Mrs. Zhou said that, she turned around and wanted to leave.
Hongying was furious, blocked the way, and said: "We girls have a word first. If your master doesn't like it, return it to us. The material of the spring shirt and the embroidery thread are more than three hundred taels. Now you give us thirty taels. You are not bullying us openly."
Human?"
Grandma Zhou's triangular eyes widened, and she showed a fierce look: "I'll give you thirty taels, and you can have fun secretly. Your clothes are worth three hundred taels. It's really ridiculous. If you keep messing around, we'll go to the Yamen to make it clear.
, I can’t help but beat you when I see your thin skin and tender flesh!”
"You..." Hongying was angry.
After Grandma Zhou finished speaking, she walked away. The two little maids behind walked to the door, deliberately bumped Hongying's shoulder, and turned around with a provocative "hum".
Hongying stamped her feet angrily, and Lin Xiao couldn't help it, and was about to rush out.
Mengying grabbed him and said: "Since she dares to do this, she must have someone to rely on. If you try hard with him, you will fall into her trap."
Lin Xiao clenched her fists and stepped back into the door, saying: "It's too much to bully others. Should we just let it go?"
"Of course we can't let it go like this. I already have countermeasures. A little impatience will ruin the big plan." Ting Mengying whispered to the two of them, and so on.
*
On the second day of March, Xiao Mingzhu came again.
Mengying hurriedly stood up to greet her and said lonely: "I'm so sorry, I can't give you that dress."
Xiao Mingzhu said: "Is it because that person took a fancy to you?"
Mengying lowered her head and said in a weeping voice: "That grandma said that the clothes were given to the maid, and she only gave me fifty taels. Now I have lost two hundred taels of my capital."
Xiao Mingzhu was stunned and said: "Unexpectedly, the Xie family bullies people like this!"
Mengying's eyes turned red and she said: "He is so domineering even before he leaves the court. If anyone marries a girl from such a family, the family will definitely be uneasy."
Hearing this, Xiao Mingzhu suddenly lowered his head and said nothing.
Mengying Jianmingzhu was deep in thought, and quickly changed the topic, saying: "I have embroidered two handkerchiefs in the past two days, using the same material as the horse-faced skirt. I gave them to the girl as an apology."
After saying that, Hongying held up a red box. Xiao Mingzhu took Hongying's hand and picked up one, unable to take her eyes away.
On the first veil, a green plate was embroidered, on which were placed a few red dates and yellow pears, which seemed to smell the fruity aroma.
In another line, several dianthus flowers grow next to a pile of rocks, and a butterfly lingers on them. Each stitch is full and docile, and the butterfly is lively and cute.
"Is the girl good at gongbi painting?" Mingzhu asked.
Mengying nodded, "I understand a little bit."
"This veil is too delicate. I won't be rewarded for my merits. How could I..." Mingzhu refused.
"Girl, please don't refuse. People and things are despicable. Although the capital is good, it is really not a place for people like me. Now that I have lost my capital, I have planned to go to Jiangnan. This thing is not worth anything. Please leave this thought to the girl.
."
Xiao Mingzhu saw that Mengying's words were all red, and couldn't bear to refuse, and said: "Although we don't know each other very well, we feel like old friends at first sight. This capital is indeed a mixed bag, and it would be better for the girl to go to Jiangnan."
He handed over the round fan in his hand and said, "I give this to the girl. I hope you have a safe journey."
Mengying smiled, took it, and said, "That would be disrespectful."
After Xiao Mingzhu left, Mengying took a look at the round fan. It was a picture of peach blossoms in spring, with gauze and embroidery, and a scent of jasmine. I'm afraid it is worth a lot of money.
The jujube pear she sent was in the hope that Xiao Mingzhu would leave the capital as soon as possible. She had not had much contact with her, so she could not talk to her in detail. She only hoped that this strange woman could escape the disaster.
After leaving Dengzhi Embroidery Studio, Xiao Mingzhu turned around and went to Yong'an Hou Mansion. The maid told the concierge that she wanted to see the third young master Wu Botang.
After a cup of tea, the concierge ran back and forth to report, "The third young master is not at the mansion. It is said that he went to visit famous mountains with his Taoist friends. Will my cousin have to wait at the mansion?"
When the maid came back to report, Xiao Mingzhu said: "That's it, it seems to be God's will. Let's go back to the house."
Maid Qingwu hesitated to speak several times. Xiao Mingzhu closed her eyes and said, "Just say what you want to say."
"Girl, are you asking the third young master to go to my aunt to get some news?"
Xiao Mingzhu nodded.
"But my aunt has never been...not close to you. If you tell her, will she listen?" the maid said, carefully considering her words.
"Whether she listens to her or not is up to her, but at this spring banquet, she will definitely arrange marriage arrangements for her eldest cousin. If she really chooses the Xie family, wouldn't she be inviting a wolf into the house? However, Wu Laosan is not here, and I am too lazy to go.
Listening to her teachings in front of her, since it is her Wu family’s business, just leave it to fate."
*
On March 3rd, Uncle Qi’s Mansion held a spring banquet.
This noble family in Uncle Qi's mansion has a high status but no real power. They like to hold tea parties and poetry gatherings. In name, they stay away from political affairs, but in fact they are an extension of the previous dynasty. The mother of the back house wants to see her daughter-in-law.
The best place to inquire about official trends.
Early in the morning, the central gate of the uncle's house was opened wide. After 6 o'clock, carriages and horses from famous families started arriving one after another.
The unmarried daughters of each family came to the banquet with their elders. As soon as these beautiful ladies got off the carriage, their own maids and wives opened the curtains and pushed the horse stools, for fear of bumping into the delicate little ladies.
.
Mengying is also here today. Of course she is not here for the banquet. She has done a lot of work last month, but she only took over the embroidery work of the fifth mistress of Uncle Qi's house.
The Fifth Grandma was pregnant with Liujia. She went to Dengzhi Embroidery Workshop that time and saw Mengying's superb embroidery skills, so she ordered a tapestry quilt and several Songjiang cotton baby clothes for the baby in her belly, which were prepared for the baby's baptism.
.
Mengying specially set the day to deliver the embroidery on the day of the Spring Banquet.
There were many people at the spring banquet, and the fifth grandma, who was rich and wealthy, would not join in the fun, so she agreed without much thought.
Mengying went to the concierge to explain her purpose, and after a while, a little girl led Mengying into the second door. Grandma Qi Wu lived in Lilac Courtyard of the uncle's house. When she arrived at the concierge, she explained her purpose. After two cups of tea, there was
The mother-in-law walked out of it.
"Young lady, you are finally here. Our fifth mistress has been saying these two days, worrying that you would only make that spring shirt, but don't miss out on our little master's clothes."
"What did Nanny Liu say? Now that I have agreed, how can I delay?" Mengying said while giving a salute.
After entering the second door and passing through the hall, after a lot of twists and turns, we finally arrived at Grandma Qi Wu’s Lilac Courtyard.
There was a little maid holding the curtain, so Mengying and Grandma Liu entered the banquet living room.
Not long after, Grandma Qi Wu came out supported by two maids, "Miss Yao is here!"
Mengying was blessed, and after saying hello to the fifth nanny, she unpacked the baggage she had brought with her.
"These are three sets of Songjiang cotton baby clothes, a tapestry brocade quilt, and five pairs of light summer socks." Mengying said, laying out these clothes one by one.
The fifth grandmother felt the small clothes in her hands. They were soft and comfortable. They were made of high-quality Songjiang cotton and were made very delicately and beautifully.
Those small summer socks are also embroidered with a few green grasshoppers, which look fresh and cute.
Not to mention the tapestry quilt, the stitching is neat and neat, and those who didn’t know it thought it was made by the embroiderer in the palace.
The fifth grandma looked at this and touched that. She couldn't put it down and said: "Looking at the stitches, you can tell that the girl has put her heart into it. You will have to work hard on the children's clothes in the future."
Mengying said modestly: "Whatever Grandma Wu said, it is my blessing that you don't mind my poor craftsmanship. There is no such thing as hard work."
Mengying also wanted to chat with Nanny Wu, so that she could find a chance to go to the spring banquet in the back garden. Unfortunately, she didn’t say a few words before Fifth Nanny served tea to see off the guests.
Aunt Liu sent her out of the Lilac Garden and took out a red envelope from her arms, "Our grandma said that the girl is very good at craftsmanship, and these five pieces of silver are for you."
Mengying bent down to thank her and took the money.
"There are many people in the mansion today, and our Lilac Courtyard has also been redeployed. I can't leave. The little maid will send the girl out of the mansion in a short while."
"Mom, stay here." Mengying
A little maid who had just grown her hair led Mengying out. As she approached the second door, she heard the sound of silk and bamboo.
Mengying said deliberately: "The house is really lively today."
"Yes, there is a banquet in our house, and many girls are enjoying themselves in the back garden."
Mengying knew that Xie Chunlian must be in the back garden, but she didn’t have an invitation, so how could she walk to the banquet smoothly?