Yinque talked about the regrets of her youth, which reminded Qiao Lan of some childhood memories.
Life is short, the fewer regrets the better.
Qiao Lan smiled lovingly, "When the lantern festival starts, I'll just buy you a lantern. Don't worry about it!"
Yinque's eyes immediately shone and she looked at Qiao Lan happily, "Old madam, you treat Yinque very well!"
After hearing this, several other maids serving Qiao Lan said with a little jealousy on their faces: "My maid has never been to the lantern festival in the capital, nor has she bought any lanterns."
There is also a sour one, "The old lady only sees silver birds, and can't see us anymore..."
The maids who serve Qiao Lan are all outstanding in appearance and temperament, and their daily attire is no worse than that of ordinary ladies.
Qiao Lan is a person who enjoys appreciating beautiful things. She is usually very tolerant to the beautiful girls around her, and is somewhat loving in her. The atmosphere between master and servant is not as hierarchical as other families.
Seeing a group of young girls vying for her favor, how could Qiao Lan not offer some words of advice?
"Buy, buy them all! Each person will buy one, and I will buy it too, Grandma Xiang!"
The young maids in the room were all satisfied after hearing this, and Grandma Xiang, who was waiting next to her, also smiled with thick wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
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The old lady at home wanted to go to the lantern show, so the whole family came out.
In previous years, the lantern festival usually started on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Shops on the street and officials responsible for the lantern festival would hang up lanterns one after another before the fifth day. But if you want to see more lanterns, you have to wait a few days.
It was delayed until the eighth day of the first lunar month, and the young and old of the Duan family went out to watch the lanterns.
As soon as the carriage arrived on the street, the children at home couldn't wait to get off the carriage and couldn't move while staring at the exquisite lanterns of different styles on the street.
Hearing the lively commotion outside, Qiao Lan got out of the carriage with the help of the maid beside her. Qiao Lan, who had seen the bright neon lights of the city at night, looked at the lanterns that filled the eyes, one by one, hanging on the treetops and eaves.
It flickered slightly in the cold wind, and I roughly understood what "the stars are falling like rain", and I couldn't help but admire it in my heart.
The snow on the streets of Beijing has been swept away every day, and even ice picks have been seen under the eaves. There is only a little white snow on the roof. Even if there is an occasional cold wind, it is not too cold.
Parents are not always easy to rest assured. Wang, Shang and others followed and chased them out of the carriage. They asked the maid to put a cloak on the children at home and stuffed a heater into their hands to make sure that nothing was missing.
Then the children were allowed to play by themselves, and of course the servants, wives and servants had to be with them.
After taking care of the child, the daughters-in-law turned their attention to Qiao Lan and walked up to Qiao Lan to say hello, as if they wanted to accompany her to the lantern festival.
Qiao Lan glanced at the crowded street. There were many young men, women and couples walking side by side. Who wouldn't want some sweet space during this big holiday?
As a generous elder, Qiao Lan said directly, "You can go shopping by yourselves. It's rare that you can enjoy some quiet time alone without the boys around. I, the old lady, can take a look for yourself."
Duan Mingjing didn't seem to notice the special atmosphere in the street, and he didn't understand Qiao Lan's painstaking efforts. He frowned and said with a troubled expression: "Mother, you think your son is noisy?"
Mrs. Shang stood beside her husband and gently held her forehead, looking a little helpless.
Qiao Lan glared at Duan Mingjing, wondering why this man who has been married for more than ten years is so ignorant of style. He simply said, "You have been married for such a long time. How many times have you taken your wife out to buy jewelry? Where have you been with her?"
When Qiao Lan asked, Duan Mingjing immediately started calculating carefully with his fingers.
He and Shang have been married for decades. How many times did they go out together before they got married? How many times did they go out together after they got married...
Mrs. Shang became pregnant as soon as she entered the house. After giving birth to the child, she rested directly in the house and rarely went out. It was really difficult to understand why they were separated by more than ten years.
Seeing Duan Mingjing pinching his fingers and calculating carefully for a long time, Qiao Lan couldn't help but sigh!
Is that what she cares about?
"In the five or six years since you left Beijing and returned to Beijing, what have you bought for your wife? You didn't even buy her a hairpin after returning to Beijing. It's rare for you to come out to see her. Why don't you take her to buy some jewelry?
, add some rouge and gouache!" Qiao Lan's voice was filled with anger.
Duan Mingjing nodded vigorously after hearing this, "I know, mother! My son will go right now..."
Then he picked up Mr. Shang next to him and went directly to a shop on the street to buy jewelry to complete the commission as if he had completed the task.
Qiao Lan:......
Fortunately, it wasn't her own fault, otherwise she would be really angry!
Duan Mingqing was a transparent person, so he came over immediately with Mrs. Liu and said, "Mom, my son will take Mrs. Liu to the lantern festival."
Liu, who was following Duan Mingqing, had a shy look on her face.
"Go ahead, if you don't have enough money, ask someone to get it from your house." Qiao Lan said.
After experiencing the previous house raids, everyone in the Duan family lived very frugally.
After coming to the capital, the family's monthly income has increased a lot, but after all, things in the capital are expensive, and it is very common to have a couple's worth of money. Duan Mingqing has not yet become an official, and it is common for him to be short of money.
"Save it for your son!" Duan Mingqing agreed, and slowly merged with Liu into the crowd.
As for Duan Mingchen next to him, he seems to be a bit more ruthless than Duan Mingjing.
Standing next to the carriage, sometimes looking at the lanterns and sometimes looking at Qiao Lan, there is no look of envy or yearning, and there is no loneliness!
Qiao Lan looked at her youngest son for a while, then looked at her grandson and granddaughter who ran into the crowd, and said, "Go and watch Si Qi Si Hua and them, be careful, and then buy them a lantern to play with."
Even though there are servants and servants, those servants always listen to their master's opinions. The children are young, and they may suffer a loss if they encounter profiteers or the like.
"My son knows." Duan Mingchen said and left the group.
Seeing the tall and straight back of her youngest son, Qiao Lan suddenly began to doubt herself. Could it be that all these straight men were inherited from her? Duan Mingqing was not her biological child, so he was not that straight?
Qiao Lan was not a person who looked for trouble, so she quickly put all this aside, and then took Wang, Duan Sitong, Feiyan and others to stroll around the lantern festival.
Along the way, there were many people selling lanterns. Qiao Lan remembered her original promise to Yinque and the others, and let the maids around her come forward to select the lanterns one by one.
She even gave Wang, Duan Sitong and others a few words of encouragement. The little girls came forward happily to hold lanterns, and the atmosphere was very lively.
Wang smiled and refused, "Mom, my daughter-in-law is so old, she doesn't need these gadgets used by young people."
Qiao Lan totally disagrees with this. At her age, she wants to jump around and play with her children. How wonderful it is to be young!
Although she can be thick-skinned and shameless, she always has to be cautious for the sake of her family.
Then he persuaded Mrs. Wang as someone who had experienced it, "You are still a child in my eyes at your age! When you are my age, you only see one person once a year. Don't limit yourself and buy whatever you like. I will give you the money."
!”
As the head of the family, Qiao Lan has such confidence and strength.
Mrs. Wang put the handkerchief on her lips and smiled happily, "Then I have benefited from the children!"
Feiyan listened to these words in confusion, and after thinking for a moment, she walked directly to Qiao Lan, took the chosen lantern in the shape of a flying bird and stuffed it directly into Qiao Lan's hand, "Grandma, give me the lantern."
Qiao Lan smiled and touched Fei Yan's head, and the whole family was happy.