Allure of a Country Maiden

When Xiaoer returned to the house, she found that the sky in the west had turned dark.

A storm is coming.

Xiaoer walked towards the courtyard where Mr. Liu was, and saw many maids and women running to pack their things along the way.

The sun was shining brightly this morning. Mrs. Liu thought that she was about to give birth, so she asked the maid to take out the baby clothes, cradle, crib, quilt and other supplies that had been prepared and cleaned long ago to dry in the sun. She never thought of just giving birth. After half a day of sunrise, there were signs of a heavy rain coming.

Xiaoer walked into the house and saw Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Liu sitting together and chatting, talking about what happened on the street yesterday.

When the two of them saw Xiaoer coming in, they quickly stopped talking. After all, it was not a good thing and it was not suitable for a little girl to hear.

They didn't know that Xiao'er had known about it for a long time, and she had a hand in planning the incident.

"How come Fourth Aunt is free to come over today?" Xiaoer walked in and said hello.

"There's a letter from my hometown, saying that Shen Jingwen is getting married, and asked me to go back with your fourth uncle and invite your family to have a dinner too." Mrs. Lu took out a letter and handed it to Xiao'er.

Xiaoer took it and took a look. It should be written by Mr. Shen. From the handwriting, it can be seen that the person who wrote the letter was a little unable to do his job.

Mr. Shen is also getting older, and his life must have become increasingly difficult in the past few years.

Xiaoer's family didn't pay much attention to it, but they could imagine it.

The content of the letter was very simple. It was just to invite the two of them back for a banquet. After all, they were blood brothers. They were just going back to have a wedding banquet. The whole village had invited them, and there was no other intention.

After reading the letter, Xiaoer asked Lu: "Are the fourth uncle and the fourth aunt planning to go back?"

They have severed ties with those two people. Their family will definitely not go back. It is reasonable not to go back. Of course, they will be said to be impersonal by harsh people, but many officials in the imperial city also have their hometowns. This is not a modern place. There are planes available, so even going abroad is very convenient! If every official went back to his hometown to have a wedding banquet, there would be no need to work in the yamen all year round! Just spend your days on the road.

Mrs. Lu hesitated and said: "Your fourth uncle's shop and I can't live without people. Besides, Jing Jie is still in college and the two younger ones are so young. It's hard for us to find time to rush back. We have to go back and forth all the time." I’ve been delayed for more than two months! I don’t want to go back! What about you?”

She didn't know that something would happen after she went back. What if Shen Zhuang pretended to be ill and asked her to take care of him, and she was dragged away and couldn't come back? She couldn't forget how they left Shengping County in the first place.

Xiao'er nodded, which meant she didn't want to go back. It was normal not to want to go back.

"We definitely won't go back. My mother is about to give birth, my father is busy with official duties, and my brother and I will leave next year. Now is the critical moment for studying. Besides, our two families have severed ties. There is no need to continue. Go back." Xiaoer shook her head without thinking.

I haven't given any annual gifts in the past few years. Perhaps Mr. Shen is thinking of easing their relationship after seeing that it has been many years since the incident happened!

Mrs. Liu nodded: "I'm not going back. I thought that since the whole village has invited me, I'll treat myself to the same courtesy as the other people in the village. When the time comes, I can just ask the housekeeper to send a foot of cloth or a basket of eggs to the banquet." !”

When there is a happy event in the village, if the whole village is invited to a banquet, everyone will use a basket of eggs or half a foot of cloth as a gift.

In the past few years, there have been happy events in the village, and they have been invited to their homes. Mrs. Liu always asks the housekeeper to come forward to attend the gifts and have a banquet. As for what to give, it depends on the previous relationship.

Ms. Lu: This is treating the people with a big house and a second house as neighbors in the village! If only their family could be like this! I'm really worried that after the things are delivered, the people in the second room of the big house think they are living a good life, and then stick to them like leeches to suck blood. If you don't deliver it well, there will be shops in the town and shops in the emperor, and you will be criticized by the people in the village!

Mrs. Lu is someone who can't bear to lose face, but she doesn't want to give away more things that are cheaper than they should be, and she's also worried about being criticized.

"Then how can we follow the etiquette in our family? I always feel that it is not appropriate to follow the etiquette." Mrs. Lu said with a headache. They almost caused her to have a miscarriage. Mrs. Lu really didn't want to have any contact with her, but it was a pity that she didn't break off the relationship and had to prepare heavy gifts for her reputation. This made her feel particularly aggrieved.

It's hard for Liu to answer this.

"What's so difficult about this? Favors are all about reciprocity. Just as Xiao Jingmin was a full moon in her hometown, my fourth aunt followed the etiquette!" Why do many families record these favors in their books? Here, it is for future courtesy exchanges! It is not good to give a small gift, and it is not good to give a heavy gift! Firstly, it is a loss for oneself, and secondly, for a family that values ​​etiquette, others will send the same heavy gift back next time. If that family is not in a good financial situation, it will increase the burden on others!

What a word that awakens the dreamer! Mrs. Lu clapped her hands: "Why didn't I think of that!"

When Lu's youngest son was one month old, Shen Zhuang sent half a foot of moldy cloth, and the second bedroom sent a basket of eggs. I don't know whether the eggs were smelly to begin with, or whether they smelled on the way there. In short, Lu's Just received a basket of rotten eggs! She was so angry that she almost didn't take the carriage back and threw them one by one in Li's face! It’s hard to believe that none of the eggs in that basket with more straw than eggs was cracked all the way! Lu thought bitterly.

Now is indeed the time to reciprocate!

She had to go home and look through the warehouse to see if there were any moldy pieces of cloth. To reciprocate, she respected them as the eldest brother, so she would give them a foot long! It’s a double reward! It’s so shameful for them!

I really regret throwing away that half-foot of moldy cloth! If I had known earlier, I would have kept it and sent it back.

"When will the fourth brother and sister plan to take things back? My family seems to have goods that will be transported back to Shengping County tomorrow. I will help you bring the things with you by the way." Mrs. Liu said.

"Okay, I'll go back tonight and prepare the gifts and deliver them over tomorrow morning." Mrs. Lu nodded.

Xiao'er glanced out the window and saw a strong wind, and it was going to rain soon, so she said, "It's going to rain heavily. Fourth Aunt, please go back after dinner. I'm going back to my house first."

Mrs. Lu nodded in agreement and talked about some household matters with Mrs. Liu.

It has been raining for more than an hour. After dinner, Shangguan Xuanyi has not sent anyone to deliver the news. It must be that the attendant is nearby and cannot leave.

Xiao'er looked a little lost in thought as she looked at the garden washed by the wind and rain. Shangguan Xuanyi had pills in his hand. The emperor would definitely be fine, but he didn't know the reason for the emperor's sudden fainting.

As a person gets older, his body will become worse with each passing year, and the functions of every organ in the body will naturally decline. Things in her dimension can delay aging, but they cannot prevent death from old age.

The emperor's fainting this time may bring hope to some people.

Xiaoer thought to herself as she wrote down the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts for her servants.

Thank you to the book friends who voted~~~