Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Ordinary bright days

Volume 4: Spreading Wings Chapter 1,279: Not enough words to speculate

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    On June 6th, if the weather is fine, every household will be busy drying clothes; on this day, inside and outside the palace, major yamen, Imperial College, bookstores, private schools, scholars' homes, etc. will also be busy taking out books to dry.  If exposed to the sun, it is customary to say that no insects or beetles will be born.  Today, at the Elephant Training Center of Jinyiwei, dozens of elephants brought as tribute from Annan and other countries will be taken out and bathed in the river outside the city, with a flood of spectators.  The circus troupe did not dare to use elephants, because there were at least twelve elephants carrying treasures during the major court meetings and six during the minor court meetings. The people loved the elephants very much and regarded them as symbolizing a peaceful and prosperous age.  In addition, lions, tigers, giraffes, etc. are all auspicious animals and cannot be kept by the public.  Historically, the Manchus in the Qing Dynasty also followed Cao Sui and raised some elephants, but changed the Jinyi Guards to Luan Yiwei.  In Prince Mu¡¯s Mansion, Mu Fu came back from Shandong. He went to see Mu Ang early in the morning to cancel his errand, and took out the letters from Mu Bin and his wife.  Aunt Shen and others rushed over after hearing the news, and Mu Ang read it loudly to the whole family.  The letter simply asked for the well-being of the elders, described the official and public affairs of his office in Dezhou Prefecture, and some anecdotes that happened there. Finally, he wished Aunt Shen good health, and learned that the third uncle had adopted Hongwen, so he did not forget it.  I said hello and gave some gifts as congratulatory gifts.  Hongwen, who was standing aside, looked very happy, thinking that after all, the eldest mistress was a good person and was thoughtful.  She is a good person and never makes excuses.  So Hongwen said to Du Qianqian: "Hey! Why did the young mistress reward me with something? Damn it, I forgot to send something to honor her. I was not forgotten in this letter, how can anyone bear it?" Mulan  Xiang saw that she looked smug and a little amused, so she laughed and said: "My sister-in-law knows that my aunt is my father's favorite, so I sent her a gift with the intention of paying homage to my aunt. As the saying goes, before I go to court the emperor, I come to pay homage to my husband first."  This husband was the prime minister's intention. Mu Lanxiang's teasing was not malicious, but Hongwen misunderstood it. As the girl's former maid, she had a bad intention and mistook this husband for the other husband, thinking that the lady was deliberately laughing at her.  Sexy and charming.  So Hongwen immediately blushed and said sarcastically: "The girl is here to look for someone to be happy again. Who am I? Am I worthy of being worshiped?" After saying that, she took the gift with a cold face, turned around and went back to the room.  .  Mu Lanxiang didn¡¯t expect that she was just joking casually, but Hongwen turned her face away in front of her. She felt so bored and her face was a little uneasy.  After all, in front of so many people, the girl was small-minded, and it was in her own home. She couldn't help but feel a little angry, so she deliberately said something to her. After thinking about it, she didn't want to cause her father to be in a dilemma, so she endured it.  Everyone saw this scene. Mu Lanxiang was so upset that she couldn't get off the stage and returned to her room in anger.  Du Qianqian saw with her own eyes that Hongwen pushed her precious daughter in front of her. She felt very uncomfortable and her face became ugly.  Mu Ang also witnessed it, and it was difficult to interrupt for a moment. He didn't want to yell at his concubine in public, and he didn't want to say anything bad about his daughter.  Like all the men in the world who are caught between their mother and their daughter-in-law, they pretend to be reading letters, but in reality they are in a daze.  Aunt Shen noticed the displeasure on Mrs. Shen's face and hurriedly said: "It's very hard for the housekeeper to travel on such a hot day. Why don't you ask me to give him a few days off, let him rest, and then come back to work?"  Mu Ang immediately said: "Well, let's just give him ten days' leave. Seeing that he is about to go into hiding, the whole family has to buy clothes like Gebu gauze. I don't need it. The imperial court will issue official orders for entering the summer."  Take it." After saying that, he took Mu Fu directly to the study.  Du Qianqian sighed and said to Aunt Shen: "Go to the Xu Mansion and remember that there is a straw hat with nine phoenixes and pearls for the children to wear. It looks very unique and interesting to me. Ask me how to make it, and you can make it in your spare time.  One or two, send them to my sister." "I understand." Aunt Shen agreed and went to Mu Lanxiang's room first.  When the maid Hongzhen saw her coming, she said first: "Auntie, are you angry? Now Hongwen has become like this, taunting the girl in public. I am also impatient, otherwise, I would like to give her two slaps.  "Okay." "Don't be angry." Aunt Shen smiled, "She's just that kind of person. Why bother with her? Didn't I say that she deserves to talk to her despite her delicate status? We don't have to be on the same level as her.  ." This short sentence made Hongzhen laugh.  Mu Lanxiang also smiled and said: "Fortunately, my aunt is here. When you didn't come, I tried to persuade her for a long time, but she didn't listen." Hongzhen curled her lips and said: "She was born as a girl, but she finally climbed to the high branch.  I don¡¯t know how to behave these days! I can¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she would dare to contradict the girl intentionally. She will definitely regret it now, and it¡¯s too late to give her a gift.¡± Aunt Shen persuaded her with a smile.  Mu Lanxiang said: "The matter is over as well. I was too talkative for a while and violated her taboo." "After all, you are a wise girl." Aunt Shen complimented and then said: "I just talk and leave the serious things to you."  Forgot. Mrs. Shicai said she loved the hat worn by the brothers and sisters of the Xu family, and asked me to ask for the paper pattern. "Mu Lan.He smiled and said, "You are asking the right person. At that time, we saw that other children were wearing lion hats and had nothing to do, so we changed them to nine lions playing with balls and nine phoenixes playing with beads, and gave them to the children at home.  Wearing it for fun. I made it randomly at that time. Where did it come from? Now that my aunt has become a householder, how can I have the time to do this? Why don't you and your wife think that I am slow, I'm better than you?  It¡¯s time to take the trouble to do it.¡± Aunt Shen said happily: ¡°It¡¯s great if you are willing to help me cook it. I will cook some of your favorite side dishes as a reward someday.¡± The three of them were joking in the room, Du Qianqian.  He sent a little girl to invite them, saying that Xiaolingwei had sent good melons, and invited the girls and grandma to try them.  In early May, the melons in the south are already ripe, but in the north, they have to wait until late May, when small merchants and hawkers sell them along the streets.  At this time, melons are native to tropical areas in Africa and Asia. They were first introduced to the Central Plains before the Tang Dynasty and are now widely cultivated in various places. Hami melons and vegetable melons are all varieties of melons.  Later archaeologists discovered half a shriveled cantaloupe in an ancient tomb of the Jin Dynasty in Turpan, indicating that cantaloupe should have passed through the Silk Road.  Hami melon was already very famous during the Ming Dynasty, but its real fame began in the Kangxi period.  Just like Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, who sent thousands of miles of flying horses to offer lychees in order to please Concubine Yang, the people of the Qing Dynasty at that time described the scene of transporting cantaloupe to the emperor through the Hexi Corridor.  "On the road, I met a post horse, and came into the cantaloupe, and there were hundreds and thousands of groups. People held small pockets, covered with yellow clothes, each carrying a melon, and glanced at it, as fast as a bird." It can be seen how luxurious the people are, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty  Her greed for cantaloupe is no less than that of Concubine Yang¡¯s love for lychees.  Of course, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not make too much concessions in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation, and even made more concessions.  High-ranking officials cannot respond to everything like the emperor, so merchants and melon and vegetable farmers from all over the country have taken the initiative to buy cantaloupe seeds and cultivate them on the spot.  The climate in Hebei is suitable for growing Hami melons, and melons can be grown almost everywhere. In the early Ming Dynasty, the most famous Hami crisps, green skin crisps, dry gold pendants, rhubarb flesh, and girl's music appeared one after another.  Besides, Hongwen returned to the room angrily, threw the gift on the table, sat down, and sneered: "I don't care about these things. They attract people to laugh at me for no reason. Could it be that I am not worthy of you?"  Young lady, do you want to give me a gift? Everyone has learned to be mean now." Xilan said with a smile, "Grandma is too worried. The girl said something wrong, but it's for my wife's sake." Hongwen glared.  He opened his eyes and said angrily: "What's wrong, madam? As the saying goes, the great-grandson has a right to sue the great-grandfather. Her daughter laughed at me in front of so many people, embarrassing me, and mocking me as a female husband. Isn't that irritating? So I will do the same.  Give her nails to eat in front of others. Let me tell you, I haven't been timid since I was a child, and I can't be too scrupulous as an aunt. I'm afraid of people saying this, and I'm afraid of being weirded out. Do we still want to stand out in this house in the future?"  Lan was about to speak when suddenly the male steward who was temporarily acting as housekeeper came in with a list. Through the curtain, she was startled and hurriedly walked out and asked: "What are you doing here?" The steward said: "  This money is urgently needed. When I went back to Grandma Shen, Miss Meinu said that she was not here, so I came here to ask my aunt for instructions. Please send this list to my aunt, and she will know. " "  Then you wait." Xilan took the order, turned around and handed it over.  "What's the matter?" Hongwen asked lightly. In fact, everyone in the room heard it. She took the order and looked at it. She was here to pay for this month's monthly payment.  The rules and regulations of the Mu Mansion are all distributed on these days of the first month. The housekeeper also delivers summer rewards to the male and female employees of the mansion, which is equivalent to bonuses for future generations, cooling fees and so on.  Generally speaking, it is impossible for a large family in ancient times to have all their servants as their own servants. It is good to have more people to serve, but they also have to be affordable, right? In addition to the deacons and servants in the outer house, and the personal maids and ladies of the inner house, the wife  Women, etc. often hire some outsiders.  For example, men are responsible for carrying things, cleaning ditches, and cleaning, while women are responsible for heavy work such as washing, sewing, and mending.  Because city people often disdain this kind of business, they mostly hire country people from outside the city.  Although Prince Mu¡¯s family has a big business, most of his servants are far away in Yunnan, so the mansion also employs some outsiders.  In fact, the same is true for the Xu family. There is an upper limit on the number of slaves. Whenever the number is exceeded, a group must be released, and they can be hired back in the form of employment.  Otherwise, what would a Duke's government do with one or two thousand slaves at every turn? So an unwritten custom was formed. During the busy summer farming season, country people all wanted to take leave and go home to work on the farm.  It just so happens that in summer, there are most internal and external things, such as chopping wood and boiling water for bathing, and washing clothes frequently, right? These rough jobs cannot be left alone, so a very humane routine has been set. I want to go back to it.  The family members are left to their own devices. They have not signed a deed of sale, so they cannot forcefully keep people.  Those who don¡¯t want to go back will suggest that we just do it for them instead of hiring someone else. The same goes for the servants in the house.??.  ????????????????????????????????????????????????????Out of consideration for this year's bonus, prepare in advance, and at the same time, give a reward to those who want to leave, as the host is considerate.  By mid-June, when it is clear who is leaving and who is not, the bonus can be distributed, usually three to four times the salary.  Of course, you can refuse to pay, but in this case, you are just like the unkind landlords in the countryside. Isn¡¯t it enough that you are not allowed to work as long-term and short-term workers? Anyway, you are free to come and go.  The servants at home will also be unhappy. They are equivalent to employees of state-owned enterprises. They have a lifetime of drought and floods. They are picky and like to do idle errands. Hired workers are equivalent to temporary workers. Without temporary workers, how can we ask employees of state-owned enterprises to do the dirty work of temporary workers?  Living? Throughout the Ming Dynasty, hired labor was very common. After all, having too many domestic slaves was one of the major crimes for which many dignitaries and officials were accused. This was obviously different from the Manchu and Qing Dynasty Eight Banner nobles who competed to keep a large number of domestic slaves.  Needless to say, there is no need to say more about the leaders of the Eight Banners in the Qing Dynasty. This directly proves that the Qing Dynasty indeed set a reverse course in history in this regard. The Qing Dynasty was the peak era of semi-feudalism and semi-slavery.  In short, these regulations only appeared in the past twenty years. Where there is a cause, there is a result. It was probably the same in the previous dynasty.  I think China has been a humane society since ancient times, and the legal system is pretty good. If the common people cannot survive, the worst is to rise up.  Even in the Manchu era, the so-called master would give many aspects of respect to his slaves, and there were similar rules. See the respect for older slaves in Dream of Red Mansions.  "It is a pity that China's bourgeois revolution was interrupted at the end of the Ming Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty used swords and guns to strengthen the concept of a strict feudal class hierarchy. Even though it paid attention to human kindness and compassion, the general environment made China completely lag behind the entire era.  Besides, Hongwen, who was unhappy, took the opportunity to explode and said: "I didn't expect that grandma over there was not in the house, so she asked me to find something to do. Oops! Didn't you see that all the weeds are growing in my yard? You can see that.  They are the most powerful people who are accustomed to favoring the superior and suppressing the inferior. Xilan, go and tell him, I will keep this list and wait for me to calculate it carefully and come back to collect the money in half an hour. "Xilan, did you see her talking?  I was so angry that I quickly came out and said it.  The acting housekeeper had already heard these words, so he obediently responded "Yes", then he stuck out his tongue, shrank his neck, silently called "What a great aunt", turned around and ran away.  "Bring me the abacus." Hong Wen said angrily.  I carefully checked the list twice with an abacus, and the numbers matched, a total of eight hundred and sixteen taels.  Hongwen thought for a while and told Xilan: "Go to grandma to exchange the eight hundred and fifty taels of silver. If I ask you what it is for? Just say that I cashed it according to the order sent by the housekeeper, and the account will be paid later.  Come here. If grandma is not in the house, ask Mei Nu to give it to you and tell her that she needs it immediately. No delay. " "Oh!" Xilan nodded and was about to go out.  Suddenly, Hongwen said again: "You are not allowed to change even a word of mine. I know, watch your skin carefully." "I know." Xilan muttered in a low voice, threw the curtain, walked out, and pouted.  Said: "Why should I change your words? If you ask me to kill people, I will kill them too. You will resist me anyway." (To be continued.) (The source website for this book is clear, has no pop-ups, and is updated quickly.  )
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report