Zhou Shaojin went out early and came back late every day, helping Mrs. Mian in Jiashu Hall.
But the provincial examination was a big event, and for convenience, Cheng Xu moved back to Duo Jiaxuan. The news about Cheng Xu still reached her ears through the discussions of the maids.
"Mrs. Yuan is personally guarding outside the examination room..."
"It is said that when Uncle Xu came out, he was a lot thinner, but he was in good spirits. Someone from the Cheng clan school asked Uncle Xu how he did in the exam, and Uncle Xu smiled and said that he would know after the results were posted..."
"Mr. Xu took the essay he was reading to Mr. Chi Si to read. Mr. Chi Si was very satisfied! He also asked Mr. Xu to rest in Zaoyuan for two days before the results were announced..."
"Mrs. Yuan went to the temple to burn incense for Mr. Xu yesterday and said that she drew a very good fortune. Mrs. Yuan was very happy and said that if she got what she wanted, she would gild the Buddha's body..."
Mrs. Miao couldn't help but frown after hearing this, and said to Zhou Shaojin privately: "It's just a provincial examination, Madam Yuan is a little too impetuous. She is not usually like this!"
He was aiming for the top prize!
I don’t mind being second, but of course I’m feeling nervous!
Zhou Shaojin muttered to herself, not participating in the discussion. She took the account book that Mrs. Mian gave her yesterday and said, "Look, is this the number?"
Mrs. Miao looked at it and smiled, "I didn't expect that our Shao Jin could calculate the account so well. This is exactly the number the steward gave me a few days ago."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel ashamed when he thought of Cheng Chi using the abacus.
It took her most of the day to sort out the account book.
She quickly brushed the matter aside and said with a smile, "Aunt, is there anything else you want me to do?"
Mrs. Miao smiled and patted her hands, saying, "Do you really need to do anything? Just stay by my side and watch me do what I do. When you marry your cousin, I can be the manager who lets go."
The wedding date of Cheng Yi and Gu Shiqigu is set for the tenth day of March next year.
Zhou Shaojin laughed.
Si'er ran in, and before she could even stand still, she said, "Madam, second cousin, great news, great news. First cousin diagnosed a pregnancy, and the fetus is stable at three months, so she sent someone here to tell you the news."
"Really?" Zhou Shaojin stood up suddenly, tears falling uncontrollably.
Very good!
In my previous life, my sister got pregnant two years after she got married, but she had a miscarriage not long after that.
This time, my sister had a child just two months after her marriage... She finally changed her sister's fate, and her sister and brother-in-law will have no regrets.
She grabbed Si'er's hand and said, "Sister is pregnant. How does the in-laws treat her? Is she pregnant? Is there anything special you want to eat? I'll have someone buy it and send it to you."
Si'er was held tightly, and couldn't help but smile, saying: "Second cousin, I have been serving Old An for such a long time, but this is the first time I see Second cousin so excited... I don't know what you are talking about. The one who came to report the news is Chixiang, who is by the side of the eldest cousin. She has tied her hair up now, so she must have married. Old An is asking her questions, and she will definitely come to pay her respects to you later. You can ask her carefully then!"
Zhou Shaojin laughed.
I am so happy!
My aunt didn't say anything, but she kept chattering away.
She looked somewhat embarrassedly at Mrs. Mian, who was standing beside her with a smile.
Mrs. Miao put her arm around her shoulders and said with a smile, "You sisters have always been close to each other. After your sister got married, there was no news. I was very anxious and wanted to send someone to ask about it, but I was afraid that the Liao family would be unhappy and that they would ask about your sister's sad story. Now it's good that your sister has been diagnosed with pregnancy. Naturally, she will have many children and grandchildren in the future."
In Mrs. Miao's opinion, women are afraid of not being able to get pregnant. If they can get pregnant, they will naturally be able to give birth.
However, Zhou Shaojin was afraid that Mrs. Liao would treat his sister badly.
In her impression, although Mrs. Liao and Yuan were cousins, their personalities were completely different. Yuan was cruel on the surface, while Mrs. Liao was cruel in her heart.
Before her sister got pregnant, she had always looked at her coldly; after she became pregnant, the nanny sent over actually wanted to set rules for her sister. After her sister finally dealt with the nanny, she still lost the child.
Not to mention what happened afterwards.
If my brother-in-law hadn’t been so kind to my sister, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to give birth to my nephew Liao Chengfang.
I wonder if my sister is pregnant with a boy or a girl this time
If the next boy is a boy, would he still be named "Chengfang"
When she saw Chixiang, she asked very detailed questions.
Chixiang's clothes were neat and bright, her face was rosy and radiant, and she smiled and said, "The first wife almost worshipped the eldest grandmother. The Liao family's own family and the outside family were all crowded together, and they had to give way to each other when walking. In this way, the first wife insisted on making a small kitchen for the eldest grandmother and only served her food every day. The seventh wife of the Liao family said something sarcastic, saying that the eldest grandmother didn't know whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and the first wife was too early to be happy. The first wife replied to her bluntly: We are all unlucky, so these sons are born one after another. The truly lucky ones are those who bloom first and then bear fruit. It's just right for the mother to be a caring little cotton-padded jacket to help take care of the younger brother.
"The seventh wife of the Liao family gave birth to four sons and no daughters!" Chixiang explained, imitating the first wife of Liao by raising her chin and looking at people with squinted eyes.
Everyone laughed out loud at her amusement.
Old Lady Guan even pulled Chixiang's hand and said, "That's good, that's good! If you serve the grandma well, I will give you another reward." Then she rewarded her with a pair of pure gold bracelets.
Chixiang joined in the fun and thanked Grandma Guan happily.
When Mrs. Mian saw this, she rewarded her with a pair of silver bracelets.
Zhou Shaojin was the most generous. She gave the pair of pearl hairpins that Madam Yuan had given her to Chixiang.
Chi Xiang smiled and said, "It will be a big deal when I go back now. If the Grandmother has another order, I'm afraid everyone in the mansion will be vying to be on the receiving end of the order."
This was what Mrs. Guan originally had in mind.
She laughed and said, "Anyway, you won't be short of money."
Holding incense is another way of thanking.
Compared to when she was in the Zhou family, she was much more lively, which showed that her sister was indeed living a good life in the Liao family.
Zhou Shaojin asked her, "Sister said she wanted to go to the capital before, but now I'm afraid she can't go? Is brother-in-law going to the capital alone?"
Chi Xiang smiled and said, "The first wife wanted to wait until the eldest lady gave birth to the child, but the eldest lady said that she couldn't delay the master's future, and wanted me and my wife to serve the master to the capital. It hadn't been decided when I came here!"
For young couples, a thousand miles of longing is not as good as having the soft fragrance in their arms.
It is true that there are gains and losses in this world.
Zhou Shaojin began to feel a little worried.
A little maid came in and reported: "Grandma Nuo is here!"
Grandma Nuo refers to Wu Baozhang, the wife of the fifth son Cheng Nuo and the eldest daughter of Wu Xiu, the prefect of Jinling.
She entered on August 18th.
Because Mrs. Guo was a widow, she did not attend her wedding. The next day, when they were recognizing each other, Cheng Nuo brought Wu Baozhang to greet Mrs. Guo, but Zhou Shaojin avoided them. Actually, they had not met since Wu Baozhang married into the Cheng family.
Mrs. Miao was surprised and asked, "What is she doing here?"
The little maid smiled and said, "She said she made some rice cakes that are unique to her hometown and are easy to digest. She brought some over to honor Old Anren and the first wife."
This was something she often did in her previous life.
Always boast about how virtuous and kind you are.
In his previous life, Wu Baozhang was liked by many people because of his expertise in making various snacks.
Zhou Shaojin curled his lips, and then something in his mind moved.
When the maid brought Wu Baozhang in, after everyone had exchanged greetings, she smiled and asked Wu Baozhang: "It's not even been a month since cousin sister-in-law got married, why did you think of making rice cakes and specially send them to my grandmother and aunt to taste? I really don't deserve it!"
There is no obvious difference between Wu Baozhang after getting married and before, except that she combs her hair up.
She smiled slightly, and the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows made her face look more dignified. "My mother-in-law is a generous person. She treated me like a daughter and didn't set any rules for me. I thought that I couldn't just do nothing. It happens that someone from my hometown will come to Jinling City tomorrow. Knowing that I'm married, they sent some rice from my hometown. I think this rice is very fresh. I remembered that my grandmother liked to eat rice cakes made from this kind of rice when I was a child, so I tried to make some. Please try it and see if it tastes good to you all."
Zhou Shaojin, along with Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian, all tasted a bite and praised, "This rice cake is delicious! How is it made? Can you tell me the recipe? I'll make some for everyone to taste later."
Just like in his previous life, Wu Baozhang was unwilling to tell others about his skills.
She smiled and said, "If you want to learn, I will teach you everything I know. But making these cakes is very time-consuming. For example, to make the rice cakes, you have to get up in the middle of the night to grind the rice. It's too hard. Why don't you tell me when you want to eat them, and I'll make them for you."
Zhou Shaojin didn't believe that she would get up in the middle of the night to grind rice herself!
However, since she said that, Zhou Shaojin was surprised and said, "I didn't expect this rice cake to be so difficult to make! How can I be greedy again?"
Wu Baozhang was worried about how to gain a foothold in the Cheng family, so she naturally assured him again and again that it would not be a problem. Even if Zhou Shaojin didn't want it, she would make it and give it to someone else.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Then you can help me make ten kilograms of rice! I will send some to my sister when the time comes."
It takes a whole day just to grind ten kilograms of rice.
Wu Baozhang felt a little unhappy, but she had already said it before, and she didn't really need to grind the rice herself, so she agreed with a smile.
Seeing that Zhou Shaojin was going to give it to the pregnant Zhou Chujin, Old Lady Guan and Mrs. Mian didn't say anything.
Zhou Shaojin instructed Chunwan: "You will follow Grandma Nuo later and see how she grinds rice and makes the starch. Remember to learn it so that you don't have to bother Grandma Nuo all the time in the future."
Wu Baozhang's smile suddenly froze.
Zhou Shaojin doesn't care about that.
She acted innocently and said to Wu Baozhang, "I heard that Cousin Nuo's wife is also very good at making flat noodles, jelly, and wonton. I have never tasted them. Cousin Nuo's wife makes rice cakes so well, those snacks must be very good too. During the Spring Festival Gala, you must flatter Grandma Nuo well. Even if you can't learn all of them, at least learn two or three of them. If you can learn them, I will also reward you with a pair of hairpins."
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Sisters and brothers, today’s update.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)