boudoir

Chapter 83
Liuli wanted to get close to her, said "Auntie, you're welcome", then sat on a small bamboo stick brought by her mother-in-law, picked up a water chestnut and ate it.Taking a good look at the kitchen, it is an independent courtyard, and the three rooms inside and outside have been opened up and divided into various areas.Now, besides the woman who is in charge of the stove, there is also a person who is in charge of washing up, and a person who is in charge of the side dishes for breakfast tomorrow morning. They are all women, and Cheng Yingniang is not here.

Liuli smiled and asked the woman in charge of the stove: "What's your name, Auntie?"

The old woman wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Everyone calls me Fifth Aunt Chen."

Liuli then asked, "Have Fifth Aunt been working in the big kitchen for a long time?"

Aunt Chen Wu said: "Since the year Miss Wu was born, I have been here. It doesn't matter that I was in charge of cooking, but now there is no one in the small stove, so I was transferred here."

Liu Li said: "Aunt Wu used to work as an errand in the fourth room?"

Fifth Aunt Chen waved her hand and said: "It's not me, it's my head of the house who works in the fourth room as a man walking in the outer yard. It happened that I had finished breastfeeding my daughter the year the fifth girl was born, and I didn't have any errands at hand, so we asked the head of the house to ask the fourth lady for help." , came into this big kitchen as an errand." After speaking, he stirred the porcelain bowl twice, then turned around and said, "Speaking of my daughter, I'm afraid I've seen her before. It's Qi Luo next to the Fourth Madam."

Liuli suddenly realized that Rui'er had said that there was a daughter named Qi Luo in the big kitchen who was working in the fourth room. It seemed that this was Chen Man's family.She smiled immediately and said: "So it's sister Qiluo, of course I've seen her before, and that's the powerful arm of the fourth lady." Although Qiluo is a second-class maid, Nie often takes her with her on weekdays, so she thinks it's useful.

Fifth Aunt Chen was overjoyed: "I'll tell you the truth, our Qi Luo really has some face in front of the Fourth Madam!"

Liuli smiled without saying a word.

While talking, the porridge was ready, Fifth Aunt Chen poured it into the prepared white porcelain cup and covered it.Put the prepared side dishes into the snack box one by one.Now that the weather is getting warmer, the temperature of the main courtyard is just enough for the entrance.Liuli picked up the lantern and wanted to leave, but Aunt Chen grabbed the water chestnut and gave it to her: "Sister, bring some more!" Liuli couldn't push it, so she accepted it.

Back in the main courtyard, the old man had already changed his clothes and was drinking tea in the room.Liuli carefully took out the porcelain cup, filled half of it with a small bowl scalded with boiling water, put it on the small table on the kang, and placed two dishes of side dishes in front of him.The old man originally frowned and watched her move, but when he saw that her hands and feet were agile and her movements were extremely calm, his brows gradually relaxed, and he began to eat with chopsticks.

Because there are still people waiting here, Liuli withdrew.Seeing the old lady leaning aside and closing her eyes to rest her mind, she walked over gently and said, "May the old lady rest first?" The old lady opened her eyes, hummed for a long time, and went into the inner room with her help.

Biyun Qingshang had already made the bed, the old lady undressed and got on the bed, suddenly said: "I heard that you have studied?"

Liuli turned her head back, and nodded after being startled: "I've read a few books."

I thought there was more to come, but the old lady hummed after hearing this, but closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The old lady's daily routine is to get up at Chen, eat breakfast at Chen, chant Buddha at the end of the day, talk to people, eat lunch at noon, take a nap before taking a nap, get up and walk around after nap, or eat tea, and come to the courtyard. People said a few words to relieve boredom, and then arrived at Youzheng and began to eat dinner.But before dawn, Liuli was awakened by the old lady's cough.

Liuli quickly put on her clothes and got up to light the lamp. Seeing that the old lady had already sat up crookedly, she quickly poured a glass of water and rubbed her back.The old lady took the cup, but instead of drinking it, she slammed it to the ground!Liuli was startled, and hurriedly backed away two steps and said: "Old lady, don't be angry, but the water is too cold?" The old lady didn't make a sound, but coughed again while rubbing her chest, and the cough became more and more severe.

Liuli has been here for three or four days, this is the first time she has seen her like this, and she doesn't know what it is, fearing that something is wrong, she wants to call Biyun Qingshang next door.When she reached the door, she heard the old lady yell: "Stop!" Liuli turned her head, and saw her holding back a cough, her face was gloomy, her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked a little terrified in the darkness.

She stabilized her mind, walked back to the bed and gently stroked her back, said: "Is the old lady catching a cold? Do you have any medicines for daily use? Liuli can call sister Qingshang to come over and have a look?" The old lady He didn't make a sound, panted for a while, and then raised his head with a long sigh of relief. It was obvious that the cough had stabilized, but his complexion was still not good.

"What are you asking someone to do in such a hurry? Do you want me to die immediately?!"

Liuli was very speechless.Helped her close the quilt, and said: "The old lady is going to live a thousand years, how could she die? Liuli is afraid that the old lady will have a bad cough, so she wants to find a way to relieve it. Why don't I go down and cook a bowl of ginger soup for you to dispel the cold?" ? Don’t look at this cheap thing, but when I was a child, my mother often cooked it for me to drink, and it is very effective for cold cough.”

The old lady looked at the ground and snorted coldly: "Even if you cook ten pots of ginger soup, it will not be effective for my disease!"

Liuli heard the smell, and hurriedly said: "Could it be that this cough is not due to a cold?"

The old lady frowned tightly, then kept silent, propped herself up and lay down again.

Liuli beat her legs on the bedside, watched her for a while and saw that she fell asleep, then went back to the floor.

The second day was the second day of April, which was the day when the whole mansion came to pay their respects.The old lady tossed and tossed for half the night, and overslept when she fell asleep, and she still hadn't woken up when the hour came.Liuli was worried that she was tired, so she didn't wake her up, because she didn't allow her to call Biyun Qingshang at night, thinking that she didn't want others to know, so she just told her that the old lady of the two slept late and had to rest for a while. Son.

Yu Shi and the others waited for half a day in the flower hall, and when they saw Liuli finally show up, they scolded: "The old lady is getting old, you should persuade her to go to bed earlier, how can you make it so late?! If there is a lot of trouble The old lady is not feeling well, you should be careful!"

Liuli didn't answer, but stood with her head down under the curtain near the inner room, waiting for any movement in the room, and then she could go in immediately.Concubine Su couldn't enter without permission because of Mrs. Yu's presence, so she asked Liuli: "The old lady was late talking to the old man yesterday?" Liuli said confusedly: "Exactly. The old man also ate yam porridge when he came back."

Aunt Su nodded, looked at her again, and then sat down again.

Nie was sitting not far from Liuli, waiting for her heart to get anxious, so she raised the teacup to her and said, "Give me some hot tea!"

Liuli didn't move.Nie raised her eyebrows: "Why don't you go?" Liuli said with a smile: "Fourth madam thinks I forgot, I am here to wait on the old lady, and I am waiting for her to get up. If madam wants to drink tea, I will Just let the maids go pour it." As he spoke, he beckoned to Lvhe from the corridor, "Go and get some hot tea for all the ladies."

Lvhe hurried away.

Nie was so angry that her teeth were crooked: "You little bastard, do you really think that you will become a phoenix if you climb the old lady? Sooner or later, you will end up worse than a pheasant!"

Liuli turned her head and was about to answer when the old lady's voice suddenly came from inside: "Where is that girl? Where did you go to be lazy?!" Qingshang turned around and beckoned for Liuli to go in.

Nie stared at her back, almost staring out of her eyes with hatred.

When Liuli entered the room, the old lady had already sat up, even after taking a nap, her complexion was very pale and she looked listless.Biyun was preparing the jewelry for her to dress up.Seeing Liuli, the old lady scolded: "How late is it? Why didn't you wake me up?!" In front of Biyun, Liuli had to be careful: "The old lady's body is important." The old lady said: "There are no rules. Going to sleep and waking up late is laziness, where are you going to put me?" Liuli kept her mouth shut and put on shoes for her.

Biyun came over from behind the dressing table next to her, and accidentally hit the back of Liuli's head with her knee. Liuli fell forward without holding on, and fell right at the old lady's feet.The old lady was so angry that she kicked her shoulder: "Are you going to die?!" She didn't let her come any closer, and pointed at Biyun and said, "Go and pour water!"

Biyun went out in response.Liuli wasn't sure if her bump was intentional, but she felt that the old lady's kick was strong, but the kick was extremely light. She was wondering if she had intentionally released the water, but heard a copper spoon fall from her head, and then The old lady lowered her voice and said, "There is a bottle of black pills in the cupboard, take one out for me!"

Liuli didn't dare to be negligent, and hurriedly followed her words and took out a grape-sized wax ball from the small drawer at the end of the cabinet, broke it open and fed it to her.After feeding her a little more water, she put down the water cup when Biyun came in with a copper basin.

Yu Shi followed up, greeted the old lady with a smile, and said, "The old lady sleeps well."

Qingshang was dressing the old lady, the old lady looked in the mirror and said with a smile: "I kept you waiting for a long time."

Yu Shi took the ivory comb from Qingshang's hand, combed her hair carefully and said: "How can such a thing happen? Daughter-in-law is only afraid that there is something wrong with the old lady. Now that I see you looking so good, I will go back to you." I know it's nothing to worry about."

Strange to say, within a short time after taking the medicine, the old lady's complexion gradually turned rosy, and she looked very healthy and energetic.Liuli looked at her expression, but suddenly caught a flash of sharp light in her eyes smiling at Mrs Yu...

Liuli's heart trembled, and she went to see Mrs Yu, she was still talking and laughing at Yan Yan, without realizing it.

After finishing dressing up in a while, Mrs. Yu put a gold velvet forehead with a black background and emeralds on the old lady, and helped her to the flower hall.At that moment, all the ladies and wives stood up to pay their respects, and the old lady cheerfully praised the grandchildren, enjoying themselves in harmony, just like in the past.

Standing in different positions this time, watching this lively scene has a different mood, for example, seeing the satisfaction and happiness on the old lady's face, I feel a little powerless.According to last night, the old lady's cough and shortness of breath is probably a stubborn illness, but I don't know why she wants to hide it from others, even Biyun Qingshang is unwilling to tell.And Mrs. Yu—just now, she obviously didn't want to let these people know that she was sick. Why did she do that?Also, does the old lady know about her illness?

(End of this chapter)