Peach Blossom at the Bottom of the Fan

Chapter 10
"It's also a coincidence..." Mama Li nodded with a smile, and didn't intend to follow Mama Wu's words. Instead, she reached into her sleeve pocket, grabbed a handful of copper coins, and stuffed them to Gu Xiaogui without counting them, "Brother Gui Son, take the candy and eat it. When I come back later, I will bring you sweet-scented osmanthus cake!"

"But thank you Mama Li." Although it's not easy to count the money in front of people, but the handful of copper coins accumulated, even if you don't count it, you know it's more than what you got just now.Gu Xiaogui's face blossomed into a smile, and he became more kind to Mama Li.

That flattering smile made Wu's mother angry and annoyed, and she couldn't help snorting: "Isn't she just a girl? The one who sees off the guests is either a rude girl or the lowest third-class girl in the courtyard. Thanks to you Like a little ancestor..."

Mama Li smiled, her inconspicuous face was very indifferent, as if she didn't hear the mocking meaning in Mama Wu's words at all.

On the contrary, it was Gu Xiaogui who spat with a "bah": "What are you talking about? Our sister Chunhua is not a third-class girl. She will marry our housekeeper Fu in a few days, but she will be the lady in charge! Well, You are full of nonsense, and when the time comes, you will not be able to go forward even if you want to please our sister Chunhua..."

"Hey, the future lady in charge—"

Mama Wu dragged on, a bit disdainful, and Gu Xiaogui blushed in anger, but it was Mama Li who smiled and smoothed things over.

"Sisters and sons, we are old friends. This retrospective family has recruited a lot of people, and it is hard for me alone. If you have a suitable candidate in your hand, you can introduce them to me..."

The words were polite, but they didn't say anything to make concessions. The couple of prostitutes also understood people. Although they knew that the people in their hands were sent to Mrs. Li, she must be trying to lower the price and sell them at a higher price, but they still piled up. Smiling, he kept asking what kind of person the Gu family wanted to buy.

Seeing that a few prostitutes were tearing up at the door, Gu Xiaogui curled his lips, and was about to push them away, but suddenly someone asked in a low voice: "Little brother, the manager Fu you mentioned just now was Gu Fu?"

"Don't dare to call our manager's name directly..." Gu Xiaogui dragged on.

Their Gu family is a scholarly family, so they pay attention to many things!
But as soon as he finished speaking, he was taken aback when he turned his head to look.

"Ah... Where did you come from, the little beggar, why are you coaxing?! Go, go..."

Being bombarded by Gu Xiaogui, the girl who was not tall still had a smile on her face. Although her face was sallow and muscular, she smiled very cutely. Even Li's mother, who was facing a group of toothmaids, looked at the ragged girl more. The girl has two eyes.

"Is Sister Chunhua the Sister Chunhua who used to be a girl in Shan Wang Gu's family? I feel very familiar in a daze—ah, I don't know if it's the sister I'm looking for..."

Seeing the girl tilting her head, as if she was really distressed, Gu Xiaogui blinked, intending to drive her away, but he was afraid that she really had something to do with Chunhua.

"Hey, little girl, do you know Sister Chunhua? She and Steward Fu really lived in Xigu before. Are you relatives?"

Looking up, the girl's eyes narrowed, although the smile on her face didn't halve, but for no reason, Gu Xiaogui just felt a little cold.

Shivering, Gu Xiaogui curled his lips, if this little beggar really seemed to be thinking about something, he would have kicked him out a long time ago.

"Well, I and they - don't know each other!"

"Don't know? Oh, little beggar, you're playing tricks on me! Get out of here, this is not a place for you..." Turning his face, Gu Xiaogui yelled and chased away people.

The little girl just smiled and stepped back, squatting in the corner, squinting at the women who were talking and walking out of the alley.

No one noticed that when she lowered her head, a string of blood dripped from her tightly clenched lips.

what is the problem?

Although I didn't see her face, the girl named Chunhua was so familiar just now.Moreover, the guard at the door also said that Dong Gu's housekeeper was indeed Gu Fu, who was originally from Xi Gu just like Chun Hua.

Then, it is indeed Chunhua and Steward Fu that she knows!It's really strange, why didn't they leave Songjiang with their sister-in-law, but instead became Dong Gu's servants?Could it be that when Dong Gu bought this old house, he also bought a servant?No, if you really bought it back, how could you still let Gu Fu be the housekeeper?
The position of housekeeper of a big family is not so easy, how can it be possible to get ahead if you don't stay for ten or eight years?

Feeling strange, Gu Sixiao didn't pester Gu Xiaogui for more questions, but just silently followed those prostitutes.Sun Tiancang, who was guarding at the entrance of the alley, saw several people coming out in a file, and wanted to run over, but met Gu Sixiao's eyes, but stopped.

Although he didn't know what Gu Sixiao wanted to do, he was used to obeying.

Just falling so far away from Gu Sixiao, watching her follow a few toothmaids through the town, and finally stop and squat opposite a dental shop.

He wanted to go forward several times, but was stopped by Gu Sixiao. Sun Tiancang could only set up a bowl, squatted on the side of the road, stared at the pedestrians, and begged a few times from time to time.

Squatting on the opposite side of the dental shop, Gu Sixiao got up and walked into the dental shop unhurriedly after seeing that all the prostitutes had left.

This small dental shop should be Mama Li's dental shop.

In Songjiang Mansion, ordinary prostitutes don't know how to practice dental practice. They buy and sell slaves, and do matchmaking, all with one mouth and two feet.

Those who open a dental firm are generally dental professionals, who can negotiate trade, solicit business, intermediary houses and fields, act as guarantors, and go to the yamen to do red deeds and white deeds, etc.

This kind of toothbrush earns more money than toothmaids, and has a wider network of contacts. Most of the trades are long-term transactions, so they rent a shop to open a tooth shop.

Just looking at this dental shop, that Gu Xiaogui is not just talking nonsense, but this mother Li is indeed capable.

When Gu Sixiao entered the dental office, Mama Li was looking through the account book, and she didn't know which account was wrong. She frowned and stroked left and right with a pen, but she couldn't see Shumei.

Peeping with the probe, there are quite a few circles on the account book. I don't know if I didn't count well, or if I encountered a word I couldn't write, I just used a circle to replace it.

Before Gu Sixiao could see clearly, Mother Li had already seen her.

Her eyes flickered, and Mother Li turned her head to think, and then she remembered, "Ah, isn't this the little girl I saw outside the Gu's house just now! Why—couldn't it be that she came here with the old man?"

Gu Sixiao didn't hide anything, and nodded with a smile, "I just came with my mother—Mother Li Ann..." Blessing her body, Gu Sixiao apologized and said with a smile: "Mom, you are a smart person. I'm not telling lies either—I also ask my mother to give me a bowl of rice for this little beggar..."

When she saw Gu Sixiaofu, Mother Li's eyes flashed. Although she had already started to look Gu Sixiao up and down, she still grabbed the cattail fan on the counter, shook it and said with a smile: "You girl can talk, but I This dental shop didn't say it would hire anyone!"

Gu Sixiao pursed her lips and smiled, "My mother's dental practice didn't say hiring someone, but isn't my mother buying a girl for the Gu family? Mother Li, look, can I do it?"

The corners of her eyes were raised, and Li's mother just smiled, "Sallow and thin, withered and thick hands, no two pieces of flesh, as if it can be blown away by the wind, do you think you can do it?"

The smile on his face froze, Gu Sixiao licked his lips, really didn't know what to say for a moment.

Indeed, as Mama Li said, she has just recovered from a serious illness, and her small appearance is really unattractive.

"But," raised the corners of her mouth, Li's mother looked at Gu Sixiao and said with a smile: "I think you are a clean kid, and you know some rules..."

If you look carefully, this girl is also good-looking, with delicate features, and if she eats two good meals, she can be regarded as a beauty.The most important thing is that her body is very clean. Although her clothes are covered with patches, there is no strange smell on her body, unlike some little beggars who run all over the street.

And looking at this girl's speech and behavior, she doesn't seem to be ignorant. That blessing, the blessing came naturally, as if she had been taught the rules since she was a child.

Seeing a smile on Gu Sixiao's face, Li's mother also smiled, "What's your name?"

"Hua'er, Gu Hua'er." Although there was a moment of hesitation, Gu Sixiao still said that her surname was Gu.

"It's a coincidence that the surname is also Gu. No wonder the Gu family talked about buying someone as soon as they entered the door..." Even just now, they ran into each other in front of the Gu family.

Tilting her head, Mama Li shook her head, shaking off the weird feeling in her heart.

Looking at the little girl in front of her, she said with a smile: "It's time to do it. You and I are destined. What about your family? It's a deal, but you have to sign a death contract..."

"I - I have no family..." Gu Sixiao pursed her lips and did not mention Sun Tiancang.

"Mom, although I sold myself as a servant girl, I don't want to sign a death contract..."

"You don't want to sign a death contract?" Li's mother, who was still smiling, raised her eyebrows and lowered her face, "Are you here to amuse me? Who buys slaves these days and doesn't sign a death contract! Hurry up, be careful, I'll take it later The broom chases you..."

After snorting twice, she ignored Gu Sixiao, turned back to the counter, and picked up her pen again.

Although she had kicked her out, she still kept her eyes on that little girl from the corner of her eyes.

Seeing the little girl standing there with her head down for a long time but didn't walk away, instead she moved closer, Mama Li raised the corners of her lips with a hint of complacency.

If you want to sell yourself, you have to listen to her. How dare you negotiate conditions with her?She has been a matchmaker for so many years, traveled to so many rural areas, and dealt with so many little girls, but none of them dared to negotiate terms with her.

She thought that Gu Sixiao was going to beg her, but after waiting for a while, she didn't hear a voice.Mother Li frowned and raised her head, only to see Gu Sixiao staring intently at the ledger opened in front of her.

Is this girl literate?Also look at the account book...

Before she could laugh out loud, she suddenly heard the little girl in front of her say: "This character is spelled wrong—Mom, this word Yu is not written in this way—and also, the money is considered short..."

With a pause, Li's mother lowered her head and looked at Gu Sixiao who was serious, her eyebrows twitched twice, "You can read? Can you settle accounts?" How is that possible?Just a little beggar...

(End of this chapter)