Chapter 3 happy event at home

The draft of the contract was drawn up, but since the establishment of a cocoon bank needs to be approved by the Ministry of Households before it can be opened, Mi Benchang used this as an excuse to wait for the "ministerial certificate" to be issued before signing the contract.Hu Xueyan and Gu Yingchun didn't know that he had ulterior motives, they only thought that signing the contract was just a formality, as long as the purchase of the new silk reeling factory was settled, the money could be used at any time, so they both agreed. After finishing all the things that should be done in Shanghai, Hu Xueyan braved the heat and rushed back to Hangzhou. It turned out that Miss Hu San's red luan star was moving, someone was a matchmaker, and Mrs. Hu made the decision to betroth the only son of "Wang Shanren".

Wang Shanren's real name is Wang Caisheng, and he and Hu Xueyan have been friends for many years. When they were young, they were both store clerks who are nicknamed "counter hozen" by Hangzhou people. The difference is the industry. Wang Caisheng was an "apprentice" in a big sauce garden. When Hu Xueyan met Wang Youling again, Wang Caisheng was still working as a waiter in the soy sauce garden, but after Hongyang was pacified, Wang Caisheng transformed himself into a gentleman. A batch of gold, silver and jewelry buried by "Long Mao" was excavated.But no matter what the reason for his fortune is, it is a fact that he was invited by Hu Xueyan to deal with the aftermath, heal the wounded and rescue the dying, arrest the exile, do many good deeds, and win the reputation of a "good man".In the second year of Hangzhou Kefu, Wang Cai gave birth to a son, who was said to be retribution for doing good deeds.

That year was Yi Chou in the fourth year of Tongzhi, so Wang Caisheng's only son, nicknamed Aniu, was nineteen years old.Wang Caisheng wanted to marry Hu Xueyan a long time ago, but Hu Xueyan has always refused to agree because of Ah Niu's stupid qualifications. Niu's nature is honest and honest, Miss Hu San will definitely not suffer if she marries him, and since she is an only son, she will be favored by Weng Gu.As for family background, although Fu is far inferior to Hu Xueyan, he has a reputation as a "good man" to make up for it. The future is great, it is really a good marriage with a good match.

These remarks are reasonable, and Mrs. Hu thinks that Ah Niu is the only son, and Miss Hu San will not be offended if she has no concubines after marrying, so she decides to marry her and only writes to Hu Xueyan to tell Hu Xueyan that this time. He urged him to return to Hangzhou quickly because he was scheduled to "spread red" on the seventh day of July. When I returned to Hangzhou, I realized that the auspicious date for the Wang family’s wedding had also been set, which was the fifth day of November. It was for Wang Shanren’s old mother, who was in her dying years and precarious. She was anxious to see her granddaughter-in-law. If she died, it would take three years before the wedding could be held. Too much delay.This reason was aboveboard, and Mrs. Hu thought it was true. Fortunately, the dowry had already been prepared, and all she needed to do was buy a batch of new foreign goods to add to the make-up.

But the scale of the wedding had to wait for Hu Xueyan to discuss it. This matter had to be decided by four people, namely Hu Xueyan and his mother, wife, and concubine—Mrs. Luoshi.And these four people have two kinds of ideas, one positive and one negative. Except for Hu Xueyan, the other three think that the scene should be closed, but Mrs. Hu likes this little granddaughter the most, and she is afraid of wronging her; Mrs. Hu thinks that they should be treated equally She should be just as beautiful as her two elder sisters are, and Mrs. Luoshi imagined it for her daughter, because she set up an example there.As for Hu Xueyan, of course the richer the better, but the market is sluggish, and he is afraid of being criticized.So after two days of talking, there was no result. In the end, Hu Xueyan came to his own conclusion: "The scene must be passable. Whether it is big or small, the difference is limited. Fortunately, there are still four months to go. Let's see when the time comes."

"The scene is for others to see." Mrs. Snail said, "The dowry is my own benefit. The third lady's dowry must be beautiful. In this way, the scene will be smaller at that time. To the outside world, the market is not good, yes Inside, Miss San won't feel wronged, even the man's family won't have anything to say." This opinion is really comprehensive, Mrs. Hu and Mrs. Hu are very comfortable listening to it, but Hu Xueyan thinks that only if this is the case, even if the show is not big, the dowry will not lose face. "Fourth Sister Luo's words are right. You can't wrong her in terms of dowry. But adding makeup can only be prepared."

"The only way is to go to Shanghai." Mrs. Hu followed her mother-in-law's words and looked at Fourth Sister Luo at the same time. Fourth Sister Luo wanted to volunteer, but after a second thought, she decided to keep silent, because the Hu family had a lot of talk, and no matter how hard they tried, there must still be people gossiping behind their backs, and even making rumors: Miss San was not born by her, how could she be willing to spend money to replace her? The third lady adds makeup. Hu Xueyan originally thought she would speak up, but seeing her silence, he had no choice but to make a decision, "You know Shanghai well, so you go there." He said, "By the way, I will also see Grandma Qigu."

"For Miss San's happy event, I should go to Shanghai for a trip. However, expensive jewelry is not necessarily good. Of course, I will buy expensive ones. I am afraid that the style and style will not suit me The meaning of the third lady. I think," Mrs. Snail said with a smile, "I will accompany the lady to Shanghai, and ask her to go to foreign banks and silver houses to choose." "It's not fun!" Mrs. Hu said in authentic Hangzhou words, "Girls who haven't gone out, go pick out the dowry by themselves, and spread the word so that people laugh to death."

"You go!" Hu Xueyan repeated. Mrs. Snail still refused to make a promise, "I don't know if the third lady is interested in going for a walk?" She said to herself. "No need." Mrs. Hu said, "What kind of jewelry does the third girl like, don't tell me you don't know?" In the end, it was decided by Mrs. Hu, and Mrs. Luoshi went to Shanghai to buy it by herself.Of course, she had to ask Miss Hu San's hobbies first, and Mrs. Hu's opinion. At the same time, the most important thing was that only Hu Xueyan could decide the total cost.

"Her dowry has already used hundreds of thousands of silver. Now to add makeup, I can use up to 50,000 more silver." Hu Xueyan said, "Shanghai's money is very tight, money is tight, things must be cheap, and 50,000 silver is at least worth seven Universal." When he arrived in Shanghai, accompanied by Gu Yingchun, he went to the German merchant Biefa foreign firm to ask, only to realize that Hu Xueyan's words were counterproductive.It is good to sell domestic production at a reduced price in order to get rid of its value, but the price of imported products has increased instead.

"Mr. Gu," the manager of the foreign firm explained, "the situation is getting tighter every day. The prime minister of France has changed. The current one is called Rufeili. He is very tough. If China refuses to make concessions in Vietnam, he decides to fight with China. Let’s go to war. Ever since foreign newspapers published the news of the French naval admiral Gubard’s arrival in Vietnam, the prices of various foreign firms immediately increased by 10 to 15 percent, and now some items can’t even be bought at the bidding price.” "Why is that?" Mrs. Snail asked. "Mrs. Hu, together with the war, French warships sealed off China's seaports, foreign merchant ships were not allowed to come, and the goods were out of stock. The price at that time, to be honest, was as much as you wanted. It only asked whether it was available, not whether it was expensive or not. So now Selling one thing for less, everyone took good things and put them away.” "No wonder!" Mrs. Snail said, following the jewelry in the glass cabinet, "There is nothing here that I like." "Mrs. Hu's vision is of course different." The steward said, "We don't dare to offend regular customers. I will open the safe and ask Mrs. Hu to pick out what Mrs. Hu wants to buy." Mrs. Snail knows that foreigners in China, regardless of nationality, are very united, and they also have the rule of "communication among peers". No, it's better to use your status as a "big customer" to negotiate terms with him. "Let me tell you the truth, I am doing the dowry for the third lady of our family. We can negotiate a good deal. I can make you a business worth tens of thousands of dollars. Otherwise, to be honest, the big foreign firm on the beach is not you. Send a family." Hearing that it was a big business worth tens of thousands of silver, the manager did not dare to be negligent, "You can't be sloppy with the dowry of the third lady. Mrs. Hu, please sit inside!" He said, "If Mrs. Hu makes an order, give it to me first , I’ve prepared everything according to the order, and I’ll send it in for you to see.” Mrs. Snail made a list, but she refused to reveal the details, she just said: "I don't have a list. As long as the things are good and the price is cheap, I will buy more. You can show me two pairs of diamond bracelets first." Clothing styles are different between China and foreign countries. For Chinese customers, the most precious jewelry is diamond bracelets.When the steward heard this, he knew that the dowry was true, and the business was indeed worth tens of thousands of silver, which was a rare and big deal, so he became even more obsessed with it.He invited Mrs. Luoshi and Gu Yingchun to the small living room dedicated to their top class, and specially found a foreign female shop assistant who could speak Chinese to entertain them. Her name was Ai Dun, and Mrs. Luoshi called her "Miss Ai". "Miss Ai, where are you from?" "I was born in Edinburgh." Ayton replied while mixing milk tea. Mrs. Luosi didn't know the name of the place, so Gu Yingchun immediately explained: "She is British." "Oh!" Mrs. Snail said, "Your Britain is the same as ours in China. The old queen is in power." Although Aidun can speak Chinese, it is just a daily language. What "the old lady is in power" is just like Mrs. Snail, who was dumbfounded when she heard the place name "Edinburgh". Gu Yingchun had to rely on Gu Yingchun to clear it up: "She refers to your British Queen Victoria, just like our Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi." "Oh," Ayton was quite surprised, because she had also received many Chinese female customers, and besides Beili Jiaowa, there were occasionally noble ladies and ladies, but no one would mention the Queen of England in their conversations. Because of this, he became very fond of him and entertained Mrs. Snail for afternoon tea, which was very hospitable.Then, the steward brought three rectangular boxes, all of which were black genuine leather with gold letters on them. When the first box was opened, there was a pair of radiant platinum diamond bracelets inlaid on the blue velvet, which were inlaid very delicately. Looking carefully, although the box is new, the color of the platinum seems to be different, "Is this old?" she asked. "Yes. This is the favorite jewelry of Empress Napoleon." "I don't care about the queen," said Mrs. Snail, "the dowry is always new." "Both are new." The other two sets, one set full of diamonds, and the other set with red and sapphire. In terms of preciousness, it is the set of full diamonds. Each is only four soybean-sized diamonds, connected with broken diamonds, and it will shine even if you hold it in your hand. When it comes to gorgeousness, it's the jewel-encrusted pair. "What's the price?" "This pair is 35,000 yuan, and the jeweled pair is 32,000 yuan." The manager said, "Mrs. Hu, I advise you to buy the full diamond pair. Although it costs 3,000 silver, it is actually more cost-effective than the jeweled one." Mrs. Snail refused, so she said, "Miss Ai, please put it on and let me have a look." Aidun wore it on one wrist, and stretched it out for her to appreciate carefully. Mrs. Luosi looked at it for a long time and then asked: "Seventh brother-in-law, what do you think?" "Okay, of course it's good to wear Quanzuan, but it's a pity it's too plain." This view is exactly the same as that of Mrs. Snail, and she immediately made a decision, "It's a bride and an old lady here, so it's not appropriate to be too plain." She said to the steward, "I've decided on something, now I want to talk about the price, and the price is negotiable." If you don't get it together, it's useless to pick it. Let me ask you, when did this pair of bracelets come?" "More than a year." "So what was your price tag a year ago?" "Thirty thousand." "I don't believe it, you've only raised two thousand silver now, less than a cent." "I'm telling the truth." The steward took out a label from the interlayer of the velvet backing and said, "Mr. Gu, please read it." The label is indeed "30,000" in Arabic characters, and Mrs. Snail also knows foreign numerals. She thought quickly, and then said: "You said just now that it is cost-effective to buy a pair of diamonds. It can be seen that it is not cost-effective to buy this pair." .It must be a random mark at the beginning. I probably feel that I can’t bear it with my conscience, so it’s only increased by less than 10%, isn’t it?” "Mrs. Hu is amazing." The manager said with a wry smile, "I have nothing to say." Mrs. Snail smiled and said: "Everyone argues back and forth, even though it is reasonable, it hurts peace after all. In this way, I will definitely buy yours for the bracelet. Now let's look at other things first, and the price of the bracelet will be discussed at the end, okay?" ?” "Yes Yes." So he looked at crystal plates and bowls, perfumes, and all kinds of clever decorations. In order to get a good price for that pair of jewel-encrusted bracelets, the manager charged very reasonable prices for these items.The choice is over, and finally the price of the bracelet will be discussed. "There's a total of 12,000 here." Mrs. Snail said, "Our master told me that makeup can't exceed 40,000 silver, what do you think?" "Mrs. Hu," the steward replied, "you've got the 'Turn the Sky Seal' down, how can I fight it?" "Business can't be forced. I can't agree on the price of the bracelet, so I have to look for it elsewhere. The two thousand and two thousand are negotiated. I'll give you the ticket first." The manager was stunned, so he had to signal Aidun to entertain Mrs. Luoshi for tea and snacks, quietly pulled Gu Yingchun aside, and said with a wry smile: "I am really convinced by Mrs. Hu's tricks. In order to accommodate, the things I saw later , They were all sold according to the book. One of the crystal chandeliers was sold by Shengdaotai for 3,000 silver. Come down, the rice bowl will be broken." "It's not that she doesn't buy it, it's you who don't sell it." "Where is it that I don't sell it? The price is wrong." Gu Yingchun said: "In this business, making money is the second priority. If you don't make money, you will make money! How do you say this? When Hu Caishen marries his daughter, the beautiful dowry is undertaken by a foreign company. Think about it, this sentence How much is it worth?" "It was because of this reputation that I was so accommodating, but the total price is 40,000 silver, this business is really impossible!" "Are you going to lose money?" "It's not a loss, but the market in the future—" "The future is the future, and now is the present." Gu Yingchun hurriedly said, "To be honest, the market is very bad, rich people are fleeing, and you may not have such a big business in the future." The steward was silent for a while before he said: "If I agree to this deal, I will lose all my bonus." Gu Yingchun knew the rules in foreign firms, his salary was quite meager, and it all depended on the sales bonus. His expression did not seem to be lying, which showed that Mrs. Snail killed too much, which was an indirect proof that he had indeed bought a bargain. , so I feel that I should make a slight concession so as not to miss the opportunity. "If you say this, I will help you." He lowered his voice extremely softly, "I decide, please ask Mrs. Hu to subsidize you with five hundred taels of silver in private to make up for your loss." The manager is not satisfied with what he wants, but the person has already said that it is a favor to him. If he refuses, he will become unfavorable. Not only will the business fail, but he will also offend the big customer. It is really not a "business experience". After thinking about it like this, he had no choice, "Thank you, Mr. Gu." He said, "It happens that the Taipan is here, and I will explain it to him. Since Mr. Gu can make decisions for Mrs. Hu, then, if you promise me, let me do it right now." You don't have to tell Mrs. Hu." Gu Yingchun understood that he was afraid that Mrs. Snail would accidentally show her words. According to foreigners, this kind of behavior of secretly accepting subsidies from customers was tantamount to cheating.Therefore, he nodded heavily to express his full understanding. So, the manager complained to Mrs. Snail, and went inside to see the Taipan.Not long after, a foreigner was brought out, Fang Yi with blue eyes and two upturned water chestnut beards, Gu Yingchun knew at a glance that he was a German. Sure enough, it was Biefa's manager, Williams, who couldn't speak English, and Gu Yingchun couldn't speak German, so he needed an interpreter in charge.After the introduction, I met Li very politely. Williams said that he also admired Hu Xueyan's reputation for a long time, and it was a great honor for him to be able to do a dowry in Biefa Foreign Firm because his daughter came out of the cabinet.As for the price, whether it will damage the cost is irrelevant. In addition to the price offered by Mrs. Luoshi, he plans to make a special silver plate as a gift. Hearing this, Mrs. Snail was very happy, and couldn't help but smiled at Gu Yingchun: "There is such a good thing, I didn't expect it." "Fourth sister, slow down and be happy." Gu Yingchun replied, "It seems that there is something else to say." "Mr. Gu is really accurate." The steward said, "Our big class has an idea and wants to ask Mrs. Hu's permission. It is to display the dowry of Miss Hu San in the foreign firm for a month. Send a special escort to Hangzhou for delivery." When he was halfway through speaking, Gu Yingchun had already given Mrs. Luoshi a wink, so she just listened quietly, noncommittal, and let Gu Yingchun deal with it. "How are you going to display it?" "We set up half of the storefront and fenced it up with red silk ropes as a showroom." "Do you want to explain?" "Of course." The manager said, "This is a matter for everyone to save face." "Yes, everyone has face. However, we need to discuss this matter." Gu Yingchun asked, "Is this a condition of the transaction?" The person in charge seemed quite surprised—in his opinion, the buyer had no reason to disagree, so he asked, "Mr. Gu, is there any inconvenience if you put it on display?" "Yes. It may be a bit inconvenient. Needless to say the reason now, whether it can be displayed or not has not yet been determined. I just ask your senior class. If we don't want to display, will the transaction fail?" The manager nodded, and talked with their senior class in German for a while, and replied to Gu Yingchun: "Our senior class said that this is an additional requirement, not a condition of the transaction. However, we really hope that Mr. Gu can Do us a favor." "It's not my business." Gu Yingchun hastily argued, "As you said, it's something for everyone to save face, and I very much hope that it can be displayed. However, Mr. Hu Da is a member of the imperial court, he The official voice is also very important. If you can't do what you Taipan wished, please forgive him." As soon as the "official voice" was mentioned, the manager understood, nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, okay. Excuse me, Mr. Gu, when can I hear the echo?" Gu Yingchun thought about it for a while and replied: "Well, you can make a list of the goods you saw today, indicate the price, and come to me tomorrow morning to discuss the payment method. As for whether it can be displayed, it may be possible tomorrow." Let me tell you, if you want to write a letter to Hangzhou, it will take half a month before you hear back." "Okay, I'll do as I'm told." The steward replied, "Tomorrow I'll pay a visit to Mr. Gu's house in person." Mrs. Luoshi was very proud of the trip of "Don't Fat" that day, sitting in the easy chair in front of Qigu's grandmother's bed, talking about finger-painting, and talking about it with great relish.Gu Yingchun talked about privately promising an allowance of five hundred taels of silver for the manager, and Mrs. Luozhi not only accepted the account, but also praised him for his good handling.Seeing this scene, Grandma Qigu was of course also very happy. "There is one more thing," Mrs. Snail said, "Sister-in-law Seventh, please tell me." "It's not talking about it, it's about discussing it carefully." Gu Yingchun talked about the display, and then asked, "What do you think?" "I don't think there is anything wrong with it." Mrs. Snail asked, "Sister Seven, what do you think?" "I'm afraid it's too ostentatious." "Especially," Gu Yingchun interjected, "Now Shandong is suffering from floods, and the situation is not very good. I'm afraid some people will gossip." Hearing this, Mrs. Snail remained silent, and looked at Grandma Qigu, her face darkened. "Yingchun," Grandma Qigu winked, "You give me a 'phone' to the doctor and tell me that I've run out of the medicine, and I'll make two more doses." Gu Yingchun understood, nodded and walked out, to let them talk privately. "Seventh Sister," Mrs. Snail made no secret of her inner desire, "I really want to display the makeup that our third lady has added for everyone to see." Grandma Qigu didn't expect that she would take this matter so seriously, and she was quite serious, so she couldn't help but stand there speechless. In Mrs. Snails, people talk about things, and if they don’t talk about it, they must be thorough. So she said in her own words: "That German, if I don’t talk about it, I will never think about it. Once I talk about it, I will be tempted immediately. Seven Sister, think about it, how much work it takes to marry a daughter, why come and go? It’s for a spectacle. The dowry needs to be watched by everyone. Looking at that day, everyone praised and envied everyone, and they would say in their hearts, "Here, this is called life." Seventh sister, take the time when you and I were daughters, and watch the wealthy family marry their daughters, what I feel in my heart Come to think about the state of mind of 'Mr. Big' now, tell me, do you want to be tempted by what the German did?" Grandma Qigu's thoughts began to lead her to the same path.For a wealthy family, when it comes to festive ostentation, the most important thing is to celebrate the birthday of the parents and marry the daughter. There is still a chance for ostentation, only marrying a daughter, the glory is only once, and the parents can show their love, and this is the only time, so things will increase, and no matter how rich you can show off.Grandma Qigu once saw a wealthy family do a dowry when she was a child. At the back of the hall were eight middle-aged men in dark blue new cloth robes. Each of them held a vermilion lacquer tray with a thick book covered in woolen blue cloth. What kind of dowry is this?After asking, I found out that there were eight pawnshops in the dowry of that family, and the eight middle-aged men were the court tributes of the eight pawnshops, and what was held on the plate was naturally the head accountant of that pawnshop.This kind of unique "dowry" is really full of face and unforgettable for a long time. Now don’t send foreign companies to display part of Miss Hu San’s dowry. In Shanghai, a place full of miscellaneous places, there is such a news that will shake Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. Legend has it that this is something that no amount of money can buy. No wonder Mrs. Snail is tempted. "Mr. Da's life is all about face. There is such a matter of face. I let it go, and I feel that I am too sorry for Mr. Da. Seventh sister, what do you think?" "Then," Grandma Qigu said, "why don't you ask him?" "You can't ask this question. Once you ask—" Mrs. Snail paused and said, "Seventh Sister, you should put yourself in his place and think about it!" If you think about it for a while, you know it won't work.If a person is too self-conscious and refuses to admit it, when asked, he must reply with a tone of "forget it, forget it", which is neither enthusiastic nor opposed.However, the situation is different now, and it seems that we can have a real talk with him. Before she could change her mind, Mrs. Snail spoke again, "Seventh Sister," she said, "this time I will add makeup for our third young lady. To be honest, it is a thankless task. The price is high or low, and the things are good or bad. There is no "accurate manuscript", no one will know if it is cheap, but as long as it is expensive, people will gossip behind it. Now don't post what I bought, it shows the value of these things, no one dares to gossip Yes. As for our old lady and Miss San's mother, I can fully account for the Hu family's up and down, and I want to teach everyone that I care more about Miss San than my own children." The last sentence moved Grandma Qigu, which was very important to Mrs. Luoshi's reputation in the Hu family.Because Biefa Foreign Firm displayed the dowry of Miss Hu San, it is enough to prove that Mrs. Luoshi bought all high-quality products, and it also proved that Mrs. Luoshi was virtuous and loved Miss Hu San as her own. On the other hand, if there is such an opportunity to show off, but they give up, no one will understand. The reason is that they are afraid of being too ostentatious, which is not good for Hu Xueyan's official reputation. I am afraid of being laughed at, so I don't want to display it.This change in the relationship between out and in is too important. Grandma Qigu pondered for a long time and said: "Don't post the display, it's for foreigners to see. Chinese people rarely go to foreign companies, and it doesn't matter if it's displayed or not. So don't post these things on display, I think It's purely for foreigners to see. Since that's the case, I have an idea, can you see it?" "you say." "Let him display the display, and the explanations are all in English, and Chinese characters are not allowed. This way it will not appear ostentatious." Mrs. Snail thought for a while, and replied emphatically: "Okay." It seemed that she was obedient to Grandma Qigu. So Grandma Qigu shouted: "Sister!" It has been several months since I called Ruixiang my "sister", and Ruixiang has never doubted it, and I promised very loudly, but at this time, with Mrs. Luosi present, she seemed a little shy, and didn't even dare to answer, so she hurried to the bed , at your command. "Where is the master? Ask him to come." Ruixiang agreed to leave, and Mrs. Luosi said softly: "Seventh sister, I have three things to do this trip. One is for our third lady to add makeup, the other is to visit your illness, and the other thing is Ruixiang's business. What? Don't consummate them?" "I urged him several times—" This "he" refers to Gu Yingchun, who had already appeared outside the door at this time, Grandma Qigu stopped her mouth, but made gestures and winks to Mrs. Luosi, meaning to turn around and talk in detail. "Yingchun, I thought of a solution, and Fourth Sister also agrees." Grandma Qigu then said her solution. Gu Yingchun thought to himself, this is just a way to cover one's ears and steal the bell, but it is better than explaining in Chinese, so she nodded and said, "I'll tell him when the supervisor comes. But—" He didn't say any more.Grandma Qigu understood, "As long as you don't report it, you won't be able to make a big splash." She said, "Aren't you and 'Long Haired Champion' good friends who eat flower wine?" "Yes! You reminded me, I'll say hello to him." Gu Yingchun asked, "What else can I say?" "That's it." "Well," Gu Yingchun turned around and said, "fourth sister, I'm sorry, I can't accompany you for dinner tonight. I have an appointment with Mi Ben, and it's very important. I'm leaving now. Oh, there's one more thing , he also knows that you are here, and wants to treat you to dinner, let's see when you are free?" "No, thank him." Mrs. Snail said, "He lives in Shanghai alone, and he has no family, so it would be inconvenient to invite me. Brother-in-law, please give me a sincere resignation." As soon as he left, Mrs. Luosi had a mystery that she was eager to unravel. She didn't know what happened to the "long-haired champion"? "This man's surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Tao. You Taoguang Tao from Hangzhou. When Changmao was in power, he took a course, and the champion was this Wang Tao. People in Shanghai call him 'Changmao Zhuangyuan'." "So, if you report it or not, what's the matter with Changmao champion?" "The long-haired number one scholar works in the declaration office. He is quite powerful. Ask Ying Chun to say hello to him. Don't report the matter of displaying Miss San's dowry. Don't report it. It doesn't matter if the family doesn't know about it." "So it is!" Mrs. Snail took a look at Ruixiang. Grandma Qigu understood immediately, so she asked Ruixiang to supervise the kitchen, and transferred her to talk about her affairs. "I urged Ying Chun several times, but he just said, let's talk slowly. Because the market is not good, he said he didn't have the heart to do this. It's just in time for you to come. Please persuade him. If he doesn't listen, You negotiate with him." "Negotiation?" Mrs. Snail was surprised, "How can I do this kind of negotiation with my brother-in-law?" "Hey! Ruixiang belongs to you, you have to speak for Ruixiang!" "Oh!" Mrs. Snail laughed, "Seventh Sister, when something comes into your mouth, it makes sense now." "It's justified!" Grandma Qigu said in a low voice, "It's fine for them, one is not in a hurry, and the other is just in a hurry and doesn't say anything. I am the one who suffers, and it seems that I owe Ruixiang." "Okay!" Mrs. Snail immediately interjected, "With this reason, I'd better negotiate with my brother-in-law, and I'm not afraid that he won't pick a date." "When he comes to choose, we'll have to push back and forth. Why don't we choose." Grandma Qigu said again, "It's still a glass of wedding wine, you must eat it before leaving." "Of course." Mrs. Snail said thoughtfully, "Today is August 28th. This month, Xiaojian, will be due in September the day after tomorrow. Miss San's wedding will only take two months, and I really feel like returning to my heart like an arrow. " "I know, I know." Grandma Qigu said, "Fourth sister, the almanac is hanging behind the dressing table mirror, please bring it to me." According to the history of Huang, the third day of September is the day of "full shed".Since Mrs. Luoshi was eager to return to Hangzhou and could not make any other choices, it was immediately decided that Gu Yingchun and Ruixiang would consummate their marriage on the third day of September. "I always have to make some clothes for her and make two kinds of jewelry. Seventh sister, this is my dowry, so you don't have to worry about it." "Your dowry is yours." Grandma Qigu said, "I have prepared a little too, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Fourth sister, don't be polite to me." As she spoke, she reached under the pillow and took out a passbook from Fukang. , "Please take her to see tomorrow, what does she like, I ask you to buy it for her." We have friendship with each other, and she is not allowed to be polite, let alone refuse, Mrs. Snail took the folder and put it in her pocket without even looking at it. "Seventh sister, our old lady misses you very much. In November, I wonder if you can have a wedding banquet?" "I want to go! I'm afraid that I will be inconvenient to move, and I will cause trouble for you." "What's the trouble? Just send two more maids and mothers to take care of you. Besides, there is Ruixiang." Grandma Qigu has been ill in bed for a long time, and she has been thinking about where to go for a walk. At this time, when Mrs. Luoshi invited her, her mind became more active. Time to take care of her.Sure enough, if this happens, people feel uneasy in their hearts, and when they think about it, they can calm down without seeing it.So despite Mrs. Snail's instigation, she still felt the need to think about it. "Ma'am," Ruixiang came up and said, "I have prepared the two meals you talked about yesterday. Are you hungry? I'll cook when I'm hungry." "Which two?" Mrs. Snail talked about the food and drink that she had tasted in the past night when she was gossiping about the old things. "Didn't Madam say that what I miss the most is the bad pot head and the cabbage balls?" "Yes!" Mrs. Luosi immediately replied, "I think about both, but it must be Sanpailou with Master Tao." "That's right, I've made it clear that they bought it from these two families." Ruixiang said again, "I'm afraid the bad bowl head will be greasy, grandma is not suitable, and the vegetable balls are edible. Otherwise, I will bring the rice here .” "Okay! Good!" Grandma Qigu was so lively, she said again and again, "I grew up in Shanghai. I only heard the name of Sanpailou's Caiyuanzi, but I have never seen it. I really want to try it today." "There are several Caiyuanzi in Sanpailou, Widow Xu's must be the best." "Oh, fortunately where?" It turns out that Shanghai calls the glutinous rice balls in Yuanxiao Yuanzi.The dumplings from Widow Xu’s house in Sanpailou are genuine. There are thrifty customers. There are four meatballs in a bowl. Only the skin is eaten, and the rest of the stuffing is four meatballs. Take it home and stew it with cabbage vermicelli. meal. But Widow Xu’s family is most famous for Caiyuanzi. “She said she has a secret, and it’s not unusual to put it bluntly.” Mrs. Snail said, “I’ve eaten there a few times, and after a cold look, I understand. The secret is the key to work. Thin, pick the best vegetable leaves, don’t want yellow ones or old ones, young leaves are still cramped, so they are very clean, scoop them in boiling water, chop them very finely, pour them into a linen bag, squeeze out the water, add fine Mix well with salt and a small amount of ground sesame oil, and it is the stuffing. Of course, it goes without saying that the skin should be ground with good water.” "Then," Grandma Qigu happened to be a little hungry, so she couldn't help swallowing, which made Mrs. Snail laugh. "Seventh sister, let me tell you the truth, except for the old lady, everyone except the old lady can eat the vegetable balls once in a while. I don’t think it smells like the Xu family’s Sanpailou at all.” Zao Botou is an authentic so-called "local dish" in Shanghai. It is usually only available in autumn. It is cooked with pork belly, pork liver and other offal, plus fat chicken. It is called "Bao Botou".Sliced ​​herring is cut into pieces and boiled with yellow sprouts to make a soup, which is "Sichuan bad". "So, do you think it's better or worse to be older than Taoa?" "Of course not as good as Tao Ada's." Mrs. Snail said, "Otherwise, I wouldn't think so." "I'm afraid it won't be as good as you think now." "Oh," Mrs. Snail asked, "Could it be that the boss has changed?" "I have never eaten vegetable balls. I ate the bad pot head of Tao Ada in front of the county yamen. I ate it before I got sick. Last year in the twelfth lunar month, the fifth brother came from Songjiang, and I ate it specially for it. They are very good. Why do you want to change the boss for the prosperous business?" "Then," Mrs. Luoshi was also extremely alert, knowing that what Grandma Qigu said just now meant there was no hidden meaning, so she asked, "Since this is the case, there must be some truth in your words, right?" Grandma Qigu thought for a while and said, "I'm straight-tempered, and we are like sisters. I may be wrong, so don't blame me." "Where would it be! Seventh sister, your words are unnecessary." "I was thinking, maybe there is really a trick to cooking Yuanzi. As for Zao Botou, I was thinking, is it possible that the chief secretary in your family who has a big salary is not as good as Tao Ada? When it comes to materials, there is nothing else.谈，光是从绍兴办来的酒糟，这一点就比陶阿大那里要高明了。所以府上的糟钵头，绝不会比陶阿大来得差。然而，你说不及陶阿大的糟钵头这是啥道理？” “七姐！”螺蛳太太笑道，“我就是问你，你怎么反倒问我？” “依我看，糟钵头还是当年的糟钵头，罗四姐不是当年的罗四姐了。”七姑奶奶紧接着说，“四姐，我这话不是说你忘本，是说此一时，彼一时。这番道理，也不是我悟出来的，是说书先生讲的一段故事，唐朝有个和尚叫懒残——” 讲了懒残和尚煨竽的故事，螺蛳太太当然决不会觉得七姑奶奶有何讽刺之意，但却久久无语，心里想得很深。 这时瑞香已带了小大姐来铺排餐桌，然后将七姑奶奶扶了起来，抬坐在一张特制的圈椅上，椅子很大，周围用锦垫塞紧，使得七姑奶奶不必费力便能坐直，前面是一块很大的活动木板，以便放置盘碗，木板四周镶嵌五分高的一道“围墙”以防汤汁倾出，不致流得到处都是。 那张圈椅跟“小儿车”的作用相同，七姑奶奶等瑞香替她系上“围嘴”以后，自嘲地笑道：“无锡人常说，'老小、老小'，我真是越老越小了。” “老倒不见得。”螺蛳太太笑道，“皮肤又白又嫩，我都想摸一把。”说着便握住她的手臂，轻轻捏了两下，肌肉到底松弛了。 “是先吃圆子，还是先吃酒？”瑞香问说。 菜圆子已经煮好了，自然先吃圆子，圆子很大，黄花细瓷饭碗中只放得下两枚，瑞香格外加上几条火腿后，两三片芫荽，红绿相映，动人食欲。 “我来尝一个。”七姑奶奶拿汤匙舀了一枚，嘘几口气，咬了一口，紧接着便咬第二口，欣赏之意显然。 螺蛳太太也舀了一枚送入口中，接着放回圆子舀口汤喝，“瑞香，”她疑惑地问，“是三牌楼徐寡妇家买的？” “是啊！”瑞香微笑着回答。 看她的笑容，便知内有蹊跷，“你拿什么汤下的圆子？”她问。 “太太尝出来了。”瑞香笑道，“新开一家广东杏花楼，用它家的高汤下的。” “高汤？” 在小馆子，“高汤”是白送的，肉骨头熬的汤，加一匙酱油，数粒葱花便是。这样的汤下菜圆子能有这样的鲜味，螺蛳太太自然要诧异了。 “杏花楼的高汤，不是同洗锅水差不多的高汤，它是鸡、火腿、精肉、鲫鱼，用文火熬出来的汤，论两卖的。” “怪不得！”七姑奶奶笑道，“如说徐寡妇的菜圆子有这样的味道，除非她是仙人。” “瑞香倒是特别巴结我，不过我反而吃不出当年的味道来了。” “那么太太尝尝糟钵头，这是陶阿大那里买回来以后，原封没有动过。” 螺蛳太太点点头，挟了一块猪肚，细细嚼，同时极力回忆当年吃糟钵头的滋味，可是没有用，味道还不如她家厨子做的来得好。 “七姐，你的话不错。我罗四姐，不是当年的罗四姐了。” 七姑奶奶默不做声，心里还颇有悔意，刚才的话不应该说得那么率直，惹起她的伤感。 瑞香却不知她们打的什么哑谜，瞪圆了一双大眼睛发愣。罗四姐便又说道：“瑞香，你总要记牢，吃得苦中苦，方为人上人。” 瑞香仍旧不明她这话的用意，只好答应一声：“是。” “话要说回来，人也不是生来就该吃苦的。”七姑奶奶说道，“有福能享，还是要享。不过——”她觉得有瑞香在旁，话说得太深了也不好，便改口说道，“就怕身在福中不知福。” “七姐这句话，真正是一针见血。”螺蛳太太说，“瑞香，你去烫一壶花雕来，我今天想吃酒。” 螺蛳太太的酒量很不错，烫了来自斟自饮，喝得很猛，七姑奶奶便提了一句：“四姐，酒要吃得高兴，慢慢吃。” “不要紧，这一壶酒醉不倒我。” “醉虽醉不倒，会说醉话，你一说醉话，人家就更加不当真的了。” 这才真正是哑谜，只有她们两人会意。螺蛳太太想到要跟古应春谈瑞香的事，便听七姑奶奶的劝，浅斟低酌，闲谈着将一壶酒喝完，也不想再添，要了一碗香梗米粥吃完，古应春也回来了。 先是在七姑奶奶卧室中闲话，听到钟打九下，螺蛳太太便即说道：“七姐，只怕要困了，我请姐夫替我写封信。” “好！到我书房里去。” 等他们一进书房，瑞香随即将茶端了进来。胡家的规矩，凡是主人家找人写信，下人是不准在旁边的，她还记着这个规矩，所以带上房门，管自己走了。 “姐夫，写信是假，跟你来办交涉是真。” “什么事？”古应春说，“有什么话，四姐交代就是。” “那么，我就直说。姐夫，你把我的瑞香搁在一边，是啥意思？” 看她咄咄逼人，确有点办交涉的意味，古应春倒有些窘了。本来就是件不容易表达清楚的事，在这样的情况之下，自然更是讷讷然无法出口。 罗四姐原是故意作此姿态，说话比较省力，既占上风，急忙收敛，“姐夫，”她的声音放得柔和而恳切，“你心里到底是啥想法？尽管跟我说，是不是日子一长，看出来瑞香的人品不好——” “不、不！”古应春急急打断，“我如果心里有这样的想法，那就算没良心到家了。” “照你说，瑞香你是中意的？” “不但中意——”古应春笑笑没有再说下去。 “意思是不但中意，而且交关中意？” “这也是实话。” “既然如此，七姐又巴不得你们早早圆房，你为啥一点都不起劲？姐夫，请你说个道理给我听。”螺蛳太太的调子又拉高了。 古应春微微皱眉，不即作答，他最近才有了吸烟的嗜好——不是鸦片是吕宋烟，打开银烟盒，取出一支“老美女”，用特制的剪刀剪去烟头，用根“红头火柴”在鞋底上划燃了慢慢点烟。 霎时间螺蛳太太只闻到浓郁的烟香，却看不见古应春的脸，因为让烟雾隔断了。 “四姐，”古应春在烟雾中发声，“讨小纳妾，说实话，是我们男人家人生一乐。既然这样子，就要看境况、看心情，境况不好做这种事，还可以说是苦中作乐，心情不好，就根本谈不到乐趣了。” 这个答复，多少是出人意外的，螺蛳太太想了一会说：“大先生也跟我谈过，说你做房地产受了姓徐的累，不过现在事情已经过去了，心情也应该不同了。” “恰恰相反。事情是过去了，我的心情只有更坏。” "why?" “四姐，小爷叔待我，自然没有话说，十万银子，在他也不会计较。不过，在我总是一桩心事，尤其现在市面上的银根极紧，小爷叔不在乎，旁人跟他的想法不一样。” 最后这句话，弦外有音，螺蛳太太不但诧异，而且有些气愤，“这旁人是哪一个？”她问，“旁人的想法，同大先生啥相干？你为啥要去听？” 古应春不做声，深深地吸了口烟，管他自己又说：“小爷叔帮了我这么大一个忙，我想替小爷叔尽心尽力做点事，心里才比较好过。上次好不容易说动小爷叔，收买新式缫丝厂，自己做丝直接销洋庄，哪晓得处处碰钉子，到今朝一事无成。尤五哥心灰意冷，回松江去了。四姐，你说我哪里会有心思来想瑞香的事？” 这番话说得非常诚恳，螺蛳太太深为同情，话题亦就自然而然地由瑞香转到新式缫丝厂了。