Chapter 34 Chapter 34 February 2nd Cuju Competition
In the evening, my eldest brother booked a meal at Chunfeng Tower. At noon, Baozhu and grandma prepared to cook the leftover coins from yesterday.
For the first time, the aroma of food wafted from next door, and Baozhu watched the smoke rising from the chimney with curiosity. The old woman accepted the gift and asked Baozhu to send some cured meat, cured fish, and other foods to add to the other family's dishes.
The old lady who opened the door was about the same age as Grandma Zhen. She was well-dressed and looked very energetic. After greeting her, I realized that she was Lord Pei's grandmother. She looked like a very capable person.
Baozhu, always smiling, greeted the old man politely and waved the things she was carrying. "My grandma sent this. She said you just arrived and she's worried that everything at home might be missing. This cured meat and fish is perfect. You can steam it and eat it right away. It'll be a good addition to your lunch."
The kitchen maid came over to take the cured meat and fish. The Pei family's grandmother asked Baozhu to come in and sit down. Baozhu shook her head and said, "No, I have something to do at home."
Pei Xun had taken a few days off on his return trip, in addition to the annual leave. Today was the day he was supposed to go to work. At his grandmother's request, he came back for lunch and then left in a hurry. During his absence, many official matters had accumulated and needed to be dealt with urgently.
The Zhen family's food stall closed early today. The eldest brother booked a meal at Chunfeng Tower. The second brother came back at dusk. He moved a wooden rack to the yard in a mysterious manner and shouted to Baozhu to come out and take a look.
When Baozhu came out, she saw an archery target against the wall. Then she saw her second brother, hands behind his back, smiling. She trotted over behind him and saw, sure enough, a bow! It was a bamboo bow, rather soft to pull, perfect for playing with at home.
In Gusu, I often played archery and croquet with the little sisters from the neighborhood. I only remember that one sister’s archery skills were better than many men. She was quite famous in Gusu City. They called her the sharpshooter in private.
Although Baozhu is not as good as her elder sister, her accuracy is good and she can often win the prize. There are few entertainment activities these days, and playing these games with friends is both interesting and entertaining.
Now that she is in Bian Jing, she only thinks about how to make money to make a living every day, and rarely thinks about these games. She didn't expect that her second brother still remembered them for her.
Baozhu had a lot of strength in her hands. She took the arrow handed to her by her second brother and pulled the bow. She stood a little further away. It had been a while since she had played. Although the arrow was a little off the center of the target, at least she didn't miss it.
While the others were not home yet, I excitedly played two games with my second brother at home.
In this dynasty, a girl's age is sixteen and she has reached the age of marriage. Baozhu did not want to have a marriage ceremony, and her family did not force her. Although this time it was just a family celebration, the family members attached great importance to this birthday.
Baorong was the first to come back today. Seeing the target in the yard, he was eager to try and shot two arrows. However, the arrows fell to the ground before they hit the target. The arrows were just ordinary wooden arrows and were not strong enough to penetrate the target. Baorong tried again and put the bow and arrow aside without interest.
A Zhong and Jiang Shi had to rush back to Xuzhou in two days. They didn't want to have a meal at a big restaurant before leaving. In the spring, the fields needed to be loosened and sowed. If they wanted to make a living from the fields, they couldn't delay for a single day.
Although Chunfenglou is not as famous as Fanlou, it is one of the best restaurants in the inner city. Dalang booked the room early on. Since it was not his grandmother's birthday, but a business for the younger generation, he did not invite his uncle and aunt. When he arrived, he saw that his cousin from the Dong family was also there.
He just said that Erlang invited him.
Dong's cousin presented a gift, which was a light wooden box. No one knew what was in it. Baozhu took it and weighed it quietly. She was curious and wanted to open it to take a look, but Madam Xu stared at her.
He touched his nose in disappointment and carefully put the wooden box away.
Dong Hengzhi took out two more invitations and said, "On the second day of the second month, there will be a Cuju tournament at the venue on Heng Street in Qionglin Garden. The emperor will be there too. Please come and watch the fun, my two sisters."
Baorong glanced at his second brother with some reproach, as if asking why all the others were students but he was not.
The second brother spread his hands and said, "I have to study. If I don't go to play Cuju, there will be no post for you."
Bao Rong ignored his second brother and accepted the invitation from his cousin Dong with a smile, "My sister and I will definitely go to cheer for my cousin when the time comes!"
Dong Hengzhi said something to her, and then he started to feel embarrassed. "We have to start the competition first. Only two teams will remain by February 2nd."
There was only one table in the pavilion, and there was no place to sit at two tables. We didn't drink any wine during the meal, but ordered a few drinks with juice made from red dates and peanuts.
After Baozhu returned, she opened the box. Baorong was even more curious than her, so she followed her into the room and took a closer look. Inside the box was a little girl holding a pearl.
It was about the same size as the Mohele doll that played during the Qiqiao Festival. Its cheeks were dotted with rouge, and its smiling eyes looked quite similar to Baozhu. Baozhu touched the pearl in the doll's hand and found that the pearl was not made of dough and then dyed, but a real pearl, the size of a thumb, and glowed with a bright purple light under the lamp.
If you use some skill, you can still take the pearl off.
Baorong was even more excited than her elder sister. She placed the doll on the dressing table and kept saying to herself, "Could this doll be made by my cousin himself?"
She chattered incessantly until she was pushed out of the room by Baozhu, saying that the fox spirits and scholars described in the storybooks were not as compatible as her sister and cousin.
Baozhu closed the door, looked at the doll on the dressing table, and put it back into the box. However, she carefully wrapped the pearl and put it into the dressing box. It was very precious, and she thought that if there was any festival next time, she would have to give a suitable gift in return.
After the Lantern Festival and the New Year, Ah Zhong and Jiang Shi drove a mule cart back to Xuzhou. Jiang Shi sat on the cart frame and waved to Baozhu and the others reluctantly, with a hint of tears in his voice.
"I'll come back when the farming season is over!"
One day in Bianjing is equivalent to half a month's work in the fields.
Ah Xiu had earned some money from selling brocade during the Spring Festival, and a few days ago she had collected some leather and made a few velvet waistcoats, which also sold for quite a bit of money. Together with the money the Zhen family gave her during the Spring Festival, she had finally collected 20 strings of cash.
Earlier, Madam Xu returned her indenture, but she was embarrassed to accept it, so she just said that she had collected 20 strings of cash to redeem herself. Now that she had finally collected the money, she went to find Madam Xu.
Xu was a little surprised. She knew that Ah Xiu had suffered a lot, but she didn't expect that she had actually saved up enough money in the past few months. She smiled and took out the indenture from the cabinet and gave it to her.
Ah Xiu thanked him with tears in her eyes and wanted to kowtow again.
"You don't have to kowtow anymore. When you are free this afternoon, come with me to the yamen to have your slave status cancelled. From now on, you will be free." Xu patted her back gently.
Ah Xiu was speechless and could only keep repeating the words "thank you". If it weren't for Madam Xu, she wouldn't know what situation she would have ended up in now.
"What are your plans for the future?"
"I haven't made any plans yet, but I'm thinking of learning embroidery from a nun in Jingci Temple. The temple isn't big, and not many people go there to buy incense. The nun often sells her embroidery to supplement her income. I talked to her while selling silk before, and she said there are a few empty temple rooms in Jingci Temple that I could stay in."
Ah Xiu smiled bitterly. She was afraid that staying in the Zhen family would only bring more trouble. "I wanted to learn embroidery before, and I learned a few stitches from the village embroiderer. But my family couldn't wait to sell me before I could master it. If I learn well from the nun, I'll have another skill to make a living."
After thinking about it, he still couldn't bear to leave the Zhen family. "If Madam doesn't mind the trouble, I am willing to stay in the Zhen family and work. I will pay the rent for the house I live in on a monthly basis."
Xu frowned, "That's a problem. You're so young, don't even think about going to a nunnery. Even if you keep your hair uncut, it will ruin your mind."
Baorong heard the two talking, "Madam Gu's embroidery workshop is short of people! She also has embroiderers from the palace. Sister Xiu, don't leave! If you want to learn, I will go and ask for you."
Baozhu also said, "There are so many things to do at home. If it weren't for my sister's help, I don't know how chaotic it would be. Sister, please stay home!"
Everyone in the Zhen family has a job to make a living. Grandma is old and can't do housework. Before A Xiu came, whoever came back early would take the initiative to clean and wash. When A Xiu came, the house was tidy and clean inside and out. Everyone praised A Xiu, but she always felt embarrassed.
In the evening, while warming herself by the fire in the kitchen, Madam Xu touched the cashmere waistcoat beneath her outer garment and mentioned that she wanted to take Ah Xiu as her godparent. She was living alone in Bianjing and wanted to have a place to move around in the future. Before Baozhu Rong could say anything, the eldest son of the Zhen family, who was washing dishes outside, came in with a bowl in his hand and said anxiously,
"Mom, do you want to adopt A Xiu as your goddaughter?"
Baozhu said, "Sister Xiu has saved enough money and feels embarrassed to continue living with us. She wants to stay in the nunnery and learn embroidery from the nunnery."
Dalang opened his mouth even wider, and his voice became much higher, "She wants to be a nun?!"
After asking, he stuffed the bowl into Baozhu's hand and hurried out the door. When he reached the door, he remembered something and turned back to warn his mother, "Mom, please don't mention taking her as your goddaughter in front of Ah Xiu. If she does, she will be embarrassed to stay here."
Xu seemed to be lost in thought. Baorong watched her elder brother go out, nudged her elder sister with her elbow, nodded and winked. Baozhu didn't understand, and instead told her to remember to find Madam Gu tomorrow to talk about learning embroidery.
After a long time, they have developed feelings for each other, and they are reluctant to part with Ah Xiu. Bao Rong was concerned and went to ask about it the next day. As soon as he found out, he immediately ran to the stall to find them. After taking a breath and drinking a honey pomelo drink, he nodded and said,
"Mrs. Gu said that at Sister Xiu's age, she can learn, but it will be difficult. Besides, she needs to train her hands first to learn embroidery."
Zhen's eldest son didn't seem to care, but he listened attentively. In the evening, he closed his stall and asked Baozhu and the others to go back first, and then he ran to the official doctor Zhao Taicheng to buy ointment.
In winter, hands are really terrible to look at. Ah Xiu applied frostbite cream at night and then wore gloves all night. She repeated this for half a month before her hands barely got better.
Ah Xiu did not mention leaving again, but just told Xu Niangzi that she would pay rent to the family every month and that she would still do the housework.
At the beginning of February, Axiu's hand recovered, and Baorong took her to see Madam Gu. Madam Gu looked at her and then her hand, nodded, pointed to a place, and asked her to learn the dividing line first.
On the second day of the second lunar month, the Dragon Raises its Head, Baorong dragged Baozhu to get ready early in the morning. Although it was spring, it was still very cold in Bianjing. Baozhu reluctantly stuffed the spring clothes that her younger sister had found back into her room, saying, "People will laugh at you if you wear this in such cold weather."
"Then you should wear some nice jewelry, like the hairpin your aunt gave you this year."
"There are many people here today, and the hairpin my aunt gave me is valuable. I would be sad if I lost it." Baozhu rummaged through the jewelry box and put on the turquoise and gold hairpin inlaid with a butterfly. She had lost this hairpin once before, and she couldn't lose it again.
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