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126: Shen Zhu meets Zhao Xiaohua

Zhao Daliang brought Zhao Xiaohua out of Zhao Dazhu's house and went to visit the Shen family. He was eloquent. Although the Shen family knew what his family was like and what he was like, they still treated him politely because they did not hit anyone who smiled at them. After all, he was considered a capable man in this Hebian Village.

Zhao Xiaohua is about the same age as Shen Zhu. When her brother was talking to Shen Youfu and Shen Zhang, she moved in with Shen Zhu. She didn't hesitate to go to Shen Zhu's room, so Shen Zhu took her there.

Shen Zhu had her own room, the main room, which she kept very clean and tidy. There was a wooden bed with a water-green curtain embroidered with flowers, a light blue quilt and a light blue pillow, all embroidered with flowers. Just this bed showed that Shen Zhu was different from other farm girls. Most farm girls would sleep in one big bed with several people, so they were not so particular.

On one side of the room there was a table with a bronze mirror and a dressing box on it. The bronze mirror was covered with a red cloth. The dressing box was wiped clean and had carved patterns on it. There was also a chair and a large box on the other side for clothes.

Although the room is not big, it is very nicely decorated and has a faint fragrance.

Zhao Xiaohua looked around as soon as she entered the room, feeling sad. She also lived alone in a room with the same furnishings, but it was obviously not as exquisite as Shen Zhu's room.

"Xiaohua, sit down!"

Shen Zhu sat on the bed first, pointing to the chair for Zhao Xiaohua to sit on. She didn't want anyone else to sit on her bed, especially Zhao Xiaohua. Although Zhao Xiaohua's clothes were not dirty, she didn't like Zhao Xiaohua very much. The relationship between the two was not too close, at most they would say hello when they met. Of course, she didn't want to let such a person sit on her bed.

Zhao Xiaohua didn't notice anything wrong, so she sat on the chair. After a while, she frowned because of the cold. She said, "Shen Zhu. Why don't you have a kang in your room? Kangs are very warm. Also, why don't you put a cushion on your chair so you won't feel cold when you sit on it. I saw that the chairs in your fourth brother's house all have cushions, and they are very soft to sit on.

This was the second time Zhao Xiaohua went to Shen Zian's house after the greenhouse. She saw the cushion made by Su Zhi and wondered how much cloth it would take. At that time, she felt that Shen Zian's family was really rich, not worse than the landlord. The landlord's family probably also put cushions on the chairs, and people sitting on them looked noble.

Shen Zhu listened to Zhao Xiaohua's nitpicking and frowned slightly. Then, when she heard her talk about the good qualities of Shen Zian's family, she felt even more unhappy.

"My parents and my brothers have built a Kang in their rooms. I don't have one. I still prefer a bed. It's so elegant. Sleeping on a Kang is too rustic. As for the cushion, I'm busy learning embroidery every day. I don't have time to make a cushion. Anyway, I usually sit on it by myself, so I don't mind it being cold. Xiaohua, from what you said, you have a Kang in your room and you also made a cushion?"

When Zhao Xiaohua heard that sleeping on a kang was rustic, she immediately felt unhappy when she thought of the new kang she had built in her room.

"No. I don't have a kang in my room. If I want to sleep on it, I'll go and sleep in the same room with my mother. I usually sleep on my own bed. As for the chair cushions, I really made them and even embroidered them with flowers."

In fact, Zhao Xiaohua had already moved to a room with a kang. She hadn't slept in the room with the bed for a long time. She had originally thought that the room would be used as a storage room. But now she saw that she wanted to occupy that room too. She wanted both rooms. And the cushion. She would ask Liu Si Niang to make one for her as soon as she got home. She must embroider it with the most beautiful red peony flowers. Even if Shen Zhu would never see it in her lifetime, she would make it!

Shen Zhu didn't care whether what Zhao Xiaohua said was true or not. She looked down on Zhao Xiaohua from the bottom of her heart and didn't care what she said. She just played with a handkerchief in her hand. The handkerchief was made of silk, pink, with red plum blossoms embroidered on it. It was Shen Zhu's favorite handkerchief. She usually put it beside the bed. Now she took it out to play with it just because she wanted Zhao Xiaohua to see it, and of course to make Zhao Xiaohua jealous.

Zhao Xiaohua was indeed jealous when she saw this. This time, her second brother did not bring her a handkerchief, but only a few boxes of rouge and powder. She applied them on her face, but still felt that her face was not as white and beautiful as Shen Zhu's, so naturally she would not show off in front of Shen Zhu.

Shen Zhu and Zhao Xiaohua really had nothing to say to each other. She felt that she and Zhao Xiaohua were people of two different levels. She was literate and was the sister of Shen Ziju. In the future, she would be the sister of a scholar, a judge, or even a Jinshi. In short, she was the sister of a high-ranking official and would have a high status in the future. The young man had promised her a life of luxury. Zhao Xiaohua was just an illiterate village girl, ignorant and vulgar. How could she talk to her?

Zhao Xiaohua chatted with Shen Zhu, and after talking about Shen Zian, they talked about Shen Ziju.

"Shen Zhu, what is Brother Zi Ju doing? I just have something I want to ask him."

Zhao Xiaohua also felt bored with Shen Zhu and wanted to see Shen Ziju. She and her brother came to the Shen family to see Shen Ziju. She had always been thinking about that handsome young man. But she heard that being an official was not easy, and that many officials were worse than landlords, so she lost interest in him. But Shen Ziju was handsome, and since she was at the Shen family, she naturally wanted to see him.

"What's the matter? Tell me. I told him that he is busy studying now. He will have exams in the spring. His time is precious."

Shen Zhu said that she looked down on Zhao Xiaohua not only because she was ignorant and vulgar, but also because Zhao Xiaohua was frivolous. She couldn't take her eyes off any good man she saw. Her fourth and fifth brothers had all been stared at, which made her feel uncomfortable. Was the Shen family something Zhao Xiaohua could dream of? Now Zhao Xiaohua wanted to see her younger brother, but she didn't want to let him see her. It would be bad if she seduced her younger brother.

Zhao Xiaohua pouted and said, "I had a dream and I want Brother Ziju to interpret it for me. This is a big deal, how can you understand it?"

"You should go find a fortune teller. Why are you looking for my brother? He studied the Four Books and Five Classics, not fortune telling and dream interpretation. Don't treat my brother as a fortune teller, that's a cheap profession!"

Shen Zhu said with a stern face that she didn't care whether what Zhao Xiaohua said was true or not, she would not do it if her brother told her fortune. Although the country people regarded fortune-telling as a profession, she knew it was a cheap profession and few educated people would do it. Even if it was just for people she knew to see, she would not do it. She valued Shen Ziju's future and reputation, which was also related to her future.

Zhao Xiaohua really doesn't understand these things. How can fortune-telling be considered a low profession? Besides, he is not asked to set up a stall on the street. Is it necessary to be so hypocritical?

Zhao Xiaohua stood up and walked out, thinking that since you wouldn't take me with you, I'd go by myself. But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Sun standing outside.