Aunt Zhang came to see Xia Tian and saw that she seemed a little embarrassed to speak.
Xia Tian asked her directly if there was anything wrong.
Nanny Zhang nodded and said, "Madam, I have been in Linzhou for some time now. I want to go out and see an old friend."
Nanny Zhang spoke cautiously. Although Xia Tian was confused, he didn't dare to ask.
She pretended to be angry and said, "Mammy, you are so polite. You are not a servant in the mansion. If you want to go out, just tell me. There is no need to be embarrassed. Besides, what is there to hide when meeting an old friend?"
Chen Nian had returned the indenture contract of Nanny Zhang to her a long time ago, and she was treated as an elder in the mansion.
Why is this person who is usually close to her suddenly so polite to her?
But I didn’t expect that Aunt Zhang actually had old friends here!
However, this was someone else's private matter, so she didn't want to ask too much. If Aunt Zhang was willing to talk, she would naturally tell her.
Since you didn't bring it up, it means you don't want to talk about it.
Seeing that she had no intention of asking further questions, Aunt Zhang smiled casually, with an inexplicable emotion flashing in her eyes. "Then I won't bother you, Madam. I'm going out. If I don't come back tonight, I'll stay at my old friend's place for the night."
After saying this, Nanny Zhang prepared to get up and leave.
"Mammy, please wait a moment. I'll have Fu Gui drive the carriage to take you there!" Xia Tian called to Mammy Zhang, then turned to Ningxiang and Ningxue, "Go and get two boxes of the snacks we bought yesterday and bring them to Mammy!"
This dim sum was bought from Cui's Dim Sum Shop, a century-old shop in Sangluo City. The dim sum in this shop is particularly delicious, and many people line up to buy it every day.
This was what she asked Fu Gui to queue up to buy yesterday. She bought four boxes, ate two, and there were exactly two boxes left.
"No, ma'am. Why should I ask you to get something when I'm going to see an old friend?" Nanny Zhang quickly refused. She was already a little embarrassed, and now she felt even more uneasy.
"Hey, Mammy, why are you being so polite to me?" Xia Tian would not tolerate any refusal. "Just take it. You can't go out to see your friends empty-handed. Besides, it's just two boxes of snacks. It's not worth much!"
Xia Tian saw Ning Xiang and Ning Xue bringing over two boxes of snacks, and quickly nudged Aunt Zhang, "Go quickly, Aunt. When Fu Gui arrives, tell him when you're back so he can pick you up."
Nanny Zhang looked at the snacks in Ningxiang and Ningxue's hands, and glanced at Xia Tian with complicated eyes.
Xia Tian knew nothing and urged her to leave quickly.
Aunt Zhang felt warm in her heart, so she didn't hesitate any longer. "Then I'll go first. Thank you, Madam."
"Take care, Mama. Have fun." Xia Tian waved with a smile.
Ningxiang and Ningxue took the snacks and placed them directly on the carriage.
They only came back after seeing Fu Gui driving the cart with Aunt Zhang away.
"Is Aunt Zhang gone?" Xia Tian asked casually.
"Okay, let's go." The two replied, then walked out with their heads down.
Seeing that the two maids had gone out, Xia Tian didn't care. He was already awake, and it would not be appropriate to sleep any longer. He might as well think about what New Year gifts to prepare for Shen Hui, Madam Xu and others in the capital.
Another point is that if you send them holiday gifts now, they definitely won't receive them before the New Year. The New Year is just over a month away, and by the time the gifts are delivered, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month will probably have passed.
Xia Tian thought that the journey was long and some food was difficult to preserve, so he could only give something that was easy to preserve and looked good.
There is no need to stick to the New Year gifts. Just prepare them first and give the same gifts after the New Year.
The next day, she took Ningxiang, Ningxue, Cuiyun, Cuiling, Ningyue and Ningshuang with her to go out and prepare New Year's goods.
The New Year is coming soon, and we must get ready.
It was the first time for Ningyue and Ningshuang to go out with Xia Tian, and they kept thanking her with gratitude.
Xia Tian also felt a little guilty because he always forgot about the two of them.
To make amends, she simply waved her hand and said, "Go ahead and buy anything you want today. This lady will pay for everything."
"Thank you, ma'am!" Several maids thanked happily.
Nanny Zhang didn't come back last night, and she didn't say when to pick her up, so Fu Gui still had to drive the car for them today.
Fu Gui used to work in the escort agency in Sangluo City, so he was quite familiar with the city and could find wherever he wanted to go.
Xia Tian took a few people to the fabric store. As soon as they entered, everyone was dazzled by the colorful fabrics.
The shop here has two floors. The first floor mainly sells cotton, coarse cloth, and some ready-made clothes.
The second floor is filled with all kinds of silks and satins in various colors and patterns.
They first went to buy cotton and coarse cloth, which could be used to make clothes for the servants in the mansion. This summer, they also planned to make two new sets of clothes for Ningxiang and the others. Mu Feng and the others also needed to make clothes.
The other people in the mansion were simply given two pieces of cloth and asked to take them home and make them themselves.
"Madam, we won't be polite then!" Several maids began to choose fabrics with laughter.
"Pick, pick, pick something nice." If they could wear brocade, she would be willing to buy it for them.
These girls usually serve her very attentively and protect her when she has problems, so she naturally likes them.
After Ningxiang and the others had chosen the fabrics, they went to the second floor. Xia Tian also picked out a few pieces of brocade that he and Shen Nian liked, and asked the shop assistant to pack them up and send them to Fu Gui's carriage.
Then she went to a jewelry and rouge and powder shop, picked out a few pieces of jewelry and facial rouge and powder for the maids, and then began to officially purchase New Year's goods.
They made a list before they came out yesterday. Although there was a housekeeper in the mansion here, it was Shen Nian who brought Uncle Chen over to help with the housekeeping.
But Xia Tian also bought some things she needed with a few girls. Women want to buy everything they see when they go shopping.
I bought a lot of food, daily necessities and toys, and finally went home when I couldn't shop anymore.
In the summer, I bought two hundred-year-old ginsengs at a local pharmacy and a few of the famous chengni inkstones produced in Linzhou.
There is also the brocade that is unique to this place. Because it is relatively rare, Xia Tian had to ask Mrs. Cao for help to get four pieces, ready to give to the Empress and the Imperial Concubine.
I also bought some Linzhou specialties. Although they are not very expensive, fortunately they are not available in Beijing, so it is a thoughtful gesture.
As for the emperor, Xia Tian is preparing to paint a picture of life scenes in Sangluo City as a gift for the emperor's birthday.
Also, if all the people's homes use kangs this year, she can go and take a look, draw them with a brush, and give them to the emperor.
It not only demonstrates the merits without making a fuss, but also allows the emperor to understand the lives and daily life of the people here.
Now they are tied to the emperor, so naturally they hope that the Dagan Dynasty will get better and better. The emperor cares about the people, which is the guarantee of the prosperity of the Dagan Dynasty.
However, these also need to be prepared slowly. Her most important thing now is to prepare New Year's items and holiday gifts.
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