Chapter 19 Big Haw Pill
Wang Xifeng was not unaware of Grandmother Jia's displeasure, but there was really nothing wrong with Yuan Hongqu.
Furthermore, Yuan Hongqu was not a servant; she was Lin Daiyu's senior tutor, merely holding the title of governess.
Wang Xifeng wasn't afraid that if she praised Yuan Hongqu too highly, she would eventually fall down.
In her mind, Teacher Yuan deserved to stand at that level; others who wanted to stand there didn't have the ability!
Inside Rongyue Courtyard, the servants did not become lax in their duties just because Yuan Hongqu was not present.
They have a lot on their plate!
The sun is shining brightly today, perfect for drying things.
We traveled all the way from Yangzhou by boat, so even if our luggage didn't get damp, we had to air it out in the sun to prevent it from getting infested with insects.
The girl's books and paintings are the most important. They must be laid out one by one to air dry. After they are dried and put away, they must be fumigated with herbs again to preserve them.
Yesterday, the girl said that this courtyard is somewhat similar to her home in Yangzhou, but it lacks a swing where she can lean against it to read and take a nap.
They went to ask Second Grandma in the morning, and when they came back, they got the tools, found a suitable location, and started digging the foundation.
As for the swing, Xu's mother, who went out to shop, will buy it for us later.
This is simple; a carpenter's shop can make it in no time.
Granny Yuan said that although the weather has been fluctuating between warm and cold lately, the flowers that were to be planted in the spring can now be started as seedlings. Therefore, Granny Qiu, who is in charge of the flowers and plants in the yard, has also begun to tidy up the land.
Right now, there are only plum blossoms in the courtyard, which looks quite lively. Once the plum blossoms fade, the courtyard will be in a transitional period, and it will look rather bare and unsightly. Granny Qiu tidied up the land and prepared to go and talk to the old women in charge of flowers and plants at Rongguo Mansion to see which flowers and plants bloom early in the spring in the capital, and also to look for some seedlings or seeds.
After inspecting Rongyue Courtyard, Grandmother Jia found no servants slacking off. On the contrary, they seemed to work harder than the servants in other parts of the mansion. They were genuinely thinking of Daiyu's future, and everything they did revolved around Daiyu.
Back then, Grandmother Jia had a maid named Pearl who was just like that. She thought Pearl was reliable, so she gave her to Baoyu, who is now Xiren.
Now that the Rongyue Courtyard is filled with servants who genuinely serve Daiyu, what else could she possibly worry about?
Grandmother Jia casually summoned a few old women to ask them questions, and their replies were all quite formal. However, they all seemed to agree on one point.
"Reporting to the Old Madam, we have been serving the young lady since when my mistress was alive, and these rules were all set by my mistress. After Granny Yuan took care of the young lady, she did not change any rules, but she asked us to do things more meticulously."
Grandmother Jia nodded in satisfaction. Since the rules were set by her own daughter, and Yuan Hongqu was merely a supervisor, it was quite good that she could manage these people so well after Min'er's death.
“Very good, you are all good, and Granny Yuan is also good.”
Wang Xifeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In Wang Xifeng's view, Grandmother Jia was the highest authority in the Rongguo Mansion. Only by getting Grandmother Jia's approval could Yuan Hongqu truly have a place in the mansion.
Seeing Grandmother Jia smile, Lin Daiyu, as if presenting a treasure, took out a lucky charm she had learned to knit these past few days and offered it to Grandmother Jia:
“Grandmother, this is the first time I’ve ever made such an intricate knot. I chose the pattern and color scheme myself. What do you think?”
Grandmother Jia took the tassel, and Wang Xifeng, who was standing nearby with sharp eyes, exclaimed in surprise:
"Oh my, even the same gold comes in different shades, and the green uses light green and pine green... This little item probably has more than ten different color combinations, right?"
"Sister Feng has such good eyesight; she used nineteen different colors of thread," Daiyu said with a touch of pride.
Grandmother Jia embraced Daiyu and examined the brocade knot from all angles for a while before finally praising it:
"Good child, it's admirable that you have such a delicate mind. I really like this knot. But in the future, don't waste so much energy making things like this. You should take care of your health."
“Old lady,” Wang Xifeng said:
"Look at Lin Daiyu's physique, she doesn't look unwell at all. Sister, are you still taking your medicine?"
"I stopped taking it a long time ago. My nanny said that medicine is three parts poison, and now we mainly rely on food to supplement our diet."
“That’s true, but it’s still best to take medicine when necessary,” Wang Xifeng said.
Daiyu nodded and said softly:
"I've taken some hawthorn pills recently. My nanny said that hawthorn is both food and medicine, so it's okay to take some."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing. Grandmother Jia also couldn't help but smile, embracing Daiyu and calling her "my darling."
“My dear sister, I know your family’s food is delicious, but you can’t always overeat.” Wang Xifeng said with a smile.
Lin Daiyu smiled shyly, covered her face, and remained silent.
The older maidservant beside her explained:
"Replying to the old lady and second mistress, the hawthorn pills that the young lady is eating are not the kind we usually eat. The full name of the hawthorn pills that the young lady is eating is spleen-strengthening and appetite-stimulating pills."
"It contains more than just hawthorn; it also contains yam, dried tangerine peel, malt, and so on. It's not for young ladies to digest, but rather a pill to strengthen their spleen and stomach so they can eat well. Because it looks similar to the large hawthorn pill, it's called that."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng immediately understood that this was just a digestive aid tablet with a different appearance.
This maid speaks clearly and is much more useful than Xueyan and Zijuan combined.
"However, my appetite has indeed increased considerably recently compared to previous years." Daiyu said with some distress. She often felt hungry and needed to have an extra snack in the morning, noon, and evening in addition to her three meals a day. In previous years, she could barely eat a few bites at each of her three meals. Could it be that she had developed a new ailment?
"You're growing, so it's normal for you to have a bigger appetite. Why add another worry? Do you think we can't afford to raise you?" Grandmother Jia smiled. Older people love seeing their children eat well and happily, and ideally, grow up plump and healthy – that's considered auspicious!
One of the reasons why Grandmother Jia loved Baoyu was that the child was not picky about food and had a full moon-like face, making it clear at a glance that he was from a noble family.
"Grandma, Miss practices the Eight Pieces of Brocade every morning and evening. I'm afraid that with more exercise, her appetite will increase," Zijuan said hurriedly, remembering something. Since she had taken Daiyu as her maid, she naturally had to think about her young lady's future. It wouldn't be good for her to have a reputation for being a glutton.
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was even more puzzled.
Although their family came from a military background, by the last two generations, there wasn't a single person who was diligent in practicing martial arts. Even Baoyu can't mount a horse on his own now and needs someone to help him.
Daiyu, such a young child, actually practiced martial arts morning and night.
In Grandmother Jia's view, the Eight Pieces of Brocade belong to martial arts, and qigong can also be considered martial arts!
Therefore, when she looked at Daiyu again, her eyes held not only pity, but also appreciation and praise.
"Daiyu is remarkable. How long has she been practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade?"
“It’s been a few months.” Daiyu raised her head and earnestly expressed her feelings.
“After Granny Yuan taught me, I practiced every day. It’s simple. After practicing, I felt refreshed and my body became more flexible. I didn’t have to pant after walking just a few steps like before.”
After saying that, Daiyu added sincerely:
“Grandmother, I would like to invite my second sister, third sister, and fourth sister to come to Rongyue Courtyard to practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade. Granny Yuan said that this is very good for girls.”
"Since there are benefits, we should naturally practice together."
Grandmother Jia said solemnly:
"The three of you should practice more with Daiyu from now on. Second daughter, stop studying your so-called 'Taishang Ganying Pian' all day long. Getting strong is the most important thing! Third daughter, you should also learn from her, and Fourth daughter even more so. Spend less time with that nun and come to your Lin sister's place more often."
The three girls exchanged glances, puzzled as to why their grandmother had suddenly become so stern.
However, they were used to being obedient to Grandmother Jia, so they all respectfully agreed.
Lin Daiyu was overjoyed and immediately took the three sisters to the plum grove in Rongyue Courtyard to teach them the Eight Pieces of Brocade. Wang Xifeng also went along to join in the fun.
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