Chapter 74 Reflection
The Second Master picked up Chun'er and placed her on his knees, then asked casually:
"What did Chun'er do all morning?"
"Father, Chun'er didn't like the bitter medicine, so she told mother about it. Mother also said that the medicine was too bitter and not suitable for human consumption, so she brought Chun'er here and made sugar water for Chun'er to drink. Mother said that after drinking the sugar water, he would sweat and would not need to drink the bitter medicine. Chun'er drank it and ate some snacks. Mother also told Chun'er a story. It was very interesting, but Chun'er fell asleep and didn't finish listening..."
Chun Er lowered her head in embarrassment, thought for a moment, then raised her head and said:
"Father, Chun'er is really better. Feel her. She doesn't feel any pain at all now. Father, please don't let Chun'er drink the bitter medicine anymore, okay? Chun'er likes to drink the sugar water mother gives her. If Chun'er is sick again, she can come to mother and drink the sugar water. She will feel better after drinking it."
As Chun'er spoke, she pulled her father's hand with her little hand and pressed it on her forehead.
Xiao Jun touched her and found that the fever had indeed gone away. He looked at Mengxi in confusion. How could she have such a gentle heart and treat his daughter so well? With such a broad mind, how could she be the spoiled, willful and unfaithful person as rumored in the market? For the first time, he used a calm gaze to try to see clearly the little woman beside him.
He didn't understand how Mengxi could cure Chun'er's illness with sugar water. He also thought of the medicinal food she cooked for him. Would a spoiled woman, a woman who didn't keep her husband's chastity, do this? He couldn't help but wonder , it was time to go to Li's house to take a look.
He glanced at Mengxi who was sitting calmly on the side, and opened his mouth to say something to her, asking her how she cured Chun'er, but thinking of his recklessness just now, Xiao Jun was too awkward to speak. He would not apologize. He was the future head of the Xiao family, how could he gossip about his own woman.
When the eldest aunt saw her daughter jumping around, she realized that she had believed the nurse's words and wrongly blamed the second mistress. She knelt there, not knowing what to say. Seeing that the second mistress and the second master were sitting there without saying a word, as if they had forgotten about her, she was still kneeling on the ground. She remembered that the affairs in the backyard were still under the control of the second mistress, so she kowtowed to her and said,
"I believed the nurse's words by mistake and just wrongly blamed Second Madam. Please punish me, Second Madam."
After hearing this, Mengxi looked at the Second Master, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he picked up the tea and drank for a while. When he felt that the eldest aunt had almost finished kneeling, he put down the teacup and said calmly:
"I should have punished you severely this time, but firstly, you work hard for Xiaoxiangyuan day and night, and secondly, Chun'er is still sick and needs your care. For Chun'er's sake, I will not punish you this time. If there is a next time, don't say that I, as the mistress, am ruthless. Do you hear me?"
" Thank you for your help, Second Madam. I will serve you wholeheartedly in the future."
"Chun'er is my daughter. It's only natural that I love her. I really can't stand your tormenting her like this. Get up and take Chun'er back. Chun'er can't get used to the bitter medicine, so don't give it to her. Go back and mash the fresh lotus root into juice and mix it with honey. Give it to Chun'er for a few days and she'll be fine."
The eldest aunt kowtowed again to express her gratitude, then stood up, took Chun'er from the second master's lap, and held her in her arms.
Xiao Jun looked at Meng Xi's thinner face and felt a little bit reluctant, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He thought to himself, it was time for dinner, and she asked him to stay in the main room for dinner, so he stayed. First, he wanted to apologize to her, and second, he could stay in the upper room at night and didn't have to wander around in the backyard anymore. He subconsciously used the word "bleach". After a period of madness, he felt "floating". He felt that his home was occupied by her, and she didn't even invite him home. Thinking that today he finally had an excuse to come back with a legitimate reason, he sat there drinking tea and waiting.
Mengxi was not a worm in his stomach, so how could she know his thoughts? Seeing that he was silent, she didn't know what he wanted to do. She was also angry because of his misunderstanding just now, and didn't want to talk to him. Besides, she and he really had nothing to say to each other. After all, he was his boss. He didn't leave, so she had to sit there silently and accompany him. If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move.
Xiao Jun waited for a long time, and stole a glance at Meng Xi, only to see her sitting there calmly, as if nothing had happened. He thought: What a fool! Why didn't she keep him? Didn't she understand his thoughts? Finally, Xiao Jun coughed and said:
"Since Chun'er is fine, we..."
What he meant was to say, "Let's pass the food around," but he was awkwardly unable to say the rest of the sentence, so he stopped there, thinking that she would understand what he meant and take over the conversation and pass the food around.
But he really ran into a fool. Mengxi thought he wanted to go to the backyard, but she was embarrassed. After all, he had wronged her just now, so she couldn't say that she would leave immediately. After thinking about it, she decided not to make things difficult for him. He was here, and the two of them were sitting there doing nothing. They were really tired of each other and were speechless. So she said:
"Second Master, please be careful on the road. Chun'er has just sweated. Don't let Chun'er catch a cold again."
Xiao Jun was stunned for a moment, then stood up and said:
"Okay, I'll go to the bamboo garden first, Xi'er, have dinner by yourself."
Mengxi and others hurriedly stood up to see him off. The eldest aunt and Aunt Zhang also followed behind and walked out. Zhiqiu said to himself: We have finally gotten rid of this plague god.
…
That afternoon, Mengxi had nothing to do and made some snacks. She asked the maid to take them and held Zhiqiu's hand to deliver them to the old lady. When they arrived at Shouxi Hall, she asked someone to serve them. After a while, Shiqin came out and saw the second lady and hurriedly stepped forward and said,
"The second madam is here, come in quickly, the old lady and the first lady are talking in the side room, please go in directly"
As Shiqin spoke, she led the Second Madam and Zhiqiu directly to the side room. When they entered the room, they saw the old lady sitting on the kang, leaning against a green satin pillow. There were four chairs in a row beside the kang, all covered with green satin cushions. The eldest wife was sitting on a chair and talking. Mengxi hurried forward to greet her and sat down below her.
After Mengxi sat down, she turned around and took the snack box handed over by Zhiqiu and said:
"Old Madam, I thought that the days are long in the summer and dinner will be later . I have nothing to do, so I made some snacks and sent them to you to fill your stomach without delaying dinner. Please forgive me, old madam."
As he spoke, he opened the food box and took out the food one by one. The servants, Shu and Hua, hurried forward to take it and put it on the table on the kang, saying as they did so:
"Second Madam is very skillful. The snacks she makes are not only delicious but also beautiful in appearance. Just looking at them makes you reluctant to eat them," said the maid in a flattering manner.
"This silly girl, she can feel full just by looking at it. My wife should come and try it too. Xier cooked very well. I am so old and my teeth are getting worse day by day. It is rare that Xier can make such a soft and delicious snack. It is sweet but not greasy, which suits my appetite very well. You see, it has only been a few days and I miss it every day."
While laughing and scolding the maid, the old lady took the wet towel handed over by Shihua, wiped her hands, took a small snack handed over by Shishu, and started eating. While eating, she asked the eldest lady to taste it as well.
The eldest wife refused for a while, but finally washed her hands, took the snacks handed to her by the maid, and started eating.
The old lady saw a new pastry on the table, and pointed at it and asked, "This is a new one made by Xier. I have never seen it before. What is it called?"
