After dinner, a banquet was held in the courtyard, and the short legs of huanghuali trees were arranged in two rows. [No pop-up novel website]
There are tea cups on the table, as well as melons and fruits carved into exotic flowers and birds, as well as longans, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts, melon seeds and other sacrifices. At the front of the mat are two blue and white porcelain vases with red cannas. Between the vases is an incense burner the size of a fan.
The sun has been shining brightly in the past few days, so the night sky today is very bright. Whether it is the moon or the stars, they are all so clear that you can reach out and touch them.
Everyone burned incense and worshiped together, then knelt down on the mat and silently recited their wishes to the night sky. The night wind blew slowly, and the women all straightened their backs and put their hands together in front of them, showing great piety.
Naturally, Xu Nuo first begged God to let her improve a little in embroidery, and not to let her be the person who keeps giving without getting anything in return. Then she silently prayed to God to protect her real grandparents so that they could live a long and healthy life. Finally, she prayed that she could see Fang Jing as soon as possible so that she could repay Xu Liu Niang's debt to him over the past seven years.
After the prayers, the women sat in front of the table and began to chat while eating dried fruit snacks. However, for the sake of image, they actually ate very little.
The temperature was lower at night, which was much more comfortable than the heat during the day. During the dinner, Xu Nuo sat with Xu Sanniang, and Xu Erniang and Xu Wuniang were opposite them.
Xu Nuo knew very little about his cousins. Although they had classes together in the past few months, they rarely had contact with each other, let alone chatting in each other's yards. Even when they went to the banquet, they would sit together with Xu Qian, and she would follow Lu.
It's not because she is aloof, but because she really can't get along with them.
If you want to interact with them, you have to speak softly. The discussions were nothing more than schoolwork, female workers, or household chores.
It's okay to ask her to abide by etiquette, but asking her to talk about these things all day long is really too much, so she simply doesn't interact with them in private.
It was the same today, Promise sat quietly. They ate Qiaoguo one after another and listened to the conversation of the three sisters, becoming more and more sleepy.
Soon it was time to thread the needle, and Xu Nuo immediately became as energetic as a chicken blood shot. He took the tray for needlework and put it on the table in front of him.
Xu Erniang sat directly opposite Xu Nuo. Seeing Xu Nuo's reaction, she covered her mouth and said something to Xu Wuniang. Xu Wuniang's eyes immediately changed when she turned back to look at Xu Nuo.
Xu Nuo has a good ear. No matter how quiet Xu Erniang's voice is, she can still easily hear what she said from only a few feet away: "It is well known that Liu Niang's female workers are a mess. How dare you pick up needle and thread in public? You are not afraid." You’ve lost the Xu family’s face!”
Xu Nuo doesn't like to enjoy the feeling of others underestimating herself, and then she suddenly surprises and shows off her power, leaving the other party dumbfounded, which makes her secretly happy.
She never liked this feeling.
Excellence is excellence, there is no need to engage in these things. Real excellence does not need to be reflected by such inferior things as sensory differences.
Xu Nuo said without any hesitation: "Second sister, there is no need to worry that I will embarrass the Xu family. I am willing to compete with the second sister. If I can thread twice as many needles as the second sister in the same time, then I will win." She felt that she had an advantage over Xu Erniang. I said it twice for the sake of fairness, and of course because of my absolute confidence in myself.
Xu Erniang was dumbfounded. She didn't expect that the always low-key Xu Nuo would say such arrogant and provocative words. However, she had seen Xu Nuo's embroidery skills in the female workers' class. Her voice became a little louder and said: "Liu Niang, what you said is inappropriate. , after all, how many years am I older than you. How can I take advantage of you? Let’s just compare it with the number of needles threaded. How about the loser letting the winner take a piece of jewelry from the jewelry box?”
She has a loud voice. Everyone looked over.
There was a probing look in Lu's eyes. Liu Niang was not someone who liked to compete with others. Why are you competing with Er Niang today?
Xu Nuo didn't change his expression and smiled calmly: "Okay, just follow what the second sister said."
Chuntang and Xu Erniang's maid immediately went back to get their jewelry boxes.
The person who threads the most needles through the needles within one stick of incense is the winner.
Mrs. Lu called to start, and a group of unmarried women began to thread needles by the moonlight and the lighted lamps on the desks.
The speed is very fast, almost as if the hand never leaves the thread and the thread never leaves the needle. If it weren't for the graceful posture, she could go faster.
When she was in the police force in her previous life, she was the second fastest in every competition when disassembling and disassembling guns. The first fastest was her captain, but no one in the police force except her had ever been so close to the captain's speed.
Her hand speed has been developed early, and it is no slower than these little ladies who have been practicing with embroidery needles for seven or eight years.
After burning the incense, Xu Nuo put down the needle and thread in his hand, and his tense nerves relaxed, and the serious concentration in his eyes immediately dissipated. She insisted on exercising, so she was not tired after what she had just done. Although the other ladies were smiling, they all secretly shook their hands in exhaustion.
Everyone handed the colorful threads strung with needles to the maid, who counted them in order and then reported the number.
Among all the ladies who threaded needles, the number of promises was the largest, three more than twice the number of needles Xu Erniang had.
The ladies present all praised Xu Nuo for his ingenuity, and Lu responded with a faint smile.
Xu Erniang's face turned dark immediately after hearing the result. She asked her maid in a deep voice to hand the jewelry box to Xu Nuo and let Xu Nuo choose.
Xu Nuo didn't expect that Du Erniang was a generous person and kept her word, so she randomly picked a comb out of the box and said with a smile: "Thank you, second sister, for accepting the offer."
Xu Erniang nodded and ignored the promise.
There are two ways to compare needle threading in the Suzhou Qiqiao Festival competition. Just now, we compare the number of threaded needles, and the other is to compare time with nine-tailed needles. The one who threads the nine-tailed needles well first wins.
Xu Erniang had been practicing threading the nine-tail needle in the house for several days. No one of the maids in her house was faster than her, so she was very confident and made another bet with Xu Nuo, which was the same as the previous one.
The promise was stress-free and completed in almost half the time of others.
However, Xu Erniang took more time than usual because she was anxious, so she finished the job last. She looked at Xu Nuo in disbelief and said angrily: "I can only thread needles, but what's the use if I can't embroider."
Although the bad thing about promising female workers is not a big deal and will not be known to everyone, those who are interested will know something about it. When Xu Erniang said this, some ladies began to ask Lu for confirmation.
Lu smiled and said calmly: "Liu Niang was injured in February. She is a beginner. Female workers are indeed lacking in this aspect."
The group of people seemed to have suddenly realized it, their eyes still passing over Xu Nuo from time to time. It seemed that those rumors were true, and the sixth wife of the Xu family really didn't understand female workers.
Xu Erniang was about to say something, but was stopped by a look from Ding on the other side. Normally she could turn a blind eye no matter how noisy she was, but with so many outsiders here today, would her family make a fuss and let others watch?
Although Ms. Ding did not want Ms. Lu to take charge of the middle-class affairs and did some small tricks, she knew very well what should be done and what should not be done in big matters.
The storm subsided before it started, and the Xu family breathed a sigh of relief. However, several ladies secretly lamented that it was not a good show.
Lu's gift for the first place winner in needle threading was a music score written by herself. The prizes for the two competitions were the first volume and the second volume respectively. Xu Nuo had been coveting them for many days, and finally got them today.
Mrs. Lu personally came over and handed the score to Xu Nuo, and said in a voice that could only be heard by the two of them: "Can't you tell mother if you want the score? You have to be in the limelight." Seeing Xu Nuo's eyes flashing, she knew why Xu Nuo Bet with Xu Erniang.
"Mom, this score is so thick, I can't bear to ask you to write it twice." Xu Nuo lowered his voice and returned.
Madam Lu pursed her lips and returned to her seat with a smile.
Xu Nuo happily hugged the music score, and then heard Lu's low voice from the other side. She was forbearing and surprised.
She hurriedly looked over and saw several people surrounding Ms. Lu. Through the gap, she could see that her hands in front of her were trembling and covered in blood. On the side, Grandma Li was anxiously giving instructions to a maid, while a figure flashed in the distance. Quickly jumped into the flower garden.
Xu Nuo called Qi Qi, and Qi Qi hurriedly came over: "Madam, what's wrong?"
"Go to the front yard to find your father and ask him to find Ji Jiawulang." After Xu Nuo said this, he ran out like an arrow. Qi Qi almost didn't react. When she reacted, she also put on her shoes. Go to the front yard.
Xu Nuo jumped into the flower garden and grabbed the maid hiding inside.
The maid must have taken advantage of the chaos and placed a sharp object next to Lu, and Lu broke her hand without paying attention. Since the maid did not escape at this moment, it meant that someone was guarding the outside of the courtyard and she would be caught if she went out. On the other hand, it also meant that she had been hiding in the courtyard before dinner and had been waiting for the opportunity.
Thinking that the maid had deliberately waited here for more than an hour to harm her mother, Xu Nuo's eyebrows almost wrinkled, and the strength of her hands became a little stronger.
The maid originally wanted to stay in the flower garden and wait until there were fewer people before sneaking out quietly, but Xu Nuo discovered her at a glance and came to catch her without hesitation.
After the maid was found out by Xu Nuo, she was trembling all over but did not forget to salute: "I have seen the Sixth Lady."
Xu Nuo had never seen this maid before, but judging by her clothes, she was indeed a maid from the Xu family, so she asked, "Which courtyard are you from?"
The maid trembled and said: "The little one is from Yumeiwu. I was just curious and sneaked in to take a peek after dinner." The implication was that she had never been there, and Lu's injury had nothing to do with her. .
Before the begging began, no one was allowed in the courtyard. The maid's words were totally unfounded.
Xunuo snorted coldly, and the strength in his hand increased again. The maidservant's whole face wrinkled together in pain, but she didn't say a word.
Xu Nuo ran fast just now, so naturally someone noticed, and Ding was the first to follow.
"Auntie, this maid just ran over and hid here. I was afraid that she would run away, so I left the table and chased after her." Xu Nuo let go of her hand and saluted Ding. She didn't care what the maid would say later. In short, she was going to The crime he deduced was clearly placed on the maid, and he would not give the maid a chance to refute.
Ding immediately recognized that this maid was from Yumeiwu, and her expression immediately changed. (To be continued)
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