It snowed continuously, and it fell intermittently for more than ten days before it finally stopped.
The snow was beginning to clear, and the chill was still there. The little maid walked through the corridor, pushed open the carved wooden door and got in, trembling. The floor heating radiates heat continuously. It is cold winter outside, but it is as warm as spring inside.
The sound she made when she closed the door drew a woman out of the inner room, and she lowered her voice and scolded: "Be gentle, Sister Shan is still asleep, don't wake her up."
"I understand, Nanny Chen." The maid also whispered back: "The young lady specially told me last night to wake her up early today."
"I'll call you."
In the inner room, wisps of faint smoke emerged from the incense burner and slipped out through the half-opened gap of the small carved window. Nanny Chen approached with a gentle step. On the bed, a child was sleeping soundly.
The nanny called several times before Shanshan slowly poked his head out of the quilt.
Her face was flushed with sleep, and she was holding the edge of the quilt with her two little hands. Before her eyes were fully opened, she asked in a daze: "Nanny, where is my mother?"
"Miss went out early in the morning." Nurse Chen put her clothes on skillfully, wiped her face with a warm cloth, and then took her out.
The servant brought breakfast, and the aroma tickled his nose, and Shan Shancai finally woke up.
Wearing thick clothes, she had some difficulty raising her hand, and tremblingly scooped up a large wonton from the bowl.
Wonton is the soup base of chicken soup. The chef chops out finely minced meat and shrimp and wraps it in a thin dough. The skin is thin and the filling is large, and the soup base is delicious. Shanshan was full after eating only a few pieces. She took a deep breath and swallowed the last piece in the bowl with her round belly.
After eating, she asked again: "Where is my mother?"
Nanny Chen still said: "Miss is not back yet."
Shanshan let out a long sigh.
The Wen family has a small population, and all the senior members have passed away, leaving only a pair of orphans and a widowed mother. Wen Yiqing has become the mainstay of the family. She has to be busy with the business in the shop on weekdays, leaving little free time. Shanshan has long been used to it.
But she had more important things to do today. Before going to bed last night, her mother hugged her and promised her to go out today.
After winter, it rained and snowed constantly, and she never went out again. Who told her to be born in such a hurry? She has been weak since she was a child, and everyone in the family was worried that the cold wind outside would make her sick. Shanshan had made a plan before going to bed. First, she would go to her favorite dessert shop, then go to Zhenbaozhai to see what novelties there were. If she still had time, she would go and play with her little friends. She hasn't seen them since it was cold.
She made her arrangements clearly and even finished writing today's big letters in advance. It's just that Wen Yiqing left the house early in the morning. Maybe he had many things to do and didn't come back for a long time. After breakfast, Shanshan waited for a long time, but could not see his mother for a long time. She sat on the stool and was anxious.
The wet nurse reassured: "Maybe there is something delayed in the shop. Sister Shan, please wait a moment."
Good things can't wait.
She climbed off the stool and ran out on her own.
The snow is still falling outside. She is short in stature and has round cheeks. Today she is wearing a new dress made of rabbit skin. The fluffy rabbit fur is clustered around her cheeks, making her look like a small snowball. , round and round, rolled from the foyer to the door.
The wet nurse chased after her anxiously: "Sister Shan! Slow down!"
"It's cold outside. Go inside and wait. The lady will be back soon."
Shanshan patted the dust on the threshold with his little hands, sat down on the threshold, and stretched his head to look at the end of the road in front of the door.
She sat obediently and said, "I'll wait here. If mother comes back, I can see her at a glance."
"It's so cold, the wind makes you sick, and you have to drink bitter medicine."
"I'm warm!"
"If the lady comes back and sees you sitting here, she will definitely be angry." The nanny threatened her: "If the lady is angry, you may not be allowed to go out until the Chinese New Year."
As soon as these words came out, Shanshan hesitated.
She wrung her fingers, "Then...then..."
While they were talking, a woman with thick arms and round waist, wearing a red flower on her head, came from a distance. Nurse Chen caught a glimpse of her from the corner of her eye, and her expression suddenly changed. Without any time to persuade her, she picked up Shanshan and hurriedly told the concierge to close the door. door.
But Matchmaker Wang was well prepared, and she nimbly stepped in and blocked the door that was about to close. She held the door frame with one hand and said with a shy smile: "Mrs. Chen, is your mistress at home? I have great news to tell you."
The nanny pulled Shanshan behind her and said coldly: "My lady is not here, please go back!"
"It doesn't matter if she's not here, I'll wait here for her to come back. Mrs. Chen, give me a cup of tea."
After she said that, she was about to go in. The nanny quickly stepped forward and blocked her way in.
Nanny Chen raised her voice: "If you still don't leave, I'll call for help!"
The Wen family was wealthy and had many nurses. As soon as she shouted, several tall and round nurses ran out with sticks and stood behind the crowd menacingly.
Matchmaker Wang suddenly showed timidity.
She still didn't give up. She caught a glimpse of Shanshan hiding behind her and smiled, "Sister Shan, is your mother at home? I found a father for you!"
Shanshan hid behind the wet nurse, her round little face tightened, and she didn't answer.
She recognized this person and would run to her home every three days, saying that she wanted to propose marriage to her mother. As for the people he introduced, Shanshan didn't recognize them either. Only the wet nurse got angry every time she mentioned them.
Although the Wen family is not an aristocratic family, they have been doing business for generations and their family fortune is quite rich. Wen Yiqing was born with beauty, a gentle temperament, and held a huge business in her hands. Although she had a daughter of unknown origin, matchmakers came one after another to propose marriage. Matchmaker Wang is the one who runs the hardest.
Matchmaker Wang didn't care if she got a cold face, and continued on her own: "The person I want to talk about this time is Mr. Liu from the east of the city. His family is rich and his character is excellent. He said that if the Wen family girl marries In the past, I made her the first wife at the beginning..."
"Pooh!"
The wet nurse spat in her face, covered Shanshan's ears, and yelled: "You black-hearted old guy! That member Liu is a man of seventy or eighty years old. He has more than ten concubines at home. He just brought a sedan in from Tianshui Lane. , what kind of despicable, dirty, shameless and filthy thing has the face to abuse our young lady!"
Matchmaker Wang waved her handkerchief, her plump face full of contempt, "Your girl has a child who comes from nowhere, and she is not a rich young lady. She looks down on Yuan Liu, how can she still climb up to the Shen Dynasty?" Isn’t the family’s high branch successful?”
The wet nurse was furious.
Shanshan's ears were covered and he couldn't hear any noise.
Matchmaker Wang comes too many times, and her mother has taught her not to listen to a word. She was obedient and didn't listen to anything. She just looked eagerly towards the end of the road, hoping that her mother's sedan would appear from there.
Suddenly, a little beggar in ragged clothes and unkempt hair appeared in her field of vision. He ran very fast in the ice and snow, and he arrived in front of her in a short time.
Shanshan grinned, brushed away the wet nurse's hand, and ran out happily.
She said happily: "Brother Shitou! Are you coming to play with me?"
The little beggar shook his head and was about to say something when another team of carriages and horses appeared at the end of the road behind him. The leader was a majestic and tall horse. The carriage pulled by it was luxurious. Just a glance from a distance revealed that the people in the carriage were People come from extraordinary backgrounds.
Not only Shanshan saw it, but the people arguing at the gate also saw it. They all stopped and turned their heads to look over. The entire area is occupied by the Wen family's residence, so anyone who comes must be a guest of the Wen family.
Under everyone's gaze, the mighty team of carriages and horses stopped at the gate of Wen Mansion.
Shitou hurriedly said to Shanshan: "Wait a moment."
The little beggar came over and was about to say something when a foot came out of the carriage and kicked him away mercilessly. A middle-aged man got off the carriage and put his hands in his sleeves. Perhaps he was tired from the journey and said with a bad face: "You're blocking the road, you stinky beggar!"
The stone moved away from him, and several more copper plates fell down on his face. He didn't mind it, bent down to pick them up one by one, and carefully put them in his arms.
He quickly said to Shanshan: "They are here to find your mother."
Shan Shan looked over confusedly.
The person who came here should be from a wealthy family, with a rosy complexion even in the cold winter months, but with an arrogant attitude. He raised his head and glanced at the door plaque of the Wen family mansion, then glanced condescendingly at Shanshan, and said rudely: "My child, there is someone in Yuncheng. Is the Wen family, a businessman, here?"
