This morning, Mrs. Sheng was having breakfast in the house, and Fang's mother suddenly came in and reported: "The master has brought the fourth girl to greet you."
"Four girls?"
The old lady raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and then she finished the bird's nest porridge in the bowl slowly. The maid removed the dishes and then said calmly: "Invite them in."
As soon as Sheng Hong and Mo Lan entered the door, they respectfully saluted the old lady and said hello. The old lady nodded and asked the maid to bring two round dumplings for the father and daughter to sit down.
The three of them were greeting each other when they suddenly saw the door curtain opened and a maid carrying a plate came in, followed by a small figure.
Sheng Hong and Mo Lan glanced at each other and saw that it was Ming Lan. They were both surprised. The smile on Sheng Hong's face immediately froze in half, and Mo Lan frowned unconsciously.
Minglan walked forward slowly, took down a lotus porcelain bowl from the tray held by Xiaodie, and said respectfully: "Grandma, this is the soup that has just been boiled in the small kitchen. It can soothe the mind and calm the mind. Drink it while it's hot. .”
The old lady took it and took a sip. She couldn't help but look surprised: "Why is this soup so sweet?"
Minglan smiled sweetly: "Fang's mother said that my grandmother never liked bitter medicine, so my granddaughter mixed some apricot nectar into it."
"It's hard for you to be so filial at such a young age." The old lady nodded and smiled, feeling very pleased.
Mother Fang smiled and echoed: "I'm not boasting, Miss Six is really considerate and filial. She would hit her back when the old lady coughed, and she would hand over the tea bowl when the old lady frowned. I have served the old lady for half my life, and I am not like Miss Six." It’s so careful and appropriate!”
The three of them struck and struck, creating a warm scene of deep love and joy between ancestors and grandchildren. However, Sheng Hong and Mo Lan were left out in the cold, as if they had become outsiders.
Sheng Hong could still laugh twice to relieve the embarrassment. Mo Lan was young, but he couldn't swallow this breath, and his teeth were itching with anger.
She had been serving the old lady for two or three months, but she never heard a word of praise from the old lady. Minglan had only been here a few days, and the old lady was already so favorable to her.
The gap between people is really too big!
Sheng Hong smiled and followed the old lady's words and said: "Mother, it is a good thing to be filial, but after all, she is young and ignorant, and she does not know the depth of things.
Just like this decoction, in order to remove the bitter taste, it is very inappropriate to add apricot nectar to it. If honey and medicinal properties conflict with each other, wouldn't it mean that good intentions lead to bad things? "
"Father is too worried."
Minglan smiled sweetly and looked at Sheng Hong: "My cousin told me that when he was sick, my aunt and uncle fed him medicine like this. My cousin was cured within two months."
Sheng Hong frowned when Minglan spoke up, and reprimanded: "Everyone has his or her own physique, how can we generalize it! You are young, it is right to speak less and listen more, your little mother has never taught you ?”
Seeing Minglan bowing her head in aggrieved silence, her eyes slightly red, the old lady slapped the table and said in a deep voice: "My old lady likes to drink sweet drinks. Whether the doctor is right or not, I will drink it. As long as I serve it tomorrow." Even if you drink it and poison me to death, I will admit it!"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped to freezing point. Sheng Hong did not expect that the old lady would lose such a temper because of Minglan, so she remained silent.
At this time, Fang's mother came out to smooth things over and said, "Don't worry, sir. The sixth lady has thought carefully and asked Miss Xiaodie to ask the doctor early. The doctor said it was nothing, so the sixth girl added apricot nectar to the soup."
"Since the doctor said there's nothing wrong, it's naturally the best thing to do, but I'm worrying too much."
Sheng Hong was speechless and could only laugh twice, but he came with a mission and would not give up easily.
Sheng Hong waved his hand and motioned to Fang's mother to take Mo Lan and Ming Lan out to play. After the two daughters left, Sheng Hong raised his eyes and looked at the old lady again, trying to make a sincere expression.
"My son is just afraid that tomorrow's child will be young and ignorant, and it will burden mother and you, so it is better to let Mo'er come. Mo'er is sensible and well-behaved, and speaks and does things properly. He has served in Shou'an Hall for several months before, and he is also very good at serving you. Okay?"
"is very good."
The old lady took a deep look at Sheng Hong and said quietly: "Her mother is an old man who has been with me for many years. She has been influenced by everything and knows a lot about my hobbies and habits, and she knows how to pretend to be pitiful and clever to please me. However, I have experienced so many things over the years, and my temperament has changed a lot, but now I don’t like her mother-in-law’s style anymore.”
What happened to the old lady these years?
Naturally, it was the secret affair between Lin Sushuang and Sheng Hong when she was raised in the old lady's room!
Sheng Hong heard what the old lady was referring to and suddenly felt embarrassed. In any case, he was at fault for this matter in the first place, and it is understandable that the old lady is angry.
After the old lady had said this, Sheng Hong was too embarrassed to speak up for Mo Lan anymore. After staying in Shou'an Hall for a short time, he left with Mo Lan in a gray tone.
After sending the two of them off, the old lady asked Fang's mother to call Minglan in, and asked with a smile: "Why, your cousin Chen also likes to eat apricot nectar. Do you want to give it to him when he goes to school later?" Bring him a can?"
Minglan didn't seem to understand what the old lady meant and blinked her big eyes innocently.
"Grandma, what my cousin likes to eat is up to the people around him to worry about. What kind of food do you want me to send?"
After finishing speaking, he paused and added: "But if grandma wants to give it away, she must have considered it. My granddaughter will just obey."
The old lady saw Minglan pretending to be calm and glanced at her slightly red earlobes. She couldn't help but feel funny in her heart, but she didn't try to expose her. She just said calmly:
"I also heard Mr. Zhuang say something about the school. Your cousin doesn't get paid as a leading student, but he does no less work than a serious gentleman. Speaking of which, this matter is due to our Sheng family's lack of consideration. We should thank you properly. People are the ones.”
"Grandma means..."
"Since we want to thank you, this gift of thanks must be sent to someone's heart. Your cousin must not look down on gold, silver and other common things..."
The old lady lightly tapped Minglan's forehead with her finger: "Don't you always talk about your cousin? Then go and ask me. If your cousin has any preferences, come back and tell me."
"No need to ask, my granddaughter can tell grandma now." Minglan said confidently: "My cousin has nothing to do these days. He just likes to play Go with his second and third brothers. Why don't we give him a chessboard? Bar!"
"Chessboard? That's a good idea."
The old lady pondered for a moment and whispered instructions to Fang's mother, who followed her instructions and left the house.
After a while, he turned back again, followed by two maids, one holding a torrewood chessboard, and the other holding two bowls of clouds.
The old lady stretched out her hand and rubbed it gently on the chessboard for a moment. Feeling the familiar warm touch on the surface of the chessboard, she couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness recalling the past on her face.
"This chessboard is a tribute from other countries. It was given to your great-grandfather by the emperor back then. It can be considered as a thank you gift for your cousin."
When Minglan heard her grandmother talk about the preciousness of this chessboard, she couldn't help but secretly marveled: her grandmother actually gave it away as soon as she said it would be such a good thing.
Then I thought again: These days, my cousin is almost drying up on urging me to practice calligraphy. Should I also prepare some thoughts?