On this day, Zheng Haizhu took the prepared embroidery gifts and went to Huang Zunsu's house.
Because he had paid homage to the post in advance, although Huang Zunsu was at the government office, his wife Yao was already waiting in the front hall.
Mr. Yao is young, comes from a wealthy family in Yuyao, and is very well-educated.
Last time, she was quite surprised when she saw that Zheng Haizhu was brought out by the master to socialize, and she was not a concubine.
After asking Zheng Haizhu alone for a few words, I found out that she was not some niece or nephew from my mistress's natal family, but a country girl from Fujian who was attracted by the eldest lady and had some bad arts. I felt more and more that it couldn't be that simple.
Then she turned around and asked her husband. Huang Zunsu said to her coldly: Miss Zheng is just modest in temperament. She actually comes from a scholarly family. She is not an ignorant country maid. What's even more rare is that at the critical moment, she , you have the courage to meet the enemy and attack the bandits, why can't you go out and walk with the master's family?
Yao then made a note of it and came out in person today to bring Zheng Haizhu into the back courtyard.
It is the pleasant season of autumn. The sun shines through the branches and leaves, printing round copper coins one after another on the ground.
Mrs. Yao let Zheng Haizhu sit in front of the stone table next to the lotus vat, pointed to the candied fruits on the table, and said softly: "I don't feel cold anymore after a while, I thought, why not entertain Zheng Haizhu in the courtyard?" Girl, don’t be upset.”
Of course Zheng Haizhu said yes respectfully.
After sitting down, she admired the small and exquisite garden with great interest, and the admiration in her eyes was deliberately increased, also out of courtesy as a guest.
The cinnamon seeds are gradually falling, but the begonia flowers in the small garden are blooming delicately and gracefully. They are bright and pink, and elegant and orange. There are a few pots of light-colored ones, like mutton-fat jade, with goose-yellow stamens dotted in the middle. Zheng Haizhu thought of the daffodils in Zhangzhou.
Although Zhangzhou is not her real hometown as a time traveler, it is at least the starting point for her to regain a new life, giving her a small fortune and a filial nephew.
After leaving Fujian and heading north, Zheng Haizhu sometimes thought of the sea and rocks in the east of Longxi County, and he still seemed to be able to smell the fragrance of narcissus in his nose.
When Mrs. Yao saw Zheng Haizhu's eyes falling on the crabapples, she smiled and said: "When I came from Yuyao, this yard was still the work of the tenant. The tall ones were just sweet-scented osmanthus, but the lower ones were all chrysanthemums." If there is a garden, I will order everyone to shovel it out and replace it with crabapples."
Zheng Haizhu's eyebrows moved.
Yao was happy to make a footnote: "Speaking of it, the Double Ninth Festival is right in front of us, and those chrysanthemums are also growing well. It is said that some of them are famous species. But I don't like these plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, chrysanthemums, breeze and proud ones." , I only like beautiful and lovely flowers. Our master, just let me do whatever I want."
After hearing her last sentence, Zheng Haizhu knew in his heart that he wanted to catch the mistress' part of the show, and hurriedly smiled and said: "It's beautiful, just like Hu Ling and Hang Jin."
After saying that, he ordered the little maid from the Han family who had followed him to open the suitcase, take out a silk bundle, shake it open, and tell Yao the embroidery gifts one by one.
There are two wanwan fans, one is embroidered with tuberose, Taihu stones and butterflies, the other is embroidered with fish swimming in the waves under the willow silk.
Yao stared at the fish and blurted out: "Ah, it really looks like Liu Xu's fish in Xuanhe's painting book."
Zheng Haizhu knew that she also knew how to draw, and she showed joy in her respectful response: "My maid, I thought it was my grandma who was praising this fan. My young lady learned the art of painting first, and then she used the needle to move the thread." .”
Mr. Yao looked at it carefully for a while, and when he spoke again, his tone was also convincing: "It turns out that he has a foundation in painting. No wonder the embroidery is so elegant and handsome. In my opinion, many of the rare embroidered fish from Suzhou Prefecture have a certain sense of style. The vulgar taste of the streets and alleys is like a festival offering, but it is not as poetic and charming as your lady's fish."
Zheng Haizhu joked: "As for the vividness of the painting, the cluster of crabapples on my grandma's fan is also a work of art."
Mrs. Yao pursed her lips and said, "Girl, I have a very discerning eye. This fan of mine was a dowry from my mother's family. In the past, the palace gave it to the courtiers and their children. My great-grandma got one and passed it on to us."
Zheng Haizhu took out another forehead wiping piece and a cloud shoulder collar, and held them to Yao: "Grandma, the base of this set of embroidery is made of Zhangzhou's plain velvet. It is particularly comfortable to wear in winter."
Yao's eyes were brighter this time, and she was quite surprised: "This is embroidered with pomegranate flowers? It looks really nice against the dark green velvet bottom."
Zheng Haizhu leaned forward and said: "My lady thought that embroidering plum blossoms on clothes in cold weather would be a bit ordinary, so why not find a new way and embroider a piece of summer pomegranate, which is bright red and warms you just by looking at it."
Yao was already so in love with the female beauty in front of her that she turned around and ordered the maid: "Take out the mirror."
…
When Huang Zunsu entered the backyard, his wife Yao was holding the cloud shoulder on her upper body and appraising the effect in the bronze mirror.
The woman's eyes quickly crossed the outline of the mirror and Zheng Haizhu's shoulder, and caught her husband's figure.
She whispered "Yeah", with a charming smile on her face, and went to greet him: "Why did the master come back before noon? Zong Xi has already gone to Dong's school to study."
Zheng Haizhu also stood up quickly and saluted Huang Zunsu.
Huang Zunsu said "hmm" to Mr. Yao and said to Zheng Haizhu: "Because of an official matter, I just got the news. I was about to tell Miss Zheng. Look at Chen Guang and come back to touch it. Sure enough, she is here. Miss Zheng, we are in the front hall. Tell me."
Zheng Haizhu was stunned for a moment, but Huang Zunsu turned around and walked directly to the front hall.
The smile in Yao's eyes faded, and when he turned his head, nothing strange could be seen. He only said with caution, "Since the master has something serious to say, girl, please go quickly."
The two of them walked out of the small courtyard one after another and arrived at the foyer. After sitting down on the wooden chairs, Huang Zunsu didn't have time to take a sip of the tea served by the maid before going straight to the topic: "Miss Zheng, the police in the mansion came from Gusu City." Come back and report that the senior embroiderer who lives near Canglang Pavilion has disappeared."
Zheng Haizhu frowned slightly: "Mr. Huang, that senior has an aloof and eccentric temperament. Doesn't he think that Canglang Pavilion is a famous tourist attraction after all, so he moved?"
Huang Zunsu said: "The police asked the nunnery where the house was rented out. The nun in charge was old and could only nag repeatedly, leasing money as he pleased and coming and going as he pleased."
Zheng Haizhu smiled bitterly: "Ask them, and you really can't find anything. When my lady and I went to learn arts before, we saw the masters in the nunnery next door. They were happy when they opened their mouths, and they were happy when they closed their mouths. It was as if you were telling them that the sky is about to fall, and they I will only reply to you with three words: I want to be Buddhist."
Huang Zunsu looked at the girl in front of him, with a hint of ridicule on his lips, but it was actually out of sympathy. He felt particularly vivid and real for a moment, and he couldn't help but smile helplessly.
But he quickly returned to the topic.
"Miss Zheng, tell me, that senior named Lu used a mask to cover his face below the nose in the hot summer. It was because he practiced embroidery hard when he was young and fell asleep on the embroidery cloth late at night. It might as well be that the candle burned the silk yarn and burned it. Half of the appearance. However, the police took the autographed letter from our Magistrate Zhuang and went to Suzhou Prefecture to investigate. There were several old women named Lu on the registered roads, but they all traveled to Suzhou with their husbands and sons. There was no indication of any difference in appearance. The police officer wondered whether the old lady was actually a local, so he went to all the embroidery shops in the long streets and alleys to inquire about it, but he could not find any explanation. Miss Zheng, Suzhou has been a Jiangnan embroidery industry for hundreds of years. Zong, if there really is such a master in this town, and his appearance is so defective, wouldn’t those old and young embroiderers not know about it, right?”
When Zheng Haizhu heard this, he was as suspicious as Huang Zunsu.
