Han Ximeng asked softly: "Mei, does your family believe in foreign religions?"
The little girl was extremely polite. She stood up, bowed and saluted, and replied politely: "Hello sisters, yes, my family has joined the Society of Jesus, and I have been baptized. My Christian name is Candida."
"Ha, what a coincidence," Han Ximeng smiled wider and said with a gentle tone, "Let me guess, is your surname Xu?"
The little girl nodded, her expression showing surprise in her honesty.
Zheng Haizhu understood instantly that this child was Xu Guangqi's granddaughter.
In the past few years, Xu Guangqi was fiercely criticized by the conservatives in the capital court because he had close ties with Western missionaries such as Xiong Sanba and Matteo Ricci, and he fought for living space for the Catholics in various places. He then resigned in anger and took up a sinecure position in the Hanlin Academy. He mainly lived in Tianjin and translated "Elements of Geometry", but he also often returned to Songjiang to socialize with the Jin gentry in Huating.
The atmosphere in Songjiang Mansion was open-minded, but it was still rare for a whole family to join the foreign religion. The fact that the young grandchildren of the Xu family were all baptized into Christianity became known to everyone in the upper-class official circles.
In the Han Mansion, "Gandhi Da", the Christian name of the little granddaughter of the Xu family, was familiar to Zheng Haizhu after hearing it mentioned by Qian and Han Ximeng several times when avoiding his third grandmother Yang.
Han Ximengzheng wanted to ask a few more questions, but a woman behind him called out: "Huizhen, this is the sister of the Han family."
Han Ximeng turned around and saw that the woman's features were very similar to Xiao Huizhen's, so he guessed that she was Xu Guangqi's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gu, and said very politely: "My grandma is in good health."
The Gu family's bestie was Lan Jie. Her natal family was also from Songjiang, and she was considered a relative of Gu Mingshi.
Gu Lanjie knew from the information from her husband's family and her mother's family that Gu Mingshi's most precious second-in-law grandson was engaged to the eldest lady of the Han family in front of him.
She had no unfamiliar greetings with Han Ximeng. She raised her sleeves with a relaxed expression and said with a smile: "Today I came to see the sweet potato harvest. I was dressed in a shabby way. I just met Mu Atai. It was really rude."
"What's so rude? In the past, the empress even kissed silkworms. Wife-in-law of the Xu family, you are the role model for all the female relatives in Songjiang."
An old but hearty female voice came from the village road, and Old Mrs. Miao was supported by her mother-in-law and walked proudly.
After she stood still, she said with great energy: "I just told the ladies from various families that a few years ago Xu Hanlin hired people to plant sweet potatoes in Sheshan, and the scholars in Songjiang still laughed at him. Now those old men and young masters, Everyone should come and see how many sweet potatoes can be harvested from this barren hillside where rice could not be grown in the past."
On the side, Huang Zunsu's wife Yao also picked up the conversation and said: "Miao Atai is right. Last year we had a spring drought in Yuyao and the rice was not harvested. Fortunately, sweet potatoes are drought-resistant and easy to grow, which saved many villagers. My master It is said that the sweet potato is a vine root that a maritime trader named Chen got back from the Frankies when he went to Luzon to run a ship."
Today, Mrs. Miao chatted with Mr. Yao all the way and already had a good impression of her.
Some official family members, relying on the smooth career of their masters, like to find fault with the common people, even in the presence of wealthy families whose men are no longer officials, and only want to accept flattery like stars.
But this shallowness was not seen in Mrs. Yao. She spoke to Mrs. Miao very measuredly, talking a lot about Yuyao's customs and customs, and asked about the school situation in Songjiang.
At this moment, after listening to Yao's words, Mrs. Miao became more and more approving, nodding her head and saying: "Mrs. Huang is still knowledgeable. Yes, the maritime merchant surnamed Chen is the hometown of Miss Zheng and I, and he is also from Fujian. At the beginning, Fran The Ji people forbade me, a Ming merchant, to bring back any plant seeds from Luzon, but Mr. Chen was so clever that he stuck the sweet potato vines in the cables of the ship and smuggled them out."
After saying that, Mrs. Miao personally came up and took Gu Lanjie's sleeves, and then called to the well-behaved little girl Xu Huizhen: "Let's go eat crabs with me. No matter how busy you are, you will always have to eat."
Gu Lanjie declined: "Miao Ata, I just emerged from the ground. My clothes are so dirty that I can't even see them. It's not good for me to go to the banquet."
Shen, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Gu family, who is well-versed in human nature, has come up and said affectionately: "They are all our relatives. My sister is not allowed to see anyone else. We have climbed all the way up the mountain. If anyone is not covered with grass blades and mud, let's go quickly."
Mrs. Yao also smiled and said: "I brought a new robe today, and I asked Sister Ximeng of the Han family to show me how to embroider it. If Mrs. Xu doesn't mind it, I will change it with Mrs. Xu when we enter the restaurant." superior."
…
After half a stick of incense, in the private room of Heming Tower, Grandma Shen's personal maid and Han Xiying were shaking out a set of silk jackets and trousers to change Gu Lanjie's clothes.
A moment ago, Han Xiying took the initiative to go upstairs and squeezed in to help. She made it clear that she was a junior and didn't understand etiquette.
Mrs. Yao was surprised. Changing clothes was originally a matter for the maids and women. If the lady didn't participate, how could she not understand the etiquette?
She was secretly muttering that Han Xiying was too lively. On the armchair beside her, Mrs. Shen was already chatting with her: "The pomegranate cloud shoulder on Mrs. Huang's body, did Ximeng say she embroidered it just now? Ameng's embroidery skills , I really don’t have a choice.”
Yao agreed: "The pomegranate flowers on the shoulders of the clouds are bright in color but extremely elegant in outline. They have the legacy of the paintings of the two Song Dynasties. By the way, grandma, I heard that Mu Atai's embroidery skills are also superb, Gu Fu and Han The marriage between the government and the government is actually a destined fate."
Over there, Han Xiying suddenly took the initiative to interject: "My eldest sister, I haven't looked at Song Dynasty paintings recently, and instead I have been thinking about Japanese things."
"Japanese country?" Shen's face changed slightly, and a look of solemnity appeared between her eyebrows.
Han Xiying still looked innocent and said seriously: "Well, it was the family who kidnapped Miss Zheng by mistake. They gave me a piece of clothing from the Japanese country as an apology. There were also some pictures of beauties. The eldest sister saw it and treated it like a treasure. She thought about the clothes all day long. The stitches on the clothes and the techniques on the paintings. I wanted to watch them together, but Miss Zheng only showed me the clothes and refused to let me see the paintings. Miss Zheng, you are so cruel."
Gu Lanjie, who had put on his trousers, caught sight of Shen from the corner of his eye and said warmly: "The painters of the Japanese country have indeed become famous overseas in recent years. My father-in-law's Western friends have also mentioned it. As for embroidery , I think the Japanese people bought a lot of embroidery when they were in contact with me in the Ming Dynasty. There are always people there who are skillful and intelligent, and they may also be the jade of other mountains, and we can learn from it."
Shen nodded to Gu Lanjie, turned to Yao and said: "However, the Japanese are different from the people in Nanyang and the West. The Japanese have a long-standing enmity with the Ming Dynasty. It is better to have less of the Japanese silk calligraphy and painting. Huang Madam, you, Yuyao, also had Japanese troubles back then, right?"
Yao replied calmly: "There was a quarrel. It was caused by Master Jiajing, and the family of the former Xie Ge was wiped out."
Shen made a slight hiss and sighed, "Look, it's scary."
Yao continued to expand: "However, later people said that the descendants of Mr. Xie Ge were colluding with our Ming Dynasty merchants for smuggling and relying on money. When things fell apart, the merchants hired rogues from the Japanese country to massacre the Xie family. .So, the people flapping on both sides are actually our people from the Ming Dynasty, and the Japanese people are just the hired dogs of one of them."
After hearing this, Gu Lanjie cast an approving look and said softly: "In the past, we had Japanese pirates in Songjiang Mansion, and they were similar. Some were real Japanese, and some were actually internal strife among the Ming Dynasty."
The displeasure on Shen's face flashed across her face. She quickly stood up and smiled: "Oh, that's it. Fortunately, everything is peaceful now. Let's go downstairs. Don't teach the old lady to wait."
Yao walked at the end, staring at Han Xiying's slim back and smacking her lips. This little girl was also sixteen. She didn't seem simple and straightforward, but she seemed to be cunning and wanted to orchestrate her sister's deviant behavior.
After Yao was relieved by Huang Zunsu, Zheng Haizhu came to accompany her and visited Songjiang Town. During this period, Zheng Haizhu also took the initiative to invite her to teach at a private school. She no longer had any grudge against Zheng Haizhu and was quite willing to work with her. The two daughters Han and Zheng became friends.
She then made a note in her mind that Han Xiying revealed that Han Ximeng was studying Japanese paintings, and decided to find a suitable opportunity to tell Zheng Haizhu about it.
Everyone is responsible for what they say. Since the little girl dared to talk, she couldn't stop the mature listener from reminding her sister.
…
Mrs. Miao is in particularly good spirits today.
She happily went to the pond and selected the hairy crabs herself.
After it is steamed and served, a set of silver "eight pieces of crab" is placed in front of each female family member.
In the Susong area, everyone loves crabs, and everyone knows how to use eight pieces of crabs. They don't want the maids and women to do it for them. They happily catch the strong crabs with golden hair and white bellies, put them on the round silver table in front of them, and knock them. Beat, pick and choose.
Suddenly, countless green and jade fingers were flying dexterously on the table, holding round hammers, long-handled axes, thin forks, round-head scissors, drills, small spoons and other tools.
In a moment, the fat-white crab meat and orange-red crab roe entered the mouths of the rouge sandalwood one after another.
Zheng Haizhu stood behind Han Ximeng while holding the chrysanthemum water for washing her hands. She suddenly noticed that Shen, the eldest grandma of the Gu family, used hammers, scissors, forks, and silver spoons normally. Therefore, like other female relatives, she successfully ate crab roe and crab roe. body and crab claws. Only when it came to the crab legs, Shen got stuck in the shell.
The meat in the crab legs needs to be poked out with a long needle, but Shen cut off the joints at both ends of the crab legs and tried several times, but could not get the needle in.
Zheng Haizhu could clearly see that Shen's hands were unable to perform this delicate movement.
Zheng Haizhu glanced sideways at the maid behind Mr. Shen. The maid's name was Cuiliu. She was twenty years old. She was a very smart and smart girl. At this moment, she was also staring directly at the mistress's hand, leaning forward slightly. I asked him several times but seemed afraid to come forward to help.
She has a hand disease, and she cares about it very much and doesn't want to look different from others?
When Zheng Haizhu was thinking silently, Mrs. Miao, who was sitting next to Shen, naturally took out her hand and pinched the crab leg between Shen's fingers. She poked it with a fine knife, and a piece of tender and fat crab leg meat came out. .
Shen took it calmly and put it into his mouth.
Zheng Haizhu clearly caught a hint of compassion in Mrs. Miao's eyes.
