Flowers in full bloom

You have to know that her cousin clings to her mother so much that she wants to be by her side twelve hours a day. When Madam Han takes a nap, she will also be by her side, fanning herself with a silk fan or patting her legs and feet. She rushes to do all the work of a maidservant in front of Madam Han. Did the sun rise from the west today?

"My aunt fell asleep, and I had nothing to do, so I came to see Sister Hua." "Didn't I see her this morning?" Zhenzhu asked bluntly. "Sister Zhenzhu, don't you welcome me?" Han Qingge lowered her head slightly, aggrieved. Zhenzhu rolled her eyes, lay back on the recliner, and ignored her.

Hualei smiled slightly and passed the tea to Han Qingge. Seeing Han Qingge sitting there without saying anything, she was a little puzzled. Was she busy? Was she really just bored and came to visit? She thought that she couldn't treat the guests badly since they were in her courtyard. She took a sip of tea and made small talk, "Miss Han's dress is really beautiful."

"Sister Hua, do you think it looks good too? This was newly made for me by my aunt and was delivered yesterday. The manager of Jinxiufang also said that this one is the best looking. The material is also good, light and soft, and it suits me very well. But I just think it's a bit expensive. This set costs over a hundred taels of silver." Han Qingge said softly while gently stroking the folds of her dress.

After a pause, seeing that Hua Lei didn't respond, he continued, "But my aunt thinks that as a girl, I should dress up nicely, so she ordered two sets for me. I will wear them for Sister Hua after the other set is delivered. If Sister Hua likes them, she can also go to Jinxiufang to order them. It's the largest clothing shop in the middle of East Street and it's easy to find."

As if she remembered something, she said considerately, "Jinxiufang also has plain clothes suitable for Sister Hua. You can pick some out then." Pearl lay on the recliner and rolled her eyes.

Hua Lei smiled and said, "I think Miss Han is worthy of such fine fabrics. I have to work every day, so it would be a waste for me to wear such fine fabrics."

Han Qingge chuckled and glanced at the small table covered with books and papers. The maids who were originally sitting around the table had already left. The table was a little messy at this time. The book that Hua Lei had been repairing halfway was spread out on the table in several pieces, and needles and thread, scissors, and pieces of paper were all scattered around.

Han Qingge's eyes flashed with disdain, but her words were gentle and tender. "Sister Hua is really hard-working. She has to do these rough jobs every day. I heard that a few servants of Sister Hua's family opened a bookstore and a restaurant in Qingyun Lane. They get up early and go to bed late every day. Is the business good? Can they earn five taels of silver a month?"

"Cousin, why do you care how much money others make every month? Are you looking down on others? Have you ever earned even one ounce of silver since you were a child? No? Not even a copper coin? How can you look down on others?"

"Cousin, I don't look down on Sister Hua. I just sympathize with her. I asked about the silver out of curiosity. I didn't mean to look down on her." Han Qingge said aggrievedly.

"You really shouldn't look down on others, and you have no right to look down on others. Everything you eat, drink, and wear today is paid for by our mansion. Since I was old enough to understand, you have been living in our mansion, eating our food, and wearing our clothes. If you didn't live in the mansion and didn't cling to my mother, do you think your uncle's monthly salary of twelve taels would allow you to spend like you do now?"

"Cousin, you..."

"What's wrong with me? Are you trying to say that I don't make a penny, but I eat and dress better than you? Don't you look at my status? How can you compare with me? I am the legitimate daughter of the eldest son of the Dingbei Marquis's Mansion, and you are just a cousin of the Marquis's Mansion. Why do you compare food and clothing with me in front of my mother every day? You refuse to leave my Pearl Courtyard and stick my jade jewelry on your head. You really think you are a lady." Pearl, who was stimulated by something, spoke in rapid succession, shocking Hualei and all the maids in the courtyard.

The final result was that Han Qingge went to Changfeng Garden to find Madam Han with tears in her eyes, and Pei Zhenzhu went to Songheyuan crying. When Madam Han learned what happened, she sent a maid to Songheyuan to ask Zhenzhu to go back. However, Zhenzhu had already gone to live with her maid at the home of General Zhongwu, the husband's family of her second sister Manju.

At that time, Hualei was really stunned when she saw Zhenzhu dipped the tea and rubbed it under her eyes, then pulled her neatly tied hair, smiled brightly at herself who was standing there in a daze, and then rushed to Songheyuan with Qingzhu and several other maids crying.

For a long time afterwards, Zhenzhu didn't come to Qihuayuan or the Girls' School. She was said to be helping Manju with her nephew. Hualei was still the same as before, going to Songheyuan in the morning, to the Girls' School in the morning, and staying in her own courtyard in the afternoon, reading or mending.

Every day before the day off, he would report to Old Madam Pei to go back to Qingyun Lane. Then he would have dinner the next day and go back to Qihua Courtyard from the corner gate of the northeast gate. He would try not to attend family gatherings in the Marquis' Mansion and also try to avoid meeting Rong Jin, Madam Han and Han Qingge.

Because she could feel Han Qingge's hostility towards her more intuitively. Although Han Qingge might not have much chance of winning against Zhenzhu, for Hualei, that was someone that Hualei and her brother could not afford to offend. Not to mention her father, a sixth-rank editor, even Madam Han from the Marquis' Mansion was not someone Hualei could afford to offend.

I heard that recently, Han Qingge's brothers and half brothers, together with other children who were staying in the Marquis' Mansion, were also naughty to Xiaoyuan. Although they didn't go so far as to attack Xiaoyuan in the clan school, they accidentally tore up Xiaoyuan's papers today and accidentally knocked over Xiaoyuan's inkstone tomorrow, which made Xiaoyuan very annoyed.

Hua Lei only told him when she saw Xiao Yuan's clothes stained several times by the spilled ink. Apart from persuading Xiao Yuan to be patient, Hua Lei had no other good way to solve the problem. Even if she told the teacher of the clan school, it would be useless, after all, others were "careless." Besides, the teacher was so busy that he didn't have the energy to care about these things.

The food at Qihuayuan was getting worse and worse. From the beginning, there were two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes and one soup. I don't know when a vegetable dish was missing. And I don't know when a meat dish was missing. At first, it was only missing at dinner, and then lunch. The staple food also went from three items at the beginning to only one bowl of rice now. I don't know if the white rice that I can still eat now will be replaced by a few steamed buns or something in the near future. The fruit drinks have been gone for a long time.

I heard that Madam Han has been in poor health and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis has been in charge of the household. However, the eldest daughter-in-law has been going to Changfeng Garden frequently recently. I wonder if it has anything to do with Hualei's food.

In front of Old Madam Pei, Hua Lei didn't say a word, and also told all the maids and servants in Qihua Court to keep their mouths shut. After all, her brother and sister had no relatives in the Marquis' Mansion, and being able to stay in the Marquis' Mansion was already a kindness from the Marquis' Mansion and Old Madam Pei. Not long ago, Old Madam Pei used ice in the house because she wanted to stay cool at night, and ended up catching a cold. She coughed for a long time and has not recovered yet. Hua Lei didn't want to let these trivial matters cause trouble to the old man.