Concubine Survival Guide

After that day, Sheng Yan fell seriously ill.

Originally, it was just wind evil entering the body, but if ginger soup entered the stomach one night in time, it could be suppressed.But it happened to be a time of great sorrow and fright, and the usually solid bones could not withstand the momentary sorrow and discouragement.Sheng Yan cried and fell asleep on the bed, and it took three days before she woke up.

Opening his eyes dimly, he saw Xiao Xi sitting beside his bed, picking up the scattered books and rice paper on his desk, Sheng Yan was startled, and sat up straight.

"Hey, the tenth young master is awake?" Xiao Xi put down the things in her hands, turned around and poured a glass of water at the table, handed it to him, and said angrily: "The master is gone, and there is still a little master, right?" ? Those girls who don't have long eyes, I will train them later!"

Sheng Yan sat back in surprise, blinked in confusion, secretly looked at Xiao Xi's face, and found that her expression of contempt for him was not the same as before, so she asked tentatively: "Miss Xiao Xi, why are you here?"

"Hey, Tenth Young Master, don't say that... just by the way, I took care of you for the whole night." Xiao Xi smiled and handed over the handkerchief.

In other words, she was originally the second wife, and if she hadn't shown kindness, there would be no reason for her to serve him, a tenth young master who had no reputation.

Taking the veil with a shy expression, Sheng Yan quickly wiped her mouth, and returned the veil to her, with a hint of embarrassment on her face, "Please trouble Miss Xiao Xi, I..." As usual, Xiao Xi does not belong to his room. Waiting on girls, helping to take care of them, and handling errands should all be rewarded.

But his mother died, and his nanny was poor, so he took out the glazed box next to his pillow and saw that there was only a speck of broken silver inside.Gritting her teeth, she took them all out and stuffed them into her hands.

Xiao Xi added a layer of embellishment to her face, smiled and tucked his quilt, and said, "Second Aunt has told you that if you wake up, you can get out of bed, and let you go and see her."

Why would Second Aunt want to see me?Sheng Yan still remembered the way she passed out from crying that day, and shook her head in her heart, could it be that the nanny died, should the blame be on her own?However, judging by Xiao Xi's attitude, it doesn't look like she wants to ask her to blame her.So, what is it for?Also, has the nurse's funeral been done yet?

Enduring curiosity and not daring to ask, Sheng Yan responded blankly, and only asked herself softly how many days of decoction would be needed for this disease.

Xiao Xi said that it's almost done after eating this pair.Sheng Yan nodded nonchalantly. In fact, he still knows this bit of common sense. It's not easy to take a dose of medicine and it's over. I'm afraid... It's true that Sifang has no money.

Supported by Xiao Xi, Sheng Yan walked down the ground, feeling that nothing serious happened.

Xiao Xi took a few glances at the Pisces jade pendant tied around his waist, a hint of surprise appeared on his face, but it was only fleeting, and she smiled and said to him: "In this way, after serving you for lunch, we will go to Zhu Luan Courtyard Let's go."

Sheng Yan nodded and said yes, and had lunch properly.Although it was simple vegetables and tofu, a bowl of fish skin soup, Sheng Yan also ate two bowls of rice, and his gestures showed a little bit of demeanor of a disciple of an aristocratic family.

The nanny had taught him that food, clothing, housing and transportation are all polite and should not be ignored.Even if you can't do your best, you should do your best, so that the eldest lady and aunts won't find faults.At least, you can't let the maidservant look down on you.

Xiao Xi looked at it, and felt a little more concerned.

After lunch, Sheng Yan was ready to change clothes.

Xiao Xi said on the side that she was serving, but she didn't stretch out her hand. Seeing Sheng Yan's skillful movements, she put on the long gown unhurriedly, and then she remembered that this duckweed blue coat made of silk silk belonged to Fourth Aunt I once exchanged the dowry jewelry in private, and made a custom-made seventh birthday gift for the tenth son.

In a blink of an eye, the tenth son is also eight years old.Still wearing this shirt, the material is good, but it can't hide the shabbiness in his bones.Presumably, Fourth Aunt figured that it would be impossible to make another gown like this back then, so she purposely made it a few sizes larger, and now that she wears it, it is just the right size.A bastard who lost his mother and was so despondent that he couldn't even put on a new dress.

As a respectable maidservant, Xiao Xi has seen this kind of thing a lot, she only sighed a little in her heart, then took Sheng Yan's hand and walked towards Zhuluan Courtyard.Passing around the overlapping peaks of Yinsiyan Mountain, Sheng Yan lowered his head slightly, and followed Xiao Xi into the house where Second Aunt is currently living.

After the sixth son passed away, this independent wing courtyard in Zhu Luan's courtyard was given to Second Auntie.The rest of the concubines avoided going out and lived in the side courtyard in the East Chamber.What the Elder Master meant was to wait for Second Aunt to come out of the pain of losing her son before redoing the arrangement.

The doctor said that it is not suitable for the second aunt to move when she is sad, even if it is not polite, she should just live like this.The deceased is the eldest, so it is not good for the eldest lady and other aunts to say anything more.

As soon as he entered the room, Sheng Yan saw the second aunt lying on her back, lying on the couch where the third brother often played chess with him.It didn't take a moment for fog to form in the pupils, and it was cool, and it was full of the third brother's refined smile, and scenes floated in front of his eyes.

Before Xiao Xi could tell, Sheng Yan bent down and knelt down, unable to stop shedding two tears, "Second Aunt, Xiao Shi came to see you... Xiao Shi can't speak... I don't know how to comfort you." Second aunt, but I know that if third brother is reincarnated, he will definitely be your good son in the next life."

At such a young age, it is considered sensible to be able to say these words.The second aunt's body moved slightly, her heart was already blushing, and his clear and clear voice called "Third Brother" all over her ears.

"Get up." Second Aunt said softly, put her hand on her forehead, and waved her hand slightly.

Xiao Xi immediately picked up the cigarette knowingly, moved a low stool, and placed it on the opposite side of the couch.Sheng Yan sat down awkwardly, with tears in the corners of her eyes, but she didn't dare to raise her hands to wipe them, she just put her hands on her knees politely, quietly waiting for Second Aunt to speak.

Although the third brother's death was inseparable from Qin's mother's fault, but in the Long family mansion, Second Aunt knew well that there were more than one or two children who died unexpectedly, how could it be an accident.As long as she thinks about it a little bit, she won't believe it, and whoever in the house dislikes their mother and child, she naturally has a grudge in her heart.

After receiving the tea from Xiao Xi, she rinsed her mouth, took another sip of the snow lotus soup, and then the second aunt turned her face. "The name Sheng Yan was given by my fourth aunt..." As soon as he opened his mouth, he mentioned an insignificant sentence.

Sheng Yan nodded, with a timid expression on her face, "Yes, Second Aunt. When Sheng Yan was born, Dad was in Beijing, and Mother had...thought of a name earlier. She didn't want Dad to bother, so she wrote the horoscope of her birthday by herself, followed by the date of birth. The name was sent together. Dad thought it was good, so he decided on it with a red pen."

The second aunt couldn't help raising her eyelids and took a look at Sheng Yan. No one in the house knew that the offspring of this generation should take the word "Bi" according to their seniority, but the name of the tenth son lacked "Bi", which means What, it's all too obvious.With such a name, let alone enter the family tree, I am afraid that even the family property will not be divided into half when I grow up.

But he has no complaints, and he has no complaints against his father in words. It seems that he is still too young and has a relatively simple personality.

Of course, he doesn't need to know the stakes.

"Well, Mother Qin is gone, and now you are the only one left in the fourth room, what are your plans..." The second aunt sat up, picked up the Persian white cat under her feet, inserted her thin fingers into the long fur, and stroking.

An eight-year-old kid who knows what's going on?She asked this on purpose, just to test Sheng Yan.

Sheng Yan stood up obediently, and saluted Second Aunt, with a sob in her voice, "Second Aunt, Sheng Yan, Sheng Yan... without Mother, the nanny did such a big mistake again, it's all Sheng Yan's fault Too young, don't know anything... That's why I hurt third brother..." After speaking, he couldn't speak clearly, and wept softly.

Then, he hurriedly knelt to the bottom and said, "I just ask Second Auntie not to blame me. She thinks that Sheng Yan is young, and Sheng Yan is willing to serve Second Auntie instead of Third Brother from now on until she dies...I want to atone for the wet nurse , I also want to repay the kindness of the third brother."

Xiao Xi looked at Sheng Yan's red and swollen forehead in surprise, and asked Second Aunt with her eyes.

Second Yiniang frowned, but her face was as sinking as water, and she remained calm.After a while, until Sheng Yanke was about to pass out, he pursed his lips and asked Xiao Xi to carry him to bed.

At the moment when his consciousness was about to blur, Sheng Yan suddenly raised his head and grabbed Second Aunt's hand, "Second Aunt, I'm sorry...Ruo Ruo, Ru Ruo that day I stopped Mother Qin from leaving the side door of the right courtyard in the middle of the night, Maybe, maybe just..."

Realizing that he really passed out, Second Aunt immediately pushed his hand away, her chest was heaving violently, and Xiao Xi helped her back to the couch.

"Master... this child's words..." Xiao Xi wiped her sweat-soaked temples with her sleeves.

The second aunt snorted coldly, and said: "What is Qin's mother's identity, how can she encounter such a poison... What this child says may not be all the truth, but it doesn't look like a lie either."

As expected, her thinking was not detailed enough, Xiao Xi gave Second Aunt a positive look, looked out from the side, and then went out to fetch water with a face, and came back to wipe Sheng Yan's wound.

He took out a bottle of ready-made gold sore medicine from the drawer and covered it with her fingertips. The second aunt patted Sheng Yan's face to wake him up.

"Second aunt..." Enduring the pain, Sheng Yan was about to turn over and get out of bed.

"Come on, rest. I will carefully consider what you say." The second aunt had a slight smile in the corner of her eyes, she waved her hand and asked Xiao Xi to come and take care of her, and she sat in front of the mirror and dressed up for a while, but it was useless Blush, but she pulled a few strands of hair sparsely, and went out with the white cat in her arms.

"Sister Xiao Xi, Second Aunt, this is... you don't follow?" Sheng Yan still sat up tremblingly, took her hand and shouted.

"What does the master want to do, we have to obey. Ten young masters, don't wander around in the future. If you feel bored, you can come here often to walk around... There may be no time to go to the family school these days." Xiao Xi patted the back of his hand, signaling him not to worry about it, and her smile suddenly became more cordial.

Sheng Yan smiled and agreed, and reminded herself again in her heart, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, touched her forehead, felt a little dizzy, and lay down with her clothes on again.

At this time, it is very easy to get sleepy in the afternoon, so Xiao Xi took out a Hexiang pill from the incense box made of silk filigree, lifted up her long sleeves, opened the incense burner, twitched it, and added the incense very gently.

The rich aroma came slowly, Sheng Yan felt his whole body relaxed a lot, and gradually fell asleep.

Xiao Xi had nothing to do, so she also lay down on the soft couch in the outer room, closed her eyes and took a nap for a while.

After an unknown amount of time, Sheng Yan woke up and looked outside, only to find that Xiao Xi was still sleeping.Seeing that there is no one in the room inside and outside, I felt moved, walked to the side of the smoker, and looked in blankly.

The nose moved, and Sheng Yan vigorously inhaled the aroma curling up from the stove.

He heard from Qin's mother that the incense pills used by the aunts are all distributed in the warehouse every month, and they are uniformly prepared. They are particular about which one to use in spring and autumn, which one to use in summer, and which one to use in winter. .

However, there are not many types of fragrant pills, because only the eldest lady is qualified to choose the category, she picks the rest and gives them to the two elder brothers, and the rest are for the other brothers to choose, and finally the aunts will choose the rest.

When the eldest brother is not at home, it is cheaper for the other brothers who are also concubines.However, because their mother was born well and was favored, they lived a good life, better than him by more than 01:30 points.

Last year, when Fourth Aunt was still alive, incense was burned in the smoke room, but the incense sticks were used, so there is no comparison.

Sheng Yan has always wanted to touch the real Hexiang Wan, thinking that if he could smell it a few more times and compare it with the Xiangwan recipe in the book, he might be able to smell the formula of three or four flavors.

This opportunity is rare, Sheng Yan held back his strength, wanting to smell what kind of Hexiang pill it is.Unfortunately, after smelling it for a long time, he still only smelled sandalwood.

Alas, he sat down in his chair and sighed.Sandalwood is very common in the Long family, even ordinary maids can smell it!

Sheng Yan leaned back on the bed in frustration, and the scene of the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner at home last year suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.At that time, in the center of the crowd, the eldest brother Long Bifei was dressed in a long gown of brocade, with a refined description, as if he was already a handsome young man.

His eyes are starry, his lips are red and his teeth are white. What stands out the most is his long shiny obsidian hair. Although he has not tied a crown yet, the snow-white hairbands of a fifth-level incense maker hang down on his shoulders. He is full of envy. .

Sheng Yan recalled what her mother said to herself before she died: "Yan'er, I just hope you can grow up safely, don't learn to be patient, don't offend anyone, it doesn't matter if you are a perfume maker or not, just let nature take its course."

However, in Long's family, if he didn't become a perfume maker, wouldn't he be looked down upon for the rest of his life?Lastly, I should be a third-level incense maker.

It is written in the book that the incense makers of the Tianxiang Dynasty have the same rank as the officials. There are nine ranks in total, from low to high, followed by nine colors of black, yellow, green, purple, white, ocher, blue, brown, and red. A special headband as a logo.

The book also said that the ability to make incense needs to be practiced step by step. It is very important to accumulate experience over the years. If you are not talented, there is no shortcut to become a perfume maker.

Moreover, he does not have a mother who was born in the incense family like the second aunt, nor does the third brother and eldest brother have a natural keen sense of fragrance. No matter how you look at it, he has a long way to go.

Even so, Sheng Yan did not give up on this dream. He still had to find a way to get his father to allow him to go to home school.

Because it is only possible to come into contact with all kinds of spices if you go to home school and have a foundation of culture and knowledge of incense. At that time, no matter how hard you work, in three to five years, you will always be able to pass the exam as a first-level incense maker. ?

After making up his mind, Sheng Yan calmed down a bit, and went back to take a nap for a while, waiting to be woken up by Xiao Xi.After the second aunt came back, he retreated to the Mianxiang building, rolled up his sleeves, and dragged out a large sandalwood box under the bed.

He didn't need to look at him to tell, it was filled with high-quality large pieces of agarwood.It was the most precious dowry given by the mother of the fourth aunt when she married into the Dragon Mansion, and it is said that it was also the most precious thing of the grandfather's family.In order for her daughter to marry into the Hou family so that she would not be looked down upon by the mistress too much, the grandfather thought of everything before he was willing to give it to her.

Since it has not been processed and combined with incense, these agarwoods are just agarwood, not the most precious spices.However, in recent years, the agarwood trees have been out of production, and the Long family consumes thousands of agarwood trees every year to make incense. This kind of top-grade agarwood is quite difficult to obtain.

If the second aunt had this box of agarwood, with her secret recipe for making incense, she might be able to win the top prize in this year's family incense meeting.

Sheng Yan calmed down and thought about it, if he wanted to live in this family, he had to find someone to rely on.Since he was born, he has only met his second aunt more often, and it would be impossible for him to think about other aunts or the main wife.

However, the second aunt may not accept her love, she came to beg repeatedly before, but Sheng Yan was reluctant to give it.Now that he has no dependence, Qin's mother may not be able to get rid of that matter. If he goes to deliver Chen Xiang at this time, there will still be people who will gossip and gossip.

What's more, this is the only capital he has now, if he doesn't use it well... Sheng Yan's eyes dazzled and his heart felt guilty, but he still gritted his teeth and dragged the box out.

But moving the box turned out to be a problem!

At this moment, Sheng Yan didn't have a single copper coin, so naturally he couldn't call someone else's boy to help carry the box.He sighed, stretched out his hands stubbornly, bent over and dragged the box, and stumbled downstairs.Afraid that the movement would be too loud and offend the other aunts and girls, they put waste cotton cloth on the four corners of the box and dragged it slowly all the way.

He struggled to drag the box up the corridor, panting for breath, already too tired to straighten his waist.Turning his head, he saw a small bridge in the middle of the corridor, close to the water, and he had an idea in his mind.Xin said, walking from here can at least reduce the distance by half.

Looking at his purple hands, it was true that he couldn't stand any more distance.

After resting for a while, Sheng Yan dragged the box onto the bridge with all his might, backing up and forward at the same time, regardless of whether his neck was twisted.

Suddenly, Sheng Yan didn't pay attention to the slippery pebbles under his feet, and his foot slipped down. In order not to fall, he had to turn around abruptly, but bumped into a person with a "bang".