But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Wu Jia is not unintelligent.

Wu Yin may have thought that if he covered it up properly, he would be able to hide it, but from the moment Wu Jia took over Xu Zhiliu's return to Beijing, she knew clearly that once she got involved with a foreign man, even jumping into the Yellow River would not be able to clean it out.

Since this life must be saved, then I won’t wash it.

Therefore, she never thought about hiding Wu Fangyuan forever, she was just waiting for an opportunity.

Not long after, news came from Puji Temple that Abbot Guangpu just returned from his travels.Because he had received a favor from Wu Fangyuan many years ago, he never had the chance to repay the favor, so this time he used it on Xu Zhiliu.

Wu Fangyuan asked Uncle Liang to send people to Puji Temple in person. Wu Jia wanted to go with him, but Wu Fangyuan stopped him.

"From today on, you can stay at home and wait for your marriage. I will be relieved when Sun Qin comes to Beijing to meet and finalize the wedding date."

Wu Fangyuan said, "As for the rest, don't think about it. I have indulged you too much before. If not, you would have married into the Sun family long ago."

"But my brother hasn't married yet, so there's no reason for my sister to marry first."

"Can that be the same thing? Stop messing around! Don't think that you fooled me that day at Zhuangzi with a pot of wine and two crabs. That's because I didn't expose your evil intentions!"

He was also puzzled. She was also a young lady raised in a boudoir by a wealthy family. How come her daughter spent time doing embroidery and writing, and was good at playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting? Her daughter preferred to travel around the mountains and rivers, weave and raise silkworms, and do farming since she was a child. Just different from people.

The old saying often goes that at home, you should follow your father and your husband when you get married, but she chose not to do that because she was full of rebellious thoughts.Let’s just talk about embroidery. It’s a small thing. What woman can’t do it?She refused to do it, so she often pinched him and blushed, and the father and daughter had a cold war.

The great father's power is not worth mentioning in front of the love for his beloved, so that Wu Jia's "ambition" gradually grows.

Although Wu Jia didn't know exactly what she liked and what she wanted to do, she knew very well that she didn't want to be arranged, and she didn't want to be like a woman in the world, marry someone she didn't love, and be a mistress who was both internal and external in the eyes of others. A bunch of children without personality, Wu Jia will be unhappy for the rest of his life.

Just like her mother, staying with the Buddhist temple all day long is like being in prison.

She didn't want to spend the rest of her life in a square world like her mother, so she tried her best to escape from the capital and saw a broader world. The little seed called rebellion took root in her heart. As she grows up, it is no longer something she can control if she wants to.

Xu Zhiliu didn't know what Wu Jia was thinking, but this young lady from an aristocratic family was indeed a little different from what he had imagined.

Although he has never had the opportunity to describe a lady from an aristocratic family, it is often said in books that the three obediences and four virtues can be learned, and the words and deeds are all like jade. The seven virtues and nine virtues have always been the discipline for women.

Although these disciplines often puzzled him, he never thought about changing anything.

When it came to Wu Jia, he could clearly feel the woman's "resistance".Even with regard to farming matters that he knew very little about, she, a rich young lady, actually opened her mouth and explained them clearly and logically.Uncle Liang also said that there was a flower garden behind Qinliju, which she took care of herself. Even the bamboo forest on the mountain was planted by her.

He couldn't help but think of Liang Peiqiu.That was the woman he had the most contact with besides Ah Yao.Ever since he found out that she was also a woman, his heart had never been at peace.

He was very aware of the rules at the entrance of the kiln, especially the fire-burning kiln room where women were strictly prohibited from entering or exiting.They regard women as a bad omen and believe that women will seriously affect the rate of leaving the kiln. However, there are many female red shop masters in the rough house, and Liang Peiqiu is the best among them, possessing magical talents that are difficult to match in the world. The kiln fire is well understood.

It can be said that how much "green" a kiln can have is all in her mind.

However, she is a woman.

Because she is a woman, even if she is a genius, she cannot break the established rules and laws in the world.He could not imagine, in such a world, what consequences she would face if her identity were exposed one day.

However, during the period when he committed himself to An Jiu, when he watched her running for Huang Jiazhou, scolding him for being a watchmaker, and confronting him about Wen Shi's death, he decided to be a gentleman. When making the covenant, he thought that maybe she, like Wu Jia, was silently fighting for something.

Something perhaps more passed down from generation to generation.

At this moment, he was kneeling on a futon in the quiet Zen room. When Abbot Guangpu asked him what he was thinking, he replied without any hesitation: "Someone once said that I have changed. I am no longer the same person as before. I, I was thinking just now, how can she be the same as she used to be? Abbot, please explain to me, why do people change?"

Abbot Guangpu said: "Cause, fate, and chance are all variables. How can people remain unchanged?"

"Can a good person completely turn into a bad person?"

"What is good and what is bad?"

"I do not know."

"Donor, all dharmas are empty, and cause and effect are not empty. I would like to ask more. In your opinion, is the fire all over my body now a cause or an effect?"

……

Abbot Guangpu studied under the master Yunshan and can peel off burned skin and regenerate it without leaving scars.However, Xu Zhiliu's burn was too serious, and a year later, many scars on his body have scabbed and healed. It was not good to add new wounds just to peel them off, and it was not necessary. Therefore, he only needed to use the disguise technique to modify the burned face and reintegrate it. .

However, everything has risks. Abbot Guangpu said: "Donor, you must be prepared. Peeling and reshaping goes against the law of development. You may develop complications afterwards, such as evil winds entering the body, cold and heat, and you will suffer from it for the rest of your life." Such torture.”

Besides, his appearance was given by his parents. If he really peeled off the skin and bones, he would have nothing to do with Xu Zhiliu anymore.

This level is very difficult. What you have to endure is not only the pain of peeling off the skin and bones, but more importantly, accepting that your former self is truly dead in the secular sense. His appearance and voice will all die.

In the dust, the smoke disappeared.

Abbot Guangpu knew that there was no need to rush the matter and did not force him. He allowed him to stay in Puji Temple for a long time until he thought about it clearly before officially receiving treatment.

At the end of the month, Wu Jia finally had the chance to go out.

Mrs. Wu was very concerned about her daughter's marriage. One day in advance, she asked the maids around her to start preparing all kinds of things for going up the mountain. She also personally saw the clothes and jewelry Wu Jia wore to ensure that they were not too beautiful or luxurious, nor too excessive. Sober and elegant.You must show your accomplishments without compromising your family status.

After weighing the two for a long time, they finally picked out a deerskin cloak with a stand-up collar and a horse face that barely suited the occasion. This made Mrs. Wu feel sad. She felt that she had been neglecting her daughter too much. When she grew up, she and her future husband would have their first relationship. The first time we met formally, we couldn't even bring out a few clothes that we had, and we had to rummage through the boxes, which was not satisfactory.

On the way, Mrs. Wu looked at her flower-like daughter and kept stroking her head lovingly and said, "My daughter has reached the age of marriage. In the blink of an eye, life flies by so fast."

"Mom, my daughter can't bear to leave you. How could you marry me so far away from Jiangxi?"

"Silly boy, Mr. Sun is just going on an overseas trip, it's not like he won't come back to Beijing."

"What about Sun Qin? He only trained under his father. How can he be considered a real man?"

Mrs. Wu smiled: "I know you are dissatisfied with this marriage. In fact, I don't know much about the child of the Sun family, so I can't say anything nice against my will. But based on my understanding of your father, he will not use his daughter's happiness as a wedding dress. As a person, Sun Qin must have his own merits. Don’t be too exclusive, maybe you will change your mind when you meet him later.”

"I do not know."

"Why?"

Mrs. Wu was puzzled, why her tone was so certain?
Wu Jia said: "If you can fall in love after just one meeting, it won't last long. Mom, isn't that the same for you and your father?"

These words touched upon Mrs. Wu's sadness. She let out a long sigh, twisted her beads and stopped talking.

The car drove slowly, and when it left the city, it was met by the Sun family.Wu Jia heard the sound of horse hooves approaching the carriage, and then a respectful greeting came from outside.

"Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu are fine."

The nanny beside her opened the curtain in response, and Mrs. Wu looked out. In the misty morning mist, she saw a face that could only be regarded as a decent one. Compared with her father, who had a distinguished reputation in the capital, it was really a long way off.I intended to say a few warm words, but when they reached my lips, I swallowed them all. I just nodded slightly to express my hard work, and then my grandma lowered the car curtain.

Poor Sun Qin, who got up early in the morning, was blocked back without even seeing a hair on Wu Jia's face.

Seeing his mother's behavior, Wu Jia was mentally prepared. After arriving at Puji Temple, surrounded by a group of maids and servants, he met Sun Qin through a curtain and hat. His heart was calm and without any ups and downs.

The group of people abandoned their carriages and sedans in front of the mountain gate and walked hundreds of stone steps to the main entrance of the temple. When Sun Qin saw that he was just a seven or eight-year-old boy who came to meet him, he looked slightly unhappy and asked where Abbot Guangpu was.

The young novice clasped his hands together and replied respectfully: "My uncle is currently doing Qing monastery and it is inconvenient to receive foreign visitors."

Sun Qin was displeased and said that Puji Temple was eating royal incense but had no basic hospitality.

The young novice shivered because of his noble aura. He thought he had heard the wrong message and that the person who came was not a member of the official family but a member of the royal family. He quickly made excuses and said that his master was already waiting in the courtyard.

Sun Qin wanted to say something else, but Madam Wu tried to smooth things over: "It's okay, your master is the abbot Guangyuan?"

The little novice nodded.

Mrs. Wu smiled slightly: "Abbot Guangyuan and I are old acquaintances, so there is no need to pay attention to these false etiquette." She turned to comfort Sun Qin, "I know you have good intentions, but I am afraid you will neglect me. But Buddhism is a quiet place, outside Don’t bring in those rules.”

Sun Qin said so, but when his eyes glanced at the little novice monk, he was still unhappy.Seeing this, Wu Jia ordered Cang Rong to bring some pastries and fruits from home to the young novice monk later.

The little episode passed quickly.

Abbot Guangyuan had profound Buddhist teachings and wise views. After Mrs. Wu listened to his morning lectures, she went to the Zen room in the backyard to ask for advice on what she didn't understand. So Wu Jia and Sun Qin came out first and walked around the back mountain.

This was Mrs. Wu's intention. A man and a woman who have engaged in marriage should always talk together to get to know each other more and enhance their relationship. Having servants and maids by their side doesn't count as overstepping their guard.

Wu Jia knew that sooner or later he would have to face Sun Qin, so he did not refuse, and walked and talked with Cong Rong, just as if he was appreciating the scenery of this place.Puji Temple is considered a royal temple, and there is enough money for sesame oil. There are dedicated people to take care of it inside and outside the mountains. There will be no wild animals. Only small squirrels will occasionally jump through the forest and make a rustling sound.

Sun Qin was suddenly startled, and subconsciously pushed the boy in front of him to block the trouble. After seeing clearly the palm-sized furry animal climbing up the tree, he breathed a sigh of relief, and then he saw it not far away. Wu Jia, who was standing quietly, suddenly felt hot and explained: "Jia Jia, I..."

Wu Jiadao: "Master Sun, you and I haven't officially gotten married yet, so you should call me Miss Wu."

Sun Qin stiffened and frowned: "Are you blaming me for coming too late?"

"You think too much."

Sun Qin assumed that she was a daughter and was observing etiquette, so he did not raise any suspicion and told her what had just happened.

"Jia, no, Miss Wu, I didn't mean to scare you just now?"

Wu Jia shook his head: "Nobles often visit Puji Temple, and the woods have been taken care of. There will be no danger."

Sun Qin's face became even hotter, and he felt that he had lost face in front of his fiancée, so he secretly pushed the boy away and blamed him for not doing things well with his eyes.If he had inquired clearly in advance, why would he have been frightened by a little furry monster!
He cleared his throat, caught up with Wu Jia, and said in a flattering tone: "If we go further, we will reach the depths of the forest. There is heavy dew in the morning, so be careful of catching a cold. Why not..."

He looked up and saw a pavilion on the mountain road diagonally in front of him, so he said, "Why don't we go to the pavilion to rest for a while?"

Wu Jia nodded in agreement.

The two of them turned to the path and climbed up the stairs.They left the city before dawn in order to catch up with Abbot Guangyuan's morning classes. Mrs. Wu rarely went out, so Wu Jiale had to accompany her.At this time, the sun is about to appear, and the skylight is beginning to shine through the forest. The bright spots are scattered and moving with the wind, which is a pleasant sight.

Wu Jia was fond of landscapes and went out with her father and brother since she was a child. Wu Yin had a wild temperament and was more interested in hunting. The two brothers were more familiar with the woods than the four treasures of the study. She recognized all the flowers and trees she saw along the way, and occasionally introduced them to Sun Qin. Two sentences.

Sun Qin was surprised: "Do you often walk around in the mountains?"

Wu Jiadao: "My family has Zhuangzi in the suburbs, and I am familiar with that mountain top."

"Do you often go to Zhuangzi?" "Occasionally."

"There are many rough people in Zhuangzi. It's better for you to go to a daughter's house less often."

Wu Jia was noncommittal.

Seeing that she was not talking happily, Sun Qin added: "I heard from my father before that you went to Jiangxi with your brother. Why didn't you ask someone to send me a message when you got there? If I knew, I would treat you well, so that I wouldn't I won’t believe it until you leave, and if it spreads, people will think that you and I... think that you and I are not familiar with each other."

Wu Jia thought to herself that she was not familiar with her in the first place, and besides, she went out just to avoid the wedding, so how could she send him to her door?He just said perfunctorily: "I'm going to visit relatives. There are elders at home, so I can't see you in private."

Sun Qin didn't hear the alienation in her tone, and said with all his heart: "What's the point? I always want to see your elders. You and I haven't seen each other for many years, and it's time to move around more."

Wu Jia stopped: "Now that I have said this, I want to ask you, we haven't seen each other for many years, you don't know me, and I don't know you, why did you marry me?"

"Isn't it already decided that my parents have appointed a matchmaker? Jiajia, I have never thought about marrying anyone else."

Wu Jia was too lazy to correct his title.

"Then when you see me, am I the same as you imagined?"

Sun Qin was slightly shy: "It's a little different."

Wu Jia thought he could say something meaningful, but unexpectedly he opened his mouth and said, "I thought you would be the same as Mrs. Wu, with a gentler and more reserved temperament. Only when we met did I realize that you also have an uninhibited side. I'm afraid the boss will have to be a little more restrained in the future. But... you are much more beautiful than I thought."

Wu Jia is not like Xiaojiabiyu, a girl from the south of the Yangtze River, but rather has the elegance and elegance of a girl from the north. Although her facial features are not very delicate, she is distinguished by her bright eyes, white teeth, and rich color.Normally, it would be better to wear light-colored clothes to suppress her aura, but today she was wearing purple clothes, which made her even more graceful and charming.

Wu Jia was silent, and Sun Qin was fascinated for a moment.

For a long time, Wu Jia closed his eyes, took a breath, and continued to move forward.After walking around a thorn bush, the pavilion was right in front of him. Wu Jia looked up and saw the people in the pavilion.

She was stunned, but Sun Qin reacted faster and scolded: "Who is in front of you? Why are you so sneaky and eavesdropping here?"

Xu Zhiliu reluctantly put down the book.

Fortunately, he put on the curtain hat in advance, otherwise he would be guilty of scaring the young master.Before he could speak, Wu Jia quickly stepped forward and shouted happily: "Brother of the Xu family, long time no see. How are you these days?"

When Xu Zhiliu heard this overly affectionate name again, his eyes darkened slightly and he responded, "It's okay, and I would like to thank you for dealing with it."

"You have thanked me many times." Wu Jia said, "There is no need to be so hostile between you and me."

The corners of Xu Zhiliu's lips were slightly pursed and stretched into a straight line. After a moment, she said, "It's already daybreak. It's time for me to go back. I'll excuse you now."

Wu Jiadao: "How about I go find you in the afternoon?"

Xu Zhiliu was startled.

Wu Jia wrung his hands and looked at him, "I have something to say to you."

Xu Zhiliu glanced at the livid-faced young man not far behind her and declined softly: "I have lunch classes, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient." After that, he left quickly.

Before he had gone far, he heard Sun Qin ask Wu Jia: "Who is that person?"

Wu Jia didn't know what he said, but Sun Qin seemed a little anxious.Xu Zhiliu walked halfway, paused slightly, and took another path up the mountain.

I'm afraid it's not suitable for him to appear in the temple today.

Mrs. Wu here had just settled down in the Zen room, and Wu Jia and his party came back.The mother and daughter took off their shoes and socks and talked on the kang. Cang Rong came over with a basket of tangerines and said with a smile that it was a gift from the young novice monk and she couldn't refuse it no matter what.

Wu Jia peeled one off easily, his eyes shining: "It's so sweet, mother, you can eat it too."

Mrs. Wu took the orange with a smile and asked her, "Why don't you talk to Sun Qin more?"

"It's not enough to talk about anything. What's there to say?"

Mrs. Wu shook her head in disapproval: "Just give him more time and get along with him for a long time."

When Wu Jia thought of Sun Qin's questioning and disdainful eyes as he watched Xu Zhiliu leave, he felt angry and wanted to laugh. He said, "Mom, you saw it this morning. He has such a small belly that he can't even accommodate a child. My temperament You're perverse. If I marry into his family in the future, how will he be able to accommodate me?"

Mrs. Wu sighed: "He was also anxious for a moment and wanted to show off in front of you."

"If nothing else, the grandeur of the Sun family has indeed been fully revealed by him."

Cong Rong nodded sharply in agreement. Mrs. Wu asked about what happened on the mountain and comforted Wu Jiada: "He has been sent abroad with Sun Min many times and has not been in Beijing for a long time. Maybe he doesn't know much about the situation in Puji Temple."

"Of course it's okay if you don't understand, but why would you take someone out to vent your anger? Is this the etiquette of the Sun family?"

Mrs. Wu wanted to speak up, but Wu Jia interrupted: "Mom, is it so difficult to admit that he is arrogant? How many more excuses do you have to make for him?"

"Okay, okay, you are prejudiced against him now, and you won't listen to anything I say. Go home and ask your father to talk to you."

"That's right. Why do you think I'm so unreasonable?"

Mrs. Wu didn't want to argue with her, so she just said: "Jiajia, no one is perfect. Even if Sun Qin has this or that problem, he was chosen by your father after thousands of choices."

"Then I can only accept it?"

"Now that things have come to this, what else can you do?"

Wu Jia was speechless.

Her mother was a typical noble woman, with a clear mind but never resisted. It wasn’t that she didn’t see Sun Qin’s faults, nor was she worried that she would be wronged when she went to the Sun family. From her perspective, Everyone in the world is like this, there are good things and bad things, and the only thing they can do is find reasons to convince themselves to continue living like this.

Even though Sun Qin is arrogant, she has reached a higher level and she should be satisfied.

They silently carry on the mission of being women from aristocratic families, nailing themselves to the Zhenlie Archway and living for their husbands.

Wu Jia doesn't want this kind of life.

In the afternoon, while Mrs. Wu was taking a nap, Wu Jia quietly left the meditation room and found Xu Zhiliu in the back mountain through the guidance of the young novice monk.Xu Zhiliu was particularly surprised to see her and was stunned.

Wu Jia smiled and said: "Am I some kind of savage beast? How come the elder brother of the Xu family hides here from me?"

She asked Cuan Rong to look for him in the side room where foreign guests were entertained. Knowing that he was not there, she guessed that he might have seen something, so she did not hide it and said frankly: "It was my fault that I was in the pavilion earlier. I told him on purpose. Sun Qin listened."

Xu Zhiliu had no intention of being taken advantage of, not to mention that Wu Jia saved his life.

He was just curious: "Why don't you want to marry him?"

Wu Jia raised his eyebrows: "Why should I marry him?"

"then you……"

Xu Zhiliu pondered: "You came to me, but what do you want me to do?"

Wu Jia's smile became even brighter: "Brother Xu, you are so smart!"

It's not a good thing to be slapped with a high hat suddenly. Xu Zhiliu seemed to have a guess in his heart, but he didn't want to think about it deeply and asked directly: "Miss Wu, please speak frankly."

Wu Jia walked towards him.

The wind in the mountain was very strong and it was not suitable for a long conversation here. She had no intention of repaying a favor and forcing another person into a dead end in order to find a way out.

"You already know my situation. I don't want to marry Sun Qin, nor do I want to marry anyone else. But I can't make the decision on this matter. The only thing I can do is to ruin the marriage with the Sun family first. "

"How do you want to destroy it?"

"If, I mean if, I lose my innocence, then Sun Qin should take the initiative to cancel the engagement, right?"

No man can accept his fiancée losing her virginity, especially Sun Qin.Wu Jiaben was still worried that he might have some true feelings for her and might be reluctant to let go for a while, but after meeting her once today and knowing how arrogant and arrogant he is, she felt relieved.

To deal with people like Sun Qin, this is the most decisive way to cut through the mess quickly.

Xu Zhiliu was shocked: "Do you know the meaning of a woman's chastity?"

"I know that once I use this method, even if I find a lover in the future, I'm afraid it will be difficult to have both ends. But I don't regret it. If for the sake of this so-called innocence, I want to marry someone I hate, I would rather spend the rest of my life. I don’t want to face him, so I would rather not have this innocence. It’s just that I have no one else to turn to..."

There was no chance that she would have contact with her foreign man. If it wasn't for Wu Yin's entrustment, Xu Zhiliu would still be just a great talent in the eyes of others, a passer-by who was once amazed by Wu Jia's life.

She took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to ask, "Xu Zhiliu, are you willing to be this evil person for me?"

"Are you crazy? I disagree!"

Xu Zhiliu said sternly, "If you really don't want to marry, I can think of a way for you, but don't mention this matter again, and don't mention it to anyone. Wu Jia, I have a close relationship with your brother. I'm going to overstep my bounds and say, you Not only does this harm others and yourself, but it is also disrespectful to your parents and relatives. How heartbroken will they be if they know that you lost your virginity to your foreign man?!"

Wu Jia was scolded and realized that he was impulsive, so he apologized to Xu Zhiliu afterwards. Xu Zhiliu didn't care much, but he was still worried and planned to write a letter to inform Wu Yin of the matter.

He could see how much Wu Yin cared about this sister. If Wu Jia was really unwilling, Wu Yin would surely help persuade the elders of the Wu family.

But before his letter could be sent, he received Wu Yin's letter first.

In the letter, Wu Yin gave an overview of Jingdezhen in a few figures.

Xu Zhiliu stared at the lines of words countless times, until his eyes were sore, his heart ached, and he felt vaguely breathless. Then he crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it at his feet.

The hand, whose skin folds were charred and blackened by the fire, was horribly jagged and stretched on the table with all its strength.

He couldn't help but recall the contents of the letter:

Wang Yu committed suicide by hanging from a beam.

Liang Pei Qiu dove occupied the magpie nest.

With just these two sentences, Xu Zhiliu didn't sleep a wink all night.