But the bright moon shines on the ditch

Chapter 9

Liang Peiqiu didn't know how she fell asleep last night.

It was the first time they met formally after they grew up. He was only an arm's length away from her, and across a table, he was sitting by the window in a relaxed posture, so close that she could almost see the long and black eyelashes on his eyes.

When he is unwilling or unwilling to be scrutinized, the crow feather will naturally droop, covering all inhuman emotions.

At the same time, he seemed to let her go with great kindness, and no longer make her unable to breathe.

But that's just the beginning.

When the stewards were attracted by the little drama outside and rushed to the window to grab colored paper, it seemed that only he and her were left in the small box.

He talked to her and inquired about her contract, and he seemed to be a bit suspected of poaching, but he maintained a considerable sense of propriety, did not chase after her, but chatted about family affairs like an old friend.

She tried her best to maintain her composure.

But when those deadly eyes stared at her perfectly, and mentioned the chance meeting a year ago with a touch of probing, all the moments prepared for this meeting in advance disappeared, and her heart clenched tightly.

So he remembered?He still remembered her!

Although it was only her a year ago, he remembered that it already made her want to cry.

He even teased her, asking her "so surprised to see me" in a teasing tone?How could you not be surprised!She didn't want to be a third party, didn't want to bring him any trouble, and secretly grew up in the remote corner of Wangjiayao. Although she never forgot him, she still tried her best not to let herself see him.

In such despair, how could one not be surprised to see him suddenly one day?
And he, with a smile on his face, saw through all her disguises effortlessly.

At that moment, she was completely defeated.

It turned out that she really couldn't face it, she should have expected it, once she faced it, no matter how long it had passed, ten years, twenty years, even if she died, as long as it was him, she would fall short.

But he smiled at her, he smiled, and everything seemed so worthwhile again.

-

When I woke up in the morning, the sky was already bright outside the window.

Liang Peiqiu recalled what happened last night, and he had mixed feelings for a while, but he couldn't take care of it right now. Today is New Year's Eve, and as usual, all the stewards will come to report the kiln affairs and ask for rewards by the way.

She is the master of the pile, barely the boss of the kiln, so she can't be absent no matter what.

Thinking of this, she casually picked up a coat, and before she had time to put it on carefully, she walked out quickly.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the door came loose, someone squeezed in.

The man who came was much stronger, and he slammed the door inward.

Liang Peiqiu took a breath of cold wind, instinctively closed her eyes, and stepped back to avoid the threat, so the man staggered and rushed straight to the table.

As soon as she stood still, her heart was beating non-stop, and she subconsciously covered her chest and fastened the button on her chest.

After seeing the person who came, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why are you here?" She covered her nose and stepped forward, "Why do you drink so much wine?"

Wang Yunxian ignored her, slipped from the table clutching his hurt belly, fell down on the low stool, picked up the flagon jug that had rolled down to his feet with one hand, and poured a few more gulps on his back until there was no drop left, then raised his hand angrily, intending to throw the flagon jug.

Pei Qiu hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

It imitates the Song Yingqing embossed wine warming pot.

Prodigal stuff, trash good things.

She snatched the jug, put it on the ancient rack next to the bed, then turned around and soaked the veil in cold water and handed it to him: "Wipe your face. If you look like this, the master will see you, and you will be beaten again."

"Hit it, hit me, have I been beaten less by him?"

Anyway, the previous injury for the horse hasn't healed yet, so it doesn't hurt to add some new injuries.He seemed to go all out, and he was quite a bit of the lonely brave of a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water, which is funny.

"What's wrong with you? Have you drank a lot?"

"You still ask me? You still ask me what's wrong! Peiqiu, do you really have a heart?"

"I... what's wrong with me?"

Seeing her innocent appearance, Wang Yunxian was even more angry, and said angrily, "I asked you why you didn't dare to face him, but you didn't answer me, but turned around and went to see him. It was spread all over the town yesterday that you went to Jiangshuilou to meet him and drank with him. Some people saw you chatting and laughing, and you didn't mean to be rivals at all. Peiqiu, you are sincerely looking for me during the Chinese New Year, right? It's been all these years, why have you ever gone out to socialize? If you're a country bumpkin, you'll rush over with just one post. In front of him, Xu Zhiliu, don't you have any backbone?"

The more he talked, the more aggrieved he became, and his nose became sore: "Yesterday was a big day for the God of Warm Kiln. Does he alone have sacrifice activities in Hutian Kiln? Don't we in Anqing Kiln? I heard from the steward that you went out, and I thought that the sun came out from the west, and you would come to preside over the sacrifice for the first time. It turned out that you didn't need money to stick to someone's door, but the old man and I waited for you to burn a stick of incense, a full stick of incense, and the auspicious time has passed!"

"Besides, who doesn't know the grand occasion on the street yesterday, there are so many people, the carriage will definitely not be able to get in, you must have run there, right? That's not true! You ran to the farthest Jiangshui Tower in order to see him?!"

"You drank with him, didn't you? You rascal, I told you to drink, but you never drank!"

"You never drink."

"Peiqiu, I'm really angry, why on earth?"

He let out the distress that had been suppressed in his heart for many years with the help of alcohol, and then he seemed to have no strength at all, and limply hugged the low stool.

The floor tiles were icy cold in the twelfth lunar month, Liang Peiqiu stretched out his hand to pull him, but he couldn't move, but was pulled down by him instead.

He curled up on the ground, hugged the low stool with both hands, pressed his face between his arms, and looked at her with piercing eyes: "Tell me why? Why did you dare not face him for so many years, but suddenly changed your temper last night, and ignored the important matters at home, and insisted on seeing him?"

Liang Peiqiu felt uncomfortable when he saw him, and wanted to turn his face away, but he refused to let him, and asked in a crying voice: "Peiqiu, I beg you, please give me an answer."

He didn't know what happened to him. For so many years, it wasn't that he didn't know that she cared about that person, but he never drank and lost control like today.

Ever since he found out that she was going to see him, he seemed to have lost his soul, scratching his heart and lungs, restless.

He is scared.I'm afraid that if she goes to see that man, she won't go back to his Wangjiayao again.

But why?
This is her home.

Why should he be afraid of an outsider? ! !
"They all said that I was immature, and I was still a child, far less stable than you. How did they know that you have been stable since you were a child, and you have been too stable. In winter, you catch a cold and have a fever and can't pick up your pen. The old man doesn't know. When you are lazy, you are reprimanded. You are wronged to death, but you don't say a word, and you are still practicing. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw that you were still drawing, your hands were blue with cold, trembling, and you were still painting. Do you know what I was thinking at that time? Why do you have to work so hard? Now that you are the old man's apprentice, are you still afraid that he will not want you? You are so stupid to work so hard..."

He grabbed her arm, as if he didn't need her answer, and said to himself: "But I really didn't expect that you have been stupid for so many years...Pei Qiu, although I don't know what you have gone through and why you have worked so hard, but I want to help you. I have no skills, and I can't speak, but since you are my good brother, how can I bear you to suffer. Then I thought of a way, guess what it is?"

At this time, he didn't want to show her, so he suppressed his tears and turned his face away: "You can't guess, can you?"

"I will not tell you!"

"Peiqiu, I just want you to know that we grew up together. In my heart, you are more important than the old man. I will always put you first. But what about you? Do I have a place in your heart?"

Hearing what he said, Pei Qiu also thought of that winter.

That was her first winter in Jingdezhen. When she first arrived in Anqing Kiln, she was in a completely unfamiliar environment with many fears.

Every night before going to bed, she had to check the door bolt again and again, and she often woke up inexplicably at night, for fear that the robbers would break in again.

My mother once told her about her own experience, saying that women in this world are the cheapest playthings. Once they are sold and changed hands everywhere, the only value left is their skins.

Clothes are completely out of their control, they can be torn and played with by others.

Of course, the so-called skin and the so-called value are not determined by them.

Once a woman falls into that situation, her life will be ruined.Her mother spent a lot of effort to win over her biological father, even if she was only raised as a concubine, she was still willing.It's just that gradually she is no longer satisfied with hiding in the dark, and wants a more open and aboveboard encounter, but she has no choice but to look to her who is "a woman disguised as a man".

The mother told her that in this world, women's world is far less spacious than men's.

Where a man can go, a woman can never go.

Although she was born as a woman, there is no way to save her. As long as she regards herself as a man, as long as she can stand out, the rules will be rewritten for her.

The biological father's family will do everything in their power to protect her identity, will fabricate a false prosperity for her, and enshrine her, even more dedicated than enshrining their ancestors.They will marry a fake wife for her, and even find a suitable man for her to carry on the family line, and then continue this lie.

My mother said that this world is made up of lies and absurdity.

They can't change the world, they can only become a part of it.

She often couldn't understand it. It wasn't until she changed into a daughter's costume and went to Jingdezhen to meet those inhuman thieves that she finally understood what her mother said, and she deeply realized how difficult it is for a woman in today's world.

Especially for a woman like her who came to a different place alone.

It's really hard to protect yourself.If you can't commit yourself to the man's arms, you have to find a bigger backer.

She wanted to stay in Jingdezhen, so she turned to Anqing Kiln.

The master is strict. If she hadn't been forced by her mother to learn the six arts since she was a child, and she has a good painting skill, she might not have been left behind.

If it is left behind, it is not a one-time effort to turn Danqing into a painting on porcelain.

She didn't want to go back to her mother's old path, didn't want to be stripped of her clothes casually, and didn't want to curl up under the arms of any man to survive, so she had to settle down in Anqing Kiln.

When she finally became a painter, she found that some of her mother's words were wrong. A woman can be capable, even surpassing that of a man. She can live without relying on anyone or any power.

That is the value she found for herself.

Although it was hard work, everything came from the bottom of her heart, and she enjoyed it so much.

She thought it was a long road and she was the only one, but she didn't realize until today that when she made those efforts, no one saw her.

That cynical little son, usually brought to the kiln factory, would always frown reluctantly, relying on his status to order her to do this and that.

Now that I think about it, did he just clumsily use the wrong method?He probably wanted to help her, right?Let her not have to work so hard and compete with the brush every day.

Later, he often appeared in the blank house, teasing her from time to time, smearing mud on her face, drawing a cat face for her, giggling all by herself.Occasionally, when he got excited, he would throw up his sleeves and step on the wheelbarrow to pull the billets, but he complained that the porcelain clay was too hard at the beginning, scratching his hands, and showing even the smallest wounds to her.Either he would sleep with his arms on the bench where the porcelain billets were hung, and no matter how the master brick maker tried to drive him away, he would stand still and make the master brick maker fall backwards in anger.

It's quite a headache when it comes to trouble, but most of the time he is silently by her side.

Liang Peiqiu suddenly recalled that in the countless late nights when he was alone holding the lamp and drawing blanks, two figures were often reflected on the white wall.

One is her and the other is him.

That was a scene that she would feel at ease whenever she recalled it when she was young.

It turned out that it was not because of her own efforts that she integrated into Anqing Kiln, but that Master and Wang Yunxian accepted her early, accepted her as their family, and calmed her fears and worries that had nowhere to rest in her heart. They even decorated her dreams with a bloom of flowers.

She never thought, and never dared to think, that Wang Yunxian cared about her so much.

If he was really a man, they would have been honest with each other early on, maybe he wouldn't be so uncomfortable today, right?

But she is a woman after all, a woman who is not allowed to enter the kiln according to the rules, what will she do, how will she reveal her disguise and tell him the truth, will he really be able to keep this secret by then?
unless……

Unless they get married.

Thinking of the marriage that Wang Yu mentioned earlier, Liang Peiqiu suddenly felt that fate had tricked her.

If she hadn't seen that person again before last night, maybe she would try to let Wang Yunxian hold the umbrella for her.

But, having seen it, she knew it was impossible.

No one can replace that person.

So she squatted down, and gently swept Wang Yunxian's eyebrows with her fingertips.Wang Yunxian felt a wave of warmth and opened his eyes to look at her.

She is right in front of her.

In the bright sky, she had a plain face, just like her name, beautiful and handsome.When she stared at him, the heroic spirit between her brows made him feel that no one was worthy of her.

"If you want to know the answer, let me tell you. Yunxian, when I met him at a young age, he gave me the courage to live. I came to Jingdezhen to find him."

"then you……"

His eyes were moist, whether it was alcohol or tears.

Liang Peiqiu felt sorry for his reckless courage and stupidity, lowered his voice and said, "You want to know why I didn't go to him, right?"

Not so clear-headed, he nodded slowly.

"When I came, I heard that he had an engagement with the lady of Hutian Kiln."

He was slightly dumbfounded, then shocked.

"you……"

"You have a good idea, I..."

She turned her head slightly, looked at the mountains outside the house, remembered that smile, and then said firmly, "I admire him, I have always admired him."

　I feel sorry for Wang Yunxian so much~ But Qiuqiu is also very affectionate~
　　When will it be sweet?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)