businesswoman's wife

"Xiu'er, I'm sorry, I'll tell you everything, actually..."

A pair of hands gently covered An Chengshao's lips: "Don't say it, I don't need to know."

An Chengshao felt uneasy in his heart, but seeing Xu Xiuyi smiled slightly, he said, "All I need to know is that you love me, you only need to love me."

An Chengshao smiled warmly, stretched out his arms and hugged Xu Xiuyi: "Of course, I only love you, and I will only love you in my whole life, from body to heart."

The former Xu Xiuyi has been waiting for An Chengshao to give an answer. She waited for a long time, to the point of despair, to the point of wanting to leave the hurt city, but now Xu Xiuyi realizes that what she has been waiting for is never An. For Chengshao's explanation or answer, what she was waiting for was An Chengshao's love.

From the moment Wu Mo said that Young Master Cheng loves you like life, when Wu Mo said that Young Master Cheng treated you like this because of Qin Yan, she actually believed it.

The carriage continued to walk on the official road, the blood was getting bigger and bigger, the world was the same color, it was cold outside, but inside the carriage, it was warm, not only in the air, but also in people's hearts.

At the same time, on the trail where Xu Xiuyi was abducted, a carriage stepped on the snow with difficulty, and suddenly stopped three men with big knives in front of them, one of them pointed at the carriageway: "Boss , came in looking for those gold and silver jewelry, I think they were thrown from this carriage."

"Carjacking." Another big man gave an order, and a few people stepped forward. The driver of the carriage, who was really frightened, slapped the horse with a whip, and ran wildly to escape, just running wildly, crossing a narrow road. At that time the carriage was caught.

A few bandits stepped forward and slapped their knives playfully: "If you don't get out of the car when you meet your grandfather, you still dare to run."

"You, who are you?"

"We, King Yama, came to take your life, hahaha, hahahaha."

A few exaggerated laughter, the frightened coachman turned pale, jumped off the horse and wanted to run, he just saved his life from the gate of hell, he didn't want to die, just ran less than three steps, a tingling in his chest, a silver knife entered from behind, in front of him. He came out of his chest, blood dripping from the blade, he didn't have time to groan and fell slowly.

The knives were pulled out, and the three bandits ran into the carriage and turned it around. After taking away all the valuables, the three bandits left the carriage proudly and left behind in the snow. , Snow-white snow and bright red blood mixed together, strange and coquettish.

*

Three months later, in a farmhouse, the loud cry of the baby cut through the sky, accompanied by an old woman's "congratulations", which was the joyful laughter of children.

"Mother, mother, aunt gave birth, aunt gave birth."

"Uncle, father, my aunt is born, don't be too busy, go and see, my aunt is born."

"Bangdang." A pot of scalding hot water fell on the ground and splashed the foot of the man who hugged the washbasin, but he didn't even notice it and ran out of the kitchen, his footsteps seemed to grow wings, almost flying.

Then came out, a man and a woman, a couple, and a teenage girl.

"Embroidery."

"The door was pushed open almost rudely. The midwife in the house was bathing the child, and a cold wind suddenly blew in. The midwife couldn't help but say angrily: "This child's father is in a hurry, and he is not afraid of cooling the child, so hurry up and close the door, rest assured, mother and child are safe, This big fat boy has tortured your mother so badly. He only came out last night until now. Mr. Bai, hurry up and see your wife, she is tired. "

"Well, Xiu'er, Xiu'er."

An Chengshao walked around the screen and entered the inner room. There was still a strong smell of blood in the room. There was a weak person lying on the bed, with a pale face that could not resist her peerless beauty.

At this moment, she is smiling at him: "It's a son."

"I know, Xiu'er, it's hard work for you."

He stepped forward and hugged the woman gently, as if he was afraid of hurting her. All his movements were cautious.

Xu Xiuyi stretched out her hand and gently hugged Bai Ya's waist.

"I'm fine."

Outside the screen, a happy voice came!

"Yah, big fat and small characters, Qing'er, come and see your brother."

"Brother is so fat, haha, mother, was I so fat when I was a kid?"

"When you were young, you weren't so fat. It's really cute to see that your brother is white and tender. Mom, what's your brother's name? Dad, Dad, come and see your brother."

"Haha!" Outside the door, a tall man came in, with a warm face and a gentle smile, looking at the little baby in the hand of the midwife, with a gratified and moved smile on the corner of his mouth.

The midwife smiled and said, "Uncle Bai, give your eldest nephew a name."

Su Jinye smiled a little shyly: "I can't do it for me, let the child's parents take it!"

Inside the screen, Xu Xiuyi propped herself up and leaned against An Chengshao's arms, and said with a smile, "Big brother, the eldest brother is the father and the eldest sister-in-law is the mother. It's the name you gave your child."

"Are we?"

"Brother and sister-in-law, you are about to be rejected." An Chengshao also said the same.

Su Jinye chuckled, reached out and fiddled with the pink face of the little baby in his arms, and said, "How about calling him Tianya? Wandering around the world?"

"Okay, Daddy's name sounds good, Bai Tianya, my younger brother has the same surname as my grandma, and we all have the same surname as my grandma. My father's name is Bai Jinye, my uncle's name is Bai Chengshao, I'm Bai Qingying, and our little fat brother is Bai. Tianya, okay, let's roam the world together and be at ease, isn't it, aunt?"

Xu Xiuyi raised the corners of her lips.

"Yes, let's roam the world together and be at ease."

The little baby in the swaddle seemed to be infected with this happiness, and when he got up, everyone laughed.

The wind is blowing, with the fragrance of peach blossoms in the courtyard, and the people who are fluttering have a fragrant face. Spring is coming, and the earth is recovering. This afternoon, in a farmhouse in the south of the Yangtze River, a house full of flowers, laughter and laughter, all the About yesterday, it seems to have been scattered in the wind, gone, gone, about those people in the capital, those things, they have nothing to do with them anymore.

*

At this moment, the capital, the Su family.

It is spring, and the lazy sunshine falls on this deep courtyard, which also plated this dull courtyard with a layer of warm gold.

In a courtyard, a woman in Chinese clothes was enjoying flowers in the courtyard. A pair of warm palms gently wrapped around her and landed on her slightly bulging belly.

With a gentle smile on the woman's face, she gently snuggled into that powerful chest.

"Master, why did you come back?"

"I'm afraid you will be bored at home alone, Mengmeng, and it will be warm tomorrow. Let me take your mother and son to an outing!"

"What about the store?"

"Let it go to the fourth brother. The fourth brother has been busy with me in the store for the past few months, and has learned a lot. He should be able to take care of the things in the store."

"But tomorrow's Peony Embroidery Village has a batch of embroidery items to be sent to the palace..."

"Let the fourth brother go, I have already explained it, and by the way, let him go to see the eldest sister."

"Boss Wang in the bank doesn't want to..."

"Mengmeng, don't worry about it so much, even if it's a huge business, it can't compare to you and your children."

Tang Meng blushed, turned around and leaned meekly in Su Jinyuan's arms: "Xianggong, thank you."

"Thank you for what?"

"Thank you for liking me."

"Fool, I don't like who you like, you are my wife."

"Thank you, thank you for being willing to forget my sister."

The tall body suddenly tightened, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up, hugged the woman in his arms tightly, and kissed her heart: "Fool, someone told me that time can heal Everything, someone told me to cherish the person in front of me, you are the person in front of me, the person who will accompany me for a lifetime."

Tang Meng nodded vigorously, his nose was a little sour because he was moved.

"Xiang Gong, I love you."

"Hehe, little fool."

Su Jinyuan is undoubtedly doting on Tang Meng in every possible way, but he can't say that word of love no matter what.

He seems to have already lost the ability to love. From the moment he heard Xu Xiuyi's death, all his love has been brought into the dust. Maybe no one believes that he has only said love to one person in this life, that is Xu Xiuyi.

Looking up at the sky, in the blue sky, there are white clouds floating, a faint sad smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said a little bit: "If you are there, please remember that I have always loved you."

*

"sorry."

The capital, the government office.

Zhong Yaqin looked at the pile of debris on the ground with a little panic.

You are Xu Lanqing's favorite ceramic vase.

Xu Lanqing looked at the pile of fragments, a little dazed, raised his head for a long time, saw Zhong Yaqin's sincere appearance, he smiled slightly: "It's okay, it's just a vase, didn't you hurt your hand?"

Zhong Yaqin blushed: "It's okay, let me have someone come in to clean it up."

"Well, Yaqin."

"kindness?"

"You don't have to go."

"what?"

"I don't hate you, so you don't have to go after giving birth to a child. The child cannot live without a mother."

Zhong Yaqin's eyes were wet, and she tried her best to evoke a smile: "It doesn't matter, you can marry Mo'er and go home, just tell the child that Zhi Mo'er is her mother, I really don't care, since I promised you that day to have a child, I will If you just leave, I won't break my promise, if you think I'm pitiful, you don't have to, in fact, I'm too tired, in this home."

Xu Lanqing's eyes hurt, Mo'er, the person named Mo'er, has been away from him for a long time.

On the morning of the first day of the new year, without any warning, she wrote a letter, and then on the cliff of Dongbai Mountain, she left the whole world forever. In that letter, there were no words left for him, she was like a gust of wind. He left like he had never been in his life.

But the breath about her brought by the wind seemed to be engraved in his memory. The depth of his pain was as strong as the breath. Xu Lanqing knew that she would never come back, never again. Yes, never will.

When her body was found at the bottom of the cliff, it had already fallen beyond recognition, but the wound on her arm belonged to her, and he never understood how she could leave so cruelly.

The wound she left was a broken heart, and the wound still hasn't healed to this day. He knew that this broken heart would never heal again.

Seeing that his eyes were red, Zhong Yaqin felt that he had said something wrong, and hurriedly said, "Lan Qing."

He sniffed, closed his eyes and raised his head, pouring tears back into his heart, he forced a smile: "It's okay, let the next person sort it out here, you don't have to go, I'm sorry for you from beginning to end."

Zhong Yaqin didn't speak, just smiled slightly, there was nostalgia in those eyes, but more, her heart was ashes.

Because in Xu Lanqing's eyes, the only thing she read about her was sympathy and guilt.

And she didn't even have the care and love she wanted.

The two were inside the house, and there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside the house, accompanied by a bold voice: "Brother Xu, why can't you come out of the house every day when you are bored, and you are about to have a scientific examination, where will there be so many pastimes in the future... ah, Sister-in-law is also here, what's the matter?"

The person who came was Yan Sheng, Xu Lanqing's classmate, with a forthright and open-minded personality, and had a strong personal relationship with Xu Lanqing.

When he came in and looked at the pile of ceramic fragments on the ground, he thought that Xu Lanqing and Zhong Yaqin had a quarrel.

But I heard Zhong Yaqin say: "I accidentally smashed Lanqing's ceramic vase, hehe, Mr. Yan, you came just in time, Lanqing hasn't gone out for many days, and daddy said that he was going to bore himself out of insects. Well, just in time for you to take him out for a walk."

"Mrs. Sister-in-law is really a generous woman. But don't worry, Madam-in-law, I won't take Brother Xu to an unorthodox place. We usually meet together, just drink tea, listen to books, and go horseback riding in the suburbs."

Zhong Yaqin smiled sweetly: "I know, you are all serious and good men. You are about to take the exam. It's time to relax, so as not to force yourself to death. Go, I will ask someone to clean up this place."

Speaking of going out, Yan Sheng stepped forward and stabbed Xu Lanqing with his elbow: "You really didn't quarrel with Mrs. Sister-in-law?"

"What's the noise?"

"You said it's been a long time since you came out to play. Are you still sad about Xiuyi? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned Xiuyi."

The carriage that Xu Xiuyi was riding in was hijacked by mountain bandits, and the driver of the carriage died on the spot. He is still alive, but everyone knows how cruel those mountain bandits are. I am afraid that if they don't come here, they will kill first and then kill.

Knowing that he touched Xu Lanqing's pain, Yan Sheng was busy apologizing.

Xu Lanqing didn't say anything, just said: "I'm really not in the mood to go out to play, you go."

"Brother Xu, don't be so disappointing, everyone is here, just wait for you, there is a show at the Golden Crown Teahouse, don't be funny, the gimmicks are big, there are about twenty seats in total, ordinary people think I can't even go to see it. Brother Liu, Brother Wang, and Brother Li managed to get five positions. Don't be so spoiled.

Xu Lanqing was obviously still lacking in interest.

Yan Sheng had to use the killer.

"If you don't go, that brother didn't do it. I've been looking for you several times in the past few months, and I can't count on my fingers. You don't give me face again and again."

This trick seems to have worked, but seeing Xu Lanqing sigh, he said helplessly: "You guys, you are about to have a scientific test, and you still have this mind."

"Haha, let's relax before the exam, let's go, brother."

The second floor of the Golden Crown Restaurant, the second floor of the Golden Crown Restaurant was originally designed to be very elegant. It is a stage where some opera troupes are often invited to sing some elegant plays, but the long plays are just to add to the fun, and drinking tea is the most important thing. Putting the cart before the horse, watching the drama is the priority.

As Yan Sheng said, it is really hard to find. The second floor originally had [-] or [-] sockets, but today there are only [-] seats. Anyone who can come up is definitely a handsome young man in the capital. People are not even qualified to stand on the stairs and listen.

Moreover, it was said that if one of the twenty people liked the class leader called the opera troupe, he could also become the class leader's guest of honor.

And the head of the troupe is not an ordinary old and shrewd man. I heard that it is a woman with a veil. She has a graceful figure and a soft voice. Even if she can't see her face, the voice alone is enough to make people ecstatic, and from her Judging from the fingers exposed on the outside of the clothes, it must be a young woman.

The ten fingers are slender and as tender as scallion white. This is how people outside describe the jade hands of the class leader.

Xu Lanqing really didn't have much interest in these things, just couldn't get rid of the warm invitation to share the bed. On the second floor of the Golden Crown Restaurant, Xu Lanqing went up when the drama had just started. In blue robes, although a man disguised himself as a man, he was wearing a pink robe and smeared with powder. It was obviously a play about a woman disguised as a man.

"Haha, is it old-fashioned, it's nothing more than a play about a woman pretending to be a man and playing with another man. A few years ago, the Beijing opera troupe staged a show, saying that a woman pretended to be a scholar and became a classmate with another man. For three years, men did not distinguish between males and females, and they knew each other and became friends with each other, and finally found out that his classmate and brother was a woman, and they were very happy and came to propose marriage..."

"Shh, look, don't make any noise."

Yan Shengzheng was talking endlessly, and was held by another classmate.

He smiled bitterly, but he didn't say anything. He glanced at Xu Lanqing, the corner of his mouth smiled even more, he turned his head and whispered to the bedmate next to him, "Look at Brother Xu, if you don't want to come, you won't want to come. He fell in, hasn't he seen the play? What's so good about such a play?"

Nothing fancy for others, just...

The woman disguised herself as a man to tease the scholar, and was misunderstood by everyone as a broken sleeve.

At the scholar's wedding, lead the scholar to the backyard and kiss the scholar.

Hug tightly in the alley and tell the scholar that we should run away.

Have each other's first time in the temple.

The scholar's original partner is pregnant, and the two have a misunderstanding. The woman pretends to be ambiguous with others, and the scholar is so angry that she takes medicine and commits suicide.

After reconciliation, the scholar hid the woman in the study at home.

……

Xu Lanqing was trying his best to suppress it so that he would not stand up and rush to the stage like crazy. These memories are all about him and Wu Mo.

How is it possible, how is it possible.

"Brother Xu, Brother Xu, where are you going, Brother Xu?"

In the end, he was still crazy. The memories that belonged to him and Wu Mo were repeated on the stage, how could he keep calm.

"Who, who arranged this scene?"

"Master Xu, Master Xu."

Jin Guan's guy came up and pulled Xu Lanqing.

However, Xu Lanqing pushed the man away, stepped forward and grabbed the actor, his eyes were so urgent that people felt scared.

"Say, who arranged this scene? Who is it?"

"Brother Xu, what's wrong with you, brother Xu?"

Several bedmates didn't know what was going on when they saw this, so they came forward to pull him, but Xu Lanqing seemed to be stunned, and only knew which sentence "Who made this scene" kept repeating, even if everyone Pull him reasonably, but can't pull him away.

The scene was a bit chaotic for a while, but at this moment, I heard the owner of the Golden Crown Teahouse hurried over and said, "Master Xu, don't be like this, the head teacher said you have something to ask her, Master Xu, your side Please, this way please."

Following the boss's guidance, he entered the back of the stage. There was a staircase behind the stage leading to Jin Guan's backyard. Boss Jin Guan led the way in front, Xu Lanqing walked behind, and reached the door of a room. Boss Jin Guan respectfully said: "The class leader , I'm here for you."

"kindness!"

A faint sound, soft and soft, almost melted Xu Lanqing's heart in an instant. His eyes were undoubtedly wet, and it was her voice. He couldn't be wrong.

"Master Xu, go in, the villain will retire first."

The boss resigned, Xu Lanqing pushed open the door and entered, a man sitting behind his back, with a veil on his head, Xu Lanqing staggered a little, and his voice trembled: "Is that you?"

The man stood up gently and turned to Xu Lanqing.

Xu Lanqing stopped, and a warm halo came in from the window at dusk. The halo fell on the stunning and beautiful face of the woman in front of her. Xu Lanqing was suffocated for a moment, only feeling that she was really dreaming.

The woman had already rushed into his arms, the kind of enthusiasm, the kind of madness, which is good for Wu Mo.

That body temperature, that hugging power, is not a dream.

"Mo'er, Mo'er, my Mo'er."

Tightly holding the woman in his arms, the strength almost crushed the woman into the flesh and blood. No one understands this feeling. The happiness that was lost and found almost swept Xu Lanqing. It seems that he has lived for more than 20 years. This hug, he seemed to be waiting for such a hug in his life, and he has never been happier than now.

"Mo'er, my Mo'er, my Mo'er, never leave me again, never again, never again."

Hot tears fell into Wu Mo's neck, and Wu Mo nodded vigorously.

"Well, I'll never leave you again, Lanqing, can you marry me, I'm no longer the fifth prince, I'm just Jiang Yan, the eldest young lady of the Jiangnan opera troupe who traveled south and north with my father, are you willing to marry me?"

"I am willing, whether you are Mo'er or Jiang Yan, no matter who you are, I am willing to marry you."

A few months later, it can be said that the Xu family has three joys. The first is that Xu Lanqing is the champion of high school without any accident. The second is that Xu Lanqing's wife has added a big fat boy to him. Miss Jiang Yan.

Although this marriage break was a bit inappropriate, but Jiang Yan was unexpectedly accepted by the emperor as his sister-in-law when he entered the palace with his father to perform arts. Later, those who witnessed Jiang Yan's true appearance said that Jiang Yan had a relationship with the Fifth Prince. Seven points are similar, but the two are actually completely different. The five princes are domineering, powerful and somewhat spleen, but Jiang Yan seems to be gentle and versatile.

The emperor also sent someone to check, and it turned out that this person was indeed Jiang Yan, but he loved Wu Jiwu. Because of his longing for Wu Mo, because of this similar face, Jiang Yan was named a county master.

Marrying into the Duke's Mansion as the county master is not a loss to the Xu family, and Jiang Yan's cuteness and versatility quickly won the favor of Xu's elders, and the old man of the Xu family even wanted to straighten Jiang Yan. It is inappropriate for a county chief to be aggrieved to be a second room.

But Jiang Yan and Xu Lanqing insisted on the same. The old lady of the Xu family only said that Jiang Yan was sensible, but he didn't know that as for Wu Mo and Xu Lanqing, their status was only secondary, and the most beautiful thing was that they were together forever. .

*

Five years later, the government office,

On the [-]th birthday of the old man of the Xu family, there was an endless stream of people congratulating him. There were fragrant cars and BMWs, and the door was like a city. A carriage decorated with sapphire blue satin stopped at the door, and a young man got off the car, holding a box in his hand.

"Excuse me, is this the Imperial Palace?"

"Yes."

"This is a gift from our grandfather and grandmother to the old man, and this letter is from my grandfather and grandmother to Lord Xu Lanqing. Please be sure to hand it over to Lord Xu Lanqing."

"Okay, I'll definitely deliver it."

After a busy day, the Xu family finally quieted down at midnight. Xu Lanqing's waist was sore and weak, and when he returned to the room, he threw himself on the bed.

"Huh, I'm so tired, Yan'er."

"what happened?"

"Come here and give me a hug."

"Wait a minute."

"What are you doing, are you writing a letter?" Xu Lanqing got up, walked to the table, and looked at his beloved wife Jiang Yan.

That guy didn't lift his head, just stretched out his hand and put a letter in front of him: "I'm helping my dad change the playbook, this is your letter, you said it was sent by someone, and he also gave grandpa a gift, But not named."

"Oh, let me see, by the way, what's written in your new playbook, let's hear it!"

"In the last episode, it was written that both the grandma and grandpa of the Li family took poison and died one after another, and as a result, the spectators had to dismantle our opera stage, so I plan to round it up this time and write that grandma Li and grandma Li were suspended animation, and later He was killed by his own brother again... Who wrote the letter?"

Xu Lanqing looked at Xin's hand and trembled slightly.

Wu Mo put down the pen in his hand and asked again, "Who wrote the letter?"

"You said just now that in your script, the uncle of the Li family and the eldest grandma of the Li family were suspended animation, right?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

"It's nothing, I just feel good."

"I don't know if spectators will think it's fake."

"How can it be fake? There is such a thing in the world, but they just don't know it."

"Is there such a thing? But yes, there is a fake death drug, but no one has tried it."

"How do you know no one has tried it."

"Then don't anyone dare to eat it, don't die?"

"If a suspended animation can change a lifetime of happiness, why not take risks once."

"Strange, you won't tell you today, I will continue to change it. By the way, help me bring something to the palace for the emperor tomorrow."

"This emperor's brother's name is quite slippery."

"You owe you a beating, you were originally my imperial brother."

"Shh..."

The night is silent, the moon is on the branches, five miles outside the city, a candle, two pots of tea, a game of chess, a pair of men and women.

"You have to think clearly, if this step falls, you will have no room to go back."

"From the first step, I have no regrets."

"Give up everything for me, fame and fortune, prosperity and wealth, no regrets?"

"No regrets!"

"Wandering around the world for me, home in the world, don't you regret it?"

"No regrets!"

"Me too, even if I give everything for you, I don't regret it."

"Pa-ta." Hei Zi fell, and Bai Zi won.

In fact, life is like a game of chess. If you don't turn your back, even if you lose a mess, you can still smile.

And the chess game with Xu Xiuyi, it is such a chess game where you can still laugh after losing everything.

"Hehe, you lost."

The night wind blew away bursts of tea fragrance, and the gentle voice of the woman's coquettish smile reverberated in the air.

"So, willing to admit defeat, this is your trophy."

He took out something from the ground. Xu Xiuyi looked at the box and was quite curious. When he opened it, it was actually a red wedding dress.

At that moment, my heart moved slightly.

"I've never given you a decent wedding. In the year of the child's fifth birthday, let's get married."

"Marriage requires a betrothal gift. What about the betrothal gift?"

"It's been sent to your house."

"Have you been to my house?"

"At least let your brother know that we are fine."

"Haha, in fact, I was a bit selfish to go like that. My father probably blamed himself very much, thinking that he forced me to leave."

"As long as he knows that you are still alive and well, he will naturally be relieved. Let's get down to business and marry me."

"Is this a marriage proposal?"

"if not?"

Xu Xiuyi tilted her head, as if she thought about it seriously, and then shook her head solemnly: "No, it's too casual, anyway, I have to have a bunch of roses, a diamond ring, get down on one knee, and sincerely beg me marry you."

An Chengshao's mouth twitched, three drops of sweat on his forehead, what kind of marriage proposal is this?

Even if he can get down on one knee, let him first tell him what a rose is and what a diamond ring is?

Of course, many, many years later, although An Chengshao replaced roses with roses, he didn't even know what it was when his temples were gray.

So I-

"Mother, uncle said we're going out for dinner today."

"Bunny, I'm your father."

"No, you and my mother are not married again."

"Don't you owe it, can I have you without me?"

"Mother, uncle murdered me."

"I said I'm not an uncle, I'm a father, brat, see if I don't clean you up today."

"Ah, is that enough? It's making trouble every day. I'm tired of listening to you if you're not tired."

-

This kind of drama, in Xu Xiuyi's house, was staged three or more times a day, so that one day before the burial, Xu Xiuyi finally couldn't stand it.

"Don't make trouble, isn't it just getting married, successful, successful, or not?"

So someone happily put the wedding dress on her, worshipped the church, got married, entered the bridal chamber, stripped bare, worked hard, and planted seeds.

Then the following spring.

The seeds have germinated.