peasant young lady

Chapter 342 The childish child pulls his clothes and asks, why is it too late to return?
Cheng Xia's shoulders collapsed in an instant, and she didn't even have a place to live.

Just as she was thinking, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her. Cheng Xia's eyes widened suddenly, and she turned her head in disbelief, and saw Aunt Tian, ​​who was already gray-haired, coming down from the mountain with a basket on her back.

"Aunt Tian," Cheng Xia excitedly walked up to Aunt Tian, ​​and saw that she was hesitant to recognize her, so she quickly said, "Aunt Tian, ​​it's me, Cheng Xia."

"Girl Xia," Aunt Tian threw away the basket in her hand, and hugged Cheng Xia tightly in her arms, "It's really you, you're really back."

"It's me, Aunt Tian is me." Cheng Xia looked at Aunt Tian's teary face and felt uncomfortable. "I left without saying goodbye back then. I always wanted to come back to visit you, but I never dared to come back."

"Silly girl," Aunt Tian wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "Your Uncle Tian and I have always missed you, you are finally back, hurry up and go home with Auntie."

"Hey, Aunt Tian," Cheng Xia smiled and gave the anxious Aunt Tian a hand, and pointed to the ruined bamboo house behind her, "Where is my home?"

"Hey," Aunt Tian sighed, "After you left, Lizheng was withdrawn by the county magistrate. He held a grudge and burned your house down, and even burned a lot of sweet-scented osmanthus flowers nearby. The tree almost caused a fire, but fortunately it was stopped. Later, the county magistrate arrested Lizheng on the charge of intentional arson, and he was locked up for two months before he was released. Since then, he has been honest."

It's just a pity for her house, Cheng Xia thought in her heart.

"It's just right, you will come to live in my house." Aunt Tian looked at Cheng Xia, and then at the three handsome young men behind her, her eyes blinked constantly, but she didn't dare to recognize them, "How many are these?"

"Aunt Tian," Cheng You spoke first, "I'm Cheng You."

"Ah, you are Cheng You," Aunt Tian excitedly grabbed Cheng You's hand, "You have grown so big."

"Grandma Tian, ​​I'm Xiaolong."

"Hey, hey, good, that's great," Aunt Tian was delighted to see that the two children were so successful.

Shao Cheng also walked in a little bit, and said with a smile, "Grandma, I am my mother's son."

Cheng Xia and Aunt Tian were quite sad at first, but when they heard what Shao Cheng said, they immediately laughed. Aunt Tian lovingly stroked Shao Cheng's head, and quickly dragged a few people back home.

Uncle Tian was also happy, and hurriedly went out to buy wine and vegetables to cook.

Cheng Xia originally wanted to stay in Qingxian Village for a few more days, but their home was burned down, so she couldn't keep disturbing Aunt Tian, ​​so she brought Cheng You and Xiaolong over and asked them to go to Cheng Xia's and Yang's house respectively , Let's meet up first, and when I go to worship at the graves of Mrs. Zhang and Lin Xiu tomorrow, I will go back and not stay here any longer.

Shao Cheng also wanted to follow, Cheng Xia thought about it, and let him go with Xiaolong, let the nanny see what Shao Chen's son looks like, after all, it was the nanny who brought Shao Chen out of Shao's mansion, although she later She has done many wrong things, but she still remembers this life-saving grace.

Aunt Tian hurriedly came out of the kitchen, but when she saw that only Cheng Xia was left, she couldn't help being taken aback, "Where are the three children?"

Cheng Xia smiled, "I'll ask them to visit Yang's and Cheng's homes."

"Hey," Aunt Tian couldn't help sighing when she heard that, "Cheng You should be back in a while."

Cheng Xia was puzzled, "How do you say that?"

Aunt Tian shook her head, and sat down beside Cheng Xia, "Your father has already gone, and now he is buried with your mother. As for Cheng Zuo, no one knows where he went, and he hasn't been back for many years."

Cheng Xia's heart trembled, "When did it happen?"

"It's been many years." Aunt Tian poured a glass of white water and handed it to Cheng Xia. "You guys left suddenly at that time, and your brother went to the county to find Dahua several times. He wanted some money, but he didn't come. Dahua also left, and the life of your brother and your father became even worse, and the land was sold out intermittently, but the father and son could not manage the business, and life did not get better. During the Chinese New Year that winter, we It suddenly snowed here, it hasn't snowed for many years, it actually snowed, it's so cold, your father didn't make it through, he's gone."

Aunt Tian couldn't help but sigh when she thought about the past, "After the New Year that year, your brother sold the house and left our village quietly. Later, the buyer came to take over the house. We only found out after asking. Cheng Zuo is gone. I haven't seen him come back, and I don't know where he is now or how he is doing."

Just as he was talking, Cheng You came back. Without saying anything, he went directly into the room that Aunt Tian had arranged for the three of them.

Cheng Xia looked at him with a bad complexion, and knew that he would not be happy, after all, the only thought about his hometown was gone, so how could he be happy.

Cheng Xia sighed softly, and then looked at Aunt Tian's house. The spacious green brick and tile-roofed house was very bright, "Aunt Tian, ​​how have you been doing these past few years?"

"Okay, okay," Aunt Tian couldn't help nodding, "Your Uncle Tian made a lot of money with the clothes you taught him, and Boss Shao in the county took good care of him. We had a good life in [-]. Dazhi remarried his wife, and now they all moved to the county seat. He always wanted us to go together, but I couldn’t bear to part with this house, so I didn’t move out. Wait until a few years later, say Maybe I’ll go to live in the county too.”

Cheng Xia smiled gratifiedly, "That's good, that's good."

Cheng Xia remembered that the last time he went to Chong'an County, he did not see Cheng Qiu in the prison, so he asked, "Aunt Tian, ​​has Cheng Qiu been released?"

"No way, Cheng Qiu has been dead for 15 years."

"Dead?" Cheng Xia was taken aback, "How did he die?"

"Speaking of this, I feel a little sad," Aunt Tian couldn't help shaking her head, "That year, Cheng Qiu entered the cell of the county government, had an affair with the prison guard in the cell, and later became pregnant again. The messenger promised to take her to escape, but during the escape, someone from the county magistrate discovered her. The yamen servant killed her and put the blame on Cheng Qiu. We only found out when we were called to the county yamen to identify the corpse. For all of this, the yacha was also punished."

No wonder she only saw Mrs. Gu and Cuihua at that time, but not Cheng Qiu. It turned out that Cheng Qiu was already dead.

What happened in the past is really embarrassing.

Aunt Tian continued to cook, and when it was time to eat, Xiaolong and Shao Cheng hadn't come back, so Cheng Xia told Aunt Tian not to wait, and let the two children eat at Yang's house, probably because Chen was reluctant to let them leave.

While eating, Aunt Tian talked about the Yang family again, "Erlang, after all, he hasn't changed his gambling temper. He steals money every three days to gamble, and the magistrate of the county has managed several gamblers' lairs just by relying on Erlang." No one dared to take Erlang to continue gambling. Erlang didn't change, so he went to the town, and the town didn't accept it, and then he went to other counties. I scolded him too, but I just didn’t listen. Everyone knew that something would happen to Erlang if he went on like this, but he didn’t care, after a while, something happened to him.”

Cheng Xia stopped holding the vegetables immediately, and she looked sideways at Aunt Tian, ​​"What happened to him?"

"Hey, someone chopped off his arm. I heard that he owed money and still didn't pay it. Someone taught me a lesson."

"And then?" Cheng Xia asked.

"Later, he could no longer accept his temper, so he stayed at home obediently, and Mrs. Chen and Headhunter Yang supported him."

Cheng Xia pouted, and didn't know what to say, it's true that she made up her life to such an extent.

After dinner, Cheng Xia went back to the room that Aunt Tian had prepared for her. After a while, Xiaolong and Shao Cheng came back into her room to talk. Shao Cheng took Cheng Xia's arm and shook it vigorously, "Mother, We had dinner at grandma's."

"Well," Cheng Xia nodded, "Did you say anything?"

"Grandma asked me to say hello to you." Shao Cheng said, but a little sad, "Grandma said that she was sorry for Mother before, and I hope Mother will not take it to heart. Grandma knows she is wrong."

Xiaolong lowered his head, raised his head when he heard Shao Cheng's words, and looked at Cheng Xia, "Ma'am, my grandparents have already woken up, and my father also knows how outrageous the mistakes he did back then. I think they are very happy now." Poor, I just gave them all the money I have saved in the past few years."

Cheng Xia smiled and patted Xiaolong's head, "It's fine if you think it's good."

On the second day, Cheng Xia asked Cheng You to take Shao Chengxian to Zhang's to worship, and she took Xiaolong to Lin Xiu's tomb on the mountain.

It has been windy and rainy these years, and Lin Xiu's grave can hardly be found. At any rate, Cheng Xia still remembered the exact location, and asked Xiaolong to burn paper money for her.Cheng Xia looked at the low mound and wanted to laugh, but tears came out first, "Lin Xiu, I once promised you that I would bring Xiaolong to see you when he won the first prize. Now, he has really done it." , you should rest."

"Mother," Xiaolong knelt in front of Lin Xiu's tomb in tears, "Mother and uncle are very good to me, so don't miss me, I will live a good life in the future, when I marry a daughter-in-law, I will bring her here to worship You. Don't worry, I will come to see you from time to time, for sure."

Cheng Xia helped Xiaolong up, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, "Xiaolong has always been so smart, your mother will be very pleased."

"Ma'am," Xiaolong suddenly hugged Cheng Xia, "Thank you for always taking care of me like my mother, caring for me and nurturing me. I really appreciate you very much."

"Silly boy," Xiaolong's words brought out Cheng Xia's tears, and she patted Xiaolong's back, "Okay, the days are still long, are you afraid that you won't have a chance to be filial? Don't cry, big man It's like crying and crying, just like the aunt went to worship on my mother's grave, we should go home."

When they arrived at Zhang's grave, Cheng You and Shao Cheng were kneeling on the ground and burning paper money. Cheng Xia looked at Shao Cheng's pious appearance, and suddenly felt that his son was very good.He grew up in the capital city and was held in the palm of everyone's hands. The concubines and queens in the palace all favored him, but when he came to this rural area, he didn't feel disgusted or complained at all. It was a muddy ground, talking to the tombstone while burning paper.

"Grandmother, I am your grandson. You have never seen me. My mother, please let me tell you that we are living a good life now. Don't worry about my mother. My father dotes on her, and I am very filial. Mother, although she always reprimands me, I still like her, and I like her the most.”

Cheng Xia and Xiaolong listened to Shao Cheng muttering for half an hour, and then Cheng You couldn't take it anymore, stood up and stood beside Cheng Xia, and said helplessly, "Sister, I wanted to talk to mother, but this child talks too much. I can't even say a word."

Cheng Xia laughed and slipped Shao Chengti up, "Okay, if you keep nagging, your grandmother will be bored to death, let's go back, if you want to come later, come back and see for yourself."

On the way back, Cheng Xia first dug out the three jars of old wine buried in the bamboo house and took them with him.

Passing by Yang's house, Cheng Xia saw Mrs. Chen standing at the door of Yang's house through the gap in the curtain blown by the breeze. She was watching the carriage go away. Looking at Mrs. Chen's white hair on the temples, Cheng Xia felt sore.The past and the past have all become ashes, and they are all over.

Cheng Xia went all the way north, directly to Nanjing.Back then she said that she would go back to visit Princess Yongqing and Xu Xiang, but she never thought about saying goodbye for 15 years, but fortunately, she finally came.

Arriving at the place where Princess Yongqing once lived, Cheng Xia looked at the locked gate and the mottled iron chains, and an ominous premonition suddenly surged in her heart.

(End of this chapter)