Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 40 Fragrant Ink (2)
"If you marry Shen Xiuxiu, don't say that Shen Buyu refuses, I will not agree! The Mu family and Shen Buyu and others are at odds with each other, you should know the pros and cons, don't do stupid things!"

"But my lord, Xiuxiu has nothing to do with Shen Buyu now, she is not Shen Buyu's daughter!"

"You know shit!"

Ji Mingyou's face was darkened, and he scolded: "You are smart, but you are so confused! You don't need to mention this matter again, I will decide for you about your marriage. Send Shen Xiuxiu back to his hometown, and you come back to see me immediately!"

After finishing speaking, Ji Mingyou walked away with a flick of his sleeves.Tianji stood in a daze for a long time before leaving Ji's mansion in a daze.

When he arrived at Tingsongyuan, he was still restless. Seeing that it was getting dark, he went out slowly to relax, and before he knew it, he came to the bamboo courtyard where Xiuxiu was staying.

At this time, the light moon envelops the gauze, and the wind blows over his cheeks, making it cool.He stood still outside the rest room, there was a faint candlelight flickering in the room, he raised his hand to knock on the door, but held back, just staring blankly at the candlelight inside.After the last ray of light disappeared into the quiet night, he continued to wander for a while before leaving quietly.

A few days later in the morning, the warm sunlight flooded the entire yard.A burst of fresh, elegant smell of mud and grass blows towards the face, and the stamens are already budding in the luxuriant vegetation, and spring has quietly stepped into the atrium of Xiuxiu.

She took her bundle and bid farewell to the landlord, and the kind old couple called a carriage for her.She got into the car, and the groom followed her instructions to the door of the prime minister's mansion. She asked the groom to wait, and walked slowly towards the gate.

The old guard at the door saw her and hurriedly saluted.Xiuxiu smiled and said, "Uncle, please call Yanxi, I'll wait for her here."

Yan Xi quickly ran out, and was very surprised to see Xiuxiu dressed in a jingchai sarong.

"Yanxi, I'm here to say goodbye to you, I'm leaving." Xiuxiu smiled.

"Miss, wait a minute." Yan Xi held Xiuxiu's hand and said nervously, "I'll call the second madam."

Xiuxiu waved her hand and refused: "No need, I don't want to make her feel bad. Say hello to Xin Yang for me."

Yan Xi had no choice but to reluctantly ask: "Are you really going?"

Xiuxiu nodded with a smile.Yan Xi's eyes were full of tears, and she couldn't speak for a while.

Xiuxiu hugged Yan Xi, then stroked her hair, smiling brightly: "I will miss you."

When she turned around, her tears couldn't stop streaming down her face.

Yan Xi stood at the door, wiping away tears, watching the carriage carrying Xiuxiu drift away.

The wharf was buzzing with people, people carrying goods and seeing off passengers, it was very lively.The boat bound for Mengmata County was moored on the shore, and the boatman stood on the side of the boat and loudly urged people to get on the boat.

Xiuxiu frowned, looking at the other side.The mist on the other side drifted away, and a lone gull hovered on the water, calling sadly.This is her ferry, and the boat will ferry her to leave this bitter place and go to the hometown that Xiang Xin misses so much.

She wants to see gardenias.

"The girl is going to Mengmata County?"

Seeing a woman wandering alone, the boatman shouted loudly.

Hugh nodded slightly.

The boatman immediately yelled: "Get on the boat! Be careful with the pedals!"

Xiuxiu lowered her head and stepped on the step carefully. There was a hand reaching out to her in front of her. She caught it and was dragged onto the side of the boat by that person.Xiuxiu looked up, and was about to say thank you, but couldn't help being stunned.

Tianji looked at her with a smile, his eyes were narrow and vivid, and his hearty voice echoed in Xiuxiu's ear: "How can you be held by someone casually?"

Xiuxiu couldn't help but burst into a smile, and shouted: "Brother Tianji!"

"You think I'll leave you behind and let you go home alone? Silly girl." Tianji pretended to be angry and scratched her nose lightly.

Xiuxiu smiled brightly like a spring, and naturally held Tianji's arm with one hand.

two

It is already March, and it is the season when the sun is blowing in the sun.The willows along the coast are budding, and the vegetation is sprouting. The more you go south, the more the warblers are flying and the grass is growing. The rapeseed flowers in the fields are already flourishing and yellow.People on both sides of the strait often appear for outings, accompanied by bursts of laughter.It's really a spring road with rain and flowers, and the flowers move a mountain of spring.

Tianji and Xiuxiu took the boat all the way, going south along the river.On the same day, Xiuxiu became seasick, vomited all the way, his face was pale, he didn't even have the strength to speak, and he lay in the cabin unable to move.

Seeing her scene, Tianji felt heartbroken, and asked the boatman for some hot tea and porridge.Seeing that Xiuxiu regained his senses after waking up, and his complexion softened a little, Tianji finally put down his mind and closed his eyes to rest his mind.

Three days later, when they arrived at Beishanji, as soon as the boat docked, Tianji helped the weak Xiuxiu down, and someone notified the county government.Although Tianji is only the master of the palace, after all he is an official, the county magistrate expects him to rise to the top sooner or later, so he naturally flatters and flatters him.As soon as the pick-up carriage arrived at the mansion, the county magistrate called his family members out to receive him, and ordered all the servant girls to help Xixiu, and went into the inner courtyard to freshen up and rest, so as to serve him well.

After resting for the night, his strength recovered, and he was anxious to go home.Tianji couldn't resist her, so he bid farewell to the county magistrate's family.The county magistrate couldn't force him to stay, so he prepared a carriage and sent soldiers to escort him all the way, and he went straight to Tianji's house in a hurry.

The two got off the carriage at the crossing, Xiuxiu smelled the wind blowing from the other side of the lake, looked around at the familiar scenery, and gradually relaxed her slightly frowning brows.Tianji was also happy, and said with a smile: "Finally home."

A few women outside the alley were doing needlework, and when they saw Tianji and Xiuxiu both appear, they all showed expressions of surprise.Tianji was not good at greeting people, and Xiuxiu lowered her eyes and bowed her head silently, the two of them walked very hurriedly one after the other.All the way to the depths of the alley, the voices behind were still faintly heard.

"Didn't Cao Guizhi sell his daughter to Jiangling? Why did you come back?"

"Looking at her thin clothes, it's probably not a good time."

"Tianji has become an official, could it be... a good show to watch."

Tianji and Xiuxiu came to the wooden gate in silence, Tianji held Xiuxiu's hand and smiled brightly: "My mother must be at home, she must be very happy when you come back." As he said, he raised his hand and shook the half hanging Painted copper bells on lintels.

"Who is it? It's coming." It was indeed Ni Xiu'e's voice.

Tianji shouted: "Mom, it's me."

Ni Xiu'e heard her son's voice, and trotted to open the door.At the beginning, her face was still full of joy, but when she suddenly found Xiuxiu beside Tianji, Ni Xiu'e's expression changed suddenly.At this time, the two were still holding hands, looking at her with a smile, and Xiuxiu happily called out: "Mother Ni."

Ni Xiu'e stared at Xiuxiu, her voice sank: "What's going on? Why are you here?"

"Xiuxiu doesn't want to stay in Jiangling anymore, and wants to go back to his hometown." Tianji explained for Xiuxiu.

Ni Xiu'e turned her gloomy gaze to her son and asked, "You brought her here?"

"Yes."

Tianji was still immersed in the joy of seeing his mother, and nodded to himself.Unexpectedly, Ni Xiu'e took a step back and suddenly closed the door inside.

The two outside looked at each other, and Tianji knocked on the door in surprise: "Mother, what's the matter? Why did you close the door?"

The door swung open, and Ni Xiu'e grabbed a broom in her hand and beat her son, cursing at the same time, "I told you to bring her here! I told you to bring her here! See if I don't beat you to death!"

Tianji couldn't dodge in time, he had already been hit twice, he hurriedly blocked it with his sleeve, and shouted: "Mother, why did you hit me?"

Xiuxiu was also frightened, hugged Ni Xiu'e's arm, and said, "Mother Ni, don't hit Brother Tianji, I want to come back!"

"I'll beat you too!" Ni Xiu'e got angry and pointed the broomstick at Xixiu.

Knowing something was wrong, Tianji hurriedly shouted: "Xiuxiu, you go home first!"

Xiuxiu responded, and hurriedly fled in the direction of his home.

Here, Ni Xiu'e still didn't spare her son, she hit her son several times before giving up, pointing to the sky and shouting: "Have you ignored my words? I said, if you bring Xiuxiu back to Mengmao County, don't come into your house." The door! Silly, why did I give birth to you, a stubborn boy? You really want to die of anger!"

Tianji said aggrievedly: "Mother, don't hit me indiscriminately! When Xixiu came back, Shen Buyu knew about it, and he didn't stop him."

Hearing this, Ni Xiu'e looked inside and outside the alley, and dragged her son into the gate.

"Shen Buyu, don't you want to rest? How is it possible?" She asked in a mysterious whisper.

Tianji didn't dare to hide anything, and told his mother about the selection of the prince and concubine.Ni Xiu'e's eyes widened when she heard this, and she murmured to herself: "So it's because of this. The prince and concubine were not selected, so what happened? Why didn't the third prince choose her? Xiangye..."

The mother's strange expression made Tianji's mind foggy.He was about to ask a question when a woman's shrill voice came from the deepest part of the alley.The mother and son looked at each other, Ni Xiu'e slapped her thigh, and said repeatedly: "It's over, it's over, this child Xiuxiu is going to suffer! Cao Guizhi is going crazy, Xiuxiu will die! Hurry up, stop her!"

The mother and son ran to the door of Xiuxiu's house, and they saw Cao Guizhi with disheveled hair, like a ghost, beating Xiuxiu with a willow stick in his hand.The lady stood inside in astonishment, not daring to come out.Xiuxiu covered her face with her arms, whimpered and cried, but stood still without resistance.

Ni Xiu'e stepped forward, snatched the wicker from Cao Guizhi's hand, and said, "Cao Guizhi, what do you want to do? You kill Xiuxiu, do you want to live? Do you want someone to serve you?"

"Don't worry about it!"

Cao Guizhi spat and yelled fiercely at Xiuxiu: "Go back, do you hear me?"

Xiuxiu cried, "Mother, please don't drive me away... this is my home!"

"Your home is in Shen's house! Even if you die, you will die in Shen's house!"

"Mother, I don't want to go! Even if you sold me, I'm still your daughter, mother!"

"Who will show you crying so pitifully! I'm not dead yet! Get out! Do you hear me? Go back to Shen's house!"

Cao Guizhi roared, grabbed Xiuxiu's braids with both hands, and dragged Xiuxiu vigorously to the alley.Ni Xiu'e's mother and son hurried across the front, Tianji pushed Cao Guizhi away and pulled Xiuxiu aside.

Ni Xiu'e rolled up her sleeves, pointed at the neighbors watching the excitement in the alley, and said coldly to Cao Guizhi, "You shrew, if I knew this, I shouldn't have helped you deliver the baby! I don't have this daughter, and I don't have you!" Mother! Look at how crazy you are, you call your mother every time you are late, do you still look like a mother? You are not worthy!"

Cao Guizhi didn't show weakness, and panted and scolded: "Don't meddle in your own business! You are just looking at the money in the hands of the master. Tell me, how much does the master give you?"

"Cao Guizhi, you talk like this, do you want to invite the master to come over? All you eat and use now is the master's, and even the servants who serve you are the master's. Do you want the master to take it back?"

Ni Xiu'e was full of anger, and approached Cao Guizhi step by step, her eyes were shining brightly.

As if she had been stabbed to the point, Cao Guizhi fell silent as if discouraged. She glared at Ni Xiu'e, walked gracefully into the courtyard, and closed the door angrily.

Only then did Ni Xiu'e turn around, and saw Xiuxiu with tears in her eyes, looking at her pitifully.She paused in front of Xiuxiu, hesitated to speak, and finally sighed.

"Look for a place to live first. I'm afraid that Cao Guizhi will go crazy and eat you in the middle of the night. Tianji, when everything is fine here, go back to Jiangling."

After this uproar, Tianji was also at a loss.He planned to let Xiuxiu stay at his house temporarily, and then go back to his own house after Cao Guizhi's side is at peace.Ni Xiu'e disagreed, thinking that Xiuxiu is already a big girl, it is not appropriate to live in Ni's house, she will definitely be gossiped by others, so it is better to find an inn for a few days.

Thinking about it, Tianji made sense, took Xiuxiu with him and went back to Pishanji, accompanied by the county magistrate, and found a secluded inn.Naturally, the innkeeper didn't dare to be negligent, so he vacated a spacious and clean room where outsiders could not be disturbed, and let Xiuxiu move in.

It was getting dark, Tianji made arrangements for Xiuxiu, and said some comforting words with her, Fang left reluctantly.

Xiuxiu was used to her mother's indifference since she was a child, but she didn't expect to be turned away.She treats Ni Xiu'e as a family member, but Ni Xiu'e is so alienated from her, she really doesn't understand why.Thinking of everything that happened during the day, Xiuxiu felt sour and sad in his heart, and shed tears all night.

The next day, Ni Xiu'e came to the door by herself.

After only a year and a half, Xiuxiu in front of him seemed to have lost the color of water, his face was pale, and his eyes were dim.How tender she was before!Wasn't she having a bad time there?
"Well... how does Xiangye treat you?" She showed great concern.

In fact, she missed this child these days.

"It can't be said to be good, nor can it be said to be bad." Xiuxiu replied honestly.

"Is it because you were not chosen as the concubine that he treated you badly? Or did he treat you badly when you went to the Shen family?"

Touching the painful spot that cannot be looked back, Xiuxiu lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: "I thought at first that I was adopted by the second lady. Later I realized that his real purpose of adopting me was to choose a concubine for the prince. What do I do now? It’s all gone, and I have no reason to wait.”

Ni Xiu'e didn't break the casserole and asked the question, as if she asked casually: "When will Xiangye ask you to go back?"

"I don't want to go to Jiangling again."

"No, you must go back." Ni Xiu'e's tone was quite firm.

Hugh raised his eyes in astonishment.If she doesn't go back to Jiangling, why is everyone against it?

"Some things are not what you imagined. Maybe one day in the future, you will understand." Ni Xiu'e explained with difficulty.

"Can I not go back?" Xiuxiu almost cried again.

Ni Xiu'e shook her head, looked at her with pity on her face, and said, "This is fate! I didn't treat you well yesterday, so don't take offense. I'm just impatient, and I'm afraid that idiot Tianji will do something wrong."

Xiuxiu only vaguely listened to it in her heart, and did not agree with Ni Xiu'e's words.She just thought that since she had made a decision, no one could force her, not even Shen Buyu.

When Ni Xiu'e left the house, she sighed again for some reason, and said: "Qingming is just around the corner, I'll help you prepare. You will think of worshiping your father, with your filial piety, Mr. Tao will also be able to do it under the nine springs." Will be relieved."

Xiuxiu has always been puzzled about her father's affairs in Shen's house, wanted to ask Ni Xiu'e, but knew that she must be tight-lipped, so she swallowed what she wanted to say.

That night, Xiuxiu started to have that recurring dream again.

She was still standing at the entrance of the long and narrow alley leading to her home. In the distance, her father was walking towards her with a toolbox and a smile, but his face was already blurred.She rushed over, but her father was gone.She looked around and vaguely heard her father calling her name.She followed the sound and saw a familiar figure from the back. She walked over to find out what happened, but the figure disappeared...

On the night of Qingming, Ni Xiu'e had a dream, a long dream.

Cao Guizhi floated into the gate of Chu's house like a ghost.Her face was sallow, her pupils were hollow and pitch-black, and the bluish-white robe was wearing empty.

Ni Xiu'e always hated her, so she yelled, "Why did you come in? I told you not to enter my house!"

"Tell me, when will the master come to pick me up? I'm waiting almost to death. Is there any hope?"

Cao Guizhi's voice was also floating, her hands were clasped on the chair handle, her nails were long and sharp, and her veins were protruding. Ni Xiu'e could clearly see the purple-brown blood flowing in the veins.

"You are wishful thinking! It's impossible in this life." Ni Xiu'e looked at her coldly.

This Cao Guizhi will always have only this wish, a wishful wish.How many years has she been waiting here?poor woman.

"Even Xiuxiu is back... There is no hope, why is my life so hard!" Cao Guizhi's voice was weak and frustrated.

A trace of sympathy suddenly appeared in Ni Xiu'e's heart, and she said, "Think about it, this kind of life is not bad. Don't beat your daughter, Xiuxiu will go back sooner or later. You can't rely on a man, you can rely on your daughter for the rest of your life."

"no!"

Cao Guizhi's lips turned blue, and the light in his empty eyes seemed to be fleeting: "I can't wait for so many years in vain! I'm going to Jiangling, I'm going to find the master!"

There is a cloudy air coming over, and the surroundings are chilly.Ni Xiu'e suddenly felt creepy, and she grabbed Cao Guizhi's vain and fluttering sleeves: "You shrew, you have lost your mind and went crazy! I think I was a nanny back then, but I almost got into trouble just because I knew you. What a crime, Mr. Tao died! Unfortunately, I am still haunted by you."

Cao Guizhi let out a sharp laugh: "None of them are good things! In order to deceive people, don't they do too many bad things? I'll go to the master right now. He must keep me, or I'll tell these things!"

Her voice was ethereal and illusory, and her body turned into a wisp of white smoke and drifted into the distance.

Ni Xiu'e was so shocked that she was dripping with cold sweat, she chased after her all the way, but there was a river in front of her blocking her way.While hesitating, a bluestone bridge appeared, and a man in a white-gray gown was swinging back and forth on the bridge.Ni Xiu'e was in a hurry and called out, "Mr. Tao."

Mr. Tao still had that kind and kind face, with a joyful smile on his face: "Do you know? My daughter is born, and I call her Xiuxiu."

Ni Xiu'e looked at him sourly, unable to talk about it for a while.

Mr. Tao's body was ups and downs, with a gleam of sadness in his eyes, and he was still talking to himself: "Have you found my son? He is only one year old, and I haven't had time to name him..."

Ni Xiu'e shook her head lightly.What an honest man, his son may not be found.

Mr. Tao's body began to float, and Ni Xiu'e suddenly thought of asking him something, and hurriedly shouted: "Mr. Tao, stop! My Tianji still likes to rest, what do you think I should do?
"Quickly stop his thoughts. This is your son's doom. It's good if he can escape. If he can't escape, he can only let God arrange it..."

Mr. Tao's body floated away, and Ni Xiu'e's dream came to an end.After waking up, she tried her best to recall the dream, burned incense and liberated wine in the yard, burned paper money, and sat there in a daze until dawn.

When the cock crowed for the first time, Xiuxiu arrived at Chu's house, and Ni Xiu'e handed over the prepared sacrifices to her.Tianji went to the teacher's place and didn't return all night, probably because he drank too much.Ni Xiu'e was worried that Xixiu would go to the grave alone, and told her to accompany her when Tianji came back.Xiuxiu insisted on refusing, so Ni Xiu'e had no choice but to send her to the intersection, and saw that there were already pedestrians on the road, so she went home with peace of mind.

Not long after Xiuxiu left, Skyrim came back.Hearing that Xiuxiu had left, he washed his face and wanted to rush over, but Ni Xiu'e stopped his son.

"Tianji, it's not mother who drove you away. Since you are asking for leave to send Xiuxiu back, it's time to return to Jiangling. Don't run around all day long. You are not young anymore. Lonely men and widows will be gossiped every day when you are together. Xiuxiu You have arms and legs, so don't worry about it."

"Mother, it's pitiful for Xiuxiu to come back, so I'll spend more time with her."

"Who are you?" Ni Xiu'e got angry again, gritted her teeth and scolded, "The bigger you get, the more ignorant you are, and you don't even care about a bright future for a woman! Are you worthy of your dead father? I raised you for nothing !"

"My son will take care of his own future, but you can't delay the important things in your life! Mother, you always like to rest. Now that she is back, she will no longer be Shen Buyu's daughter. I will find you a ready-made daughter-in-law. don't want?"

(End of this chapter)