Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 43 Fragrant Ink (5)
Ni Xiu'e guessed that Uncle Fu must have told her this.Thinking of the conversation between the master and the second wife just now, it must be the master who decided to take Cao Guizhi as his concubine, and Cao Guizhi's life-long event has been settled.She was happy for Cao Guizhi in her heart, and said, "She's not young anymore, why don't the master accept her as the third housekeeper."

"Bah, Cao Guizhi doesn't even need to think about it." Sister Liu spat contemptuously.

"How?" Ni Xiu'e asked suspiciously.

"You don't know, the master is the second lady's father's student. When the emperor was Yueyang King, the master was recommended to the emperor, and later married the second lady. Do you think the old man will marry his daughter to him casually? That's a signature, a pledge, a promise. The master will not take concubines in the future, and he will not have children with other women. It is said that the middleman is the emperor! Think about it, the master will not even marry a beautiful cousin like the concubine Rong, and dare to touch others woman?"

Hearing these words, Ni Xiu'e suddenly froze for a moment. After saying goodbye to Sister Liu, she was out of her mind.

It seems that, as the oldest female servant in the mansion, compared with Sister Liu who is well-versed in the inside story, Mama Tao only knows one thing but not the other.Ni Xiu'e regretted it more and more. It would have been nice if she had found out from Sister Liu earlier.

She thought about this matter all day long, and after taking care of everything, she walked to the compound, ran to the Orchid Pavilion, and finally found Cao Guizhi in a corner of the back garden.

"Miss Cao." Ni Xiu'e snapped her head and said when she saw her, "You have hurt me, and there will be a catastrophe."

Cao Guizhi frivolously picked a dahlia and smelled it, with a smile on his face.She slowly inserted the flowers between her temples, and looked at her own reflection across the pool of water.

"When I have a child, the master will definitely like it."

Ni Xiu'e secretly complained, and said, "How do you know that Master will like it?"

Cao Guizhi's voice was sweet: "He said that I look like a person, especially my eyes, which are very similar to her. If I'm not here, he will be very sad."

Seeing her obsessed look, Ni Xiu'e paused and said, "If someone finds out that I said the antidote, it will undoubtedly cost my life. Cao Guizhi, it's because I have good intentions, so don't tell it or get pregnant." what!"

"Don't worry, nurse. If I don't tell you, if you don't tell me, who will know?"

Ni Xiu'e walked back helplessly, restless all the way.After returning to Liu Rulan's yard, he realized that there was already a dense layer of sweat on his back, sticking to his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Liu Rulan did not mention Cao Guizhi's lifelong events.

The days became difficult, Ni Xiu'e could only beg God's blessing every day in her heart, and don't cause any trouble.

It was a day of thunder and lightning.

Liu Rulan was always sleepy on rainy days, dozing off with her arms around the young master.In the past few days when Ni Xiu'e mentioned going back to her hometown, Liu Rulan was not willing to part with it, and earnestly asked her to stay.The young master insisted on not letting go of the nanny, and fell asleep after fussing in his mother's arms for a long time.Liu Rulan lost her good mood, and even closed her eyes and frowned.

Tao Ma was ordered to deliver bird's nest porridge to the master's study, but the room became gloomy and hot, and the humidity spread around.

Ni Xiu'e sat worriedly, it was raining heavily outside, and the sky was as dark as dusk.The window seemed to be not closed tightly, and there was a slight creaking sound.Ni Xiu'e was afraid of rain falling into the room, so she went to close the window.

The courtyard door opened suddenly, and Mother Tao came in holding an umbrella and holding a clay pot in her hand.She was very surprised, why Tao Ma came back so soon?
A flash of lightning flashed across, casting a long shadow outside the courtyard gate.Ni Xiu'e could see clearly that it was Uncle Fu, the master's personal butler.The moment the lightning went out, Ni Xiu'e blinked, and Uncle Fu's long shadow disappeared.

Tao Ma entered the room and saw that the second lady had closed her eyes and fell asleep, so she waved to Ni Xiu'e in a panic.

Ni Xiu'e tiptoed out of the room, Tao Mama said nervously and softly: "Just now I went to the master's study, and before I went in, I heard Cao Guizhi crying in it. I pricked up my ears and heard, oh my god, it turns out that Cao Guizhi is pregnant. Already!"

Ni Xiu'e immediately slumped on the chair, with a layer of sweat dripping down her face.

God, it really happened, it finally happened.

"Hush, keep your voice down. Don't let the second lady know about this matter." She whispered.

Tao Ma hurriedly covered her mouth.

Thunder rolled in the sky, followed by a thunderbolt, which made the ground tremble.The young master was so startled that he cried again, Liu Rulan also woke up, calling for the nanny loudly, and Ni Xiu'e hurried into the room.

Someone outside called Tao Ma, saying that the child was frightened by Lei.Liu Rulan kindly told Tao Ma to go quickly.Mother Tao responded, turned around and said to Ni Xiu'e: "You are here to help me serve the second lady, I will come as soon as I go."

The thunder and lightning stopped at dusk, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.Twilight fell again, and Mother Tao hadn't appeared yet.

There was a commotion in the Shen residence suddenly.

Someone came to report in a hurry that something happened in the backyard.

Hearing the words "Mr. Tao", Ni Xiu'e stood there in a panic for a while, not knowing whether she should go out or not.Liu Rulan dressed and combed her hair, handed the child to Ni Xiu'e, and hurried out of the yard by herself.

Her heart was beating like it was about to jump out of her body, Ni Xiu'e hugged the child tightly to suppress the tension in her heart.At this time, she realized that she was just a nanny, and what happened in Shen's residence had nothing to do with her.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Rulan finally came back.The one who came in with her was Master Shen Buyu.

Both of them looked solemn, with tiredness on their faces.Liu Rulan sat on the chair and sighed heavily: "I never thought that Mr. Tao, who is usually gentle, would do something that is not as good as a beast!"

Shen Buyu said in a deep voice: "Knowing people, knowing faces but not knowing one's heart, don't look at him as honest and dirty in his heart. He has long wanted to seduce Cao Guizhi, and has been looking for opportunities. Last time someone saw him intercepting Cao Guizhi halfway, and hugged him Hug. If something like this happens, it will damage the reputation of the Shen family."

"Master, what should we do about this?"

"Put the one surnamed Tao in the home prison first. As for Cao Guizhi, tomorrow I will go to the palace to consult the opinion of Concubine Rong."

Ni Xiu'e listened blankly, and it took a long time before she realized that there was a little bit of resentment in her heart.I don't know if it's for the honest Mr. Tao, or for the poor Tao mother.

Tao Ma overheard the secret outside the study, but was unexpectedly discovered by Uncle Fu.Only Ni Xiu'e, who knew well, knew that catching Mr. Tao was a trap, and they only wanted to blame others.

She was worried about Mama Tao's safety, so she went back to her room on the second watch and quietly walked towards the west courtyard.

The bang sounded again, and all the buildings, towers, pavilions and pavilions were enveloped in the vast night.Ni Xiu'e walked silently on the stone path. The moss-covered ground was a little slippery, and her steps were very slow.Indistinctly, various mixed voices came from the direction of the hut in the west courtyard, and the voices hit her like a raging wave.

She dodged under the tree, and saw with her own eyes that Uncle Fu commanded two of his cronies, and passed Mama Tao, who was limp and paralyzed.

The willows are hanging by the Yeying Pool, and the remaining lotus leaves under the thunderstorm are rippling on the water.Tao Ma's body sank into the pool, and the dying person seemed to be struggling to catch her last breath. Tao Ma's head floated up, and the fear, unwillingness and pleading in her eyes were intertwined, reflected in the night.Uncle Fu thought he was afraid, so he grabbed a thick wooden stick and stabbed it into the water.

Ni Xiu'e, who was hiding in the dark, watched all this in horror. Under the pale night, only one hand was still shaking on the water surface, surrounded by ripples circle after circle.The large lotus leaves covered up the last mottled traces, and Yeying Pond returned to calm in an instant.

A few days later, a new nanny came to the Shen residence.Ni Xiu'e understood that she should go.

Master Shen Buyu sent Uncle Fu to call Ni Xiu'e over.He met her with a smile on his face, very kind.

"The nanny's hometown is in Mengmata County, right? There are beautiful mountains and rivers, so the scenery must be nice."

"Yes, master." Ni Xiu'e was afraid in her heart, but she suppressed it, not daring to show any nervousness.

"Mr. Tao had a sudden desire and was caught on the spot. The most difficult person to behave is Tao's mother. She is also a person who really cares about face. Her body has been salvaged. This is the end of a good family."

Shen Buyu sighed, pondered for a moment, and said: "According to the rules of the Shen family, Mr. Tao is going to be sent to the official prison. However, he has been in the Shen residence for many years, and I can't bear to be considered half of the Shen family! We Shen The government also wants to talk about accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, I have thought of a perfect plan, and I want you to help him find a good place in your hometown."

Ni Xiu'e hastily lowered her head and replied: "My lord is merciful, my lord has a lot, so I will go back and make preparations."

Poor Mr. Tao has a place to stay, and he can go home.

Shen Buyu waved his hands, and said in a leisurely manner: "Naturally, good things will be done to the end. In this way, Cao Guizhi will no longer be able to stay in Shen's house. The scandal will spread far and wide, and it will be difficult for her to marry in the future. After all, Mr. Tao is still alive. For a strong and strong man, I will simply be a matchmaker, betroth Gui Zhi to him, and go to Mengmao County together, this is also the meaning of Concubine Rong."

Ni Xiu'e pretended to be happy and kowtowed to thank Mama Tao for her death.

"That's all right. Your lord is very generous, my benefactor."

She came out alone, ran to the bank of Yeying Pool, and cried heartily.The unreasonable people thought she was going to leave, and felt reluctant, even Liu Rulan shed a lot of tears along with her.

Just like that, Ni Xiu'e took Mr. Tao and Cao Guizhi on the road.

Along the way, Cao Guizhi was dumbfounded, delirious, always talking to himself pitifully: "He said he would come to pick me up, he said he would come to pick me up..."

Ni Xiu'e looked at her with disgust, and said sharply: "Cao Guizhi, don't come into my house from now on!"

Cao Guizhi didn't regret it at all, her eyes were fixed on her abdomen, and she stroked it slowly, with a hopeful smile on her lips.

Xiuxiu was born, and her surname was Tao.

The honest Mr. Tao buried the grief of losing his wife and son, and poured all his father's love into Xiuxiu.For him, Lei Yutian's muddle-headed adultery is a sin that cannot be erased in his eternal life, and he is willing to spend his whole life to pay for it.Unexpectedly, before Xiu Xiu and Ji Zhili arrived, he fell down from the high brick wall inexplicably.

Cao Guizhi has been waiting.When Xiuxiu was six years old, the master suddenly appeared and left again.She thought that the master was disappointed because she did not give birth to an heir for the Shen family, so he poured out his anger on Xiuxiu.She waited for another full ten years before Xiuxiu was picked up, and her most beautiful years were exhausted during the ten years of waiting.

Ni Xiu'e also lived in anxiety, thinking that one day Xixiu left Mengmata County, and that nightmarish past would also leave with her.

Years flow like water, and the rotation repeats.Who can predict what will happen next?

Seeing Ni Xiu'e kneeling upright, Shen Buyu said politely: "Nurse doesn't need to be so courteous, can you let Shen go in so we can talk?"

Ni Xiu'e hurriedly stood up, opened the courtyard door wide, and bowed to ask Shen Buyu to enter.Shen Buyu had just stepped into the threshold, turned around and ordered: "Please nurse, please close the door."

Ni Xiu'e was also guilty, so she leaned forward and looked outside, and saw a few blue figures flickering at the entrance of the alley, so she closed the door and invited Shen Buyu into the main room.

Sitting down in the main room, Shen Buyu took the tea that Ni Xiu'e had brewed, coughed, and lifted the lid of the tea. The young buds of black tenderness had stretched out piece by piece, floating in the embellished hot water, with a waft of fragrance.A few lines of laughter appeared in the corners of his eyes: "It must be the newly picked spring tea this year, right? It's so elegant that you can only enjoy it at the nanny's house."

Ni Xiu'e was already sweating profusely, and hurriedly apologized with a smile: "This is all thanks to the favor of the master. The family's life is better, and a tea garden was built on the mountainside, and the harvest is good this spring."

Shen Buyu took a sip, put the tea cup on the table of the Eight Immortals, then looked at Ni Xiu'e, and sighed softly: "Time is not forgiving! It's been ten years, and you and I have gray hair."

Ni Xiu'e stood with her head bowed, not daring to answer.Only Shen Buyu continued to say: "Mr. Tao and his wife are quite comfortable living here, the nanny must take good care of them."

"These are what old slaves should do." Ni Xiu'e smiled, but seeing Shen Buyu staring at her with scrutiny, he bent down and lowered his head again.

"I think it's a bad year. Mr. Tao died young, so I have no good fortune. I just feel sorry for the child Xiuxiu." Shen Buyu sighed, "She has been in my house for a year and a half. She is cute and lovable. The days are not long, but there are feelings. But after she came back, she didn't want to go back."

The hall was silent.Shen Buyu picked up the teacup again, the tea lid clanged when it touched the mouth of the cup, Ni Xiu'e's heart was beating wildly.

"The nanny has always treated her like a daughter-in-law for the past 17 years. When she was in the mansion, she often talked about the benefits of the nanny. Sometimes this child is honest, sometimes she is as stubborn as a cow, and ten people can't pull her back. Among the people, I am afraid that only the nurse can listen to what she says the most."

Ni Xiu'e heard the clues. It turned out that Uncle Fu couldn't give up, and Cao Guizhi couldn't do anything about it. Shen Buyu wanted her to be a lobbyist.She immediately calmed down, and put on a gentle and happy smile: "This old slave understands the master's meaning."

Shen Buyu glanced at her, and said meaningfully: "Over the years, Shen can see that the nanny is a smart person, and she can clearly distinguish between what should be said and what should not be said."

Ni Xiu'e bowed her head in promise.Shen Buyu stood up, walked in front of her, and said: "Shen is running out of time, please ask the nanny to say a few words, I believe this child will obey the nanny's teaching."

As he spoke, he strode outside, stopped again, thought for a moment and said, "Don't let Cao Guizhi know, I've been here. The Fourth Prince is in Mengyu County. If Xiuxiu wants to go with him, you don't have to force her. Everything is fine as it is.”

Ni Xiu'e suddenly mourned for Cao Guizhi, those eyes similar to Concubine Rong's had already become cloudy and no longer watery.The master she was waiting for, even if he appeared at the door of the house, he was unwilling to step in and look at her again.

"Your son Chu Tianji has entered into an official career, but he relies on the Mu family wholeheartedly. Considering the nanny's face, Shen Mou advises that the Mu family's situation will definitely not end well. If you follow his favor, you will not only lose your future, but you may also burn yourself. Remember Remember."

Ni Xiu'e chewed on the meaning and gave a deep blessing.

After Shen Buyu finished speaking, he stepped out of the Chu family.Ni Xiu'e walked all the way to the door, watching Shen Buyu disappear at the entrance of the alley.Shen Buyu, who was dressed in coarse cloth and poor clothing, was still tall and straight, showing his deterrent power.Just like ten years ago, it came and went quietly.

She seemed to be falling apart, she sat in the main room for a while, then stood up, picked up the teacup that was still warm on the table, walked to the patio, and threw it towards the corner.There was only a crisp sound of breaking, and the chickens in the coop were frightened, flapping their wings and barking wildly.She clapped her hands a few times, calmed down, stroked her hair, and then walked towards Xiuxiu's house.

Xiuxiu was tidying the weeds in the yard. She was wearing a plain dress and wrapped her bun in indigo cloth.The sunlight shines on her mottledly through the shade of the trees, revealing a trace of freshness and nature.

Ni Xiu'e showed a kind expression, and a sour water surged in her heart.

Seeing Ni Xiu'e coming in, Xiuxiu smiled bitterly, and said softly: "Mother Ni is here, I was wondering if I should discuss something with you?"

Ni Xiu'e understood that something was bothering this innocent child.

She said "Oh", looked around, and asked, "Where's your mother?"

"I went upstairs to rest. She is always in poor health. I asked the servant to accompany her. I will do the things at home."

Ni Xiu'e squatted down and helped tidy up, and said, "Your mother has a heart disease. When did you go to Jiangling, when will she recover from this illness."

With a gloomy expression, Xiuxiu said sadly, "Are you driving me away too? Why do you speak in the same tone?"

"I didn't drive you away, it's because you shouldn't have come back. You don't belong here, Hugh." Ni Xiu'e sighed, and said directly, "Master Xiang came here, and it's inconvenient for him to see you, so he asked me to come and persuade you. "

A cloud of cloud floated on Xixiu's face, she said lightly: "Do you want me to go back and stay in his cage and be his caged bird?"

"I know, he's been strict with you, but it's also for your own good. Think about it, if he really treated you like a caged bird, would he let you fly back to Mengyu County at will? He has already taken you back. Xiuxiu, there are some things you don’t understand. Xiangye has worked so hard to make you a rich person? Xiuxiu, you don’t know your blessings in the midst of blessings. Now that you are part of the Shen family, you are a noble person, don’t be picky Pick that one, go back."

With many twists and turns in Ni Xiu'e's mind, she tried her best to persuade Xiuxiu.She watched Xiuxiu stop moving, with a layer of helplessness and sadness on her face, she knew that Xiuxiu was beginning to waver.

Xiuxiu sighed, "Why can't I control my own destiny?"

"Silly boy, you are lucky."

Ni Xiu'e chatted: "I think when your father was here, your mother didn't care about you. I was afraid that you would be starved and cold. Your father left early, and your mother didn't care about you. You would only be beaten and tortured when you were around her." Damn, why do you still stay here? There used to be Tianji protecting you, but now I am the only woman left, so how can I take care of your family's affairs?"

Speaking of this, Ni Xiu'e suddenly choked up, and her eye circles began to turn red: "If you don't suffer wronged and suffer anymore, your father will be smiling forever."

Speaking of her dead father, Xiuxiu couldn't help but burst into tears, choked up and said: "I understand, I can't help myself, I can't make decisions for myself. In this life, people can only float like this, and wherever they float, it counts..."

"You child, don't think too much. The prime minister came here in a hurry, so you should give him some face. There are endless glory and wealth in the prime minister's mansion, and you can also find a good man to marry in the future." .”

Speaking of this, Ni Xiu'e couldn't help feeling sad.She likes Xiuxiu from the bottom of her heart, but it's a pity that she can't climb high, everything is impossible.Skyrim already knew it, so he could only choose to avoid it.The two children have nothing to do with each other, God is really playing tricks on people!
Now she just wants to keep herself, and to keep herself is to keep Tianji and the Chu family.

Xiuxiu looked negative and decadent, and even spoke weakly: "Mother Ni, is it because Xiuxiu is gone that you can rest assured?"

She vaguely felt that Ni Xiu'e's indifference towards her had something to do with Shen Buyu, and she really didn't understand the reason.

Tears welled up in Ni Xiu'e's eyes. She grabbed Xiuxiu and held her in her arms: "Son, don't say that, Mama Ni loves you. But Mama Ni was the nanny of the Shen family. , there is really no way..."

"Can you tell me why?"

"Son, don't ask, this is Mama Ni's business and has nothing to do with you. You have to remember that Mama Ni sometimes treats you badly, but in her heart she always hopes that Xiuxiu will live better and be happier than anyone else."

Xixiu wiped her tears with her hands, nodded obediently and said, "Xiuxiu will go get ready now."

Ni Xiu'e smiled and hugged Xiuxiu again.What a good and understanding child, God will bless her.

(End of this chapter)