Traveling through the harem: the favorite concubine

Chapter 90

That night, Ruyi had a dream about what happened when she first came to this world.

She turned into an unconscious baby, her limbs were weak, and her body could not move. She heard a woman's voice: "Why is it not a boy? Anyway, there is not enough milk. If there is another boy, I think Jun'er will be there." You have to be weaned!"

She didn't know what had happened to her, and her eyes were all white, which made her cry out in fear, and when the sound came out, it was the cry of a childish baby.

"Don't cry, wake up your fifth brother, your father will throw you away!"

"Mother, don't throw away Sixth Sister, I'll coax her."

Ruyi felt a pair of hands patting her gently, and softly hummed an unknown tune to coax her.

"Okay, you go grab a handful of cornmeal and cook some mush for your sixth sister, she must be hungry!"

The woman's voice faded away, but the girl kept coaxing her softly.

Third sister...

Ruyi opened her mouth, wanting to call out, but it seemed as if her throat was being choked.

"Sixth Sister, don't cry. Third Sister will sing for you. If Fifth Brother is woken up later, you will be thrown away like Fourth Sister."

"Sixth sister, I went to the aunt's house at the entrance of the village to ask for goat milk, you eat a little, if you don't eat, you will starve to death!"

"Sixth sister, I'm not hungry, I'm already full, you should eat more."

"Sixth sister, you put your feet on my stomach, it won't be cold."

Scene after scene, like a film reel, resurfaced in her mind, until the third sister was sold to a neighboring village to become a child bride-in-law and came to an abrupt end.

Her body was clutching her stomach, tired and hungry. Just because she secretly ate a piece of meat from the leftovers on the stove, her mother gave her a few slaps on the back. Although she hid quickly, she was not caught by anyone Hit it hard, but she didn't dare to steal it anymore.Until she couldn't bear the hunger anymore, she thought silently and somewhat angrily: I'll go to find the third sister, mother said that the third sister was sold to a good family, and the third sister will definitely give me something to eat.

While the adults were not paying attention, the little girl ran to the neighboring village by herself. She had been here once, but she kept the route firmly in her mind. The third sister was being beaten desperately by a middle-aged woman holding a water ladle on the ground. The water ladle hit the third sister's back, legs, and even her head, but the third sister only knew how to hug her head. Speaking of struggling, she didn't even dare to dodge, allowing that woman to ruthlessly attack her.

"Three sisters..."

She rushed in, and when the middle-aged woman saw Ruyi, she let go of the third sister's hand, glared at them, and cursed at the third sister, "Let me see you slacking off again! Look!" I won't kill you."

The middle-aged woman entered the room with her fat waist twisted, but Ruyi cried and helped the injured third sister up.

"Third sister, do you feel pain? It must be very painful. How could she beat you like this! Let's... let's go home and don't stay here!"

The third sister smiled wryly, and in the end she forced a smile and pulled the corners of her bruised mouth, and said, "Liu Ya, don't talk stupidly, I have already been sold here by my family to be my daughter-in-law, how can I go back. In fact, my mother-in-law didn't hit me hard just now, I don't feel any pain, and my mother used to beat me often at home."

"Why doesn't it hurt..."

Ruyi cried and touched the scar on Third Sister's face, she didn't doubt at all that the wicked woman just hit her with all her strength.

"It really doesn't hurt." The third sister turned her face away, avoiding Ruyi's hand, but said softly, "You came to find me, isn't your mother going to give you food, just wait."

"Three sisters..."

How can Ruyi think about eating at this moment, the third sister is living in such a miserable life.

The third sister had already arrived at the firewood room on the side, and took out a somewhat shriveled corn cob.

"Third sister didn't know you were coming, and she didn't prepare any food. You eat first, and next time third sister will give you something delicious."

"No, I don't want it, third sister, you eat."

Ruyi looked at the hands of the third sister who were almost as thin as dry wood, took two steps back, and said while walking outside, "Sanjie, wait, I will tell mother, let mother pick you up."

"Liuya..."

The third sister's voice came from far away, but Ruyi didn't dare to turn her head, she was afraid that the third sister would call her to stop her and really persuaded her, so that she would not have the courage to plead with her family.

However, Ruyi would never have imagined in her dreams that this was the last time she saw her third sister. She ran home, and before she could ask her parents to pick her up, she was beaten up for running around and not doing housework. While crying and begging her mother to bring the third sister back, her mother just threw the fire stick at her feet and said, "Do your homework well and don't mind your own business, your third sister is no longer a member of this family! If you run around again, see if I don't break your legs!"

Ruyi was terrified and afraid of being beaten again, but she dared not mention it again.

The end of the year is approaching, and the weather is getting colder. The room where she and the third sister slept was never burned. In the past, the third sister warmed her feet and hugged her to sleep, but now she is the only one left, unable to eat. She was full and the quilt was thin, so she simply slept in the kitchen, where she would not suffer from the cold because of the heat from the soot on the side of the stove.

The weather was really cold that day, and the window frame was covered with icicles. Before dawn, Ruyi was called to boil water for cooking. When she had just boiled the hot water for her parents and brothers to wash up in the morning, the outside yard It was a noise.

Ruyi looked at the kitchen window, and saw that the family where the third sister was sold came to the door, arguing in the yard to ask their family to return the third sister, or they would pay money.

Her mother said with a sad face that although someone came to the door last night, she was driven back.

Only then did Ruyi know that the third sister had returned last night, and not long after, someone from the village came calling, saying that she had found the third sister in the ditch beside the small road at the entrance of the village.

Ruyi didn't care about being scolded at this time, but ran towards the place the villagers said in a hurry.A lot of villagers had already surrounded that place, and when they saw Ruyi running over, they stopped her from looking at it, saying that the children couldn't look at it.

Ruyi had a bad premonition, so she buried her head and rushed in, but saw the third sister lying motionless in the ditch.

She stretched out her hand to pull, trying to make Third Sister sit up, but she only touched the frozen skin.

Ruyi didn't know how long she knelt in front of the third sister and sat there blankly. Her mind was chaotic, and the outside was also chaotic. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't cry.

Until the kind-hearted aunt in the village brought the old clothes to change for the third sister. While changing, she looked at the bruises all over her body and wiped her tears, talking about the pity of the third sister.

The family where the third sister was sold was wronged and went back to her village in dismay, but Ruyi's family felt unlucky.In the end, the kind-hearted people in the village took out the straw mats and old clothes and hastily buried the body of the third sister in the back mountain.

For such a tolerant person like the third sister, what exactly happened to her before she returned home?And that night, how could her parents not take in their daughter so cruelly in the cold and dark night?As for the third sister, walking alone on that dark and cold road, how hopeless she must be...

Ruyi didn't even know, she just felt very cold.

"Ruyi, Ruyi..."

Zhao Qingze gently patted Ruyi's terrified face in the nightmare, waking her up from the nightmare.

"Three sisters..."

Ruyi opened her eyes, looking very confused.It wasn't until the focus of her gaze was on Zhao Qingze's face that she suddenly cried bitterly and hugged Zhao Qingze.

"What's wrong? Had a nightmare?"

Zhao Qingze patted Ruyi's shoulder lightly and asked softly.

Ruyi cried like a baby and couldn't help herself.

"Third sister... Third sister is dead, she died of freezing!"

Ruyi trembling her lips, said this thing she has been unwilling to admit.

After Third Sister's death, it seemed to be a wake-up call that woke her up and completely pulled her out of the tortoise shell she made herself.She suddenly understood that if she didn't work hard, she might be worse than Third Sister in the future.She has nightmares every day and night, but she is more silent and diligent in doing things for the family. She wants to keep her in the family for a few more years. She even goes to the village to please the unfamiliar aunts and ask about their family. There were big, benevolent families nearby, so she could find a good place for herself.

She was very lucky. The government issued a notice to choose a palace lady, so she ran to the village chief's house every day to do things for the village chief's wife. In the end, the village chief and his wife felt sorry for her, so they went to her house to say After falling in love, he gave her a clean dress and sent her to the government to be a candidate.

Ever since she left that nightmare place, she finally stopped having that nightmare. When she entered the palace, she vowed to completely sever ties with that family in the future.A few years ago, she was still worried that those family members would come to look for her, but her name was never in the list of visitors in the palace, so she was relieved.

She thought it was just a distant nightmare of hers, and she would never touch it again in this life, but they came to her door, and she dreamed of Third Sister again.

She tightly grasped the clothes on Zhao Qingze's chest, absorbing the warmth from his body.

"I'm really afraid that it's just a dream. In fact... Maybe I, like Third Sister, froze to death that night."

Ruyi murmured, then raised her head abruptly and said: "I want Aman, I want to hug Aman."

"Okay, okay, don't get excited, I'll let the nanny carry me over."

Seeing Ruyi's appearance, Zhao Qingze quickly hugged her to comfort her and soothe her emotions.He reached out and touched her belly lightly, and said: "Look, your belly is already a little pregnant, and there is another child of ours inside, and Aman will come over soon. This is not a dream, it's all real." .”

When Aman was carried, he was fast asleep, his mouth was slightly opened, and his eyes were deeply closed.The nanny's movements were very light and didn't alarm him at all.

Xiao Nuannuan's body was put into Ruyi's arms, and Ruyi felt as if she had been separated from another world. A drop of clear tears fell on the small quilt wrapped around Aman's body. She didn't know that it was her actions that made Aman feel uneasy. Comfortable, it was her tears that startled Aman, who suddenly moved his small body.

Ruyi reached out and touched her face, wiped away the tears, then hugged Aman to the nanny again, and said: "Take Aman well and go back to sleep!"

She turned her head to look at Zhao Qingze who was looking at her worriedly, smiled and said: "Qingze, I'm fine, it's just that I suddenly dreamed about the past."

Zhao Qingze nodded, patted her on the shoulder, and said softly: "Now, you have me, Aman, and a baby who is about to be born in your belly, don't think about it any more!"

"Never again, there will be no more contact!"

Ruyi said softly.

"Where is your third sister buried? I will send someone to posthumously seal her..."

"no need!"

Ruyi rejected it almost without thinking. This was her usual thinking, "When a person dies, what's the use of having more Jiarong behind her? Let her sleep peacefully without disturbing her."

Posthumous title, looking at the boundless glory, but to the third sister, it has no practical significance.The third sister suffered hardships all her short life. She never ate well or even had enough food, and she never wore a new dress. She just worked and took care of others every day.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Zhao Qingze's thoughts are actually very similar to Ruyi's, but he just thinks that women might care more about these things, so he proposed this way, seeing this, he won't say more.

When Huang Zongbao came to the inn, Chen Wenhan was sitting at the window and looking outside.

He opened the door and walked in. Seeing this, he couldn't help asking strangely: "Brother Wen Han, where did your family's good book go? Why didn't you serve by your side?"

"I sent him out on some errands."

Chen Wenhan withdrew his eyes lightly, picked up the book that had been left untouched for a long time, and said something briefly.

Fortunately, Huang Zongbao also had something in his heart, so he didn't pay much attention to this, but hesitated in his heart how to ask a question.

Huang Zongbao walked up to Chen Wenhan and stood still, hesitantly asked: "Brother Wenhan seems to be older than me?"

Chen Wenhan looked up at Huang Zongbao strangely, nodded, and replied, "Indeed."

"Uh, Brother Wenhan, is there a marriage at home?"

As soon as Huang Zongbao said this, Chen Wenhan also vaguely sensed some meaning. He glanced at Huang Zongbao, put down the book in his hand, and said: "The meaning of family makes me start a career first and then get married, so I have been delaying it."

"so……"

Huang Zongbao smiled dryly, and suddenly didn't know how to continue, so he just said, "Brother Wen Han and I have the same plan."

"Brother Zong Bao, tell me directly."

Chen Wenhan said something without much emotion on his face.And Huang Zongbao was even more embarrassed when he heard the words, and finally said: "Brother Wenhan, there is a little girl in my family, I think Brother Wenhan is very outstanding in character, talent and appearance..."

"Brother Zong Bao's younger sister?" Chen Wenhan repeated, a little confused.

"Actually...it's actually my cousin." Huang Zongbao let out a breath and said softly, "I don't mean anything else, but I think it's very suitable for me. I don't know what Brother Wenhan means?"

No matter whether this marriage is successful or not, the girl's boudoir reputation is of course important.Although Huang Zongbao doesn't like Huang Jingting, he also shows that he is just making his own decisions.

"My cousin stayed at home because of the love of my third uncle at home. The meaning of the family is not to find someone with a high family status, but to find someone who is only aggressive like Brother Wen Han. I don't know if Brother Wen Han is interested?"

"The eldest lady of the prime minister's family?" Chen Wenhan looked at Huang Zongbao, but smiled lightly, and refused aloud, "I'm afraid I'm not good enough for Miss Huang, thank you brother Zongbao!"

Chen Wenhan pushed back neither soft nor hard.The matter of Huang Jingting was aroused in the capital, and even Chen Wenhan, who devoted himself to reading, had heard of it to some extent.

Huang Zongbao was probably really embarrassed to be a matchmaker, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Chen Wenhan's answer.

"Since Brother Wenhan didn't intend to, then let's pretend it didn't happen."

"Brother Zong Bao, don't be surprised. Now that I haven't established a career, I don't want to think about starting a family."

Chen Wenhan thought about his attitude just now, and felt a little tough, so he explained in a soft tone.

"I get it. I get it."

Huang Zongbao nodded again and again without any grudges.

"Brother Zong Bao, is there anything else? If nothing else, I want to study quietly."

Chen Wenhan raised the book in his hand, and Huang Zongbao sat up with a smile, "You read the book carefully, I will go home first. I will come to you when I am free."

"Okay, Brother Zong Bao, go slowly."

Chen Wenhan just sat firmly on the chair, and didn't intend to get up to see him off. Huang Zongbao was careless and informal, so he didn't care about it.

After Huang Zongbao left, Chen Wenhan put down the book in his hand again, and looked out the window.

After waiting until noon, he saw his book boy Liangshu rushing back from the outside.

"How about it, did you wait for anyone?"

Chen Wenhan always had a gentle and refined expression on his face, but now he showed an anxious expression, and asked impatiently.

"Son..."

Liang Shu had been guarding outside for a whole day, but at this moment his face was flushed red with embarrassment, but he still nodded.

Chen Wenhan showed a relaxed smile on his face, and said, "Then what did he say?"

"Young master, that father-in-law told me not to look for him in the future!"

"What do you mean?"

Chen Wenhan's smile froze on his face as he looked at Liang Shu.

Liang Shu lowered his head and said: "The father-in-law said, I don't know what you and Miss Qiaoqiao are planning. Miss Qiaoqiao was killed with a stick because she offended the imperial concubine a few days ago. to be implicated."

"The stick is dead..."

Chen Wenhan looked at the good book in disbelief, and didn't speak for a long time.

"Son..."

Liang Shu called softly, but Chen Wenhan waved his hand.

"get out."

"Yes."

Liang Shu didn't dare to stay in the room for too long, he retreated obediently.

Chen Wenhan walked to the place where Cai Zuo was sitting just now with a somewhat flamboyant footsteps, and sat down heavily.

Did Tian Qiaoqiao make a mistake?Concubine Zhao is not his little sister at all... Or, his little sister doesn't want to see his brother at all.

He buried his face in his palm, but neither of them wanted to believe it.

(End of this chapter)