wedding dress

Chapter 183
Looking down from Qinghe Tower, this is already a very lively town.

Of course, this place cannot be compared with the capital city in the north, Xuanzhou in the south of the Yangtze River, or other places on the road.But compared with some of the small towns I passed by these days, this place is already densely populated, stable and prosperous.

There are many women on the street here, some of them are carrying burdens, some are carrying baskets, and they are calling out with crisp and spicy greetings, embroidery thread, rouge, melon, and colorful things, Xiaodong doesn’t know what they are for .This is not seen in the capital, let alone in Xuanzhou.The atmosphere in the capital is more open than in Xuanzhou. Ladies can go to the streets, travel, offer incense, and attend meetings. Girls can also go to academies. You can see many women with veiled hats on the streets.On the streets of Xuanzhou, except for girls under five years old and half-old women, young women are not seen.

Here in Pingzhou, it seems so simple and free.

Xiaodong rested her chin and looked at the endless stream of people on the street below, and had the illusion of returning to modern times for a moment.Although she couldn't understand what these people were saying at all.There are different winds in ten miles, and different customs in a hundred miles.Here is close to Suizhou, but the accent is different from Suizhou.

Qin Lie added a bowl of tea for her: "Taste."

Xiaodong looked at him warily first: "It's not salty, is it?"

"No."

"Is there really no salt?"

Qin Lie suppressed a smile: "Really not."

Only then did Xiaodong relieve himself and took a sip.

so far so good.

Just now when the waiter went upstairs to pour the tea, Xiaodong looked a little green, which was similar to the tea he usually drank, but when he drank it, he almost spit it out of his mouth.

That tea is salty.

In fact, she already felt something was wrong before the tea entered her throat.Because she smelled a smell of onion and ginger...but she moved too fast.

The expression on Qin Lie's face was narrowed depending on how he looked at it: "Look at you, you drink so fast, I haven't had time to tell you yet, this tea is different from the tea you used to drink."

He obviously did it on purpose!

"This time it's really not salty."

Xiaodong smelled the scent first, and it really was a quiet tea fragrance.She tasted it carefully.

"This Qinghe Building is also the property of the Zhang family." Qin Lie said, "Would you like to meet Zhao Zhi? I can ask someone to arrange it."

"Is Zhang's house far from here?"

"Not far." Qin Lie pointed to the east: "Go from here, look, there is a large piece of green tile roof over there, that is the Zhang family."

Xiaodong looked out the window, and sure enough it wasn't too far away.

"Is Zhao Zhi doing well at Zhang's house?"

"The information I asked people to inquire about said that it is still passable."

passable——

That said, not very happy.

Looking at the teacup, Xiaodong nodded slowly.

"I want to meet her."

"Well, let's go." Qin Lie stood up and put the tea money on the table.

Qin Lie called a sedan chair to come, the road in Pingzhou is not smooth, it is high and low, going up and down for a while.After almost a meal, the sedan chair stopped, and Qin Lie lifted the curtain of the sedan chair: "Here we are, come."

Xiaodong looked up and saw that this was a small nunnery, in which Guanyin was enshrined.The courtyard is very small, and there are two camellias planted in the yard. The flowers bloom just right, and the flowers are heavy and the size of the mouth of a bowl.

"We'll wait here for a while."

An old nun served tea without saying a word, with a dull expression on her face, and she didn't raise her eyes to look at them.She was dressed in gray black clothes, and she made no sound when she walked, like a gray ghost.

"What is this place?"

"Behind Zhang's house, there is a bridge. Go out and walk a hundred steps eastward. After crossing the bridge, you will find the back door of Zhang's house."

It was unusually quiet here, and the hustle and bustle of the street just now seemed to have nothing to do with it.The incense in the furnace burned a lot of ashes, and fell down and scattered into a cloud of ashes.

Xiaodong vaguely heard footsteps, far away, both real and unreal.

Then the voice gradually became clearer and closer.

With a creak, the courtyard door was pushed open.

Xiaodong glanced at Qin Lie, and stood up slowly while supporting the chair.

The people from outside had already reached the door and stopped there.

Through a door, the outside is much brighter than the inside.

Xiaodong couldn't see her face clearly for a moment.

I vaguely feel that Zhao Zhi is not like this.

But what exactly does Zhao Zhi look like?
In Xiaodong's memory, the clearest one is that when they were studying in Jiyutang, Zhao Zhi was wearing a double bun and wearing a pair of snow-like velvet flowers.There is often a piece of candy in the mouth, so the left and right cheeks will occasionally protrude, which looks very funny.

"Little Dong?"

She stepped slowly across the threshold and stood holding the door.

Xiaodong finally saw her appearance clearly.

The person in front of him was no longer the ruddy Zhao Zhi with crooked eyes when he smiled.She was wearing lead powder, so her complexion was unnaturally white.Her hair was combed into a bun, which looked a bit sharp.There is a vertical line between the eyebrows, and it seems that the whole face is a little sad.

Before seeing Zhao Zhi, Xiaodong had thought about it, if they reunited after so many years, would they cry and laugh and hug each other, there would be endless things to say——

She took a deep breath and suppressed the tears in her eyes: "A Zhi."

Zhao Zhi's lips trembled slightly, her lips were pursed, and her eye circles were slightly red: "I really didn't expect...to see you again in this life...Why did you come? When did you arrive?"

"We are going back to Suizhou, passing through here."

Zhao Zhi nodded and said softly, "I haven't congratulated you yet."

Qin Lie said softly: "You two talk for a while, I'll wait for you outside."

"how are you recently?"

Zhao Zhi nodded, and said slowly: "It's okay. I don't know anyone here, and I don't have anyone to talk to. My mother-in-law is a bit strict, but my husband-in-law treats me very well...how is the capital?"

This question is even harder for Xiaodong to answer.

In fact, Zhao Zhi knew many things, and Xiaodong also briefly mentioned them in the letter.

What can Beijing do?The capital is fine, everything is business as usual.It's just that no one in the capital mentioned King Jingjun and the second prince at all, as if these two people had never existed.Of course, the people related to them never existed.

Why... they used to be so close, they were sisters, friends, classmates, playmates... they wrote together, practiced the piano together, and secretly passed notes during the exam in Jiyutang.

Now that they are all married, the past seems to be blown away by a strong wind, and they can't grasp it vaguely, and they will never come back.

The two sat down, and Xiaodong said: "I'm afraid that Zhang's family is very strict with you, and it would be inconvenient to visit at first, so Qin Lie arranged for us to meet like this first. If it is convenient for you, I will formally visit tomorrow." look at you."

"Well, the Zhang family is a big family here, and the family rules are stricter. But you and I are cousins, so there is nothing wrong with coming to see me."

Even though he said this, Zhao Zhi never said that Xiaodong should officially visit the gate of Zhang's house.

I don't know if the Zhang family is aware of King Jing's affairs.However, he must have known it well.Although the Daxia Dynasty's questioning of crimes did not involve married women.But the Zhang family married such a daughter-in-law who was like a hot potato, so they naturally wanted to control her carefully, so as not to cause any troubles that would harm their family.

Zhao Zhi gossiped a little bit: "When I first came here, I was not used to it. The food I ate, the house I lived in, and the tea and salt here... I couldn't understand the people in the Zhang family. There's no one to talk to..."

Xiaodong thought, she has also seen this.Indeed, putting salt in tea is too unaccustomed to people.

"I fell ill as soon as I came here, and I have been ill for a long time. Mostly because I am not acclimatized..."

Maybe it's because, at that time, she also heard the news that King Jingjun and the second prince launched the palace change but ended in a complete failure?
Xiaodong took out a pair of bracelets inlaid with wish-fulfilling beads, and a long-lived lock with gem tassels: "I came in a hurry, this one is for my little nephew who has never met."

Zhao Zhi stared blankly, but didn't reach out to pick it up.

Xiaodong looked at her suspiciously.

"I... haven't seen him for more than a month." Before Zhao Zhi finished speaking, tears rolled down his face.She took out her handkerchief to wipe her tears, and wiped the powder on her face into a ball of flowers.

"how?"

Zhao Zhi took a few deep breaths, then wiped her nose fiercely: "He...was carried away by my mother-in-law. I was weak after giving birth, so my mother-in-law took the child to her yard to raise him. Later, I brought the child back , But within two days, because the child had a stomachache, my mother-in-law said that I was young and could not take care of me well, and that the nanny was not dedicated... and took the child away."

It sounds like this, the old lady of the Zhang family can't make mistakes in terms of reason.Firstly, she is the mother-in-law, the unyielding master of Zhang's inner courtyard, Zhao Zhi has to respect her, serve her, and not disobey her.Secondly, what she said about taking the child away was not wrong.Zhao Zhixian was weak after giving birth, and after taking care of the baby for two days, she didn't take care of it well.

"Then, what does your husband say?"

With a strong nasal voice, Zhao Zhi said sullenly: "He told his mother to bring her back earlier. But this time he also said to keep it there and bring it back when he is older."

That's...that's right.

But for Zhao Zhi, it was not so easy.

Her family was ruined, she left her hometown and came to Pingzhou, and she couldn't even understand the people here.Her relatives are gone.Under such circumstances, the child she gave birth to was truly connected with her blood, was real, and belonged entirely to her.Although he has a husband, Zhang Manting must first be a good son, a man of the best family, and he should have more things to consider.His family, himself, even if he can be considerate to Zhao Zhi - but that is far from enough.

Under such circumstances, to Zhao Zhi, the child being taken away must be like taking her heart away.

Even after a year, two years, and the child is brought back again, how much torment should Zhao Zhi have to endure?
Xiaodong comforted her a few words, but she herself felt that such comfort was so feeble.How happy Zhao Zhi used to be. In Jingjun's mansion, Princess Jingjun held her in the palm of her hand, and the previous ten years were smooth and smooth.Now no one can protect her, no matter how many grievances and heartaches, there is nowhere to complain.

Zhao Zhi could bear it if she didn't comfort her.As soon as Xiaodong persuaded her, Zhao Zhi's tears flowed more and more.Maybe it's at Zhang's house, and I can't even cry happily.

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After wearing out my feet, I have skin allergies again!Crying~~ Sure enough, when spring comes, I will be a big coffee table filled with cups and tableware. .

(End of this chapter)