Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 76
Zhang Nianmei hurriedly asked, "Where's my older sister?"

Father Fu hurriedly walked to the fence, and happily pointed to the north, "General, look, that big mansion is the new yard of the master."

"What, I haven't seen you for a few months, she has already built such a big yard!" Zhang Nianmei looked north, and it seemed that she would have a place to live in the future.

Mr. Tian looked at the little general whose face was colder than the ice edge under the eaves, and felt that something was wrong, so he moved his steps quietly, slightly blocking the old man with his body.

Xia Zhen's gaze was blocked by Mr. Tian, ​​and he said coldly, "Who let you live here?"

"Ah..." Father Fu, who was about to lead the way, was so frightened by the little general's question that he knelt down.

Zhuang Hao and Mr. Tian glanced at each other, and immediately understood why the little general was so angry. This small courtyard meant a lot to him, no, to be precise, it was the corridors of this small courtyard that meant a lot to him. With deep sleep, how can he not be annoyed now that his "little daughter-in-law" lets others live at will.

Mr. Tian quietly gestured towards Zhang Nianmei, meaning to go to Ma Erniang quickly, he was afraid that the little general would hurt the old man in a fit of anger.

Zhang Nianmei glanced at Mr. Tian who was blocking the old man, immediately understood what it meant, jumped out of the fence, and ran to call the old girl.

There are still five days to celebrate the New Year, and the newly built yard is finally tidied up, and finally we can have a happy and fat New Year. The big and small are discussing in the living room what delicious food to replenish their bodies before and after the Chinese New Year. It is really the recent period , everyone was so busy that they lost a lot of weight.

Unexpectedly, Niu Dabao ran in in a panic, "Little boss, General Zhang..."

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Nianmei had already run into the living room, "Hurry up and go to the cabin."

"What's the matter?" Ma Min'er hadn't seen them since the last time they parted in the lotus pond. Hearing that the nomads in the northern grassland were invading, they went to guard the border.

"Hurry up—" Zhang Nianmei didn't have time to answer.

Seeing his serious expression, Ma Min'er didn't ask any more questions, and immediately moved out of his new home with him.Ma Qifeng and the others also left the new home. For some reason, General Zhang was so serious. They walked towards the old wooden house worriedly all the way.

Running all the way, Ma Min'er was sweating all over her body, and when she arrived at the small courtyard, she found Fu Laofu lying on the ground.

"Old... Dad, what's the matter with you?" Ma Min'er was so frightened that tears came down, and she quickly squatted beside him.

"Ah... ah..." Father Fu couldn't move half of his body, waved his other hand, and kept shouting, but couldn't say a word.

"Daddy, what's the matter with you, Daddy... Daddy..." Ma Min'er kept wiping away tears.

"Grandpa——" Fu Xiaoyou was so frightened that he lost his soul. Grandpa is his only relative in the world. If grandpa has something, what will he do?I could barely breathe from crying.

Mr. Tian didn't expect that the old man kneeling on the ground suddenly fell down, and he couldn't move half of his limbs, and he couldn't even speak. Could it be that he was paralyzed by... fright?He unconsciously looked towards the little master.

Zhang Nianmei felt strange, could it be that the little general lost his temper, but he took a closer look, and the old man didn't seem to have any injuries. Taking a step back, if the little general made a move, the old man should hang up right away, it's impossible to lie down like this it's here.

He looked at Zhuang Hao and asked, what's going on?

"The little general didn't care about him." Zhuang Hao glanced at Ma Erniang who hadn't looked at the little general all this time, and felt it necessary to say something.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Ma Min'er suddenly raised her head and looked at Xia Zhen. She really suspected that it was Xia Zhen who got angry and hurt Father Fu. She saw that his neck was green and fierce, The smoke made his eyes red and his face blue, as if he was about to burst out.

Enduring forbearance, Xia Zhen saw the 'little daughter-in-law' finally glanced at him, and unconsciously pursed her pouting mouth.

Since he didn't do anything, then the old man... Ma Min'er looked carefully at the ah-ah-ah old father, he seemed to have suffered a stroke, and when she realized this, she immediately screamed: "Brother, hurry to the town to find the old doctor, There are also prescriptions for needles and medicines for him to wear side wind."

"Okay, I'll go right away." Ma Dalang immediately ran towards the town.

Ma Min'er heard people say that ancient literati dabbled in medicine and health preservation, so she immediately said to Mr. Tian: "Sir, you are the most knowledgeable and the oldest one here, please restrain your father before the doctor comes." illness."

Mr. Tian looked at Ma Erniang coldly. This little lady has always cared about a lowly commoner since she came to the present, and ignored her little master. Why should she help him.

Ma Min'er felt the indifference from Mr. Tian, ​​and the anger that had been suppressed all the time burst into the air, "Zhao Yuyan, come here!" She called and glared at Mr. Tian.

Zhao Yuyan glanced at the dignitaries in front of him, thought for a while, and quickly squatted in front of Father Fu, rubbing the key acupuncture points of the hemiplegia to prevent the condition from getting worse.

Ma Min'er stood aside, looking indifferently at the group of dignitaries in front of her. Maybe after tonight, her life in Yunshui and Pingding would not be easy, but she didn't want to bow to them.

The daughter has a sense of proportion in doing things, and in the other, she will achieve her goal quietly in the midst of gags, but tonight, Ma Qifeng saw a completely different daughter. Stand before the powerful.

The daughter is still young, she doesn't understand, but Ma Qifeng understands, not only that, she fully understands what the rich and powerful in front of them means to them.

"First... Mister..." In the eyes of Xiaowang villagers, Ma Qifeng, who is noble, now looks humble and cowardly in front of the general's mansion, with his waist slightly bowed.

"The person you should call is not me, but the little general." Mr. Tian replied indifferently.

"Little...Little General..." Ma Qifeng took a step forward and saluted, "Xiaomin is rude!"

"Father..." In Ma Min'er's round eyes, tears fell down again, and she wanted to yell, why are you so humble and cowardly, why... But she knows, this is ancient times, not everyone equal future society.

Anyway, she was a ten-year-old child, so Ma Miner cried unscrupulously, rubbing her eyes while crying, and couldn't breathe because she was crying so hard.

For some reason, the more she cried, the more sad she became, the more sad she cried.Sad about my parents in the future, sad that I have been racking my brains to see them again but can't, sad that I have to live humblely in this life, dealing with the big men in front of me, sad that I have carried an invisible burden on my shoulders for more than a year... …everything, everything.

Why should she please this violent young man, why should she support her ten-year-old body and cook a table full of dishes to please them.Live so humble, so cowardly!
Seeing his daughter crying so hard that he almost lost his breath, Ma Qifeng panicked. No one knew his daughter better than him. Whether she was his daughter or not was no longer important to him.

What's important is that as a father, he can't do without his daughter. If he doesn't have a daughter, how will he live with the children? Don't cry...don't cry, if you continue to cry, what to do if you choke, what to do, I can't do without you..." Seeing that her daughter was still crying, her gasping was scary, and Ma Qifeng Followed by crying.Without his aunt, without his wife, he cannot live without a daughter.

"Enough!" The violent voice sounded, and the air was still in shock.

Ma Miner's unstoppable sobs stopped suddenly.

Xia Zhen looked at Ma Min'er with red eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Ma Min'er felt that if she didn't yell, she might really be able to hold her breath and die quietly.

"You dare to yell at me?" Xia Zhen narrowed her red eyes.

"Yes!" Ma Min'er puffed up her chest, "I know you are the boss of Yizhou. If you want to kill people, you can kill people. Whoever you want will have a hard time. You can do whatever you want, and you can die at worst. Once, nothing special."

Including Mr. Tian, ​​no one thought that when they met again, they would see such a mother, "Just because of a humble old man, you actually treat the little general like this?" The indifferent Mr. Tian was puzzled.

Ma Min'er smiled coldly: "You can treat an old man like this today, wouldn't you treat me like this tomorrow?"

"You..." Mr. Tian narrowed his eyes.

"If I hadn't been a little funny, you would have looked up to me?"

"..." Mr. Tian's narrowed eyes reveal that you are self-aware.

Ma Min'er understood Mr. Tian's eyes, turned her head away, and looked sadly at Fu Fu who was lying on the ground. , a fool, so what, what kind of life is worthy of respect, what kind of life is behind a legend.

Ma Min'er lowered her head, reached out her hand to take out the jade water drop wrapped around her neck, and walked gently in front of Xia Zhen, "Thank you for taking care of me, without this big tree like you, I might not even be able to live in the small wooden house behind me. "

After finishing speaking, he stretched out his other hand, lifted Xia Zhen's hand, and returned the warm jade water drop. When the jade water drop left his hand, the tears from his eyes slid down to the ground along the jade water drop.

Letting the tears fall, Ma Min'er didn't look up.

Xia Zhenmu stared blankly at the jade droplet in his hand.

Zhang Nianmei lowered her head and picked the tip of her nose, excitedly coming to see her old sister, how could it be like this?
Zhuang Hao has been watching the little master and Ma Erniang like a bystander, his deep eyes are unfathomable.

Mr. Tian frowned, and glanced at the old man lying on the ground, how did things happen like this?

Ma Sanlang and Ma Yue'er each hugged Ma Qifeng's thigh, they were frightened, hid behind their father's thigh, and quietly looked at the adult world, it was so sinister.

The two Guo Daping brothers supported Fu Xiaoyou's fainting body, not even daring to breathe.

Shi Chunyue hugged the child and hid beside Niu Dabao, motionless, but the several-month-old child fell asleep peacefully in her arms.At this moment, only this little baby is enjoying the warm embrace from his mother and falling asleep happily.

Zhao Yuyan lowered his head slightly, perhaps because he was paying attention to the changes in Fu Laofu's body, or perhaps because he felt the life and death of the powerful.

In the small courtyard, the silence was suffocating.

"Big sister, the doctor is here!" Finally, Ma Dalang's cry broke the silence.

Ma Min'er wiped away her tears when she raised her head, and shouted, "Lang Zhong, please show Father Fu quickly."

Lang Zhong was blocked by Jing Mo's sword at the gate of the courtyard.

"What are you doing, you—" Ma Min'er's eyes widened again.

Jing Mo said indifferently: "You haven't told the little general yet, why did you give the small yard to others?"

"This is my own yard. I can give it to whomever I want. Why should I tell him?" Ma Min'er roared.

Startled, Mo lowered his eyes, and moved the sword to Lang Zhong's neck.

"What do you want to do?" Ma Min'er was startled, sweating all over, this is an irrelevant person, she won't suffer unreasonable disaster just because she called her over.

Jing Mo didn't say a word, his indifference made people tremble.

Ma Min'er stared at him, turned around suddenly, stretched out her hand and drew Xia Zhen's sword. The action was so fast that people couldn't be caught off guard. By the time everyone realized it, the sword had already wiped her young neck, "Father, we In the next life, we will be father and daughter again!"

"No..." Ma Qifeng rushed towards his daughter like crazy.

There was blood dripping.

Everyone looked up from the red blood on the ground to the sky. The blood came from the little general's hand blocking the sword.

"Zian—"

"Little General—"

……

Xia Zhen's eyes became even redder, but the thorns on her body disappeared without a trace.

Ma Min'er raised her eyes to look at him: "You rabbit with a short tail, knowing that your tail is so short, you still want to lick your tail like a cat, it's really ridiculous."

Everyone was startled by a little lady's words, but Xia Zhen, who cherished words like gold, spoke, and said one sentence, which they thought was the longest sentence.

"You little dog that wags its head and tail, I don't want to please you, what's the use of wagging your tail again?"

"Then you just kicked me away, why do you let me keep shaking my head and tail?" Ma Miner yelled loudly.

Xia Zhen turned his eyes away.

"Kick, kick now, let me tell you, I have died once, and I am not afraid of dying again." Ma Min'er was emotional, and was tightly grabbed by the rushing Ma Qifeng.

Xia Zhen pursed her lips and said nothing.

"Your uncle—" Ma Min'er shouted: "Yes, I gave the small yard to Fu Xiaoyou's grandchildren, I forgot to consider your feelings, then you have to give me a chance to explain, come here Just play Lao Tzu's number one temper for whom?"

"That's enough, Ma Erniang!" Mr. Tian interrupted Ma Min'er coldly.

"Enough, I'm not enough, what do you want?" Ma Min'er was going crazy tonight.

"I..." Mr. Tian looked at the hairless little master, and the arrogance unique to the general's mansion was completely gone.

Xia Zhen completely ignored her bleeding hand, raised her eyes, and looked at Ma Min'er, who was covered in bristly hair and barbs, staring at her, motionless.

Ma Min'er raised her head, sister let you see, what's the matter, if you want to kill or shave, sister is going all out today.

Xia Zhen turned her head, looked at the corridor in the middle of the night, and turned around suddenly.

"Little General—"

"Zian—"

Xia Zhen's subordinates, seeing their little master from the beginning excitedly, to now leaving lonely, for some reason, they seemed to have forgotten his violent and unpredictable temper, and only felt that at this moment The back is so painful.

Yes, can you not be distressed, he has lost weight again, and his thin back is extremely silent in the dark night.

Ma Min'er's body was overwhelmed by the overexcited emotions. Holding her father's arm, she lowered her head and let out a breath. Before she could take a few breaths, a light flashed in front of her eyes.

Looking up, jade water dripped on Xia Zhen's hand stretched out in front of her.

Ma Miner frowned: "I'm sorry, I can't bear it."

Mr. Tian and others were wondering why the little master turned back, it turned out to be to send jade drops.

"Zian—"

"Little General—"

Xia Zhen turned a deaf ear to his subordinate's words. Seeing Ma Min'er's refusal, she stretched out her other blood-dripping hand and put the jade droplet around her neck.

"I..." Seeing the bleeding hand, Ma Min'er couldn't speak cruel words.

Xia Zhen looked at the jade droplet, turned around and left resolutely.

Jing Mo withdrew his sword, and Lang Zhong collapsed to the ground.

After the sound of horseshoes disappeared for a long time, Ma Miner came back to her senses and reached out to pick up the jade droplet. I will still find a chance to return it. She raised her head and said, "Master, save me!"

Father Fu was lucky, because of the timely treatment of the stroke, his actions and speech returned to normal after half a year, but from then on, Ma Miner didn't let him go to the fields anymore, and specially helped her look after the nursing home.

As for the small courtyard, it has been empty there since then. Ma Min'er would clean it occasionally when she thought of it, and sometimes she would sit in the corridor in a daze, watching the scenery, and touching the jade water drops on her neck.

Ma Min'er thought to herself, if she had the chance, she would lure Xia Zhen into that pit on the same day and try again. If she couldn't see her parents again, she decided to give up.

Knowing that Gu Ma Min'er is with her parents is a blessing in misfortune. As for Gu Ma Min'er's IQ and how she adapts to modern society, she can't control it, and it seems that she can't control it, so let it be.

Stretching and looking at the blue sky, before she knew it, she was already a 12-year-old girl. More than two years of training in ancient times had made her more than capable.

Although she didn't want to admit that he, Xia Zhen and his subordinates hadn't seen each other since the small courtyard incident, but she still got his care, and the food for her nearly [-] acres of land still went to the military camp, The food payment arrived in her pocket as scheduled.

Stepping down the wooden ladder, Ma Min'er understood that although the military camp bought food from her, it saved a lot of trouble, but who let them stand on a high place, 'saving trouble' is different for them, who is it different for?

After going out of the courtyard door and closing the small courtyard door, Ma Miner looked at the lonely wooden courtyard and the silent eaves, and let out a sigh of relief, yes, after getting benefits from others, she still wanted to trick others into "going into the pit", in the small wooden house In the incident, in fact, the person who went too far was himself.

After receiving so many benefits from others, why not consider his feelings and leave the small courtyard to him?In fact, there is no difference between Fu Laodie living in his own big courtyard and living in a small wooden courtyard, and even living in his own big courtyard can get everyone's care.

I did ignore the big boy's feelings, I'm sorry, Xia Zhen!Nearly two years later, on an afternoon in late autumn and early winter, at the gate of the small courtyard under the sun, Ma Miner, who has an adult soul, faced her once out-of-control emotions.

In the afternoon of early winter, the sunshine and smoke, strolling in the fields of the village, let your thoughts fly.The four seasons reincarnate, the fleeting years on the fingertips are entwined with thoughts, there is nothing to hide in the sun, the light and shadow fade from the treetops to the pond water, just like the state of mind, a little scattered.

Whether it is gazing at the sky or looking at the wilderness up close, in the early winter, everything blown by the north wind is always smeared with a sense of chilling. Fortunately, there is still sunshine, and basking in the sun is also a kind of happiness, a kind of addictive comfort .

Suddenly, the noisy blowing noise from the village pulled Ma Miner back to reality from the fantasy of the sun. From time to time, children ran towards the village on the head, and the children shouted as they ran, "Go grab the wedding candy, the wedding!" Cake!"

"I heard that it's the county magistrate's brother-in-law. The wedding candies and wedding cakes must be better than those in our country."

"That's right, hurry up, or you won't be able to grab it!"

Children of half age swarmed past in groups.Ma Min'er laughed, today is the daughter of the second uncle's family, Ma Jian'er, is getting married, probably because the man's wedding team has arrived. In the countryside, it is still the greatest happiness for the children to eat a good candy. Looking at the village head, listening to Said the county magistrate's brother-in-law is not a good man worthy of entrusting his life!In order to get promoted, did the second uncle sacrifice the happiness of his cousin?Ugh……

Zhao Yuyan walked over from the opposite side.

"Hey, why didn't you go to class?" Ma Min'er asked looking at the boy who was a head taller than her.

Zhao Yuyan replied: "The county magistrate's brother-in-law got married, and many people in the school asked for leave."

"Oh." Ma Min'er smiled and said, "So why don't you just take a vacation?"

Zhao Yuyan nodded.

"Then you are..."

"Is Yi Chu there? I'll go find him."

"Big brother and dad are still at the second uncle's house, I was bored, so I fled back after lunch."

"Oh!" Zhao Yuyan said, "Then I'll go home."

"I heard that the list of candidates for the Qiuwei Central Committee hasn't come out yet?" Ma Min'er asked suddenly.

"Ok!"

Ma Min'er asked with concern: "How do you feel on the exam?" This big boy has lived with them for three years, and he is not like a relative, but he has the taste of a relative.

Zhao Yuyan replied: "It's impossible to be top-notch, but it's possible to touch the edge of top-notch."

"That is above average?"

Zhao Yuyan nodded.

Ma Min'er smiled, "Should I continue the exam after winning the exam, or return to my hometown to find an official?"

Zhao Yuyan looked into the distance: "A person like me must not leave the village. Now that I have left, I want to climb until I can't."

Ma Min'er followed him to look into the distance, and analyzed casually: "If we say that the imperial examination gave some poor children the opportunity to enter the official career, but after entering the official career, they have no connections, and people like you can only be civil servants. official positions, and cannot climb to the center of power."

"That's why I didn't study for the first place in the exam." Zhao Yuyan turned to look at Ma Min'er.

"Then what did you spend your rest of your energy on?"

"Study the strategy of climbing up."

As if she was used to hearing this shocking words, Ma Miner tilted her head slightly and asked, "Did you find it?"

"There's a shortcut."

"What shortcut?"

"I got the result of Zhongju and begged Mrs. Ma to marry my granddaughter to me."

Ma Min'er was really frightened by this young man's straightforwardness and ruthlessness: "But my uncle was beheaded by the emperor, are you sure that marrying his daughter will help your career?"

Zhao Yuyan nodded: "I have studied what the emperor did before and after the Ma family was exiled, and I have six levels of confidence."

"You have never been in contact with emperors, so you cannot accurately grasp their thoughts. What if your research is wrong?" Ma Miner reminded.

"That's my fate."

Ma Min'er looked at the young man in front of him who was doing his best to be a master, saw his confidence in his chest, and smiled again: "I wish you all the best."

"Thank you!"

Ma Miner waved her hand, "I'm going back!"

Zhao Yuyan stood on the side of the path, and didn't look away until Ma Min'er entered his big house. While walking back, he looked at the vacant cabin. Two years ago, on that night, everything in the small courtyard seemed to be vividly remembered. , Fearless - these are the four words he learned from that night.

When Old Man Fu saw Xiao Dong's coming back, he hurried over to open the door, "Little Dong, you're back!"

"Hmm!" Ma Min'er felt strange: "Xiaoyou is at home today, I asked him to take you around the county town, why didn't you go?"

"I'm too old to be a bone, so I won't go." Father Fu said with a smile.

"Father, you are wrong to think this way. You have to go out for a walk. It is good for your body and mind, so you can live a long life."

Father Fu chuckled and closed the door without replying.

Seeing her father like this, Ma Min'er smiled, "I'm going to sleep for a while, and I'm going to my cousin's house for dinner later."

Father Fu asked: "I heard from Xiao You that Master Ma Er has a yard in the county town, why did he marry his daughter in Luo Zhai in the countryside?"

"Why? Let the county magistrate's brother-in-law welcome the wedding. It will be so beautiful from Yunshui to the county."

Father Fu shook his head, "These people."

"My second uncle is now the boss, a decent eighth-rank official in the court, and the highest rank among the Ma family."

"I don't know about official positions, but I know I'm a high official." Father Fu smiled.

"Haha..." Ma Min'er smiled and went back to her room.

Father Fu looked down at his thin body that couldn't die, I'm such an old man, what am I doing alive!General Xia and his subordinates haven't found Xiaodong's house in the past two years, and he has been living in self-blame.

Can the little master and the little general meet again?This has always been the obsession in Fu's heart. If it wasn't for him, they must get along very well.

With the arrival of early winter, the border finally became more stable. Xia Zhen took his subordinates back to Pingding for repairs, and Pingding's unique military economy reappeared.

Zhuang Hao didn't bother to go out, sat on the porch basking in the sun, playing with cats and dogs.

Zhang Nianmei, who came back from Wenrou Township, passed by his corridor as usual, with a lazy look, and asked as she walked, "You're teasing your cats and dogs again!"

Zhuang Hao moved away the book that half covered his face, "Did you fool around again?"

"Where else can I go? Pingding County is only this big. It's either Hongxiu or Yicui." Zhang Nianmei replied roughly. Seeing the cat adding its own tail, she squatted down interested and stretched out her hand to tease it. Seeing that someone was playing with it, the cat stood up and started to play with him.

"Zhang Tiaozi——"

Zhuang Hao suddenly made a sound, which made Zhang Nianmei tremble, "What are you doing, making a sound suddenly, you want to scare people to death."

"What does that mean?"

"What?"

"It's the sentence about the short tail... the cat's tail."

Zhang Nianmei stared at Zhuang Hao, stopped teasing the cat, and stood up, "You ask me, who shall I ask?"

"But the little general seems to understand." Zhuang Hao narrowed his eyes and said.

Zhang Nianmei snorted, "That's why you keep cats and dogs."

Zhuang Hao didn't say anything, it was a tacit agreement.

Zhang Nianmei walked a few steps, turned around after thinking about it, and whispered to Zhuang Hao's ear, "One is a rabbit and the other is a puppy. You still dare to keep them. You want to die!"

(End of this chapter)