My Lady, Something is Wrong

"Hey... what are you doing here?"

Jezdemonov took a step forward, moved his tongue, but couldn't utter a word: his mouth seemed to be stuffed with hemp.At the same time, the representative felt that something was wrong not only with his mouth, but also with his internal organs... The courage went down from the chest to the abdomen, where it rumbled for a while, then down the thigh to the heel of the foot, and finally in the boot. It's stuck...and the boot is broken...Oops!

"Hey, what are you doing here? Didn't you hear me?"

"Well... I, I have nothing to do... I just stopped by to see. I, my lord, I heard... I heard..."

Jezdemonov tried to hold back his tongue, but it didn't obey him, and he went on:

"I heard that Mrs. Madam won a carriage in the lottery... Lottery, my lord... Mmmm... My lord..."

"Lottery tickets? Okay... I only have five tickets left here... Do you want all five tickets?"

"No...no...no, my lord...one...is enough..."

"You want all five? Let me ask you!"

"Excellent, my lord."

"Six rubles each... But you, five rubles only... Sign it... I wish you the best of luck..."

"Hee hee hee...thank you 1...my lord...aha, very happy..."

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1Original in French.

"You go!"

One minute later, Jezdemonov was already standing in the middle of the porter's room, blushing like a prawn, and borrowing 1 rubles from his friends with tears in his eyes.

"I gave him, gentlemen, twenty-five rubles, but it's not my money! It's my mother-in-law's asking me to pay the rent. . . Lend me money, gentlemen! Please!"

"Why are you crying? Soon you will be traveling in a carriage..."

"A carriage...a carriage...what do I want a carriage? To frighten people with it? I'm not a priest!

This was six or seven years ago, when I lived in the estate of Belokurov, a landowner in a certain county in the province of T.Byelokurov, a young man who rises at dawn, wears a tunic, drinks beer every evening, complains to me that he has no sympathy from anyone anywhere.He lived in a wing in the garden, and I lived in the hall of the landowner's old house.This hall, with its many columns, contained no furniture except a great couch where I slept, and a table where I laid out my cards.The old Amosov fireplaces inside kept humming, even in fine weather.In the event of a heavy thunderstorm, the whole house trembled, as if it was about to collapse with a bang.Especially at night, when the ten great windows were suddenly lit up with lightning, it was a little frightening.

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1 A pneumatic stove designed by h. a. Amosov ([-]-[-]).

I am lazy by nature, so I simply do nothing this time.For hours on end I watched the sky, the birds, and the avenue, read the books that came to me, or slept.Sometimes I go out and wander somewhere and don't come back until very late.

One day, on my way home, I accidentally walked into a strange manor.The sun had set now, and the shadows of evening stretched across the blossoming rye fields.Two rows of tall and dense old spruces, like two continuous walls, create a dark and beautiful avenue.I easily climbed over a fence and walked along this tree-lined road. The ground was covered with needles an inch thick, and it was a bit slippery to walk.The surroundings are quiet and dark, except for the bright golden light flashing from time to time on the tall treetops, and some spider webs change into rainbow-like colors, and the smell of needles is so strong that people can't breathe.Then I turned the corner and walked up a long avenue of wrought trees.Here too, it is desolate and ancient.The last year's leaves rustled sadly underfoot, and shadows lay among the trees in the twilight.In an old orchard on the right, a yellow warbler is singing lazily and softly, it must be getting old.Finally, when the linden avenue came to an end, I passed a white house with a verandah and attic, and suddenly I saw a manor courtyard and a wide pond.The pond is surrounded by green willows and has a bathing shed.There was a village on the other side of the pond, and a tall, narrow bell tower with a golden cross on it in the setting sun.For a moment, a kind and familiar feeling made me feel refreshed, as if I had already seen the scene in front of me when I was a child.

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2 A Russian inch is equal to four four centimeters.

A white brick gate leads from the courtyard to the field. This gate is old and strong, with a pair of stone lions on both sides.Two girls stood at the gate.One of them was older, slender, pale, and very handsome, with a mass of chestnut hair, a small chiseled mouth, and a stern expression that seemed to disdain me.The other was very young, ten at most

Eight years old, also slender and pale, with a bigger mouth and a pair of big eyes watching me pass by in surprise, said something in English, and writhed again.I seem to feel that these two lovely faces are already familiar.I returned to my residence happily, as if I had a good dream.

Not long after that, one afternoon, while Byelokurov and I were walking outside the house, we heard rustling in the grass, and a carriage with spring seats drove into the yard, and in it sat the elderly girl. .She came to collect donations for the villagers who suffered from the fire, and she carried a pledge list with her.Without looking us in the eye, she told us in great seriousness and detail how many houses had been burned in the village of Sianovo, how many men, women, and children had been made homeless, and what the preliminary plans of the Disaster Relief Committee—of which she was now a member—were told. member.She asked us to pledge and sign, and left immediately after putting away the list.

"You have completely forgotten about us, Pyotr Petrovich," she said to Byelokurov, holding out her hand to him, "come, if Mr. So-and-so (she gave my name) comes to the house, Mom and I would be honored to see what life is like for someone who admires his genius."

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1Original in French.

I bow in thanks.

After she had gone, Pyotr Petrovich began to describe her family.According to him, the girl was from a good family, and her name was Lydia Volchaninovna, and the estate where she lived with her mother and sister, and the village on the other side of the pond, were called Shelkovka.Her father had a prominent position in Moscow back then, and was already a third-rank civil servant when he died.Despite their wealth, the Volchaninov family always lived in the country, never going out in summer or winter.Lydia taught at the No. 2 primary school run by the Zemstvo in Shelkovka, receiving a salary of 25 rubles a month.She relies on this income for her own expenses, and she prides herself on being self-supporting.

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2 The old Russian village primary school, with a schooling period of three to four years, is run by local self-government associations.

"It's an interesting family," said Byelokurov. "Well, let's go and see them someday. They will welcome you."

One festive afternoon we thought of the Volchaninovs and set off for Sherkovka to visit them.The mother and two daughters are at home.The mother, Ekaterina Pavlovna, must have been a beauty in those days, but now she was plump, older than her age, and suffering from asthma.She looked melancholy and indifferent, and tried to talk about painting in order to interest me.She had learned from her daughter that I might go to Shelkovka, and she suddenly remembered two landscapes she had seen of me at an exhibition in Moscow.Now she asks me what I want to express in these paintings.Lydia, whom the family called Lida, spent most of her time talking with Byelokurov and rarely with me.She looked serious and serious, and asked him why he didn't come

Chapter 150

In the middle of the night, the lights are still on.

It's just that the tourists on the street are no longer bustling and bustling, and start to disperse one after another.

After all, many people have to get up early tomorrow to make a living.

Qin Wenzheng walked home with his family.

Along the way, no one spoke.

Bai Ling's lively eyes looked at this for a while, and then looked at that for a while. Seeing that everyone was serious and silent, she didn't dare to say anything. She just shook the newly bought jade bracelet on her snow-white wrist with a look of joy.

Xia Chan also wore one on her wrist, but her face was still cold.

Luo Qingzhou was a little strange.

Usually when I saw this mother-in-law, I always scolded and reprimanded him, but tonight she didn't say a word.

Could it be that he was frightened by the people of the Song family tonight?

I don't know what happened tonight in the City Lord's Mansion.

But since they were able to come back safely, and they were still in the mood to go shopping at the night market with their family, there shouldn't be any problems.

What's more, Second Miss Qin seemed to be in a good mood, and just now she took the initiative to ask him to buy her a bunch of candied haws to eat.

Soon.

Several people returned to the mansion.

After entering the gate and preparing to part in the front yard, Qin Wenzheng suddenly stopped and called to him: "Qing Zhou, wait a minute."

Luo Qingzhou stopped.

Seeing that the master seemed to have something to explain to him, Bai Ling hurriedly dragged Xia Chan and Xiaodie away first.

"Master Yue Fu."

Luo Qingzhou bowed his head and cupped his hands.

Qin Wenzheng glanced at him, with a gentle smile on his face, and praised: "Qingzhou, you did a good job tonight. You and Weimo have made great contributions to our Qin family this time. Come on, want to What reward?"

"laugh!"

Song Ruyue, who had been silent all the way, finally spoke out at this time, with a "chick" in her mouth.

Luo Qingzhou glanced at her, and heard her complaining in her heart: [Give this brat a reward?He climbed into the bed of your darling eldest daughter tonight, and climbed into the bed of your darling second daughter tomorrow night, and flirted with those maids every day. You, a woman in the mansion, will be beaten up by this brat. , what else are you going to reward him with?Is it possible that the daughters of the second, third, and fourth families of the Yi family should also be awarded to him as a disaster? 】

Luo Qingzhou: "..."

"My lord Yuefu, as the son-in-law of the Qin family, Qingzhou should do things for the Qin family and does not need any rewards."

He hastily replied respectfully.

It's over, it seems that this mother-in-law knows about him climbing Miss Qin Er's bed at night.

Qin Weimo said softly: "Daddy, brother-in-law is one of us, so he doesn't need to be rewarded. You don't have to worry about this matter, even if you want to reward, Weimo will help you reward brother-in-law."

As soon as these words came out, the corners of Song Ruyue's mouth began to twitch.

Luo Qingzhou didn't dare to stay any longer, and hurriedly said goodbye: "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, second brother, second miss, Qingzhou will go back first."

Qin Chuan came over and patted him on the shoulder, with a complicated look on his face: "Qing Zhou, you are doing well, the second brother did not misunderstand you. It is getting late, then go back and rest, study hard, the second brother believes in you Next year's autumn exam must pass!"

"Thank you brother."

Luo Qingzhou bowed his hands and left.

Qin Weimo hurriedly said: "Brother-in-law, wait for me, Weimo will go back with you..."

Then said: "Father, Mother, Second Brother, Wei Mo is going back first."

After speaking, with the support of Qiu'er next to him, he chased after her.

The family of three stood in the yard, watching her frail body rush away. After a long silence, Qin Chuan suddenly said: "Father, mother, at the beginning... did you make a mistake?"

Qin Wenzheng and his wife heard this and looked at him suspiciously.

Qin Chuan shrugged his shoulders and said: "It was obviously a mistake. You gave Jian Jia what should have been given to Wei Mo. Jian Jia didn't necessarily need it, but Wei Mo definitely needed it. Isn't it?"

The couple fell silent.

Unexpectedly, Qin Chuan suddenly laughed and said, "Actually, it's nothing. For men, three wives and four concubines are normal. Qingzhou will definitely go to high school in the next autumn exam, and then he will have fame and fame. Master Juren will marry a few pairs of sisters as wives. It's normal. As far as I know, there are three or four of them, and one of them married five sisters... Hey, dad, mom, what are you doing? What are you doing with brooms and sticks in the middle of the night? Ah—a gentleman uses his mouth but doesn't move his hands!"

"Dog, marry a couple of sisters, right? I'm a villain, not a gentleman!"

"Little bastard, three wives and four concubines, right? My wife is a beauty, not a gentleman!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"Ah! The boy is wrong! Can't the boy be wrong?"

The family of three immediately ran after each other in the yard.

Butler Zhou and the other servants turned their faces away and looked away.

on the corridor.

Pearl carried a lantern and led the way.

Qiu'er supported Miss Qin Er and walked with Luo Qingzhou.

Luo Qingzhou simply asked about the situation tonight.

Qin Weimo smiled and said: "Brother-in-law has a clever plan, everything is as expected by brother-in-law, and nothing went wrong."

Then he smiled coquettishly and said, "Brother-in-law, what reward do you want?"

Luo Qingzhou glanced at her eyes full of autumn waves, and said, "My family, what reward do you want?"

After a pause, he said again: "By the way, Second Miss, let Qiu'er go to my place later."

As soon as these words came out, the smile on Qin Weimo's face froze for a moment.

Qiu'er, who was supporting her beside her, was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this, her face turned red suddenly, and she lowered her head shyly.

Zhu'er, who was walking in front carrying a lantern, endured it, and finally couldn't help but sneer and said, "Guye really has a crush on Qiu'er, can't help but let Qiu'er go to bed so soon?" Gu raise