Not a fairy guest

After a while, under the young man's eager anticipation, the first dish of Babaotongji was finally served. Yu Nian recalled how greedy he was every time he served this dish to the drinkers. Okay, now I can finally enjoy being a distinguished guest.

But as soon as he raised his chopsticks, Yu Nian kept thinking about what happened last night. He was thinking about going to the old Taoist priest to ask Zhang Fulu to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters, and then he was worried about whether the old Taoist priest who was not very reliable could do it. , so I began to worry about gains and losses, so the delicacies on the jade plate that I once felt salivating about before were placed in front of me, and they lost their original fragrance.

Looking at the young man who drooped his head and sighed, Yingxiu's eyes that were as quiet as water could not help but flash a trace of doubt, and said: "What? These are your Taoyuanlou's signature dishes, are they not to your liking?"

Hearing the accusation in Yingxiu's tone, the young man quickly argued: "Not really, how could I let down Sister Yingxiu's kindness, but I do have some bad things on my mind." After saying that, Yu Nian touched it. Touching his head, he felt quite guilty in his words. After hesitating for a moment, he had no choice but to explain to the woman: "As you know, the Song family has been having trouble with monsters recently. It happened that a Taoist from Sifang Mountain came to our Taoyuan Building yesterday. So I made some crooked ideas. Originally, I just wanted to earn some money as a follower, leading the way for him and putting up stickers and so on. For a small amount of money, this was not a bad thing, but I was careless. I provoked the monsters, and they tormented me to death last night. No, I was thinking of going to the Taoist Master of Sifang Mountain later to ask for some talismans to drive away evil spirits for me."

The Yingxiu girl on the side was livid with anger when she heard Yu Nian's confession. She didn't expect that her brother, whom she had known for many years, would be so bold. She said in a solemn voice: "I know something about the monsters of the Song family that have caused a lot of commotion recently. I have heard, but I have long heard that Sifang Mountain is the number one sect in the world today. Its immortal magic is profound and wonderful, and is respected by everyone in the world. Many of the disciples in the sect are meticulous in their actions. This matter is extremely dangerous to begin with. How can I agree to let you be a sect? Are ordinary people involved in this matter?"

When the woman said this, she took out some soft clothes from her waist and placed them clearly in front of the table. She turned her beautiful eyes to Yu Nian and asked with a serious face: "Since you are short of money, why don't you just ask me for it? Why do you have to do such a reckless thing?"

When Yu Nian heard this, he neither took the money nor said anything. He lowered his head and lowered his eyebrows, quite like a child who had done something wrong and was blamed by his parents.

Seeing the young man lowering his head and keeping silent, like a stuffy gourd, Ying Xiu felt suffocated for a while. He originally wanted to give Yu Nian a solid chestnut, but he just thought about how bad the young man was now, and he had to say goodbye before leaving. , I have to leave a good impression, so I couldn't help but feel soft, and finally asked in a gentle tone: "Do you feel okay?"

Yu Nian, who had looked aggrieved just a second ago, saw the woman softening her words. He raised his head with a ghostly smile and said, "Sister Yingxiu is still considerate of me. There is nothing wrong with my body. I just feel uncomfortable in my heart. No." It’s not practical to go to an old Taoist priest.”

The woman glanced at the flattering young man and said angrily: "You are too reckless. Although you are a bit smart and precocious, you do not care about the consequences of anything you do. If you are always like this, you will inevitably be deceived. Man, A true man must take responsibility and think twice before doing anything from now on, do you hear me?"

The young man nodded his head like garlic.

Yingxiu held her forehead and felt quite helpless. Seeing that the slender young man she had presented did not move at all, she frowned, shook her head and continued: "Well, you are not young anymore. As for what you want the money for, I Don’t ask too much, besides, I’m here just to say goodbye to you, and I don’t know when I’ll see you again in the future.”

Yu Nian stared blankly at the gently rippling wine in the bowl, and responded absently. Perhaps in the young man's subconscious, this poor girl who had shared weal and woe with him for many years was the only one besides his deceased father. of relatives.

Downstairs in Taoyuan, someone didn't know who was urging them up: "Miss Yingxiu, it's almost time to set off. We have to get to Lin'an City before dark!"

Yingxiu just took a sip of wine, two shallow dimples appeared on her jade-white cheeks, and said with a smile: "Remember the time we just met in Yizhuang, you were still a little kid of seven or eight years old, and what about me? , she was a down-and-out girl living on the streets. It passed in the blink of an eye. Now when I look back and think about my eight years in Yu County, there are always many things that I can't let go of, and many people are reluctant to let go."

The woman tilted her head and looked at the uninterested young man. She forced a smile on her face, stood up, rubbed his head, and said with a smile: "Give me a ride."

Yu Chang sighed and hummed.

Before the carriage left, Ying Xiu pinched the boy's cheek one last time and said with a smile: "I will probably go around Izumihara Mountain for a while, but I have to say goodbye to your father."

The groom in front of the carriage has seen too many scenes of shrikes and flying swallows. When leaving, he always has a thousand words to express, and he urges rather hastily: "Miss Yingxiu, we have to leave."

Yingxiu glanced at the coachman, and finally stretched out her hand to straighten the young man's clothes, but still said reluctantly: "I am alone, don't wrong yourself, don't be hungry and sick, if you say that your life in Taoyuan Tower is unsatisfactory and unhappy. , then come to me in Lin'an City, it's better than being in the wind and rain outside."

Yu Nian stood there and grinned: "Okay, Sister Yingxiu, the road to Quanyuan Mountain is rugged. It will take a lot of time to go up the mountain. If we delay further, we will not be able to reach Lin'an City."

The woman nodded, retracted her hand that was holding the young man's clothes, and with the sound of "drive" from the coachman, thick smoke and dust finally rolled up. She rolled up the rear door curtain with her sleeves and waved to the young man with her head half exposed. Say goodbye.

The young man watched the carriage gradually disappear, with mixed feelings in his heart. Although the "sister" he had slept with when he was a child had finally left Mianxiang Tower, he was happy for her in his heart, but he thought about her There were only a few people in Yu County who wanted to see him, and now there was one less person. The young man kicked the small gravel at his feet, and he felt an indescribable loneliness in Yu Nian.The maid in green clothes was standing beside the young man at some unknown time, chewing the last red fruit in her mouth, and said vaguely: "My father once said in the past that in life, everyone has his own ferry, everyone has his own boat, and everyone gathers and disperses like duckweeds. , sometimes it is enough to know that she is safe and sound. Now that Miss Yingxiu has left Mianxiang Tower, she has let go of a knot that has been in your heart for many years, and you should be happy."

Yu Nian turned around and asked doubtfully, "Did you hear everything?"

Xin Qian blinked her rather delicate peach blossom eyes and said with a sour smile: "I'm not blind. When the time comes, just go to Lin'an City to look for her. Yu County is not far away. I'll wait for you to leave later. When we were at Taoyuan Tower..."

When the maid in green said this, her voice suddenly stopped, she lowered her head and whispered softly: "I'm afraid I won't be able to leave in this life..."

Hearing this, the young man didn't know how to comfort the girl in front of him, so he had to hang his hands in the air with a look of confusion on his face. When Xin Qian first entered Taoyuan Tower, her life experience was often the topic of conversation after dinner, and she had heard about it from other boys. .

According to the waiter at that time, the maid in blue, whose real name was Mo, could be regarded as a family with a scholarly family for generations. But what is strange is that except for Mo Xiucai’s weak image on the wedding night and when Po Wen delivered the baby, Yu Yu The people in the county have never seen Mrs. Mo again. They probably died of illness. They only said that she was a very beautiful woman, but it was a pity that beauty was so short-lived.

Fortunately, Xinqian was influenced by her father, and due to her diligent study at a young age, the girl had already been enlightened early. At the age of six, she went to a private school with her father, the only scholar in Yu County.

Of course, most people in Yu County are still rural people, and they don't have much money to support their children's education. Moreover, before Xinqian's father passed the scholar examination, his grandfather was also a scholar. It was not until the girl's grandfather passed away that Mo Xiucai became a scholar. The son officially inherited his father's business and became a teacher, so for Xinqian at that time, his family background was really good.

In the impression of young people, Mo Xiucai was gentle and elegant, full of Confucianism, and had an excellent reputation among Yu County. He mainly allowed children who could not afford to go to private schools to listen outside the door. He also taught calligraphy to the children outside the school, and Yu Nian was one of them at that time. The so-called behavior is higher than others, and everyone must reject it. In the eyes of other scholars, they are afraid that the number of educated and literate people in Yu County will become more and more serious. Too many, affecting his own way of making money, but smearing Mo Xiucai as a hypocrite who pretends to be noble and sanctimonious.This kind of talk, especially after Xin Qian came to Taoyuan Tower, was very popular, saying that if God can't stand it anymore, he will be punished after all.The fashionable and young Xinqian was made angry and cried many times by the accountant of Taoyuan Building. The young man saw this and felt grateful for Mo Xiucai's teachings. He always protected her, as long as the maid in blue was received. If she is bullied, she will definitely vent her anger on her behalf.

As for why Xinqian ended up in Taoyuan Tower, it was completely a disaster from heaven. Although it was very hard for Mo Xiucai to raise the girl alone, fortunately, his family was well-off and could not be said to be rich in food and clothing, but he still allowed the girl to grow up carefree. In the Year of the Golden Hairpin, that is, during the spring snow of that year, every household in Yu County was brightly lit. After Mo Xiucai posted his own handwritten Spring Festival couplets on the door, something different from previous years was that Mo Xiucai There was no smile on her face as in the past, "One year old will be wiped out amidst the sound of firecrackers". Instead, she stopped and thought for a long time. The girl sat obediently on the threshold, happily eating the candied haws in her hand, and watching the people who were setting off firecrackers coming and going. Children of the same age.

Mo Xiucai looked at the hopeful girl, leaned down and touched her head lovingly, and said, "You should have fun during the New Year. Go ahead and remember to come back early."

Xiao Xinqian wiped the corners of her mouth that were stained with sugar and nodded with a smile: "Okay, Daddy!"

I don't know who screamed "dead" heartbreakingly. The girl who had returned home happily saw the people of Yu County gathering at the door of her house that had been shrouded in fire, and saw Mo Xiucai and another woman lying covered in blood. On the ground, the innocent smile he had just a moment ago completely froze.I heard from the people in the neighborhood that the other woman lying next to Mo Xiucai was Mrs. Mo, whom I had not seen for many years. I just don’t know how she suddenly appeared here, and how she and Mo Xiucai died in front of her house. There are also a lot of people saying that a good family was ruined by a bad guy who abandoned his husband and daughter. In short, most of them complained about Mo Xiucai.

Finally, some kind people buried Mo Xiucai, leaving the little girl sitting pitifully in the snow. From time to time, she looked back at the ruined courtyard and stared blankly at the unburned Spring Festival couplets. The remaining corner, with red eyes, stayed up all night.

But misfortunes never come singly. The next day, the steward of Mianxiang Tower presented the dowry that had been completely burned by the fire to the girl who had no one to rely on. When the list of documents was listed one by one in front of her eyes, the girl was as confused as a panicked deer. Yu County The common people saw that the little girl was really pitiful. Mr. Sulimo's behavior was seen by all the villagers in the village. They all had kind words and soft words. They hoped that Mianxianglou would not embarrass a child, but Mianxianglou seemed to be a weight bastard. , the little girl was forced to hand over the dowry. Although Mianxianglou was unkind, but the rules were such, the neighbors finally only scraped together 20 taels of silver. After all, I had to support my family, so I could scrape together enough. This is already very difficult, but the receipt list clearly states 300 taels of silver. If the remaining 280 taels are not paid, the 11-year-old girl will be taken to Mianxiang Tower to become the most despicable prostitute. .

Maybe it was because he saw the little girl lonely, or because he had a conscience, and he didn't want to see the young girl ruined for the rest of her life. Shopkeeper Zhou, who had always been like an iron rooster, actually gritted his teeth and spent 280 taels of silver to remove the girl from Mianxiang Tower for the first time. He took Taoyuanlou back to him, but the little girl and the people in Taoyuanlou didn't know about this. People only said that Mianxianglou changed his mind and sold her to Taoyuanlou. Now the deed of sale and the written evidence are all in Zhou In the hands of the shopkeeper, he had to collect 280 taels of silver to redeem him. Even if he pawned the most valuable pearls on his body, it was not enough. Looking at the monthly salary of only two or three taels, the maid in green knew that she had to change into that I am afraid that more than 200 taels of silver will be lost forever, and I am completely desperate.

It's just that even in Taoyuan Tower, Xinqian's life is not easy. There are many people and mixed opinions. Now everyone in Yu County knows that Mrs. Mo is a romantic woman from Mianxiang Tower. Those clerks and scholars who can't stand Mo Xiucai borrowed It is also common to humiliate the maid in Tsing Yi. The little girl who could not bear the humiliation thought of dying. Fortunately, there was always a stupid young man about her own age who stood up for her and let the maid in Tsing Yi stand in the cold Taoyuan Tower. I felt a bit of warmth and comfort in my heart, and since then I gave up the idea of ​​committing suicide.

The maid in green looked up at the sun that was gradually rising over Taoyuan Tower. She took a deep breath, pretended to be relaxed, and turned to the young man and asked: "Yu Nian, actually I have been thinking about it, if you really leave Taoyuan Tower one day , then this place will really become boring, right?”

Yu Nian kept silent knowingly, because the young man had not planned to stay in Taoyuan Tower for the rest of his life. Yesterday's old Taoist priest's teachings were deeply imprinted in his heart. He suddenly remembered that when he was young, he asked his father what he liked most. At that time, the young man The father touched the child's head and replied with a smile: "What I like most is to see the blue clouds and stars on the top of the mountain. If possible, I would also like to travel around the world with Xiao Yunian and your mother to see the prosperity and desolation of the world."

The young man held the back of his head with his hands and said with a smile on his face: "Zhou Papi deducted so much silver from me. If I just left without asking for some money, wouldn't it be a waste of money for him? Besides, it's not the time to leave now, so why do you have to think so much."

The maid in green clothes looked at Yu Nian's always unserious look, and couldn't help but stretched out her hand to push the young man's shoulder, and said angrily: "I haven't seen you coming back for so many years, but the copper coins in your pocket are getting bigger and bigger. not enough."