At noon that day, Mei Shan set off with Ah Kan.

Everyone left Mingshui Town first, took the waterway to the county seat, and then changed to a car and rushed to Huaicheng.

Xu is getting farther and farther away from home along the way, knowing that his fate is a foregone conclusion, and this girl has also settled down. Although it is no longer stinging, the whole person has lost its vitality, like a piece of wood without a soul, and he is stunned all day long, and even the pair of apricot eyes that once moved Mei Shan have lost their brilliance.

In the evening of that day, Mei Shan and her party arrived at a county town to find an inn to stay in.

Ah Da in black sat in front of him and drove the car, and just turned a corner, there happened to be a group of mule carts in front of him who occupied most of the street.

He cursed and drove slowly behind the mule cart.

Ming Kan sat in the back seat of the car, looking out the window.

Mei Shan followed her line of sight and saw a few rickshaws parked around the corner of the street resting. They were all dressed in the same color, wearing a torn straw hat on their heads, a patched undershirt, and a white sweat towel around their necks, looking poor.

Just as a guest in a long shirt passed, a group of coachmen immediately surrounded him.

In the end, the guests got into the car, and the selected coachman was overjoyed, wiped the seats of the guests diligently, and quickly pulled up the two-wheeled car. He hunched over and ran ahead, pulling the cart as hard as a cow or horse.

Mei Shan saw that she was looking intently, so she laughed softly: "This is a rickshaw, I heard that it was first from Shanghai." Looks like this is the first time I've seen you, a country girl. Well, I've seen it for a long time. ”

Ming Kan grew up in Pingqiao Village from childhood to adulthood, and he has only been to Mingshui Town at the farthest, so naturally he has never seen these.

She ignored Mei Shan, still looking intently at the group of coachmen, the black and white apricot kernel eyes thoughtful, and the childish face showed a look that did not match her age.

Mei Shan elbowed her: "Hey, I'm talking to you, what are you thinking?" ”

Ming Kan finally turned his face and looked at her and said seriously: "Since ancient times, although the prince is not Taoist, he has not dared to replace animals with people. ”

Mei Shan paused and glanced at her: "Speak well, learn what those sour people do to chew words." ”

Ming Kan turned his head to look out the window: "This sentence was said by Wang Anshi, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, which means that although the ancient princes and ministers did not follow the royal road, they never dared to use people as animals. ”

As soon as she explained this, Mei Shan understood, so she glanced at her with a smile: "Look at you, a wild girl from the countryside, you can also chew words." Have you ever studied?"

Ming Kan replied briefly: "My aunt used to run a bookstore in the county town. ”

Mei Shan raised her eyebrows, and her heart was clear.

No wonder that peasant woman looks different from ordinary peasant women, and no wonder this country girl has a bit of discipline in talking and doing things.

But surprise is surprise, this is just a small episode on the way back, and Mei Shan didn't pay attention to it.

Everyone hurried all the way, and finally arrived outside the Wenfu Gate in the evening of this day.

When they arrived in Huaicheng, it was twilight, and the streets outside Wenfu were empty.

The door of the house was closed, and there were two stone lions squatting outside, one left and one right, which were particularly hideous in the night. The gate is painted in black lacquer and solemn, and if it were not for the lanterns hanging on both sides, it would almost melt into the night.

Ming Kan looked up and saw a large plaque hanging high above, with two big characters "Wen Mansion" written on the dragon's flying phoenix.

The black-clothed Ah Da stepped forward and buckled the copper knocker twice, and a voice soon came from inside.

The door opened a crack in the door, and when he saw that it was Mei Shan and the others who were back, he hurriedly beckoned someone to open the door to greet him: "The fourth aunt and grandmother are back!"

Ming Kan stood beside Mei Shan, and clearly saw that she pouted when she heard this salutation, and she looked very unhappy.

The door creaked and slowly opened to both sides, leading into the depths of the house.

The people who were close to them were busy, lighting lamps, running to report news, and coming up to carry luggage.

Mei Shan asked as she walked inside, "Who is in the mansion these days?"

The person who followed next to him said with a smile: "The three little masters go to school outside, and the eldest wife and second wife take care of them in Shanghai, which is also what you know." In addition, it is also a coincidence, the eldest master and the second master also came back from the field two days ago, and this should be in our old lady's yard. The third aunt and grandmother and the lady are sitting in the flower hall, why don't you take this one directly? ”

Mei Shan's eyebrows raised, and she chuckled: "Don't worry, let's rush all the way back, no matter what, we have to change our clothes before going." Let someone go and talk to the third sister first, and I'll take her over in a while. ”

After getting along these days, Ming Kan can almost guess Mei Shan's thoughts.

Today's itinerary is in a hurry, and she is running all the way, which is inevitably haggard, so that Mei Shan appeared in front of everyone in the Wen family like this, she naturally refused, how could she dress up.

She silently followed behind Mei Shan, cautiously observing everything around her.

The Wen family's mansion is huge, with three steps and one scene, and the flowers and trees are everywhere as far as the eye can see, lush and verdant. It's fine during the day, but there's no one after dark, and the wind always looks a little gloomy. The lanterns under the eaves meander forward in turn, illuminating the dark courtyard.

There is a small two-story building in the courtyard where Mei Shan lives, and her bedroom is on the small building.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Mei Shan opened the wardrobe first and asked the maid to help her pick out clothes.

The maids shuttled back and forth with their clothes, what yarn, silk, velvet, Yunluo, Wu Aya, Shu brocade, what chicken heart collar, ingots collar, pinching teeth, cheongsam, jacket, silk skirt, trousers, water red, silver red, goose yellow, everything. On the way here, Ming Kan had seen a lot of things around her, but she was still dazzled.

Mei Shan was not satisfied, and lost her temper again, and finally only barely picked up two. When she finally decided what to wear, the bathing water was ready.

Mei Shan had already left Ming Kan behind, and it was still a clever maid who took Ming Kan down to take a bath.

Ming Kan could keenly feel the inquiring, curious, and even disdainful gazes of the maids falling on her, but she just pursed the corners of her lips, lowered her head and hid her emotions in the depths of her eyes, like a puppet to let them pull.

After Ming Kan's hair was dried, he was dragged to Mei Shan again.

After bathing, Mei Shan's skin is smooth and moisturized, and her lips are better than usual without lipstick. She simply didn't put on makeup, only swept her long eyebrows like Dai, and saw that the eyes of the person in the mirror were circulating, and her eyebrows and eyes became more and more affectionate, so she was satisfied.

She wore a rosy silk nightgown with her wet curls hanging over her shoulders to dry. She leaned lazily on the rattan chair, crossed a snow-white leg, turned her back to Ming Kan, and asked the maid next to her casually: "What's going on in the house, it's not a New Year's Day, why did those two come back from other places?"

The maid who wiped her hair behind her whispered: "I heard that a batch of important goods were detained by the big soldiers in the south, and they refused to let go after a long time, which offended the big customers behind them, and was embarrassed by a lot of things, and the payment could not be opened for a while." The house leak happened to rain overnight, and then several businesses went wrong, which hurt the muscles and bones. ”

Mei Shan chuckled: "It seems that this Wen family has offended someone outside." ”

Another maid said smartly: "You are really like a god, I heard the people who served around the second master say that it was the opponent in the previous business, and I don't know how to open the joints above, and deliberately stumbling on the envoy." ”

Mei Shan said slowly: "If others can open up the joints, can't the Wen family also go to Haosheng to do some work?"

The maid who wiped her hair continued: "This time is different, I heard that the relatives of the head family have become big officials and lead the troops in the south." You think, no matter how much money outsiders give, it is difficult to cross the face of their relatives. ”

One by one, they roughly explained the ins and outs of the matter.

Mei Shan turned around after listening, only to find that Ming Kan had been listening for a while standing behind the rattan chair.

She frowned and glanced at Ming Kan: "Why are you still here." ”

Ming Kan pursed the corners of his lips and didn't say anything.

Mei Shan's eyes fluttered, and she didn't know what she thought of again, she suddenly smiled, stood up and took Ming Kan's hand:

"Let's go, let's see the excitement. ”

Mei Shan didn't know what her idea was, but she was dragged to a courtyard, and was stopped before she reached the door.

The subordinates who stopped her were also different from those they had seen since Ming Kan entered the mansion, no matter what kind of face they had, they all looked lifeless, and Mei Shan was not as respectful as the rest of the subordinates, and even had a sneer on her face: "Fourth aunt, go back first, the two masters are talking to the old lady." ”

Mei Shan stroked the hair in her ears: "What, are you saying something unsightly, I can't even go in?"

She pulled Ming Kan next to her: "See, this is the girl of your fourth master's relatives, the only bone and blood, I just came back today to recognize my ancestors and return to my ancestors." You just hang her here, and don't let her see the old woman. ”

The other party smiled and said, "Fourth aunt and grandmother, what the old man said is important." If you are free, you might as well take the young lady to the small flower hall next to it and sit down, where the third aunt and grandmother are talking with someone. If the old lady still has the energy to deal with you, the little ones will definitely call you. ”

was questioned twice in succession, Mei Shan was annoyed, and was about to pull Ming Kan directly inside, but heard footsteps and a woman's soft call from behind her: "Fourth sister." ”

Mei Shan turned around, squinted at the woman walking slowly under the maid's circle, suddenly smiled, and returned to her usual appearance: "It turned out to be the third sister." I heard someone say that you were chatting with someone in the small flower hall. I didn't expect it to be so late, and I didn't forget to come and see our old lady after you finished speaking. ”

Ming Kan's brain turned quickly, and he suddenly understood that the person who came should be the third aunt and grandmother of the Wen Mansion.

"Earlier, a few aunts hugged Jianwan and Jianxiu, and they came to talk to me as companions, and I heard that the fourth sister was back. I originally thought that you have always liked to be lively, and it should be there in a while, and I don't want to wait left and right and not see you coming, so it turned out to be here. ”

As she spoke, she turned her head to the side, as if she had just discovered the existence of Ming Kan.

The third aunt and grandmother said gently: "This is Ji Yan's child, come, come forward and show me." ”

Mei Shan pushed Ming Kan: "Go ahead." ”

Ming Kan was pushed two steps forward, and although reluctantly, he walked to the third aunt's grandmother.

"Call someone. ”

Ming Kan glanced at her quickly, and then said in a flat voice: "Third aunt and grandmother." ”

The third aunt and grandmother were different from Mei Shan, who was dressed in a cheongsam and had a handsome figure, she wore a black satin-trimmed jacket with a wide shirt and pants underneath, and a pleated skirt on the outside. The lines are boringly straight from top to bottom, without the slightest beautiful curve.

Although she was dressed old-fashioned and old-fashioned, she looked only about thirty years old, her eyebrows were gentle and peaceful, her people were well-maintained, her skin was fair, and only the thin lines at the end of her eyes revealed the fact that she was no longer young.

She kindly held one of Ming Kan's small hands, her hands were delicate and soft, but the palm was cold: "It's not early, you and this little guy have also been on the road for a day, and you're tired from thinking about it, so let's go back early to rest." ”

Mei Shan laughed meaninglessly twice: "Since the third sister has said so, then I will wait until tomorrow to come and see our old lady." ”

Ming Kan watched the dark tide between the two women quietly on the side, and could vaguely see that the status of the third aunt and grandmother in this Wen Mansion should be higher than Mei Shan's. It's just that if you really want to talk about it, the two people in front of you and the old man of the Wen family are not as good as the old lady who has never shown up in the courtyard.

A maid beside the third aunt stepped forward, took Ming Kan's hand and said, "Third Miss, please come with me." ”

Before leaving, Ming Kan subconsciously glanced back.

Not far away, the courtyard of the old lady of the Wen family was dark and dreary, and there was hardly a trace of light in it, like a heavy ebony coffin.