The rain outside the house continued to fall from the day after that day, and it was like a human mood that stopped intermittently, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Looking out the window at the gray sky and the faint soreness in my knees, I was depressed and irritable but couldn't find an outlet for catharsis.

Until the third day, when the sky still showed no sign of clearing, he simply went out of the house to the garden, stood in the light rain and closed his eyes, let the rain wash away, and let the tears fall silently and without scruples.

Yun Hui and Wan Qing were worried about my body and wanted to step forward to dissuade them, but they were stopped by Xiao Shunzi and said lightly: "Gege is not happy, let her stay by herself, you go and prepare hot water for bathing and ginger soup to ward off the cold." ”

Wanqing didn't know the reason, but it was because Yinzhen hadn't been here for a long time, or because she was more homesick when she saw her family, which made me feel uncomfortable. Yun Hui understood what Xiao Shunzi said, and pulled Wanqing away.

After they left, Junko came over with an umbrella, stopped behind me without saying a word, moved the umbrella over my head, and he himself stood silently in the rain until I recovered his strength.

I opened my eyes, looked back at him, and asked, "How long will a person's life be?"

Xiao Shunzi thought for a moment and replied: "It's very long, it's also very short, it depends on how everyone wants to live." ”

I smiled, hesitated, and asked, "What about you?"

His expression darkened, and he smiled with relief, and responded: "Since there are some things that cannot be chosen, you must face them, live well when you can live, and even if you die, you have no regrets." ”

I sighed lightly and smiled bitterly: "You live more freely than me, and I also want to live freely without caring about anything, but after all, there are too many that I can't let go." ”

Xiao Shunzi was silent for a moment and said, "If you never pick it up, how can you put it down?"

I didn't expect him to say such a Zen sentence, I couldn't help laughing, and then his words said: "Yes, you have to pick it up before you can put it down, and you have to learn to 'give' before you can have 'gain'. ”

Xiao Shunzi knew that there was no belittling meaning in my words, and he also said with a smile: "Although the six roots of the slave are pure, they are not completely desireless, and there will be people who want to protect." ”

When she said this, Xiao Shunzi looked up at me, and there was a deep meaning in her smiling eyes that I couldn't understand but would still be touched. Just for a moment, he lowered his head and said, "Outside this courtyard, Gege is the Gege of Baylor Mansion and the Gege of the master." But in this courtyard, Gege is all of himself, our master, no matter whether Gege wants to cry or laugh, there is no need to be restrained, no need to beware of anyone. For us, Gege is not favored, it doesn't matter whether we can fly or not, we just hope that Gege takes care of himself and is good to himself. If...... Gege really can't let it go...... , Gege can do whatever he wants, and the slave just doesn't hear or see anything. ”

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and said, "I don't need to say this anymore, as you said, out of this courtyard, I am Gege of Baylor Mansion, the woman of the fourth master." Baylor Mansion and the Fourth Master are my future belonging and heart's desire, only if he is good Baylor Mansion, I can have hope for the Qingning days I want to go to. Fighting is not fighting, and I know what to do. ”

Xiao Shunzi's shallow smile appeared with a hint of relief, and said with his eyes: "Gege can do whatever he wants, and the slave will spare no effort to follow, and he will not hesitate to go to the soup." ”

I lowered my eyes and whispered "thank you", Xiao Shunzi frowned slightly, and said with a smile: "You can't and don't have to say thank you between Gege and the minion, don't say it again in the future." ”

After the rain, I talked to Xiao Shunzi again, and I felt much more comfortable. When I returned to the house, I changed my wet clothes, bathed and changed my clothes, drank ginger soup, and warmed up.

Wanqing said comfortingly: "The imperial doctor said that Gege's body has suffered from the cold, and he should take good care of it, and he can't be cold anymore, don't get wet like this in the future, if there is anything uncomfortable in his heart, he will tell us that Mo Feige can't believe us." If there's something you can't say, if you want to go for a walk in the rain, you should hold an umbrella, right?"

Listening to Wanqing's somewhat over-the-top counting, knowing that she was really worried about herself when she said this, she didn't care, but thinking of her appearance when she first came to the hospital, she couldn't help but smile and call Yunhui and Xiaoshunzi to come over, mocking Wanqing and pointing at her, jokingly teasing: "You see if she is becoming more and more like a housekeeper." How do I remember that Aunt Wanqing in our courtyard is not like this, who had to abide by the rules in big and small matters and teach me to be cautious in my words and deeds? Tell me honestly, where did you come from, what are your intentions in coming to our courtyard like Aunt Wanqing?"

When the late Qing Dynasty saw that I was in a good mood, I even made fun of her, and I didn't hold back, and said with a smile: "Gege also said, doesn't the slave become what he becomes with any master, how can this sentence come about? By the way, those who are close to Zhu are red and those who are close to ink are black." ”

When I heard her say this, I smiled at her, threw the handkerchief in my hand at her, and scolded with a feigned smile: "Okay, I don't want to be a pig, then I have to be ink, I want to dye you all black." ”

Wanqing didn't dodge, took the handkerchief I had thrown, smiled cheekily and bowed, and said: "This handkerchief is a new pattern that Gege cut and embroidered with the surplus materials of Su Jin sent by Chunshang to make clothes, it is really rare, and it was actually rewarded to the slave." Gege is generous, and the minions don't shirk, Xie Gege's reward. ”

Seeing that she just took the handkerchief into her arms, she said angrily and funny: "Okay, you will reward you, speaking of which, you have followed me for a year, and you have endured hardships, and you really have not received any reward, which is really a loss to you." ”

When I said this, my face darkened. Wanqing, Yunhui and Xiaoshunzi began to think about these things again when they saw me, and hurriedly said at the same time: "Gege will see the outside as he speaks, the minions are not those who are shallow-eyed. Gege's kindness to the minions is not comparable to that of things outside the body. We don't care about these things as minions, and we don't always care about it in the future. ”

I was about to answer, but I heard Yinzhen's voice come and said, "What is your family thinking about?"

I glanced at the hour, a little surprised that usually at this time was still busy in the front yard Yinzhen would appear to me for the first time, I subconsciously glanced at Xiao Shunzi, and saw that he couldn't see his expression when he lowered his head, so he had to get up first to salute, let him go to the couch, stood next to him, and asked: "There is still an hour before dinner, why did you come here at this time?"

Yinzhen motioned for me to sit down on the other couch, didn't answer my words, turned his head and asked Wanqing: "I entered the courtyard just now and saw that you weren't there, but the house was quite lively, I don't know what you are talking about?"

Yinzhen's arrival made everyone restrain their behavior, and they didn't dare to be as presumptuous as before. Wanqing bowed her head and bowed forward, and responded: "Gege is in a bad mood today, and the minions are coaxing Gege to be happy." Gege hated the slave for chattering, and threw the slave with a handkerchief, and the slave smiled and said that the right should be rewarded. But she didn't expect Gege to care about the minions who followed her and didn't get any rewards, and the minions were afraid that Gege would be sad about those unhappy things, so they said that they cared about these and persuaded Gege to be more careful. ”

Wanqing told the truth about what happened just now, but there was a bias in her words, and she also deliberately hinted at the hardships in this courtyard.

"Although there are not many monthly expenses in the treasury, there is no expense in this courtyard, why is your family still so nervous?" Yin Zhen frowned slightly, and asked suspiciously.

Hearing Yinzhen ask about this, Wanqing glanced at me, saw that I didn't speak, and continued to say: "After the previous Gege ban, the monthly cases for several months were not issued, although the ban was lifted later, but the master didn't say to make up for it, and the treasury naturally won't give more." In addition, the master rarely comes, and the treasury side deduces that the side of Fujin has a lot of expenses, and according to the past practice, it is also the first to drag the monthly case of Song Gege's courtyard to the side of Fujin, so this courtyard is also compared to let out, and the silver in the palace will be allocated to make up for those shortfalls. ”

"Nonsense, the silver of the side Fujin is not enough, and you have to use the monthly rules of the Gege to make up for it, when did the house have this rule?" Yinzhen was furious when he heard this, looked at Xiao Shunzi and reprimanded: "Why didn't you mention this matter when you go to me every day?"

Xiao Shunzi stood aside and knew that Yinzhen would have such a question, knelt down and replied: "Gege is not allowed to say, saying that the master has always been thrifty, and he does not like to welcome things, so unlike other masters, there are officials from all walks of life who are filial piety, and it is not easy to support the expenses of the house and a large family just by relying on the monthly silver and monthly money allocated from the palace, anyway, this hospital usually does not have too much expense, so there is no need to mention it, so as not to embarrass the master." ”

"But the monthly salary that should be issued is in arrears, isn't this a secret?" Yin Zhen glanced at me unhappily, but this one was more to blame me for not hiding it from him. He questioned Xiao Shunzi's tone was still not good, but it was obviously much more relaxed.

Gege said that Fang Fujin had just added a little brother on his side, and the expenses would inevitably be larger, and the full moon wine was not properly purchased because of the affairs of the homeless, so he must not feel comfortable. At this time, if you go to talk to the master for the sake of the monthly case, it will inevitably make a gap between the master and the side Fujin, and make the side Fujin hold a grudge. I finally settled down for a few days, and I didn't want to make any more fuss about these little things, so I just forgot what I could. "These are what I said to Junko. That's just to tell him that Yin Zhen can only say it when he hears it, and there is no need to say it if he doesn't ask. He was so obedient that he didn't say it until today.

"You're a smart person, but you've become confused after all this. I know that you want to compromise and seek everything in exchange for a peaceful life, but you don't want to govern the family like governing the country, you don't follow the rules, embezzle the deficit, but you still hide it, do you want the rules in this house in the future?"

I got up and knelt down in silence, listened to his reproach, and waited for him to finish his temper before saying, "The slave is stupid, but I feel that the treasury is also doing according to the convention, and there is nothing wrong with it." ”

"Routines? Where did you come from, what bullshit conventions came from! No one has ever told me about these things before, and I still think she is a good person, but I didn't expect to be arrogant and reckless, and did she take Fu Jin and me seriously? By the way, Fu Jin must know that it is up to her, is there no one in this inner courtyard who can take charge of things? Su Peisheng, you go and check this matter for me personally, and after finding it out, it should be dealt with. ”

As soon as I saw that the goal I wanted had been achieved, I hurriedly accepted it, raised my eyes to look at him, looked aggrieved, and replied unceremoniously, saying: "I don't want to embarrass you, I hope to live a stable life." Fu Jin does not say that it is naturally a difficulty for Fu Jin. Since you also know that no one has told you before, when you go out from me, you should not know what to do, otherwise you will make a big move to ask the teacher for a trip to me. I don't know what I instigated inside, and when the time comes, not only will Fang Fujin hate me, but the people in the treasury will also hate me. There is a saying that villains are hard to guard against. Don't you want me to have a good time here?"

I guess I guess I am the only one in this house who dares to talk to him like this, but there have been such direct exchanges before, even Su Peisheng, who was standing on the side, looked strange, lowered his head and lowered his eyes silently, with a faint smile on his lips.

When Yinzhen was told by me, he also calmed down, picked up the teacup in his hand, took a shallow sip, restrained his anger, and said to the three people kneeling behind me and Su Peisheng: "You guys retreat first." ”

Su Peisheng knew that Yinzhen was not really angry with me, so he took the order and took Xiao Shunzi and the three of them to cover the door and walked out.