"Mother!" Zhao Shinan pulled off his robe and knelt down, his voice was already heavy, "This matter has to be discussed in the long run." ”

"Marrying a wife and taking a concubine is the order of your parents. I can't even do this master?" Old Lady Zhao raised her face for the first time in front of Zhao Shinan, and her voice was painful, "Do you still recognize me as a mother?"

"Son—don't dare. Zhao Shinan's answer was a little difficult, it was difficult for Qing officials to cut off family affairs, and business matters were far less headaches.

"Since you still recognize me as a mother, my words will be numbered. Old Mrs. Zhao turned to Du Heng and said coldly, "Heng'er, in the future, the mallow will move to the Caifang Pavilion in your yard, and you should take care of it more." ”

Du Heng and Zhao Shinan are separate courtyards, in addition to the main house, the east and west wings, there is also a small building in the south, which was originally used for book storage, but Mrs. Zhao arranged her there in order to make the mallow close to the water. According to the old lady's thoughts, I see it every day, and the days go by, and it is natural to fall in love for a long time. What's more, Caifang Pavilion is located in the southeast corner, which is also different from Du Heng's dignity and humility, and it is not out of line.

Du Heng looked at Zhao Shinan, who was frowning and silent, and had no choice but to nod: "Okay." ”

"In this case, it will be an auspicious day in two days, and the female relatives of the same clan will be invited to hold a family banquet together, and mallow will also recognize his relatives. Old Lady Zhao looked at Zhao Shinan with a firm voice, "Shi Nan, you will come when you arrive." ”

Zhao Shinan got up, glanced at the mallow, and said in a deep voice to Mrs. Zhao: "I won't go." As he spoke, he turned around and lifted the curtain and left.

"You-" Old Lady Zhao watched Zhao Shinan resolutely leave, and slapped her hand on the arm of the chair angrily, she could decide the identity of Mallow, but she couldn't decide Zhao Shinan's attitude towards Mallow.

Old Mrs. Zhao looked at Du Heng, whose face was full of clouds, and said with a slight dissatisfaction: "Shi Nan is capricious, as the main room, you must understand the general situation, take the overall situation into account, and persuade Shi Nan when you are free, and it is also your duty to teach your husband and children." Huh?"

Du Heng desperately endured the anger in his chest, nodding his head somehow. The old lady didn't want to look at her face, and waved her out.

Two days later, Mrs. Zhao sent an older "Quanfu person" in the clan, that is, a mother-in-law with complete parents, in-laws, and children, to the Zheng family in Gujiazhuang with several boxes of gold and silver curiosities and silk utensils. The concubine didn't need to be married by the Ming media, so he gave his mother's family some money, and he made a count. The Zheng family was originally a small gateway to the countryside, and it was impossible to climb the Zhao family, let alone be a concubine, and it would be a girl in the room. Naturally, he happily accepted the gift of the Zhao family's concubine.

And the mallow also moved into Caifang Pavilion, cleaned up and down, it was also clean and tidy, and in addition to Su Wen, there was also an older Ma Pozi to teach people. After all, Mrs. Zhao strictly abides by the order of dignity and humility, and she has a little girl by Du Heng's side for half a summer to show the difference.

Mallow has become the most special person in the Zhao family for several generations. According to the common practice, taking a concubine is different from marrying a wife, there is no need to hire three media, and there is no need to ask the name Najib. But the old lady gave the name of mallow, but Zhao Shinan refused to give it. Not only did he never go to the mallow place, but he also refused to go to the banquet of the clan daughter. Mrs. Zhao was embarrassed, without Zhao Shinan attending, what was this? It was like a church without a groom, and the banquet became an ordinary family banquet with different meanings. The people don't know what to call it, let's call it the second wife, I haven't had sex yet, let's call it a girl, it's not a girl anymore. It's awkward. The old lady waved her hand, "Let's call Malvac first." ”

A few days after Mallow moved in, Du Heng fell ill. The illness is not fierce, but it cannot be lingered. I only feel night sweats and insomnia at night, but I am tired and weak during the day. I don't want to eat, and I'm lazy to talk and do things. Futaba wanted to return to the old lady, but Du Heng hurriedly stopped. She herself knew it was a heart disease. From the day when Zhao Shinan and Malvac were entangled, to the moment of life and death, when he saw Shi Nan being pulled by Mallow, to the old lady giving Malvac a name, Du Heng's heart was crushed little by little. It was only a matter of time before Mallow took over, and she only felt that she was at a loss when she watched the ending.

Zhao Shinan looked at Du Heng's lazy and powerless appearance, but she was still angry, and her heart was not happy, and mallow lived in a yard and looked eyesore, so she didn't come back often. Stay in the factory at night. And Zhao Shinan's night of not returning has become a sleeping flower and a willow in Du Heng's eyes, and he is even more depressed. A few months passed, and by the end of the year, Du Heng had lost so much weight that he only had a handful of bones left.

After the mallow moved in, as long as Zhao Shinan was at home, he would stay at the door of the main house at about five o'clock every morning, rain or shine, and only wait for Zhao Shinan to go out at seven or eight o'clock in the morning. Or "The young master is out." "It doesn't matter if it's cloudy, it's rainy, it's windy or rainy. Although he was laughed at all over the place behind his back, Mallow was never discouraged. Because seeing Zhao Shinan's figure in the morning is her greatest happiness of the day.

Zhao Shinan has always been cold, occasionally encountering rain and snow, seeing that mallow does not hold an umbrella, just standing in the rain, he is also a little unbearable, and raised his hand at her: "Go back." ”

Malallow also smiled brightly in the rain: "After the young master leaves, I will go back." Zhao Shinan hooked his lips and smiled, turned around and went out.

Du Heng and Shuangye watched in the house, Du Heng was still not doing anything, Shuangye was already about to jump to his feet: "Do you want to be shameless? Baba guarded early in the morning, I haven't seen a man? Young grandma, you will accompany the young master out from tomorrow, see that she can still laugh." ”

Du Heng raised his hand a little tiredly: "I don't have the strength to fight with her." ”

"Young grandma, do you really want to let her succeed?" Futaba said anxiously, "If she snatches the young master away and has another child, there will be no way for us to live." ”

Du Heng shook his head weakly, not wanting to speak again. It's long gone to be alive. Whatever they want.

Seeing that Zhao Shinan took care of her in the morning, Mallow was even more motivated, so she simply stayed at the door at night, waiting for a few hours, just waiting for Zhao Shinan to come back in the evening and greet her: "The young master is back." Then he returned to Caifang Pavilion.

Du Heng listened in the room, at first he was still heartbroken and palpitated, but later, he was also numb. Futaba couldn't look at it and poured a basin of foot-washing water at the door, but Mallow didn't mind, just looked at Futaba and sneered: "Girl, you can hurt your hand if you use too much force." ”

"I'm not afraid to hurt my hand, I'm afraid that Miss Mallow will hurt her waist when she stands. Futaba wasn't easy to mess with, so he immediately replied.

Mallow squinted at Shuangye and said lightly: "I'm bothering the girl, the girl still has to worry more about how to serve the young grandmother well, so that the young grandmother can get pregnant and have a child as soon as possible." The old lady of the province also broke her heart by eating fasting and chanting Buddha all day long. ”

Mallow's words poked everyone's sore spots, and Futaba couldn't match it anymore, so he slammed the curtain and entered the door. Du Heng listened in the room and his heart was pounding, and he said to Futaba weakly, "What are you doing with her pickled words." After speaking, he couldn't catch his breath and fainted.

Shuangye panicked now, called in and Wu Ma pinched the middle of the people, and she hurriedly ran to tell the old lady to invite Langzhong. The old lady was a little impatient: "How can it be like paper paste, and you will get sick at every turn." But he still sent someone to invite one nearby.

After Lang Zhong diagnosed the pulse, it was nothing more than overthinking, qi and blood imbalance, and so on. Du Heng took the traditional Chinese medicine prescribed by Lang Zhong, and it was still the same, he couldn't eat or sleep, and he became more and more dizzy day by day.

And when Mallow saw Shuangye boiling medicine for Du Heng, he intentionally or unintentionally collected some waste paper rags and gathered a charcoal brazier in the yard to burn. Even the young Banxia saw it, and said timidly to Futaba: "Mallow doesn't know that the young grandmother is sick, and still do such an unlucky thing?"

Shuangye trembled angrily, rushed out and kicked the charcoal brazier, but was stopped by mallow shouting: "Girl, I am getting bolder, what is wrong with me is also the identity given by the old lady's order." What kind of thing are you? I'm burning to get rid of bad luck, and you're not clean enough to provoke me, can you take it? I spare you this time, and next time I do this, I will definitely tell the old lady to go. ”

Futaba's tears swirled, but he suffered from no one in charge. And Du Heng didn't really listen to it in the house, and asked Shuangye what was going on, but Shuangye didn't dare to tell him, just afraid that Du Heng would get sicker when he heard it. had to feed Du Heng medicine with tears.

On the fifth day of the lunar month, Du Heng suddenly became much more sober than a few days ago, took Shuangye's hand and said: "These days, you have suffered for me, if I am not there in the future, you will go to Du's house." People here are just afraid they won't be kind to you. ”

Futaba was terrified when he heard this, didn't he return to the light? Futaba couldn't help it anymore, walked to the second gate and waited for a long time to see Dongsang, and told him to let the young master come back.

It was the lunar month, Zhao Shinan was very busy with work, and during the New Year, everyone had to buy new clothes and new silk. Several merchants and Zhao Shinan proposed to do business in Beiping, and now the situation in Beiping has stabilized, and the Feng army has withdrawn to the northeast, which is the time for development. If you go to Peking together, you can also save some costs. Zhao Shinan is also hesitating, Beiping has a firm foothold, and the business in North China can become a climate. But the scale is small, it's not worth going, and the scale is large, I'm afraid it won't work if I don't go to supervise it myself. If you go in person, you won't be able to open the situation for a year and a half. What to do at home?

Zhao Shinan pondered for a few days, and caught up with Dongsang and said breathlessly: "Young master, go back and see the young grandmother." ”

Zhao Shinan's heart tightened, and he hurried home, only to see Du Heng lying on the bed with a loose gaze, and he didn't react when he saw him. Futaba couldn't help it, cried like a child, and said things to Zhao Shinan inside and out. But I can't say anything about mallow. In addition to burning paper, mallow is based on their shortcomings.

Mallow couldn't understand it, and stomped her foot: "Anyway, with her, the young grandmother will not have a good life." I've been sick for so long, and people are not well. ”

Du Heng stopped Malvac in a drowsiness: "Don't say it." "The voice was full of raw points. What's the use of saying that, and what can it change?

Zhao Shinan looked at Du Heng, and felt indescribable in his heart, what made them so strange from watching fireflies, is it a bracelet, is it to save people, is it a concubine? It seems to be a little bit but it doesn't seem to be either. But the only thing that is certain is that there is one more person in this courtyard, and this person is a knife that lies between them, and now Du Heng has been torn and cut like this. Other people's families are also a group of wives and concubines, why is it so difficult not to see? What is wrong between him and Du Heng?

Zhao Shinan held Du Heng's hand and thought about it all night, and when it was dawn, he finally made up his mind: leave here first. Compared with Du Heng, it is not so important.