Qin Hanzhen didn't know that Uncle Hu and Jin Xiang had been talking for so long in the courtyard. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info She went back to the house to wash up and slept on the kang early in the morning.

But when she accidentally woke up in the middle of the night, she found that there seemed to be a light outside the window, and she felt strange.

This is in ancient times, not in the modern world where the lights are never turned out all night, when it gets dark, the lights are not lit at home, and you really can't see your fingers. There are lanterns hanging in the lower courtyard all year round, so it is convenient for the servants to be on duty at night. There is a lamp in the kitchen on the east side of the courtyard, but it is only a dim oil lamp, and the light will not shine on it. Originally, there was an old practice of lighting a lantern at night in the upper courtyard, but because Niu was sick and weak in the past few months, he always suffered from dizziness and headaches, and he couldn't see a little light when he slept, so Mr. Qin abolished this rule. Although Niu's has improved greatly, the old practice of lighting lamps has not been restored. These two days were cloudy again, and the moon in the sky was covered by floating clouds, so naturally it was impossible for the moonlight to shine in. In the middle of the night, who will be lighting the lights?

Could it be snowing? Maybe the snow is shining on the windows.

Qin Hanzhen thought so, so he picked up the padded jacket that was placed next to the bed and put it on, and touched the soup woman who Zhang's mother stuffed in it with both hands. Fortunately, there is a hot kang and a quilt cover, and the soup woman is still warm, holding it in her arms, not to mention how warm it is. Qin Hanzhen just hugged it and got off the kang, shrunk his neck and walked to the window, carefully pushed open a window crack, and looked out.

The courtyard was still pitch black, and there was no snow, so it was clear that there was no snow tonight. Qin Hanzhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the weather was so cold, if it snowed again, when the snow stopped, she would feel better. She is now frail and unable to resist freezing.

If it's not snow, where does it come from?

Qin Hanzhen opened the window crack wider, and caught a glimpse of the light coming out of the window on the other side of the west ear room, as if a figure was shaking behind the window. Isn't that my grandfather's study? Why hasn't he gone back to sleep at such a late hour? Grandfather is an old man, but he pays the most attention to health, and he always goes to bed early and gets up early.

After a while, the door of the west chamber opened, and someone came out. Qin Hanzhen vaguely recognized the figure that seemed to be Uncle Hu by the light, and saw him go to the east ear room in the dark.

The east ear room is actually a boiler room, the kang in the main house and the kang in Qin Hanzhen's room in the east chamber are all heated by firewood there, and they also have the errand of the tea room and the small kitchen. In winter, it was cold, and I brought food and tea from the kitchen to the upper courtyard, but I was afraid that it would be almost cold halfway. With such a boiler room, it can also be heated nearby. Qin Hanzhen remembered that there was a small tea stove there, which was completely unextinguished, and a large pot of hot water was hot, which was ready for the masters of the upper courtyard to use in the middle of the night.

Soon after Uncle Tiger entered the east ear room, the lights were lit in the room, and after a while, he closed the door and came out, carrying a large copper kettle in one hand, which is the customary use for hot water in the east ear room, and a copper basin in the other hand. He took these two things and went back to the west chamber.

Qin Hanzhen yawned, thinking that probably his grandfather had something to stay in the small study, and Uncle Tiger was waiting for him, and now that he was about to sleep, he got hot water to wash his hands and burn his feet, right?

Although I don't know why my grandfather didn't sleep so late, Qin Hanzhen didn't care much, the wind was still quite cold at night, although there was a soup woman, but it was not as warm as the bed. Qin Hanzhen closed the window, ran back to the kang, and continued to sleep.

When I woke up, it was already dawn. With the help of Zhang's mother, Qin Hanzhen got dressed, combed her hair, washed up, and went to the main house for breakfast.

Niu was complaining to Mama Tiger: "...... I don't sleep in the middle of the night, and I don't know what to say in the small study. When you're old, why don't you know how to take care of it? If you have something important, can't you say it when it's dawn? You can't sleep well, and you're going to be tired of your Mohu. Remember to boil him a bowl of ginger soup and drink it thickly so that he doesn't catch a cold. ”

Mama Hu smiled and said: "Don't worry, madam, our family is very strong, but it's just a blowing wind, where can I get sick?" ”

Niu Shi waved his hand: "After he woke up for a while, he didn't come out to blow the cold wind, what are you worried about him doing?" looked up at Qin Hanzhen: "Come on, the kitchen sent a new rice fat filling today." Which one do you taste? Which one do you like, this year's ancestor worship will make this flavor. ”

Qin Hanzhen climbed up to the kang curiously, and watched Mama Hu send a large plate of noodles, yellow and yellow, each one is the size of an adult's palm, the outer layer looks like a tire, and a big red dot is ordered in the middle, pick it up and smell it, it is made of puff pastry, exuding a faint fragrance of jujubes. Eating a bite of the fruit filling and drinking a sip of hot millet porridge is really beautiful.

Niu asked her to try another flavor, but it was filled with sugar, and in comparison, the taste was not as delicious as the jujube filling. As soon as Qin Hanzhen said this, Niu Shi instructed Mama Hu: "Then it's good to make all the jujube filling." Mother Tiger said with a smile: "The date filling is not as durable as the sugar filling, now it is done, in case the weather is warmer a year ago, maybe it will be bad on Chinese New Year's Eve, why not do it halfway?" If my sister really likes it, make more date filling." Niu nodded.

Qin Hanzhen asked Niu: "Did my grandfather sleep late yesterday?" I got up in the middle of the night and saw a light in the small study. Uncle Tiger also went to the east ear room to get hot water. ”

Niu Shi said: "After the New Year's banquet yesterday, the guy from the Golden Elephant pulled your Uncle Hu, I don't know what to say, your Uncle Tiger reported to your grandfather overnight, and the two of them discussed until midnight before falling asleep." I asked your grandfather what was wrong, and he refused to answer, and he would go back to make up for sleep, so don't bother him. ”

Qin Han was really curious, obediently agreed, and said: "If my cousin wants to leave in that moment...... Niu's waved his hand: "Shaoying often comes and goes, but you don't have to be polite to him." Qin Hanzhen blinked, lowered his head and took a bite of the puff pastry with the fruit filling, and made a small abacus.

After a while, Wu Shaoying really came over. Niu wanted to keep him for breakfast, but he said that he had already used it, but he wanted to resign to the teacher. Niu said: "He was sleepy last night, and he is making up for sleep this time." Why don't you play around at home for a while and wait until he wakes up?"

Wu Shaoying hesitated for a moment and agreed. Qin Hanzhen hurriedly spoke: "Cousin, come and tell me about my homework, I have a few things that I don't understand very well, and it's not good to disturb my grandfather." Wu Shaoying smiled and agreed.

Qin Han was really happy, quickly solved the breakfast, and was about to jump off the kang. Niu shouted: "Slow down, slow down, don't go to read and write immediately after eating, talk to your cousin about family life first." ”

Qin Hanzhen responded loudly, took Wu Shaoying's hand and went back to his room.

Zhang's mother was still in the house to make a padded armor. This is made for Qin Hanzhen, preparing her to wear it for the New Year. Although Qin Ping is not dead, Qin Hanzhen still has the filial piety of the family, and of course he can't wear ordinary clothes during the New Year.

Qin Hanzhen waited for Mother Zhang to finish pouring tea for Wu Shaoying, and said, "Mother Zhang, don't patronize making clothes for me." There are still a few days before the New Year, and I'm not in a hurry. Now that the school has stopped class, I don't know what happened to Brother Hun, why don't you go and accompany him? ”

Zhang's mother was overjoyed: "Really, then I'll take a look." Yesterday, my wife said that there would be more people in the house, so I went down there to see which family in the village had sent her daughter over. "I gave myself a task, and went out with a small bag containing Qin Hanzhen's unfinished new clothes.

Qin Hanzhen quickly closed the door behind her.

Wu Shaoying looked at her with a smile: "You little girl, what kind of medicine is being sold in the gourd today?"

Qin Hanzhen turned around and pulled him to sit down by the kang: "Cousin, tell me honestly, what did my aunt say that made He hate my mother, and I have to force her to remarry?"

Qin Hanzhen went straight in, Wu Shaoying was defenseless for a while, stunned, and then came back to his senses and said with a wry smile: "Are you still thinking about this matter?"

Qin Hanzhen said solemnly: "How can I not be worried? My mother died so unjustly, I always have to figure out why, right?"

Wu Shaoying lowered her head and thought about it, and said, "Sister Sang, my cousin told you the truth, I have already told your grandfather everything about what your aunt said that day." It's just that the matter involves the imperial court, and some things are not easy to mention in front of people, so your grandfather even hid it from your grandmother. If you have to ask, I can only tell you that what your aunt said is basically to laugh at the He family's second marriage, and then there is Sister Zhang, the eldest daughter born to her ex-husband Chen Xiaowei, who was questioned by the Chen family that she is not the blood of the Chen family. ”

Qin Hanzhen was stunned: "Ah?"

Wu Shaoying smiled bitterly and said: "These things are all ugly, and it is difficult to publicize them to the outside world because of your second uncle's face." However, the Chen family has old grudges with the He family, and they have nothing good to say about the Qin family because of her second marriage. What they say may not be true. There is no way to investigate the old things of eight or nine years ago. It's good that you know what you know, and you don't have to say it to the outside world. If your grandmother asks, let her ask your grandfather. You're young and don't know what's important here, so it's better not to ask. ”

Qin Hanzhen flattened his mouth, and also knew that Wu Shaoying had good intentions: "It's nothing if I don't say it, it's just that I don't understand." Since it was my aunt who said these words, He wants to resent her for revealing her shortcomings, so he will take revenge on my aunt, why did she take the knife on my mother? Also, why did she have to hide the news that my father was not dead? What good is this for her?"

Wu Shaoying sighed: "I have a guess. As soon as He came back that day, he heard your aunt's foul language, and he held a grudge in his heart, and he may have been angry with your mother. She kept the news of your father's death at first, probably because she wanted your mother to suffer for a few more days, right? But it's not that He didn't want to take revenge on your aunt, it's just that her brother and sister are not familiar with Mizhi and don't know each other. Later, when you were injured by Sister Zhang, the He family was caught off guard, and it was too late to retaliate against your aunt. At that time, your mother was in trouble with the second room for your injury. He was probably worried that she would spread what your aunt said to the Qin family, so he wanted to force her to remarry. As long as your mother leaves the Qin family, even if your father comes back, she will not have the face to meet the Qin family again, let alone your aunt. Her old things can continue to be hidden. ”