Just after the ugly hour, some of the palace people who were in charge of sprinkling and sweeping got up one after another.

An old palace maid with gray hair and a short beat of coarse cloth swept under the crooked neck tree with a broom. She paused as the broom swept to the hollow in the tree. Then, very naturally, he left.

About a time after a cup of tea, the old palace maid appeared again by the tree hole. After glancing around, he crouched down and pulled into the hollow of the tree. She groped nonchalantly in the hollow of the tree. It's like looking for something, it's more like completing a daily task.

Suddenly, her movements paused, and after a flash of incredulity in her eyes, she became a little dignified. She held her breath and looked around cautiously. Not noticing anything unusual, he quickly tucked his purse into his sleeve.

Pretending to be nothing, he picked up a broom and continued to clean. While skirting the hollow of the tree, he swept into the distance.

After the old palace maid left, the figure hidden behind the tree slowly walked out. The corners of his mouth curled up with a smug smile, not far behind the old palace maid.

It's just that the old palace maid disappeared after sweeping it.

Hmph, if you run away, the monk can't run away from the temple! As long as the tree hole is still here, I don't believe I can't find you!

However, as long as the big fish is caught. Don't want you little shrimp and crabs.

Thinking of this, the figure turned proudly, flicked its arms, and walked in the other direction in a good mood.

Let's talk about the old palace maid who took the purse. When he came to a low old palace, he put the broom in the storeroom, and then turned and went into a room. When the door opened again, I saw a petite palace maid about eighteen or nineteen years old coming out of it.

The little palace maid carried a burden and hurriedly walked outside.

"Sister Zilian, Sister Zilian. Someone waved to the little palace maid. Zilian's footsteps paused, and as soon as she turned around, a little palace maid of twelve or thirteen years old stood timidly in front of her.

Zilian smiled and said, "It turned out to be Xiaoying, what, is there something wrong with you?"

"Sister Zilian, are you going to leave the palace?!" Xiao Ying glanced at the burden on Zilian's arm and asked in a low voice.

"Yes, I've already asked Mama for leave. What, what's wrong with you?"

"Then you can't ······?" Xiao Ying hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a low voice as if she had made up her mind, "Can you help me carry a bag of halva you brought back last time?"

Zilian couldn't help but look at her scrutinically, and then asked with a faint smile: "Why did you suddenly think of that kind of halva?" By the way, I'll give you the address of the store that sells halva. In this way, the next time you leave the palace, you can go directly to buy it. ”

"No, no, no!" said Xiao Ying, shaking her hand in a panic, "In two days, it will be my birthday." I want to ······ I want to serve them halva. ”

Immediately, her eyes gloomed and said, "Someone in our house washed the clothes of a third-class palace maid in the courtyard of the noble concubine, and the housekeeper's aunt was very angry, so she canceled all of our leaves. Therefore, within one or two months, we will not have a chance to leave the palace. ”

Zilian stretched out her hand and patted her on the shoulder, and comforted her in a low voice: "Don't be sad······!

Xiao Ying decisively refused: "No, how can I ask for my sister's ······"

"Okay, you don't have to be polite to me. Think of it as my birthday gift to you. Zilian said with a smile.

Her smile is so big that it's hard to refuse. Xiao Ying nodded and said, "Okay then." Thank you, Sister Zilian. etc······ The next time I send my monthly money, I will invite my sister to eat. ”

"Okay, there's no need to be polite between us, let's go back quickly. Zilian said with a smile.

"Well, goodbye, Sister Zilian!" the little warbler bounced away.

Looking at the back of Xiao Ying's gradual distancing, the smile on Zilian's face slowly faded. She lowered her eyes, turned her head thoughtfully, and continued to walk outside the palace.

Zilian walked down the street, turned left and right, and came to a small stall. After the guests in the stall left, she stepped forward and greeted with a smile: "Sister-in-law, bring me two packets of halva." ”

The sister-in-law at the stall asked with a smile while wrapping candy for her, "Why do you want so much this time?"

"Oh, we have a little sister who loves your halva so much that I asked me to bring her a packet. Zilian said casually. His eyes looked curiously at the other stalls.

"That's a good feeling! The little sister you didn't give your address to, and the next time she goes out, she might as well come and buy it directly. ”

"I was going to give it, but she wouldn't ask for it. Zilian asked casually, "Sister-in-law, do you have a place you like, move the stall over there?"

The sister-in-law paused her hand to wrap the candy, and said with a smile: "I have this stall, but I finally got it." There's still half a year's rent! If it's just because of one sentence, I'll move. Doesn't that seem like a sister-in-law's weak heart?"

After Zilian's eyes rolled, she said with a smile: "What my sister-in-law said is that I was not thoughtful. After she took the candy, she subconsciously looked around and whispered, "Sister-in-law, have you heard of the third uncle who sells pork? I heard that he will finish work early today and go back and invite everyone to eat the meat on the bones!"

"Eating the flesh of the bones" is an allusion to the fact that the master has urgent orders, so be sure not to delay.

The sister-in-law's eyes froze, and the corner of her eye swept around. smiled and said, "No wonder you are so sensitive today, it turns out that it is ······ Don't worry, everyone is a measured person and won't drink too much, so you don't have to worry. ”

Zilian knew that this was telling her not to be nervous, let alone not to sit still because of a little wind and grass.

"Well, then I'll go back, and the next time I come out, I'll buy candy from you. Zilian smiled and nodded in agreement. He took out a few pieces of silver from his purse and handed them over.

The sister-in-law smiled and said, "Okay, you can come back after eating." Reaching out to take the silver, when the two of them touched their hands, Zilian delicately handed over a note, and the sister-in-law took it into her hand.

After Zilian left, the sister-in-law sat by the stall, chatting with the people in other stalls with a smile, and greeted with a smile when there were guests. When it was time to close the stall, he cleaned up the stall, said hello to the others, and left the stall as usual.

Seeing the beggar on the side of the road, she casually threw a piece of candy into his bowl. The beggar ate the candy with a smile on his eyebrows, and kept saying auspicious words in his mouth. After the figure of the sister-in-law disappears.

The beggar looked around warily, stood up, and left silently.