When I reached the door of the mansion, the last orange light of the setting sun was shining on the steps, coating the bluestone slabs with a layer of fire-like warmth, and I walked in, and there were many people shuttling back and forth, and when they saw me, they all hurried over to say goodbye.

I just waved my hand and let him keep himself busy, and walked to the other side, the little yard.

Yan Yi was sent here.

I walked over and knocked on the door, and the door immediately opened, Yan Ruoyu stood at the door, and when he saw me, he immediately said, "Cousin." ”

I looked at her, "You-"

"I'll come over to accompany my aunt."

"Oh."

I nodded, she took a step back and let me walk in, as soon as I entered, I saw Yan Yi lying at the head of the bed, and she didn't take off her shoes, it seemed that she refused to sleep, she was barely cheering up, and when she saw me coming, she immediately said, "You are here." ”

"Auntie."

I hurried over and saluted her.

She raised her hand, then beckoned to me, and I hurried over to hold her hand, and she slowly led me to the edge of the bed, face to face with her.

Looking at this aunt closely, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart, because I was too nervous and too surprised when I was in the ancestral hall during the day, I didn't look at her carefully, so I looked at each other and found that I was really similar to her, eyebrows, eyes, mouth and nose, and even the outline of the chin were the same, but I was more delicate than her, and she-that kind of sharpness and stubbornness were not only in the eyes, but also on the face.

I said softly: "After so many years, I didn't expect my aunt to be in the ancestral hall, and I haven't come to visit her." ”

She said lightly: "I won't sue you, and those who don't know are not guilty." ”

"But—"

"Why am I guarding the ancestral hall here?"

Seeing that she had already raised the question herself, I didn't say much, only nodded slightly.

At this time, Yan Ruoyu had already closed the door and walked over, standing by the bed, Yan Yi looked up at her, and then looked down at me, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and then said: "We are all surnamed Yan, and we are all daughters of the Yan family." ”

“……”

"The daughter of the Yan family, it's not easy to be."

“……”

Yan Ruoyu and I glanced at each other, but didn't speak, just lowered their heads slightly, and Yan Yi said softly: "You-I have heard a lot about you, you are not only smart, but also very capable. You, not to mention that your family's livelihood is actually taken care of by you, just by looking at how you dare to say those words to your grandfather, you know that you are not an ordinary daughter. ”

Yan Ruoyu raised her eyes to look at her, her chest rose and fell slightly, and she stopped talking, Yan Yi smiled and said, "Do you want to ask, since I agree with you, why did you say those words when I was in the ancestral hall just now?" ”

Yan Ruoyu nodded immediately.

Yan Yi said: "It's one thing for you to be able to do it, but it's another thing to do it. ”

“……”

"Girl, no matter how capable you are and how capable you are, now is not the time for you to be fair with your grandfather and your brother."

"Then why did my aunt choose to guard the ancestral hall here?"

Hearing my question, Yan Yi turned her head to look at me again, this time, the smile on her face slowly disappeared a little, as if even the wrinkles were deeper all of a sudden, she looked at me for a while, and then slowly lowered her eyes.

I still looked at her and asked, "Why?" It's been so many years......"

“……”

Yan Yi said, "You all want to know why? ”

Yan Ruoyu and I nodded.

She was silent for a long time before she sighed lightly, and then said, "Because no matter whether I am as smart as you or have a mind like you, our spiritual position will not be able to enter the ancestral hall; Even us, whose surname is Yan, are not qualified to enter the Yan Shizong Ancestral Hall to take a look. ”

“……”

This time, Yan Ruoyu and I didn't speak, but unlike just now, I clearly felt as if something had hit my chest, and an indescribable dull pain came from the bottom of my heart.

For a moment, none of the three of them spoke, nor could they speak.

And I just remembered that when the old man Ma was about to use the family law on the fifth uncle, she said that she swore to protect the ancestral hall for the Yan family for life, and the old lady promised her two things, one of which was to allow her to exercise the power of the head of the family, and the other -

I looked at her and asked softly, "My aunt swore that she would never marry and protect the ancestral hall for the rest of her life, just to ...... Do you want to enter the ancestral hall? ”

She looked up at me, "That's right. ”

“……”

"Women can't enter the ancestral hall, because everyone thinks that a daughter was born from someone else's family and will marry someone after all, which is what your grandfather said to me back then."

“……”

"But I don't recognize it."

When she said this, she raised her eyebrows slightly, although she was old and her face was full of wrinkles, her expression still looked extremely stubborn, and no one could let her be deterred and bend over. She said: "I asked him, if I don't marry for the rest of my life and don't have my husband's surname, then will I be a member of the Yan family for the rest of my life." ”

“……”

"No, you are eligible to enter the ancestral hall."

My palms were slightly damp, I looked at her and said in a dumb voice, "So, what did Grandpa say?" ”

Yan Yi smiled faintly: "Your grandfather said, logically speaking, it can be like this." ”

“……”

"But, the premise is that I must never marry."

“……”

"I said, 'What's so hard about that?'

At this moment, I couldn't hear Yan Ruoyu's breathing behind me, and I myself also had a deafening sense of astonishment, looking at the stubborn look on Yan Yi's old face, I couldn't speak for a while, but my chest swelled slightly, as if I had a thousand words to say.

So that's it......

It turned out that she wanted to enter the ancestral hall, or to say that she wanted a fair one for herself, so she vowed not to marry for life, in exchange for the right to enter the ancestral hall.

I didn't expect that this would be the case.

I didn't expect that there would be a woman who, for the sake of such power, vowed not to marry for life, guarded the ancestral hall for decades, and almost, gave up her life.

I looked at her with a sour stomach, and before I could say anything, Yan Yi had already raised her head and said to Yan Ruoyu: "You know, why do I say, isn't it time for you to ask your grandfather and your brother to be fair?" ”

The corners of Yan Ruoyu's eyes were red, and he shook his head slightly.

Yan Yi said: "Even my fairness, before you get it, you want to be the head of the house...... How can it be? ”

“……”

"Wait until one day, when the spiritual position of the unmarried daughter can enter your ancestral hall, you can ask your grandfather and your brother to fight for the position of the head of the family."

Yan Ruoyu didn't speak, I just saw her thin body trembling slightly, as if she was hit by something intangible, she was in a trance, but in her red eyes, it was just a flash, and she didn't really shed tears, she looked at Yan Yi, and said with a slight stump in her throat: "Thank you, auntie, I understand." ”

Yan Yi looked at her like she wanted to cry without tears, sighed lightly, turned her head to look at me again, and then said, "You, you are more sensible than her, I don't have to tell you too much." ”

“……”

"However, although you are sensible, the things you encounter are destined to be bigger, more and heavier."

I hurriedly said, "Then my aunt thinks, what should I do?" ”

"How?"

"Yes, I want to know what I should do next," my voice gasped slightly, and said: "The person I arrested today - Pei Yuanxiu, I know that if he lives, he will definitely not give up his ambitions, no one can stop him, maybe only death." ”

"Then kill him."

"But—"

I wanted to speak and stopped, looking at Yan Yi with some difficulty, Yan Yi also looked at me, her eyes flickered slightly: "You have had a relationship with him?" ”

I bit my lower lip: "He saved my daughter, raised my daughter, and saved me." We used to be husband and wife. ”

"But you're divorced from him."

"Yes."

Yan Yi was silent for a moment, then chuckled and said, "This is not a problem that I, an old woman, can solve." ”

“……”

"I'll just say one thing to you, though."

“……”

"Don't forget who you are, don't forget what you want."

“……”

"There are many problems in life, which seem to be unsolvable on the surface, and even if they are to be solved, they must be a lose-lose situation. But if you remember this sentence, then sometimes, even if you really hurt, it is at least worth the injury. ”

“……”

"I'm sure you'll make your own decision."

“……”

What she said is actually very easy to understand, and even I have always told myself like this, but at this moment, I am still a little dazed, and when I want to ask again, I saw that she was a little tired, her eyelids drooped, Yan Ruoyu hurriedly stepped forward: "Auntie? ”

Yan Yi raised her eyes to look at us, and then smiled: "I'm old, and I'll come when I get sleepy." ”

I stood up, watched Yan Ruoyu help her lie down, looked back at me, I nodded lightly, and then leaned down and said to Yan Yi, "Have a good rest, aunt", and when I heard her "um", I turned around and walked out.

By this time, the sun had set, and the sky was gradually getting dark.

The small yard was also surrounded by a lot of flowers and plants, and there was also a maple tree on the side of the road, and I could see a tall, thin figure standing there.

It's the old man.

I was a little surprised, but he was quiet, standing there with his hands behind his back, his body as withered as another tree, motionless in the twilight.

I walked over in surprise: "Old man......"

He looked at me, then at the glittering window, and said, "Are you all right?" ”

"It's fine."

"She—"

"My aunt was a little sleepy, and Ruoyu served her and fell asleep. If you're going to see her—"

"Not necessarily."