58. [056] There is no end
I didn't expect Yang Hong's gossip ability to be so strong, anyway, within two days, the people of Quan Shouchun knew that Sun Ce and Yizhou had a "grudge against his wife".
Sun Ce is a handsome young man, and Zhou Yu is called Jiangdong Shuangbi, and there are a large number of fans waiting to watch the peerless beauty wherever he goes, but Sun Ce himself is almost the same wood as Shen Xian in terms of feelings, and it is really rare to open up, so even if someone often sends tokens to Sun Ce, or secretly throws him with a handkerchief when he travels, Sun Ce has never taken a fancy to a girl.
It's good that you don't like it, Sun Ce, who doesn't have scandals, is more likeable, which shows that the girls still have a chance, the national husband, everyone is Mrs. Sun, no one should fight.
However, this balance has now been broken, it is said that Sun Ce almost tore up with Yizhou for a maid, and in the end, if Zhou Yu hadn't stopped him desperately, Sun Ce would have fought with that envoy a long time ago.
Now the girls are all fried, and everyone has inquired about the source of the news, and after learning that it was Yang Hong, the long history of Yuan Shufu, the credibility has skyrocketed, and everyone has already believed that this is the truth.
One of the Jiangdong Shuangbi they worshipped was arched by a little-known maid.
Absolutely, wall, no, can, endure!
If it weren't for Shen Xian who was living with Guo Jia in the Taishou Mansion right now, those angry girls would have rushed in and given her some color.
Although Shen Xian is not afraid of girls, she has never bullied girls, and she will feel a headache if there are too many people. What's more, Shen Xian has a special identity, and under the banner of Guo Jia's maid, she is just to hide people's eyes and ears in a low-key manner, so that it is convenient to act. As a result, she is now stirred up by Guo Jiayi, let alone low-key, she is already well known.
Of course, Shen Xian doesn't know yet, she is worried about how to get Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's family out of Shouchun first, so that everyone has no worries.
"Lord, I went around the street and found that there was a storyteller on the street telling the story of the three of us, and he told it in a good way, do you want to listen to it?" Guo Jiaxing asked Shen Xian excitedly: "It's not far, just turn a corner when you go out." ”
Why are the people of Yangzhou so gossipy? Is this kind of thing going to be adapted into a story and sung everywhere? Although under Guo Jia's subtlety, Shen Xian had already let go of herself and lost her temperament and face, but she still couldn't indifferently do something that was very shameful to secretly listen to the nonsense stories made up with herself as the protagonist.
In some ways, Guo Jia is really not an ordinary person.
Shen Xian said expressionlessly: "No, I'm not interested. ”
Guo Jia looked disappointed: "Ah, it's a pity, it's a good story." ”
"Feng Xiao, go play by yourself, I have other things to do." Shen Xian smiled and changed the subject: "Yuan Highway didn't look for you?" ”
Guo Jia shook his head: "Don't worry, he has to dry me for a few days." ”
"Then you can hang it first." Shen Xian patted Guo Jia on the shoulder: "I'll investigate something." ”
Guo Jia suddenly asked, "Lord, do you want to go out?" ”
Shen Xian looked back at him: "Yes, what's wrong?" ”
"My lord, you'd better not go out now." Guo Jia said tactfully: "There are many little girls outside who want to trouble you, and I met three groups of people along the way back, all of whom were wandering outside the Taishou Mansion. ”
Shen Xian: "......"
Shen Xian was shocked: "Why is this?" ”
Guo Jia showed a sly smile: "Lord, do you know what Bo Fu's nickname is in Jiangdong?" ”
"Jiangdong Shuangbi? Little Overlord? Shen Xian guessed casually: "What does this have to do with me?" ”
"Of course it does." Guo Jia said seriously: "At least in Yangzhou, the name of Jiangdong Shuangbi is well known, and it is no exaggeration to say that basically all the girls who have not come out of the cabinet in Shouchun either like Bofu or love Gongjin. ”
Shen Xian was dumbfounded, she never thought that her two brothers would still be the legendary king-level idols of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhou Yu just forget it, but how could Sun Ce's stunned son have so many girls like him?
Guo Jia continued: "It doesn't matter if Bo Fu didn't have a favorite before, but now it's ......."
Shen Xian suddenly raised her head and stared at Guo Jia: Whose pot is this?
"Although I am reckless, but my lord, things have happened, and we have to face reality." Guo Jia coughed, trying in vain to excuse himself: "Let's think about how to solve it, you can't go out for the rest of your life." ”
"Afraid of what?" Shen Xian sneered, completely ignoring the enemy: "How can I still be a bunch of little girls?" ”
Guo Jia stopped talking, he just looked at Shen Xian silently, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.
During the lunch meal, after Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Zhou exchanged a few not-so-obvious glances with each other, Mrs. Wu said with a pleasant face: "Bo Fu, it is said that you have taken a fancy to the maid of the envoy of Yizhou?" When will you bring your daughter-in-law home to your mother? ”
Sun Ce was drinking porridge, and he almost didn't squirt out the porridge after listening to his mother's words. Beside him, Zhou Yu lowered his head and shoulders and shrugged one after another, trying to hold back his laughter.
Sun Ce glared at Zhou Yu angrily, and turned his head helplessly to look at Mrs. Wu: "Mother, what is this!" Where did you hear this unreliable statement? ”
If you don't have a daughter-in-law, then you should be your daughter.
"It's all over the streets." Mrs. Wu looked at Sun Ce with disgust: "You said that you are a child, and you don't say anything if you have someone you like, but it turned out to be like this, alas, ......"
Sun Ce had a bad premonition in his heart, and it spread all over the world? What's the spread?
Mrs. Wu continued: "Other girls are good to you, don't pick and choose, even if your identity is not enough, it's okay to be a concubine......"
Sun Ce looked at Mrs. Wu with a shocked expression: "Wait for mother!" Are you misunderstanding something! ”
"My mother is not seventy or eighty! It's so clear in black and white, where can you misunderstand! Mrs. Wu put on a straight face and educated Sun Ce: "How do you usually educate you?" Manly man, dare to be! A man who is not responsible will not be liked by a girl! ”
The question is that I haven't done anything, what am I going to do...... Sun Ce couldn't cry or laugh, he felt that he couldn't argue with Mrs. Wu, so he poked Zhou Yu, who had been immersed in drinking porridge: "Gong Jin! Help me explain! ”
Zhou Yu slowly put down the porridge bowl, and he looked at Sun Ce seriously: "Bo Fu, forget it, the girl doesn't like you again......"
"Zhou Gongjin, what are you talking nonsense!" Sun Ce was stunned, and then he grabbed Zhou Yu's collar and began to shake.
Mrs. Wu was shocked: "Bo Fu! What are you doing! You let go of Gong Jin! ”
"It's useless for you to shake me." Zhou Yu was addicted, and he said with a sad face: "The twisted melon is not sweet-"
"Bad guys!" Sun Ce pushed Zhou Yu away angrily: "You are all bad people!" ”
After speaking, Sun Ce ran away without even finishing his meal.
Zhou Yu saw that he was almost done, and if he continued to talk about it, he estimated that Sun Ce was about to turn his face, so he stood up and saluted Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Zhou: "Auntie, mother, you eat first, I'll go find him." ”
Sun Quan, who had been shrunk in the corner of the dining table as a background board, wiped the corner of his mouth and threw the chopsticks, and he looked at Zhou Yu with great interest: "Second brother, I want to go too!" ”
"Okay." Zhou Yu touched Sun Quan's head, held his hand and walked out together.
"What the hell is going on?" Mrs. Wu said worriedly: "Bo Fu has a lot of ideas, I can't control him......
"Well, why do you bother with it." Mrs. Zhou patted Mrs. Wu's hand: "The children always have their own ideas when they are older, let them toss!" I don't know what Gong Jin does every day. ”
"Where can this be the same?" Mrs. Wu sighed: "Gongjin's child has always been steady, but Bo Fu is frizzy. ”
"I still think Bo Fu has a good temperament." Mrs. Zhou: "We always feel good when we look at other people's children, and we feel unpleasant when we look at our own, it's like this." ”
Mrs. Wu shook her head: "Anyway, I just like Gong Jin......"
When Zhou Yu and Sun Quan found Sun Ce, Sun Ce was squatting on the edge of the flower bed and holding a grass with a confused look on his face, Zhou Yu pushed Sun Quan forward, Sun Quan ran to Sun Ce's side and pressed his shoulder: "Big brother!" I want to ask you something......"
"No, no, don't ask!" Sun Ce said irritably, he raised his hand and rubbed Sun Quan's hair: "Why did you even come here to join in the fun?" ”
Sun Quan looked at Sun Ce with an innocent expression: "Brother, in fact, I just want to ask when I can meet the third sister?" ”
"Huh?" Sun Ce was stunned when he heard this, he raised his head slightly and looked at Zhou Yu, who winked at him.
Sun Quan's face was filled with a fascination of joy: "Brother Gongjin has sued me!" ”
Sun Ce stared at Sun Quan with a complicated expression, but his words were said to Zhou Yu: "Why are you telling him this?" ”
"Why can't you tell me?" Sun Quan pouted.
Zhou Yu smiled slightly: "He's not too young, sooner or later he has to know this, so let's talk about it without trying to hide it." ”
"Don't make trouble for me!" Sun Ce raised his fist and shook it at Sun Quan, threatening: "Don't say it!" ”
"I know!" Sun Quan muttered dissatisfiedly: "People are not stupid. ”
The three of them fell silent for a moment.
Sun Quan hesitated and hesitated, but still mysteriously leaned into Sun Ce's ear and asked, "Big brother, is my third sister good-looking?" ”
Sun Ce stared at Sun Quan expressionlessly.
"Okay, I won't ask!"
Sun Quan reflexively squatted with his head in his hands, and his movements were smooth and smooth, which showed that he was usually beaten by Sun Ce.
"Beautiful." I don't know what I remembered, Sun Ce suddenly said, "It's very good-looking." ”
Seeing Sun Ce gritting his teeth, Sun Quan was so frightened that he ran back to Zhou Yu's back and hid.
On the day that Shen Xian and the others arrived in Shouchun, Zhou Yu dragged Sun Ce, who was on the verge of going berserk, back home, and after confirming the safety of the surroundings, Zhou Yu quickly explained to Sun Ce what had happened, including the purpose and plan of Shen Xian's trip. When listening to Zhou Yu's narration, Sun Ce's face turned from anger to surprise and then from surprise to shock, and finally the breath he was holding in his chest completely dissipated, and the whole person jumped up excitedly.
"She's her!" Sun Ce smiled: "It is worthy of being my sworn brother...... Younger sister! ”
"I still need your cooperation in this matter." Zhou Yu said softly: "Feng Xiaohui wants to provoke Yuan Highway to let him send troops to the surrounding counties, and when the time comes, whether the candidate he wants to belong to is you or not, you have to volunteer to take this job." In order to appease you, Yuan Highway may say some promises to you, you have to be grateful to him in person, just don't believe a word behind your back. ”
"No problem!" Sun Ce patted his chest: "Leave it all to me!" ”
"Yuan Highway is proud of his family's great business, and he does not take other families in Yangzhou in his eyes, the deeper their contradictions, the more opportunities we have." Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Try not to offend those families after you send out the army, and leave the rest to Xiaoxian to deal with." ”
"Okay, I'm most annoyed to deal with that kind of person anyway." Sun Ce scratched his head: "One sentence goes around 108,000 miles, who knows what they mean!" ”
After Zhou Yu's explanation, Sun Ce was already calm about Shen Xian's behavior of coming to Yangzhou, anyway, Shen Xian was here to work, not to play. If it weren't for the question asked by Mrs. Wu today, Sun Ce's calm feelings would probably last forever.
But Mrs. Wu's words revealed something that Sun Ce had not paid attention to all along, and he was horrified to find that so many people were fanatically watching his every move. This is not the most important thing, Sun Ce feels that he is a man, even if he has a leg with many girls in small talk books and commentaries, he is not the one who suffers, and others will only praise him for being unruly; However, if Shen Xian's sister is entangled with several men at the same time, even if those are fake and made up nonsense in the story, there will still be a lot of people who will jump out and scold her.
Well...... Although it was Ziwen who scolded instead of Liu Xian, Sun Ce was still very unhappy.
It's all Guo Jia's fault! Sun Ce thought indignantly.
Shen Xian is a bold person, even if she is worried about so many girls, she is still fearless, she changes into a light dress and plans to go out of the house to the streets and alleys of Shouchun, understand and understand various prices, and look at the spiritual outlook of the people, you can analyze and investigate the general economic situation of Shouchun at this time, and how long can she hold out when the war starts.
Guo Jia followed Shen Xian and kept wandering: "Lord, take someone with you, I really don't worry about you alone, if something happens and I go back to Yizhou, I will be condemned to death by them." ”
"Now I know I'm scared." Shen Xian rolled her eyes at Guo Jia: "Why didn't you think it would be this result when you made it up before?" ”
"Lord!" Guo Jia said firmly: "You bring the old classics!" Or bring Zilong! Anyway, they have nothing to do, everyone has nothing to do before Yuan Highway meets me, and they are holding back, so let's go out and go around. ”
Shen Xian said helplessly: "I'm a maid, go out with a general, what's going on!" ”
Guo Jia touched his chin and thought, "Why don't I give you an identity?" ”
Thinking about what Guo Jia would do with the identity of a maid, Shen Xian smiled: "No need! I just love it now! ”
Guo Jia's persuasion was fruitless, and he quietly beckoned to the side of the corridor, and the Xiliang man turned around to invite Zhao Yun speechlessly.
Before Shen Xian went out, Zhao Yun walked over in a white robe with a graceful demeanor, and he hugged his fists at Shen Xian with a smile on his face and said, "Lord, do you want to go out for a walk?" ”
Shen Xian stared at Guo Jia expressionlessly, and Guo Jia looked up at the sky.
"Or shall I call the old pawn?" Zhao Yun said in a low voice: "Lord, you bring someone, we don't worry, Miss Zhaoji before going out......"
Shen Xian's heart softened when she heard Cai Yan, she waved her hand and said, "Okay, okay, let's go together." ”
Shouchun is very different from Chengdu, where the green bricks and white tiles, the small streams and rivers pass through the city, and the people who come and go speak a gentle and soft tone, and even quarrel and scold people are so amorous.
…… Although Shen Xian couldn't understand what they were saying at all, it didn't prevent her from feeling the beauty of singing.
"Zilong, can you understand?" Shen Xian asked.
Zhao Yun shook his head: "Lord...... Sister-in-law, to be honest, I don't even understand your Yizhou dialect very well, but fortunately, everyone usually speaks official dialect, which I have learned. ”
"The language barrier is really a big communication barrier...... Shen Xian sighed.
The official dialect of the Han Dynasty is also very different from the Mandarin of later generations, and the pronunciation is mostly similar to Cantonese, because the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, was a Chu person, and after dominating the world, he promoted the Yayu of Chu as an official language to the whole country, and the Chu language is very similar to the official dialect of the Central Plains, and it is not difficult to learn, so it is gradually accepted by people.
A person like Shen Xian who doesn't know anything except Mandarin, if it weren't for the system automatically loading the language conversion, she wouldn't be able to speak and write, and even the words she said might not be understood, of course, others couldn't understand her, and she was deaf and dumb and miserable.
Shen Xian stopped in front of a stall selling hairpin ring jewelry, there are two hairpins made of zuò on this stall are very good, the pattern is delicate and pleasing, one is shaped like a butterfly spreading its wings, and the other is just like an auspicious cloud.
"How do you sell these two?" Shen Xian asked.
"The girl is not a local?" The peddler glanced at Shen Xian strangely, and then moved his gaze to Zhao Yun.
"I came with my eldest brother to visit relatives." Shen Xian smiled, picked up the hairpin with butterflies spreading its wings, turned her head and asked Zhao Yun: "Brother, I think this hairpin is good, my sister-in-law must be beautiful to wear, buy one?" ”
Zhao Yun: "......"
Today's young people start acting as soon as they don't agree with each other.
But my lord, you can act when you act, what are you doing with me?
Zhao Yun couldn't cry or laugh, and Shen Xian didn't point to hear his answer after asking, she held the butterfly and spread her wings to look at it, and then picked up another handful of Xiangyun and said to herself: "This one is for Sister Zhaoji, and this one is for Sister Qian~ It's quite a match." ”
Just when Shen Xian was about to pay for it, Zhao Yun suddenly pressed her hand. Shen Xian looked over suspiciously, only to see Zhao Yun pull out a wooden hairpin from the corner of the stall without saying a word, and the tail of the hairpin was carved with a cluster of half-opened peach blossoms.
"This." Zhao Yun said lightly.
This time it was Shen Xian's turn to be speechless.
Zhao Yun will definitely not be idle and have nothing to do to buy a hairpin for Cai Yan, and it is impossible to buy a hairpin for Shen Xian, so there is only one person left?
"For my sister-in-law?" Shen Xian shook the peach blossom hairpin and asked tentatively.
An unnatural look flashed on Zhao Yun's face, and he nodded slightly.
"Buy, buy, buy!" Shen Xian suddenly smiled, she immediately took out the money and handed it to the vendor, and took all the three hairpins into her arms.
"You're weird." When the vendor was looking for money, he chatted with Shen Xian without a match: "Brother and sister go together and throw your sister-in-law at home?" ”
Shen Xian thought to herself, how could this kid who sells things gossip so much! She smiled slightly and explained casually: "My sister-in-law hasn't passed the door yet...... Anyway, why do you ask so clearly? ”
Shen Xian's face suddenly sank, and she stared at the vendor gloomily.
"Auntie girl misunderstood." The peddler was taken aback, and he stammered, "I'm just asking...... Let's talk. ”
Shen Xian snatched the change, lifted her chin with one hand and glared at the vendor: "I have nothing to talk to you about!" ”
After Shen Xian finished speaking, she turned her head and walked forward, Zhao Yun shook her head, and said gently to the hawker: "I'm sorry for this little brother, my sister has been spoiled by me, and I hope to forgive me for my rudeness." ”
"Nothing, nothing." The vendor waved his hand awkwardly.
When the two of them had gone so far that they could not see their shadows, the peddler lowered his head and hurriedly picked up his stall and walked away quickly.
"Sure enough." Shen Xian leaned against the corner with her arms crossed and watched the hawker leave in a hurry with his luggage shortly after they left, and even dropped a few hairpins and hairpins on the ground and didn't care to pick them up, so he knew that this person was not a real trader, I am afraid that Yuan Shu or his subordinates sent to monitor them from Yizhou: "It would be strange if no one really looked at me...... Guess how many of these people are on this street? It won't all be. ”
"That's too." Zhao Yun pointed to Xiao Er, who was wandering around with a towel outside the wine shop, and said in a low voice: "He kept staring at us before, but after we left, he looked around, and handed over something to the one who was drinking just now." ”
"Hmph, there are enough people." Shen Xian sneered: "Yuan Highway is so dead, what are we going to do to bring the two ladies out safely?" ”
Zhao Yun shook his head and said that he didn't know, Shen Xian sighed: "Let's go, look and think slowly, I don't believe that Yuan Highway's defense has always been so tight...... There will always be times when he relaxes. ”
The two of them walked through the alley to another block as they spoke, when there was a sudden commotion in front of them, and Shen Xian looked suspiciously, and found that many people had gathered not far from a mansion, and most of them were girls. These girls held hands in twos and made a bunch of hid in the corner, behind the stall, and other places that they thought were secret, pointing to the closed door and whispering, and their faces showed a shy blush from time to time.
What's going on? Shen Xian and Zhao Yun glanced at each other, and they both saw puzzled expressions in each other's gazes.
Then the door opened, and the two of them stepped out of the house one after the other...... No, there were three people, and a little boy of twelve or thirteen years old dodged behind, and he kept his head down to accept the lesson from the people at the front.
“…… Don't make trouble for me......" Sun Ce thought to Sun Quan, he didn't want to take Sun Quan to see Shen Xian together, first, there are more people and it is easy to be exposed, and secondly, Sun Ce is unwilling to play with Sun Quan, he feels that his brother and sister are not a species at all, his younger brother is a bear child who comes to collect debts (except for Zhou Yu), and his sister is the baby to protect (Shen Xian and Sun Shangxiang, who is more than a year old and cute). However, Sun Quan insisted on it, and Zhou Yu did not object, and Sun Ce was defeated two against one. Although he agreed to go together, Sun Ce wanted to give Sun Quan three chapters of the law, and he kept nagging Sun Quan to just look at it Don't talk nonsense, and Zhou Yu, who read it in the end, was very annoying: "Okay, how long do you have to talk?" ”
Sun Ce pouted: "I don't want to take him this little rabbit cub!" ”
As soon as Sun Quan wanted to refute that I was not a little rabbit cub, he heard someone shouting excitedly: "Sun Lang Sun Lang!" ”
Sun Ce turned his head to look at the ...... in confusion Then the whole street boiled.
Sun Ce looked sluggish: "This, this, this...... Where did these people come from? ”
Sun Quan sighed: "Where did it come from?" It's been there since our family moved to Shouchun, and you've never found out, big brother? ”
"I thought there were a lot of people on this street...... Sun Ce muttered.
"How sluggish are your reactions?" Sun Quan rolled his eyes and laughed at his eldest brother. No wonder she didn't even recognize that the third sister was a girl, she was so stupid and couldn't be saved.
Sun Ce didn't have time to teach Sun Quan a lesson, because he was trying to find a way to get rid of these onlookers who were watching him.
"What the hell do I have to look at!" Sun Ce said in a low voice: "Aren't all the elders the same!" It's just that I'm handsome! ”
Zhou Yu: "...... Don't boast about being handsome at this time, okay? I knew I was gone. ”
"Useless second brother." Sun Quan said sincerely: "It's the same at your doorstep." ”
"I know." was stared at by a bunch of people, even Zhou Yu couldn't help but be a little irritable: "There weren't so many people before." ”
"I guess I want to see what my brother's favorite looks like." Sun Quan shrugged his shoulders, he was the most calm, and it wasn't him who looked at him anyway.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Sun Ce suddenly slapped Sun Quan on the back of the head: "Beware of her beating you!" ”
Sun Quan: "......"
This seems to be a bit different from my understanding, let's confirm first, isn't the third sister gentle and bright?
If Sun Ce could sense Sun Quan's mental activities, he would probably tell Sun Quan: No, your third sister is as handsome and handsome as me.
The desire to have a gentle and beautiful big sister was shattered, and Sun Quan's heart was split into half and half, and at this moment he suddenly heard Sun Ce call: "Shang ...... Son-in-law? ”
Zhou Yu reached out to cover Sun Ce's mouth, but he was a step too late, so he asked Sun Ce to call out the name.
In fact, Sun Ce originally wanted to call Shang Yu, but he immediately remembered that he couldn't let Shen Xian's identity be revealed, so he called her by the name when she pretended to be a maid.
Zhou Yu looked at the street that suddenly quieted down, and said in his heart, you might as well call Shang Yu, at least you won't get into trouble now......
Shen Xian and Zhao Yun stared at Sun Ce with an expression of concern for the mentally ill.
"What do we do now? Those people seem to have seen it. Zhao Yun asked softly.
"Cold salad." Shen Xian gritted her teeth and said, although she said to Guo Jia that she was not afraid that the girls would come to make trouble, but ...... That's a bit too many, isn't it?!
Looking at Sun Ce with an innocent face, and then at Zhou Yu who was gesturing at them and a little boy with an excited face next to Zhou Yu, Shen Xian broke the jar again, and she slowly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve.
Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun's hearts chuckled.
In the next second, Shen Xian's face suddenly changed, and she waved her handkerchief at Sun Ce sadly: "Sun Lang! I didn't expect us to meet again, but we don't have the possibility anymore, so you just give up! ”
After Shen Xian finished speaking, the hand hidden in her sleeve reached out and made a quick gesture to Zhao Yun, and then she covered her face with both hands and turned around and ran away in tears.
Sun Ce: "......"
Sun Quan: "......"
Zhou Yu: "......"
The surroundings were silent, Zhao Yun calmed down, quickly sorted out his identity from a mess of characters, he hugged his fists and said to Sun Ce: "Brother Bofu, I'm sorry, although I also want to be in-laws with you, but the lord has already put my sister ...... Ahem, that's all you have to do, so be it. ”
Where does this relationship come from! Sun Ce's whole person was messy, and he almost roared at Zhao Yun and said that I am his brother! You're all dead!
Zhou Yu looked at Zhao Yun with admiration: "Brother Zilong, are you free?" Shall we have a drink? ”
Zhao Yun pondered for a moment, then glanced at the direction of Shen Xian's escape and nodded slightly.