Yongzhou is in the south, Huizhou in the north, and then Kyoto after passing through Xianyang.

In the spring of March, Qi Xiangsi, who was dressed in plain clothes, stood in front of the gate of Qi Mansion and looked up at the plaque that was bronzing and shining under the sun, and the two stone lions standing at the gate were very mighty.

Qi Xiangsi couldn't help but tighten the burden in her hand, the fourth day after Laba Ying'er left, after the snow melted in January, she went to Huizhou, buried Ying'er's ashes next to her mother's tomb, and then she set off for Kyoto, and walked for a whole two months to get here.

Qi Mansion is located in the market, the street is very lively in the early morning, the shouts of the vendors reached Qi Xiangsi's ears, she took a deep breath, hugged the burden on her chest, raised her feet and walked up the steps, looked at the dark red door, raised her hand and grabbed the knocker on it and knocked a few times.

Not long after the door opened, a servant came out, and looked down at Qi Xiangsi who was standing at the door: "Who knocked on the door?" ”

"It's me." Qi Xiangsi smiled at him, "Excuse me, I want to find my father." ”

The servant frowned, "Who is your father?" ”

Qi Xiangsi clenched his fists: "My father is Qi Herui, the third master of the Qi family, and my name is Qi Ying." ”

Her voice was neither light nor heavy, and a few people passing by outside the gate of Qi Mansion stopped and looked towards the door after hearing it, and someone came to the door early in the morning to recognize their relatives.

"Go, go, go." When the servant heard it, he felt that it was nonsense, the third master was just a few daughters, and there were still people who came to the door to recognize their relatives, "Where did the crazy girl come from, don't look at what kind of place this dares to come and talk nonsense, go and go." ”

Qi Xiangsi was driven to the bottom of the steps by him, and the servant looked at her condescendingly, and his tone was not good: "Hurry up." ”

"My father is Qi Herui in charge of the hospital, and I am his daughter." Qi Xiangsi hugged the package and explained, "I didn't lie to you, please go in and report it." ”

"You still dare to talk nonsense here and ruin the reputation of our third master!" The servant stretched out his hand and pushed Qi Xiangsi, she took a few steps back and sat on the ground, the servant looked very disdainful, "If you don't leave, I'll report to the official." ”

It was originally a street market, and there were more onlookers at the gate, Qi Xiangsi got up and patted his clothes and looked up at the servant: "My name is Qi Ying, my mother's name is Wei Xiangyun, thirteen years ago, when my father went to Huizhou to take up a foreign post, he accepted my mother as a concubine, if you don't believe it, you can go in and ask." ”

Qi Xiangsi said that he was not humble or silent, no matter how he looked at it, it didn't look like he had come to the pit and was abducted, the servant had a hesitant look on his face, turned around and entered the Qi Mansion and slammed the door, waiting, it was half an hour.

When he came out again, he was followed by an old mother and a maid, and he didn't wait for Qi Xiangsi to say anything, the old mother directly asked the maid to take her into the Qi Mansion, and after closing the door, she took her towards the warm hall, and when she was about to reach the door, she said: "Wait and ask what you say, don't talk too much." ”

There were two maids waiting at the door of the warm hall, Qi Xiangsi followed the old mother and walked in, and there was a sandalwood carved inlaid longevity mirror screen opposite, and the Ruiyi cloud embroidery on it was atmospheric, and there was a pot of longevity pine on the table in front of the screen.

After the screen into the eyes of a few tables and chairs, the opposite corner of the place set up a purple gold incense burner, curling clouds of smoke from the incense burner out of the air lingering in the air, the incense burner behind the sea of clouds embroidery is set off like a fairyland.

The warm hall was full of luxury, with yellow pear tables and chairs, blue and white olive vases on the shelves, brocade carpets on the ground, and the rich old lady sitting on the upper seat.

The old lady has kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and the complexion on her well-maintained face is very ruddy, and there are two women sitting next to her, one with a stern expression, and the other is the same as the old lady, with a faint smile on her face, and she looked at Qi Xiangsi a few more times.

Qi Xiangsi stood quietly in such an atmosphere for a while, she didn't look around or bow her head, she looked at it with a flat gaze, the burden in her hand had been taken away by the old mother before entering the door, and there was nothing in it, just two clothes she washed and changed and half of the steamed buns left over from the morning.

The old lady sitting on the seat looked at Qi Xiangsi's feet, her eyes moved slightly, and when she raised her hand, the maid serving on the side cleverly changed a cup of hot tea, and the old lady took it in her hand and blew it, and when she raised her eyes, she said: "How old are you this year." ”

"Back to the old lady, the fourth birthday of the first month of March has just passed, and it is exactly the twelve." Qi Xiangsi replied dignifiedly, and the older woman sitting on the left side of the old lady couldn't help but glance at her more, and then she didn't know what she was thinking, and lowered her head.

The old lady waved her hand again, and the old mother took Qi Xiangsi to the next room to ask her to take off her clothes, in this warm hall, Mrs. Qi looked at the third daughter-in-law, and Mrs. Qi nodded: "When the old man went to Huizhou to take up a concubine surnamed Wei, he gave birth to a daughter in the second year, and the old man went to Tongzhou three years later, and then returned to Kyoto to take up his post, but only brought back Aunt Lu and them." ”

Gu recalled: "I heard the old man mention, at that time, Aunt Wei and Aunt Lu were pregnant at the same time, Aunt Lu gave birth to a son when she was about to give birth, Aunt Wei had a daughter, and the child was already out of gas when she was born, and a few days later the old man returned to Huizhou that Aunt Wei lied that she gave birth to a son, and wanted to snatch her son from Aunt Lu as his own, and the old man saw Aunt Wei crazy and disgusted, and at that time Jingzhong called back, and the master left Aunt Wei in Huizhou. ”

Leaving Aunt Wei naturally wanted to bring her daughter back, but Qi Ying refused to go back to Kyoto with him at that time, and she must stay with Aunt Wei.

As soon as Gu's voice fell, the old mother came back, still holding a chain tied with an old rope in her hand, Mrs. Qi and Gu's faces changed when they saw the ivory pendant, and they took a look, the pendant carved into a crescent moon bend was also engraved with a pattern, and a small warbler was engraved at the bottom.

These ivory pendants are carved from a piece of ivory, and the close-fitting things are even more difficult to imitate, even if they are stolen and come to impersonate, they don't know about their parents, Mrs. Qi took the ivory pendant and believed half of it, and then the old mother said that Qi Xiangsi's arm had a scar with a larger nail piece, which seemed to have been left many years ago.

Gu Shi thought for a while: "Mother, I think I have to wait for the master to come back." ”

Qi Xiangsi stayed in the next room and seemed very quiet, her burden and the pendant left by Qi Ying were taken away by the old mother, and her body was checked when she took off her clothes, and the old mother's attitude changed a lot when she came back again, and she also sent her some food, a few plates of pastries on the table, and a new set of clothes.

Qi Xiangsi picked up the clothes and put them on next to him slowly, and when his right hand touched the scar on his left arm, his body trembled, and the scar after the knife cut the fire was rotten and good, and it lasted for more than a month.

As soon as he put on his coat, there was a slight movement at the door, Qi Xiangsi looked up, a two or three-year-old boy looked into the house with his hand on the door frame, and walked in after seeing Qi Xiangsi, and ran to her and looked up at her, his eyes widened and his face was full of curiosity.

Qi Xiangsi's heart softened, and when he raised his hand and was about to touch his cheek, there was a sudden scolding from the door, and a brightly dressed girl rushed in and pulled the little boy into her arms, with a dignified look: "Who are you!" ”

The girl looked beautiful, but her expression was very disdainful, especially after seeing Qi Xiangsi, she showed some disdain: "Where did you come from, countryman." ”

A boy walked in outside the house, followed by two maids, this small room suddenly seemed crowded, the little boy in the girl's arms saw the boy who came in and shouted happily brother, and then broke free from the girl's arms and ran to the boy, who looked only six or seven years old, but showed a bit of maturity that did not match his age.

The boy glanced at Qi Xiangsi, and then looked at the girl inquiringly: "Fifth sister." ”

"I don't know how to guard the door, and any kind of person dares to let it into the house." The girl glanced at Qi Xiangsi in disgust and beckoned the boy to leave, "Brother Rong, let's go." ”

Hearing the girl shouting Brother Rong, Qi Xiangsi's eyes shrank instantly, she directly shouted to the three people who walked to the door, ignoring the girl's impatience, but looked at the boy and asked, "Are you called Yanrong?" ”

The boy was stunned, and the girl on the side finally looked at her with a straight expression: "Who are you?" ”

Qi Xiangsi smiled: "Presumably this is Sister Minlan." ”

The girl's face changed suddenly, and she glared at Qi Xiangsi angrily: "Which wild girl from the countryside is here to recognize her relatives indiscriminately, who is your sister, whose sister are you called, come here, drive her out of the house for me." ”

After the two maids guarding the door looked at each other, neither of them entered the house, Qi Xiangsi smiled and glanced at Qi Yanrong, and then fixed on the girl, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, word by word: "I haven't seen Minlan for a long time, I'm A Ying." ”