Lying groggily on the bed, Du Zhe didn't know if he was awake or still in a dream. All he knew was that the heat was unbearably unbearable, and his body seemed to be weighed down by some thousand pounds of stone, and he couldn't move and couldn't breathe. The middle coat was soaked with sweat and sticky to his body, making Du Zhe itch uncomfortably.

There seem to be a lot of people around, and there seems to be no one, in the alternation of light and shadow, there are a lot of illusory voices, they are hideous, and they are viciously abusing Du Zhe: the ninth-rate play, the lowly Youling, and the end of the business.

Not very conscious, Du Zhe couldn't escape the terrifying nightmare, and he couldn't open his mouth to argue, so he could only unconsciously shout Cao Xueqin's name over and over again, and he could hear the old doctor who came to see him sigh infinitely. Ding Rong's eyes were red, and he had to go to the governor and Jiangning Weaving many times to work hard.

However, Cao Xueqin is still calm, knowing that others cannot be blamed on this matter, the distance is long, the water and soil are not adapted, and the affectionate tossing on the road is also one of the reasons. However, Cao Xueqin did not relax his secret visit to Jiangning Weaving, this person had a lot of deficits in salt administration and railway transportation, and also intended to win over Jiangning scholars and wanted to dominate the place.

The use of cloth to dye cloth requires a piece of salt to fix the color, and "add" on the cloth. Those who receive the cloth only need to precipitate the salt again to turn it into a high price on the market. The collusion between officials and businessmen has harmed the people of Jiangnan, how can this kind of salt not be killed if it is eaten for many years?

Cao Xueqin also saw the poor pool in the cloth by chance, and placed someone to enter the cloth village, but caught such a big clue. Cao Xueqin is exquisite, although Du Zhe didn't say it, how could he not know what his beloved was thinking.

In the past in Beijing, Du Zhe silently planned a lot for him, and in these days in Jiangning, Cao Xueqin also had to rely on his own ability to make a name for himself, so as to ensure that Qu Beiyi would not be poor in the future, let alone be bullied by others.

Shitu Road is what he looks down on the most, but if it's for his beloved, why not take a walk?

"This master's physical deficiency in the early years has not been made up, and the more he is hollowed out now, the weaker his body is," the old doctor's words interrupted Cao Xueqin's contemplation, "Master Cao, I will prescribe another prescription for recuperation, and I need to take it on time every day." ”

"Okay, there's Dr. Lao."

On this day, there was something in the Jiangning Weaving Department, and Cao Xueqin had to leave for a while. Du Zhe woke up at this time, and his illness was actually intermittently dragged from the winter of the fourth year of Qianlong to the spring of the fifth year.

During the period, the decoction continued, Cao Xueqin never faked her hands to others, today she really can't shirk it, Cao Xueqin reluctantly left after instructing Ding Rong a lot.

"Master Qu?!" Seeing Du Zhe wake up, Ding Rong was overjoyed and sad, and cried, "Woo wow, Qu Ye, you are awake...... If you don't wake up again, I'm afraid that our master will have to give his life here......"

He ...... What about people? After a serious illness, Du Zheren lost a lot of weight, but he completely figured it out in his heart, it was something that he wanted to talk to Cao Xueqin about, but he couldn't find anyone around. Ding Rong hurriedly replied, and then ordered the kitchen to cook some light and nourishing meals, and asked Du Zhe to eat his favorite pastries and drink a bowl of medicine.

During this period, Ding Rong panicked and brought in a pile of manuscripts and threw himself into Du Zhe's arms, "Master said that these are for you to see, this year Lord has been very busy, but whenever you are free, you must write a few pages, saying that when you come, Master Qu, you always like to read......"

Du Zhe's eyes lit up, and his originally sick complexion seemed to be better when he saw this pile of manuscripts, he held the manuscript to look through a few pages, and praised it in his mouth again and again, "Wonderful!" Wonderful! That's what happened! It's good, it's good! ”

Looking at Du Zhe's fascinated and happy appearance, Ding Rong shook his head, "Master Qu, you and our master really love books like life, like a bookworm." ”

"Huh?" Du Zhe raised his head and glanced at Ding Rong suspiciously, "Rong'er, what did you say?" ”

"I said you and our master ......" Ding Rong thought for a while, but said something else, "Do you know Master Qu?" The second master can treasure these manuscripts. Others are not allowed to see it, I remember one day an adult said that he wanted to borrow it to see, and the second master almost quarreled with him. Straight to the point, this book is not yet finished, and no one can read it. Everyone knows about this matter, Master Qu, it can be seen that our master treats you, but he is sincere......"

"Little thing, what do you say?" Before Ding Rong finished speaking, the door was pushed open by Cao Xueqin, he still had a thin layer of sweat stains on his head, he sat on the edge of the bed panting, gently held Du Zhe's hand, and looked down to see the pile of manuscripts in Du Zhe's arms.......

Ding Rong's words had already warmed Du Zhe's heart, and now Cao Xueqin's warm palm warmed his heart again. So, Du Zhe raised his head, looked at Cao Xueqin with sparkling eyes, and said loudly:

"Xueqin, I figured it out. In the future, no matter what rumors are spread outside, I don't care what they want to think of me. As long as you treat me wholeheartedly and never give up, I will never fail you! ”

After being frightened for a month or two, hearing Du Zhe's words, Cao Xueqin was really more calm than eating any big Luo Jindan, and she was excited for a while, and she even forced out real tears. He hugged Du Zhe with tears, "I will stay in the east with one heart, never give up, vow to the past and this life, I wish to be accompanied by all generations, and the white head will never leave." ”

After such a twist and turn, seeing Cao Xueqin and Du Zhe get along, Ding Rong was also happy, and in the next half a month, no matter what happened outside, Cao Xueqin's small courtyard was always laughing and harmonious.

In a blink of an eye, it was the Shangsi Festival, in fact, Du Zhe's illness had been cured in February. However, I don't know where Cao Xueqin invited the "Mongolian doctor" to say that his body was weak and needed to recuperate, so it dragged on until March.

Today, Du Zhe is holding a pen and writing his opinions on Cao Xueqin's manuscript: this is the "homework" assigned to him by Cao Xueqin, saying that someone must like to read it. Du Zhe couldn't help it, so he could only lie on the desk every day to write and draw.

"Dongliu!"

"How...... Alas? Du Zhe heard Cao Xueqin's voice and turned around, but found that Cao Xueqin was not wearing an official uniform today, but a strong suit, "Where are you going?" Ah——!h You put me down! ”

Cao Xueqin walked over and picked Du Zhe up without saying a word, Du Zhe was so frightened that he immediately hugged Cao Xueqin's neck and twisted him in shame before it was finished. Cao Xueqin grinned in pain, but she still had to laugh, so she became a strange look, he carried Du Zhe to the courtyard, Du Zhe saw the thing in the courtyard, and shouted in surprise:

In Cao Xueqin's small courtyard, a man led a horse with a pure black body, the horse's coat was bright and black, and there was a beautiful white spot on the forehead, like a rising star in the night, and the horse's eyes were also very crystal beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Cao Xueqin carried Du Zhe to the horse and put him down.

"I like it, I ......" Du Zhe nodded, standing beside the horse hesitated, stretched out his hand to touch it, but was a little scared, so he turned his head and looked at Cao Xueqin like a child, "Can I touch it?" ”

"Of course." Cao Xueqin grabbed Du Zhe's hand, took him to gently touch the horse's neck, and smoothed it around the hair, and then Du Zhe became bold and rubbed the horse's head. The black horse was also very spiritual, and in turn licked Du Zhe's palm, which made Du Zhe laugh.

"Let's go, Dongliu, I'll take you out of the city to run a horse—"

"Huh? But I don't know how to ride a horse......."

"Let's ride the same horse," Cao Xueqin took the reins, first sent Du Zhe, who was out of condition, on horseback, and then turned over and sat behind Du Zhe, "When I saw you for the first time in the capital, I had this thought, thinking that if I had the opportunity in the future, I must teach Dongliu to ride a horse." ”

Recalling the first time they met, Du Zhe also smiled, his heart was sweet, but he still complained slightly, "I didn't expect Brother Zhan to have a bad stomach since then——"

Cao Xueqin smiled, leaned down to Du Zhe's ear, deliberately licked his auricle ambiguously and said, "Dongliu, legs clamped, waist straight, looking ahead, I'm going to urge the horse——"

Du Zhe hurriedly sat upright as Cao Xueqin said and looked ahead.

There is a very beautiful peach forest outside Jiangning City, running horses along the way, Du Zhe saw a lot of young Jiangnan children, they walked in groups of three or five and sang songs, and some girls dressed very beautifully, or surrounded by maids and women, or walking side by side, all of them were going out to the water's edge to enjoy flowers, compose poems or eat wine.

The horse ran fast, Du Zhe's affection was also mobilized, pointing to a lot of beautiful scenery in front of him and excited, Cao Xueqin drove the horse while talking to him, the two of them ran outside the city, but they didn't care about these scenery more and more, and gradually left the official road and went on a mountain road.

This mountain road is rarely visited, but the scenery is extremely beautiful, the green mountains are smoky, the peach blossoms in the clear water, and Du Zhe is fascinated to see it. The speed of the horse slowed down, Du Zhe leaned back, leaned on Cao Xueqin's chest, and when he looked up and saw a thin layer of sweat stains on Cao Xueqin's neck, he took out a towel and wiped it for him, "Riding a horse is so happy!" ”

"If you like, we can come out and ride horses every day."

"What's going on?" Du Zhe shook his head, "You are still in office, I am afraid that you will be more and more busy in the future, how can you accompany me everywhere every day." ”

"......" Cao Xueqin smiled, circled Du Zhe's waist, put her head on the side of Du Zhe's neck, and said in a muffled voice, "There is always a chance, Dongliu, we will have the opportunity to release Manan Mountain. ”

"Okay," Du Zhe was amused by Cao Xueqin's appearance, he patted Cao Xueqin's hand and said, "We have a chance, but my brother Zhan, the next time you run a horse, don't take your saber with you, the hilt of the sword is suffocated, and it makes me uncomfortable." ”

"......" Cao Xueqin raised her head with a strange expression, took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice, "Dongliu, what ...... Not the hilt of the sword, I ...... Never by your side with a sword. ”

"Huh? What ...... that" Du Zhe was halfway through his words, and immediately understood, and the corners of his mouth twitched for a long time before he slandered in his heart: Do you want to be so bloody? Even if you want to drive without saying a word, can you change the new routine lines, this kind of stalk that is actually a "big sword" by the hilt of the sword is too vulgar!

Knowing that it was really uncomfortable for a man to stand so stunned, Du Zhe's mouth became dry for a while, but the wilderness was on horseback, which really made Du Zhe's heart beat a drum. Du Zhe didn't know that when he was thinking about it, the tips of his ears were slowly reddening, and it was even more tempting to fall in Cao Xueqin's eyes.

Leaned up and took a bite gently, Cao Xueqin whispered a sentence of "Dongliu" in her hoarse voice, lost the reins with one hand and let the horse go by herself, only then did Du Zhe light fires everywhere, for so many months, Du Zhe was sick and weak, Cao Xueqin was busy, even if she hugged and slept at night, but there was less restraint and warmth, and she couldn't stop being emotional at the moment.

Du Zhe couldn't bear it, "Well, lighter ......"

At this time, the two of them were in love with each other in the mountains, but a big event was in a hurry in Jiangning City-

When Yin Jishan, the governor of Jiangsu, was inspecting the river fortifications, he accidentally found a civil iron bell that was stronger and easier to use than the one used by the government. When he was investigating, there was a life lawsuit in the cloth village under the name of Jiangning Weaving, and this person's friend, Chen Si, who also worked in the cloth village, broke the cauldron and boldly stopped Yin Jishan's sedan chair and told many conspiracies behind the cloth village iron shop-

Yin Jishan was furious after knowing the ins and outs! Immediately sealed the cloth village iron shop, and even found Jiangning Weaving to confront him, the wind in the city was loud, the grass and trees were all soldiers, but Ding Rong in Cao Xueqin's small courtyard boiled a large bucket of bath water, and saw that someone pushed the door open and came in, he smiled: "Fourth brother, are you back?" ”

"Where's the master?"

"I'm going out of the city with Qu Ye to go out," Ding Rong packed up the hot water and wiped his hands before saying, "Ye Xu didn't want Qu Ye to see these dirty things, so he found a reason to take Qu Ye out." ”

The person who was called "Fourth Brother" nodded silently, stayed for a while, and then said, "When the master comes back, inform him for me, I won't wait here for him to come back." ”

Ding Rong nodded and watched this Chen Si go out.

Later, when Cao Xueqin came back, Ding Rong was not surprised that Du Zhe was brought back in Cao Xueqin's arms, he leaned over to Cao Xueqin with a smile and said, "Master, I have prepared the bath water." ”

"......" Cao Xueqin laughed angrily at this thief boy and flicked his head, "You kid has a lot of ideas." ”

"Also," Ding Rong looked at Qu Duzhe and said in a low voice, "Fourth brother has been here." ”

Cao Xueqin breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, and the expression on her face softened a lot, he nodded and instructed Ding Rong to prepare a lot of things, before holding Du Zhe and soaking in the bathtub, Du Zhe didn't hear it at all, but Cao Xueqin still wiped his body for him, and said to himself:

"As soon as this matter is over, it will flow eastward, and most of the things I ask the emperor to do can be done."

"When it is done, I will take you and Rong'er to live the life we want!"