Aunt Zhai does live in Dongzhou Mansion now.

A grandmother with status who has retired from the palace like her can often save a lot of net worth, not to mention that Xu Si will also supplement her extralytically. But Aunt Zhai is just doing well. Only two husbands and wives were hired in the family, the woman was a cook, and the man was a handyman. Occasionally, the couple's two daughters came to help out and do odd jobs for her.

The house is also in the easternmost part of Dongzhou Mansion, which is close to the suburbs. The house is very simple, but there is a yard that is large to one acre, and there are all kinds of fruits and vegetables in the yard.

When Ruyi went, she hunched over and circled the cabbage with hemp rope, followed by two busy little girls.

Although it is late autumn and the weather is getting colder, the sun is more sunny when the sky is high and cloudy. She brought a broad-brimmed bamboo hat to shade the sun, a thick fine linen coat, and from time to time instructed the little girl what to do with her mud-stained hands, which looked no different from ordinary old gardeners.

She seemed very surprised to see Ruyi, and there was no smile on her face. When she was in the palace, she rarely smiled at Ruyi, always with a straight back and a straight face, and was full of alienation when she looked at people. But this time Ruyi still felt that something was different - there was kindness in her eyes when she talked to the two little girls, and after turning to Ruyi, there was only indifference and restraint.

On the contrary, the two little girls were very curious about Ruyi, but Aunt Zhai looked for trouble and broke them apart.

"Come in and sit down." She scooped water from the water tank and washed her hands, and then calmly wiped it clean. When he led Ruyi into the house, he picked up the hat and hung it on the wooden nail next to the door.

From beginning to end, he straightened his waist and didn't squint at Ruyi once.

When I entered the house and sat down, I asked, "Do you drink water or tea?" ”

The tone was so stiff that Ruyi didn't know how to speak.

The two sat opposite each other and drank water. In the end, Ruyi couldn't sit still first, and said, "Did you come back with my aunt?" ”

She thought that when she mentioned Xu Si, Aunt Zhai's attitude would be more soothing, but who knew that the atmosphere was even colder in an instant, and Aunt Zhai almost squeezed out a "um" word from her throat.

Ruyi didn't feel comfortable staying, so he simply put aside his greetings and said directly, "I'm here to inquire about you." ”

Aunt Zhai endured for a while before saying, "Hmm." ”

Ruyi said, "There is a palace maid who is good at needlework in the Ciqiu Palace, named Zhuang Qiniang, do you still have an impression?" A-Niang said that she had saved me once in the early years, and A-Niang once wanted her to be a nurse for me. ”

Aunt Zhai said, "I don't remember." ”

Ruyi said cautiously, "Can you think about it again......"

Aunt Zhai said, "If you can't remember, you can't remember." ”

When she was in the Ciqiu Palace, she and Ruyi were not very close, but they were generally friendly - except for Xu Si, she treated everyone with restraint and distance, so there was nothing to care about. But this time it's different. This time, Ruyi could feel her suppressed anger.

Ruyi knew that he couldn't ask, so he had to get up and leave.

Aunt Zhai didn't keep her, as if she was eagerly hoping that she would disappear in front of her eyes as soon as possible.

Ruyi had already walked out of the door, but she was very aggrieved in her heart-Aunt Zhai was Xu Si's nurse, and Ruyi also treated her as an elder and relative--finally stopped and turned around.

"Auntie." She said.

Aunt Zhai was relieved that she was leaving, but her face was tense again, and she was obviously a little impatient.

"Did I do something wrong and break your heart?"

Aunt Zhai was stunned.

"If I do something wrong, you tell me. Such a silent sullen anger, as a junior, I am also at a loss and very frightened. ”

Aunt Zhai met her gaze, both old and young, with the same stubborn and upright appearance. It is clear at a glance that the upright person is more direct and simpler in his mind than the upright person. And Aunt Zhai obviously wanted to hide more secrets and more thoughts, but in the end, she looked away first.

But before that, the grief, anger, and helplessness in her eyes had all leaked out. Unlike Zhuang Qi Niang, her eyes are not cloudy and gray due to old age, but they are still clean and stubborn after years. Therefore, the pathos in those eyes is particularly moving. She backed down first, but not because she was defeated.

“…… Have you ever been to Hengpi Village? She finally spoke.

Ruyi was stunned for a moment and did not answer.

Aunt Zhai closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the corners of her eyes moistened slightly. There was a suppressed calm in his tone, "Well, you must see...... The old nephew's family. ”

Ruyi didn't make a sound.

The chef came over at this moment, and when she saw them standing at the door in a daze and grief, she hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Ah, are the guests leaving?" ”

Ruyi came back to her senses at this time, and Aunt Zhai had calmed down, and finally said to Ruyi, "Go back." I really don't remember who you inquired about. ”

Aunt Zhai is old, ten years ago, and it is normal for her not to remember it. Ruyi was originally just hoping for what happened.

However, she mentioned the village of Hengpi.

And Erlang is also very secretive about what happened in Hengpi Village.

Ruyi had some guesses in her heart. At that time, they were on the run, and the pursuers behind them were in hot pursuit, which was still impressive. If they fled to the village of Hengpi...... It is likely that Aunt Zhai's nephew's family has been affected by them and has ......

But if Aunt Zhai's nephew's family was killed, how did they escape?

Ruyi didn't dare to think deeply.

She hesitated and evaded. can come out of Aunt Zhai's house, she turned over and got on the horse, but went straight out of the city. Crossing the Qinhuai River, out of Shizigang, seeing that Tianque Mountain is already in sight. When the guard asked where she was going, she said, "...... Jiangning Town, Hengpi Village. ”

She was in a hurry all the way, and when she arrived at Hengpi Village, it was just past lunchtime.

When she turned over and dismounted, and when she saw the peach grove outside the village, her memory was already awakened.

She remembered that she was hot and drowsy, and the last thing she saw in her eyes was the peach grove in front of her—the peach trees had not yet sprouted after the cold winter. And now that late autumn is approaching, the peach leaves have already fallen - after passing this peach forest, she is in a coma due to lack of body. But in fact, she could hear everything outside, and it was clearer than usual.

She remembered that Jiro knocked on a door, but the man refused to take them in. Erlang asked her about Aunt Zhai's house, and called her "Auntie" weakly—that was probably the sweetest time in his life. But Ruyi leaned into his arms, and heard the echo of wheezing in his chest, and every trace of anxiety and helplessness in his voice was clearly discernible. She couldn't stand, it was so soft that she couldn't support her, and for about a moment, Ruyi felt that he was about to cry. But just after that moment, he swallowed his tears and tried to encircle her in his arms. Slammed open another door.

With fragmentary but clear memories, Ruyi finally found the vermilion lacquer door.

- The spider dust on the door was stacked, and it was clear that no one had been in or out for a long time.

Ruyi's hand stopped in front of the knocker, hesitating, never able to push it away.

The voice in his head belonged to three people, and in addition to Erlang, there was a young man and an old woman.

She vaguely remembered that the old woman scolded the young man when she went out. I can't hear them clearly through the window, but

"Who are you looking for?"

She hesitated, and suddenly a voice came from behind her.

Ruyi turned around and saw a woman in her fifties. Then he said, "Grandma, do you know where this family is going?" ”

The woman said, "Dead, died more than half a year ago, or I collected the corpses for their mothers." You're from his family—"

Ruyi paused and said, "...... Distant relative. He added, "Half a year ago, was it the time of the rebellion?" ”

"It's later," the woman babbled, "that she didn't die in the rebellion, but she came to join her relatives." One of the grandparents and grandchildren was stabbed to death in the kitchen, and the other had his neck cut and died in the wing. I don't know what evil they have created, and they said that they would go into the city to enjoy happiness, but then they will harm people. ”

Ruyi was a little confused in his mind, "Let the relatives be harmed?" Are you mistaken? ”

"What else can be wrong with that? It's what I saw with my own eyes. The woman waved her hand and said, "When the officers and soldiers came, they were all dead." The bloody girl who came to join his relatives was holding a half-dead big girl, and was about to escape. ”

Ruyi hurriedly said, "Did you escape?" ”

"This must not be done -- let the officers and soldiers catch them and take them away on the spot."

Ruyi's mind is chaotic. His heart was in turmoil, but he was still asking, "At that time, the bandits had already entered the city." Everyone wants to escape from the city, but why do they want to go into the city to enjoy the blessings? ”

People are only afraid that it was really Erlang who killed him, as he thought - but Erlang would not kill for no reason, he should have seen that they had already had the intention of defecting to the enemy, so he would kill the killer.

But the woman said, "I really asked this—didn't there be an aunt in their family who worked as a wet nurse for the maiden in the palace?" Just a few days before the bandits entered the city, she suddenly came back and said that she would take them into the city to enjoy the blessings. In the middle of speaking, there was the neighing of horses. The woman turned her head to see a few guards coming with Ruyi down the slope, and suddenly became alert. After a moment of conversation, he said, "Who knows why he said that he wanted to go into the city to enjoy happiness at that time." People are dead, and there's no point in talking about it now. ”

She clearly had something to say.

Ruyi's heart was a little confused - if this was the case, Erlang was afraid that he was killed by mistake. Aunt Zhai is also very strange. Of course, it is impossible for her to defect to the enemy, but when Taicheng is in danger, there is no reason for her to take her nephew's family into Beijing to "enjoy happiness".

The woman realized that she was talkative, made an excuse, and hurried home.

Ruyi couldn't follow up.

She had already paid attention, and thought that it would be better to go to Hengpi Village again another day to clarify the matter.

But at the moment, there is no doubt that Zhuang Qiniang's matter is more important.

The clue on Aunt Zhai's side is broken, and Ruyi is not clueless.

She remembered that Zhuang Tou Niang said that the five generations were only locals of Meishan Village, and his neighbors still remembered Zhuang Qi Niang. As long as you can find out from them where Wudaiguang sold Zhuang Qiniang in the first place, you may be able to find clues to Zhuang Qiniang's child.

But it was so long ago, and who knows what the fate of that child would be? Ruyi didn't have much hope.