It started to rain again before dark.

Rong Zheng stood under the eaves, seeing that the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and hung water curtains under the eaves.

Ruyi took a cyan cloak to put on Rong Zheng, and persuaded him: "Grandma, it's raining, let's go to the house." ”

Rong Zheng entered the house a little blankly.

Qiu Ci had already lit the oil lamp, and there was light in the dim room, and he suddenly felt warm.

She was a little lazy, and she didn't go anywhere for dinner in her room.

Ruyi and Qiuzi both felt a little strange, and after their grandmother came back from the county lord in the afternoon, she kept silent, and her expression was a little dull. Eat when you add food, give a pillow and sleep. and the laughter in the morning Yingying completely became two people. Could it be that something happened in the afternoon that they didn't know?

Ruyi and Qiu Zi looked at each other.

"Isn't Grandma sick again?"

Qiu Ci shook his head and said, "It's not like that, the food we gave Grandma has eaten cleanly." Maybe there's something important that Grandma won't tell us. ”

The rain was murmuring, Rong Zheng was lying quietly on the bed, and through the sound of the rain, the sound of the maids was not very real. Although she was lying in bed, her mind kept repeating the scene she had seen at the door in the afternoon. Her chest was pounding, why didn't anyone around her notice that something was wrong? She will never forget Cui Shangzhou's eyes when he looked at the county lord. In her childhood memories, her father always looked at her mother like this, and now that she is married to the Mu family, Mu Xuan has also looked at her with such eyes several times.

Rong Zheng remembered the past, when she was newly married, Cui Shangzhou came to the villa as a guest, and the four of them had dinner together. She still clearly remembers the loneliness in Cui Shangzhou's eyes. This loneliness has something to do with his unsightly affection, right?

She finally knew why she repeatedly created opportunities for Cui Shangzhou to let him meet Fifteen Niang in private, but he always shirked it. finally knew why even if Mu Xuan was not in the villa, he always appeared for various reasons, and also understood his unusual concern about the county lord's condition. It is the tenderness of a man to a woman, despite how careful he is.

But when he was so warm and affectionate to a woman, why did he turn his head and marry another woman? In the future, if the fifteenth mother knows about this, won't the fifteenth mother be wronged? Rong Zheng felt injustice for Fifteen Niang. On one side is her best friend, and on the other side is her sister. Which side should she be on?

Suddenly, I thought again, all these years, hasn't the county lord understood Cui Shangzhou's affection at all? When he always appeared by his side for various reasons, didn't the county lord never suspect it? The county lord is young and widowed, and it seems that he doesn't plan to Jiao anymore when he listens to Mu Xuan's tone. Could it be that because of Cui Shangzhou's relationship, she chose to be lonely for life?

I couldn't find the answers to these doubts in my heart for a while. Cui Shangzhou brought it to her, although she was given a dose of reassurance, but she didn't sleep well because of other things.

When Rong Zheng went to see the county lord the next day, his mood was already very calm. She didn't dare to guess about the county lord's thoughts, and later even deliberately prefaced a few things about Cui Shangzhou in front of the county lord, and the county lord's words were very ordinary, and she didn't seem to see any special feelings in it. Rong Zheng said secretly, maybe this is just Cui Shangzhou's unrequited love.

When they stayed in Yuntai Temple until the twenty-sixth day, they planned to go back to the villa. When they came, they were light, and when they left, the temple gave them a cart full of things, all of which were seasonal vegetables and vegetables, all of which were from the temple's own vegetable garden. What are the early eggplants, peppers, celery, lettuce......

Duanhui did not refuse this simple kindness, and thanked the dust purifier too much.

Mrs. Dust Purifier said: "In the middle of summer, I hope the county lord can come to our temple to cool off. When the time comes, I will discuss the matter of making incense with the county lord. ”

Duan Hui said with a smile: "Okay, we'll come back when Futian comes." These days are bothered, and this is the farewell. ”

The dust purifier sent Duanhui to the sedan chair. Rong Zheng's sedan chair followed behind Duan Hui, and Zhishi was a little reluctant to see her leave, and secretly wiped her tears. Rong Zheng smiled and waved at her.

She sat in the sedan chair, leaving the matter of Cui Shangzhou and the county lord behind, thinking that she should take care of Mu Jing's matter after she went back. Since it was certain that his hand could not reach into the barracks, the matter of the purse was very strange. She wants to find out in detail.

She has copied a lot of scriptures these days, and now she has only one wish in her heart, that is, she hopes that Mu Xuan can come back safely.

When he got off the sedan car, Rong Zheng was still woken up by Ruyi.

She rubbed her eyes and wondered why she had fallen asleep. She first went back to the Qingyin Pavilion, and the maids and servants who served in the room came to pay her a visit. Rong Zheng waved his hand lazily.

"Who's looking for me these days?"

Fu Cui said with a smile: "The people from Grandma's Village came once, and the slave said that Grandma went to Yuntai Temple and would come back after a while. They went back without saying anything. I also gave away a lot of things. There are dozens of catties of fish, and now they are all raised in the river on our side. ”

Rong Zheng nodded.

"I heard that Master Rong has returned to Bianliang, when does grandma plan to go back?"

"Daddy is back, so naturally I have to go back. Tomorrow, let's leave tomorrow, is there anything else? ”

The smile on Fu Cui's face gradually retracted, and he said softly: "Grandma, Cui Qiye is dead." ”

Rong Zheng thought that there was something wrong with his ears and heard the wrong words, so he asked again: "What do you say, who will die?" ”

"It's Cui Qiye!"

"How so?! How could a good person suddenly say that he was gone, what happened? How did he die? When was this? Rong Zheng was shocked, how could a young man who was fine a few days ago suddenly disappear. She didn't believe anything.

Fu Cui said: "On the 23rd, the people of the Cui family came to the villa to report the funeral, and I heard that it was not there on the evening of the 21st. It is said that something happened. The person who reported the funeral was a subordinate of the Cui family, and he couldn't say it very clearly. Because the county lord and grandmother were not at home, they didn't ask in detail. ”

Twenty-one nights? Isn't that what happened after Cui Shangzhou came to Yuntai Temple that day? Rong Zheng couldn't sit still anymore, and she didn't have time to drink tea and rest, so she picked up her dress and went to the Splendid Courtyard.

The splendid courtyard was quiet, and there was no maid and servant under the corridor. Rong Zheng went straight to Duanhui's Banquet Temple. No one reported to her, Rong Zheng heard a low cry from inside the house outside the curtain, Rong Zheng's heart tightened, and he lifted the curtain and stepped in.

The lord of Duanhui sat at the small round table, holding a handkerchief in his hand, and kept wiping his tears. He was accompanied by Chen and Dan Tang. It seems that the county lord also knew the news.

"County Lord!" Rong Zheng screamed a little distractedly.

Duan Hui glanced at her with red eyes and said, "You've also heard about it, a good person, why is it suddenly gone." ”

"County Lord, please mourn."

Duan Hui wept and said, "I have already sent someone to mourn." I would never have thought that the other day would be the last time I saw him. By the way, he is Junhua's best friend, this matter can't be hidden from Junhua, quickly let someone send a letter to Junhua. Duan Hui instructed Chen.

Chen hurriedly agreed to do it.

Rong Zheng was by Duan Hui's side, worried that Duan Hui would be too sad to affect his body. Putting aside Cui Shangzhou's feelings, they grew up together, and the county lord has always been kind to Cui Shangzhou, and she can't persuade the county lord not to be too sad. After all, it's a matter of life and death.

Duanhui's tears never dried, and he even took Rong Zheng's hand and said: "Ah Zheng, Xiao Qi grew up with us, in my heart, he and Junhua are my younger brothers." In the past, he still called me sister, but now that he has grown up, he refuses to call me sister anymore, and he is very restrained when he meets. Don't even dare to look at me. I'm still complaining to him. In this life, I will never be able to let him call me sister again. ”

The county lord said, Rong Zheng also felt sad, and there were already tears in his eyes. Perhaps after all, because of the disparity in identity, Cui Shangzhou chose to hide his affection, but he never had a chance to say it. The woman on the other side would never know until she died, and there was once a man who took her to heart like that.

"He left like this, what should I do if I leave Fifteen Niang? I heard that the marriage date is going to be agreed, and the fifteenth mother will become a widow. Pity her for her young age. ”

Duanhui talked about fifteen mothers, which made Rong Zheng feel a stab in his heart, yes, there is a sad character in this tragedy. What should I do?

At dusk, the people sent by Duanhui to Cui's house to mourn returned. At the same time, I also inquired about the specific events of Cui Shangzhou's death. "The little one inquired about the Cui family and heard that Cui Qiye had fallen into the pit on the evening of the 21st and was stabbed by a poisonous branch. When the doctor came to see the injury, he realized that the venom had penetrated into the internal organs, and he was powerless. I heard that the seventh master left on the third watch. ”

Duan Hui and Rong Zheng were both stunned when they listened.

"What branch is so poisonous?" Rong Zheng thought this was too weird.

The man said, "This little one didn't ask much." The fourth wife of the Cui family has been bedridden for the past few days, and I heard that it is the eldest wife and the eldest lady who are helping to deal with the aftermath of the seventh master. I'm afraid the fourth master doesn't know yet. The family is miserable, and it is inconvenient for the small ones to inquire too much. ”

Duan Hui said: "It's hard for you to make this trip." It's nothing, you go down and rest. ”

Duan Hui pinched the handkerchief to wipe the tears that had just rolled out, and she said to Rong Zheng: "My identity is also a burden, and it is inconvenient to show up. You will run for me tomorrow, go and put incense on Xiao Qi and make a glass of wine for me. Condolences to the Min family for me, and it also completes our friendship over the years. ”

Rong Zheng originally planned to go back to his parents' house tomorrow, but something like this suddenly happened, and he had to put it aside for the time being. She glanced at the county lord and said secretly, Cui Shangzhou had this woman in his heart, but this woman couldn't even send him on the last trip. She couldn't persuade the county lord to run in person, she was worried that the county lord's grief would increase when she saw Cui Shangzhou's coffin, and she was afraid that the county lord's condition would be aggravated. The dead man wouldn't want to see that either.

"Then I'll leave tomorrow after breakfast."

Duan Hui turned around and went to the Buddha Hall, knelt for an hour, and recited the "Mantra of Death" dozens of times, hoping that Cui Shangzhou would be able to ascend to Bliss as soon as possible.

Early the next morning, Rong Zheng changed into a moon-white dress, and all the jewelry on his head was replaced with plain silverware. took a sedan chair and went to Cui's house.

This was the first time she went to Cui's house, but she didn't expect it to be like this.

Because he died young, the atmosphere was extraordinarily heavy. She was received by Mrs. Cui. Rong Zheng glanced at Mrs. Cui and saw that she was wearing an apricot white dress and a round bun. Looks like he's in his forties.

"The county lord is very sad to know this, and she is not in good health. It's not good to toss back and forth, so I was sent to see off Cui Qiye. Please mourn the Great Lady. ”

Mrs. Cui said with red and swollen eyes: "The family is unfortunate, and the fourth room will be extinct at once." ”

Rong Zheng couldn't find a better word to comfort, and wiped away his tears. Mrs. Cui took Rong Zheng to the ancestral hall of the Cui family. Hanging filial piety curtains, and paper money was sprinkled on the ground. The Cui family also invited a group of monks to recite the scriptures to Cui Shangzhou.

Rong Zheng always felt as if he was in a dream, even when he saw Cui Shangzhou's coffin, he still couldn't believe that he was lying inside. Such a vivid person, who also wholeheartedly does things for the people in Qixia Villa, a good man who values love and righteousness will die when he says he will die. Rong Zheng remembered the first time he met Choi Sang-ju. That time Mu Xuan pinched her neck, it was Cui Shangzhou who asked Mu Xuan to let her go, and she has been very grateful to Cui Shangzhou in her heart all these years.

She solemnly poured incense and drank wine in front of Cui Shangzhou's spirit. Thinking about the past, I can't help but shed tears.

After the worship was over, she noticed a little boy kneeling behind the filial piety curtain, dressed in linen and filial piety, about five or six years old, with his head bowed all the time. Perhaps sensing that someone was looking at him, he also looked up at Rong Zheng. Rong Zheng saw his appearance clearly, with a round little face, baby fat, and clear eyebrows.

Mrs. Cui invited Rong Zheng to the front room to rest, and the maid brought out the tea fruit to entertain Rong Zheng.

Rong Zheng asked the doubts in his heart in time: "I just saw a child kneeling next to the coffin, who is it?" ”

Mrs. Cui was not surprised by Rong Zheng's inquiry at all, and there were many people who came to mourn these days, and she explained in a deep voice: "It is the child of the fifth child of our family, and now it has passed under the name of Xiao Qi." This child will inherit the incense of the fourth room in the future and hold the tablet for Xiao Qi. ”

Rong Zheng's heart trembled, and she secretly said that she had never heard of such a thing. In his previous life, the son of Liao Xian's uncle did not leave a son because of his early death, and he also inherited an heir from a distant relative.

Mrs. Cui greeted the county lord, and asked what medicine to take. Rong Zheng answered 1510.

Mrs. Cui sighed and said, "After Xiao Qi is in the ground, I will go to the villa to ask the county lord for peace." ”

Rong Zheng said: "You can go whenever you want, and deal with the matter here first." She sat for a while and said she was going to visit Min.

Mrs. Cui asked the maid to send her over, because from time to time people came to pay tribute, and she couldn't leave for a while. (To be continued.) )