Listening to the bustle outside, the carriage also stopped, the nursery rhyme lifted the corner of the curtain and looked out, the gray city wall stood in front of it, in the evening afterglow, the city gate "Jin'an" two big characters were decent, it seemed a little lonely.

There were a lot of people going out of the city, and the carriages entering the city were blocked at the door. Tong Yan was not in a hurry, he took out an old rag doll from under the pillow, held it in his arms, and quietly waited for the carriage to enter the city, with a trace of expectation in his eyes. The rag doll is very old, there are obvious signs of re-stitching in some places, and the red clothes of the rag doll have faded, but the childlike face is still tightly held in her arms.

Mother, we're going to see Dad, it's been almost ten years, and we're finally going to see him.

When I arrived at the gate of Tongfu, the sky had already darkened, and there was hardly a single figure on the street in the inner city, where there were not many people.

The gate of Tong's mansion was closed, and Xu's mother, who took Tong Yan into Beijing, stepped forward to call the door, and only after a while did an old man respond, opened a crack in the door, and saw that it was Xu's mother, and turned around to say something, and the door slowly opened.

Mother Xu turned around and went down the steps, returned to the carriage, placed the stool, and then lifted the curtain and said inside, "Miss, I'm home." The nursery rhyme held the rag doll, carried the burden, and poked her head out.

The lantern has not been lit at the gate of the Tong's Mansion yet, the wide open door looks black, and the nursery rhyme is a little restrained, but the joy in my heart still prevails, and I follow Xu's mother into the door quickly. The coachman drove the carriage and continued to the side door.

Tong Huai listened to the news from the concierge, drank hot tea in the hall, and sat and waited for his daughter.

I haven't seen my daughter for almost ten years, but Tong Huai's face doesn't show a trace of fluctuation, and it is even a little gloomy. If it weren't for the fact that the party in the DPRK and China revealed his affairs in his hometown, he would still be spending all day drinking somewhere. And now, his father-in-law said goodbye to the old man and returned to his hometown, his wife became a nun, he had to call himself sick at home, bored every day to tease the birds, walk, the only comfort is that he still has a son, reading is quite good, every night to his son to read books to solve doubts, the most comfortable. Now, this daughter who grew up in the countryside has come, and Tong Huai's eldest daughter has a rustic appearance, and her face is even more sunk.

After a while, Steward Tong had already led Tong Yan and Mother Xu to the hall.

Compared with Tong Huai's gloomy face, the hall was warmed by candles. Before Tong Yan stepped into the threshold, he had already opened his arms and rushed towards Tong Huai, crashed into Tong Huai's arms, and hugged Tong Huai firmly.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy - finally seeing you! I miss my mother and me! Tong Huai was dizzy when he was hit, and before he came up in one breath, he heard Tong Yan crying and laughing in his arms, and couldn't help frowning, and pulled Tong Yan out, but he couldn't move! Hehe, Tong Yan helped his grandfather fetch firewood and pigweed when he was a child, this strength, how could Master Tong, who can only read, compete with him, he could only cast a look for help from the Tong housekeeper below.

Originally, Steward Tong and Mother Xu were stunned by Tong Yan's flutter, but when they saw Master Tong's eyes, they immediately returned to their souls and pulled Tong Yan back from left to right.

Mother Xu whispered in Tong Yan's ear: "Miss, rules, rules, rules......"

Tong Yan raised his hand and wiped a handful of tears with his cuffs, and looked at Mother Xu blankly: "Huh? What are the rules? ”

Tong Huai's face was colorful and changeable at this time, wishing that he had never given birth to this daughter, but he was also a civil official, but his daughter had no etiquette at all!

Mother Xu muttered in Tong Yan's ear for a long time, Tong Yan suddenly realized, put down the burden, and gave Tong Huai a proper gift, Tong Huai frowned and waved his hand: "That's it, you have been in the countryside since you were a child, you have never practiced etiquette, and you have been tired for more than half a month in Beijing, so you will stay in the yard these days, rest well, and let Xu's mother teach you well." With that, he straightened up and went inside, ignoring the nursery rhymes.

I just saw my father, but my father frowned, not showing any closeness, and Tong Yan stood at a loss for what to do, and tears were about to pour out. Mother Xu hurriedly took Tong Yan's burden and said to Tong Yan: "Miss, the master has to teach the young master to read at night, you can't delay, you go back to the yard first, and then catch up with the master tomorrow." ”

Tong Yan put away her tears and followed Xu's mother back to her yard.

"Daddy, do I have a sister?" In the study, seven-year-old Tong Xunfan's big eyes flashed.

Tong Huai's face sank and asked, "Which one told you that you were talkative?" ”

Tong Xunfan pursed his lips and was unhappy: "It was said by a classmate in the school, saying that I have a sister, who will come to share my delicious food, and will rob my father ...... with me."

"Rob? Divide? Don't even think about it! Read well! Tong Huai threw the book in his hand on the desk and turned to go out. Unexpectedly, he had already done a very low-key job of taking Tong Yan into Beijing, but he didn't expect it to be known so clearly by the outside, Tong Huai was unhappy, very unhappy!

Tong Xunfan was also not happy, his father actually lost his temper at himself, hmph, it was all this new sister who made trouble. Tong Huai picked up a piece of osmanthus cake with his left hand, took a bite of it, picked up the book that Tong Huai threw on the table with his right hand, and continued to read it.

Tong Yan followed Xu's mother into her yard. Tong Huai's courtyard is the most remote corner of Tong Mansion, the yard is not big, but compared to where Tong Yan lived in the previous fourteen years, it is really a world of difference.

Tong Huai's parents went early, the family was not solid, because Tong Huai's eldest brother was unwilling to support this younger brother who could only read, after the death of his parents, he divided the family, Tong Huai married Tong Yan's mother, and the farm work and housework at home fell on Tong Yan's mother, Tong Huai only cared about studying, in addition to Xiucai's identity can reduce some taxes, he really didn't add a vegetable to the family. Later, Tong Huai went to Beijing to catch the exam, and then there was no news, Tong Yan's mother thought about it all day long, and she became ill from hard work, so she left Tong Yan early, and after that, Tong Yan has been living with her grandfather and grandmother. A small yard, because of the support for Tong Huai to study, has long been dilapidated, Tong Huai had to follow his grandfather up the mountain to collect firewood at a young age, or go to the field to do some farm work, from time to time can catch some game, stain some meat.

The courtyard in front of him, Tong Yan really likes it, boxy, bigger than his grandfather's house before, and the strong blue brick walls, carved doors and windows, is even better than the previous rural landlord's house. Yo, and the kitchen! Therefore, Tong Yan is really happy, and it is good to have a father! Holding the rag doll in his arms tightly, Tong Yan smirked and walked around the house.

The house has been cleaned, and Mother Xu has sorted out Tong Yan's baggage, but there is nothing to tidy up, just two old clothes, a few copper plates, and a silver hairpin.

"Miss, the lord didn't know that you entered Beijing today, so the girl didn't have time to share it, this clothes and jewelry, you have to wait to see you to buy according to your preferences, these days will be on first, I'll go to let the mother-in-law boil water and bathe, and then go get you some food, rest early today, tomorrow morning, I have to go to the lord to say goodbye." Mother Xu said, and didn't wait for Tong Yan to speak, turned around and went out to make arrangements.

I don't know if Tong Yan heard it, he still looked around with a rag doll, his father is really an official, he is so rich, he lives in such a big house, he can still have such a good yard, there are vases in the house, and there are paintings on the wall, but this painting is not as festive as the New Year's painting. Tong Yan shook his head, walked into the bedroom, and put the rag doll in his arms on the pillow: "Mother, look, Daddy didn't suffer, it's okay, my daughter is going to live a good life with Daddy, don't be sad, we will all be fine." ”