Chapter 41: Arrival
Early in the morning, Xia Chen pushed open the window, looked at the blue sky, and took a deep breath of fresh air: "The weather is good. ”
Yueniang came to her side and looked out: "Yes." ”
After breakfast, the group began to hurry, the wind was light and the day was warm, the spring mountains were like brocade, and two more people joined, Xia Chen's mood was very good.
Since crossing the Huangsha River, the villages, towns and counties are dense, the roads are much smoother, and the spring is full of peace everywhere.
At first, Xia Chen was very surprised by the comfort of these people, and after thinking about it carefully, the Great Cloud Country, as the most powerful country in the Central Plains, has stood on this land for hundreds of years, although there are often foreign enemies at the border, but no strong enemy has ever hit here, so the people here have no sense of crisis at all, who would worry about something that has never happened in history?
Moreover, the speed and authenticity of information transmission in this era were limited, and although the common people knew about the war, they did not know the specific situation, and it was difficult to say whether the emperor knew it or not. Those who do not report what they know, those who lie about it for the sake of asking for credit, and those who are afraid of taking responsibility for concealing and not reporting abound.
Unless the facts are in front of him, and it must be bloody, Xia Chen sees the ruined villages, the women who have been whipped and sent to enemy countries, the eyes of the refugees praying to cross the river, and the death of the shopkeeper. What's next? Peace? Victory? Or the fall?
Yueniang poured a glass of water and handed it to her: "Chen'er, why have you been in a daze, drink some water." ”
Xia Chen took the water cup and took a sip, laughing in her heart that she was thinking too much, the fate of the Great Cloud Kingdom was not her turn to worry about, what she had to think about now was how to deal with the Xia family, and passed the children's test smoothly.
At noon on the third day, I arrived at Anyang, and the towering city wall could not be seen at a glance, majestically showing that the city was impregnable. The moat flowed, and it didn't seem to take the enemy into account.
Xia Chen read in the book that this is the city wall of the outer city of Anyang City, and the imperial city located in the north of Anyang City is even more impregnable.
Entering the city from the Yongning Gate in the northeast of the city, rows of cornices stretch to the horizon, the luxury of the building, the width of the road, and the prosperity of the weather make people feel that the previous cities are just small villages and towns.
Chen Susu has been here and introduced to Xia Chen: "Several tributaries of the Huangsha River pass through the city of Anyang, forming several rivers and more than a dozen large and small lakes, no matter where you take a boat, you can reach every corner of the city. ”
While walking, Han Ran inquired from passers-by, but he asked five or six people, but they didn't know where the general's mansion surnamed Xia was, obviously in the capital, there were officials and generals of Xia Zhongyang's level everywhere.
When they arrived at a bridge, Lu Ji and Chen Susu bid farewell to Xia Chen.
Lu Ji said: "Thank you for taking care of you all the way, when you get here, you don't dare to send each other off." ”
Chen Susu gave a salute: "You still have something to do, let's inquire about the third uncle's residence ourselves." ”
Han Ran nodded: "It's okay." ”
Xia Chen said: "Brother Han, seeing that the scientific examination is coming, if you don't leave first, bring me a letter after settling down, I will go to see you." I think people who often run errands to deliver letters must know General Xuanwei and General Xia's Mansion. ”
Han Ji said: "Certainly, definitely." ”
After saying goodbye, Han Ran asked a few more people, and finally a middle-aged man who sold firewood said: "You asked me to ask, General Xuanwei's Mansion is in Hsinchu Lane in the south of the city, you can walk along this avenue, and you can get there in about half an hour." ”
When I found Xia Fu, it was already dusk. Xia Chen noticed that this area was inhabited by large families, the streets were paved with bluestone bricks, wide and quiet, and there was a willow every short distance.
There are two stone lions standing at the main entrance of Xia Mansion, three main gates, a plaque is hung on the forehead of the door, and the book "Xuanwei General's Mansion" is written.
At this time, the door was closed, and Han Ran stepped forward and knocked on the door. It was a general who opened the door, asked Han Ran's identity, and went in to report.
After a while, a thoughtful-looking young man walked out quickly, and Shi Li said, "A few people, please come with me." Then he told an old servant to set the carriage in place.
Entering the gate is a small courtyard, there is a shadow wall opposite, and there is a moon cave door on the left and right. The little maid invited them into the door on the left, this courtyard has a door, Xia Chen thought that it should be Xia Zhongyang's main courtyard.
The little maid did not take them into this door, but continued to walk forward, until out of this courtyard, on the right is a long sandwich road, there is a carved wooden door in front of it, a mother-in-law with a white face and a little fat stood in front of the door, and saw them blessed: "The old lady asked the slave maid to pick up the third young master." ”
Follow this woman into the door, it is a long and narrow courtyard, into the hanging flower door, on both sides of the hand verandah, in the middle is through the hall, there are several rooms on both sides. Entering the hall is a large courtyard, the front of the three upper rooms, there are ear rooms on both sides, the verandah on both sides is connected with the wing room, all are carved railings and painted buildings, the colors are bright.
At the main entrance, there were two maids, greeting each other. "Third Young Master, please."
When they came to the hall, Qian and a beautiful woman in her early thirties were helping an old woman with gray hair to come out of the east room.
Xia Chen has seen the Qian family, and this beautiful woman is probably the third uncle Sun Fengjiao, the Sun family, but there is only this information in her memory. And this old woman must be her grandmother Mrs. Xu, she looks blind, but her complexion is not bad, and she does not look like she is seriously ill.
Qian helped the old woman sit down and said, "Taijun, Chen'er is here." ”
The old lady stretched out her hand and said in a trembling voice, "Where is Chen'er?" Come over and show Grandmother. ”
Xia Chen saw the Qian envoy's eyes and motioned for her to step forward, strode over and said, "Grandmother, Chen'er has come to see you." ”
Qian frowned: "Don't kowtow yet." ”
Xia Chen said innocently: "Kowtow? Did you kowtow to Chen'er for New Year's money? ”
As soon as these words came out, a trace of disgust suddenly appeared on Qian's face, and a contemptuous smile appeared on Sun's face.
"Silly boy." Mrs. Xu's face was full of pity, she stretched out her hand to find her voice and groped, touched Xia Chen's sleeve, and immediately grabbed it tightly.
Xia Chen held her hand: "Grandmother, Chen'er misses you so much." She could see from the momentary reactions of these people that the old lady really cared about her, the Qian family still regarded herself as a thorn in her side, and it didn't matter if the Sun family had that.
The old lady hugged her in her arms, and a tear flowed from her white eyes: "Chen'er, my heart, you are finally back." ”
Qian said: "Taijun, I have asked someone to urge me several times, but I don't know why the Han family sent Chen'er back, I think that Mrs. Han also loves her grandson very much, and she is reluctant to let go." ”
The old lady cried for a while: "You child, do you want to kill your grandmother?" I don't come to see my grandmother when I leave. ”
Xia Chen immediately understood when he heard this, it turned out that this old lady didn't know about the Qian family's refusal to take her in, which was interesting.
Qian hurriedly said: "Isn't it, Sister Xiuxue just went, and the Han family took Chen'er away." As he spoke, he gave Xia Chen a look.
Xia Chen secretly sneered, Qian obviously let herself hide it for her, she was really embarrassed! Or did she think she didn't dare to offend her when she first arrived?
"Auntie, what's wrong with your eyes?" Xia Chen asked with a puzzled expression.
The flesh on Qian's face twitched, and he barely squeezed out a smile: "No, not much." ”
Xia Chen nodded, "Oh! At the same time, I added a sentence in my heart: I know that your eyes are fine, the problem is your brain, and eighty percent of them have a lot of water, so I thought that I Xia Chen would be afraid of you.
Sun smiled on the side: "Isn't this house not clean, and there is dust squinting the eyes of the eldest sister?" ”
Xia Chen took Lao Jun's hand and shook it: "Grandmother, don't blame the eldest aunt, it's not that she didn't pick up Chen'er." Seeing that Qian Shi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her with some gratitude, he continued, "Have you forgotten? It was Chen'er who came first, and at that time Chen'er really wanted to see you, thinking that her grandmother must also be worried about Chen'er who died of her mother's death, but the eldest aunt said that you were sick, and said that the family was in difficulty, and she was afraid that Chen'er would stay and starve, so she asked Chen'er to go to her grandmother to ask for her to take her in, and Chen'er didn't want to disturb her grandmother's recuperation, so she left with her uncle. At the end, he was already crying.
When the old lady heard this, a wave of anger surged up, and she coughed twice and said, "Lamei, why didn't you tell me about this!" ”
Lamei is the name of the Qian family, and Xia Chen thought to himself why she didn't call her sausage!
Qian glared at Xia Chen fiercely: "Taijun, when Chen'er came, it happened that you had just drunk the medicine and fell asleep, and Chen'er couldn't wait." Later, my daughter-in-law was afraid that you would be sad, so she had to hide it and not mention it. As for letting Chen'er go to Han's house to live temporarily, that's ...... That's for fear that you will think of the second uncle when you see Chen'er. As he spoke, he looked at the beautiful woman deeply: "Sister Feng Jiao also knows about this." ”
Sun covered his lips and smiled: "Ouch, I have always had a bad memory, how can I think of it after so long, Xu Yes...... Yes. ”
Qian's face suddenly turned blue: "Naturally, there is." ”
The old lady said impatiently: "That's it." Then he touched Xia Chen's wrist and said distressedly: "Then the eldest aunt asked someone to pick you up, why didn't you come back earlier?" My in-laws won't treat you badly, but it's not as good as our family, look at your thin ......," he choked up again.
Xia Chen said aggrievedly: "If Chen'er knew that her grandmother wanted to take me back, she would have to walk back even if she left, Chen'er always thought that her grandmother didn't want Chen'er." ”
When the old lady heard this, the crutches in his hand slammed into the ground and nodded: "Lamei!" What kind of heart do you have in peace? Didn't you say you went to pick it up several times? Where did all the people who went go? ”
A series of questions made Qian's expression extremely flustered, and he hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "I really went, I think Chen'er's grandmother refused to let go." ”
Han Ran said: "Old lady, my mother will never stop Chen'er from coming back to honor you, maybe the Han family is remote, and the person who went didn't send the letter." This time, I heard that you are not in good health, and my mother immediately raised a plan for me to send Chen'er back. ”
Speaking of which, what else do you say? The old lady stood up tremblingly, her hand still holding Xia Chen: "Go, follow me to the house." Mother Chang, arrange a rest in the house for the Han family's uncle, and then clean up Yingyue Xuan for Chen'er. ”
Sun Shiwen, who had been watching the play on the sidelines, said eagerly: "Old lady, didn't Yingyue Xuan say that it was better to leave it for Ying'er to live?" ”
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