Chapter 1 Nightmare

Zhou Shaojin woke up from his sleep sweating profusely and sat up suddenly.

She dreamed of Cheng Lu again!

The hideous expression, the bright scissors, the white hands stained red with blood, the blue sky as clear as water, the pain of not being able to breathe...... It was all intertwined, like a net, and she was tightly netted in it.

My sister said that she was haunted by bad things.

But why are all the qiē in the dream so real?

She even vividly remembers the temperature of the blood splashing on her hands and the pain of being choked by the neck.

If this was not a dream, how could she escape from Cheng Lu's hands, open her eyes again, and return to her twelve-year-old safe and sound?

Zhou Shaojin's heart was full of confusion and incomprehension, and there was a little unease.

The small lacquer-filled bed is hung with cordyceps and silk curtains, and the faint morning light penetrates through the window lattices pasted with Korean paper, and the plum vase and jade bonsai placed on the carved red lacquer Duobao Pavilion by the window can be faintly seen.

This is her boudoir.

Lived in the boudoir for 12 years.

As far back as she can remember, she would live here for three years until she was fifteen...... Cheng Lu and Wu Baozhang got married, she was tricked into the back garden by Cheng Ji and met a drunk Cheng Xu......

Zhou Shaojin shuddered and forcibly cut off his memory.

Something must have gone wrong!

She thought about it, lifted the quilt and got out of bed, and went to the next earroom.

There was her cage and a half-length diorama that her father had brought back to her and her sister a few days ago.

The person in the mirror is picturesque, slender, and elegant, as if a vegetarian orchid carefully raised in a greenhouse, with buds ready to release.

This is clearly yourself.

But it doesn't seem to be!

Another face appeared in Zhou Shaojin's mind.

Pale skin, tightly knit brows, tired looks, haggard countenance...... The facial features are seven or eight similar to those of the person in the mirror, but the color is far less than one-third of the person in the mirror...... It's a bit like the old man in the mirror.

She was startled, and her heart was pounding.

How did you come up with such thoughts?

But this thought together, just like the water flooding the golden mountain, can't be blocked.

Could it be that he was like the scholar of "The Pillow in the Pillow", and had a dream? It's just that the scholar dreamed of glory and wealth, and what she dreamed of was the calamity of her own life...... But is there such a good thing in the world? Can you not know the prophet for no reason?

Zhou Shaojin bit her lip and wanted to go to the mirror to take a closer look, but there was a noise outside the window.

She hurried back to her inner room and jumped on the bed.

Someone lifted the curtain and came in. Sister Zhou Chujin's gentle but calming voice sounded in the room: "Hasn't the second lady gotten up yet?" Did she sleep well last night? Did you talk nonsense in the middle of the night? ”

"Nope." It was Zhou Shaojin's nurse Fan Liu who answered, "Or are you personally worthy of the soothing incense - the second miss slept until dawn, Shi Xiang and I have been guarding in front of the bed, and only when we saw that it was dawn did we leave the Spring Festival Gala and go back to the house to wash our faces." ”

Zhou Chujin said "um" with satisfaction and said, "Thank you for your hard work, I will pay five taels of silver to buy candy in the account later." ”

"Thank you, Miss!" The crowd responded excitedly.

Zhou Chujin walked over surrounded by several maids.

Zhou Shaojin immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Zhou Chujin did not doubt it, and gently leaned over and touched Zhou Shaojin's forehead, tucked the quilt for her, and then breathed a sigh of relief, and whispered to Fan Liu: "Since this incense is useful, you can light it when the second lady rests in the future." I have received my grandmother's permission to go to Huiji Temple in the south of the city today. I heard that the presiding Jing Fang Shitai's talisman water can drive away evil and cure diseases, and it is very effective. I'm going to do a ritual for the second lady and ask for a talisman to come back. A few of you are serving the second lady at home, but don't make any trouble, I will rush back before four o'clock in the afternoon. If the eldest aunt asks, you will say that the second lady's cold is not yet cured, and it is not suitable to see people, you know? ”

At the end of her words, her tone tightened, and she suddenly became stern.

"Yes!" When the maids and mothers saw her face, they all responded cautiously.

Zhou Chujin touched Zhou Shaojin's forehead again, and then came out of the inner room.

The corners of Zhou Shaojin's eyes were moist.

Her father's name is Zhou Zhen, the word is Dacheng, and he is a second-class jinshi in the ninth year of Zhide. When he was young, he studied in the famous Cheng clan in Jinling, because of his outstanding appearance, good moral character, and talent, he was appreciated by Cheng Yi, the eldest master of the second room of the Cheng family, who was also studying in the Cheng clan, and married his cousin, that is, Cheng He, the eldest lady of the fourth room of the Cheng family, to Zhou Zhen.

Cheng's family was happy when he entered the door, but he encountered a blood collapse during childbirth, leaving his daughter who was waiting to be fed.

This girl is Zhou Shaojin's sister Zhou Chujin.

A year later, Zhou Zhen remarried Zhou Shaojin's biological mother, Zhuang Liangyu.

Zhuang Liangyu was born in a fallen official family, lost his mother at an early age, and grew up with his elderly grandmother. By the time she got married, she was over twenty years old, and Zhuang's father reluctantly made up a dowry of thirty-six lifts for her because of a pair of calligraphy and paintings handed down by her ancestors.

Zhou Zhen was extremely satisfied with this marriage.

Zhuang Liangyu not only has the posture of a captivating city, but also has a supple personality, proficient in music and rhythm, good at calligraphy and painting, loves gold and stone, and because of his own fearlessness, he treats Zhou Chujin like his own child, takes care of him carefully, and brings him up attentively. Every Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Spring Festival, there will be generous gifts to take Zhou Chujin back to Cheng's house to visit his grandmother Mrs. Guan, accompany Mrs. Guan to gossip, and relieve Mrs. Guan's thoughts about her granddaughter. Mrs. Guan was very pleased with Zhuang Liangyu's well-behaved and sensible, and gradually looked at Zhuang Liangyu differently, and did not forget to reward Zhuang Liangyu during the New Year's holidays.

Zhou Zhen not only got a beautiful flower, but also had a confidant, and he also had a good way to run his family, and he was afraid of falling in his hand, and he was afraid of melting in his mouth, and he studied harder, and he only looked forward to taking the test to earn Zhuang Liangyu a deputy phoenix crown, so that Zhuang Liangyu could be distinguished in front of people.

It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, and Zhuang Liangyu had a difficult birth when she gave birth to Zhou Shaojin. Although there was a century-old ginseng sent by the Cheng family for emergency relief, it didn't last more than half a year, and it still died of Xiangxiaoyu.

Zhou Zhen was hit hard and decided to keep filial piety for Zhuang Liangyu for three years.

The Zhou family is originally from Rizhao, Shandong, Zhou Shaojin's grandfather once served as the prefect of Jinhua, and when he saw the prosperity of the south of the Yangtze River, he was unwilling to return to his hometown and tried to settle in Jinling, and there was no one in his hometown for a long time. Zhuang Liangyu's maternal grandmother and father have both passed away, and there is only one uncle in the family who eats, drinks, prostitutes, gambles, and does everything. Zhou Zhen is an only child, he doesn't even have a brother or sister, he doesn't renew the strings, who will take care of Zhou Chujin and the infant Zhou Shaojin? Especially Zhou Chujin, who has reached the age of reading and literacy, who will enlighten her?

Mrs. Guan thought about it again and again, and after discussing Zhou Zhen, she took Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin to Cheng's house and raised them in her own house.

Zhou Shaojin didn't understand anything, but seven-year-old Zhou Chujin felt ignorantly that no matter how good the Cheng family was, it was not his own family, no matter how good his grandmother was, and his aunt, his behavior slowly imitated Zhuang Liangyu, like a little adult. The people of the Cheng family didn't notice this, but felt that Zhou Chujin was generous and decent, and she had the demeanor of everyone, and Zhuang Liangyu raised her well.

Zhou Chujin restrained herself more and more. Respectful to the top, gentle to the bottom, and humble and courteous between cousins and sisters, there is no one in the Cheng family who does not praise her, that is, Zhou Shaojin, and therefore won the love of the Cheng family, and everyone respectfully called her "Miss Tuesday".

Zhou Zhen saw that his daughter had a settlement, and put all his thoughts on his career.

In the second year of Zhuang Liangyu's death, he was nominated for the gold list, won the Jinshi, and made up for the order of Pucheng County, Fujian.

For a time, the person who said goodbye to Zhou Zhen was like a carp crossing the river.

Zhou Zhen kept his promise, no matter how noble the girls were, they all politely declined.

Mrs. Guan thought about the poor mountains and bad waters in Fujian, and the two children were still young, how could they withstand the mountains and rivers? invited Cheng Yi to come forward and keep the two children by his side.

Zhou Zhen was also distressed by this matter, and Mrs. Guan's words hit him. He agreed immediately, leaving his nursing brother Ma Fushan and his wife to take care of the Zhou family's chores and take care of the food and clothing of Zhou Shaojin's sisters, and he took two old servants and the master recommended by the Cheng family to take office.

In the fourteenth year of Zhide, Zhou Zhen has been tired of officials to the prefect of Nanchang, Jiangxi.

He continued again.

I wrote a letter back to pick up my two daughters to go to Nanchang.

Eight years of life, that is, raising a kitten and a puppy have feelings, not to mention the two little girls who are like flowers and jade under Chenghuan's knees every day? Mrs. Guan remembered that it was like her heart had been stripped out, and she was heartbroken, and she didn't agree to send Zhou Shaojin's sisters away anyway, and said bluntly: "Chu Jin is going to marry into the Liao family to be a clan wife, and the new lady is from a businessman, so I'm afraid that I can't read a few big characters, so how can I guide Chu Jin and Shaojin?" Let the two sisters follow me! In this way, it will be easier for Shao Jin to say kiss in the future. ”

At this time, the fourteen-year-old Zhou Chujin had been matched by Cheng Jing, the eldest lord of the Cheng family's house, and was married to Liao Shaotang, the son of the Liao family in Zhenjiang, who was also a family of official eunuchs in Jiangnan.

Zhou Zhen had to compromise for the marriage of his two daughters.

As soon as Zhou Shaojin and her sister lived like this, they lived in Cheng's house for another four years.

The ups and downs of this are only understood by the Zhou sisters themselves.

When Zhou Shaojin woke up from a stumble on the rockery, she hurriedly took Zhou Chujin's hand and wiped out the Cheng family, Cheng Chengen took revenge and wanted to sue her father for forming a party, she stabbed Cheng Chu Jin with her own hands, and the eighteen-year-old Zhou Chujin almost fainted.

If the people of the Cheng family heard this, what would they think of their sister?

Cheng Zhi, the second-room uncle of the Cheng family, just won the lifting last year, Cheng Xu, the long-room uncle, and Cheng Cheng, the third-room uncle, were successively admitted to the show-...... The Cheng family is full of flowers, how can they say that they will destroy the family?

How could my sister, who has always been well-behaved and docile, say such a rebellious thing?

She was scared to death, but no one could say how long, and there was no one to consult. Not only that, but he also had to hide Zhou Shaojin's strange appearance to the death, so that the people of the Cheng family could not find out the slightest clue.

Zhou Chujin was anxious, patiently comforted her sister, and immediately called Ma Fushan's family to come in, and quietly went to several surrounding Zen temples and Taoist temples to do a few rituals for Zhou Shaojin, and asked for some yellow talismans and the like to come back, and she was relieved to see that Zhou Shaojin was no longer talking nonsense.

And after Zhou Shaojin experienced the initial stunned, panic, confusion, and dazedness, she realized how shocking her words and deeds were.

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I am very busy at work, and it is difficult to find time to write essays; The hands are also astringent, and I am always dissatisfied with writing and writing; Starting the update can only be one chapter a day, which is a bit slow. I'll find a way to overcome it gradually. O(∩_∩)O~ Favorite sisters, let's collect it first!

Thank you.

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