This lock was red gold, extremely well preserved, and it cast a golden halo in Nie Tianxi's hands.

And this lock is a long-lived lock the size of a baby's fist, and it is exquisitely made. The front is carved with a double fish playing in the water, and the reverse side is also this pattern, and there are two delicate bats in the place where the red rope is tied, which means very auspicious.

But when Nie Tianxi saw the reverse word, his face suddenly sank, and the word "Tianxi" was engraved under the quaint flower character "long life and 100 years old".

He only felt that his head was "buzzing", and he was a little uncontrollable, and asked again, "Where did this lock come from?" ”

"Xi'er, what's wrong with you?" Nie Shuyao stepped forward and shook his shoulder.

Nie Tianxi's eyes immediately turned red, and he whimpered, "Sister......." ”

Nie Shuyao took the lock and looked at it, and he understood a little, and the eyes that looked at the mother and son also became cold.

At the same time, the owner of the chestnut stall shouted again, "This aunt's chestnuts are ready, the next one." ”

Nie Shuyao immediately said: "Give us five catties too, and put this aunt's chestnuts aside first." ”

She stepped forward and dragged the middle-aged woman to a secluded place away from the crowd, and said, "Brother Da Niu, you will pay the silver first, I have something to say to this aunt." ”

Her momentum made the mother and son speechless for a while, and she didn't know if she had done something wrong, so she was taken aside by Nie Shuyao so indifferently.

The longevity lock was still in Nie Tianxi's hand, and he stared at the woman coldly and said, "Where did this lock come from?" ”

The young man shuddered at the sight of this cold look, took the woman's hand and said, "Mother, you come." ”

The woman glared at him and said, "This was a reward from the master's family in the past, and there have been a lot of things in the family recently, so I have to take this thing as a last resort." Alas, you can keep this lock as a thought. ”

"Thoughts?" Nie Tianxi sneered, "Your master's surname is Nie?" ”

"How do you know?" After all, young people are young, and they are suddenly told the truth.

But the woman struck the young man on the head and scolded, "What do you know? The Nie family has made a mistake. Do you want to kill us? ”

As he spoke, he was still looking left and right and was wary of something.

"Something has been done! What's up? Nie Shuyao then asked.

The woman seemed to have really woken up, regained her shrewdness, gritted her teeth, and said, "Girl, you can't talk nonsense. If you have taken a fancy to the golden locks, buy them with silver. Originally, this thing also wanted to be discarded, although it was left in the hand to remember the master's affection back then, it was also a hot thing. ”

"That's it, that's it! Give us back the golden lock first. The young man also came back to his senses, and took a step forward to grab the longevity lock in Nie Tianxi's hand.

But Nie Tianxi finally got a sense of familiarity with something, how could he let go so easily? He took two steps back and avoided the young man.

"How much silver?"

Nie Shuyao frowned slightly, isn't Xi'er obviously asking people to increase the price?

Sure enough, the middle-aged woman's eyes rolled and said, "This golden lock was rewarded by the young grandmother to the little woman back then, and it was a famous craftsman who invited at least a hundred taels of silver." ”

Nie Tianxi looked at Nie Shuyao in embarrassment, and the urgency in his eyes was undisguised.

Nie Shuyao said: "One tael of gold and ten taels of silver, is this gold lock ten taels?" ”

Slowly, the middle-aged woman also returned to normal, and said sharply: "You can't say that, this is a long-life lock, and the workmanship is worth a lot of silver." ”

"Fifty taels!" Nie Shuyao said.

"No, at least ninety taels!"

"Sixty!"

"Eighty!"

Nie Shuyao smiled slightly and said, "Deal!" As far as I know, you won't get that much money even if you take this lock. ”

As soon as the deal was made, Nie Tianxi began to turn over the silver, he had twenty taels of silver on him, Nie Shuyao took out fifty taels of silver tickets, and handed ten taels of silver to the middle-aged woman.

The woman also knew that she would not be able to buy so much silver when she went to the pawnshop, so she smiled and said, "Thank you, girl." ”

Nie Shuyao glanced at her mouth, and was seen to be a girl again.

Nie Tianxi still wanted to figure out something, and asked, "Tell me, how did you get this lock." ”

The young man shook his head and said nothing.

The woman's face changed slightly, and she sighed before she could speak, "Alas! That's a long way to say. You can't sell us. ”

"Okay, please." Nie Tianxi said solemnly.

"This was given by the eldest young grandmother of the Nie family more than ten years ago, this was originally the first birthday gift of the little young master, but who knew that not long after wearing this longevity lock, the little young master got sick. The young grandmother hated the golden lock so much that she threw it on the ground. At that time, it happened to be a little woman on an errand, and she picked up the lock and wanted to give it to the young grandmother, but she asked me to throw the lock away, and she never wanted to see it again.

The little woman took the opportunity to say that it was better to give this lock to the slave maid, and promised not to let the young grandmother see it again, and she agreed. Not long after, our family returned to our hometown to visit relatives, but at this time, I heard that the Nie family had committed an accident. I hid in the countryside for a few years before I came to Yangzhou, but where is the Nie family after coming to Yangzhou again. The thing was left in the little woman's hands. ”

After the middle-aged woman finished speaking, she breathed a long sigh of relief, as if she had let go of some kind of concern. looked at Nie Tianxi with a smile and said, "Since this son is related to this longevity lock, let's keep it carefully." Here we go. ”

Nie Shuyao stepped forward and said, "I don't know where my aunt's family lives?" ”

She wanted to leave an address and then check this matter, whether the Nie family was the Nie family in Yan Qing's mouth; And does this longevity lock have anything to do with Xi'er? Why is there a "Tianxi" in the back?

The woman looked at her warily for a moment and said, "You can't tell outsiders who we are, we are good citizens." ”

"No, no, auntie, you misunderstood. We just want to know a little bit about the Nie family's back then. To tell you the truth, we are also surnamed Nie. Nie Shuyao said with a smile.

"This, do you really have the surname Nie?" Not long after the woman's face changed.

Nie Tianxi said seriously: "Yes, our surname is Nie." ”

Only then did the woman reluctantly say, "We live in the west of the city, my husband's surname is Li, and everyone there calls me Aunt Li. ”

"Oh, thank you." The siblings thanked her earnestly.

Then the woman took the chestnuts and left with her son.

Nie Tianxi put away the longevity lock and said, "Sister, let's go back and talk about it." ”

When Nie Shuyao came to pick up the chestnuts, he heard the stall owner say: "It's really strange today, how can this Aunt Li buy so many chestnuts." She came to buy a few taels every day to taste, and this time it was the first time to buy a few catties. Take it well, girl. ”

The chestnuts are freshly fried, and there are a lot of chestnuts in five catties, and it is good to wait until now.

Da Niu took the chestnut and said, "Sister Shu Yao, can we eat so much?" If you eat too much of this thing, it will get angry, and it is the best to fry it. ”

"Oh." Nie Shuyao responded casually, and the stall owner's words just now seemed to explain something.

glanced at Nie Tianxi, who was still preoccupied, and sighed: "Xi'er, let's go back and discuss it again." ”

"Hmm. I'm fine! Nie Tianxi nodded.

How can it be okay? Nie Shuyao knew that there would always be an impulse in dealing with her life experience, and she understood Xi'er's feelings very well.

Turning his head to Da Niu, he said, "Brother Da Niu, I bought these chestnuts for everyone to eat together, and it is not much for one person to share a little." ”

"Well, that's right." Da Niu smiled honestly, if he shouldn't ask, he would never ask more, which is also the basis for Wu County's order and Li Zhutou to believe in him.

Nie Shuyao said: "Brother Niu, tomorrow please ask if there is Aunt Li in the west of the city and check her details." ”

"Okay." The big cow responded cheerfully.

Back at Wenqu Building, it's time for dinner.

The meal was not fragrant, and Nie Shuyao's sister and brother had something on their minds, so that everyone didn't like to talk and went back to the room early to rest.

The old man sighed incessantly, "Alas, when can I go to Huaishu Village?" ”

It's rare, he was really anxious, and a few months passed in a trance.

After returning to the bedroom and letting everyone rest, the siblings began to study the longevity lock.

The lock is indeed beautifully carved, the carp on it is lifelike, and the lotus flower in the middle is also vivid. In terms of craftsmanship alone, it is a fine product; Even if ordinary people can come up with so much red gold, they can't hire a silversmith with such skills.

Nie Tianxi rubbed the longevity lock and said, "In my memory, there is always such a golden lock. Sister, could this be the golden lock I wore when I was a child? There's my name written on the back. ”

Nie Shuyao didn't want to hit him, but he had to let him know the facts, and said: "Your name was taken by your stepmother, and we also follow her surname." ”

"Sister!" Nie Tianxi said with a sad face: "I know, but I don't understand why my biological parents don't want me anymore, so they put me in the hands of the servants so relieved." I still remember when they picked off my last garment, I cried, as if they couldn't hear it, although the memory was too vague, but I always dreamed of it. ”

"I know." Nie Shuyao held his hand, which was probably remembered by the body. said with a wry smile: "I also want to know why my parents don't want me anymore, will it be because they think we are ugly." ”

She had never seen her parents before, and she didn't know what it was like to have them, and she had never experienced this in her two lifetimes combined, and she wanted to know it too. There can be a lot of knowledge in your mind, a lot of feelings, just the experience of not being loved by your parents.

"Fortunately, I have a stepmother in this life. Let's just think she's our mother. Nie Shuyao said with a smile, although this mother has beaten them with a whip since she was sensible, she also raised them.

"Hmm." Nie Tianxi buried his head on Nie Shuyao's shoulder and cried softly, "Sister, no matter what happens, I will never leave my sister alone in this life." ”

Nie Shuyao was also affected by this feeling, tears appeared in her eyes, and she hugged his head and said, "My sister will not leave my brother alone." ”

Because they are all children without fathers and mothers!

The next day, the two decided to visit Lu Laohu, who was the first tyrant of Yangzhou City, and he knew more about some things than the government.

After breakfast, I packed up my gifts, and the big cow who happened to go out to explore also returned.

As soon as he came back, he said with an ugly face: "Sister Shu Yao, there is indeed a person named Aunt Li there, but their family moved away just last night." ”R1152