The Nie family lives in Qinghong Lane, not far from Ping'an Hutong, many of the soldiers of the Ji family army have settled in the streets and alleys near here, everyone lives close, and after the men go out, the women and children in the family can also take care of each other.

The alley was very narrow, the road was potholed, and the carriage couldn't get in far away, a few people got out of the car, Captain Chen stopped and waited, and Wen Sheng followed Zhou and them to the end of the alley.

The sun had not yet set, and the light in Qinghong Lane was already dim.

It was quiet all around, with the occasional dog barking in the distance.

The houses are low, the layout is messy, the doors of every house are closed, and the smell of the nearby stinky ditch wafts in the air.

The door of the Nie family was also closed, and the inside was bolted, and the Zheng family stepped forward to buckle the door knocker for a long time before a woman's voice came out: "Who?" ”

Zheng said: "Sister of the Nie family, it's me, you open the door, Lord Du's wife sees you coming." ”

As soon as the words fell, I listened to the hurried footsteps in the courtyard, and someone pulled the deadbolt.

The door opened, and there was a woman in her early twenties standing in the door, dressed in coarse cloth, with her hair a little messy, and when she saw so many people outside, her face turned pale, and her eyes showed panic like a fawn, and she said, "This, but what happened...... Mrs. Du, sisters, please come in. ”

While speaking, Nie's wife saw Wen Sheng holding the guqin, and felt a little angry, but then her attention was attracted by Jing Jie's wife Zhang.

Nie Xinhou went to Baizhou with Jing Jie, and the relationship between the two has always been very good. Zhang came to the door and made her tremble and look forward to it: "Did Xinhou write a letter back?" ”

Zhang squeaked twice, and the four of them entered the courtyard. Put down the gift you were carrying.

The yard is small and tidy, with diapers drying in the corners and buckets and wooden basins on the ground.

A piece of dark gray kudzu cloth was spread on the laundry stone, and the anvil was thrown aside.

However, Nie's wife was obviously too busy to work, and as soon as Wen Sheng entered the yard, he heard the cry of the child coming from the house.

Nie's wife didn't care about greeting guests. Go back to the house first and coax your son.

Zhang looked at his partner for help, the situation of the Nie family, she really couldn't say the bad news.

It's just a small fraction of that. Nie's wife came out with her son in her arms, her son was like a mother, he looked very handsome, staring at a pair of clear big eyes and looking curiously at a few strangers in front of him. There was still a bubble of tears in his eyes.

Zhou and Du Yuanpu have been married for many years and have no children. Seeing that the little guy is so cute, the bottom of my heart is simply soft into a puddle of water.

She clapped her hands, attracted the child's attention, stretched her arms and said, "Well, little girl, come, give me a hug for a while, you can be busy with whatever you want." ”

Children are not afraid to give birth. Lying on his mother's shoulder, he looked at Zhou and put his finger in his mouth.

Nie's wife hesitated. Handing the child to Zhou's hand, the child snorted twice, put his soft face on Zhou's face, and opened his mouth to yawn.

Zhang took the opportunity to introduce Wen Sheng to Nie's wife, which was regarded as diverting the topic just now.

In fact, several of them knew that Wen Sheng was going to Baizhou in a few days, and his pre-military service was equivalent to avenging Nie Xinhou, but now the Zhang family was afraid that Nie's wife would ask Nie Xinhou again, and Baizhou would not dare to mention it.

Nie's wife was a little unable to come back to her senses, her legs were weak, and a female musician from Xuanyin Pavilion actually followed Du Yuanpu's wife and her husband's two military colleagues to the alley to see her.

What does this mean?

Seeing that her face was different, Zheng felt pity in his heart, and said while rolling up his sleeves: "Sister, are you going to make clothes, I'll come." ”

The cloth woven by Ge Ma is too hard and uncomfortable to wear, so before going up, it must be beaten with a clothes anvil to iron it softly, and Zheng often does this work at home, so he can understand it at a glance.

"No, no, I'll do it." Nie's wife didn't want to let Zheng get her hands dirty, so she grabbed the anvil in her head, and said in a low voice: "This is Xinhou, and I am going to take it to Baizhou." ”

Zheng's feet stopped suddenly, and the person stopped in the middle, secretly thinking: "I'm so stupid, isn't this color a man's clothes?" ”

The courtyard fell silent for a while, only the monotonous sound of pounding clothes and babbling with children.

There was a pause, and there were two "crackles", and it was a tear of despair that fell from mid-air on the kudzu linen, shattered, and quickly soaked the cloth.

"Crackling", two more sounds.

The women on the side were a little overwhelmed.

Nie's wife couldn't help but whimper, and the anvil fell on the kudzu cloth one after another, making a dull sound.

"Believe in him...... Something happened, right? It was said that the war in Baizhou was unfavorable, I was frightened, I couldn't sleep all night, I always felt that the knocker was ringing, I was afraid that someone would come to deliver the letter, and there was a little noise on the street, so I was worried about the change, he was so ruthless, he left me and the child without saying a word......"

She choked up and couldn't continue, and the child in Zhou's arms seemed to sense her mother's heartbreak, and suddenly cried "wow".

The crying of the mother and son seemed to break some kind of taboo, several women no longer avoided mentioning it, Zheng and Zhang followed with tears, and Zhou quietly persuaded her to take care of her body for the sake of her son.

The child cried hoarsely, no matter how much she coaxed, Nie's wife simply hugged her son and cried loudly.

Wen Sheng's nose was sour, and he raised his eyes to look at the gray sky.

A family is still so tear-jerking, Baizhou died 30,000 people in this defeat, and when the news is transmitted back to Beijing in two days, it must be the whole country mourning, and after such a long war, what about the people of Baizhou, what kind of fire are they in?

This is really the people's livelihood, why did the world collapse like this?

Where is the peaceful and prosperous world she is looking for?

Wen Sheng found a clean bluestone slab in the courtyard, sat down cross-legged, covered the seven strings and ten emblems with the name finger of his left hand, and wiped it with his right hand.

The song she was playing at this time was the "Pu'an Mantra", which was known as the "First Exercise of Flat Tune" in her previous life.

The rhythm of this piece is steady, with the stability and tranquility that is unique to Buddhist music. Meditation cleanses the heart, and there is a kind of compassion in it that turns anger into softness.

The first to calm down were Zheng and Zhang's second daughters, and the crying of the child in Nie's wife's arms became quieter. Slowly, he stopped sobbing and sobbing.

The sound of the murmuring piano echoes in the small courtyard, like the sunshine of the hot spring, and also like the comfort of relatives, making people forget the pain of the heart.

Wen Sheng played for a long time, and it was completely dark.

I don't know when Nie's wife stopped her grief and stood there in a daze with the child in her arms. The child is tired of crying. Asleep in the crook of her arm.

Wen Sheng put away the qin and stood up, afraid of waking up the child, and whispered: "Sister-in-law of the Nie family." Brother Nie was killed in order to cover the boss's breakthrough, if he hadn't worked hard, I don't know how many soldiers would have lost their lives, and the court would have praised him for his merits. None of us will forget him. Ji Jiajun's brothers will take care of you and the children on his behalf. ”

Nie's wife heard this. Tears fell again.

The Zhou family was on the side to help persuade together.

Wen Sheng thought for a while and said solemnly: "I will go to Baizhou in a few days, I will pay more attention to the person who shot Brother Nie with the arrow, and if there is a chance, I will definitely avenge Brother Nie." ”

She and Nie Xinhou only have a one-sided relationship.

Sure enough, when Nie's wife heard the word revenge, her eyes lit up a little, and she thought that the musician girl she didn't know in front of her had delayed too much time with her, and her knees bent. He wanted to kneel.

Wen Sheng hurriedly pulled her back.

The Zhou family was relieved when they saw this, and the Zhang family offered to stay with Nie's wife tonight. The others agreed to come to see her again tomorrow, and left some silver taels before leaving.

On the way back, Wen Sheng pondered this matter repeatedly.

Nie Xinhou's wife and family are gone, orphans and widows, how to survive in this troubled world?

Relying on Ji Nantang and a group of brothers in the army to help is not a long-term solution, first, there are too many people Ji Nantang needs to take care of, and another, he and his soldiers may have to go to the battlefield in a few days.

She discussed with Zhou: "Sister Zhou, I have a master who is old and now lives with me in Xishan Racecourse, and usually needs someone to take care of him. ”

followed Wen Sheng and whispered about Wang Xi being arrested by Yang Haojian in Beijing, tortured, and hurting his head.

"Originally, as a disciple, I should accompany his old man more, but I have been busy in the past two years, and I really lack skills, and then I will go to Baizhou, to say something unpleasant, any accident on the battlefield can happen, you help me ask the sister-in-law of the Nie family, if you are willing to move to the horse farm, help me take care of the master."

Zhou was a little surprised, stunned for a moment, and said: "That relationship is good, my sister is so kind-hearted, I thank you on behalf of the two of you, the general knows that there is such an arrangement, and he can also breathe a sigh of relief." ”

Wen Sheng nodded, didn't answer, paused for a while, sighed and said: "The old man didn't have a good temper before he was injured, but I was only accepted by the master at the age of sixteen, and I learned from the five tones and twelve rhythms. ”

This sentence is said without beginning or end, but Zhou followed her husband, and he was also a smart person, so he immediately understood what Wen Sheng meant.

Master Wang is a guqin master, and if Nie Xinhou's wife takes good care of her and pleases the old man, it will be a great opportunity for her son, who is less than a year old.

Of course, the baby is too young to know if it is the material for learning the piano, but just this hope can arouse the courage to live as a mother.

Zhou was so excited that he didn't know what to say, but he knew that Wen Sheng didn't make it clear, and he just didn't want to hear them say words of gratitude, so he nodded again and again, and couldn't help but smile.

Wen Sheng really thought so, she just provided an opportunity to fight for the mother and son in the future.

It had been said in advance that Wen Sheng would stay at the General's Mansion tonight to wait for news from Baizhou. So Captain Chen sent her directly back to Ping'an Hutong,

Ji Nantang, Du Yuanpu and the others didn't have to eat, waiting for them to come back.

There was the pressure of Baizhou's affairs, everyone was preoccupied, and they had dinner casually, Zhou and Zheng accompanied Wen Sheng to the guest room, watched her stay, and there was nothing missing, so they said goodbye and left.

Although she didn't sleep well last night, and she was busy all day today, Wen Sheng felt a little tired, but she didn't want to rest there.

I can't tell what kind of love it is piling up in my heart, dull and breathless, and I urgently need to find an outlet for catharsis.

She bathed and changed clothes, lit a lamp on the table, and plucked the seven strings of "Taiping".

In the past life, in this life, one after another, those ordinary or peculiar melodies flowed out freely under her fingers, but if you asked her what she played, even Wen Sheng herself couldn't tell.

She wants to find a kind of happiness and peace of mind through "peace".

Musicians play the piano, always play to others, only like Wang Xi is an outlier, the piano is played for themselves, and Wen Sheng, although he is playing the piano at this time, his mind does not know where to go, and he is not even listening.

After a long time, Wen Sheng stretched out his hand to stop the sound of the strings.

Although the night was dark and the road ahead was uncertain, Fuqin made her feel good both physically and mentally, as if she had been freed from the invisible shackles and regained her peace.

She looked up from the piano and stared at the light on the table.

What the Nie family saw and heard today brought her a deep feeling.

Especially the tears that fell on the fabric when Nie Xinhou's wife pounded the clothes.

It's a lingering longing, a mournful despair.

Use all your strength to listen to the voice.

I don't know why, Wen Sheng suddenly had an impulse at this time, wanting to "paint" this feeling with the sound of the piano.

Choose the ethereal and clear overtones, and brush them all the way up, which is the rhythm of "bang" pounding clothes in the cold night, groaning, squeezing, pinching, pinching, the melody is smooth and lingering, full of deep affection for wanting to talk.

However, it was not enough, Wen Sheng always felt that this song was a little less meaningful, not enough to destroy people's hearts.

Why does she have such a feeling of "inadequacy"?

Suddenly, Wen Sheng's heart was shocked, and she remembered a past.

That was when she had just been admitted to Xuanyin Pavilion and was a guest at Tan's house, Tan Yaohua gave her a song "Xi Shengpu" and personally played it to her and Zhong Tianzheng.

The song jumped out of the way at first listen, implying bitterness, and after listening to it, it made people feel lost.

At the time, they couldn't figure out what the song was about.

I don't know why, so Wen Sheng had to put it in the high pavilion.

But now, she thinks she knows, this song is about the wife of the husband pounding clothes under the moon.

Because it simulates the sound of pounding clothes, the tune jumps briskly, and because it is mixed with concern and longing, it is hidden and sad to listen to.

Tan Yaohua, like herself, even including Tan Lao Guoshi, knew that the pounding of clothes was only the "pounding of the moon" beautified by the poet, if it weren't for this trip to the Nie family, she couldn't imagine the tears hidden behind the sound of pounding clothes.

Wen Sheng took a deep breath and re-played the song "Xi Shengpu".

Once, twice.

She comprehended it, mastered it.

When Wen Sheng stopped the piano, she couldn't suppress a cough in her chest, and couldn't help but take out a handkerchief to cover her mouth for a cough, and when she took off the handkerchief, a red mark was left on the snow-white handkerchief.

The word love hurts others and hurts oneself. (To be continued......)