4

Holding Bai Tingting's little hand, Fang Siying stepped into the gate of Bai's house.

It was a large garden with a wide road for cars to enter and exit. The flower beds are filled with chrysanthemums, hibiscus, hibiscus, hibiscus and camellias. Two neat rows of cypresses are planted along both sides of the concrete road, and several banyan trees are trimmed into very neat circles and umbrella shapes. At first glance, this garden gives people a neat, refreshing and luxurious feeling, but it lacks a sense of elegance, especially - Fang Siying suddenly found that there is not a single rose in the whole garden, which is always a defect for Fang Siying, who loves roses.

The house was a two-story building with a garage next to it, and the light blue Chevrolet was parked in the garage. Walking up a few steps, she pushed open two large glass doors, and Fang Siying was in a gorgeous living room. The living room has teak floors and a dark red sofa with a thick red carpet in front of it. The living room is flanked by floor-to-ceiling glass windows with white gauze curtains. The other two walls are made of original red brick and are hung with abstract paintings. The furnishings of the living room are quite magnificent, but, like the garden, it gives Fang Siying the feeling that it is more than rich and not elegant. If this living room is given to her to decorate, she will definitely adopt beige and coffee tones, and red can be used to furnish the bedroom, which is used to decorate the living room, which is not generous enough.

"Teacher, sit down!" Bai Tingting shouted, raising his voice and shouting, "Yazhu! Yazhu! ”

A maid with a very beautiful and pleasant face, wearing a blue apron, walked out, and looked at Fang Siying with a smile.

"Yazhu, this is Teacher Fang, you pour tea!" Bai Tingting said, lowering his voice and asking, "What about my father?" ”

"Upstairs." Yazhu pointed upstairs and smiled encouragingly at Bai Tingting. Fang Siying could see that the maid was quite fond of her little hostess. "Your mother left in the morning." She added automatically, and the smile deepened on that kind, young face.

"Really?" The child raised her eyebrows, and joy immediately lit up her little face. Carrying her school bag, she quickly said, "I'll go upstairs to find Dad!" While looking back, Fang Siying threw down a sentence, "Teacher! Wait a minute, I'll accompany my dad right down!" ”

Fang Siying watched Bai Tingting run up the stairs in three steps and two steps, and she sat down on the sofa. Only then did I notice that the stairs were on the side of the dining room, and the dining room was connected to the living room, with only a white openwork screen in between.

Yazhu brought a cup of tea, bringing a burst of the fragrance of tea leaves, and she took the teacup, which was a delicate white porcelain cup, and the emerald green tea leaves stained the whole cup of water pale green. She took a sip gently, it was so fragrant, so comfortable, it was a product in the Baijia Tea Garden! She remembered the Bai family's tea plantation and tea processing factory that Li Yusheng had mentioned. The sip of tea with a clear sweetness rushed into her heart, and she suddenly had a mental trance, an inexplicable and strange emotion ran through her, what was there here? She sat up straight, a chill felt down her spine, and a small voice spoke in her belly:

"Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! ”

Why? She resisted, against the inexplicable power. I feel a little dizzy, a little blurry, and a little confused...... As if he had done something wrong, the small voice in his body increased, and he was still shouting:

"Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! ”

What's going on? What did I fall for? She thought, shook her head vigorously, and everything calmed down and vanished. At the same time, Bai Tingting took her father's hand and walked down the stairs. The child's face was full of smiles, but the blind man's face was flat, serious, and expressionless.

"Dad, Teacher Fang is here!" Bai Tingting brought her father to the couch.

"Hello, Mr. Bai." Fang Siying said, habitually reaching out her hand, but, immediately, she found that the other party was invisible, so she hurriedly withdrew the hand again.

"Oh!" Bai Peiwen's face changed abruptly, and a look of alarm came to his face, and he quickly said, "Have we met?" I think I've heard your voice somewhere. ”

"Yes," Fang Siying said frankly, "I met you in the ruins of Smoky Heights a few months ago, and I used to talk to you and accompany you to the school gate. ”

"Oh," Bai Peiwen sighed again, probably because the words "Smoky Heights" touched a nerve in him, his face twisted a little, and at the same time, he seemed to be shaken a little, "You're the girl who wants to collect writing materials." He said as if to himself.

"You're wrong," Fang Siying said with a slight smile, "I never said I wanted to collect writing materials, and besides, I'm not a 'girl', I'm not too young anymore." ”

"Really?" Bai Peiwen asked thoughtfully, sat down on the sofa, and turned to his daughter and said, "Tingting, you didn't tell me that this Teacher Fang is the aunt who accompanied me to school that day!" ”

"Oh," Bai Tingting opened her eyes wide and looked at Fang Siying, she was a little surprised, "I don't remember, Dad, I didn't recognize it." ”

"Where do children remember so much?" Fang Siying said interruptedly, looking around and trying to change the subject, "Your living room is beautifully furnished, Mr. Bai." Her words weren't too heartfelt.

"Do you think so?" "It's red, isn't it?" I think my wife laid it out. He shrugged his shoulders, "Red, black, blue, like a café in Paris!" living room, the use of beige and brown colors. ”

"Oh." Fang Siying shook and looked at Bai Peiwen tightly, "Why don't you arrange it in beige and coffee?" ”

"What to do? Colors are for those who can appreciate them, and I can't see them anyway, and any color is the same for me. So, let the person who can see it decorate it to her liking, the living room is not set up for me. ”

Fang Siying's heart flashed with a touch of pity, looking at Bai Peiwen, she didn't know what to say for a while.

"My daughter told me that you care for her."

"That's as it should be, she's my student!" Fang Siying said quickly, and as soon as she said it, she felt that her words were a little polite and almost hypocritical, so she couldn't help blushing.

"Is it just because it's a student relationship?" Bai Peiwen did not let her go, and his questioning was sharp.

"Of course not exactly," Fang Si smiled uneasily, turning her head to look at Bai Tingting, who was standing on the side, smiling and welcoming. Reaching out, she took the child into her arms, and said with a smile, "I have a relationship with your daughter, and I like her as soon as I see her." ”

"I'm glad to hear that." Bai Peiwen said, a very rare smile appeared on his face, and then, he said to Bai Tingting, "Tingting! Go tell Yazhu that I'm hungry, and I think our guests are hungry too. ”

Tingting got up from Fang Siying's arms and ran to the back quickly. Here, Bai Peiwen suddenly said in a low, urgent tone:

"Tell me, Miss Fang, is this kid cute?"

"Oh!" Fang Si was stunned for a moment, and then, in a completely uncontrollable tone, she said warmly, "Mr. Bai, you should know her, she is your daughter!" ”

"You mean ......"

"She's the cutest kid in the world!" Fang Siying almost shouted.

"How strange," Bai Peiwen said thoughtfully, "she said that you are the best teacher in the world, and you said that she is the cutest child in the world, I think ......" He muttered for a moment, "You are really destined." ”

Fang Siying blushed inexplicably.

Bai Tingting ran back. Soon, Yazhu put the dishes and chopsticks on the table, and there were only three people eating, Bai Peiwen, Bai Tingting and Fang Siying. However, Yazhu made a total of six dishes and one soup, and the content was also very rich, obviously, Yazhu treated Fang Siying as a distinguished guest.

Fang Siying watched Bai Peiwen eat very curiously, she had always been suspicious, she didn't know how a blind person could know the location of the vegetable bowl and soup bowl. However, she immediately found that this was not a problem for Bai Peiwen, because Bai Tingting took good care of her father, and she hardly ate anything herself, but kept putting the dishes in her father's bowl, while saying:

"Dad, this is diced chicken."

"Dad, these are greens and fresh mushrooms."

"Dad, I added you a small bowl of soup, right in front of you."

She spoke in such a gentle and affectionate voice that it seemed natural for her to take care of her father, and it was evident that she was trying not to disturb those in her care. This scene made Fang Siying so moved and surprised. She didn't know who would take care of the blind man when she was in school. As if seeing through Fang Siying's doubts, Bai Tingting smiled and said to her:

"Dad doesn't usually go downstairs to eat, but today I went downstairs for Mr. Fang, and we prepared a special food box for Dad, which is very convenient for Dad."

"Oh." Fang Si responded, she didn't know how to answer, she only felt that all this in front of her made her heart full of some kind of sour emotion, and her eyes were moist unconsciously.

A meal ended in a comparatively silent air. After the meal, they returned to the living room, and after sitting down, Yazhu re-brewed two new cups of tea. Holding the teacup, Fang Siying stared at the green liquid in the cup and said with a smile:

"This is the tea leaves from the Baijia Tea Garden, right?"

Bai Peiwen took out a cigarette and lit the fire accurately. His hand holding the lighter paused in the air. Although his blank eyes were dull, the expressions at the corners of his mouth and eyebrows were rich. Fang Siying saw a mocking look rise to the corner of his mouth.

"You've heard of the Bai family's tea plantation." He said.

"Yes. It's a small town, and the Bai family is too famous. Fang Siying looked directly at Bai Peiwen, this is the advantage of sitting opposite the blind man, you can look at him unscrupulously and study him.

"The best tea in the Bai family is rose incense tablets, but it's a pity that you can't drink it now." Bai Peiwen said in a daze.

"How?" Fang Siying stared at him.

"It's been a long time since we made this tea." Bai Peiwen's expression was a little gloomy, he was silent for a while, as if he was thinking about something, and then, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Tingting, are you here?" ”

"Yes." The child hurried over and grabbed her father's hand with her hand, "Here I am!" ”

"All right," said Perman, with a slightly commanding tone, "now you go upstairs!" Go and do your homework, I have something to talk to Teacher Fang, don't bother us! ”

"Okay." Bai Tingting said slowly, obediently, but a little attached to the environment, so he didn't move for a long time. He winked at Fang Si again, suggesting that she should not divulge the secret between them. Fang Siying smiled at her and nodded, signaling to reassure her. The blind man could not bear it any longer, and he raised his voice and said:

"Why, haven't you gone yet? Tingting! ”

"Oh, it's gone, it's gone." The boy shouted one after another, rushed into the dining room, and ran upstairs in three steps and two steps.

After Bai Tingting's shadow disappeared completely, Fang Siying approached the sofa, took a sip of tea, she looked deeply at the man in front of her, and said slowly and inquiringly:

"Oh? Mr. Kashiwa? ”

Bai Peiwen took a deep puff of cigarette and didn't speak for a while, just puffed out the smoke silently. After a long while, he suddenly said:

"Miss Fang, how old are you?"

Fang Si was stunned, and then, as if she was running away from something, she said, "I told you that I am not very young, and I am not necessarily old. Abroad, no one asks the age of a young lady as recklessly as you do. ”

"Now we are not abroad." Bai Peiwen shrugged his shoulders, but, he put aside the question and asked again, "You are not married yet?" Why? ”

Fang Siying was stunned again.

"Oh, Mr. Kashi," she said coldly, "I don't know what you want to know. Did you invite me to investigate my origins? ”

"Of course not," said Perman, "I just wonder why such a beautiful woman as you would give up the bustling life of the United States to become an elementary school teacher in the countryside." ”

"Pretty?" Fang Siying raised her eyebrows, "Who told you I'm pretty?" ”

"Tingting."

"Tingting?" Fang Siying smiled, "Child's words! ”

"If I'm right," said Perrien, taking another puff of his cigarette, "what emotional setbacks have you suffered in the United States?" So, you stay here to heal your wounds, or to escape something, a relationship, or a person? ”

Fang Siying was completely stunned, staring at Bai Peiwen, she didn't know what to say for a long time. It was a long time before she exhaled softly and cried out weakly:

"Oh, Mr. Kashiwa!"

"Well, let's not talk about that," said Perryton quickly, "I'm sorry to talk to you about this." I'm just curious to know, you're not going back to the U.S. in a short period of time, are you? ”

"I don't think so."

"So, very good," Bai Peiwen nodded, the cigarette butt in his hand almost burned to his fingers, he fumbled with the ashtray on the table, Fang Siying involuntarily handed the ashtray to his hand, he took it, extinguished the cigarette butt, and said softly, "Thank you." ”

Fang Siying didn't answer, she sipped tea silently, a little in a trance.

"I hope what I just said didn't upset you." Bai Peiwen said in a low voice, his voice was very gentle, with a little apology.

"Oh, no, no." Fang Siying perked up.

"So, I'd like to talk to you about the purpose of inviting you, okay?"

"Okay."

"I think—" he paused, "you really like that kid Tingting." ”

"Yes."

"So, I hope you can move in with us."

"Oh? Mr. Kashiwa? Fang Siying jumped.

"I mean, please come and stay with us and be Tingting's governess. I guess this kid's schoolwork isn't very good, is it? ”

"She can improve—"

"But, a good teacher is needed." Bai Peiwen said.

Fang Si moved uneasily.

"Oh, Mr. Bai......" she said hesitantly, "I don't have to come to your house, I can still tutor this child, in fact, now I ...... every day"

"Yes, I know." Bai Peiwen interrupted her, "You make up an hour a day for her, and you refuse to be paid, you don't look like you were educated in the United States." ”

Fang Siying didn't speak.

"I know," continued Perman, "that you don't care about money, so I suppose that if I told you that the pay was high, you would still be indifferent. ”

Fang Siying still didn't speak.

"How? Miss Fang? Bai Peiwen leaned forward a little.

"Oh," Fang Siying frowned in confusion, "I don't know, Mr. Bai, if you don't think one hour of tuition is enough, I can increase it to two or three hours, I come here every night after dinner, and I'll go back after the tuition, I don't think I need to stay with you." ”

Bai Peiwen took out another cigarette, and his expression looked a little anxious.

"Miss Fang," he bit his lip and said with difficulty, "I'm sure you've heard some legends about me. ”

Fang Siying hung her head.

"Yes." She whispered.

"So, do you understand?" His expression was gloomy and his breathing was heavy, "That's a child who has lost its mother. ”

"Yes." Fang Siying also bit her lip.

"So, you should understand that I not only have to find a tutor for that child, but also someone who can really care for her, love her, take care of her, and make her a healthy and happy child."

"However, I have heard...... Fang Siying felt that her voice was dry and dry, "that you have found a mother for this child." ”

Bai Peiwen was shocked, and a long piece of soot fell on his shirt. His face was elongated, and suddenly he looked haggard and old, and his voice was low and muffled.

"That's one of the reasons I'm going to invite you," he said, with an irrepressible excitement, "to tell you, it's not an ordinary child, and if she suffers any wrongs, she won't divulge a word in front of me, and even if she's tortured to death, she'll hold my neck and say, 'Daddy, I'm so happy!'" 'Do you understand?' Miss Fang. ”

Fang Si suddenly turned her head to the side, feeling two waves of heat rushing into her eyes, and her vision became blurred in an instant. A touched, excited, almost joyful emotion swept over her. Ah, this father is not as ignorant as she imagined, not ignorant of understanding, not knowing how to cherish that child! She flashed her eyelids and quietly wiped away the tears from her cheeks, and in this moment, she understood, understood a sorrow that belonged to the blind! This man is not only looking for a protector for his daughter, this man is asking her for help!

"How? Miss Fang? Bai Peiwen asked more urgently.

"Oh, I ......," Fang Siying, in a distraught mood, "I don't know...... I thought, I have to think about it. ”

"What to consider?"

"You know, I'm a teacher with a righteous heart, Tingting is my student, and it doesn't seem appropriate to be Tingting's tutor now, and it will attract other people's comments......"

"Humph! It's nonsense! Bai Peiwen said with a sneer, "There are many elementary school teachers and tutors, and you are by no means the only one. If you really care about this and want to avoid this suspicion, then, quit the position of righteousness! As much treatment as Zhengxin gives you, I will double it for you. ”

Fang Siying couldn't help but smile coldly, a layer of disgust surged in her heart, she didn't understand why rich people always like to use money to achieve their goals, as if everything in the world could be bought with money.

"You're used to 'buying' things like that, aren't you?" She mockingly said, "It's a pity that I'm a ......."

"Alright, don't talk about it." He interrupted her, and to his feet, he familiarly walked to the front of the long floor-to-ceiling window, with his back to her. His voice was low and melancholy, "It looks like I'm using the wrong method, but you can't deny that it's the most effective human solution to the problem. Okay, if I say, Tingting needs you, does that work? ”

Fang Siying's heart was sour, and she heard the helplessness and pleading in the man's tone. She stood up and involuntarily walked over to Bai Peiwen's side. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the moonlight is very bright, and those blooming flowers are swaying in the moonlight, sprinkling the shadow of flowers on the ground. Fang Siying took a deep breath, looked at a slender flower and tree and said:

"What a rose!"

"What?" Bai Peiwen jumped up like an electric shock, "What did you say?" Rose? Got roses in my garden? ”

"Oh no, I read it wrong." Fang Siying stared at Bai Peiwen's face that suddenly turned pale, "That's just a Fusang." I do not know...... Don't you like roses? Why? You should like it, roses are the most fragrant, sweetest, and most beautiful of flowers, especially yellow roses. ”

Bai Peiwen's hand grasped the knob on the floor-to-ceiling window, and the muscles on his face stiffened.

"You like roses?" He asked in a general way.

"Who doesn't love that!" She replied in general terms. Facing out the window, she stood for a few more moments. Then, suddenly, she perked up. Turning around, she looked directly at Bai Peiwen and said in a determined voice, "I have just considered it, Mr. Bai, I accepted your offer. However, I can't give up my righteous heart, so I live with you, go to school with Tingting every day, and come back together. I would like to have a separate room, a salary of two thousand dollars a month, and - all freedom. She paused and added, "I'm moving in this Saturday!" Turning around, she walked over to the couch and picked up her handbag.

Bai Peiwen looked back urgently, his face shining.

"Is it a certainty?" He asked.

"It's a deal!"