In the eyes of many people, Zhao Shishi is an enviable person. He is not yet twenty-four years old this year, and he has only eaten military rations for two and a half years, but he already has the honor of the eight-rank Huaihua captain, and he also leads the seven-rank rank of the deputy guard captain of the Admiral's Mansion, no matter how you look at it, people have to envy his good fortune. Especially considering that he is almost illiterate, this prosperous career is even more enviable. It is particularly worth mentioning that this person has a very generous and bold temperament, speaks chic and funny, and can quickly meet a group of new friends wherever he goes. And this guy is still very handsome, with a pair of big eyes with affection under the thick black sword eyebrows, which can attract the attention of women wherever he goes; He also often receives small items such as champa purses. There are even women who fall in love with him at first sight and will sue their families to propose marriage. Even Tao Qi, the prefect of Yanzhou in front, once wanted to marry one of his nieces and granddaughters to him, but because Shi himself was unwilling, this family business did not succeed in the end. Many people have advised stones on this matter; But his head grows on his own head, and the idea can only be taken by himself, and others can no longer say anything superfluous except persuasion and regret.

He was reluctant to marry the daughter of the Tao family, of course, because he couldn't let go of the widow in his heart.

The events that happened between him and the widow are beyond the scope of this story, so I won't go into them here. One thing is certain, though, that is clearly not the kind of dewy relationship between them. However, judging from the various decorations in this room and his deep expression, their relationship must have undergone some unexpected change during this time......

Zhao Shishi was the only one in the room now.

He sat on the edge of the kang with his eyelids drooping, as if he had fallen asleep, and did not move for a long time. The light of the oil lamp reflected his long shadow on the wall. The back that should have been upright also looked rickety at this time. His gaze remained on the red thread dragged down by the window frame. That silk thread used to be used to hang sachets; The sachet contained the Buddha knot and incense ash that he and the woman went to Xishan Longhu Temple to ask for, and it is said that with these two things, the marriage will be as strong as the Buddha knot, and it will not be separated even if it turns into ashes...... But now the marriage is really like a pile of ashes, which is blown away by the wind, and immediately disappears; The sachet was also thrown into the sachet by him, leaving only this dangling silk thread......

The corners of his mouth slowly curled, revealing a sour smile. At the same time, he ridiculed and ridiculed himself: Look! That's what you end up getting......

Outside, it was overcast again. The pasted window paper, which was still glowing with white light, soon became like a layer of dust. The furnishings and furniture in the room are blurred. There was a feeble rattle from the other side of the alley, and an equally muffled shout. It's too far away to hear what it's shouting at all, but when you count the hours, it should be the ox cart that collects the garbage one by one, and it's almost time.

The woman he had chased away just now was here again. But this time she did not go into the back room, but whispered through the curtain: "Old, sir, your dinner...... What do you want to eat? ”

After a long time, the stone said in a very stiff tone: "You don't care! I've eaten it. ”

"Oh......" the woman said outside the door. She asked, "Well, that...... Are you resting now? ”

"Not busy. You go get a lamp again, I'm going to pack some things. ”

The woman brought in the oil lamp from the outhouse and put it on the kang table, and took out the fire sickle and flint from her apron to light the fire. But I don't know why, this was a very simple little thing, she just couldn't do it clumsily, knocking the fire sickle flint loudly, the sparkling sparks jumped, and the oil-soaked velvet just couldn't light it. The stone couldn't help but want to say two words to her; But seeing that her little face was flushed, and her forehead seemed to be sweating rapidly, she swallowed back all the words she wanted to say.

He sighed, took the fire sickle from her hand, and lit two oil lamps himself. He lit the fire, was silent for a while, and asked the woman, "Has your father taken medicine?" ”

"Hey......"

"Has he rested?"

“…… Rested. The woman nodded again. She was a little dazed, not understanding how Stone could suddenly ask about her father. She didn't dare to ask. She didn't even have the courage to look up and talk to the stone, so she would stand on the ground with her head bowed, cramped and helpless. After a while, she seemed to suddenly come to her senses, and hurriedly said, "Ah! One by one, you want to find him something, I'm going to wake him up! ”

Stone shook his head: "No need to call him. It's the same thing with you. ”

Although he said that he had something to say to the woman, after saying this, the stone did not speak for a long time. He furrowed his brows, stared at the leaping flames, and rubbed a thin piece of iron in his hand over and over again. This is the waist card he only went to Weifu to redeem today. He had already handed over his errand to the Admiral's Mansion and was about to report to Yanshui's cavalry brigade.

He was silent for a long time before he said, "I'm leaving Yanzhou tomorrow......"

“…… Oh. ”

“…… Probably won't come back. Stone said again. He is going to the main battalion of the cavalry brigade, and he is also the vanguard of the vanguard of the army next spring. But there was no need to say these words to a strange woman. What he wants to say now is just a little arrangement for the father and daughter he invited.

The woman replied, indicating that she had heard.

Shi opened one of the packages of the kang head, took out four strings of money and put it on the kang table: "This is your father's salary for this month......

The woman buried her head lower. There wasn't much blood on her face in the first place, and now it looked even paler at the sound of the stone. Her voice was so small that she could barely be heard: "...... No, not so much. We've only been here for more than half a month; My food and lodging are also in your house, you, you ......" she bit her lip and couldn't say any more.

Stone nodded noncommittally. Of course, he knew that he didn't have to pay so much. But he also knew that it was harder to find an errand at this time of year; Especially since her father is still a sick body. He stared at the few strings of money left in the baggage, was ruthless, took two more strings and put them on the table, and said, "You can take these too." Always get acquainted, even if it's me to help you. I've already given the deed to someone else, and someone will take over in two days......"

The woman finally couldn't hold back, and wiped away her tears while standing in the ground. What can you do with all this money? In the state city, how many days can this money last? Their father and daughter don't know half of them in the state city, so where can they go to settle down when they leave Zhao's house? Her father is still sick, not to mention anything else, just asking the doctor to see a doctor for the consultation and medicine money, it is also a big hole, she is a girl, where to find money to treat her father?

As the woman sobbed and wiped her tears, a mischievous smile appeared on the stone's face. But his tone did not change, and he continued to say indifferently: "...... I have already agreed with them that your father and daughter's wages will be paid by them from now on. If I don't speak, I won't let you go. ”

The contrast between his words was too great, and the woman couldn't react to what was going on in a hurry, and she was still wiping her tears one by one. It took a long time for her to finally figure out what the stone was saying.

She cried even louder.

The upset stone originally just wanted to play a little joke with her, but who knew that it would provoke such a result, and the mood that was slightly better would become even worse. He rolled his eyelids and glared at her fiercely. For a moment, he even had the idea of simply driving the two of them away. Meet with! I have no place to pour the bitter water in my stomach, why should I plan for their father and daughter? Whether they're good or bad, it's a matter of his!

But the thought only rolled through his mind for a moment and then vanished without a trace. He admits that he is living a miserable life now, and that he does not feel that he can be considered a kind-hearted person, but he is not so vicious as to use the suffering of others to make himself happy. If he stands by and watches when others are suffering or falls into the trap, then is he still a person?

"That's it!" He interrupted the woman's crying impatiently, "Take the money and get out of here!" ”

The woman was scolded by him.

He bent one leg and sat on the edge of the kang in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking. It wasn't until a drum sounded outside that he sighed leisurely and stood up to pack his luggage.

There isn't much to pack. His luggage was very simple, just a quilt and two changes of underwear, and a bundle of hemp rope; The few hundred dollars left around him were also wrapped in a blue cloth and put into the package. As for the waist tags and official documents needed when registering, they are all carried closely, so remember to carry them when you leave. He pressed these two things with his saber, glanced at the luggage left on the kang table, and then turned off the light and rested on the kang.

But he couldn't sleep, staring at the black beams with big eyes and sighing one after another.

In a trance, he seemed to hear someone knocking on the door. Then I vaguely heard someone answering the door.

Who would come to him at such a late hour?