During the Hongzhi period of the National Dynasty, Shenjiafang, Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, the Shen clan gathered and lived.

The Shen family is a Songjiang surname, from the Wuxing Shen family, from the beginning of the ancestor with Gaozong to the south, has been settled in Songjiang for more than 300 years, multiplying for more than ten generations. Although the Han people were oppressed during the Mengyuan Dynasty, the family business withered, and the descendants scattered, the bloodline of the Songjiang Shen family was never broken.

When the dynasty was established and the people's livelihood was revived, the vitality of the Shen family gradually recovered. More than 100 years have passed, the Shen family has been cultivating and reading heirlooms, and their children and grandchildren have come out one after another, and the seeds of reading are endless, and the Shen family has become one of the best families in Songjiang.

In the Songjiang Shen family's houses, although the four rooms are not as prominent as the Zongfang, and the second room is not as proud as the second room, but the three generations are single, and there is no other brother property, plus marrying a wife with a rich dowry, the life is thriving, and it is very decent among the clansmen.

Shen Juren's bereaved wife, Sun, was a very proper person during her lifetime, although she was born in a wealthy family and became the head of a famous family, she still did not improve her good and tolerant character, and acted in pity on the poor and the weak.

Sun died of illness, and the relatives of the clan cared more about his feelings during his lifetime, and the sacrifices were endless. This day is the day of "receiving three", the Shen family's spiritual shed from morning to night, until dusk, the monks stopped chanting, the guests dispersed one after another, and gradually restored silence.

In a slightly dark north room in a cross-courtyard a little far from here, there was a teenage boy lying on his side on the bed, staring at the window in a daze, his eyes a little hollow. After a while, the little boy turned over and lifted the quilt to get out of bed, not wanting to flip, pulling the wound on his buttocks, grinning and oozing a cold sweat.

Not only is there a hot pain behind him, but the temple of the five internal organs has also rebelled, and the stomach is like a small claw, which is really painful. The boy's eyes were black for a while, and he almost fell. He held on to the edge of the bed, and finally stood firmly, but he didn't know if it was the injury on his buttocks, and his legs trembled in pain.

He gritted his teeth, took three or two steps to the round table under the south window, took the teapot on it, and poured it down. The kettle was already cold, but the boy drank it in a big gulp, until there was no drip left, and then he filled his stomach half full, feeling soothing.

It was just that he was stimulated by the cold water, and his body became colder and colder, he couldn't help but tighten the clothes on his body, looked around, and his eyes fell on the extinguished charcoal basin in the corner, with a solemn expression.

The charcoal basin was dusty, and there was not a trace of heat.

Shen Rui woke up at noon yesterday, but he was "new to the city", his brain was groggy, and he didn't dare to say or move much for fear of revealing his feet. I thought that "if you come, you will be safe", and slowly probed into the identity and became familiar with the environment.

This master still has a wound on his ass, who knows what bad debts lie ahead.

I don't know how many days before waking up, this little body is really hungry and soft, from yesterday afternoon to now, a total of three meals, each meal only half a bowl of "crystal clear" porridge. The master's body is weak, and if he continues to survive like this, he is afraid that he will die again.

I would like to think that even if the owner lives in a narrow and simple place, he can have a small courtyard alone, and he is surrounded by old mothers and maids, and he is the son of an official and gentry, but looking at the situation of the past two days, it is strange.

The old mother who took care of him was a silent person, who didn't ask or speak, but Shen Rui was weak-hearted, and he didn't dare to ask more, he only knew that the meal was only gruel, and there was only half a bowl of each meal, the reason was "defeat"; The reason for the grounding and the small courtyard is "meditation". Coupled with the trauma on the main buttocks, I am afraid that I will be grounded after getting into trouble.

But in the cold winter, the house is damp and cold, and even the charcoal basin is not lit.

Even if Shen Rui was still confused, he sensed that something was wrong.

Don't say anything else, just say that this old mother and maid are coarse and filial piety, and the Sanskrit sound faintly transmitted during the day must be the main family in mourning, but he is a new silk gown, and he does not wear filial piety.

Could it be that he is under the fence and has no service with the master's family? But shouldn't the title of the mother-in-law and maid be "Young Master Cousin"? Why is it called "second brother"?

Even if you live here and catch up with the funeral, you should change into plain clothes before facing the scene. No one mentioned this matter, only the old mother who took care of him often looked at his clothes, and her eyes were very complicated, as if there was pity, as if she was worried, and she seemed to have doubts.

Is it that the identity of the owner is unbearable, he has the name of a young master, but he has no fact of a young master, such as "adulterous sons" and "maidservant sons" who are not recorded in the family tree, and are forbidden to wear filial piety.

This ancient white wedding is more important than the red wedding event, and being forbidden to wear filial piety is also a complete denial of the owner's "young master" identity. Why is this disliked?

The Ming Dynasty had forbidden the people to raise slaves and maids, although the "deed of sale" signed by private slaves and their masters was mostly in the identity of raising children and daughters, so the title was called with the little master in the family, such as "father", "mother", "brother", "sister" and so on.

Coupled with the home furnishings that appeared in this house, Shen Rui estimated that he should be in the Ming Dynasty now, but I don't know when it was.

I remember reading in a book that in the Ming Dynasty, although the law mentions that the family property is "equally divided among all sons", in fact, in the area south of the Yangtze River, the status of "evil sons" (concubines, maidservants, and adulterers) is extremely low, and sometimes they are even inferior to slaves. After all, the slaves and maids in the family are slaves in the household registration relationship, and some are adopted children and daughters, and the so-called "evil sons" sometimes cannot even be naturalized.

Shen Rui was thinking wildly, when he heard another movement outside, and hurriedly lay down on the bed again.

The one who came in was the little maid named "Liu Ya", dressed in coarse linen mourning clothes with a white rope wrapped around her head. However, he is in his teens, his complexion is slightly dark, his hair is yellow, his facial features are ordinary, and his demeanor is timid. Shen Rui didn't close his eyes, he looked at her straightly, looking at her honest appearance, and couldn't help but move.

Seeing that Shen Rui was awake, Liu Ya said timidly: "Second brother is awake, he should take charge of the lamp." ”

This little maid is the first person Shen Rui saw after waking up, Shen Rui does not have the heart of a "fledgling", and will not rely on this yellow-haired girl, but this little maid is simple in words and deeds, completely scheming, and is the best candidate for clichés.

Shen Rui knew that he couldn't go on any longer, so he nodded and said, "You come to watch the night today!" ”

Liu Ya glared and said with a little panic: "Mom is on duty at night......

There were footsteps outside the door, and Shen Rui raised his voice and said, "I don't want Mother Wang, I want you to play with me......"

"Second brother, what's the matter......" With the sound of speaking, a person came in, holding a thermos in his hand. The person who came was also in coarse cloth filial piety clothes, in his fifties, with a thin body, his hair was not messy, and there was a faint bitterness on his face, it was Wang's mother who had taken care of Shen Rui for the past two days.

Shen Rui wanted to sit up, but his body was shaking, and Wang's mother hurriedly put down the thermos and took two steps forward, wanting to hold him, but was pushed away by his arm.

"No one plays with me, I want her to accompany me......" Shen Rui pointed at Liu Ya, looked at Wang's mother, and said with a glare, a little bit of childlike willfulness revealed a little pleading.

Although Wang's mother is silent, she can watch her act in the past two days, and take care of Shen Rui carefully, when she sees Shen Rui holding the porridge bowl and is always unsatisfied, there is always a look of struggle and unbearable in her expression, and she is not a ruthless person.

Sure enough, Mother Wang's face could not hide her pity, and she said softly: "Then let Liu Ya also be on duty at night......

Shen Rui saw that she agreed happily, and muttered: "Don't want your mother to be on duty at night, your mother snores ......"

Mother Wang was slightly embarrassed: "Can the old slave disturb the second brother?" …… It's all old slaves, no, old slaves don't sleep tonight......"

Shen Rui didn't lie, Wang's mother was old, and when she was on duty in the house last night, she snored loudly.

Shen Rui took advantage of the fact that when she was asleep, he also went out of the house twice to go around, but it was late at night, and he didn't really see it. I only know that this courtyard is extremely narrow, a few steps square, in addition to the two small north rooms, there is only one west wing, when Wang's mother and Liu Ya are not waiting in the north room, they will go back to the west wing.

A teenager who doesn't know what he did wrong is going to be placed under house arrest in this secluded place.

Although Shen Rui did not leave the courtyard gate, he could guess from the sound of the Dharma during the day that the scene was not good, and it was definitely not handled by a small family.

Shen Rui was full of puzzlement about the master's situation, but now it was not the time to think about this, so he said: "The house is small, and it is crowded to death." Mom goes to sleep by herself, just have her. ”

Mother Wang wanted to say more, Shen Rui had already frowned, straightened up and shouted: "I don't want my mother to be in the house, and I can't do it in the outhouse......."

The movement was a little ruthless, and there were Venus in front of him, Shen Rui gritted his teeth and sat firmly. For a moment, the little face was innocent, revealing a bit hideous.

It's not that Shen Rui is capricious, but that although this residence is old, Mother Wang and Liu Ya treat the owner very carefully and respectfully, obviously when the owner is there, he is not a kind and gentle master, so Shen Rui dares to act like this.

Mother Wang was startled, for fear that he would be angry, so she hurriedly said: "The old slave listens to the second brother, and the old slave is not outside......

Shen Rui snorted, and his face was better.

Liu Ya had already lit the lamp and stood in front of the window, looking at Wang's mother helplessly.

Mother Wang whispered comfortingly: "The girl is so good to talk to the second brother, I'll go and hug your bed." ”

Liu Ya's little face turned red with fright, pulled the sleeve of Wang's mother, and said in a trembling voice: "Mom, the little maid won't be on duty at night......"

Mother Wang patted her hand and said, "Just be vigilant at night, if the second brother drinks water and gets up at night, he will serve ......"

Mother Wang went out, but Liu Ya still stood timidly and didn't dare to move.

Shen Rui leaned on the head of the bed, only looked straight at Liu Ya, and said with a little willfulness: "You haven't come to tell me about the ancients!" ”

Liu Ya stiffened her fingers, did not dare to step forward, and said in a trembling voice: "Little maid...... It won't be ......."

Shen Rui said: "Then come and talk about something else...... How old are you, and where did you work on an errand before? Did you have a child from the family or did you come in from outside? ”

This Liu Ya is too timid, but clumsy, and needs to be mentioned by Wang's mother everywhere in the past two days, and it is not like waiting for people when she is young.

Liu Ya said in a trembling voice: "Ten ...... Twelve...... Sweeping the floor in the old people's home...... ...... bought from outside"

Shen Rui was a little surprised, and couldn't help but look at it carefully. Looking at her thin body, I thought she was about the same as the owner, but I didn't expect to be twelve years old, but this shriveled bean sprouts really can't see the slightest girlish charm

"How long have you been at my house? Do you have a good partner? Shen Rui asked again.

"Coming in August...... No, I don't want to be a good ......" a series of questions, and the willow bud who asked became more and more at a loss, and replied with tears in her eyes.

It happened that Wang's mother came in with a bed, and when she heard this, she sighed and said: "This girl is an honest person, she won't make a trick and slippery, she swept the floor in the courtyard of Lao An people earlier, this bullied her, that bullied her, one person did two or three people's work, not to mention, she was timid and small like a mouse, she didn't dare or had the opportunity to flatter Lao Anren, I heard that she was always robbed of food." Otherwise, after half a year in the house, it would be time to draw strips......"

It's really a poor person who must have something to hate, Shen Rui looked at Liu Ya with an expression of "hating iron does not become steel", but he was greatly relieved in his heart, and he was very happy.

Thank you, the gods and Buddhas.