After Juemin sent Jianyun away, he walked into the garden with excitement and pain, knowing that Juehui must be there. Sure enough, he found Juehui by the lake.

Jue Hui paced up and down the lakeshore with her head buried, and sometimes suddenly stopped, looked at the calm water for a while, or sighed or twice, and then turned around and strode away. He didn't notice that Juemin was approaching.

"Third brother," Juemin walked out of Merlin, called out, and walked towards Juehui.

Jue Hui raised her head and glanced at Jue Min before she stood without saying a word.

Juemin walked up to Jue Hui and asked with concern, "Your face is so ugly!" What's the matter with you? ”

Jue Hui was silent, but walked forward again. Juemin chased after him and grabbed his sleeve and said earnestly, "I understand your affairs completely. Things have come to this point, what else can be done? …… I advise you to forget. ”

"Forget? I'll never forget! Juehui replied angrily, her eyes shining with hatred. There are many things in the world that are not easy to forget. I stood here and looked at the water for a long time. This is where she was buried. I'm going to find traces of her here. But the calm waters don't tell me anything. What a hate! Why was the lake so calm after swallowing her body? He shook off Kyawmin's hand and clenched his right hand into a fist to hit the water. …… However, she didn't disappear without leaving a trace. Every plant and tree here is a witness. I can't imagine how she felt before she threw herself into the water. But I have to imagine, because I'm her murderer. No, it's not just me, it's our family, it's our society!

Juemin squeezed Juehui's hand tightly with emotion, and said sincerely: "Third brother, I understand you, and I sympathize with you. These days I only think about my own happiness, my future, my love. I still remember when we were kids, we used to read in the study, and we always went to school together and came out together. I'm always waiting for you when I get out of school early, and you're waiting for me when you're out of school. Later, when we entered middle school, it was the same when we entered the 'foreign college'. At home, the two of us review our homework together and help each other. …… I've been estranged from you for most of the past six months. …… Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? Otherwise, the two of us might come up with a good solution. Two people together are better than one person, don't we often say that in the past? ”

There were two big tears hanging in the corners of Juehui's eyes, and he said with a wry smile: "Second brother, I remember all this. But now it's too late. I didn't think she would go down such a path. I do love her. But how can I marry her in an environment like ours? Maybe I was too selfish, maybe something else blinded me, and I sacrificed her. …… Now that she is dead in the lake, Wan'er went to Feng's house to suffer with tears in her eyes. I'll never forget it, do you think I'll have a quiet day in the future? ……”

A look of remorse appeared on Juemin's face, tears fell from his gold-rimmed eyes, and he muttered bitterly, "It's too late." He squeezed Juehui's hand tighter.

"Second brother, do you remember the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month?" Juehui said to Juemin in a voice full of deep nostalgia and distress, and Juemin nodded silently. Jue Hui continued: "We had a great time that night! It seems like it was yesterday. Where do I find her now? …… Her voice, her face, where shall I find it? She always believed that I could save her, but I finally abandoned her. I hurt her. I really don't have the guts. …… I used to rebuke my eldest brother for not having the courage to be with you, but now I know that I am just like you. We were born to a parent and grew up in a family, and neither of us had the guts. …… I hate myself! ......" He couldn't go on. He breathed heavily, he felt his whole body hot, it was about to burn, and it seemed as if he had more words to pour out in his heart, but something was choking his throat. He felt his heart tremble. He broke free of Kyawmin's hand and hit himself in the chest with his fists one after another. Juemin squeezed his hand tightly. He struggled frantically with Juemin, and he couldn't understand what he was doing. Nothing existed in his head. He was dominated by a passion, fighting against a force that oppressed him. He no longer remembered that it was his beloved brother standing in front of him. His strength had increased so much that he could barely deal with him, but in the end he finally pushed him against a plum tree by the side of the road. He leaned against the trunk of the tree in despair, opening his mouth to gasp for air.

"Why are you coming!" Juemin blushed, looked at Juehui, and said pityingly.

"I can't live in this home anymore! ......" Juehui paused for a long time before saying a word, which was not so much to Juemin as to herself. He buried his head again and rubbed his hands.

Juemin's face changed. He wanted to speak, but he didn't. He looked at Jue Hui's face and then in the middle of Merlin, when a magpie was calling in the tree. Gradually, his eyes lit up, his face became gentle, and a smile appeared on his face. It's tearful laughter. Tears began to run down the corners of the eyes. He said, "Third brother,...... Why don't you trust me as much as you used to? You consulted me about everything before. All our bitterness and joy are shared by two people. Why can't it be like it used to be? ……”

"Nope! Both of us have changed! Jue Hui said indignantly, "You have your love, and I have lost everything." What else can the two of us share? He didn't mean to hurt Juemin's heart by saying such things, he was just venting his anger casually. He felt like there was a drenched corpse between him and his brother.

Juemin raised his head and moved his mouth, as if to speak loudly, but immediately shut up again. He buried his head and was silent for a long time, then he raised his head again and said in a voice almost pleading, "Third brother, I confessed my mistake to you just now. Can't you forgive me yet? You see I regret it now! Let's support each other as we did in the past, and let's take great strides forward. ”

But what's the use? Now it's too late! I don't want to go any further," Jue Hui seemed disarmed, his anger gone, he said in despair.

"You actually say such a thing? Do you give up everything for the sake of Mingfeng? This is completely inconsistent with your usual words and deeds! Juemin reproached.

"No, that's not the case," Jue Hui quickly defended. But he stopped again, and avoided Juemin's inquiring gaze. He said slowly, "It's not just for Mingfeng. Later, he said angrily, "I'm tired of this kind of life." ”

"You don't deserve to say that. You and I are both young and don't know how to live yet," Juemin persuaded with concern.

"Haven't we seen enough? Wait, there will be even more terrible tricks in the near future! I dare say! Jue Hui's face turned red with anger again.

"You're always so intense! It's already in the past, what else can be done? Don't you think about the future? It's strange that you forgot those few words you usually say! ”

"What?"

Juemin did not reply to him directly, but read:

"I'm a young man, I'm not a freak, I'm not a fool, I want to fight for my own happiness."

Juehui was silent. The expression on his face changed rapidly, which showed how fierce his inner struggle was. He frowned, then opened his mouth slightly and said to himself in an accentuated tone, "I am a young man. Then he said indignantly: "I am a young man! Then he whispered in a skeptical voice, "Am I a young man?" Then he said, "I am a youth," and finally said in a resolute voice, "I am a youth, yes, I am a youth!" He grabbed Juemin's right hand and looked at his brother's face. From this friendly handshake, from this firm vision, Juemin knew what his brother wanted to say. He also turned his hand and replied to Juehui's clench. They now get to know each other again.

After lunch, Juemin and Juehui chatted for a while in the couple's room. Juemin proposes to go for a walk in the street, and Juehui agrees. On the way they talked about the present and the future, and both of them were very excited, they had never talked so much in the past six months.

The sky was overcast, and there were several black clouds piled up in the sky. The evening air was cool. There were only a few pedestrians in the quiet streets, but some palanquin drivers and servants gathered in front of several mansions to chat.

They walked two or three streets, and hung a rectangular wooden sign on the left and right sides of the brick wall in front of a mansion at the entrance of the street, with green characters on a yellow background, all in block letters. On one side is "Gao Keming Law Firm", and on the other side is "Chen Kejia Law Firm".

"How did we get here?" Juemin said. Later, they walked into a secluded alley, which was winding and cobblestone, and it was quite difficult for their feet in leather shoes to walk. The two sides are not very tall earthen walls, and the tall locust trees in the courtyard extend their branches and leaves out of the walls. There was a house with two pomegranate trees growing in the walls, but unfortunately the bright flowers had fallen, and only a few small pale red pomegranates that had been emaciated in the city hung from the leafy branches. The area was unusually quiet, with a small dark lacquered gate hidden by a single courtyard, and occasionally one or two people would enter and exit.

"Let's go back. It's not going to be good, I'm afraid it's going to rain," Jue Hui said, noticing that the dark clouds in the sky were gradually gathering.

"Shhhh Don't make a sound," Juemin said eagerly by his brother's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Look. ”

A figure flashed out of a single courtyard in front of it. The man was walking towards them, and suddenly he looked up and saw them, and immediately turned and walked back to the courtyard, and slammed the door shut.

"Five Dad! What is he doing here? The quick-eyed Juehui whispered in surprise. Why do they sneaky and run away when they see us? ”

"Don't make a sound, let's go over and see what kind of place it is," Juemin reminded his brother.

The two of them slowed down, walked lightly to the door of the courtyard, and gently pushed the door with their hands, but they could not push. They stood silently, trying to hear something. There seemed to be footsteps inside, but they couldn't hear anything when they listened closely. The two of them raised their heads and looked at the two newly painted doors, only to notice the red note posted on the door: "Jinling Gaoyu".

Juemin stuck out his tongue and pulled Juehui away with a smile.

"Strange, Jinling Gaoyu, isn't it our home?" Juehui walked out of the alley and said curiously to Juemin.

"Of course, we are not the only one in the provincial capital. …… But which of these words did you notice? ”

Juehui felt strange when he heard his brother's question, but he suddenly understood, so he replied with a smile: "Didn't the fifth father write it?" Yes, he must have written it, I recognize it. ”

"Yes, he wrote it," Juemin said, nodding. But he suddenly changed his tone of surprise and asked himself, "Then why is it posted here?" ”

"Because this is his home," Jue Hui laughed suddenly, and he began to understand it all.

"His home? …… Isn't it in our mansion? Juemin didn't understand what this meant, and asked in surprise.

Of course, he now has two homes. …… I had heard Gao Zhong talk about it not long ago, but I didn't pay attention to it at that time. I only remember it now. …… Okay, we're going to have another trick up our sleeve soon! ”

"I understand, too, but I'm afraid the rest of the family doesn't know yet," Juemin said with a smile.

"This place is not far from the third father's law firm, how could the third father not know? I think I'll know one day, and I'll show us another trick," said Jue Hui contemptuously, and then he had a strange feeling, he suddenly felt that his moral strength was above that of the empty family that was about to collapse, and he did not think it was an exaggeration.

"It's not good, it's raining," Juemin was about to answer his brother, when he suddenly felt a drop of water fall on his forehead, so he said in horror as he accelerated his pace and walked forward.

"Let's run quickly, the rain is coming," Jue Hui said and started running.

Soon the rain began to fall, and by the time the two brothers reached their home, the cloth robes they were wearing were soaking wet.

"Mingfeng, slap the water!" Jue Hui walked under the window and called out this casually. He didn't think he had said the wrong thing.

"Do you still want to call Mingfeng? She ...... "Juemin suddenly stopped when he said this.

Jue Hui glanced back at Jue Min and didn't answer anything, his face immediately changed. He changed his tone and called "Huang Ma" twice, and when he heard someone in the upper left room agree, he ordered to "pour water on his face", so he went into his room listlessly, lazily changed his wet clothes, and the courage to run home in the rain just now was completely gone.

Huang Ma brought the kettle, and when she saw that they had become like this, she couldn't help but say a lot of reproaches, which were naturally well-intentioned reproaches. And she was almost about to burst into tears when she said, "If the wife in front of me were still here, I would never let you be left uncared for like this"; He also said, "For the sake of the wife in front of you, you should take good care of your body, and you should not be so uncherished"; and said, "I am here entirely for you, or I would have gone long ago"; He also said, "Mingfeng is no longer there, and I will be the only one to serve you in the future, if you don't take care of your body, in case I die, I don't know who will serve you wholeheartedly"; And because of Mingfeng's death, he said, "Now that this mansion has become a muddy water, I really don't want to live there". These words were very sad, and the hearts of both of them were aroused by them.

Huang's mother said enough, and when she saw that they had changed their clothes, she sighed and moved her little feet and limped out of the room.

Jue Hui walked out of the room, the rain had stopped, the air was very fresh, and there was no heat. He stood on the stairs for a moment, looked at the lights in each room, and walked out. He stood in the hall. The sound of reading from the study. He didn't pay attention to it, but the sounds still came into his ears intermittently. What "the one who is the son of man does not live in the main mystery, does not sit in the seat, does not walk in the middle way, and does not stand in the middle of the door......", this is Jueying's voice; What "the five punishments belong to three thousand, and the sin is greater than unfilial piety." The monarch is supreme, the non-saint cannot, and the non-filial ...... has no relatives", this is the voice of Juequn; What "don't look back, don't lift your lips, don't move your knees when you sit, don't shake your skirt ......", this is Shuzhen's voice. [Note 1] ...... He couldn't take it anymore, so he turned and walked back inside, but the sound of reading caught up from behind. He took two steps and stopped. He felt a pang of heartache. He looked around blankly, and he began to wonder if his eyes were just empty shadows before his eyes. All that rang in his ears was the sound of emptiness, and he didn't know where he was. ……

"That's their education!" A voice unceremoniously burst into Jue Hui's ears, causing his brain to shake loudly. He turned around in surprise to see that Juemin was standing next to him. He grabbed Juemin's sleeve and warmly welcomed his brother, as if he had met an acquaintance in the vast desert. This move made Juemin a little confused. Two people walked into it silently, two people, two lonely hearts in this vast world.

"Third Young Master!" Jue Hui heard someone calling him, and the voice was familiar to him. He looked up in the direction where the voice came from, and behind a large pine tree, Mingfeng showed her smiling face, two dark eyes rolling lively, and a hand waving at him. He hurriedly threw the book in his hand, stood up and ran towards her.

He was about to run to the pine tree when she suddenly retracted her head and hands, and disappeared behind the tree. A purple shadow flashed before his eyes, and then there was a rustling sound in his ears, apparently she had escaped on the dead leaves. But when he fixed his eyes, he lost sight of where she went. He was in a state of confusion when he heard her crisp voice on the right. He turned his head to look, and there was still only one face visible, and it looked more beautiful and plump. When he chased after him again, the face suddenly disappeared again, and after some time, it appeared in another place. Then her whole body finally appeared, and she was running towards the river. He chased her from behind. He was surprised that she was dressed in gorgeous clothes today, he had never seen her dressed like this.

She ran fast, her relaxed braid fluttering from side to side. She smiled back at him from time to time. But she refused to stand, but ran towards the river with all her might. He called out to her from behind, telling her to stop, to be careful not to fall into the river, because she was close to the riverbank. But before he could finish his sentence, she suddenly fell to the ground, and was very close to the riverbank.

Juehui screamed in surprise and ran over regardless of life or death. When he reached her side, he saw her lying comfortably on the ground, her head resting on her hands, a smile on her face, and two eyes leisurely looking at the cloudless blue sky.

"Did you fall?" Juehui said, leaning down to look at her face.

She snorted, then stood up, took him by the hand, and sat down on the rocks by the river. The two looked at each other, and the white and yellow water below beat the foot of the rock fiercely.

"Jue Hui," she said, holding his hand and calling his name.

He pretended not to hear. She screamed again, but he still didn't answer.

"Why didn't you promise me?" She asked angrily.

"That's not what you usually call me," Jue Hui said jokingly, shaking her head.

"I'm different now," she replied triumphantly, "I'm not your girl anymore." I'm also a young lady, just like Miss Jean. ”

"Really? How I haven't heard it! Juehui said in surprise.

"But now you see it with your own eyes. Nothing is a problem now. I'm equal to you. Do you see my father? ”

"Your father? I've never heard you have a father! ”

"My father, now that he has money, he has been thinking about me for a long time, looking for my traces everywhere, and later I learned that I was in your mansion, and it was when your grandfather was going to give me to the Feng family to be my aunt's wife. He came to your mother to discuss taking me away, but it was your mother's idea to throw my old clothes at the lake, saying that I had died by throwing myself into the water. …… I came here with my father. This is my father's garden. Don't you see the western-style building? My father and I lived in a western-style house. Now there is no more obstacle between me and you. All I ask is if you still love me? ”

Jue Hui followed her finger to look at the Western-style building. He was glad to hear this question, but he still pretended to be naughty and asked, "What about loving you?" What if I don't love you? ”

"If you still love me, then I will promise you anything you ask of me," she said slowly, her face flushed.

"Really?" He asked in surprise.

"Don't make a sound," she gestured to stop him without waiting for his important words to utter. "Father is calling me! I'm going, so don't let my father see you. So she left him on the rock, jumped herself, and disappeared into the bushes. Juehui looked at her back stupidly, as if she heard a voice called "Feng'er", which was really an unfamiliar voice.

Juehui waited there, hoping that she would come again. She didn't tell him to wait, but he believed she would come, and he didn't know which way to get out. He couldn't even explain how he could have taken a book and lay in someone's garden. He waited a long time.

Suddenly, a purple shadow appeared in front of his eyes, and he knew that she was coming. This time she wasn't as lively as she had been. She lowered her head and walked slowly, as if thinking about something important.

She got up the rock, still sitting across from him. She hung her head and said sadly, "Our business is over." ”

He wondered how quickly her attitude could change, and asked in surprise, "What's the end?" He held her face and looked at it. One of her eyes was red and swollen from crying, and there were tear stains on her face, and the fat powder on her face had been washed away. It turns out that she has been crying for a long time!

"You're crying! What makes you cry so sadly? He asked, apprehensive.

Her heart was stirred by his words, and she began to cry again. He tried to comfort her. Later, when her grief lessened, she told him about her: her father was going to marry her to a middle-aged official, because he coveted a large bride price, and at the same time wanted to get a half-official position. She told her father that she had taken a fancy to someone else, and she would not marry anyone except that person anyway. However, my father's determination could not be discouraged. She went back to her room and wept bitterly. After she finished speaking, she buried her head and cried again.

Juehui felt that she had fallen into the abyss again. He remembered that he had lost a lot in his short life. He thought that he couldn't let this lost girl lose it again, no matter what. He had to hold her.

Escape! The word suddenly lit up in his mind like a spark. He thought that there was no other way but to escape, so he told her what he meant.

She happily agreed with the plan, and laughed at the fact that she had a way to escape. So she jumped off the rocks and led him through the winding path to a hollow section of the riverbank. There was a small boat locked under the willow tree. She unlocked it, and the two of them hurriedly jumped onto the boat and swung their oars.

"The water is big, and it's hard to row a small boat, so be careful," she said to Juehui, looking slightly uneasy.

"It doesn't matter, I'll be careful. Now there's only one way to live," Jue Hui agreed.

The boat moved and headed for the opposite shore. At first the boat flow was smooth and fast. But gradually the wind became stronger, and the waves became stronger. A wave came and seemed to swallow the boat, and the boat was very bumpy. The further the boat went, the wider the river became. The other side, which was still visible at first, gradually retreated. The two of them were still rowing their oars hard, and with great effort, the boat was still tossed in the middle of the river, unable to stop, and could not find a shelter from the wind. A wave rose up and crushed them like a mountain. Then the white spray that came out of the top swept towards the boat with great force. They can avoid it, and if they can't avoid it, they can only endure it. The clothes on their upper bodies were completely wet, and they had to protect their eyes all the time. A wave passed, and they hurriedly rowed a few times hard to get the boat a few steps forward. The second wave knocked the boat up and down, so that it completely lost its resistance.

"I don't think it's going to be able to row the other side in any way," he said in despair.

"But there is no other way than that," she said sadly.

"Look, what's that?" Juehui suddenly turned her head to look behind her and said in horror.

A motorboat was coming from behind at full speed.

"My father is chasing after me, paddle!" Her face immediately turned pale, and when she said this in a trembling voice, she clenched her oars and rowed with all her might. The boat still moved very slowly in the wind and waves. The motorboat was getting closer.

A wave came from the right, and the ship moved and almost capsized. The two men hurriedly tried their best to stabilize the boat, but the boat was still drifting around. Gunshots rang out from behind. A bullet came at the boat. The two men on the boat buried their heads to dodge, and the bullet was flying over Juehui's head, falling into the water, and was immediately swallowed up by a large wave.

Another shot was fired in the back. This time, the bullet came a little lower, just landed beside Juehui, and then a wave shot straight into the boat. The boat went to the right side, and as soon as Ming Feng's hand was released, the oar immediately slipped into the water, and was carried far away by the waves in an instant. Ming Feng screamed in fright.

"What's wrong with you?" Jue Hui asked, and a big wave hit him in the face, and he swallowed unconsciously. He still held the oar tightly, and did not wipe the splash from his face. He endured with great effort, and by the time he was able to open his eyes to see, the distance between the boat and the steamboat was even shorter. The white streak of water rushed straight at them with a loud noise.

"Let's pale back," said the girl, whose face turned even paler, and whose face was like a mess of tears, and her hair was scattered on her forehead, "and she could not escape now!" Let me go back, lest I bother you. It doesn't matter to me. As long as I go back, they won't hurt you. She said, crying aloud.

Jue Hui didn't answer, and just rowed hard. But his strength was exhausted. On the other side she covered her face and cried sadly, her cry cutting his heart. In front of me was a vast expanse of white water, and the shore could not be seen. Behind it was the motorboat and its sound and the shouts of men. The waves seemed a little smaller, but his hands and an oar were finally no longer able to cope. Even in this desperate situation, he struggled desperately. He had only one thought: not to lose her.

However, hope is completely gone. His hands were no longer able to paddle the small boat, which was tossed in the wind and waves. He could only wait for the coming of perdition. He knew that he could overturn the boat as soon as he moved his hand or turned his body to one side, and the two of them would die together under the water. She won't be taken away again. But he couldn't think of letting her die, he couldn't bear the thought. So he hesitated. He stopped the oars and let the waves decide their fate, or waited for the motorboat to catch up with them. ……

He soon saw someone snatch her to the motorboat, and he stood up to save her. At that moment the boat capsized and shattered. He didn't know how it happened. He grabbed a piece of wood and floated on the water. He saw her being held on the motorboat, struggling to get out. Her eyes kept looking at him. She held out two hands to him, and she kept waving them. She cried out his name. He said yes with all his might. He called her frantically. He forgot to hiss himself, and he put all his strength into it. However, the motorboat had already turned around and headed home.

The waves drowned out her voice, and her face began to blur. He watched as someone snatched her away and floated alone on the river. No one came to save him. The motorboat is finally out of sight. There was only a glimmer of black smoke in the distance. There seemed to be a desperate struggle in the black smoke. There was also her miserable cry in the sound of the waves. The river is so wide. He felt like he had no strength left. There seemed to be something in the water pushing him, pulling him, and he would let go at any moment. His voice was already faint, but he was still calling her name obsessively. The black smoke was no longer visible, but his eyes were still staring blankly at where the airboat had gone. Gradually, his hand loosened the piece of wood. And so a great wave came. There is boundless darkness in front of you. ……

He woke up from his dream. The waves are gone, and the motorboats are gone. He lay on the bed on the mat, clutching a thin quilt in his hand and pressing it tightly against his chest. His heart was beating hard. It was as if he had already died once. He slowly pulled back the thin quilt. He heard his own heartbeat. He felt tears in the corners of his eyes. From the sackcloth tent he saw the half-dim light of the oil lamp on the square table, and the room looked lifeless. The tent sounded the wail of a mosquito. It's raining outside the window, and I don't know how long it's been falling. The raindrops on the stone slab were like drops on his heart. He knew that everything was just a dream. But he remembered them very well, as if they had actually happened. His heart was still excited, and he felt that he had something to say to someone. He turned his head to look at his brother, who was sleeping beside him, who was smiling and asleep. My brother may be dreaming well. He looked at his brother's face for a long time, and then booed two or three more times in succession, but after some time, nameless sorrow came back at him.

[Note 1] Jueying read the Book of Rites, Juequn read the Book of Filial Piety, and Shuzhen read the Four Books of Women.