Two days later, traffic on the streets resumed. Commander Zhang's army was still stationed outside the city. It is said that the Overseers will leave the city on this day, and that law and order in the city will be maintained by the newly appointed commander of the city's defenses for the time being. Although the war has subsided, the market is still very chaotic, and people's hearts are still unstable.

The streets were full of defeated soldiers, walking in groups of three or five, looking very embarrassed, either with their hats or their leggings, some of their clothes were open, and some of them were torn off their numbers. Now weapons are of little use: everyone carries their guns, takes them, carries them, carries them on their backs. Yet even at this time they had not lost their usual pride, and they were still looking for people in the streets with their eyebrows and eyes raised, often reminding people of their skills in such situations. Then the air of terror suddenly thickened again.

In the morning, Mrs. Zhang's servant, Zhang Sheng, came to Gao's house to report that a platoon of soldiers stationed in their mansion had been drawn and left, leaving only two veterans to remain there, and it was said that they would soon be leaving. Their houses were not entered, so nothing was lost. He also said that the servants of Miss Mei's family had also been to Zhang's house, and said that they would come to Gao's house in two days to pick up Miss Mei. This news relieved Mrs. Zhang and Qin, and they stopped talking about going home.

In the afternoon, the Qian family sent a servant again, and took Mrs. Qian's post [note 1] to thank the Zhou family, saying that this time Miss Mei was treated favorably by Mrs. Gao in the Gao family, and Mrs. Qian was very upset, and waited for a few days for the situation to calm down, and then went to the house to thank her in person. The servant also told Mei that her mother was safe, that she had no need to worry, and that if she was willing to play at Gao's house, it would not matter if she had played for a few more days, and that she did not have to go home immediately.

Mei originally planned to go back with this servant, but she couldn't help Zhou and Ruijue to keep it, and finally decided to stay.

Although the street is filled with a terrifying air, the garden is quiet and peaceful. Time flies very quickly in this peaceful environment, and before you know it, it is evening.

The half-moon hung in the sky, night had not yet fallen, and the air was filled with the scent of dusk. The sky deepened and the moon grew brighter. It was another beautiful, warm night.

It was not yet lunch time in this mansion when there was a sudden commotion, and the calm air was disturbed. At first, Mrs. Wang, the father of the fourth wife, sent someone to pick her up, saying that there were a lot of rumors outside, and I was afraid that there would be a robbery tonight, and the Gao family was the richest man in the North Gate area, so it was inevitable that they would bear the brunt, so it was better to avoid it early. So the four took a sedan chair and took Wang and her five children (Qian'er and Mother Yang with Shufang also followed). Then the Zhang family sent someone to pick up the third wife with Shuying, Jueying, and Jueren for the same reason. The fifth wife, Shen, saw that the situation was not right, so she wanted to send her and Shuzhen back to her parents' house. Only Zhou and Ruijue are left, their maiden families are not in the provincial capital, there is nowhere to go, although there are still two or three relatives, but it is inconvenient for them to go to those homes to hide temporarily, and they are not easy to avoid if there are guests at home. Later, in the evening, there were no more pedestrians on the streets, and no one dared to walk on the streets except for the soldiers.

The old lady went to his cousin Tang's house that morning. Aunt Chen also returned to her elderly mother. Ke'an delayed at home for a while, and later went to his father-in-law's house. Only Keming remained in his study to write letters. In this big mansion, only Juexin is left. This big family, which was maintained by the old rites, suddenly showed its internal emptiness: the people who usually lived together were now only concerned about their own safety when disaster came.

Mrs. Zhang couldn't go home, so she stayed in Gao's house to accompany Juexin, who had a very good relationship with them, but even if she could go back, she refused to leave them. She said to Juexin: "I'm not young, I've seen a lot of things, but I haven't seen a good person get a bad reward." Your father has been a good man all his life, and no evil will happen to his children. I believe that the heavens have eyes. What am I afraid of? ”

Her words did not reassure them. It was still early in the night, and there was no sound in the streets. The dog began to bark, which seemed to be rarely heard on weekdays, but it was especially loud this night. Time flies very slowly, a minute is as long as a year. At the slightest loud noise, people thought that the rebels had broken in, and then the picture that people would never forget came to mind: guns, knives, blood, fire, the body of a woman's **, the money scattered on the ground, the open suitcase, and the bloody corpse lying on the ground. They fought with desperate efforts against the irresistible invisible force, but they grew more vulnerable, and terror enveloped them with more ferocity.

They are willing to close their eyes and stop seeing and not feeling anything, but in fact even the faint light can sting their eyes. It makes them understand what kind of environment they are in. On the one hand, they prayed that the time would pass sooner and the sun would rise sooner. But at the same time, they understand that the faster time passes, the closer the hour of terror becomes. They seem to be a bunch of death row inmates awaiting execution. It is true that they are men and women with various personalities and thoughts, but when it comes to the horror of death, everyone is the same. What's even worse is that women still have that kind of pain and horror that is more terrible than death.

"Sister Mei, if the rebels really come in, what should we do?" Qin asked Mei Dao like this, at this time, everyone gathered in Zhou's room to discuss the way to evacuate, Qin said "what to do", her own heart was trembling, she didn't dare to think about it.

"I only have this life," Mei said coldly, in fact, her voice was miserable. She hurriedly covered her face with her hands, her thoughts gradually blurred, and in front of her was a vast white water, rolling one after another, one after another, it was really boundless.

"What should I do?" Ruijue asked herself in a low voice beside her, and she understood what Mei meant. She felt that she only had that ending. But she was reluctant to go that way, she was unwilling to leave the person she loved, she looked at Haichen who was frolicking in front of her, and felt as if there were several knives cutting her heart.

Jean stood up silently and paced slowly around the room. She's fighting terror. "Never," she screamed, "No," and she tried to find a different answer. She felt that she should have something else than her life. At this time, what new thoughts, new books, Ibsen, Ellen Kay, and Akiko Yosano did not exist for her. She saw the great shame and stood in front of her, looking at her with a sinister smile and laughing at her. She felt that she had her own pride and that she couldn't live to endure this. She looked at May, who was sitting on a chaise longue with her hands over her face; She looked at Ruijue again, and Ruijue was holding the child's hand and weeping tears there. She looked at her mother, and Mrs. Zhang was sighing with the light on her back. She looked at Shuhua again, looked at Juemin, and looked at the rest of the people. She couldn't find anyone to help her, and she felt that they were too precious to her to leave them. She was tired, she was desperate, and it was only then that she began to feel that she was no different from Mei and Ruijue, and that she was actually as powerless as them.

So she sat down in an empty chair. She buried her head on the coffee table and cried under her breath.

"Qin'er, what's wrong with you? Doesn't your appearance make my mother's heart even more miserable? Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but cry too, and called the piano in a sad voice.

Jean didn't answer, and she didn't look up. She just cried quietly. She was grieving the shattering of her dreams. She was grieving herself. She worked hard for many years to create that wonderful dream. She struggled, she struggled, she pursued hard to get a little result. However, in the face of terror, this result seems so fragile. The old society is now oppressing her from the other side, and in just a moment, it can destroy everything she has painstakingly caused for more than ten years. What is the use of Ibsen's resounding words of "trying to be a man" at this time? She cried, not only because of the horror, but because she saw herself for what she really was. She had somewhat believed that she was a brave woman, and had heard such praises from others. But then she realized what a fragile woman she was. She can't help but wait here like a pig and sheep for others to slaughter, and she doesn't even have the strength to resist.

Not only did her mother not understand this mentality, but also the rest of the people, even the people who thought they knew her deepest. They all thought that she was crying because of the terror, and everyone was tormented by the same terror, and they could not find a word of comfort for her, but felt that the cry was like a knife cutting their hearts. Juemin almost wanted to go up and hug Eumin to comfort her, but he didn't have the courage.

Juehui couldn't sit still in the room, so she walked out. He was astonished to see a pale red glow in the eastern corner of the sky, and it was gradually expanding, and Mars flew in the red light from time to time. He screamed, "It's on fire!" He felt the blood all over his body clot.

"Where?" Several people in the room asked in unison, "Where is the fire?" Juexin immediately ran out, followed by Shuhua, and in less than a while, everyone was standing in front of the steps.

The fire in the sky was like human blood burning, and everyone faced this scene with a sudden feeling that their lives were gradually disappearing, as if something was eating away at it.

The moon entered the clouds, and the sky was dark, and the fire was expanding, and the red light covered half of the sky, and the stone slabs on the ground and the tiles on the houses were reflected red. Mars flew in red light. Seeing this strange scene, everyone could no longer have the slightest doubt about their fate.

"It must have been a pawnshop fire. Alas, the things have been robbed, and they still refuse to leave the house to others! Mrs. Zhang sighed.

"How is this good?" Ruijue was so anxious that she had no choice but to say in a panic.

"Let's change our pretense and get out," Kyawmin suggested.

"Where are you going to run away at this time? Who will take care of the affairs in the mansion? If there is no owner in the mansion, the mutineers will burn down the house with a fire," Juexin retorted, in fact, he didn't have any idea of his own.

Suddenly, there were a few crisp gunshots, breaking the silence of the night. Then the dogs outside barked wildly, followed by the shouts of people, but from a distance.

"It's over, I can't escape this time!" Juexin paused and hissed. Then he cried out again: "Isn't it possible that we are all waiting here to die? You have to find a way to escape. ”

"Escape, where to flee?" Zhou was so anxious that he cried and said, "If you run away and meet a mutineer on the street, you will inevitably die, and it is better to stay at home." ”

"Even at home, you should find a good place to hide, and it is always good to be able to save one more person. We should also leave a seed in this room. Juexin's voice was full of grief and indignation, and he then changed his tone and said, "Second brother, third brother, you should accompany your mother, aunt, and your sister-in-law, Cousin Mei, and Sister Qin to the garden." You can hide there, and when you can't do it, there's a lake, and your sister-in-law knows how to protect her. As he said this, his eyes greedily swept over Ruijue's body, and then at Mei again, tears falling from his eyes. Although he was very supportive, as if he had a great deal of determination, in fact, his heart was empty.

"What about you?" Everyone asked in unison.

"You just have to go, I've got a way for myself," he said coldly after a pause before appearing calm.

"If you don't go, we won't either," Juehui said firmly.

Gunfire rang out several times in quick succession, but the fire did not grow.

"Third brother, why do you only care about me? Mom, aunt, they matter! Juexin was so anxious that he couldn't stop pausing. If there had been no master outside, would they not have found the garden when they came? ”

At these times, Rui Jue, who hugged Haichen and sat without speaking, suddenly put down Haichen, walked to Juexin's side, and resolutely said to Juemin and Juehui: "Second brother, third brother, you should accompany your mother and aunt." Please bring me Hai'er too. I'm here with your big brother, and I'll take care of him. ”

"You, you're staying here with me? What do you mean? Juexin said in surprise, then gently pushed Ruijue away, and then said sadly: "What's the good of you staying here?" Go quickly, lest it be too much. He paused anxiously as he spoke.

Ruijue grabbed one of his arms and whimpered, "I won't leave you." To die, I will die with you. Haichen also came over and pulled Ruijue's shirt and begged sadly: "Mom, I won't go either." ”

This made Juexin even more anxious, so he made several pleading pleas to Ruijue one after another: "Please look at Hai'er's face." What's the good of you dying with me? I don't have to die. They come, and I have a way to deal with it. What good will it be if they see you? You should also take care of your own innocence, and besides, you still have ...... in your stomach" He can't go on anymore.

Ruijue looked at Juexin blankly, without flashing, as if she didn't know him. She stood in front of him like this, let his greedy eyes linger on her face for a few more moments, and then said to him in a sad and gentle voice: "Well, I will follow your word. I went. She called Haichen again, "Daddy", and then turned around.

This night, everyone slept in the water pavilion. The windows were open, and the moonlight shone desolately on the water. The red glow of the sky faded. Everything is the same as before, except for the strange and terrible barking of the dog. The water of the lake trembled slightly with the moonlight, exactly as usual, but in the eyes of everyone, the lake was now more magical and colder. Especially Ruijue and Mei, they want to see how deep the lake is, and they even think: I don't know what it's like to sleep underneath.

There were some more terrifying moments. Later, Zhou saw that Juehui was tired, so he told him to go to sleep.

Jue Hui went to bed, and after a while, she had just fallen asleep vaguely. Zhou suddenly walked up to his bed, lifted the tent, woke him up, lowered her round face, and said in a soft and solemn voice in his ear: "Now the gunfire is going out again, it seems to be very close. You have to be careful and awake, don't fall asleep, and I'll wake you up as soon as something happens. Her hot breath spewed onto Juehui's cheeks, and a look of concern appeared on her face. She covered the quilt for him, put down the tent again, and walked away gently.

Although she brought bad news, Juehui was very relieved, he felt that he now had another mother.

【Note 1】In the past, my name was written on a big red piece of paper.