"Man Niang! Are you really a manniang? Feng Xiaoxi couldn't suppress the excitement in her heart, pulled the old woman, looked at her and asked, "How did you end up here?" ”

The old woman glanced at the old boatman who was rowing on the bow of the boat with a pair of blurred eyes, pulled Feng Xiaoxi closer, and replied in a low voice: "This matter is a long story, I can't remember what year the Zhou Dynasty attacked and destroyed my Great Qi, just that year, Miss and I were separated from Jinyang Palace, and I was coerced south by a group of Zhou Dynasty soldiers to Huainan area, and later, this group of soldiers was defeated by the Nanchen army, and I was taken to Jiangnan as a prisoner...... Over the years, tossing and turning, drifting, and missing Miss have damaged these eyes...... Fortunately, I met this old man who fished by the river for a living, and became a husband and wife with him, and he has been running this business for many years. Second Miss, Niangniang, are you okay? ”

It would have been a joy to meet someone from another country. But after listening to Manniang's ups and downs over the years, and seeing her constantly asking her sister Feng Xiaolian's news, Feng Xiaoxi stared at Manniang, who was already full of wind and frost and could no longer see her former demeanor, her nose was sour, and two lines of tears fell down.

"Sister, she's long gone......"

Manniang has been serving and taking care of Feng Xiaolian since she was born, until Feng Xiaolian was elected to the Northern Qi Palace as Gao Wei's concubine, it can be said that she is not Feng Xiaolian's mother-in-law, but better than her mother-in-law.

Feng Xiaoxi hurriedly supported Manniang and comforted her: "People can't be resurrected after death, Manniang, you have to open some." ”

Manniang lay down in Feng Xiaoxi's arms, and it was easy to breathe a sigh of relief, and she cried loudly, the cry was miserable, which made people feel terrible.

The old boatman was afraid of Feng Xiaoxi, and didn't dare to reprimand Manniang again, so he complained to Li Jing: "Son, don't be surprised, my old woman got madness a few years ago, if it weren't for her good cooking, I would have dumped her a long time ago." He took the opportunity to instruct Manniang: "Dead mother-in-law, the guest has paid for the fish, so why don't you bring two bowls of fish to the son and the young lady to try it." ”

When Feng Xiaoxi heard this, he turned around and glared at the old boatman, so frightened that he immediately shut up.

Manniang cried, stretched out her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, and asked Feng Xiaoxi with a crying voice: "I remember that Miss is less than seven years older than Miss Er, and she is only twenty-five years old this year, she, why did she die in front of me!" Second Miss, Miss, how did she die? ”

Feng Xiaoxi had seen the old boatman scolding Manniang more than once since she got on the boat, so she said softly: "Sister's matter, let's leave it to me and talk to you slowly in the future." Manniang, what are your plans next, why don't I take you out of here and return to Fengjiawan. ”

"That's a good dare, it's just ......" A hint of surprise flashed across Manniang's face, and then she glanced timidly at the bow of the boat and became hesitant.

"You've been married to this old man for a few years, but have you ever had children with him?" Feng Xiaoxi mistakenly thought that Manniang was reluctant to leave the old boatman, and asked her.

"Alas, what to marry or not to marry. In the first few years of my exile to Jiangnan, there was a sergeant from Nan Chen who treated me well, and I married him for a few years, but within a few years he died in battle, and I became a widow who was disliked by others, and I had to make ends meet by sewing and mending in the barracks. Later, my eyes were not good, and I couldn't stay in the barracks anymore, so I happened to meet this old man who came to the barracks to sell fish, so he begged me to go...... It is estimated that it will only take two or three years to have children, where to have any children with him. Manniang chattered, suddenly grabbed Feng Xiaoxi's hand, and begged in a low voice, "Second Miss, you can take me away, Miss is dead, and I don't have a few years to live, so let me die in Fengjiawan." ”

Feng Xiaoxi was not used to the old boatman's treatment of Manniang, at this time I heard that Manniang was with him just to make a living, the two had no children, and there was no husband and wife at all, so she was even more determined to take Manniang out of Jiangnan and return to Fengjiawan, bowed her head and thought about it, turned around and shouted at the old boatman: "I want to take Manniang away, you can make a price, how much does it cost?" ”

"Miss, more than half of the business on this boat is to attract guests by pointing to the old woman's skill in cooking fish, you ......" When the old boatman heard that Feng Xiaoxi was going to take Manniang away, he was anxious, put down the oars and walked towards the stern.

When Manniang and Feng Xiaoxi recognized each other, Li Jing had been standing aside and carefully observing Manniang's behavior and movements, wanting to see the flaws from it. Seeing that the other side is about to arrive, let's get ready to go ashore as soon as possible. ”

"No, I have to take Manniang with me today." Feng Xiaoxi interrupted Li Jing's words with a calm face, and said to the old boatman, "Boatman, I know that you didn't spend a penny to ask for a wife who earns money for you, I don't have much money on me, so I'll give it to you today, and when the boat docks in a while, you are not allowed to stop me from taking Manniang away!" ”

As she spoke, she took out about five or six "five strains of the emperor" from the baggage she was carrying, and threw them on the deck.

"Second Miss, you have already bought this fish in the pot from him, wait for me to bring a fish, you and this son eat the fish, I will clean up, and I will go with you." Manniang's hard life can be regarded as coming to an end, turning her worries into joy, and diligently persuading Feng Xiaoxi to eat a bite of the fish she made before going ashore.

Li Jing saw that Manniang said that, so he groped his hands and walked towards the steaming cauldron on the deck, worried that there was fraud in it, and suspected that Manniang and the old boatman who ferried them across the river were Zhang Zhongjian's subordinates, so he hurriedly stepped forward and pretended to want to help Manniang, took the opportunity to approach the cauldron, flew up, and kicked over the cauldron.

Seeing the milky white and fragrant pot of fish soup, along with a big boiled fish splashing on the deck, Li Jing turned around and complained to the old boatman: "How did you row this boat, so bumpy?" It's a pity for this pot of fish. ”

Feng Xiaoxi saw Li Jing's pretentiousness, and didn't break him, and said straight to Manniang: "We don't want all those broken things, just stay here, the boat is about to dock, you can go with me." ”

Li Jing and the old boatman wanted to stop them, but when they saw that Feng Xiaoxi ignored the two of them, they stepped forward to pick up Manniang and walked towards the bow of the boat. When he arrived at the bow of the boat, Feng Xiaoxi clamped Manniang under his armpit, did not wait for the boat to stop by the river, took a light breath, jumped over, and jumped onto the north bank of the river.