Shen Ruoyu lived in Kaifeng for half a month. He and Liang Tiehan reunited after a long absence, and they were reluctant; However, on the side of Beiping, the trip was delayed for a long time, and he was afraid that King Yan would be in a hurry. When his shoulder injury healed and his arm moved freely, he said goodbye to his second brother and sister-in-law, embarked on the road back to the north, rode a fast horse for three days, and returned to Beiping on the afternoon of the fourth day.

As soon as he entered Beiping City, he went straight to Yao's cousin's house. Of course, Master Yao was not at home; The Yao family still didn't like him, and coldly told him that the master was in the palace, and then closed the door, and he didn't even have time to leave a message. He ran to Qingshou Temple, hoping to find Master Daoyan; But it also came to naught. He didn't dare to go to the palace alone to look for it, so he had no choice but to find the Yao family's pharmacy. Yao Jizhu happened to be at the pharmacy, and when he saw him come back, he was greatly surprised, greeted him warmly for tea as always, and promised to help him bring a message to his grandfather.

Shen Ruoyu returned to the Hongjia Hotel. Lu Jiang made an extremely sumptuous dinner and insisted that he invite Nightshade to dinner. After eating, Shen Ruoyu briefly told her aunt and Xiang'er about her experience in Kaifeng, and only lightly mentioned the sword wound on her shoulder.

After sending the night primrose home, Shen Ruoyu returned to the Hongjia Hotel. Lu Jiang was sitting at the table waiting for him.

"Xiao'er, sit, I want to talk to you about something."

Shen Ruoliao sat down; Lu Jiang looked at Shen Ruoyu with a smile. "Xiao'er, how old are you?"

Shen Ruoxiao was slightly stunned. "I ...... Just turned nineteen. Didn't you know? ”

Lu Jiang said: "Nineteen years old; Well, that's just the right age. Xiao'er, I plan to marry Xiang'er and make you a daughter-in-law, what do you see? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at Lu Jiang stupidly; Then, he suddenly reacted and lost his voice: "What?? ”

Lu Jiang smiled: "I've been thinking about it for a long time. Xiang'er is a good girl, her appearance is peugeot, and her temper is also likable. Moreover, the two of you know each other well. ”

"Aunt?!" Shen Ruoyu shouted in disbelief.

Seeing his expression, Lu Jiang asked suspiciously, "What's wrong?" Don't you like her? ”

"No, but—" He was momentarily speechless.

Lu Jiang looked at him inquiringly: "Xiao'er, are you awkward in your heart, she grew up in the Qinglou?" Actually, it doesn't matter about it, I talked to the shopkeeper of Huiying Building, she brought up Xiang'er as her own girl, and never let her see the guests in the building, hoping that she could marry an ordinary good family like a good girl from an ordinary family. From what I know about Xiang'er, she is a good girl with good rules and sensible. You should know her too. ”

"Auntie! - Shen Ruoyu frowned and said in a low voice: "I'm not because of this ......"

Lu Jiang said: "It's okay; I have already told the master, if you feel awkward, he can help take Xiang'er to Yao's mansion, as the daughter of a poor relative in a distant country. Then, if you marry her again, you will be justified. ”

"Already...... Told Yao Biao?! Shen Ruoyu simply turned his back on it. He clasped his hands around his head. "What did Yao Biao say? He actually agreed? ”

"Why not?" Lu Jiang said in surprise: "He was very happy and said that the two of you are a good match and should be together." ”

"Fart!" Shen Ruoyu shouted uncontrollably. Then his face flushed to the base of his ears. "I'm sorry, auntie, but you didn't hear me...... But I can't marry Xiang'er. Not at any rate. ”

"Why? Finally...... What do you dislike about her? ”

"I'm not dissatisfied with her, she's a very, very good girl. I can't marry her because I already have a wife. ”

Lu Jiang looked at him a little helplessly, and didn't understand what he meant for a while.

"Less? What did you say? ”

"I already have a wife, aunt, not only a wife, but also a child, but ...... The child is dead. ”

He looked at Lu Jiang's expression of disbelief, and felt as if his chest had sunk to the bottom of the icy water, making him shiver all over. He told Lu Jiang the story of himself and Yang Miqing, and grabbed his hair tightly with both hands, trembling all over, not daring to let Lu Jiang see his face.

It took a long time before Lu Jiang could speak:

"Less? …… What should I do, you say, Xiang'er? Didn't you hurt her by doing this? Your daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law scream every day, even if you are both joking, people in Beiping don't see it like this. If you don't marry her, she will be laughed at by the people of Beiping. Who will marry her in the future? ”

Shen Ruoyu covered her face.

"I hurt Xiang'er again...... It's all my fault. I'll get her to know that. If she hates me, I deserve it. ”

Lu Jiang sighed.

"Rest first, let's talk about it tomorrow. You don't have to blame yourself, there are some things that no one can do. ”

Shen Ruoyu lay on the bed, but couldn't sleep all night.

He thought he had forgotten; Only now did he realize that since he escaped from Yexiao Mountain, he had been trying his best to escape, and he didn't have the courage to face the past. This kind of memory was so happy and sweet when it was once real, but now everything seems to have become bitter wine, making him short of breath and tight, and it is difficult to swallow. At this moment, reality forced him to face the past - but suddenly realized that he only remembered the pain of the past, but did not learn self-discipline because of it, and made a more serious mistake and killed another innocent girl. Master Dao Yan is right: remembering the past does not guarantee that the mistakes of the past will never be repeated in the future. In the end, he is a high-ranking monk who can easily see through himself at a glance.

What to do with Xiang'er. Why didn't he think about her; Just like when he was with Qing'er before, he thought he loved her and thought about everything for her; But I didn't think about her future. It has always been like this, he doesn't know how to think about others, he has to wait until something happens. Or is he too confident to realize that there will be such a day in the future?

It would be nice if he hadn't possessed Qing'er. In that way, what the two people leave behind is at most a thought, which will fade into oblivion as time passes. But now, he can't feel it anymore, and all that is left is the pain of remorse. In this way, he poisoned the girl he once loved the most and ruined her life's happiness.

He began to think back to the bits and pieces he had with Yang Yiqing. For the first time in two years, he opened this memory, endured the trembling of shame in his heart, and carefully examined it; Her appearance, her coquettish appearance, her cheeks that always fly red at every turn, the eternal shyness in her eyes, and the tears that will fall in a moment......

used to be the gentle and timid Qing'er, who was obedient and distressing......

Since when did he not have to deliberately restrain himself from missing her?

It was as if her cuteness, all the memories that had haunted him in his dreams, no longer made him feel heartbeat, although the memories were still so clear.

He remembered how they had played since childhood; Qing'er is always so well-behaved and listens to him wholeheartedly. When, they unconsciously held hands together, and every morning when they got up, the first thing they thought of was Qing'er; Lying in bed at night, I will giggle when I think of Qing'er. At that time, he could stand in front of her, do nothing, just look at her intently, and look at her for a long, long time, without feeling that time is leaving.

When my father was around, the sky was always overcast and oppressive. Then, Qing'er seems to bring him sunny sunny days, day after day, continuously. After his father's death, it seemed that he had been freed overnight, and he remembered that the days were sunny and cheerful and full of vigor as never before. He hopes to live like this forever, holding Qing'er's little hand, running in the grass and flowers all over the mountains, the sky is high and the clouds are light, he tells her jokes, recites poems to her, secretly kisses her blush, and plays the piano for her.

Then, finally, one day, they crossed the final line and completely stepped on all the obstacles that should not be and should be. From being completely confined to my father's hands, to suddenly gaining complete freedom, life is like a river that has flowed in a narrow channel for too long, and suddenly the collapse, and the wildness and power that have been accumulated for a long time burst out, rushing into the vast fields and flooding the whole plain; However, in the end, because of intemperance, all the strength and life were dissipated, and it stopped forever, and the corpse was wasted.

Why didn't anyone care about him at that time? The uncle gave him too much trust and allowed him to behave indiscriminately. On that unbridled summer day of sixteen, Qing'er's shyness and her almost instigated compromise—he tasted it for the first time: impulsiveness and fear, permissiveness and caution, loss of control and sobriety, all strangely blended together to overwhelm him and make him want to stop. Then, Qing'er trembled and lay in his arms and wept; He was horrified to see the striking red.

Once things start, they don't stop. And he comes up with endless vows and promises, and curses his sincerity and perseverance with Qing'er. The most incredible thing for him was that the last time he swore to Qing'er, and the most serious oath, he forgot all about his oath, and until now, he couldn't remember a word.

Could it be that this time, he will really say a prophecy?

The most terrible thing is that none of this has taught him a lesson. What about Xiang'er, what about Xiang'er? What about Xiang'er......

He lay in bed in despair, unable to think of a remedy. His heart was full of Yang Suqing and Night Primrose, dangling in front of his eyes, alternating crying and laughing; Since Yang Suqing's accident, he felt this irrepressible regret and self-blame for the first time.

At dawn, he finally fell asleep.

He slept for a long time. He woke up several times in a daze, couldn't see anything in front of him, didn't know the time; My mind was groggy and my body ached. And he fell into a deep sleep again. However, the more he slept, the more uncomfortable it became, his head became heavier and heavier, and the pain around him became worse. Later, my head hurt too. He couldn't sleep well, but he couldn't wake up, and he was groggy in more and more clear pain.

I'm cold. He curled up in a ball, wrapped tightly in the quilt, but still couldn't warm up, and it was getting colder and colder. I can't tell you what kind of pain it is. It's like a dense net tightly wrapping around the whole body, and the tighter it gets, the net wires are all strangled into the flesh and bones, and he can't breathe.

"Xiao'er ......" a voice called him.

Shen Ruoyu was in a daze, as if he had sunk into a quagmire.

"Less? Less? ”

It seems to be Lu Jiang's voice.

Shen Ruoyu opened his eyes and saw nothing. He snorted softly. A hand rested on his forehead.

"It's strange, it's not burned. Xiao'er, what's wrong with you? What's uncomfortable? ”

Shen Ruoyu finally woke up; I had a splitting headache and my whole body was shaking. Lu Jiang was looking at him anxiously.

"Auntie? ……”

"What's wrong with you, Xiao'er? Isn't it uncomfortable? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked around and asked in a weak voice, "What time is it?" ”

Lu Jiang said: "It's the right time. You slept all day yesterday, and I couldn't bear to call you. Now you've slept for a day and two nights. What's going on, Xiao'er? Is it a bad shoulder injury? ”

Shen Ruoyu struggled to sit up. "I'm going to practice; Xiang'er was in a hurry. ”

"You don't have to worry about Xiang'er, I've already let her go home."

Shen Ruoyu got off the bed and just stood up, when suddenly there was an overwhelming dizziness, and he fell to the ground. Lu Jiang hurriedly helped him up and asked in a panic:

"Less? What's going on? Where are you uncomfortable? I'm going to ask a doctor to take a look? ”

Shen Ruoyu groaned in a daze. Lu Jiang dragged him back to the bed and said:

"Xiao'er, you are not allowed to practice today. You lie here quietly, and I'll get a doctor over. ”

"Don't," Shen Ruoyu shouted, "Auntie, I'm fine." Don't look for a doctor, please. I just don't want to practice. ”

Lu Jiang looked at him worriedly. "Xiao'er, if it weren't very uncomfortable, you wouldn't just stop practicing. I'll go get a doctor anyway. ”

"Auntie," Shen Ruoyu begged, and Lu Jiang couldn't bear to go any further. "It's really fine. I'll sleep a little longer, maybe it'll be fine. ”

He wrapped himself in the quilt, closed his eyes, and immediately fell asleep. Lu Jiang looked at him for a while, sighed, and went to the store.

After sleeping for an hour, Shen Ruoyu suddenly woke up suddenly; The whole body was already drenched in cold sweat. There's nothing wrong with him, he can't waste two days in bed just because he's not feeling well. He got out of bed, feeling more uncomfortable than before, but his mind was clearer. He got dressed, felt that he couldn't hold on, sat down on the edge of the bed again, and reached for Qiu Feng, but couldn't pick it up.

The sword is too heavy.

He tried for a while, but finally couldn't stand the heavy pain from head to toe and decided to give up. I still don't want to practice today, it looks like it's out of play. However, if he doesn't practice, he can stay in the shop and help his aunt with the work. In short, you can't spend a day in bed.

He left the room and went to the room. Lu Jiang was chopping vegetables, and when he saw him come in, he was startled.

"Auntie, I'll take care of it outside. I'm a little tired today, so I'm not going to practice anymore, so I'll help you look after the store. ”

Lu Jiang looked at him worriedly: "Xiao'er, your face is very bad; Go back and lie down, I'm too busy. ”

"How can you be busy, business is so good now;" Shen Ruoyu reluctantly smiled, "I'm fine, I'm just a little tired." Maybe you have been sleeping for a long time and your head hurts a little; If you continue to lie down, it will only be more uncomfortable. You're busy, I'm going outside. ”

He walked over to the store. It was already noon, the store was full of customers, it was very lively, and the sound of hot and hot water suddenly made Shen Ruoxiao's head swell. He was so busy dealing with the guests that he felt overwhelmed as soon as he came up. Soon, some guests were dissatisfied and shouted:

"Little Er, are you deaf or blind? I've been shouting here for a long time and haven't come over, Chengxin, you? ”

Shen Ruoyu was dazed, a little unable to react, and subconsciously walked to the guest table. He couldn't quite hear what the guest had ordered, so he had to ask again.

"What are you pretending to be stupid? Let you urge the vegetables, do you understand? The guest was visibly impatient.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'll go right away," Shen Ruoyu apologized, turned around and ran to the store, and suddenly tripped over the outstretched feet of the guests at the adjacent table, fell headlong, and smashed into the front guests; There was a loud bang, and the guest fell to the ground with a chair.

The guest got up angrily, grabbed Shen Ruoyu from the ground, slapped him hard, slapped him to the ground again, and shouted:

"Grandson, don't you have long eyes?"

The people in the store watched this scene in silence. Shen Ruoyu gritted his teeth, and the black star in front of him was scurrying. shivering with pain; The five thick finger prints on his face immediately became red and swollen, but he didn't notice it at all. He struggled to his feet, holding on to the table, and finally saw the guest. He took a breath and said softly:

"I'm sorry, I'm a little dizzy......"

"Bullshit, when you're dizzy, you hit Lao Tzu? Don't open a store if you're dizzy, go back to lying under the covers! ”

Shen Ruoxiao wiped his forehead and left the table without saying a word. Behind him, a man whispered a word of advice to the angry guest, and the man angrily slapped the table and shouted:

"Don't you have the ability to stop the second prince's horse? What's wrong now? There is a kind of calling Yao Biao to see what he can support you? ”

He suddenly stopped, not daring to speak again. Four people came in through the door, and he was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head.