Mengyin County Ya, inner house.

Cao Hao lay on the bed and muttered in his mouth: "Sheep's horn plate, clear water stream, Bajia boss!" There was a hint of excitement on his face. This was Wei Hei's back and forth in the afternoon, and Du Xiong's crime of "gangsterism" was implemented. However, Cao Hao was not happy about that, but thought about it, if he could ask Du Xiong for some details about the Yimeng Mountain bandits, and know himself and the enemy, he would have a response.

He is not enthusiastic about promotion, and he is not very interested in using other people's blood to dye red and wear a hat, just for Qiu Laohan's case.

In the murder cases that these unfortunate small families encountered, the bitter owner did not have the money to take care of them, and usually the yamen would investigate them meaningfully, and if they couldn't find traces, they would be gone. Where would Cao Hao do that? It is not only what he has heard with his own ears, but also the first official matter he has done in his tenure, whether it is for the so-called "justice and justice" or "duty and heart", he wants to find out about this matter.

Originally, I thought that after a while, I made a special trip to Mengyin County to investigate, but I didn't expect to encounter this unwarranted disaster, and I actually brought out the "Yimeng Mountain Bandits", which can be regarded as a small gain.

I heard the news from the front yard just now, and the Du brothers were all detained, and Mr. Zhuang was cooperating with Liang County Ling to ask questions in front. Thinking of this, Cao Hao looked at his legs, and finally showed some frustration. Obviously, someone has been called to put on the splint, as long as someone supports him, it is no obstacle to sitting, but he can't be supported by anyone.

He wanted to follow Mr. Zhuang to the front office, but who would help him up? Looking at everyone's nervous appearance, even he himself was a little unsure, and he didn't dare to force it, but he was also afraid that if he was unlucky, his legs and feet would fall into some problems. Therefore, I had no choice but to stop staying in the house.

Seeing that he was about to enter Sanjiu, it was the coldest time of the year, although there were two pots of silver carbon in the room, and Cao Hao also moved from the bed to the kang, but he still felt that the heat was insufficient.

Outside the window, the twilight was getting thicker, and Chu Yu lit the lamps and candles with Xiyun and Xicai.

Cao Hao took the pocket watch from the pillow, and it was not yet five o'clock in the afternoon, because he asked, "Is it cloudy?" How did it get dark so fast? ”

Chu Yu smiled and said, "No, looking at the scary sky, it seems that it is going to snow heavily!" ”

Under the swaying lights, Cao Hao saw the lack of color on Chu Yu's face, thinking that she must have worked hard these days, she was very distressed, and she didn't have the heart to think about the Yimeng Mountain bandits, so she said: "You have been busy for a long time, inside and out, rest on the kang, settle down early!" ”

Because of Xiyun and Xicai, Chu Yu was a little embarrassed. When the two of them leaned over with a smile and retreated, she sat on the side of the kang, first replaced the hand stove in Cao Hao's quilt with new carbon, and then asked: "Forehead, what you eat in the next morning is all thin, do you want to eat something to pad your hunger?" The dumplings are all prepared and warmed on the small stove outside! ”

Speaking of which, it has been nearly a month since Cao Hao got the news of Cao Yi and went to Jinan Mansion, how could the husband and wife have been separated for so long? Seeing that Chu Yu had a faint worry on her face, Cao Hao couldn't help but take her hand and said, "After drinking two bowls of porridge, my stomach is still full." Don't worry too much, didn't the doctor say that it was just for a few months, and it wouldn't be in the way! As he spoke, he rubbed Chu Yu's hands vigorously: "Why is it so cold?" Ming'er is not allowed to go to the kitchen again! ”

Chu Yu nodded lightly, but the smile was a little reluctant, Cao Hao was thinking about the affairs of the capital, thinking about whether there was anything to be happy about, telling Chu Yu to dissipate her worries; glanced at her slightly plump figure after giving birth, and thought that the two of them had not performed the "Zhou Gong Gift" for more than half a year.

But the filial piety period is not over, and his legs are like this again, Cao Hao is depressed, so he heard Chu Yu mutter: "Forehead, I don't know what happened to Tianyou?" ”

God forbid? Cao Hao was looking at Chu Yu, thinking about it, and when she heard her mention other people's names so "affectionately", she was stunned for a moment, the name was so familiar, and she remembered her son. Immediately, I was ashamed, how could I forget that little guy?

Chu Yu didn't notice Cao Hao's strange appearance, and said with a smile: "There are Sister Amethyst and Mama Ye, it's appropriate to think about Tianyou, but I haven't seen him for two days, and I'm a little empty." ”

Seeing Chu Yu say this, Cao Hao couldn't help but blame himself a little, being a father is not as good as being a mother after all, thinking about the number of times he left home and thinking about his son, it is obviously not as many times as he thinks about his daughter-in-law.

* Yizhou, Daotai Mansion, Inner House, Main Courtyard Upper Room.

Xiao Tianyou's situation is not good, and he is crying. Mama Ye and Amethyst were in a hurry, and they didn't know what to do. Before Chu Yu left the day before yesterday, Tianyou was fine.

Because of hearing the news of Cao Hao's accident, Chu Yu went to Mengyin, and originally wanted to take God's blessing, but was stopped by Mama Ye. God has only been blessed for more than two months, and this is the season of cold and freezing, where can the children resist such a toss?

Chu Yu knew that Mama Ye was right, so she entrusted her son to Amethyst and Mama Ye and went to Mengyin by herself.

There is ** in the house, and there are cows, and at first everyone thought that as long as they took good care of Tianyou, they would be fine. Who would have thought that for ** breastfeeding, God bless is vomiting after drinking; For the milk, I drank it, and yesterday it began to pull up the thinning.

In addition to inviting the doctor to take a look, Amethyst and Mama Ye said to the Tian clan again, change her ** over there, and come to milk God.

Tianyou is willing to breastfeed, but today he still has diarrhea. The child has only been more than two months, and after two days of tossing, his little face has lost weight.

Amethyst was so anxious that tears were about to come out. The two masters are not there, and the little master is like this, even if she is calm, she is at a loss now.

In the end, Mama Ye is old, older, calmer than Amethyst, in addition to asking the doctor to come and see again, she sent someone to send a letter to Mengyin, and asked Cao Fang to go out to look around. I found two women with **, but Tianyou vomited after drinking.

While coaxing Tianyou, Amethyst said to Mama Ye: "Mama, why don't you go to the West Courtyard, please ask Grandma Tian to help!" ”

Mama Ye remembered that Tian, who had just given birth in the house, could also breastfeed, and slapped her thigh a few times, and said: "Oh, look at my old fool, I didn't think that my wife and grandmothers can also milk their children, and I am counting on the **!" ”

Tian was still in confinement and couldn't leave the house, so Mama Ye and Amethyst surrounded Tianyou tightly and carried them to the West Courtyard.

Although he didn't leave the house, there were little walnuts there, and Tian also knew that there was something wrong in the house, and knew that the main courtyard was in a hurry about Tianyou's lack of milk. Now that she sees Mama Ye and Amethyst coming over with Tianyou in person, she also saves the meaning of the two of them, so naturally they have nothing to say.

Tianyou may be tired of crying, and he is small in Tian's arms, looking very pitiful. Tian had just become a mother, and when she saw his little appearance, she was also distressed, unbuttoned her clothes, and breastfed Xiao Tianyou.

Mama Ye and Amethyst both looked at each other, looking forward to a turnaround. Xiao Tianyou didn't give face, his little head tilted, and he cried out again with a "wow" sound.

At this moment, even Mama Ye had no idea, and said with a crying voice: "How can I say this, I don't know what to do over there, and the little master is like this, where do you want to find a suitable **?" ”

Tian also lowered his head and coaxed Xiao Tianyou, but Tianyou was dumb and cried more and more.

In the end, it was Amethyst who took the idea and said: "You can't do this anymore, let's call someone to set up a car and send the young master to the county lord and uncle!" ”

Mama Ye couldn't think of anything else, and was about to say yes, when she heard the little walnut next to Sister-in-law Yang whisper: "Sister-in-law Xu on East Street has no children, isn't it just for the master to be **!" ”

Sister-in-law Yang saw that the little walnut was mouthy, and was about to scold in a low voice, when she heard Amethyst ask, "Which sister-in-law Xu?" But a few days ago, you and Uen brought people to her house to deliver rice and grain? ”

"Hmmm! That's it! Little Walnut nodded and said, "It's pitiful, it was fine a few days ago, but when I saw her come out yesterday, I knew that her child was gone!" ”

Amethyst and Mama Ye glanced at each other, this is going to Mengyin, not to mention more than 100 miles, now it is getting dark again, that is, rushing out of the city, this night road is not safe after all.

Thinking like this, after the two discussed, they called the two housekeepers' daughters-in-law and asked them to follow Xiao Walnut to invite the Xu family over.

After the instructions, Amethyst was a little uneasy, and said to Mama Ye: "Mama, I'll go!" If the other party doesn't like to come, see if you can persuade her! ”

Although Mama Ye felt that it was not necessary to hire a **, but after all, the situation was different now, and it was really difficult to delay it any longer, so she took Tianyou back to the main courtyard and waited.

Outside, snowflakes were sprinkled in the sky, and Amethyst wore a cloak and took a little walnut and two daughters-in-law to the front yard. I have already asked someone to go to the second gate and let the front yard set the car.

As soon as she arrived in the front yard, Amethyst saw Cao Fang striding over, followed by a long entourage. Cao Fang said to Amethyst with a happy face: "I was about to look for the girl, the uncle has sent a letter, and his body is fine, and he will be back in a few days!" ”

"Amitabha!" When Amethyst heard this, she couldn't help but fold her hands and said, "It's really good, God has eyes!" ”

Cao Fang only heard that the inner house was going to prepare a carriage, and he didn't know that it was used for Amethyst, and when he saw Amethyst going out to dress up, he was slightly surprised, and asked, "Amethyst girl, what is this?" ”

"There is a woman on East Street, maybe you can invite me to make a ** for the master, I'll go and ask!" Amethyst replied.

Cao Fang only heard that these two little masters were a little unhappy, they didn't see it, and they didn't know that Tianyou was struggling to eat milk, and persuaded him, saying:

"It's snowing, send someone over and ask for it, why bother the girl to go in person?"

Amethyst said: "It's not far away, I'll be back in a moment!" In fact, she was worried that Xu's would not enter the weaving mansion as a **, although she was poorer, but after all, she was a woman from a good family, and she had just died of her child, so she might not be willing to enter the mansion as a subordinate.

These words do not make sense with Cao Fang. Although Cao Fang is the son of the Cao family, he has also been clothed and fed since he was a child, and he looks down on the people living in the outside world. In his heart, he is afraid that it will be a blessing to be able to enter the Cao family as a subordinate.

After passing the Yimen and getting into the carriage, Amethyst asked Xiao Walnut, "Who else is in the Xu family?" How old is she? Are there any other children besides this son? ”

A few days ago, Xiao Walnut had followed Wuen to send some rice grain to Xu's house, and she also knew a little about the situation of Xu's family, and said: "In addition to the dead child in her family, there is also a sick man, who is old, but he can't say it well, he looks like eighteen or nineteen, and he looks like he is not older than our grandmother!" Her man, who was originally a guy from a rice shop, was beaten up last month by a splash who didn't know where he was provoked, and he is still being raised at home. ”

Amethyst hesitated. In these two days, I followed Mama Ye's hiring **, and I also had more knowledge, and I knew that the best ** was born to two or three. If you hire a ** for a male baby, you have to pick a daughter; If you hire a girl, you will choose the one who gives birth to a son.

This Xu's young age may not be appropriate. However, I can't find a suitable person now, so it's better to take a closer look. As long as the master is safe and secure, he can't take care of those cumbersome rules.

Xu's home, in a small alley on East Street, is nothing more than a small courtyard with half-man-high adobe walls. In the two slightly low earthen houses, there were bean-sized lights.

Little Walnut jumped out of the carriage and held on to the wooden gate and called, "Sister-in-law Xu!" Sister-in-law Xu is available? ”

I heard the sound of the door being pushed, and someone came out of the house.

In the haze, seeing a figure at the door, the man couldn't see it really, and asked hesitantly, "Dare to ask......"

Little Walnut stood on tiptoe outside the door and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law Xu, it's me, the little Walnut of Daotai Mansion!" Sister Amethyst in our house has come to see her sister-in-law, open the door! ”

Xu received a few porridges in the porridge shed of Daotai Mansion, and later got the rice grain sent from there, and he was very grateful in his heart, and he also remembered the enthusiastic little walnuts. Therefore, though they did not know what was the cause of their search, they took two steps forward, and drew the latch of the gate, and invited them into the courtyard, and let them into the house.

The room is a small two-room, with a partition in the middle, it seems to be a bedroom, and there is a big kang outside.

Although Amethyst and the two daughters-in-law are both plain clothes, they are already unusual in Xu's eyes. Xu Shi looked for a cup and wanted to pour water for a few people, but he was afraid that they would dislike the pickled house, holding his apron and unable to speak.

Amethyst casually looked around, although the room was small, it looked clean; Looking at Xu's body again, although it is a coarse cloth clothes, it is quite properly packed. If it weren't for being too thin, she would be a neat woman.

Amethyst didn't speak, and the two daughters-in-law naturally stood with their hands down, and they didn't say anything.

Little Walnut couldn't help but be a little anxious when she saw that she couldn't make a sound. The little girl was soft-hearted, and when she saw that this Xu family was pitiful, she thought that if she could be an errand boy in Daotai Mansion, she would also have a way to live. Others don't know, she is waiting by Tian's side, but she knows that a few ** in Cao Mansion, the monthly supply of chickens and fish, even if it is not as good as a few masters, but it is naturally much stronger than the people outside.

At this time, I heard a man's voice from the back room, saying, "Qingniang, what kind of guest?" ”

This accent is a little strange, although it has a bit of a southern accent, but it is an authentic official dialect, faintly with some Beijing flavor. Amethyst was a little surprised, in such a remote place, could it be a person from the capital?

Qingniang listened to the question, and first said to Amethyst and the others: "It's my family minister!" After speaking, Fang replied through the wall: "Xianggong, it's the girl from Daotai Mansion who came over, and it is the Daotai Mansion that sent rice and grain to our family a few days ago!" ”

The people inside were silent for a while, and Fang said, "Daotai Mansion? But Cao Hao, Lord Cao's family? ”

When Amethyst heard this, she became more and more suspicious, if it was an ordinary person, where would she know her name? Who is this? Could it be that the uncle's old friend can't be done?

Her face was calm, and she raised her voice slightly and replied: "Zunjia is right, dare to ask if Zunjia has an old relationship with my family?" ”

Hearing the sound of Si Suosuo, and then the sound of slightly heavy footsteps, the young lady listened, and hurried into the house, and came out with a man half-hugged and half-supported.

It was obviously a young man when I heard the voice, but now everyone saw it like a "little old man" who was restrained. He has gray hair, and the left side of his face is covered with scars, but the right side of his face is fine.

Half extremely handsome, half extremely ugly, the whole face is very weird.

"Ahh Little Walnut was so young that she was so frightened that she took a step back and hid behind the two daughters-in-law.

The man took Qingniang's arm, went to the chair and sat down, saw Amethyst's dress, and looked a little good, and asked: "Thank you for taking care of Neizi first, dare to ask what this girl and Cao Ye call ......"

Seeing that he was polite and polite in his conversation, and the title of "Cao Ye" was called by everyone in the capital, he was a little undecided, and replied: "It's just a servant of Caofu, may I ask this master's surname, how to call it?" Look at the meaning of this master, do you know my uncle? ”

"Gao surname!" The man smiled bitterly and said: "My surname is Liu Mingheng, I lived in the capital in my early years, and I had several encounters with Cao Ye, speaking of which, it can be regarded as Cao Ye's old acquaintance!" ”

(To be continued)