People who are in love are always unaware of the passage of time. In a blink of an eye, Hongyi and Ai Rong have been holding hands for more than nine months, and they have experienced four seasons: in that warm and cold Meng Chun, they once held hands and came to the Temple of Heaven of "pavilions and regimental halls, red walls and blue tiles" [1], chasing and frolicking between the towering ancient cypress and the vicissitudes of ancient acacia, and also climbed to the upper floor of the mound altar one by one, hugged each other tightly on the center stone, and loudly proclaimed to the sky the unswerving aiqing in their hearts, praying for God's mercy and favor; At the end of that scorching summer, they once boated on the cool waves of Shichahai and felt the comfort of "the rippling blue waves of the three seas and the weeping willows on the shore". I also walked through the ruins of the Old Summer Palace, among the lotus leaves and willow branches, lamenting the decline of a nation and the pain of a country; In that cool and pleasant Mid-Autumn Festival, they once wandered among the mountains and mountains of the fiery red fragrant mountains, under the thousand-year-old trees, among the quiet green grass, beside the mountain flowers and wild fruits, at the corners of the mountains, in the deep valleys and dense forests, and on the rocky mountains, feeling the elegance of the air, the fragrance of the environment, and the pure, comfortable and quiet nature; In the deep winter of the severe cold of the nineth, they relied on each other in the snow, listened to the tranquility of the proud snow pressing the pine branches, tasted the heaviness of the brocade covered imperial city, enjoyed the comfort of the goose feathers supporting the bronze lion, felt the solemnity of the dripping water to call the deceased, and the two lines of deep and shallow footprints behind them, walking through the six-hundred-year-old royal palace, that freedom and nature, as if they had been here with each other......

In this originally short period of more than nine months, Hongyi and Xiao Ai's aiqing quickly heated up. Whether it is the wordless tacit understanding or the sweetness of staying together, they all make them affectionate and affectionate. And this unexpected but seemingly life-changing "aiqing" has long been doomed, so that the two of them vow to "hold the hand of the son and grow old with the son".

Before the Spring Festival in 2014, Xiao Ai offered to ask Hongyi to accompany her home for dinner. For Hongyi, who had an unsuccessful marriage, he naturally knew the great historical significance and profound meaning of this first visit to the second elder. Under Xiao Ai's remote command, Hongyi prepared for a week's time, from the release of clothing to the gift speech, it can be said that he planned carefully and sought success. With great confidence and caution, Hongyi sat in front of Xiao Ai's "old sharp" [2].

"Hongyi, you can't help but Hongyi, there is a long way to go, a good name! From a sentence said by Zeng Zi in the "Analects of Taber", the original text is: "A scholar cannot fail to Hongyi, and there is a long way to go." Benevolence is its own responsibility, isn't it also important? Death is gone, isn't it far away? It means that as a scholar and a gentleman, you must have the quality of broadness and perseverance, because you have a great responsibility and a long road. It's your own family Zengzi who said this, haha, I'm not wrong, right? "It's a commanding height.

"You're right, uncle! You have such a good memory, and I haven't memorized it myself for so many years. Hongyi blurted out because of his sincere admiration, but he immediately felt that it was inappropriate, so straightforward, but it was suspected of slapping the horse.

"Xiao Zeng, how old are you this year?" Xiao Ai's father was kind and pleasant, did not answer the question, and found another way, but there was an undoubted authority.

"Uncle, I am born this year, I belong to a horse, and I am exactly 36 years old." Hongyi hurriedly put down the cup of the best Jin Junmei in his hand, and replied cautiously while sitting on his back.

"Oh, it's not too young." The prospective father-in-law muttered to himself, and the prospective mother-in-law next to him quietly rubbed her husband lightly with her knee.

"Yes, uncle, I know," Hongyi decided to confess and be lenient, after all, the taste of passing through the hall was extremely uncomfortable. "And I'm still divorced, I had a seven-year marriage in front of me, and a girl who lives with her mother. The divorce was four years ago. Hongyi tried his best not to be humble or arrogant, but when it came to this past, he was still a little gloomy.

"We heard Ai Rong say this, how did you get divorced?" This time, it was Xiao Ai's mother's turn to preside, and the topic was more appropriate for the prospective mother-in-law to ask. Hongyi had to admire the tacit understanding of the old couple.

"The main reason for this is emotional discord, I pursue different things with my ex-wife, she is more metaphysical, I pay more attention to reality, and after a long time, I have some dissatisfaction with each other, but the divorce process did not make a big fuss and broke up peacefully."

"It's true that the emotional discord can't go on, but did you have any ambition at that time?" Xiao Ai's mother said kindly.

"Mom, what are you asking about?" Xiao Ai made a decisive move to show his attitude.

"It doesn't matter," Hongyi looked at Xiao Ai gratefully, and continued: "Auntie, this kind of thing is indeed a difficult decision, but if there is a problem, we always have to face you and say yes, and if we can only face the result after that, we as adults can only accept it." ”

"Well, young people dare to love and hate is haode, but they have to grasp it well, and they can't get by." Xiao Ai's father summed up his argument and ended this sensitive topic.

"I heard from Lao Wang of the Foreign Affairs Department of your ministry that you did well when you went to Singapore for talks with Xiao Ai some time ago!"

"Uncle, you have won the award, Xiao Ai is handy, I just can't get used to watching Chinese bullying Chinese." Hongyi told the truth.

"Well said, Xiao Zeng!" It seems that it has reached the old man's heart. "I'm optimistic about your temper, Xiao Ai told you, our family is actually Manchu, and it is Aixin Jueluo! Although it is old news from the previous dynasty, China cannot always be bullied by others! I don't think so! Chinese must be bloody and dare to face risks and challenges! "The old man is full of spirit, and it seems that he can immediately point out the country!

"Dad, Hongyi actually knows a lot about our Manchus, because, he is actually the same as Emperor Kangxi, and even one day's birthday is March 18!" Xiao Ai's ability to see the wind and rudder also impressed Hongyi.

"Really? Isn't that a full six Jiazi different from Kangxi's birth year in your natal year? The old man's face was stunned, but he didn't hide it.

"How dare I, uncle, it's just a coincidence, right?" Looking at the old man's expression, Hongyi was a little unsure of how to answer the conversation.

After chatting for a while, Hongyi said goodbye with interest, after all, the first time he came to the door, he wanted to leave some time for Xiao Ai to accept the in-depth inquiry of the second elder, and even interrogation.

Back in the dormitory, Hongyi received a call from Xiao Ai.

"Hongyi ......" Xiao Ai on the other end of the phone obviously had red circles.

"What's the matter, don't scare me." Hongyi was a little anxious, but not too worried. I have been divorced, the age gap is so big, it is absolutely normal for Xiaoai's parents to have some rhetoric and doubts, and Hongyi absolutely understands 120,000 points.

"My parents said, you, divorced, let me, be cautious. But, don't worry, no matter what, you can't escape from the palm of my hand, you, Zeng Hongyi, this life is mine! Xiao Ai controlled her emotions and said word by word.

"Don't be embarrassed, everything will be fine!" Hongyi can only express his position like this, but he has already had mixed feelings in his heart. Lying in bed, he couldn't sleep. In Hongyi's view, if Xiao Ai gave him the impression of youth, beauty, liveliness, and talent at the beginning, then now, Xiao Ai's persistence and tenacity reflected in this aiqing lock made him feel like a treasure, cherished, and even a little smug. recalled his performance tonight, but it was still decent, but the old man's expression when he said the "six jiazi" made him wonder......

After that day, Hongyi will also be invited to visit the second elder from time to time, and the family gets along harmoniously, and in a blink of an eye it will be the Spring Festival of 2014, and Hongyi will officially enter his third natal year. Xiao Ai couldn't be idle, what red pants, stepping on villain red socks, red belts, etc., were sent to the door one by one, and even according to their Manchu customs, they prepared a red vest for Hongyi, and far-fetched to say that this is the modern version of the Manchu red belly pocket, forcing Hongyi to wear it immediately. Seeing Xiao Ai Yi's command, Hongyi was also willing to obey his words.

As soon as the Spring Festival passes, good things happen one after another. First of all, in view of Zeng Hongyi's outstanding performance in Singapore, with the approval of the head of the ministry, the transfer procedures were successfully completed, and in order to sympathize with the other two comrades who were seconded before Hongyi, the interests of the three of them were shared. This made Hongyi the benefactor of the two of them, but the three of them were tacitly when they were together. At the same time, Director Ma lived up to expectations and was promoted to deputy director, Deputy Director Shang took over the post of director, and Hongyi naturally ranked after Director Shang and served as deputy director of the Publicity and Education Department. Then caught up with the housing placement of civil servants in the ministry organs, Hongyi bought the right to use a three-bedroom house of Lao Hao, the former researcher of the Mission and Education Department, according to the exchange price much lower than the market price (only the right to use, no property rights, in case of job transfer, in principle, it needs to be repurchased by the civil servant housing management department, and the house user cannot be sold in the society, avoiding all kinds of corruption and profit realization brought about by the huge price difference), of course, Lao Hao Rongsheng is promoted to deputy inspector, and the housing standard is also rising, happily moved into a new house with three bedrooms and two living rooms. Subsequently, Xiao Ai also relied on his excellent performance in the trip to Singapore, and was naturally transferred to the Foreign Affairs Department as a full-time translator, and the level was naturally adjusted from deputy chief staff member to chief staff member, at the department level. Nearly three years of hard work have finally come to fruition, and Hongyi's mood is needless to say, as for Xiao Ai's transfer, although he can't get along day and night like before, this reveals a signal - Xiao Ai's parents basically accepted Hongyi, because according to the customary work practice of the agency, if a couple of lovers working in the same department get married, then in principle, one person must be adjusted to other departments, which is called "avoidance". Xiao Ai's "early avoidance" shows that the old man has begun to take precautions. Then again, even if Hongyi can't look at Xiao Ai who was originally next to him and is now upstairs and downstairs during working hours, but because he has his own house, Xiao Ai actually "entered" Hongyi's new home every once in a while after a family internal struggle, and enjoyed the treatment of "Gege" in a grand manner. "Fortunately, I don't need to accompany my grandmother to appear now!" Hongyi secretly rejoiced.

April 17, 2014, the first day of the lunar calendar.

Today is Zeng Hongyi's 36th birthday on the lunar calendar, and it is also the 360th birthday anniversary of Xiao Ai's Kangxi master Xuanye. Hongyi and Xiao Ai took a day off with their respective directors in charge, and the two leaders also tacitly agreed. The two of them came to the Palace Museum for the Nth time together, wanting to have a birthday party that only belonged to the two of them in this kind of "three, one low and one nothing" place [3] (see Chapter 5). In fact, the Palace Museum enters the peak season from April 1 to October 31 every year, and each ticket is 60 yuan, not including the Treasure Hall and the Clock Hall. At this price, which is higher than the National Museum of Singapore, the level of management is debatable.

Hongyi pulled Xiao Ai straight to Jingren Palace. In fact, strictly speaking, every time you enter the Forbidden City, you can't tell who is pulling who is walking, or more precisely, it should be the two of them walking hand in hand, but the destination is always surprisingly consistent, and this time it is naturally the same. This point has never been able to understand the two, but it has become an important weight for them to advertise their unparalleled aiqing.

As the donation hall of the Forbidden City, Gyeongbokgung Palace is holding the "Dingyao Porcelain Exhibition". The two lovers, however, are clearly more interested in the basic rules and furnishings of the palace, often stopping in one place and thinking about it, while Hongyi is more keen to do so than Xiao Ai.

"Xiao Ai, look." Hongyi, who stopped in front of the temple gate, called Xiao Ai and spread out his palm, which was a roughly triangular copper sheet on it.

"Okay, you destroy the artifact!" Xiao Ai said angrily, even if it was so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"I can't say it either, it's weird." Hongyi told Xiao Ai about the absurd experience of Jingren Palace and Fuyou Temple last time, and naturally he couldn't leave behind the embarrassing thing of grabbing Xiao Ai's arm on the night of Xidan and taking advantage of it. With the ups and downs of Hongyi's speech, I saw that her girlfriend's expression kept changing, sometimes covering her mouth and laughing, sometimes disdainful, sometimes looking at each other stupidly, and sometimes frowning...... When he knew that Hongyi had four small doses of "bloodletting", Xiao Ai grabbed Hongyi's right hand nervously, carefully examined the ring finger that had been wronged, and then gently held it on his cheek, muttering to himself: "Why are you so careless, you are very grinning, I don't know how sorry ......I am" Under Xiao Ai's "touching" "care", Hongyi instantly had a trance of "I don't know what year it is", and naturally forgot to return the copper pieces in his hand to their original places......

"Tourists, please please regulate your words and deeds!" A lazy voice still emanated from the corner of nowhere, and the two hurriedly straightened up, only to find that a young couple next to them was looking at them and whispering, and the woman, with one hand, was holding her big belly that seemed to be full-term, and the other hand was busy covering the eyes of the little boy next to her, who seemed to be less than three years old.

It's embarrassing, isn't this teaching bad children! Moreover, Hongyi felt that the mother and son were a little familiar, but he couldn't remember them for a while...... Xiao Ai gave full play to her strengths, immediately squatted down, and said, "Little friend, tell my sister, how old are you?" ”

"I'm five years old, and I'm going to be a cow." The little boy is more than the little Ai.

"You followed your parents, mom and little brother to see the Forbidden City, it's awesome!" Xiao Ai took advantage of the momentum.

"I don't like my little brother, rob my mother! Mom won't hug me anymore...... "The little boy is very aggrieved.

"Okay, okay, everyone says this, mom can hug you, come, mom hug ......" The pregnant woman saw that the little boy had a tendency to shed tears, and hurriedly bent down to comfort him.

"Little brother, you are going to be an elder brother soon, you have to care about your mother with the little brother in your mother's belly, don't let your mother be too tired......" Xiao Ai persuaded the little boy with a pleasant face, when the obvious love was overflowing.

"Oops~Oops~......" Suddenly, the pregnant woman who had already bent down made an extremely painful expression, her body slowly straightened, and a turbid liquid flowed down.

"Quick, your wife is going to give birth!" Zeng Yi picked up Xiao Ai, who was still squatting on the ground, with his left hand, pulled a wooden door with his right hand, and took advantage of the situation to rush to the young husband who was still stunned, and reminded loudly! Xiao Ai, who reacted, also picked up the three-year-old child on the ground and held it in his arms.

"Mom! Mom! The child was frightened, and Xiao Ai hugged the little boy tightly and kept comforting him.

"Daughter-in-law! Daughter-in-law! The husband was also frightened, and just exclaimed over and over again.

Hongyi reluctantly turned around and shouted at the head that had just popped up in the middle of the fire: "Call 999!" Get someone to help! The man quickly lowered his head and dialed the phone......

After Hongyi and several Forbidden City staff who rushed to the scene carried a stretcher to the ambulance, Xiao Ai returned the little boy who had been crying all the way back to the frightened young father. Hongyi suddenly remembered that the mother and son were the mother and son who he met for the first time in Jingren Palace! Forget it, what a coincidence. Looking back at Xiao Ai, who was panting and sweating on her temples, Hongyi slowly took her in his arms and said distressedly: "Let's go, Da Gege, on behalf of those two little guys, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you!" ”

"Cut! Who uses you to represent? You don't have an attitude yourself! Xiao Ai pretended to be dissatisfied.

"I'm a great admirer! Salute! Hongyi hurriedly raised his right hand, a standard salute!

"Huh...... Wait, why are you bleeding! Xiao Ai was really anxious this time, pulled down Hongyi's right hand, and sucked up the dirty blood on his ring fingertip with his mouth without bothering to wipe it......

"Oh, I was injured by the gate of that Jingren Palace again. It's okay, it's okay, it's unhygienic, it's okay, it's a big deal! ......" Hongyi was still noisy, and suddenly saw the strange and distressed look from Xiao Ai's clear big eyes, and he consciously stopped......

After a long time, Hongyi suddenly found that his left hand was still holding the bronze piece. I was in a panic just now, and I forgot all about returning it. It seems that I have to keep it for the Palace Museum for a while......

In the evening, Xiao Ai made an understatement to his parents and informed him of his stationing[4] territory, and after enduring some criticism from his parents, he lay down beside Hongyi.

"Why do you think this finger of mine is so sad, dear?" Hongyi held Xiao Ai in his right hand and stretched out his ring finger in front of Xiao Ai to dangle. But at this moment, after Xiao Ai's packaging, the ring finger has been tied with five flowers, band-aids, hemostatic gauze inside and out wrapped in several layers, when Hongyi raised objections, Xiao Ai Zhengse said: "Foreign affairs cadres should have some simple first aid knowledge, do you understand?" I just took class yesterday, I didn't expect to serve you today, what's the matter, you are still wronged? Although Hongyi immediately shut up, Xiao Ai still didn't give up afterwards, and drew an image of a nodding eunuch on snow-white gauze before he gave up, which made Hongyi unhappy, but he didn't dare to be angry or speak!

At this moment, Xiao Ai was fiddling with the copper window lattice piece in one hand, and holding Hongyi's unlucky ring finger in the other hand to frequently make the eunuch nod his head and waist, happy enough, before he quipped: "This can only show that you are full of firepower and energy, and you need to be relieved by bloodletting!" ”

Hongyi listened, was stunned for a moment, and suddenly said with a cheap smile: "I have enough energy, I need to solve it, that little Zengzi was called to serve Gege Da Ha......" At the same time, he turned over and pressed Xiao Ai under him for no reason.

"Someone, pass the guards, take down this villain, and escort him to the 'factory [5]' to clean him...... haha…… Ha...... Well...... Get out of the way...... Dislike...... Oh...... Ah......h

……

Hongyi was lying comfortably beside Xiao Ai, reminiscing about the wonders just now, holding the delicate beauty in one hand, and gently playing with the lotus leaf sachet with bright yellow base and embroidered peony with the other. This exquisite object with "a belt on the top and a tassel on the bottom" is a birthday gift from Xiao Ai to Hongyi, and it is also sewn by herself under the training of her grandmother, stitch by stitch, and it is said that it took a whole month. After some upside down, Xiao Ai shyly handed it into Hongyi's hands, but Hongyi jokingly called it a "little pillow", and the result was naturally a meal of "family law service". Xiao Ai has the spirit of humanistic care, and after the physical punishment is over, he gives Hongyi a traditional cultural education lesson.

It turns out that this kind of peony embedded on the front and embroidered persimmon purse sachet on the back means "everything (persimmon) wishes", which is their traditional handicraft of the Manchu people. Xiao Ai also said that the earliest purses were made of fish skins or animal skins to hold food for long-distance hunting. After the Manchus entered the customs, in addition to the long-term continuation of the custom of serving food, the purse gradually evolved into a portable item for men and women of the Eight Banners. When the emperor made a marriage, he wanted to tie this purse to the buttons of the placket of the selected show girl, which was called "putting Xiaoding". In the folk, the girl to be married should give the hand-embroidered purse as a token to the lover. Hongyi was naturally moved, when he knew that Xiao Ai was fighting at night in order to embroider more than a dozen small persimmons on the yellow brocade that was only the size of a business card, and pricked his fingers several times, he took Xiao Ai's green index finger in his mouth in distress, "tongue and finger interlacing", saying that it was to "love to heal", and the result was naturally an inch in and out......

Looking at Xiao Ai, who had just experienced the first time in her life and was asleep, Hongyi put down the sachet in her hand, and then gently brushed off her somewhat messy long hair, revealing her fair and translucent face. The little girl didn't know if she saw Hongyi with a ruffian face again in her dream, sometimes pouting, sometimes smiling, sometimes shy, and it was no worse than the delicate when she woke up. Hongyi couldn't help but lightly drop a kiss on Xiao Ai's forehead, and muttered to himself: "Don't worry, you gave it to me, I will be good to you, and only good to you, life and life, yes, life and life!" ”

And Xiao Ai turned over at this moment, and naturally put his arm on Hongyi's body. The night in Beijing in spring is still very cold, Hongyi gently picked up her hand in distress, and prepared to put it in the quilt. Suddenly, I found that she was still holding the copper piece in her hand. After gently breaking off Qianqian's jade fingers and holding the copper piece in his hand, Hongyi covered Xiao Ai with a quilt, looked at the unknown copper piece, but fell into deep thought: What does this thing have to do with me? weishenmeI'll have repeated bleeding over and over again for no apparent reason over the course of more than nine months? Weishenme seems to have such and such a relationship with Aixin Jueluo Xuanye, who was born today three hundred and sixty years ago? And the girl I love so much is still a serious Manchu Gege [6]? And in the past three hundred and sixty years, is there really any "reincarnation of six nails"? ……

With many questions, Hongyi finally held the bronze piece that was destined to accompany him for the rest of his life, hugged the lover who was destined to linger with him for a lifetime, and fell into a deep sleep......

[1] Quoted from the essay "Listening to Snow at the Temple of Heaven", author: Taking the wind as a horse;

[2] Old Sharp:

[1] Lao Jian'er, Beijing dialect, refers to parents, in fact, it is "old age", read quickly and become "Lao Jian'er", the word "Lao Jian'er" is very haode, children are the top of their parents' hearts, and parents should naturally be the child's old tip.

[2] Lao Jian'er, or Manchu colloquial language, is the meaning of the year. as

You see, that old lady is blessed, and she has become the top of the village.

[3] The place of "three with one low and one nothing" (Hongyi language) is a place with culture, taste, atmosphere, no consumption, and low tickets, and it is also an excellent place for Hongyi's self-esteem early love.

[4] stationed [zhubi]

1. When the emperor's concubine goes out, she pauses on the way;

2. When the emperor travels, the road is open and cleared, and the passage is prohibited. Generally refers to things related to the behavior of the emperor.

[5] Factory: Said to be the place where eunuchs were castrated, it is located outside the Xihua Gate in the Forbidden City, and is a relatively dilapidated hut (to be examined).

[6] Gege is the Manchu term for an unmarried woman, and its literal Chinese translation is "girl". After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, it became part of the official title of some Manchu aristocratic women, and the word formation and usage were similar to the Chinese word for "lady". In daily use by the Manchus, regardless of their status, unmarried people can be called Gege, but when used as a title and Han Chinese, they mostly refer to young women with noble status.