In the study, most of the charcoal fire in the three-legged amphora beast pattern furnace has been extinguished. Outside, the north wind beat on the window lattice with the frozen snow. I knelt beside the flickering fire, looking at the wet jacket in my hand in disgust.

This jacket was made for me when I was six years old, and although the sleeves were much shorter, it was the only winter coat I had. Today, I don't know where it was scratched, but there was an extra two-inch-wide opening on the back vest, revealing a pile of black and moldy trellished and clumps of reed flowers.

If the mezzanine is wet, the winter coat is considered wasted. For the next three months, I was afraid that I would freeze.

I sighed and threw my jacket aside. Then, as usual, he took a roll of bamboo slips from the bookshelf and spread it on the desk.

Most of the servants in the general's palace were commoners, and I could only be counted as a slave. Not to mention that there is no chance to read and write, if you take it out and sell it, it may not be worth a dogskin. But I was crazy about literacy, I wanted to know what song my mother sang every day when she put me to sleep, and I wanted to know what she said when she was crazy. If a person stares at another person for ten days, a hundred days, even if they don't speak, they will know each other. So, if I stare at these bamboo slips every day, will I be able to recognize them one day?

"I'm Ah Shi, do you recognize me?" I gently stroked the crooked ink marks on the bamboo strip with my fingertips, muttering to myself.

Click, there was a soft sound outside the door.

I was so shocked that I wanted to get up and pack up the books on the desk, but it was too late.

"Zizhao, you are really good at picking the day, the half moon in Yongdu is the snowiest today, you should come back at this time." It was a middle-aged gentleman in a Wei leather coat who pushed the door in but did not go inside, only looked out with a smile.

"Since you know that the snow is big, why should Brother Baili go out of the city to greet him?" Outside the door, snow had broken the branches, and in the crunch I heard a strange but warm voice.

Is the general back? I had the courage to raise my head and crane my neck to look out.

"I've been waiting for you for four years, and no one in such a big Yongcheng City will dare to go to Moya Mountain for night hunting with me except you." The leather-clad man rubbed his hands and turned around to look for the stove, and before I could see the long figure by the bamboo door, he grabbed him, "Hey, where did this drooping child come from?" He looked at me and wondered.

I quickly fell to my knees with a pair of eyes from the people who came up.

The leather-clothed man walked to the stove, picked up a roll of bamboo slips that I had dropped at my feet, and exclaimed, "Oh roar, it is not unusual to be literate at such a young age, and I am still reading the book of soldiers!" ”

"Noble man, the servant is illiterate, only ...... Just wiping down the scroll. I bowed my head and replied tremblingly.

"Swabs? You can't do it with your hands! The man lifted my chin with a bamboo slip, he looked at my face, the corners of his mouth suddenly raised, and he turned his head to the person behind him, "Zizhao, this child is interesting, why don't you give it to me?" ”

Give it to him?! My brain exploded and I hurriedly looked behind him.

The green scarf tied his hair, and the general of the Confucian clothes and the snow appeared in front of me like this. I looked at that god-like face, and my heart was shocked, happy, panicked, and afraid. Among the nations, it was very common for nobles to transfer slaves from one tribe to another. As long as someone asks for it, almost no one will refuse. Am I going to be handed over to someone else when I see him for the first time in four years?

No, I don't-

I couldn't speak, so I could only pout and look at the person I had been looking forward to for four years with begging eyes.

The general glanced at me, didn't speak, only smiled and retrieved the bamboo slip from the hand of the man in leather clothes: "The monarch has given ten temple people from Baili Mansion today, why do you bother to ask for a child from me again." ”

The man was stunned for a moment, then laughed, and said loudly: "Also, there are really few servants in your house, and I will give you a few more capable ones when I go back." ”

The general smiled and thanked me, turned to me and ordered, "It's none of your business, go down!" ”

"No!" I got up in a hurry, ran out as if I was running for my life, ran to the door and remembered that my torn jacket was still left by the fire, so I had to turn around and take it with a red face, and rush out the door again.

"Zizhao, look at the rotten grass in this place. It seems that this kid really doesn't like me! Running outside the study, I heard the sound of a man in leather laughing.

I looked down and saw that the damp and moldy rotten grass in my jacket had been shaken all the way by me like flowers.

I sighed and went back to my room, humming and climbing into bed to cover my head with the quilt, not wanting to speak or face anyone. Si'er didn't know what happened to me, and he leaned over my head and whispered, "Ah Shi, do you know that the general has returned?" Do you know what I got you? ”

"I don't know—I don't know—" I rolled around the quilt and muffled.

"You really don't know?!" Si'er raised his voice suddenly.

"Yes, of course I do!" I jumped up and hugged Si'er, and I cried as soon as I screamed, "The general was almost about to give me to Doctor Baili just now!" The rotten grass in my torn jacket was all shaken in his study. He must hate me now, and he must regret taking me home in the first place. Si'er, do you think he will let the housekeeper send me to Baili Mansion tomorrow? I'm not going, I'm not going—"

Si'er glanced at the jacket I had dropped on the ground, and although he didn't quite understand what I was saying, he hugged my head tightly.

Yu An saw that I was crying sadly, so he came up and said: "Don't be sad, the Baili clan of the Qin State is a big family, and the sect leader Baili Qiu is the descendant of the five doctors Baili Xi (1), and he married Qin Jun's sister as his wife, if you are a maid in his mansion, you may not be as good as this general's mansion!" ”

As soon as I heard what he said, I immediately remembered the face of Dr. Baili when he looked at me. "As far as you know, you Jinren know a lot!" I pushed Yu An off the edge of the bed and cried, "Untouchables have never been human beings in the eyes of you nobles, melons, fruits, pots, kettles, where to put it is different, it is worth more if it is higher, right?" ”

"Ah Shi, what are you doing? He's still wounded! Si'er snorted softly and hurriedly got out of bed to help Yu An.

I clenched my hand and looked at the frowning teenager on the ground in a daze, and my mind became a mess. What's wrong with me, he's him, he's not like them.

"Don't blame her, she's just a chestnut, and she explodes whenever she gets angry." Si'er glared at me, for An Dao.

"It's okay, it's me who is bad. I forgot, this is also her home. Yu An got up from the ground and looked apologetic. The word "home" came out of his mouth, and it had a taste that was more bitter than bitterness.

I thought of his situation at this moment, and suddenly I felt that I was really not a human being.