In the fourth year of Jingyou in the Northern Song Dynasty, in a courtyard in the west of Gusu City, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with a double beard was teasing a cat in the courtyard.

The middle-aged man on the side was discussing something with the woman in the house with a heavy face, and the expressions of the two showed helplessness and anger.

But at this moment, Liu Jiuli obviously didn't mean this, she finished teasing the cat, and rushed to chase the butterfly, the butterfly chased it, and was busy swinging.

The woman, dressed in a green cloth shirt, wiped her tears where neither the man nor the little girl could see, and then resumed her usual gentle call, "Ah Li, come." ”

The girl was interrupted from playing, very unhappy, and pouted, "Mother, what are you doing?"

"Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to eat braised pork ribs?" said the woman gently.

The girl sniffed, tilted her head and asked suspiciously, "Mother, didn't you say yesterday that the price of pork has risen and you will buy it after a while?"

"No, we'll eat today. ”

At noon, Ah Li finally found that the atmosphere at home today was not quite right, it was obviously pork ribs that could not be eaten usually, but for some reason, my father and mother did not move the chopsticks, but just watched her eat silently on the side.

"Daddy, mother, I, I can eat a few less. Liu Jiuli stuffed ribs in his mouth, and his little face turned red.

The woman's eyes were so hot that she almost burst into tears. The man spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "Ah Li, my father and mother are going to give you a task these days." ”

Ah Li hurriedly swallowed the meat and asked, "Daddy, what is the task?"

"Help Daddy go to the Ye family in the suburbs of the city to deliver a letter. ”

"Okay! I'll go after dinner, and I'll be back before the evening. Ah Li replied cheerfully.

"It's okay not to rush back. ”

"No, I can't bear you and A-Niang. Ah Li hugged the man's arm and said coquettishly.

The woman hurriedly wiped away her tears and said, "Later, I will bring some pickles, and it will be a gift for the master." ”

Ah Li looked up and happily agreed.

After eating, Liu Jiuli took the letter written by his father and a basket of kimchi and walked towards the outskirts of the city. Along the way, as usual, she greeted her neighbors very warmly.

The little girl with a pink carving and a very sweet mouth is naturally loved by everyone. Although she has reached the end of the day, her father and mother are reluctant to say goodbye to her, and only say that they are not in a hurry.

Along the way, the east family stuffed a pear, the west family sent a cake, and before he reached the outskirts of the city, Ah Li's stomach was already full of Lulu.

These neighbors have always been very kind to her, and she naturally goes to help the owner sweep the floor from time to time, and the west family does chores. And the Ye family on the outskirts of the city, she hasn't been to it for a long time, but she still remembers that it was a big mansion hidden in the woods, and her father always said that the Ye family's uncle was his friend, but he always looked inferior.

She was very puzzled, shouldn't friends be equal, why did her father and mother always give her a feeling of fear of the Ye family. Ye Jiuli still remembers that when she was a child, she went with her father and mother a few times, but every time she saw her father's respectful appearance to the family, she felt very uncomfortable, and later, she found an excuse not to go every year.

After walking for about an hour or two, she finally found the secluded house in the woods, and the red gate seemed to give people a very deep and solemn feeling, and there was no small servant at the door, so she had the courage to knock on the door vigorously.

After a while, an old white-bearded old man who couldn't tell his age came to open the door, the old man's face was full of wrinkles, and his back was also rickety, but his voice was very thick when he said angrily, "It's not June yet, what are you doing here, kid?"

Ah Li was a little afraid of him, so he had to lower his head and say, "My father asked me to send a letter to Uncle Ye." ”

"Who is your father?" asked the old man.

"Chengxi Liujia Dalang. Liu Jiuli replied obediently.

The old man thought for a long time before he remembered to open the door. Liu Jiuli followed the old man through the corridor, this house is very large, surrounded by flowing water, and green shade everywhere. Liu Jiuli felt very strange that there were so many streams and so many trees in their own homes.

The old man looked at Liu Jiuli looking around, and sneered: "It's been so many years in the blink of an eye, and your father and mother have protected you so well." At this point, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't say what you shouldn't say, and if there's anything you don't know, you can ask me. Also, usually stay away from Childe. ”

Liu Jiuli didn't understand who he was talking about, and he didn't know why the old man said the usual two words, obviously she would return home tonight, why did the old man say that he usually stayed away from the son.

She was thinking about it, and in the blink of an eye, she had arrived in the hall, and a dignified man in his forties was sitting on a chair in the middle, with an irresistible majesty in his eyes, Ah Li recognized it after just one glance, this is what his father said about the uncle of the Ye family-Ye Wunie.

"You are the little daughter of the Liu family, you haven't come to me for so many years, why are you here alone today?" Ye Wunie asked.

"Daddy asked me to send a letter, and my mother said that the altar kimchi was a gift to my uncle. Liu Jiuli replied obediently.

Ye Wunie took the letter, and after reading it for a long time, he didn't speak, and Ah Li had to sit on the stool and didn't dare to move.

I don't know how long it took before Ye Yuannie spoke: "You don't have to go back today, you can stay at your uncle's house these days." ”

Liu Jiuli replied obediently: "No, thank you, uncle, I still have to go home today, and my father and mother are still waiting for me at home." ”

Although it was a little late, she didn't want to stay in the Ye family, she didn't like the gloomy atmosphere here.

She wanted to go back quickly, to the little thatched hut with bright flowers,

Ye Yuannie didn't seem to hear Liu Jiuli's answer, but turned around and ordered the old man, "Old Yang, close the door, open the barrier, and don't let a single mosquito fly in these days." ”

The old man bowed and said, "The old slave has already done it." ”

Ye Yuannie raised his eyebrows and sighed: "You are smart, but this little girl is not very smart." ”

The butterflies in the courtyard of the Ye family are flying, but there are no Ye Jiuli's favorite pink butterflies, all of them are black butterflies with big wings.

[1] Roll up a bun on each side of the head. Those who have both hanging and mustache are called "double hanging buns", and those with single hanging buns and no mustaches are called "double hanging buns", and those that have no mustaches and do not droop are called "double buns".