At the Su family in Songjiang Mansion, the housekeeper trotted into the hospital.

"Aunt Ru, the master has a letter."

Aunt Ru was coaxing the child in the bedroom, and when she heard Su Haoran's letter, she hurriedly handed the child over to the girl and ran out to get the letter.

Ru Ping read the letter seriously with some excitement, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"The lord has found the eldest lady. Now the city gate is sealed, and they are not allowed to come in the village outside the city. In the letter, the lord said: Let the house close the door, and do not enter or leave unless it is absolutely necessary. He also said that this epidemic does not know when it will pass, so let us be frugal in our diet. ”

"Aunt Ru and the old man have the same heart." The butler bowed his head in admiration.

"The master is back, and the eldest lady is fine, so we can rest assured."

Ru Ping carefully put away the letter and was about to go back to the house. The butler hurriedly stopped her again.

"Aunt Ru, someone from outside said to be waiting for Auntie's reply."

Reply? That's right, since the letter can be sent in, there should be a way to send it out.

"Okay, I'll write it. Please wait a moment for someone outside. Apricot blossoms, quick, grind for me. ”

Aunt Ru hurriedly went into the small study.

A quarter of an hour later, Aunt Ru handed an envelope with a silver ingot to the butler: "This silver is for the messenger, and it is troublesome for him." ”

The housekeeper took it and hurriedly sent it out.

Pomegranate and Xichun also heard the news at this time, and rushed here one after the other. Ru Ping told them what Su Haoran wrote in his letter and what he could say.

Knowing that the young lady was safe, the two girls were also relieved.

At that time, it was already dark, and Su Haoran, who was restless, stood at the door, constantly looking out through the window.

Su Muling, who had a quilt on his lap and was guarding the charcoal stove and roasting the fire, persuaded him from time to time: "Daddy, just sit down and wait." It's more than ten miles away from the city, and I don't come back so soon. ”

"I can't wait for Aunt Ru's letter, I can't sit still!"

Su Haoran walked back and forth on the ground, unable to stop at all. Su Muling knew that persuasion was useless, so he could only accompany him silently.

At the end of the hour, there was the sound of footsteps in the courtyard. Then, a dark shadow walked through the darkness and stepped up the steps of the door.

Su Haoran hurriedly stepped forward to lift the door curtain for the visitor: "No shadow? ”

Seeing that it was not the person he was waiting for in front of him, Su Haoran showed disappointment on his face.

Wuying took out Ru Ping's letter from his arms and handed it to Su Haoran.

"Master Su, Aunt Ru's letter."

Su Haoran took the letter and was delighted: "Why did you send it?" What about Xing Zhutou? ”

"Xing Zhutou has returned to the capital overnight after handing over the letter to me because of official business."

"Gone?" I haven't had time to thank him yet.

"Okay, you can go back and rest too."

Retired without a shadow.

Su Haoran took the letter and couldn't wait to open it and read it, and after a while, Su Haoran closed the letter with a smile on his face, and finally sat back in his chair.

"How are you at home?"

Su Muling saw Su Haoran with a smile on his face, and knew that there must be nothing wrong at home.

"It's all good at home. Since the epidemic began after we left, Aunt Ru has closed the door to prevent people from entering and leaving casually. Except for a few children, the family's meals are simple from top to bottom. Even Ru Ping has been reduced from six dishes and one soup at home to one meat and one vegetarian. Half of the charcoal stove at home was gone, and Ru Ping stopped the charcoal stove in her room and went to eat and live with the children. She said that she didn't know what the epidemic would end, so she needed to save money to prepare for future troubles. ”

"I can't usually see it, but I didn't expect Ru Ping to be quite capable of governing the family at a critical moment." Su Muling praised.

"Yes, she is the same as your mother, she doesn't show mountains and rivers on weekdays, but she has an idea at critical moments."

Su Haoran also greatly appreciated Ru Ping's move this time.

"If Daddy is so optimistic about Aunt Ru, you might as well find a chance to straighten her right."

Su Haoran raised his eyes and looked at Su Muling for a long time, a little hesitant: "Forget it, I'll talk about this later." ”

Su Muling has not yet married, at this time, Ru Ping will be straightened, and Ru Ping's two sons and one daughter will be on an equal footing with Su Muling, and the family's property will also be divided.

Su Haoran didn't want Su Muling to be wronged, even if he wanted to straighten Ru Ping right, he would have to wait until Su Muling got married.

"It's getting late, I'll send you back to the house to rest." Su Muling didn't bring a girl. Su Haoran wanted to watch her go back to the room with his own eyes.

After days of running, Su Muling was indeed tired. When I went back to my room, I saw a little girl sitting on the threshold of the bedroom, dozing off with her chin propped up.

"Who are you? How I haven't seen you. ”

Su Muling walked up to her and woke her up.

The little girl quickly stood up and replied in a crisp voice to Su Muling: "Miss Hui, I am the daughter of Yu Ping'an, the steward of Zhuangzi." My mother said that there was no one around the eldest lady to serve her, so she asked me to come and serve the eldest lady. ”

Su Muling's heart warmed, and she asked her softly, "What's your name?" ”

"Miss Hui, the slave maid is called Aunt Cui."

"Aunt Cui. You go and boil some water for me, I'm going to take a bath. ”

Su Muling hadn't changed her clothes or taken a shower for more than half a month, and her body was already crawling like insects, so she almost itched in public.

When Aunt Cui heard that Su Muling was going to take a bath, she grinned: "Knowing that the eldest lady is going to take a bath, the water has already been prepared." The change of clothes was left over from the time when the eldest lady lived here before, and the slaves and maids smoked incense and roasted them on the charcoal stove to keep them warm from the cold. ”

Su Muling looked at this neat little girl with her hands and feet, and she couldn't say how much she liked it.

After taking a bath, changing into clean clothes, and letting Cui Gu leave a lamp, Su Muling carefully checked the doors and windows, and after making sure that there was no problem, he went to bed and lay down. The egg hurts

Under the pillow, there was still the dagger she never left her side.

******

Su Haoran and Su Muling stayed on Zhuangzi. Every day, Su Haoran would send someone to inquire about the news in the city.

As the days passed, the emperor's disaster relief supplies were also transported into Songjiang Mansion in batches. The imperial physician sent by the capital commanded the people to boil herbs day and night, and kept changing the prescriptions, trying to find the most effective way to cure the epidemic.

More than ten days have passed. After lunch on this day, Su Muling was uncomfortable, dressed thickly and took Cui Gu out of the yard for a walk.

Outside the kitchen door, I happened to meet the steward Yu Ping'an talking to an old man selling charcoal.

“…… Now that the city is sealed, there are fewer people who buy charcoal. Our days are even harder. If the price doesn't go up, I'm afraid I'll starve to death. ”

The old man who sold charcoal was wrapped in thin clothes and a thin body, and he was laughing with Yu Ping'an.

"I also know your difficulties, but this charcoal is getting more and more expensive every day...... Forget it, then leave all this charcoal behind. Don't wander around here, I'll give you some money. ”

Yu Ping'an turned around to go to the account room and saw Su Muling.

"Why did the eldest lady get here?"

"It's okay, come out for a walk, you're busy."

Before she was reborn, she would come to Zhuangzi at this time of year to stay in the village for more than a month to pay tribute to her mother. I am very familiar with the people in Zhuangzi.

"Okay."

Yu Ping'an left, Su Muling glanced at the old man selling charcoal, and then looked at the charcoal on the ground.

"Let's go inside and have a cup of tea to warm up." Su Muling was in a harmonious mood.

"Thank you, Miss. But I ...... I'm afraid I'll stain the things in the house. ”

The old man had never seen such a delicate and lovely young lady, and he did not expect to be invited to tea, so he panicked for a while.

"It's okay, Aunt Cui, go and ask someone to make some tea. Come in with me, old man. ”

Su Muling took the lead into a nearby dining room.

"Old man, please be seated." Su Muling asked the old man to sit down.

"Where does the old man live?"

The tea was quickly served, and Su Muling took a sip and asked.

The old man hurriedly bowed and replied, "Miss Hui, the grass people live in this mountain." ”

"How's business going on weekdays?"

"The grass people burn charcoal for a living, and they can get by on weekdays, but this year because the epidemic has affected their livelihoods, life is almost unbearable." The charcoal seller sighed.

"Where does the old man's charcoal sell on weekdays?"

"Miss Hui, sell to Songjiang and Huaxi."

"Huaxi? As far as I know, wasn't Huaxi locked down like Songjiang because of the epidemic? Su Muling was strange.

The old man smiled bitterly: "It's a lockdown." But the government only sealed the city gate that people often walked. For example, we live in the mountains between Huaxi and Songjiang, and there are many ways to get into the city. A few days ago, I also went to Huaxi to sell some charcoal...... Ahem! ”

The old man coughed a few times, quickly took a sip of tea, and pressed it down.

"What? At this time, you are also in the city? ”

Su Muling put down the cup vigilantly.

"If you don't go in, you can't do it. If we don't sell charcoal, we won't have anything to eat, and we will have to live...... Ahem. ”

Su Muling got up and stood a few steps away, her face slightly condensed: "The old man is not feeling well?" ”

The old man who sold charcoal hurriedly got up: "I have occasionally felt cold in the past two days. ”

Su Muling saw that the old man's face was flushed, and there were slight beads of sweat on his forehead, so he took out a few taels of silver from his body and put them on the table.

"Take the money and go away. Ask someone from your family to grab a few pairs of medicine for you and take them. If it doesn't get better, report it to the police immediately. ”

"Miss...... This...... So much. The old man looked at the silver on the table and was afraid to take it.

"Cuigu, send him out."

Su Muling had never treated others so harshly, and Cui Gu hurriedly picked up the silver and stuffed it into the old man's hand.

"The eldest lady is kind-hearted, so if you take it, you will take it."

The old man who sold charcoal held the silver tightly in his hand, and thanked him for a thousand thanks before going out with Aunt Cui.

"Miss, I heard ......"

Su Ping'an walked in with money in his hand, and when he saw that the old man selling charcoal was not there, he just wanted to ask Su Muling, but Su Muling waved his hand to stop his words:

"Uncle Yu, who did that old man come into contact with just now?" Su Muling covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and her tone was extremely serious.

"I didn't ...... There was no one, just the porter and me. Yu Ping'an hesitated for a moment and replied.

"You find a room for the porter to stay alone, and don't have any contact with him except to deliver food. After three days, nothing unusual was released again. And you, Cuigu, and I have to be separated from everyone. From now on, don't come into contact with anyone. ”

"Miss, who are you?" Yu Ping'an was puzzled.

"I suspect that the old man who sells charcoal is suffering from the epidemic, and all of us may be infected. Cover your mouth and nose with a veil so that you don't infect other people. And all the teacups in this room, which were thrown into the fire and burned. The tables and chairs in this room should be thoroughly disinfected. ”

"The epidemic? God, didn't I lure the wolf into the house? I ......"

"Don't talk nonsense, go ahead and do it."