"I hope you really understand!"

Seeing Duan Niang leave, Xing Ruyi sighed lightly. I walked to the window and looked at the white scene outside, but I thought to myself. No matter how thick the snow falls, it will melt one day. Melt away, and the ugliness that has been obscured will be exposed to the sun.

He looked down at his lower abdomen, thinking about the little fox that was quietly pregnant inside. Xing Ruyi gently stroked his stomach: "Fortunately, your father is not a mortal, and he doesn't have the kind of heart that wants to marry three wives and four concubines and pass on the ancestry." So, we're all lucky people, aren't we, little fox? ”

Her stomach gurgled and she couldn't help but stare at it, then sighed softly.

"Alright, let's go eat!"

When I went out, I saw Xiao Shengzi standing not far from the door. Xing Ruyi hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Duan Niang has gone back." ”

"I ...... I'm here for you. ”

"Well, I have something I want to tell you." Xing Ruyi pointed to the lobby downstairs: "How about we go down and talk while eating?" ”

Xiao Shengzi nodded and made a gesture of please.

Waiting for Xiao Er's cooking, Xing Ruyi opened his mouth first: "You want to ask me where I have been all these years, right?" ”

Xiao Shengzi glanced at Xing Ruyi and nodded: "Over the years, I have always wondered what happened to you at the beginning. Why, it was Brother Chang who went out of Luoyang City, but it was the third master who came back. Why, you went out, but never came back? When the third master handed me your portrait and ordered me to look for it privately, I even thought, did you have an accident in the middle of the road? These questions have always been in my heart, but I dare not ask. After all, the only person who knows the inside story is no longer a catcher in the Jingshi Yamen. ”

"Is he okay?"

"Good, not good." Xiao Shengzi looked at the tea cup in front of him: "It is said that he sat in the position that everyone wants to sit, it should be good." But every time I see him, I always feel that he is not as happy as he was when he was in the Beijing Yamen. Oh, and there are many more women around him, but every woman seems to have your shadow on her body. ”

"My shadow?"

"Hmmm! Some of them are like you with their eyebrows and eyes, some are like you, and some are like you. But he and I both know that no matter how much those women look like you, they are never you. Therefore, the eyes of the third master when he looks at them are also a little different from when you look at you. Ruyi, I think, he really likes you. ”

"Luckily, I never liked him."

"Ruyi." Xiao Shengzi's expression was a little tangled: "If he hears this sentence, he will be sad." ”

"Xiao Shengzi. Oh no, I should call you Master Sheng. We've known each other for a long time, and you know my character. If the one I liked at the beginning was not my husband, but him, then I must be the one who suffers today. ”

"How so?" Xiao Shengzi stood up: "If the person you liked at the beginning was him, then you should be the one who lives in the middle palace now." ”

"Won't it be painful to live in the middle palace?"

"What is the state of mind of the person who lives in the middle palace now, I don't dare to speculate. But Ruyi, if that person were you, the situation must be different. ”

"It's only going to get worse." Xing Ruyi smiled faintly: "You have been an official for many years, you should know that when you reach his position, many things will become involuntary." What kind of woman he chooses, he can't be determined by his own sincerity at all. Even if the person I liked at the beginning was him, even if he was willing to let me live in the Middle Palace, do you think those ministers in the court would agree?

Take 10,000 steps back, even if the ministers agree and agree, I will live in that luxurious house as I wish, do you think I will be happy? ”

"No!" Xiao Shengzi shook his head: "I think you won't agree to just the fact that he marries another woman." ”

"Yes, I can't tolerate my man marrying another woman at all, but if the person I like is him, I have to say yes, I have to allow. In that case, I'm going to be depressed. ”

"I understand, I think the third master also understands in his heart, that's why he gave up at the beginning and only kept you in his heart." Xiao Shengzi picked up the teacup: "Over the years, has Young Master Yin been good to you?" ”

"He's not much changed, except that he's a little more silent than he was in the rouge shop."

"I'm relieved." Xiao Shengzi swallowed a sip of tea: "Whether it is the third master or me, we all hope that you can live well." ”

"When you were in Luoyang, did you go to see Siniang?"

"I've been to the wine store twice, but every time, it's in a hurry."

"Then Siniang, is she okay?"

"It's okay, it's the same as before. The wine shop is still the same as it used to be, and the customers come and go are still those people. ”

"That's good." Xing Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief.

The dishes were served one after another. are all some common local side dishes, which are not sumptuous, but the taste is the kind that Xing Ruyi likes. Xiao Shengzi was obviously not used to eating these home-cooked tastes, so he only glanced at them and didn't move his chopsticks.

"Duan Niang was pregnant with a child, do you know?"

Xing Ruyi picked up a piece of tofu and put it in the bowl.

"Yes."

"You know?" She looked up and looked at Xiao Shengzi with some surprise.

"I ...... I found out later. ”

"When?"

"When Duan Niang was sick." Xiao Shengzi poured himself a glass of water, and then took a sip: "At that time, Lihua had already entered the mansion. Because of her father's relationship, I always stayed in her yard and neglected to take care of Duan Niang. When I learned that she was sick, I found an excuse to visit her. ”

"To visit his wife, do you have to find a reason?"

"Lihua is more rude, and the matter of the third master has not been completed at that time, so I have to ......" Xiao Shengzi said, and poured another glass of water: "When I went to see Duan Niang, I overheard two maids talking. said that Duan Niang was pregnant with my child, but Lihua knew about it. So, Lihua bought off the maid next to Duan Niang and added an extra safflower to her tonic. ”

"Maid?"

"Well, it's Yinghong, who is responsible for serving and taking care of her by Duan Niang's side on weekdays."

"Have you ever seen that Yinghong?"

Xiao Shengzi shook his head: "I asked the next person, and it was said that after Duan Niang slipped the tire, she arrested Yinghong and beat her severely, and then drove her out of the house." This Yinghong was originally bought to serve Duan Niang, and when this kind of thing happened, driving her out was already considered benevolent and righteous, so I didn't continue to pursue it. ”

"What about Lihua? She bought the maid next to Duan Niang, didn't you pursue it? ”

"I reprimanded Lihua and ordered her not to go to Duan Niang's yard again."

"It's just a simple reprimand, no wonder Duan Niang has resentment in her heart."

"The child is gone, and when I asked Lihua, she didn't admit it, what else can I do? Is it possible, let me escort Lihua to the yamen. Don't say that it won't work at that time, but it will work, and I will also take into account the reputation of the Sheng family. This kind of thing, if it spreads, will only cause people to talk about it. ”

"You have avoided a trouble, but you have buried an even greater disaster."

"Ruyi, what do you mean by that?"

Xiao Shengzi had just finished asking when he heard someone outside exclaiming, saying that a woman had fallen from the building.

Xing Ruyi looked at the tofu resting in the bowl and shook his head slightly.

"Let's go check it out!"

"See?" Xiao Shengzi looked at Xing Ruyi suspiciously: "At my age, I have already passed the time to watch the excitement. ”

"Go ahead. Even if you don't go now, you will go later. ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw the shopkeeper running over with a panicked face. Before the shopkeeper could speak, another woman's half-crying voice came from upstairs: "Master, the master is not good, the second lady jumped off the building!" ”

"What did you say?" Xiao Shengzi was in a trance, and was then supported by the shopkeeper who was standing aside.

"Master Sheng, the little one just went out to see it. The one who fell from the stairs was indeed your wife, the lady who was pregnant with the child. ”

Xiao Shengzi first saw a black eye, then pushed the shop Xiaoer, and stumbled out.

Xing Ruyi put down his chopsticks and gently stroked his stomach: "Hey! Little fox, we can only eat this meal later. ”

got up, went upstairs, and went directly to Duan Niang's room. Pushing open the door, I saw Duan Niang standing at the window, looking out.

"Unexpectedly, you did it anyway."

"yes, I didn't expect that." Duan Niang turned around, but her face seemed to overlap with another more blurry face.

"I thought you listened to what I just told you."

"I listened to it, so I decided to do it now." Duan Niang pointed to the stool in the room: "The girl is pregnant, it's better not to stand." ”

"Why?"

"When I was in Luoyang, although Duan Niang didn't have a deep relationship with the girl, she also knew that the girl was a very powerful person. Just now, in Lihua's room, the girl only told the master about Lihua's illness, but did not tell the master what Lihua's illness came from. For this reason, Duan Niang is very grateful to the girl, and she is grateful to the Ruyi girl for helping Duan Niang hide it. However, Duan Niang knew better in her heart that according to the girl's ability, it was only a matter of one or two days to cure Lihua. ”

"She always carried the child of Xiao Shengzi in her womb."

"What I was carrying in my womb that day was not a child."

Xing Ruyi shook his head: "In this way, I hurt her." ”

"Even if there is no girl, she will die. I lived to let her die. Duan Niang's eyes showed a touch of cruelty: "The reason why she has been kept until now is to let her raise the child in her womb until she can be born, and then send her and her child to the underworld to meet my child." This kind of punishment is the most cruel for her. ”

"Duan Niang, you shouldn't just be trying to avenge your own children, right?" Xing Ruyi stared at Duan Niang's right cheek.

That half of the face was obviously not hers.