Leaving the old house, it will not look particularly dark even if there is no moonlight on the way. Because at this time, even the most provincial families in Suri lit candles to welcome the arrival of the New Year.

Li Miaomiao held Xinxin's hand tightly, looked at the candles lit up in the village, and listened to the laughter from somewhere, and felt that this cold winter night didn't seem to be so cold.

When Li Miaomiao and Xinxin arrived home, Shopkeeper Zhu was sitting at the table drinking wine alone.

Seeing the two of them coming back at this time, he couldn't help but be a little puzzled, so he asked, "Why did you come back so early?" "It stands to reason that when my parents are gone, they should stay in the old house.

Li Miaomiao stepped forward to fill his empty wine glass, and then took Xinxin to sit aside, "It's enough to have Lei Lei and Yanyan accompany the elders." For the Chinese New Year, it is not rude to invite you to come to the house as a guest, but leave you alone. Besides, even if you want to, Xinxin and I are not reluctant. ”

Naturally, because of himself and Xinxin, he is a lonely soul in another world, and the more he wants to stay away from that atmosphere at this time.

As for Xinxin, although he didn't say it, he was so young that the loneliness in his eyes couldn't escape Li Miaomiao's eyes. Although Li Miaomiao tries not to make him feel like an outsider on weekdays, in the end, this kid has his own ideas, and Li Miaomiao naturally doesn't want to embarrass him.

Knowing that she gave up the opportunity to reunite with her family for herself, Shopkeeper Zhu felt guilty and ironed. After being alone for a long time, a little warmth can hit the softest place in my heart.

Shopkeeper Zhu was drinking a little wine, Li Miaomiao often socialized because of work in her previous life, and the amount of alcohol was naturally excellent. But now it's just a thirteen-year-old girl, if you expose your love of wine at this time, I don't know if you will be treated as a monster.

The ninja wanted to drink the impulse, Li Miaomiao grabbed a handful of melon seeds and knocked them casually, and chatted with the shopkeeper Zhu without a match.

Xinxin is not a person who talks much, just sits quietly and listens to the two chatting, and from time to time he will add wine and tea to the two of them.

Seeing that he seems to have something on his mind at the moment, Li Miaomiao doesn't care about him, and the three of them are afraid that they have the same heart at this moment and miss their families. Although those family members have brought pain, at this moment, this situation is unavoidable.

"Over the past few days, I have benefited a lot from Yanyan and Xinxin's knowledge, and it is also very good to come to Zhu's shopkeeper to learn, so why didn't I continue to take the road of the imperial examination?" Talking about the hot spots, Li Miaomiao couldn't help but ask the questions that had bothered her for a long time.

I saw the shopkeeper Zhu raise the wine glass on the table, drank it all, and sighed before replying, "What's the use of reading well?" Everyone in the world is looking after readers, but in my opinion, it is useless to be a scholar."

Looking at the sad expression on the face of Shopkeeper Zhu, Li Miaomiao really regretted that she couldn't control her gossip heart. Now it's good, how do you end it?

At this moment, the air seemed to be a little stagnant, and after a moment of silence, I heard the voice of the shopkeeper Zhu sounding slowly, "Thanks to your brothers and sisters for the Chinese New Year this year, otherwise I would have to guard that sad place alone." ”

Looking at the distressed look on his sister and brother in front of him, Shopkeeper Zhu felt that the sadness in his heart had faded a lot.

gently stroked Xinxin's head and said with a smile, "You sisters and brothers don't have to look at me like this, the old man is strong." Besides, that's all in the past. ”

"If only you could see it." Li Miaomiao comforted.

"What's not to see. Speaking of which, if my son is still here, he will be seventeen years old this year, which is a good year."

As if recalling some beautiful moment, Shopkeeper Zhu's entire eyebrows and eyes softened, but the wrinkles on his face deepened a little.

"My family was only twelve years old when I left Xiaoyuan, and that year was when I was admitted to Xiucai, which can be described as infinitely beautiful. I was also very happy in my heart, thinking that I could finally make the life of my wife and children better. But the good times didn't last long, and my family Xiaoyuan fell ill before he could enjoy the blessings, and he never got out of bed again. ”

Speaking of this, a tear slipped from the corner of the shopkeeper Zhu's eyes, and he quietly wiped it away while drinking, but was still seen by Li Miaomiao's sister and brother on the side, and the two exchanged a look, but they didn't speak.

"However, in order to provide for my education, the family has long since exhausted the family resources. Everything that could be sold was sold out, but in the end, Xiaoyuan still went because we couldn't afford the medicine. At this time, I realized that I had been reading books for so many years, and what if I was admitted to Xiucai, it was not that I couldn't save my children, if I wasn't a useless person who could only read, maybe I could earn money, then my family Xiaoyuan would not have died. When Shopkeeper Zhu said this, his voice became more and more pathetic. Sending a white-haired person to a black-haired person can be described as a great tragedy in life.

Li Miaomiao held his trembling hands tightly and comforted, "You can't be blamed for this, there are unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and people have good and bad luck." This is not something you can change, you have done what a father should do, and I believe that Brother Xiaoyuan will not blame you. ”

"Yes, you are so good to us, it is conceivable that it will only be better for Brother Xiaoyuan. You are a good person, master, Brother Xiaoyuan will not blame you", Xin Xin also stepped forward to comfort.

"yes, he won't blame me? Won't he think I'm incompetent as a father? Shopkeeper Zhu asked again and again, as if he wanted an answer, perhaps he already had the answer in his heart.

"But she still won't forgive me, she married me at the best age, raised Xiaoyuan with me, and never felt that life was miserable. But I, but all I brought to her in the end was pain. ”

It seems that his wife is another scar in his heart, but he never seems to have heard him mention it.

"I don't know where the uncle is? If you really want to make amends, you can do what you think is right while people are still around. ”

Shopkeeper Zhu couldn't help laughing when he heard it, but the loneliness on his face made people feel even more sad.

"She had already left, and less than half a year after Xiaoyuan left, we separated. I saw her once last year, and she and her new husband are probably happy", he only dared to watch from a distance, because the bright smile made him dare not approach.

Li Miaomiao couldn't help but feel a little helpless when she heard this, it turned out that the person had already come out, and only the shopkeeper Zhu was still stuck in the past and couldn't extricate himself.

"You see, she's all out of the past, so why should you be alone in the pain of the past. People are looking forward, and life is also moving forward......"

The sound of crackling firecrackers interrupted Li Miaomiao's words, the time has come, and the new year has arrived.

"Happy New Year, Zhu shopkeeper, a new year and a new beginning", Li Miaomiao said auspicious words very seriously.

Shopkeeper Zhu looked at the girl in front of him, and suddenly realized that he was too obsessed with it, and he had trapped himself for so many years, and no little girl could see it through.

He took out two prepared red envelopes from his sleeves and handed them to the two children, "Happy New Year, New Year, New Beginning." ”

Li Miaomiao knew that he wanted to open it when she heard what he said, and happily accepted the red envelope. Xinxin saw that her sister took it, so she also took it.

"Okay, my old man won't stay up with you, I'm too old to stand it." Shopkeeper Zhu said as he walked towards the guest room.

Because the old house was a little far away from home, it was said that the two children would stay in the old house tonight, so Li Miaomiao took Xinxin to wash up briefly and rest.