The courtyard where the Duan family was located was the closest to the back door, and usually no one passed by at all, as long as she entered, even if she lived in the Duan family's courtyard for two or three days, no one would necessarily find her.

According to Gu Banqin's instructions, the carriage stopped at the mouth of the small alley with two red lanterns, Shinobu got off the carriage first, took a horizontal stool to help Gu Banqin and catkins get off, Gu Banqin put on the hat on the cloak, and quickly dodged into the alley.

Gu Banqin walked in the alley, the left and right walls were not as high as the palace walls, and the branches on the top of the wall occasionally fell leaves out of the wall.

Gu Banqin can vaguely remember the direction of these trees that come out of the wall in the mansion, and the familiar wall is not mottled even after so many years, because the Gu family will repair it once a year to make the mansion look new.

Walked to the back door, as Gu Banqin expected, the back door will never be locked, Gu Banqin pushed open the door and walked in, the back door is generally not much people come, except for some people pour swill and domestic garbage, will go, because dirty, so the owner never walks here.

After Gu Banqin entered, she walked along the road she used to do when she was a child and walked towards Cuiwei Courtyard, and before she got closer, she saw an old mother sitting at the door of Cuiwei Courtyard.

Gu Banqin recognized her, she was Zhang's mother who could make very refreshing pickled radishes that winter, when she entered the palace, Zhang's mother looked in good spirits, but she hadn't seen her for two years, and she was so old.

She was sitting outside the yard to collect the soles of her shoes, and after Gu Banqin walked over, she didn't speak, deliberately looking to see when Zhang's mother would find her, and the needle and thread on the soles of her shoes were blocked.

Zhang's mother looked up and saw a familiar smiling face, she was a little dazed for a while, put down the soles and needlework, rubbed her eyes hard, and then slowly stood up, Gu Banqin saw that she recognized herself, and laughed:

"Mother Zhang, it's me."

As soon as Gu Banqin spoke, Zhang's mother was still startled, and it took a long time to point at Gu Banqin and say, "You...... Is it the six girls? ”

"Isn't that me? I haven't seen you for two years, and you've forgotten about me! ”

Gu Banqin's affirmative answer made Zhang's mother at a loss for a while, her hands kept rubbing on her clothes, and she spoke incoherently: "This, this is really the sixth girl, look at the slave's eyes, ouch, I really can't even recognize the true god, I, I ......"

Seeing Zhang's mother so excited, Gu Banqin couldn't help laughing, reached over and held Zhang's mother's hand that she didn't know where to put it, and asked her, "What about my mother?" Is it inside? I'll come back to see her. ”

After saying this to Zhang's mother, Gu Banqin pulled her to Cuiwei Courtyard, but when she walked into the courtyard, she found that there was no one in the courtyard.

Before she entered the palace, there were two people who waited. Duan's was nowhere to be seen, and Zhang's mother came in wiping her hands, and pointed to the tables and chairs in the courtyard to Gu Banqin:

"Sixth girl, go sit down, I'll go boil water for the girl. My aunt went to the place and hasn't come back yet, but it's estimated that it's going to be soon. ”

Gu Banqin nodded, and after watching Mother Zhang get busy, she untied her cloak and put it on the stone table in the courtyard, looking at this long-lost small courtyard.

The two pear blossom trees in the yard are now bare and leafless, but Gu Banqin will not forget how sweet the pears that fall from this tree are in autumn.

"Don't be busy, Mother Zhang. What is my mother doing here? Did Xiaocui and Xiaohong go with them? How's the house going? ”

Gu Banqin asked one question after another, and Zhang's mother brought a hot kettle over, put it on the stone table, opened the lid of the small teapot, poured tea for Gu Banqin, and replied:

"My aunt goes to the office every day, the eldest lady arranged a job for her, Xiaohong Xiaocui matched the eldest lady with someone the year before last, and now she is no longer in Cuiwei Courtyard."

Gu Banqin took the tea handed by Zhang's mother and put it in the palm of her hand to cover her hands: "Oh, what kind of work does the eldest lady arrange for my mother?" Do you have to do it? Who is Xiaohong Xiaocui with? When I left, I remembered that Xiaohong and the son of the second housekeeper were not a little interesting......"

"Where, Xiaohong has matched the groom Lao Wang, Xiaocui...... Hey, don't talk about this, the slaves and maids are cheap, how can they live it? ”

Gu Banqin took a sip of hot tea, raised his eyes and said puzzledly: "Old King Mafu? That old man is seventy years old, Xiaohong is only seventeen or eighteen, how can he be worthy of him? Isn't this a widow? And Little Green, what's wrong with her? ”

Regarding Gu Banqin's question, Zhang's mother didn't know what to say, and at this moment, Duan's came back from outside, and she was the only one who entered the door, and there was no one around to wait.

Compared with the way he dressed up when he met Gu Banqin during the Mid-Autumn Festival, now at first glance, Duan's is not a little haggard than he was then.

When I went out this day, I was wearing a set of old curly clothes, and the patches could still be seen at the hem of the skirt, and I didn't see a cloak or something on my shoulders, and my hands and nose were a little red from the cold, and I couldn't stop rubbing my hands when I entered the door, and Zhang's mother stepped forward and called her:

"Auntie, look, who's back."

Duan Shi looked behind Zhang's mother with his hand, and his movements immediately froze, but he recovered after only a moment:

"You, why did you come back? Didn't you run back? Hurry up, go back, go back, all the people who have entered the palace, what is the matter with the sudden run back. ”

Duan Shi said that he was about to pull Gu Banqin to go out, Gu Banqin held her hand, it was cold, much thicker than before, and there were many cracks, and he pushed Duan Shi and walked two steps before Gu Banqin stood still: "Oh, mother, can I run out?" Look at what you said, who did you think of me? ”

Hearing Gu Banqin say this, Duan Shi regained some senses, but he still couldn't believe it: "No, then why did you come back suddenly?" Just one person? Mo is not and...... Quarreled, right? ”

Gu Banqin helplessly pulled Duan to sit down in front of the stone table, pointed to the door and said, "Someone came back with me, they are taking things, I came in alone first, I didn't quarrel with him, I just came back to see you." ”

After making sure that Gu Banqin didn't come back because of a quarrel and a temper, Duan was relieved and asked, "Why didn't you say a word to your family when you came back?" Xiangye and Mrs. don't know yet, you have a different identity now, where can you come in through the back door. Otherwise, let Zhang's mother tell ......"

"Don't, don't, don't. I just didn't want them to know about going through the back door. It's not that you don't know, my father and eldest lady hate me to the core, let them know that I am back, you don't worry about them doing me in the house, and you are in a hurry to give them a chance, right? Kill me, and their four girls will be able to be powerful in the palace. ”

Gu Banqin didn't wait for Duan to finish speaking, so she stopped her from telling Gu Fengmao and Wang's move, and the reason she said was quite straightforward, so she calmed down Duan a little.

"But anyway, you won't send someone to say a word when you come back, and I haven't cleaned it up."

Duan looked down at his clothes, and knew that he was not very well dressed, afraid that Gu Banqin would think too much, Gu Banqin stared at Duan for a while before decisively asking:

"Is the eldest lady embarrassed you?"

Duan shook his head: "No, don't think about it." I'm doing well, my wife is peaceful, what is not embarrassing. ”

"What's good? With such a big yard, Mother Zhang watched alone, and you still gave Zhi Ying to do things in the right place, what are you doing? During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was okay to touch your hands, but now suddenly there are so many mouths, you said it well, and someone has to believe it? And why did Xiaohong Xiaocui match a seventy-year-old groom? What about the son of the second steward? Didn't he like Xiaohong, I thought ......"

Gu Banqin's chattering words made Duan Shi not know how to answer, it was difficult to answer, so she simply didn't answer, silently took Gu Banqin's hand, and looked at Gu Banqin carefully.

His daughter hurt herself, and seeing Gu Banqin's gorgeous clothes, exquisite makeup, and ruddy face, Duan's was much more relieved.

Before Gu Banqin finished speaking, Duan reached out and wiped it on Gu Banqin's face, and said inexplicably: "The rouge on your face is too red." ”

"Huh?" Gu Banqin was stunned for a moment, and then said, "Mother, don't divert the topic." Let me ask you what kind of life you have been living in the mansion these times, how does the eldest lady bully you, and what rouge is not rouge to tell me? ”

Duan ignored Gu Banqin, but turned back to Zhang's mother and said, "Go and get a basin of water for Niangniang to wash your face." ”

Zhang's mother took the order, and Gu Banqin became more and more angry: "Mother, I will talk to you, I will not wash my face." Tell me, how can the eldest lady embarrass you. ”

Duan didn't say anything anymore, but pulled Gu Banqin up, took her hand, and asked her to turn around in front of her to show herself, looking at her from top to bottom, and then turned Gu Banqin's palm over, turned it over and looked at it several times.

Gu Banqin thought that the Duan family was thinking about herself, so she didn't resist and let the Duan family look down.

Zhang's mother brought water to Gu Banqin and put it on the stone table, still steaming with smoke, Gu Banqin was really puzzled: "Mother, what kind of face do you wash decently." I don't wash it, and I'll have to put on new makeup later, which is annoying. ”

Duan couldn't help but say, took out a clean handkerchief from Gu Banqin's sleeve, and wiped a handful of dry handkerchiefs on Gu Banqin's face, and made the makeup on Gu Banqin's face, even if Gu Banqin was reluctant, he could only wash it.

wanted to argue with Duan, but with a thorn on his face, Gu Banqin reluctantly went to the water's edge and washed his face with the soap corner handed by Zhang's mother.

"And hands, and wash your hands."

Gu Banqin really didn't want to quarrel with Duan's as soon as she came back, so she washed her face and hands as obediently as Duan's instructions as she could, and then faced Duan's face with a plain face and said:

"Your hands and face have been washed, and you can see your daughter's truest side again."

Duan stared at Gu Banqin's clean face and looked at the old man for a long time, and looked at Gu Banqin inexplicably, just as Liu Wu and Shinobu came in with the things brought to Duan by the carriage, Gu Banqin instructed them:

"Take the things to the hall." Turning around, he said to Duan: "Mother, I brought you a lot of things, you can come with me to take a look." And Zhang's mother is also here, and there are also for you. ”

Zhang's mother wiped her hands on her clothes, looked at Duan, and saw that she had no objection, so she followed her to the hall.