At the end of the 25th year of the Republic of China, the "Xi'an Incident," which shocked the whole country, made headlines on the front pages of newspapers and magazines, and patriots all over the country were boiling, talking and discussing in the streets and alleys, and there was even more noise in the major colleges and universities. Ostensibly, the civil war has finally come to an end.

Even the people in the courtyard of the Zhou family were whispering, Master Zhou sat in the hall, wearing reading glasses, reading the newspaper happily, he was not happy for the editorial in the newspaper, but because the editorial was from his son Zhou Ruikang. Ruikang has lived up to expectations and is already making a name for himself, often reading his news and editorials in newspapers.

Mrs. Zhou, Ryan sat aside, Ruojun stood behind Ryan, and they all listened to Master Zhou with a smile on their faces.

After reading the editorial written by his son, Master Zhou took off his reading glasses with satisfaction, nodded, and said with a smile: "Sure enough, it is a tradition that does not insult our Zhou family's generations of scholars. ”

Mrs. Zhou smiled proudly, looked at Master Zhou's face, restrained her smile, and said tentatively: "Master, the child has become a child, I think he has already made a mistake, take him back, I really want to panic." ”

The smile on Master Zhou's face froze, he glared at Mei Ruojun sharply, snorted in his nose, and said, "Do you think I don't want my son?" ”

Mei Ruojun shivered all over her body and lowered her head.

"I said a long time ago, in order for the Zhou family to stop scandalous things, Ruikang must have two conditions to go home." Master Zhou said solemnly: "One, Ruian and Ruojun must have a round house as soon as possible, and second, Ruikang must bring the woman he likes home for us to see." And to get him married as soon as possible. ”

Mrs. Zhou also frowned and asked sharply, "Did you hear that?" ”

Ryan stood up on crutches and said, "Dad, mother, why don't you force us." I can wait, I am willing to wait, until Ruojun accepts me. ”

Master Zhou glared at his eyes and said angrily: "You can wait, my father and mother can't wait, have you ever thought about it for my father, we are almost half a hundred people, and we have not seen the next generation of the Zhou family so far." It is your responsibility to have children and pass on the lineage, where is her turn to be willing or not. If she doesn't want to, then I'll marry you another room right away!" ”

"No, don't! I don't want it! Ryan shouted: "I only want Ruojun, if she doesn't want me, I am willing to guard her for the rest of my life." ”

"How can this be true? What kind of goblin did our family marry? How did you make both sons swoon? ”

This is not the first time she has heard this kind of insult, every time she listens to it, Mei Ruojun's heart will still tremble and bleed, she regards being insulted as a way to wash away her sins, although she trembles all over, but she still stands there and lets the second elder of the Zhou family humiliate herself.

Mrs. Zhou's face turned pale, and she sneered and said, "Oh? Ruojun, don't you want to? You have done such a shameless and shameless thing, we have not kicked you out of the house is already benevolent and righteous, you made Ruikang run away from home, almost ruined, and now you still want our Zhou family to cut off children and grandchildren? ”

"No...... Don't ......" Mei Ruojun took two steps back, tears had unconsciously poured into her eyes, but she didn't want to cry, so she bit her lip hard and held back her tears.

"Mother!" Ryan limped between the two of them and said loudly, "Don't be embarrassed, she is my wife, the wife you married for me." You will not cut off your children and grandchildren, I believe that Ruikang will open up branches and leaves for the Zhou family. ”

"You ....." As soon as he heard Ryan say that Ruojun was the wife he retrieved for him, and saw him standing in front of Ruojun like a god, the second elder of the Zhou family once again had no choice but to stop fighting.

"Ruojun and I went back to the room first." Ryan stepped forward and shook Ruojun's hand.

The two were about to go out, and Zhou Fu pulled Shu Zhi in at the door, Zhou Fu looked happy, while Shu Zhi was sullen and pouted.

"Sir, madam, I'm back."

Master Zhou, Mrs. Zhou's eyes lit up, and they stood up together, Zhou Fu walked into the hall with a smile and said, "Master, Mrs., good news, good news...... The second young master said that he would come back for the New Year. ”

"Oh?" Mrs. Zhou was a little disappointed and asked, "Only said that you came back for the New Year?" And what about the winter holidays? ”

"This ...... The second young master said that he was going to Shanghai in the next few days and would come back before the Chinese New Year. ”

"Shanghai? What did he do in Shanghai? Master Zhou asked.

"I didn't say this, oh, here is a letter from the second young master to the old lady." Zhou Fu took out a letter from his arms, and Master Zhou hurriedly took it, opened it, put on reading glasses and read excitedly:

"Father, mother: After more than half a year, the child knows that he is guilty, unfilial, and shameless to go home again. Although I am busy with my studies and work every day, I miss my parents all the time. Fortunately, I live up to expectations, I have learned something, I have built my business, I hope that my father and mother will cherish it with a heart, no need to worry, although the child is outside, the soul of the night is still the courtyard of the Zhou family.

In the past, all kinds of dreams were like dreams, not real and unreal, but now I have suddenly woken up, if my father and mother allow me to go home to visit, I will return with Manlin on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, and the family will be reunited. ----Unfilial son, Ruikang respects"

After reading the letter, the second elder of the Zhou family was already in tears and sobbed.

"This stupid boy, this is his home, how can we not allow him to come home?" Mrs. Zhou took a handkerchief to hide her face and wipe her tears, choked up.

"Huh? Who is Manlin? Master Zhou asked.

Zhou Fu smiled: "Oh, when I went to find the second young master today, there was a very beautiful and foreign young lady who has been by the second young master's side, and the two are very affectionate...... It's very right with the second young master. ”

"Oh? Is it? The second elder of the Zhou family was even more overjoyed, "Oh, it's good now, it seems that Ruikang's happy event is near." Master Zhou said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, this time, as long as he likes it, the girl is innocent, I don't want to make any more extraneous branches." Mrs. Zhou laughed and wiped her tears.

"Well, yes, as long as he can get married as soon as possible." Master Zhou nodded frequently.

"By the way, the future daughter-in-law will come to the door for the first time, and we must prepare well."

"Oh, what's the hurry, there's still more than a month, let's prepare slowly. Hehe. ”

"Congratulations to my father, and congratulations to my second brother for a bumper harvest in career and love." Ryan smiled.

Mrs. Zhou smiled and nodded, her eyes skipped over her son, and stayed on the thin body behind him, she lowered her head, there was no expression on her face, and her face, which was originally bloodless, was even more pale, Ruikang's letter, she listened to every word in her ears, yes, this is undoubtedly a blockbuster for her*, hehe, Ruikang has a new love, she was abandoned by Ruikang, Mrs. Zhou suddenly felt extremely happy in her heart, is there anything more painful than watching the people you hate and hate being tortured?

Mrs. Zhou no longer wants Mei Ruojun to die, because she has found a way to make her life worse than death, she wants her to watch Ruikang talk about marriage, get married and have children, and have children and grandchildren.

A smug smile appeared on the corner of Mrs. Zhou's mouth, and she said, "Ryan, take Ruojun back to the room to rest, her face is not good." ”

//

In the evening, Ruojun copied Buddhist scriptures under the lamp, and fifty times a day was the task prescribed by Mrs. Zhou, and she often needed to copy until late at night, while Shu Zhi and Xunmei practiced calligraphy.

Xunmei was young, and after a while, she was already tired, yawned, and fell on the table, Ruojun put down the pen, gently hugged her in her arms, hummed a lullaby to her, kissed her beautiful little face, put her on the bed, took off the padded jacket on her body, took out the soup woman in the quilt, covered her with a quilt, Xunmei opened her eyes slightly, hugged Ruojun's neck, and muttered: "Sister, you are like my mother." ”

Ruojun lay on her side on the bed, put her little hands into the quilt, tucked the corners of the quilt, her eyes were full of tenderness, smiled and whispered: "Xun Mei is good, sleep well, grow up quickly, and become the most beautiful girl." ”

Xunmei's big eyes, twinkling like two bright stars, suddenly sat up, hugged Ruojun tightly, kissed her cheek, and shouted, "Mom! ”

"What are you shouting nonsense, my sister is my sister." Shu Zhi complained on the side.

Ruojun smiled: "Xunmei is young, she can shout as much as she likes, but I am really young as your mother." ”

Xun Mei stuck out her little tongue at Shu Zhi, made a grimace, and fell asleep again with the teddy bear in her arms. Ruojun looked at them and shook her head with satisfaction, the Zhou family is fortunate to have these two little angels, so she has some joy, she has to take good care of them, watch them grow up and become adults, and maybe see them get married and have children.

Looking back at Shu Zhi, who was still writing seriously under the lamp, thinking that he was almost ten years old, he should have entered school a long time ago, but they sent people under the fence, and the Zhou family was a place of right and wrong, and no one had noticed his growth.

Ruojun opened the cage, found a rather delicate box, after opening, took out a few pieces of ocean from it, she didn't have much savings, since the incident more than half a year ago, Mrs. Zhou has stopped her monthly money, some of this money is still saved by her frugality when she was at her parents' house, she took a pair of pearl earrings and wrapped them.

said to Shu Zhi: "Shu Zhi, you should go to school, it was my sister who was negligent before, and I will tell my father and mother tomorrow to take you to school to register." ”

"I'm not going!" Shu Zhi said without raising his head.

"Why?"

"I go to school, who will protect you?"

"Silly words, my sister stays at home every day, there are so many people up and down the house, it's very safe, and you don't need to protect it."

"Who said that, that, Guo Xingquan last time...... He ......" Shu Zhi stopped his pen, frowned stubbornly and said, "And the last time grandpa and mother-in-law beat you...... You're not safe here, they're all going to bully you. ”

Mei Ruojun gently stroked his beautiful face, felt like a hot spring flowing in his heart, and said with a smile: "Guo Xingquan was my sister who ran out on impulse that time, and my grandfather and mother-in-law beat me because my sister did something wrong, not to bully me." ”

She said slowly, feeling a little cold, stood up, wrapped her hands around herself, and continued: "In short, it was my sister's fault first. ”

"Whether it's your fault or not, you are my sister, I want to protect you, if anyone bullies you, I will fight with him."

"Silly child, my sister wants you to go to school, only when you go to school can you have knowledge and culture, and you can be as productive as Brother Ruikang in the future." She forced herself to laugh.

Speaking of Ruikang, the expression on Shu Zhi's face suddenly became very complicated, and there was admiration and anger in his eyes, contradiction and helplessness.

"What's wrong, Shu Zhi?" Mei Ruojun squatted down and asked him, "Haven't you always admired Brother Ruikang the most?" ”

Meng Shuzhi's eyes quickly swept Ruojun's eyes, frowned, and said angrily: "Yes before, now I hate him." ”

Mei Ruojun was a little surprised: "Why?" ”

Shu Zhi didn't know how to express it, smashed his mouth, frowned and said, "Anyway, I hate him, he is so affectionate with that Xu Manlin at school, he ...... He...... He forgot about you! ”

Ruojun was stunned, her face turned pale, and her eyes were a little dizzy, Shu Zhi hurriedly helped her sit down and poured her a cup of tea.

Ruojun rested his elbows on the table, supported his forehead, and said weakly: "Don't say that in the future, you are still young and don't understand." ”

"I'm young, but I know, you used to like him, he liked you, and now you still like him, but he doesn't like you anymore, isn't that?" Shu Zhi used the simplest and most direct language of a child to explain the complicated relationship between Ruojun and Ruikang.

Ruojun shook his head, closed his eyes and said, "The past has become empty, so why not recount it today...... Your brother Ruikang is not wrong, don't be angry with him, when you grow up, you will understand that there are many things in the world that are very helpless. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at his immature little face, and reluctantly squeezed out a smile and said, "Shu Zhi, sister is very happy that your brother Ruikang has someone she likes." It's true. ”

"Happy? If you're happy, how can you almost faint? Shu Zhi said anxiously, Ruojun stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, shook his head and said, "Shu Zhi, sister, please, don't say it again, if you feel sorry for your sister and care about your sister, don't say it again, okay?" Her tears finally welled up, and for some reason, her heart suddenly burst and she cried out in pain.

As soon as Shu Zhi saw her crying, he hurriedly comforted her and said, "Okay, okay, I won't say it again, sister, don't cry, don't cry, it's all my fault." Saying that, she wiped her tears with her little hands, Ruojun didn't expect that the only person in her life who could confide her heart and reveal her true feelings was the little boy who was less than ten years old in front of her.

She involuntarily leaned her head on Shu Zhi's small shoulder and sobbed, and Shu Zhi also gently patted her back to comfort her.