The night before, Ruikang wrote a short letter to Mr. Zhou:

"Daddy,

Tomorrow I will go to England with the ocean to deal with Manlin's property during her lifetime, and I also want to go abroad. The aggressors have left, but the flames of war are still burning, and I am worried about the future of the country, but there is nothing I can do.

Over the years, I have fought on the battlefield, always with a clear goal and a clear heart, but right now, I am worried and angry, for the country, for the family, for myself, but I am confused and at a loss, I must go to see the world outside China, I want to find the way in my heart.

Forgive the child for not being filial, can't bear the joy of the knees, the reason must be clear to the father, the vast sea of people, I don't know where the mother and son of Ruojun fell, my home has been broken, my heart has been broken, my dream has been extinguished.

Perhaps, when I set foot on the land again, my father and son can see each other frankly, and I hope that my father will cherish and maintain it well.

Please take care of Shu Zhi for me, he was brought into the house by me, but I did not fulfill my duty to raise and take care of him, I have always felt ashamed in my heart, please be more careful, don't let him drift again.

As for Jiaqi and Dingbang, I only owe it, and it is my fault in the end, and I can only make up for it with money.

Please don't worry about it, father, I'll take care of myself.

Ruikang word"

……

After dawn, the letter was sent, and Song Yuanyang embarked on the ocean ferry to the United Kingdom together, when Zhou Ruikang stepped on the ferry, his heart was like the vast sea water ups and downs, standing on the deck, Zhou Ruikang looked at those who waved on the shore blankly, they looked sad, as if they were saying goodbye to him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but hook a wry smile, spit out a puff of smoke rings, raised his head to look into the distance.

These people are reluctant to wave goodbye to their relatives on the ship, some wave, some wipe tears, some eyes affectionately love, some eyes infinite concern, in short, the farewell scene is sad, separation is always sad.

"Woo ~~~~~~~" a huge, dull, long whistle sounded throughout the dock, the ferry slowly left the dock, the people on the shore became smaller and farther away, Shanghai, Chongqing, Beiping, China, all became more and more distant, more and more blurred, goodbye, China, goodbye once had love, there was hate, there was laughter, there were tears, everything will be temporarily buried in the waves of the sea.

The boat went faster and faster, the sea breeze blew his hair up, and the situation in front of him was still the first time he met Mei Ruojun in the grove outside Mei's house, he habitually put his hand into his pocket and pinched the handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms, ah~~ He has to come back, because the waves can't take away his love, and the sea breeze can't blow away his thoughts, he must find her, as long as the formalities are completed in the UK, he will come back immediately to look for his plum blossoms, if he can't find him for one more day, if he can't find him for one more year, If you can't find him for a lifetime, you will find it for a lifetime.

It's just that sometimes, how weak people's will is in the face of heaven's will, Zhou Ruikang never thought that this big ferry carried him to a distant and strange country with ups and downs, and this ups and downs turned out to be a full ten years.

"Mr. Zhou, Mr. Song is waiting for you to dine together in the restaurant." Hu Xiaofen walked to him with a sweet smile, she was wearing a floral dress, the skirt was flying with the sea breeze, and her hair was too, she was very charming and beautiful, Song Yuanyang insisted on taking her to the UK together, Ruikang didn't say anything.

Ruikang nodded and walked slowly to the cabin, Hu Xiaofen was very natural, gently went up to take his arm, Ruikang stopped, looked at her, shook his head, pulled her hand away, and said softly: "Thank you, I can go by myself." With that, he stopped looking at her and got out of the cabin himself.

//

After the sunset, a round of red sun slowly sank into the west wall of the "Yongmei Garden", in front of the wall is a piece of green bamboo, and more than a dozen plum trees, in front of the desk behind the exquisite openwork wooden window, Cheng Jiaqi looked at the sunset outside the window with a fixed look, and in her hand was the letter sent by Ruikang to Master Zhou half a year ago and a huge check.

Her head was blank, and she didn't know how long she had been sitting at the window before she blinked because her eyes were sore, and she lowered her head and stuffed the letter and check into the drawer.

She slowly stood up, walked to the top of the wardrobe, took down a long box, put it on the table, and opened it, and there was a purple bamboo flute lying inside, because it was placed on the top of the wardrobe deep behind, this Xiao had not been found or damaged.

Jiaqi caressed Zhu Xiao, remembering that year in the Yongmei Garden, Ruikang blew the Xiao pipe, Zhu Yafen danced, and the classmates chanted poems and music.

Yongmei Garden, which was supposed to be her new house, was supposed to be the place where she and Ruikang stayed together, and then, they had never lived together, looking at the dim furnishings in the house, she felt that it was like a tomb, and she was a breathing corpse lying in this tomb.

She picked up Ruikang's Zizhu Xiao, hugged it tightly in her arms, couldn't help sobbing, tears flowed down silently, tears dripped on the Xiao tube one by one, she gently imprinted a kiss on the Xiao tube, and murmured alone: "Ruikang, Ruikang, why are you so cruel?" I hate you, I hate you, I hate you to death, why did this happen between us? Why, why? Why is there a Mei Ruojun between us? Why? ”

She cried very sadly, crying and crying, but laughing again, but this smile was extraordinarily weird and creepy, the once pure and bright eyes, revealing a gloomy cold light, staring ahead, gritting her gums and saying: "You go, you don't want our mother and son, it's good, you go, let's go!" I can't get you, and she can't think of it. I am your wife, and I am still your wife. Hahaha, Zhou Ruikang, you and Mei Ruojun really have no fate, you didn't think that in the second month after you left, Mei Ruojun would return to Beiping, hehe. And you went to England. ”

Jealousy and hatred made her temporarily free from loneliness and sorrow, she glanced at the purple bamboo Xiao coldly, threw it back into the box, and put it back on the top of the cabinet.

"Mother!" Xiao Dingbang jumped in.

Jiaqi stepped forward to pick him up and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"Grandpa and grandma are here." Dingbang said and pointed to the courtyard door with his chubby little finger.

Jiaqi put down Dingbang and hurriedly greeted him.

"Dad, mother, why are you here?"

Master Cheng and Mrs. Cheng were all frowning, looking worried, looking at their daughter's pale and haggard appearance, they had long been distressed to the heart.

"Well, if we don't come again, will you be able to live well?" Master Cheng said anxiously and angrily: "Look at your appearance!" ”

Mrs. Cheng pulled him and said, "Let's go into the house and talk about it." ”

Cheng Jiaqi lowered her head and led her parents into the bedroom, at this time the sun had already set, and there was only a trace of afterglow left in the sky, and the house was already dark.

When the two elders of the Cheng family saw the cold, lonely, and lifeless appearance in the house, their hearts were very sad. Cheng Jiaqi turned on the light, and the color in the house appeared, but the light could not drive away the loneliness in the house.

Mrs. Cheng looked around the room, took her daughter's hand sadly, and asked, "Jiaqi, is this your life?" ”

Jiaqi forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, mother, why do you say that?" ”

"Good? Are you blind and deaf when your parents are both blind and deaf? Master Cheng couldn't hold back the anger in his stomach anymore, and said loudly: "What does Zhou Ruikang mean?" He fought on the battlefield before, and we all understand and support him, but why didn't he come back with you immediately after he retired? And now it's suddenly gone to England, what the hell is going on? ”

"Oh, Ruikang went to the UK to accept Xu Manlin's family property."

"You are really, you followed him silently back then, and you decided on your own without informing us of such a big thing as getting married, after so many years, why did he get involved with his ex-wife's property again?" Mrs. Cheng sat down very dissatisfied, and gently tapped on the marble tabletop.

"Yes, Zhou Ruikang has always been a man with no sense of responsibility, before he got engaged, divorced, said that he had a heart, and then went to Shanghai to marry someone else, and then his wife died again, and then he married you, now what? He left you behind and went to England alone. You! How did you pick such a man? Cough! Old Man Cheng kept puffing out his cheeks angrily, regretting and hurting for his daughter in his heart.

Jiaqi brought tea to her parents, and kept thinking about the words to excuse Ruikang, but she didn't know how to explain it to be complete.

"Dad, mother, you don't have to worry, Ruikang said that he will come back in a year or two, we are still young, and there is still a lot of time."

"Hmph, if you look at the current situation, I don't know what kind of world it is in a year or two, a year or two later? If he really wants to go to England, why should he take your mother and son with him, how can he go alone? Now that it's a troubled time, isn't he afraid that something will happen to your mother and son? ”

"Hehe, Dad, we are just ordinary people, we don't steal or rob, we honestly carry it at home, what will happen?" Jia Qi smiled and tried to comfort her parents.

"Jiaqi, tell your mother honestly, after you and Ruikang got married, was he good to you?" Mrs. Cheng asked, touching her daughter's emaciated face.

Jiaqi originally wanted to squeeze out a smile, she bit her lower lip with all her might, trying to restrain her sadness, but her mother's concerned inquiry, her mother's worried eyes, and her mother's gentle tone suddenly made the grievances that she had suppressed for many years in her heart turn into tears and gushed out of her eyes like a flood that bursts the embankment.

Finally, she threw herself into her mother's arms and began to cry.

When the second elder of the Cheng family saw this situation, he was really heartbroken, and his proud baby daughter would cry so sadly. Mrs. Cheng hugged her daughter and sobbed.

"Master, how is this good? It must have been Ruikang who bullied our daughter. I can't leave her here alone. ”

Master Cheng slapped the table and said, "Hmph, I think Jiaqi has suffered a lot of grievances with that kid, and now he pats his ass and goes to the UK, I don't know what year and month he will come back, no, we can't let our daughter stay alive and widowed." ”

Master Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Jiaqi, Dad will tell you the truth, we are here to pick you up today." ”

Jiaqi was stunned for a moment, stopped crying, and looked at her father with tears in her eyes, a little unclear.

Master Cheng continued: "Before Jiawei left home, he told us about your stay in Chongqing, saying that Ruikang had an outer room outside and had a child. Originally, I thought that it was not a big deal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, no matter what, you are also in the main room, but Jiawei said that he actually wanted to divorce you for the sake of the woman outside? How can such an ungrateful man be entrusted with life? ”

Mrs. Cheng frowned and asked, "Jiaqi, is it because you refuse to divorce that he will snub you and torture you in every way?" ”

Jiaqi didn't know how to answer her parents' questions, she had been completely defeated by pain and sorrow, remorse and shame, Ruikang was the husband she chose by herself, the man she followed desperately, and the person she was willing to give her life to depend on her life and death, but he always cherished his plum blossom and failed her.

"Okay, okay, just look at her and know what Ruikang did to her that week, do you need to ask?" Master Cheng glanced at his wife, and said angrily: "Jiaqi, the situation in China is too chaotic, business is about to go on, we plan to go to Hong Kong to avoid it, your uncle opened a trading house there, doing well, we plan to go to him, and then look for business opportunities, and also do some business." ”

"What?" Jiaqi was a little surprised: "Are you planning to leave Beiping?" ”

"Yes, you look at the chaos of the world, my father and mother are old, and I want to find a peaceful place to live in peace, Jiaqi, come with us, Zhou Ruikang doesn't want you, my father and mother want it." Mrs. Cheng wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and put her daughter's hand on her heart in distress.

Jiaqi looked at her parents with frosted temples and mixed feelings.

"Your brother left a letter to his family, saying that he was going to find his dreams and to atone for his sins, and he left, and so far there is no news, life and death are uncertain, if something happens to you again...... cough~" Master Cheng sighed heavily, sat on the stool, propped himself on the table with one hand, and supported his forehead.

"Yes, Jiaqi, my father and mother are just your two children, your brother has run away from home, if you have three long and two short, how can you let your father and mother live?" Mrs. Cheng said with tears in her eyes.

Cheng Jiaqi looked at her parents, walked to the window, looked at the night outside the window, thought for a long time, sighed lightly, shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, father, mother, I can't go with you, I'm already the daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, how can I just go?" I'm gone, what will happen to my father-in-law? He has suffered so much, a son died, a son went to England, and his wife was gone, if I am gone, Dingbang is also gone, how can he live alone? Jiaqi frowned lightly: "I can't go, I'm sure Ruikang will come back." ”

"What about his return? Will his heart come back? Master Cheng asked.

Jiaqi lowered her head, bit her lip and said, "I promised him that as long as he has the name of Mrs. Zhou Ruikang one day, I will do my filial piety for him for one day." Take care of his father. ”

"Daughter! Don't be stupid......"

"Don't say it, mother, I won't leave. I'm here waiting for Ruikang, and I'm waiting for my brother to come back, and as soon as my brother comes back, I'll let him go to Hong Kong to find you. ”

The two elders of the Cheng family glanced at each other, knowing that they could no longer persuade their daughters, and even regretted teaching their daughters too well and being too polite, so they had to give up in the end, and told them in every possible way, sighed, and said goodbye with tears.