The disappearance of Tao Niang caused an uproar, and all kinds of speculations were noisy.

Xiao Yuan originally came to give Mrs. Xing embroidered insoles, and the maids all stood solemnly with their hands down, not to disturb and want to leave, someone stopped her: "Madame, please go in." ”

When she entered the cabin, she saw Mrs. Xing sitting with red eyes, and she didn't say much and only sat next to her, Mrs. Xing asked, "Why are you here?" Xiao Yuan hurriedly replied: "The previous lady said that she liked the pair of low-heeled shoes with primrose pigment satin and green thread hemming, that is, she was wearing a little looser, and the heels of her feet were dragged and dragged when she walked, so she embroidered a pair of insoles to send her to Mrs., and the shop was tight no matter how she walked." ”

Mrs. Xing nodded: "Thank you for having a heart and being a thoughtful person." Then he asked, "Do you hear gossip when you are in the bilge?" Xiao Yuan thought about it and said: "I have been rushing embroidery pieces in the cabin, and the meals are all bought by my brother, and I have never heard of anything." ”

Mrs. Xing was silent for a moment before she said: "Tao Niang is gone, and every cabin in this ship has been searched, but there is not even a shadow of her." ”

Xiao Yuan was shocked: "This is strange, how can a good person disappear?" ”

"That's what I said!" She wiped her tears and cried: "Now it is very popular outside, some say that the lord spoils his wife and destroys the concubine, some say that I am jealous and intolerable, but it is my sin, it is really the conscience of heaven and earth, I have served the master with Tao Niang for many years, she has a hip-hop and intestinal temperament, and she has never blushed in harmony on weekdays, and she has not seen her whole person these days, and I am seriously ill." ”

Xiao Yuan asked, "I don't know who brought it to Madame's ears?" ”

Mrs. Xing said: "The old man, aunt and the servants are all hidden, and only Brother Cheng will learn to me." ”

Xiao Yuan sighed and said: "Madam, don't be annoyed, it is difficult for Qing officials to cut off family affairs, not to mention those outsiders, they are just idle and addicted." Mrs. has always been a bodhisattva, and the tall man is not only a concubine of Tao Niang, no matter how to blame, it will not be Mrs. in the end, I think she can not be found on the ship, maybe she accidentally fell into the sea and is undecided. ”

Mrs. Xing comforted her a lot after her persuasion, and asked the maid to bring her a tael of silver to reward her: "It's also hard for you to make embroidery for us these days, so use this money to make up for your bones." ”

Xiao Yuan didn't refuse, thanked him and put it in his sleeve, and said again before leaving.

She didn't walk five or six steps out of the hatch, and happened to meet Shen Qishan coming to her, holding a plate of fried red-skinned peanuts in oil in her left hand, not waiting to be polite, and listening to him simply say: "Come with me." That is, through her shoulder, he walked to the empty cabin not far away.

Xiao Yuan followed him into the cabin, Shen Qishan sat on the bed casually, the peanut plate rested on the table, and said, "Close the door." ”

Xiao Yuan didn't, leaned against the door and raised his hand to stroke his hair and sideburns, and curled his lips and chuckled: "If the man is unmarried and the woman is unmarried, the lonely man and widow lock the door and live in the same room, and spread it out, insulting my widow's reputation, and also damaging the prestige of Lord Shen, it is better to open the door and speak." ”

Shen Qishan looked at her sharply, and asked after a little thought: "Do you want to marry me?" ”

Xiao Yuan was stunned, and listened to his tone lightly: "It's impossible to be a wife, just barely a concubine!" ”

"What did you say?" Xiao Kite was a little incredulous.

Shen Qishan was very calm: "My family background is illustrious, a second-class military general, a great achievement for the country, full of gold and silver, and a strong body and good looks. And you are just a widow in a small town in the south of the Yangtze River, watery flowers, not abiding by women's morals, dragging younger brothers and sisters, and owing huge debts. I ride the clouds and you walk in the mud, and you are really high climbing to be my concubine! ”