The rice wine that was originally hot on the stove was also hot at this time, Ruan Mianmian got up and brought it over, filling everyone with a glass, Liu Xin'er also took a wine jug to fill the guards at the next table with wine, and everyone drank with fists, and the lively atmosphere was restored.

Jiang Xinyue is naturally resolute and resolute, and she does not procrastinate at all, saying that she was going to visit the children in the orphanage that night, and took Ruan Mianmian and Liu Xin'er to go shopping and buy gifts early the next morning.

The three of them walked down the street, the morning fog was thin, but there was some hazy beauty. Because they had listened to Ruan Mianmian's instructions, the three of them only went to the pastry shop, bought all kinds of pastries and food, and made a lot of easy-to-digest sweets from Yipinxiang, while Fang Dacang and Uncle Hua steamed a basket full of snow-white steamed buns.

All the way out of the city gate, looking at the surrounding large fields and wide streets, the deepest feeling is naturally Ruan Mianmian.

When she was picked up by Mu Ruqing half a year ago, her head and face were covered with dust, and she had nothing but clothes, just because of Mu Ruqing's kindness and Yipinxiang's care like a family, she is definitely not what it used to be now, and even ordinary official ladies are not as knowledgeable and experienced as her.

Liu Xin'er was also a little excited, after all, she grew up in the Hou Mansion, and she didn't even have much time to go out of the mansion, let alone go out of the city, the scenery in front of her was so beautiful, and even the air was fresh and refreshing, it was unheard of and unseen.

According to the road in Ruan Mianmian's impression, Mu Ruqing drove the car around a few times before he saw a house in the distance, it seemed to be a village, Ruan Mianmian opened the curtain and stretched out his head to identify it for a while, his eyes were shining, and he stretched out his hand and pointed to those houses with some excitement: "That's it!" I've seen our compound! ”

After receiving an affirmative answer, Mu Ruqing waved his whip and drove the carriage in that direction, seeing that those squares were getting closer and closer, everyone looked out from inside the curtain, but they saw some differences. The village seemed to be quite large, except that the nearest compound had a dilapidated courtyard wall, even the gate had a large hole, and the thatch on the roof was even more messy, which was in stark contrast to the other neat and clean houses.

Needless to say, I also know that it is the orphanage where Ruan Mianmian once stayed. Parking the carriage by the dilapidated door of the orphanage, Mu Ruqing and Fang Cannon helped the girls and Uncle Hua get out of the carriage and stood in front of the door.

Ruan Mianmian is still dressed cutely, with an aqua blue silk skirt and a moon-white shawl loosely held, dusty and elegant. Jiang Xinyue and Liu Xin'er have similar personalities, and the two of them seemed to wear water-red clothes when they discussed today, but Jiang Xinyue is a capable chivalrous outfit, with her iconic silver crown and high ponytail, and Liu Xin'er is wearing a charming cardigan and thin skirt, with long hair spread behind her, which has a unique flavor.

As soon as the people stood at this gate, they were out of step with the dilapidated and desolate environment. Mu Ruqing pushed open the door and led everyone into the courtyard, the yard was very large, there was snow on the side of the wall that had not melted, and there were no floor tiles on the ground like in the courtyard of Yipinxiang, but some muddy soil.

The empty yard, a pile of dusty debris, everything seemed to be dilapidated, lame tables and chairs, a large vat with only half a section left, and a little boy standing next to the tank.

The little boy looked to be no more than ten years old, wearing a thin jacket with holes, and an empty single coat on his lower body, and he held a notched wooden scoop in his hand, and was knocking open the thin ice in the vat to scoop the water underneath it.

Jiang Xinyue hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed the wooden scoop and glanced at the water inside: "Children, why do you still drink ice water on this cold day, so your stomach will be broken." ”

Seeing this, Fang Dacang took off the water bladder he was carrying, opened it and handed it over, but the little boy didn't answer, he looked up at the group of people who suddenly appeared, and seemed to be a little puzzled why this group of beauties in brocade clothes appeared here.

When he saw Ruan Mianmian standing behind, his eyes stopped for a moment, as if he remembered something, but he shook his head and didn't say anything.

Here, Ruan Mianmian almost burst into tears: "Little Liu, don't you know me?" I am nineteen. ”

The boy called Xiaoliu was stunned for a moment, then pounced on her, holding Ruan Mianmian's arm and looking at her fixedly: "You... Are you really nineteen? ”

After getting Ruan Mianmian's affirmative answer, he didn't care about drinking water, and suddenly jumped back into the house, shouting: "Nineteen is back!" Nineteen turns into a fairy and returns! ”

For a while, everyone who tasted incense was hung in the courtyard and looked at each other, but Mu Ruqing spoke first: "Mianmian, when did you call nineteen?" ”

"It's the tradition of this orphanage, the children here don't even have parents, and naturally they don't have names, so everyone is ranked by numbers, if a child dies or is old enough to leave, the next child who comes in will inherit that name, and when I was in the orphanage, it was called nineteen."

Ruan Mianmian had tears in her eyes, looking at the dilapidated door, the closer she went, the more timid she became, she didn't dare to step in, she was afraid of hearing life and death, after all, there was no second person in the world who had the same experience as her, most of the children who went out here were at the bottom of the society, not enough to eat and wear, not to mention dignity.

After the little six ran back, a large group of children with gray faces came out in a short time, their hair was scattered and exploded like a lion cub, and even some couldn't distinguish between men and women, all gathered around the people of Yipinxiang, but no one dared to step forward.

"Yo, where are the young masters and young ladies from? If you pick a slave, you will have half a tael of silver. The voice of an old woman with a thick accent came from behind her, and when they looked back, they saw an old lady with a wrinkled face leaning against the door and looking away, seeing that they were aristocrats who had come to pick people off.

Hearing this voice, Ruan Mianmian's body was shocked, and Fang Dacang, who was next to her, helped her soft waist from behind in time, Ruan Mianmian calmed down, Fang Mianmian looked at Ruan Mianmian's expression, and knew that this was the vicious woman who deducted the children's degree in Ruan Mianmian's mouth. Yipinxiang is a clear-minded person, how can you not see this person's identity when you look at this posture.

"You're the steward of this orphanage?" Mu Ruqing's handsome face at this time was solemn, and there was even a trace of arrogance and disdain, he was already in superior figure, but at this time, he raised his head and squinted over, but he really looked a little mean.

This is not his sincere expression, but when he came, everyone discussed it, if this vicious old woman appeared, he must be a good warning to her, and let these children suffer less.

The woman saw that this group of people were not dressed in tacky clothes, so naturally she would not slack off, but she usually had nobles to pick people, so naturally she didn't look down on them much, she just smiled and nodded: "The old body is the manager of this orphanage, do you pick a little girl or a little boy?" All of our children here are healthy and capable. There are a few good girls among them, so I'm going to call them over. ”

The woman turned her head, pointed out a few little girls who looked thin but had better looks from the pile of children, and told them to come over in a stern voice.

Without waiting for those little girls to step forward, Liu Xin'er walked up to the mother-in-law: "You mother-in-law, how can you be so rude, you haven't seen our county lord here, and you still don't kneel down and salute?" ”

Liu Xin'er is Miss Houfu, and her momentum is naturally there, and she used to be looking for things to be wild, accusing this old woman of being a smooth woman, but she is more refreshing and clean than her kneading dough in a fragrant chopping vegetable. As soon as the old woman heard that there was a county lord in this group of people, her heart trembled, and she looked around in a panic, only to see that in addition to this bewitching woman, there was also a small jasper standing behind her, and there was a person wearing red clothes next to her, who was standing beside this chivalrous woman before, and decided that Jiang Xinyue was the county lord, so she hurriedly threw herself to the ground and bowed.

Ruan Mianmian and Fang Dacang held back their laughter, and they both held their breath and pretended to be arrogant and stood aside, this uses Jiang Xinyue's identity to oppress people, and the people of Yipinxiang are tried and tested, and if they want to make the wicked pay the price, it is not possible to fight on the basis of reason, they will not pay attention to any morality at all, but they can use this power to suppress them.

"Ahem, the lord of this county came today, not to pick someone to serve, but with the advice of the master, come and give some things, so as to ask for some good luck." Jiang Xinyue cherished words like gold, and kept silent after saying this.

"Yes, yes, the county lord is kind and benevolent, and he is a great good man, and the old man has thanked the county lord for these children." The woman bowed down again.

"Originally, I wanted to say that it was convenient, and I could go to the national temple to give alms, but the sleep around the palace went out from here, and the palace came to see it on a whim." As soon as Jiang Xinyue raised her hand, Ruan Mianmian tacitly walked over and helped her.

The mother-in-law raised her head and glanced at Ruan Mianmian, only to see that this girl was dressed more decently than the average official lady, even the hem of her clothes was embroidered with patterns, and looked at her palm-sized delicate smiling face, there was some familiarity between her eyebrows, did she really go out from here. This woman is a little excited, if there is such a relationship, then she can get more benefits.

"Yo, what did the old body say that it looked familiar just now, and it was really a girl who went out of our place, she had the honor to serve the county lord, that was her great blessing." The mother-in-law smiled flatteringly, and the folds on her face were a little deeper.

"That's wrong, the sleeping girl is not the county lord's maid, she is the county lord's, sister." Mu Ruqing spoke slowly.

Hearing this, the mother-in-law couldn't guess the meaning of this for a while, the smile on her face froze there, an orphan with no relatives and friends, it is impossible to be sisters with the county lord, thinking back to how she treated the children in the orphanage in the past, this mother-in-law was a little panicked.