The sky gradually darkened, because of the unusually hot and humid two days ago, it rained happily this evening, and the rain from the brush hit the stone path paved with cobblestones in Cai's courtyard, washing the whole stone road clean.

Cai knew that Gu Lihua would come over tonight, so he instructed his mother-in-law to call a few little maids to serve him, add some sesame oil to the oil lamp hanging under the corridor, and put down the hanging bamboo curtain to block the rain splashing in from outside the corridor.

The fire flickered in the wind, as if it was about to be extinguished in the next moment. Gu Lihua was holding a beige oil-paper umbrella in his hand, with a red plum pattern painted on it, his face was very indifferent, and he walked with a few small servants in the courtyard.

Walking into the corridor, there was already a waiting mother-in-law waiting there, smiled and took the oil-paper umbrella in Gu Lihua's hand, and said, "Master, Mrs. has set up a banquet in the warm pavilion tonight, and she is already waiting for you to pass." ”

As soon as the mother-in-law's voice fell, the little maid who had already had a spirit stood out from behind the mother-in-law, holding an octagonal palace lamp in her hand, which was very exquisite, and said to Gu Lihua: "Master, I am the maid Hongmei who serves in the wife's house, and the wife is afraid that you are not familiar with the environment in the courtyard, so I specially asked me to take you over." ”

Gu Lihua followed the voice and looked at the little maid, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, her appearance was good, but it was a pity that she could only be a little maid who served people. "Lead the way! I haven't been home for a long time, and I haven't been here for a long time in Minlan's yard. ”

The little maid smiled at Gu Lihua, and then carried the octagonal palace lamp to lead the way to Gu Lihua behind her, and the mother-in-law and the little maids brought by Gu Lihua followed closely behind.

The leader saw Hongmei's appearance, and his heart was a little moved, and he wanted to get close to the mother-in-law, and asked Hongmei's situation, "Mom, where did the little maid who led us the way come from?" Born so good-looking, but are you married?"

That mother-in-law is Mrs. Zhu who serves in Cai's courtyard, and she is the housekeeper of the outer courtyard, and Hongmei is the one she made her own initiative and sent to Cai's side to serve. But it was a snob, and seeing that the little guy had an interest in Hongmei, he snorted coldly before saying, "What? What do these do, you ask? Have you fallen in love with the red plum girl?"

The little girl is also honest, and immediately said: "It turns out that her name is Hongmei, she is really a beauty." Then the little maid looked at the coarse cloth clothes on his body, sighed, and said, "Mom, look at me, I'm just a little guy who waits in the outer yard, where do you dare to think about the red plum girl who is serving by his wife's side?" Not to mention what you don't look down on. ”

Mrs. Zhu saw that the little girl was also an interesting person, so she said: "It's good that you didn't look at the red plum girl, the red plum girl was born well, and she was valued by her wife, so she deliberately raised her as an aunt." Originally, the master did not come back, but now that the master is back, she is going to mention this matter in front of the master and listen to the master's thoughts. Miss Hongmei will be the master of our house in the future, don't think about anything wrong. ”

Listening to what the mother-in-law said, the little girl couldn't help but glance at Hongmei, who was leading the way with the octagonal palace lamp in front of her, and then turned her head to her mother-in-law and said, "Mom, I know." Goods like us, where dare to go to Xiao Xiang's master's house. ”

After a while, Hongmei took Gu Lihua to the outside of the warm pavilion where Cai's was located, and saw that the room was brightly lit and there was a little maid waiting, so she was inconvenient to follow in, so she said: "Master, the wife is in the house, and the slave will not accompany you in." ”

Hongmei said, about to leave with the octagonal palace lamp, Gu Lihua looked at her back very confused, under the illumination of the firelight, exuded a seductive brilliance, deliberately pulled her sleeve, and said, "Little girl, what's your name?"

When Hongmei introduced herself before, she had already told Gu Lihua her name. However, Gu Lihua has a lot of opportunities, and there are so many maids in the house, where can she remember the name of every little maid, Hongmei doesn't care.

Hongmei smiled, pulled Gu Lihua's hand away, and said lightly, "Master, the slave maid is called Hongmei." ”

Gu Lihua looked at the back of Hongmei leaving, and his heart was a little itchy, he had been out for so many years, and his whole heart was on the gambling stone, but he didn't see many women. Now this Hongmei, with a smile and a smile, has hooked his three souls and seven spirits, such a woman, he will get it sooner or later.

Gu Lihua didn't want anything else, pushed open the door and entered the warm pavilion, followed by Mrs. Zhu and Gu Lihua's entourage, all guarding outside.

I saw Cai sitting alone in front of the table of the Eight Immortals, the table was full of dishes, but the same did not move, Cai was carrying a tin wine jug, was drinking wine alone, Cai saw Gu Lihua walk in, stood up tremblingly, and was about to greet him, Gu Lihua smelled a smell of wine wafting over.

Gu Lihua approached Cai's, only to find a pile of bottles and cans of wine at Cai's feet, at a glance, there were about seven or eight, looking at Cai's drunken appearance, speaking with the smell of wine, and when he was about to turn away, Cai's rushed over and hugged Gu Lihua tightly.

"Rokuro, don't go! You've been away from home for so many days, do you know how much Minlan misses you in her heart? In the days when you left home, I was worried that my mother-in-law was going to take Brother Sheng to her house, so I asked my father to send someone to take Brother Sheng back to Tonghai. In the past few years, you have been running around, and I am supporting this big Gu family alone, so tired and tired! Cai hugged Gu Lihua tightly, and his hair bun fell to the ground.

"Minlan, tell me honestly, why did Xiao Tan's person come to the mansion to make such a fuss? And the little maid Mingxi who served in the outer courtyard, did you handle it personally? Yanyu Villa is your private property, and the housekeepers are all your confidants, if you don't know where Mingxi's girl was poisoned, I am the first not to believe it. Gu Lihua did not ask why Cai drank so much wine, but asked Mingxi about it.

Although Cai Shi drank so much wine, he was still very sober, and when he heard Gu Lihua's words, he hurriedly let go of him, turned his back to him, "Liulang, you finally came to my place?" You're here to ask me about it?"

Gu Lihua didn't hide it from her, and said straightforwardly: "Yes." Xiao Tan's family came to the house to make trouble, and it was also involved in a life lawsuit, if I don't investigate it thoroughly, will it be difficult to let others slander our family's reputation? ”

Hearing this, Cai sneered a few times, picked up a glass of wine on the table, and threw it towards Gu Lihua behind him, wetting Gu Lihua's face, and drip of wine down Gu Lihua's cheeks and onto Gu Lihua's shoulders.

"Liulang, is your Gu family's reputation important, or am I important? You've been away from home for so many years, do you know how I've survived? I can tell the location of every tile in this house. The second room of the Gu family has long been an empty shell, I thought that I would marry and enjoy a few days of Qingfu, but who knew that on the first day, I took my dowry to fill the deficit in the house. Cai said, already crying into a tearful person, but there was no other movement, squatting and sobbing in a low voice.

Gu Lihua knew that he was sorry for the Cai family all these years, if he hadn't been deceived by someone in business and owed a lot of debts, he would not have listened to Feng Lao'an's words, married the Cai family back, and then used the dowry from the Cai family to fill the deficit in the house, and used the money to do the capital of the business.

He knew that Cai's had a hard time these years, living under his mother, Cai's was a person who was not good at giving birth, and he had only given birth to a Sheng brother, and his mother was angry with Cai's because of this matter, and she was angry with her openly and secretly, and asked her to take her own private property to supplement the family.

"Minlan, I know you've had a hard time all these years, but you shouldn't have let Mingxi's girl instruct others to poison the second sister-in-law's decoction and take her life, let alone know about it and keep hiding it."

As soon as Gu Lihua finished speaking, he personally helped Cai Shi up from the ground, and used the handkerchief he carried with him to gently wipe the tears on Cai's face.

"The second sister-in-law has no grudge against you, why did you need her life. She is the second wife of our Gu family, and she is the county lord of King Liang of Jinling, if she dies at home like this, and the second brother and the people from Liang Wangfu come to the door, why do you have to explain to them?"

Gu Lihua had already changed his appearance, and his face had become gentle, and he had lost the slightest bit of anger.