At the end of winter, a rain came unprepared. The snow in the courtyard was washed away by the rain before it could be swept away, and the bluestone slabs were soaked by the rain, and the footprints were a little blurry. The sound of rain fell on the grass and on the eaves, adding a touch of silence to the heaven and earth.

Gu Mingxiu quietly became the master in this silence.

She sat by the window, her head slightly bowed. A faint cloud wrapped behind her left her, placing her in a hazy atmosphere. The maid served hot tea, Gu Mingxiu raised her head, her eyes fell on one place carelessly, and then hung down lightly.

The girl sits upright, with a long skirt covering her embroidered shoes. She tilted her head slightly, and it was vaguely visible that she was a little haggard, but her face was good, her face was not sad or angry, and her expression was indifferent.

Shuangxi secretly lowered the curtain, looked at Mrs. Gu who was standing next to her, pursed her lips and chuckled: "Fourth Miss has been waiting for so long, and she is not impatient at all." ”

"She's a patient person." Old Madam Gu nodded slowly, her eyes were a little deep, but she looked a little satisfied, she said lightly, "Go out, the four girls have been waiting for a long time." ”

"Yes." Shuangxi blessed his body and helped Mrs. Gu to walk out.

Hearing the movement, Gu Mingxiu turned her head to look at the old lady Gu who came out, and immediately got up and saluted, and said lightly: "Grandmother." After Mrs. Gu answered, she knelt down again and said softly, "Siniang is not filial, and she came to disturb her grandmother's purity in the morning." ”

Seeing her kneeling down again, Shuangxi was anxious: "Fourth Miss, why are you ..... again?"

"Get up and speak." Old Madam Gu said lightly, "I knelt for more than an hour in the morning, and now what are I doing kneeling." ”

Mu Lan immediately helped her young lady up, her eyes were a little red, and she said in a low voice: "Old lady, my girl is really wronged, you have to make the decision for the girl." ”

Gu Mingxiu glanced at her with a faint expression. Old Madam Gu glanced at the master and servant without a trace, her eyes fell on the tea cup served by Shuangxi, and said lightly: "What's wrong?" I need you to come and kneel early in the morning. ”

Without waiting for Gu Mingxiu to answer, a crisp call sounded from the door: "Grandmother! ”

Gu Xiaodie, who was dressed in yellow and light shirt, rushed into the house in three steps and two steps, and was about to say something with a smile, but her eyes directly met Gu Mingxiu, who was looking over, her eyes were faint, and she seemed to be smiling a little, but it made her feel a little embarrassed for a while.

Gu Xiaodie's steps paused, and said with a smile: "The fourth sister is also here, I didn't expect the fourth sister to come to ask for peace today, we can't see the fourth sister on weekdays, isn't it the fifth sister?" The last sentence was to turn his head to Gu Liyi, who had just entered the door.

didn't wait for Gu Mingxiu to reply, but it was Old Madam Gu who frowned and said, "Who taught you the rules, and you are not big or small to your fourth sister like this?" ”

When she sank her face, she looked a little stern, Gu Xiaodie usually joked with Gu Liyi a lot, and she had never been reprimanded by Old Madam Gu for a few words, so she froze in place for a while and didn't know where she said something wrong.

Gu Xiaodie sat down silently, bit her lip and said, "Fourth sister, I know it's wrong." ”

Xu was hindered by the presence of Mrs. Gu, Gu Liyi did not pull down her face to Gu Mingxiu, but just said "um" lightly and saluted: "Fourth sister, grandmother." Then calmly sat down beside Gu Xiaodie.

Gu Ming embroidered his head: "Fifth sister, sixth sister." She curled her lips and said softly, "Grandmother has not let me come every day to say goodbye, and I will come at night to accompany my grandmother in chanting, so you can't meet me." ”

Mrs. Gu is still a person who eats fasting and recites Buddha, and she is quite happy. On the first night of Gu Mingxiu's return home, she came over on her own initiative to accompany Mrs. Gu to chant and chant Buddha, and stayed with her for several hours, and only returned to her courtyard when the old lady wanted to rest. In the entire prefecture, no one has such determination and patience.

Dong Qing can't, and neither can Gu Changge.

Although he pretended to be calm and peaceful, he was a child who had never reached the end of his heart, and he couldn't bear to sit for a few hours and turn over and over just reading a few scriptures.

Gu Mingxiu has been cultivating in a Buddhist temple for several years, and it is the experience of the previous life, which makes her patience unmatched by ordinary people. She has been with Mrs. Gu for a few days, and she has naturally been looked at by Mrs. Gu, although she has never said it, but she is quite satisfied with her temperament in her heart, and she will unconsciously favor her.

With a faint smile in her eyes, Gu Mingxiu listened to the footsteps coming from outside the door, raised her eyebrows lightly, bent her lips and stared at the person who entered the door casually, and said softly: "Mother, Aunt Qing, second sister, third sister." ”

The first person who entered the door was An Li, accompanied by Mozhu and Mo'er. Seeing Gu Mingxiu standing up to greet her, An Li hurriedly stepped forward to hold her hand, frowned and said, "Xiu'er, why are your hands so cold?" I heard Mozhu say, haven't you rested well? ”

"Mother, I'm fine." Gu Mingxiu soothed, "Grandmother is still there." ”

An Li glanced at her worriedly, and then saluted: "Mother." ”

Gu Changge and Dong Qing came together, and met An Li in a hurry on the way, and greeted her but received a lukewarm response. They stopped people at the door early in the morning, but when they heard that Gu Ming had embroidered on Old Madam Gu's side, they couldn't help but hurry over.

The third young lady Gu Qingyue, who came to greet her on time, met this group of people at the door, probably a little frightened, and didn't understand why everyone was in a hurry. She has always asked Ann to come early, so she also left early, and it is rare to meet so many people here, so she sat down after inviting Ann, a little uneasy.

"Fourth sister, are you going to send someone to the official?" After asking for peace, Gu Changge looked at Gu Mingxiu, his voice was soft, mixed with a little anxious.

Old Madam Gu waved her hand to let everyone sit down, and then slowly looked at Gu Mingxiu: "What happened?" ”

Gu Mingxiu saluted and said softly: "Last night, a thief in my courtyard came in over the wall and was knocked unconscious and caught by the maid in the courtyard. ”

"Siniang, you still don't know the doorway here." Dong Qing smiled and spoke, she glanced at the old lady, and said softly, "That thief is a man after all, if you send someone to the government and let others know, it will inevitably damage your reputation." ”

An Li frowned, but when he heard Gu Mingxiu, he said lightly: "Auntie, what she said is wrong." It wasn't Siniang who caught the thief last night, and the thief never approached the inner room, so why did he damage my reputation? Besides, the guards of the Gu Mansion are not bad, how did the thief get in must be thoroughly investigated, just stealing some property, if it is for his father, how can it be good? ”

She sighed slightly, looking quite worried: "Siniang often heard that some officials were framed in the temple, if the thief was instigated, not only the father was in danger, but the entire mansion would inevitably be implicated." ”

The righteous words she said easily led her words in another direction, and easily deducted the possibility of annihilation. Old Madam Gu couldn't help frowning slightly when she heard this, and her expression was a little serious. Dong Qing almost gritted his teeth, and had to smile forcefully: "Siniang, how can it be so serious as you say....."

"The affairs of officialdom are indispensable for such a false accusation." An Li suddenly spoke, and she nodded calmly, "Xiu'er, you are very thoughtful. ”

Old Madam Gu bowed her head and said slowly: "What the fourth girl said is good. ”

"It's just that I don't know....Why did my aunt send someone to block people and prevent me from being sent to the official?" Gu Mingxiu's eyes fell on Dong Qing carelessly, and the corners of his lips seemed to be bent but not bent.

Dong Qing's words were blocked in his throat and couldn't be spoken, so he could only smile reluctantly: "It's my inconsiderateness." ”

"You're not doing well." Old Madam Gu glanced at her lightly, there was something else in her eyes, and Dong Qing was suddenly startled when she saw it. She set her eyes on Gu Mingxiu, with a slight scrutiny, "It's just four girls, you knelt in front of my door early in the morning, just for this one thing?" ”

"Please ask the old lady to make the decision for my girl!" Mu Lan and Mo Zhu glanced at each other, and without waiting for the others to react, they both knelt down.

"Siniang is really not for this thing." Gu Mingxiu's gaze slid lightly from Dong Qing's body, "The people in Siniang's courtyard were all chosen by Aunt Qing for Siniang, but now that something has happened, Siniang doesn't even have the right to dispose of the maids in her yard, so it's really a little embarrassing." ”

Her words were fluttering, but An Li on the side tightened his fingers slightly, and there was a little regret between his eyebrows.

"Aunt Qing is afraid that Siniang will be tired and wants to deal with it for Siniang, and Siniang is very grateful." Gu Mingxiu bent his eyes, and said very lightly, "It's just that this matter doesn't need others to do it for you, Siniang can solve it by herself." Something has happened to the person, and Siniang also hopes that Aunt Qing can bring the others back, but Siniang really doesn't dare to use it. ”

Old Madam Gu's gaze swept over Dong Qing, whose face was ugly, and then glanced at Gu Mingxiu, who was breezy and calm, her gaze slowly fell on Mu Lan, and she said lightly: "What's going on?" ”

"Back to the old lady, after the thief climbed over the wall last night, a maid named Xiaolan in the courtyard shouted and screamed, slandering the girl for having a private meeting with someone, and saying that she saw it with her own eyes." Mu Lan told everything about last night, and she was very angry, "Aunt Qing didn't listen to the slave and maid, and she led a group of people to smash the girl's door. My girl couldn't stand the fright, so when it came out, it made the girl sleepless all night. ”

Gu Changge got up, she glanced at Gu Mingxiu softly: "Fourth sister, I apologized to you with Aunt Qing last night, it was me and Aunt Qing who were deceived by that maid and misunderstood you, don't be angry with your sister anymore, okay?" ”

"The second sister has a heart, but the fourth mother doesn't dare." Gu Mingxiu smiled back, his voice full of gentleness.

The smile on her face stiffened for a moment, and then she heard the old lady ask lightly: "It's so late, why haven't you stopped?"

Gu Changge blessed his body and said softly: "Grandmother, it's me who is not good. I was originally preparing for my grandmother's birthday gift, but I couldn't embroider well in one place, so I asked Aunt Qing, and I didn't pay attention to the time when I was negligent. ”

Dong Qing's embroidery is indeed good, full of brilliance, Gu Changge's reason is not only good, but also highlights his filial piety.

Old Madam Gu didn't have a satisfied look on her face, she just glanced at her lightly: "Hmm." ”

Reading is exciting, reading is wonderful!

( = )