In a Taoist temple on the outskirts of Beijing, Zhou Zhan learned that An Nan actually sent someone to go to sea to do business, and unexpectedly returned with a full load, so he chuckled meaningfully: "My lady, I am really getting more and more capable." ”

"General, will Madame's big battle make the emperor even more jealous of you?" The servant said worriedly.

"Madame is quite smart, she didn't go to sea in the name of the Zhou family or herself, if I hadn't stared at her deliberately, I wouldn't have known that she still had the courage to do this, the emperor has never put Mrs. Neizhai in his eyes, but only blindly monitored me, which made Madame's affairs tightly hidden, just right."

The corners of Zhou Zhan's mouth hooked slightly, looking not worried at all, and then mocked, "Besides, if Madam doesn't make these moves, the emperor won't be on guard against me?" ”

The servant seemed to say something more, but Zhou Zhan waved his hand and said, "Soon the emperor will not care about surveillance and deal with me, there is nothing to worry about." ”

When the servant saw that his master looked unconcerned and confident, he also reassured himself that the master was always right, and what he said was never wrong.

……

In a simple house in Bluestone City, 600 miles away from the capital, a young man in old clothes and listlessness walked in.

"How many copper plates did you earn today?" A cold and gloomy female voice came from the room, making the young man who came in shiver, and he replied in a low voice of embarrassment, "Four...... No business today......"

"What?! It's only four! How many steamed buns can you buy with four copper plates? If you can't earn back a day's food money, what's the use of asking you? I can't even earn money to support my family, it's really useless! I knew I wouldn't have come here with you to eat chaff, I'm so blind! The scolding became more and more shrill, and the woman with a gloomy face snatched the four copper plates from the man's hand, and did not forget to roll her eyes at him with disdain.

This woman who has become bitter and mean is the Oiran who fascinated Zhou Rui three years ago, at this time she is plain faced, the luxurious and beautiful clothes of the past are gone, replaced by gray and dirty coarse linen clothes, the delicate and feminine appearance of the past has become rough and yellow, and only the vague beauty of the past can be occasionally glimpsed from the contours of the face.

In the past, the soft and fair-skinned, ten fingers that did not touch the spring water, did a lot of rough work, and became rough and difficult to see; In the past, her well-concealed personality was completely exposed in her poor and hard life, and the weakness and pity she pretended to be became pungent and bitter, often scolding Zhou Rui so much that she couldn't lift her head, which made her neighbors see a lot of jokes.

"Die outside and sit outside for a day and earn four copper plates! Other people who sell pancakes earn more than you! It's in vain that you've been reading for so many years, and you can't even compare to a mountain village man who can't read a single big word! What use do you say you live? Do you want the old lady to be a jewelry to support you, eat soft rice so happily, see if the thing under your crotch is still there? It's all a girl......" Hongsheng chattered endlessly and humiliated Zhou Rui, Zhou Rui was silent, numbly letting her scold.

He really couldn't understand why the empathetic, innocent and gentle woman at the beginning had become the vitriol shrew she is now? Didn't you say that you don't care about my status and status, and only because of my talent and character? What about sharing weal and woe with what was promised at the beginning? Who would rather work hard than be with me?

I'm just making less money, but if I save money, life can always pass, so why make a lot of noise about money? Zhou Rui was gradually exhausted by the noise and humiliation of the red dress, and he couldn't help but have some regrets in his heart, but he suppressed these impatient thoughts, he couldn't regret it, if he regretted it, he would deny his love, his persistence...... If he regrets it, then what's the point of him breaking away from the family? He can't throw in the towel......

Now it's only temporary, when he finds a good job and can earn a lot of money, so that Hongshang can live a rich and glorious life in the past, Hongshang will return to the gentleness and kindness of the past...... Yes, that's it, she's just having a rough temper now because she has a lot of work and little money at home......

Zhou Rui comforted himself like an ostrich, as if he didn't have to admit that he was really useless, didn't have to admit that he had seen the wrong person at the beginning, and didn't have to admit that his love was a joke......

However, when it comes to regret, there is one person who regrets it more than him, and that is the red dress. When she left with Zhou Rui, she still thought that Zhou Rui's mother was just scaring Zhou Rui, and wanted to wait for Zhou Rui to suffer for a period of time, so that he would learn a lesson, and then send someone to pick him up and continue to be his eldest son of the Zhou family.

When she left for a few days, she was gentle and considerate, taking care of Zhou Rui meticulously, wanting to make Zhou Rui feel more sorry for her understanding and understanding, and let Mrs. An know that she is a good woman.

When she left for a few months, although she pretended to be a little impatient, as soon as she thought that Mrs. An would come to pick up Zhou Rui back, and then she would be able to enjoy the glory and wealth as the justifiable daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, she immediately recovered her spirit, full of fighting spirit, and did not hesitate to pawn her jewelry to supplement the family, but also to be a good wife and mother of the family in front of Zhou Rui, Zhou Rui really loved her even more.

However, after leaving for a year, the Zhou family seems to have really been gone, and there is not even a single message, let alone taking Zhou Rui back.

Hongshang is now dead, it seems that the Zhou family is really determined not to want this eldest young master, pretending to be gentle and considerate for a whole year, and stealing chickens and rice, not only did not treat it as a young grandmother, but pawned a lot of red clothes with his own jewelry, and suddenly couldn't hold back his anger as a little daughter-in-law for a year, exposed his true face, and began to turn over to be the master, and drove Zhou Rui out of the house to find work, and if he didn't earn money for a day, he would have no food for a day.

Zhou Rui is a big young master, where will he make money? He could only read books for more than ten years of his life, and the rest was an idiot in life. But if you don't make money, you won't have anything to eat, Zhou Rui had to put down his body to find a job, but he didn't have any skills, he had no strength when he was a coolie, and he couldn't take care of the accounts when he was in the bookkeeper, so he had to set up a stall on the street to write letters to people, and sell some calligraphy and paintings by the way, but he was not a famous talent, calligraphy and paintings could not be sold at a high price, they could only be sold cheaply, so he couldn't earn a few copper plates a day, and he was often scolded by Hongsheng when he went home.

Hongshang sat in the gloomy room, looking carefully at his face from the shabby and blurred bronze mirror, the white and smooth skin of the past gradually became dry and rough, and the delicate and beautiful facial features became ordinary without the decoration of rouge and gouache.

Am I going to live like this for the rest of my life? Am I willing to be a rough and ugly shrew? No! I am a beautiful Oiran with excellent talents, I don't know how many people are sought after and liked, how can I become a yellow-faced woman with grievances?!

The scorching essence burst out from the numb eyes of the red dress, and she regained her former ambition and shrewdness in an instant, Zhou Rui is gone, but it doesn't matter, there are many men in the world......

A strange smile slowly overflowed from the corner of her mouth, and she picked up the wooden comb, combed her long hair one by one, and began to tidy up her face......