With the words, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy hurried over from the road in the garden, and went to Zheng Yuanshuo to salute his front hand, which happened to separate Zheng Yuanshuo from Xun Qing's master and servant.

Zheng Yuanshuo saw that someone was coming, so he accepted the hairpin, no matter what, but his face was already a little unhappy.

"Ah, second brother, didn't you go to the county town? What's the matter with me? ”

This young man is Zheng Yuanshuo's cousin Zheng Yuenlong. He didn't answer Zheng Yuanshuo directly, but said with a smile: "Big brother, my brother came from outside the door just now, and Shoucai was looking for the eldest brother outside the second gate, saying that he was in a hurry." ”

Shoucai is Zheng Yuanshuo's long-term follower, who takes care of some shady things for Zheng Yuanshuo, and is Zheng Yuanshuo's first confidant. Zheng Yuanshuo heard that Shoucai was looking for him urgently, and he was a little reluctant to leave.

He was sent by his mother to study, but he didn't want to. Unexpectedly, since he hit this, his uncle of the Xun family just spoke harshly and did not restrain him much. His aunt Fang treated him better, but she was more at ease than when she was at home.

There is also an unexpected good thing, although this place is in the countryside, because of the good water and soil, the characters are a little bit beautiful. The Xun family is a big family, and several girls are very colorful, and there are many outstanding people among them. Therefore, these days, he is really like a fish in water, and reading is just a pretense.

It's just that the other girls of the Xun family are willing to be close to him. But this third girl is always faint. When I first arrived, I could see each other in the sisters' pile, but somehow I couldn't even see each other in person.

Zheng Yuanshuo felt that Xun Qingran's face was always dull and rarely spoken, but he still looked outstanding. I accidentally saw her smiling face today, and I was immediately shocked. Because Xun Qingran couldn't leave the house when he was idle, no matter how much Fang doted on him, it was not good for him to really go to the girl's boudoir. He was afraid that he would not have a chance to get close in the future, and he always wanted to take this opportunity to impress Xun Qingran. In his mind, gold is familiar to anyone who sees it. He has gold, and others should be kind to him.

Zheng Yuanlang didn't seem to know Zheng Yuanshuo's thoughts, and only urged him to go.

"Big brother should go quickly, I look at the appearance of guarding money, there is something important, if it is delayed, the eldest brother will regret it."

Zheng Yuanshuo stood there without moving, pondering that he still wanted to say a few words to Xun Qingran. Zheng Yuanlang had already made a gesture with Xun Qing in a proper manner, "Sister Dye, I still have something to do with my eldest brother, go first." ”

Xun Qingran bowed his knees and returned the salute, and Zheng Yuanlang took Zheng Yuanshuo's arm and pushed and pulled all the way.

Seeing that the Zheng brothers were gone, Xun Qingran breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Zheng Yuanlang took Zheng Yuanshuo away, otherwise it would be ....... Xun Qingran swept his eyes around, and saw a figure flashing on the side of the narrow door. Xun Qingran paused in his footsteps.

Baozhu's sharp eyes also saw it, and whispered, "It seems to be Sister Caohua, who flashed on the side of the door and disappeared." ”

Xun Qingran remembered it in his heart, and did not stay in the garden for long, and walked directly to the back door of the garden. There was only a half-deaf mother-in-law guarding the door, and Kikyo stepped forward and stuffed a few large coins into the woman's hand.

"Mama Lu, our girl is going to the begonia garden of the third master's house, fold a few begonias and come back to insert a bottle, please keep watching the door."

Master Xun has a total of three brothers, and they have long been separated. Master Xun lived for a long time, so he occupied this old mansion. Master Xunsan's courtyard is to the west of the old mansion, only separated by a sandwich road. The people of the Xun family generally say that the old man Xun's house, this is called the East Mansion, and when it comes to the third master of Xun, it is called the West Mansion. The West Mansion was originally separated from the back garden of the East Mansion, so the middle passage was also the Xun family, and there were no idle people walking around.

Out of the garden gate, just a few steps away, is the Begonia Garden in Xifu. When the family was separated, the third master valued the begonia garden and did not care about the size of the Xifu house. There is also a small building in the Begonia Garden for people to visit the garden and rest. The third master took over the West Mansion, and put the collection of books in the small building, and later purchased a lot of rare books, and put up a plaque, calling the small building a library pavilion.

When the third master was in a foreign office, because he took over his family members, he handed over the West Mansion to several reliable subordinates to take care of. Kikyo's uncle and grandfather's family are responsible for taking care of the Begonia Garden and the Library.

When I arrived at the gate of the Begonia Garden, the bellflower stepped forward and knocked twice, and the door opened. A round apple face poked out of the door, and when he saw Xun Qingran at a glance, he immediately smiled, didn't speak, and directly opened the door and welcomed the three masters and servants in.

Waiting for Xun Qingran to stand still, the little girl also closed the door and came over to salute. The little girl was not yet ten years old, and she had a double bun on her head, and she loved to laugh very much, and when she laughed, she had two dimples on her face, which was very pleasing. She is the granddaughter of the Han steward who takes care of this begonia garden, and she is a cousin with Kikyo.

"I'm bothering you again, Xiaotang. Have you been waiting here early in the morning? Xun Qingran pulled up the little girl and asked with a smile.

Xiaotang shook his head, his smile a little shy.

Kikyo stepped forward and took Xiaotang's hand.

"Xiaotang, who is in the garden?"

Xiaotang pointed to the depths of the Begonia Garden with his hand, screamed twice in his mouth, and gestured with his hand. Kikyo nodded in understanding.

"Only the fourth uncle is pruning the flowers and trees inside, what we are going to do, Xiaotang has already told her grandfather, let the girl play around."

Xun Qingran nodded, seeing that it was still early, he walked slowly step by step. The scenery in this garden is different from that of Dongfu, there are no flowers and trees, but begonias are planted all over. Begonias are red and white, red like fire, white like snow. There are also stone tables and stone benches in the park, and small bridges and pavilions, all of which are small and exquisite.

The library is built in the begonia forest and is a two-story brick and wood building. The second floor is a collection of books, and the first floor is a study. Xun Qing dyed into the study, and as soon as he sat down, Baozhu came to report that the second master was here.

The curtain was raised, and a teenager walked in with square steps. A handsome face with childishness, obviously handsome eyebrows and eyes, are all drooping, showing a dull face, without the vitality that a young man should have.

Xun Qingran burst out laughing, pointed at the young man and said angrily: "Ah Hui, look at you, like a little old man." There are no outsiders here, so don't pretend. ”

Hearing this, Xun Junhui's eyebrows suddenly stretched, and the stupidity on his face was swept away, and he instantly seemed to be a different person.

My sister teased me again. …… I was stopped by my husband to endorse, and I came out of school late, so I told my sister to wait for a long time. Xun Junhui saluted Xun Qing.

Xun Qingran stood up, took Xun Junhui's hand, and asked him to sit down by the bookcase.

"I'm just here, I'm in a hurry, sit down and rest."

Xun Junhui sat down as he said, stood up again, and took out a very thoughtful oiled paper bag from his sleeve pocket.

"My sister loves to eat steamed black cake from Gucheng Zhai. Two days ago, someone from Junhui's family went to the county seat, and I asked him to help me bring some and bring them to my sister to eat. ”

Xun Junhui said and opened the paper bag. This steamed black cake is a specialty of Yingchuan County, and it is the most famous in the ancient city of Zhai. Because of the fine selection of materials and the complexity of the method, Guchengzhai only steamed a few cages every day, so its reputation is even more famous. This black cake is made with glutinous rice flour, shou wu flour and jujube paste, and steamed in a basket drawer. The average shou wu cake is steamed out as a reddish-brown piece. However, there are three distinct colors of Shou Wu Cake in Gucheng Zhai, the top layer is black, the middle layer is red, and the lower layer is white. The color is beautiful, the entrance is soft and smooth, and because of the addition of osmanthus nectar, it is very sweet. Xun Qingran loves to eat this very much, but he can't eat it often, although the Xun family is a well-known family.

Baozhu and Xiaotang brought in the boiled water, and Xun Qingran washed his hands with Xun Junhui first. At this time, Kikyo had already made tea and served it to the two of them.

Xun Qingran opened the food box he brought, and inside was a cut sponge cake. She spent money to buy eggs and other raw materials from the kitchen people, made them in the small tea room in her yard, and specially brought them to her younger brother to eat.

Xun Qingran asked the bellflower to take a plate and put a few pieces of each of the two pastries and give them to Xiaotang and his family to eat. picked up a big sponge cake and handed it to Xun Junhui, just as Xun Junhui also picked up a piece of black cake and handed it over, the sisters and brothers looked at each other and smiled, their hearts warmed, and they ate the pastry with tea.

Xun Qingran drank tea while looking at his younger brother. The sister and brother are very similar because of their mother. Xun Junhui has just turned thirteen years old, and his height is almost the same as Xun Qing's. Because of the environment, I have to make an old-fashioned and dull appearance in front of outsiders, and only when I get to her will I show my true temperament.

This child was brought up by her, Xun Qingran was a little distressed and a little proud.

Four years ago, she came here inexplicably, witnessed the murder, lay in bed for more than ten days, and slowly accepted the fact of crossing, but she was unwilling in her heart. That day, she took advantage of the unpreparedness of the people, ran out of the house by herself, walked along the root of the wall, and very childishly took a branch and beat the flowers and plants passing by to vent her anger. I happened to walk to a small courtyard against the wall, and when I heard the angry scolding of a woman inside, I curiously turned in.

A middle-aged woman with a white powder on her face and a very rich figure is holding a bowl of rice in one hand and a little boy in the other, and she can't stop scolding.

"Alas, little master, you also let the nurse save me worry. That is, your fate is good, and your wife is from a big family and has a good heart, so she promotes you like this. Look at what you're wearing, and what your wife didn't pay for you. Isn't it just that if you eat grains of sand in your meal, you make this appearance, and you lose your temper with your mother. You really think you're a master. ”

The little boy was only six or seven years old, and his little face was not thin, but it was dull. The small body was staggered by the mother-in-law's big hand. The woman's saliva splashed everywhere, and many sprays were sprayed on the child's face, but the child did not dare to hide.

The mother-in-law poured all the food on the ground, and the other fat hand slapped the child's back a few times. Her hand strength is not small, Xun Qingran is a distance away, and she can still hear the sound of the child's back being beaten. The child couldn't stand it, he was beaten forward, almost fell to the ground, and was picked up by his mother-in-law with one hand, "Little master, watch the road carefully, this good dress is valuable, and if it is broken, I want to take money to make up for it." …… Both the old man and the wife taught to cherish the grain, and the little master deducted this bowl of good white rice on the ground, if the above knew, he would have to hit the board. Listen to the nurse's words, you eat this meal well, and the nurse won't tell you. ”

So saying, the mother-in-law forced the child to the ground and forced him to eat the food on the ground. The child stiffened his neck and refused to give in.

Xun Qingran hid behind a bush, and saw that the rice had fallen on the sand, and was trampled on by her mother-in-law, where could she still eat. The child struggled under the mother-in-law's hand, and when he raised his head, he happened to meet Xun Qing's eyes. The child's mouth opened, but he did not open his mouth for help, but turned his face away. Xun Qingran's heart flickered.