By this time we had reached the toast building.

At noon, the toast building was lively, and Master Huang accepted the words and walked in with his back hand.

I followed behind and took off my hat, and there was a sudden silence in the lobby, which was already full of people.

What's going on?

I looked back at the people sitting at the tables in the hall, all looking at us strangely.

"Master Huang, Sister Fei, will you two sit together?" The little donkey came to greet us, smiling, wind-blown expression, as if he was always happy from the bottom of his heart.

I was still paying attention to the people in the hall, someone stood up and waved at me, it was Brother Zhuzi, I also waved my hand, his expression was very puzzled, as if it was difficult to pull me and Master Huang together.

Brother Zhu is still sitting next to Zhang Dandan, with a toothpick in his mouth at this time, looking at us with a serious face, I don't know why, I feel that his eyes are a little sad.

The bustle began to sound again, everyone should drink and eat, and many people wore red clothes, yes, it was almost the New Year.

"Master Huang, are you still the same?" The little donkey asked.

Master Huang asked, "Is Indigo empty?" ”

The little donkey said, "It's been empty for you." ”

Master Huang smiled, stared at the little donkey and said, "You are quite careful." ”

The little donkey smiled: "Try to meet the needs of the guests." Let's go upstairs here, and I'll go to the kitchen and order some hot tea. ”

Master Huang nodded.

The little donkey was busy with himself, we went upstairs, the indigo private room was on the third floor, and as soon as we went upstairs, it seemed to be separated from the hustle and bustle downstairs by a world.

The private rooms in the toast building are very special, named after the color, and the decorations inside are also based on their own colors.

I turned my head to look at a circle of private room chic furnishings, Mo shopkeeper is indeed very discerning, also very thoughtful, this furnishings are very elegant and quiet, in the middle of the table put a dripping ornament, like an hourglass, in the drop to the round ball plate of the tile basin dripping water, the tile basin also planted some water plants, sitting there quietly, as if you can hear the sound of the stream flowing.

But I don't like the feeling of being so quiet and cold, I like bright colors, I like noisy jokes, and the smell of worldly fireworks can make people feel happy.

Mr. Huang quietly looked at the water droplet tile pot, I suddenly felt that I like to be lively with my father, he always likes to carry me to the crowd, laugh loudly, chat and drink loudly with everyone, there will be a lot of laughter where he is.

I gently pushed open the window door, listened to the laughter downstairs, and saw that the table we usually sit at was already occupied, it was Li Shui's family, thirteen-year-old Li Ruolan has grown taller and fatter, not as cute as when she was a child.

Time passes day by day, everyone is changing, Xia Xia used to like to play with Ruolan, because she grew up to be tall with children of the same age, so she would always hug Ruolan, and now Ruolan should not be able to hold it.

Seeing that I had been staring downstairs, Mr. Huang asked, "Do you like the excitement downstairs?" ”

I smiled, pointed to Li Shui's table and said, "Well, on weekdays, we all sit downstairs, and there is a girl at that table." In fact, sometimes I also want to go to the private room, quiet, Song Lingjian doesn't like to be noisy, but Han San is too lazy to climb the stairs. As for me, I like to be lively, the villagers are all from small to large, just like their own family, so we usually sit there, where you can bask in the sun, the left side is against the wall, Song Lingjian sits, the right side is where I sit, in the middle, Han San sits with a smile, he likes to go to other people's tables to rub peanuts and braised pork, and they are all small things that come back. ”

Master Huang looked downstairs with a smile and said, "Maybe only when you really return to the countryside and taste the fireworks in the world can you really live once." ”

Although this is pleasant, I am very sad to listen to it, he and Dabao must not have sat down to eat happily like their family of three.

Li Ruolan ate her face full of bread foam, and Li Shui kept serving her soup and meat on the side - I laughed, no wonder Ruolan gained so much weight.

"Master Huang, you can too, didn't you say that your ancestral home is Hongcun?"

Master Huang said: "It's not that simple. ”

There was a knock on the door, and the little donkey came in, followed by a young man, holding a tray, this young man had a raw face, I had never seen it before.

The little donkey put down the things on the tray one by one, and read: "This is Master Huang's Jin Junmei, Sister Fei, I have prepared chrysanthemum wolfberry tea for you, with a clear purpose." ”

I smiled and nodded, "It's really considerate - how did you recruit a new helper?" I've never seen it before. I stared at the honest boy with the tray.

The little donkey said: "Well, I recruited it some time ago, and Sister Fei hasn't been here for too long." His name is Pony, Pony, and this is Sister Fei. ”

The pony bowed honestly and said, "Hello Sister Fei." You are the Fei sister that Miss Xia often mentions in her mouth, right? ”

I laughed, "Yes." Your shopkeeper, why is it always a donkey and a pony, it's really funny to hear. ”

The little donkey said, "It's just a coincidence." What to eat? ”

Master Huang said: "Just order it with the girl, I won't pick it." ”

The donkey looked at me with a smile and the pony poured us water.

I thought about it for a while and said, "Let's go to what we usually order, and then to eat what Master Huang likes to eat, okay?" I know you have a good memory. ”

The little donkey smiled deeply, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go and prepare." ”

The pony followed him, which felt very strange, the little donkey was about the same age as Xia Xia, but he felt that he was too mature, and Han Sanxiao, who was five or six years older than him, looked like a little deflated San at his side.

The hot tea is in the stomach, the whole body is warm, Master Huang has been smelling the hot tea, the tea is really fragrant.

"By the way, why does Mrs. Huang hate my father and mother? What is my father's grudge against her? I asked, holding my tea.

Master Huang said: "You don't need to see each other like this, she is your aunt, you don't have to call me Master Huang, but I don't want others to know about this relationship, you and Ah Yan can also call Uncle Shi with me." ”

"Oh," I nodded, and called "Uncle Huang Shi" a little embarrassed, I don't know why, when I called him like this, Shangguan Yan's appearance suddenly appeared in my mind, and I would remember the expression and smile when he was also called "Uncle Huang Shi", as if we were closer in this way. Hey, I don't know how he's doing now.

"As for your father, I don't know who he is, what tasks he has in the court, in short, he is not an ordinary person, and he is not in the official hierarchy. I heard that they used to have a group of people, who were born in extraordinary backgrounds, and played together every day. Lantian has always liked to follow your father and admire him—"

Speaking of this, Master Huang paused, which has always been a point that he can't let go.

"But one day, these two people whom she had always loved and trusted, suddenly left, without any warning or explanation—she said that she hated, that she had spent half her life loving and trusting people, and that she had been treated like a mustard, and that she had thrown her into the cold palace, to face the face that had been ruthless after the struggle for power, and she hated so much that she had abandoned all her ability to be happy, like an extreme self-punishment, but she forgot that those whom she hated fiercely actually loved her."

It turns out that Lantian hates my father and mother because of this. It seems that my father's resentment is all because of his betrayal, but fortunately he didn't make any mistakes in other ways, and he left to be with his mother, I can understand it.

And this princess Lantian who I look like with her, my aunt who has never met, like my mother, has the stubbornness and pride that penetrates into the blood, and she will never tolerate betrayal and abandonment, if she doesn't love, she hates.

Master Huang's expression became very gentle, and his voice was also very slow and slow, for fear that if he said a word faster, he would leave behind the memories of that time: "She was like a child, hiding in my arms and crying, tears wet my entire shoulder, I don't know what to do." I should hug her well, make her cry well, and let her be as she pleases...... But I was so stupid at the time, for fear that I would become a substitute for another person, I was obsessed with that ridiculous pride and pushed her away and left her, I heard her scolding me behind me, scolding me for not being a thing, scolding me for not knowing what to do, I was dizzy, trying my best to stay away from her so that I could not hear those curses, but I didn't hear her actually shouting my name......"

Old Man Huang looked at the water droplets in the tile basin vacantly, and the circle was like the annual rings on the tree, as if there was still Princess Lantian's tearful and stubborn face in this watery annual ring, but it was a pity that he never had the opportunity to hug the sad shoulder, and then used the tenderness of his life to coax her willful and brutal tears.

Looking back at the tears on the empty shoulders, the red dust has been alone.

Looking at each other, we seem to see the people in our respective years, who have no time to hold on.

The door rang again, the little donkey served, the pony still followed honestly to the side, the two quickly finished the food, the little donkey was a very thoughtful person, said "two slow food" and went out.

I was indeed hungry and devoured it for a while.

Master Huang didn't seem to move his chopsticks much, just sipping tea.

I looked at the dishes I didn't order on weekdays, they were all light and vegetarian-oriented, and said, "Huang-Uncle Huang Shi, you can also call it, this shrimp Jiao is delicious, oily but not greasy, Han Sanxiao usually eats two cages by himself." "I grabbed two of his empty plates.

Master Huang stared at the plate and didn't move.

I stuck out my tongue and said, "I'm sorry, I'm used to eating on weekdays......"

Master Huang smiled and said, "It's okay. He picked up one and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it carefully.

"Is it delicious?" I asked.

Master Huang nodded and said, "It's not bad." I have heard that this shrimp dumpling is famous, but I have never been willing to try a bite, and it is a pity to miss the delicious food, just like missing the beautiful scenery. ”

I smiled and said, "If you don't regret anything, it's good to be able to eat it." ”

Master Huang looked at me and smiled, as if all the worries that were wrapped around him suddenly loosened.

"After Lantian is pregnant, he sometimes mentions you. She said that when she had a chance, she wanted to see her little niece. ”

I was surprised: "She knows me? ”

Master Huang nodded: "I don't know where she got the news, but she did mention you, and she kept asking the people around her if her nephew was like an uncle or a niece would be like an aunt, and she also said that she would prepare a big gift for you." If she were still here, she would have laughed proudly at the sight of her niece who looked so much like herself. ”

I was moved: "It's rare for her to be so caring, but I didn't know she existed until now......"

Master Huang smiled softly and said, "It's not your fault - you must feel very dull when I told you this in the morning, right?" ”

"No, no—I've always been curious, and Dabao mentions his mother every time he sees me, and I want to know what kind of person she is. I always thought that there were no other relatives besides my father and mother, and now I know that I have an aunt, and you uncle, and Dabao - I don't know what to say, but I am really happy. I snorted.

Master Huang said: "In terms of blood, in addition to Lantian, you also have an uncle. However, if the man doesn't mention it, you won't have a chance to meet, and I hope you'd better not have the chance to meet. ”