"After the Chen Mansion overturned the case, we also became a normal family, and I didn't have to fish in the world, for a while, I didn't know what to do, to be honest, I have long been accustomed to that kind of idle life, when I was a child, in order to make a living, I learned some small skills with the walking sorcerer, and in the future, for the sake of Chen's face, I will never do those things that are difficult to get into the elegant hall again. After the adult cleared the old case in Shicheng, the county official who used the self-recommendation was about to leave, and when he left, he came to me and asked me if I would like to follow him and help him patrol the government to clear the case - at that time I was really dumbfounded, I didn't react at all, I was just a small person in the market, how could he work for the adult, the first thing I asked at that time was, the adult is the patrol political envoy, and there are thousands of good generals under him, and there are countless people who are willing to follow the adult, why did you come to me such an insignificant villain? But the adults said that there are countless Lang generals, and it is difficult to find dead soldiers. What he wants to find is not just a capable person who is famous for his vassal reputation, but a brother who knows how to kill relatives in righteousness, can travel in all directions, can distinguish between right and wrong, can resist temptation, can endure loneliness, can endure hardships, and can live and die together. I couldn't think of anything to doubt it, and he told me about the next place to patrol the government, and he said that he would give me time to think about it, after all, to follow him would be to give up all the comfortable life and relatives and friends who were tied to him, and if I thought about it, I would go to the next place to find him, and if I didn't want to, I didn't have to be embarrassed to refuse in person. ”

"So, did you say yes now, or did you go back to the next place to meet him?" I can't guess what they're thinking.

Chen Bing smiled and said, "I didn't agree in person, I think I need more time to consider whether I am worthy of following the adult, if I can't help, or make the adult embarrassed in the court, wouldn't it be a sin?" ”

I looked at Chen Bing and smiled: "I can't see it, you all have such a story, and there are many followers around the adult, all of whom have such stories and extraordinary origins like you?" ”

Chen Bing showed a strange smile on his face and said, "Not all. Kong Liang and I were recruited by the adults in person, and the other Xiang Zhou and Zhu Jing came out of the Shangguan Mansion, Shangguan is the emperor's capital family, even if it is a family entourage, it may be after the soldiers, I am after the criminals, although I was later rehabilitated, but in the final analysis, the clan is not decent, Kong Liang is better than me, but we are different from them after all. ”

Four retinues, two identities - I thought about it carefully, I didn't have any impression, I was blind after these retinues came, except for Chen Bing, no one else should have seen it.

"It's time for the town." Chen Bing's words pulled me out of his stirring old things.

I looked around, and my heart said that this journey was really short, maybe I was talking too seriously, and I didn't even notice that I had passed through the terrifying Xihuayuan, so it was the best.

Chen Bing took me in the direction of my house, he walked not on the main road, there was nothing special, it was not lively, it was not cold and quiet, but this route was familiar to me and unfamiliar, familiar because I walked almost every day when I was a child, and strange because I had not walked like this for many years.

Because if you walk this road, you will pass by Li Xue's cloth shop.

I unconsciously stopped, wanting to change lanes, Chen Bing turned his head to look at me and said, "What's wrong?" Are you on the wrong track? ”

"No, no." I couldn't help but curse myself in my heart, I still wanted to avoid Li Xue at this time.

After passing by Li Xue's cloth shop, the store door has not yet opened, and there is no light in the store - this Li Xue should not be lazy, since she supported this cloth shop alone, she will arrive at the store every day in the middle of the day, ready to open, but now it is almost dawn, and the store has not yet opened.

Looking at the closed door, I had mixed feelings in my heart, I didn't know whether to be glad to be able to escape with Li Xue, or to be disappointed that I didn't encounter the changes in this dream.

Chen Bing frowned lightly and said in a low voice, "Why hasn't the cloth shop opened?" It can't be the proprietor's accident, right? ”

I looked at him strangely, how did this Chen Bing know that the cloth shop should open at this time?

At this time, there was a hurried footstep behind us, and we looked back to see that it was Li Xue who came with a lantern, she casually put on a cotton suit, and she didn't even have time to change her shoes, her face was facing the sky, and her hair was casually pulled behind her, but the hairpin was still on her head.

As soon as she saw us, she lowered her head shyly, wrapped in a cotton coat that was open in the wind, and her voice was weak and panting: "Such a coincidence? ”

Chen Bing didn't answer, the two should not be familiar with each other, so I answered slowly: "Oh, well, today...... Why is it so late? ”

Li Xue gasped, as if she had pinched a piece of paper in her hand, and buried her head deep in the high collar of the cotton suit: "Well, something is delayed." ”

I looked at her unobtrusive appearance, which was a bit similar to her in my dream, and I didn't know what she was doing in such a hurry, not like she was coming to open a store.

Li Xue hung her head and stood on the edge of the store, with no intention of continuing to stay, as if she was waiting for us to walk away.

"Oh...... Pay attention to your body...... Then, let's go first...... "I obviously wanted to say something considerate, and I wanted to set it up, but in the end it was such a strange cold noise, I was afraid that I would be speechless if I stayed any longer, so I had to turn around and leave."

After walking a few steps, Chen Bing didn't seem to follow, I turned my head to see that he was staring at Li Xue - and Li Xue was standing on the edge of the store, smoothing a piece of paper in her hand, but she didn't stick it to the door for a long time.

Why do you put a word on the door? Generally, we are the owners who have something to do or have a happy moment, so we will put a word on the door to show the guests.

Li Xue's shop is half of her home, half of her life, what can she do?

I squinted at the piece of paper, and I couldn't make out what was written—and even if I did, I guess I wouldn't be able to read much.

Chen Bing should have read the words on the paper clearly, and suddenly walked towards her, quickly pulled the hesitant paper in her hand, and asked, "What is the important matter in the girl's family, and what is the important thing to do to sell the place of livelihood here?" ”

Li Xue seemed to be taken aback, tears rippled on her face when she raised her head, and her eyes were deep and haggard, as if she hadn't slept peacefully for several days.

My heart tightened, I hadn't seen Li Xue cry for a long time, as if since Lian Xiao's death, there was nothing to make her cry again.

"Li Xue, what's wrong with you? What happened? I ran over and looked at the paper in Chen Bing's hand, there was something in the store - the last four words, I don't know!

I pointed to the words on it and asked Chen Bing anxiously, "What is written on this?" ”

Chen Bing said: "If the store has something, I will quickly transfer to the cloth store." ”

Zig?

I turned my head to stare at Li Xue and said hurriedly: "Why did you transfer the cloth shop?" What's going on in your house? This cloth shop is your hard work, how can you say that it will turn around? What do you do after the turn? What do you do for a living? ”

Li Xue frowned lightly and choked softly: "Mother, she ...... I'm afraid I can't stand it...... After turning this store and taking the silver, I can do a decent posthumous thing for her, and then make a good mound for their family of three, I can only do so much for the family...... As for the future, let's talk about it later......"

I snatched the note, tore it and threw it in the wind, and said angrily, "What? Has Aunt Lian's condition deteriorated? - Why don't you come to me if you have something? It's easy for you to turn it around now, but it's hard to get it back!

Li Xue burst into tears, the tip of her nose was red, I haven't seen this shy and weak appearance for many years, she didn't answer my vexatious question, in fact, I am the least qualified to say these words to her, it is not that she has avoided me all these years, but that I have left her, because of the dream that makes people blame and feel guilty, and the face of Lian Xiao when he fell off the cliff, these scenes that torture me, I will remember when I see Li Xue.

I pulled her to Lian's house and said, "I'll go see Aunt Lian." ”

Facing the cold morning breeze, Li Xue trotted behind me, I really haven't come to see Aunt Lian for a long time, I used to send some supplements to the past during the New Year's holiday, and I don't have to worry about these things after Xia Xia, I forgot to ask, especially this year, my own things are continuous, how do I think of Aunt Lian's illness - Aunt Lian treated me very well when I was a child, but I ......

When I arrived at Lian's house, the red paper lantern was carefully hung at the door of Lian's house, and the candles in the lamp were still bright, as if to welcome the New Year, the door was just tied to a button, and Li Xue was estimated to be here last night.

When I entered the door, I hadn't been here for a long time, and I couldn't remember where Aunt Lian's room was. Li Xue walked around in front of me and said tremblingly, "Come with me." ”

Chen Bing closed the door in the back, I turned my head to look at him, he nodded to me, and followed in.

When he entered the room, Chen Bing stood outside the door and said softly: "I'm waiting for the girl here, you guys take your time." ”

I held back my tears and nodded, Li Xue said, "It's cold outside, let's come in and wait." ”

Chen Bing didn't shirk and walked in.

Aunt Lian was lying on the bed, sickly and haggard, with a delicate forehead guard on her forehead, her face was very pale, and the paleness made people feel lifeless - I was stunned, this is not my impression of Aunt Lian at all, I remember that she usually always tidied herself up properly, dressed very decently, and was the kind of person who would not make herself look shabby even if she wore a linen cloth skirt.

Li Xue bit her lip, walked to Aunt Lian's side, and whispered: "Mother......"

Aunt Lian didn't react-

It won't — it won't be —

Li Xue bit her lip, maybe she was also afraid of what I was afraid of, she got closer and shouted, "Mother, look who came to see you-"

Aunt Lian still didn't respond, so quiet that she didn't even seem to be breathing.

"Mother-" Li Xue knelt down, put her hand on the side of her nose and probed it, after a while, she breathed a sigh of relief, she turned her head and said to me half laughing and half crying: "Mother, she fell asleep......"

I looked at Aunt Lian in a daze, so sour that I couldn't say a word.