The boy woke up and saw that Ai'er was still fiddling, so he said helplessly: The little girl can play with stones for so long, have you found something you like?

Ai'er put the pebbles in the hem of her clothes and wrapped them tightly as if she was afraid that someone else would take them away.

The boy smiled: It's so stingy, I'm afraid that people will rob it. It's not too early, the third brother is going to work when he is full, so you should go back early.

Ai'er doesn't want to go back, she finally came out for a trip, the time of freedom is too short, who knows if she can come out next time? Perhaps, who knows if you will be able to meet this wandering teenager next time?

The young man smiled: Still reluctant to go back, little wild cat? Are you reluctant to give up the third brother? Don't worry, if the third brother comes, he will wave to you on time, and you can come or not.

Ai'er was afraid of changes, and repeatedly confirmed: words count, and you can't break your word.

The young man frowned and said scoundrelly: If you are hungry and panicked, maybe you will really eat yourself, so let's see you tomorrow at that time just now, you can bring me some pastries that Miss and Mrs. eat leftovers, I heard that the things made by the pastry chef of your Zheng Mansion are delicious, sometimes I pass by and smell the smell, I can't wait to become a hungry ghost and fly in to steal it, okay, Sister Ai'er?

Ai'er withdrew her hand, her face was hot, and she lowered her head and ran.

The young man was still shouting in the back: Really, I'm serious, if you bring me something delicious, I'll find you all the pebbles of the zodiac, is the deal a deal?

Ai'er glanced at him, and that glance was quick and gentle, but it imprinted this young and uninhibited face deeply on his heart, for a long, long time.

Ai'er returned home with a pebble full of pockets, Nuan Nuan cried like a curse of relief and begged her not to play this game again, but Ai'er ignored it, she drove Nuan Nuan away, sat alone in front of the mirror, looked at her slightly loose little bun, and then she carefully wiped the pebbles and placed them in front of her dresser, especially the three pebbles shaped like animals, which emitted a faint reflection under the light, and the third brother promised her that he would find all twelve zodiac signs for her, and then the twelve animals could make up.

Early the next day, Ai'er asked Nuan Nuan to take the silver to the kitchen and asked the pastry chef to make more pastries. Then she was swinging on the swing in the yard, waiting for the familiar figure to wave at her.

As soon as that time came, the third brother appeared, and he did not break his promise.

Ai'er was very happy, and got out of the dog hole with the pastries in her arms, to fulfill the promise of nothing more.

The third brother smiled happily as soon as he saw Ai'er, and ran a few steps forward, Ai'er was very moved, this kind of smile she couldn't see in the house.

As soon as the third brother opened his mouth, he said: Wow, it smells so good, it's the same as what I smelled when I passed by. I'm just hungry - you must be heavy with such a big bag, I'll help you get it, help you get it.

After a while, the "I'll help you get it" became "I'll help you eat", and these pastries that Ai'er had long been tired of eating looked like precious cakes and delicious to him, and he was full of praise.

Ai'er couldn't help but ask: Is it really so delicious?

The third brother's crumbs still fell to his mouth, and he swallowed the contents of his mouth hesitantly, and asked her: You-haven't you eaten it? That's- then I'll save one for you to taste?

Ai'er laughed: No, no, you can eat, I just don't think it's that delicious.

The third brother exhaled reassuringly: Startle me. Wait, I'll find it for you when I'm done.

Of course, the third brother's sentence of eating well also includes eating well and sleeping well, usually he falls asleep by the stream, Ai'er fishes pebbles in the stream by herself, her feet are wrinkled by the stream water, and the instep is also tanned, but she thinks the wrinkled appearance of her feet is very cute.

Usually the third brother sleeps until Ai'er walks quickly and wakes up, but it is usually his work for a short time that can find a very vivid stream and stone for Ai'er in the stream and rock.

Ai'er slowly realized that the third brother came here to wander as if it was just a warm-up before going to bed, and when he walked around, he would go to sleep in this area when he was tired.

She asked him curiously, "Why do you come here to sleep during the day?" Do you only work at night?

The third brother didn't answer and asked: You are a girl who runs out every day, don't you have to serve the young lady and the lady?

Ai'er said with a humble heart: Miss likes to be quiet, she spends her time reading and writing, and she doesn't like me to disturb on the side.

The third brother asked energetically: What does your young lady look like? But your lady is really average-looking, and I guess the young lady is not bad. Maybe it's not your little girl.

Ai'er blushed: Who said that our young lady is good, and she never cares about our subordinates, in fact, our young lady is not as good as you outsiders think, there is no freedom, I haven't seen her really laugh.

The third brother said: Rich and sick, eating and drinking spicy food and stomach trouble. In the past, I thought it was a very boring thing to have no worries about food and clothing, but when I was hungry and cold, I realized that I was happiest when I was full and warm. Freedom, freedom comes at a price.

After several days of this, there were more and more zodiac pebbles on Ai'er's table, but her heart became more and more uneasy.

Nuan Nuan jumped to her feet anxiously, saying that in the past few days, Mama Bear seemed to have discovered an abnormality, and she was always walking around the neighborhood, as if she was going to grab some pigtails.

As soon as Ai'er heard about Mama Bear and Auntie, she immediately made a straight face: What are you afraid of, if you catch it, you will catch it, don't I even have this bit of freedom? If they find out, I will walk out of the gate of the house openly and see who dares to stop me.

Nuan Nuan's face turned pale in an instant, she looked back at her surroundings in fear, as if she was surrounded by evil spirits, and trembled: Don't, Miss, they don't dare to do anything to you, but they will deal with Nuan Nuan, and the second lady.

Ai'er's heart is panicked, she has the qualifications to do whatever she wants, but she doesn't have the courage to do whatever she wants, because she has people who care, and when people have things they care about, they will have weaknesses.

And the eldest lady is like a ubiquitous evil spirit, covering this deserted manor with a cold gaze.

Nuan Nuan, a stupid girl, doesn't have a sweet mouth on weekdays, but suddenly said: Miss, I'm not reluctant to leave here, I'll go wherever Miss goes, I just don't want to leave Miss.

Ai'er thought about it for most of the night, does she really have to marry here to get rid of her eldest mother? Marrying out here is just a change from one cage to another for her, so what's the difference?

Earlier, my mother asked her, isn't there a little nostalgia when she marries here?

Ai'er replied simply at the time, but now it was different, she believed in the bright face on the green field, and wanted to see him all the time, laugh with him, even if it was just to watch him fall asleep quietly, she felt very relieved.

The next day, Ai'er prepared to go to the appointment early, and Nuan Nuan was surprisingly quiet when she combed her hair, not like the previous days when she always asked her to come back early, not only that, Nuan Nuan also dredged the pastry chef to prepare a lot of pastries, carefully wrapped them and put them in the basket.

I don't know why, Ai'er felt a little uneasy, and she tried to alleviate this uneasiness with a teasing tone: What's wrong with Nuan Nuan? Don't miss me a few words anymore? Is it boring to finally give up?

Nuan Nuan shook her head, her hair was loose on the edge of the apple's face, looking a little stupid: Nuan Nuan is very happy to be able to do something for Miss. Although she was a little scared, Nuan Nuan knew that Miss would protect Nuan Nuan.

Ai'er smiled, stuffed a piece of pastry into Nuan Nuan's mouth, and said: Of course, if I don't protect you, who will protect you? Wait for me to come back, and I'll find a beautiful stream stone to send back to you.

Nuan Nuan nodded quietly.

On that day, Ai'er had been absent-minded, and the third brother finished the pastry as usual and took a nap by the stream. Ai'er is looking for the zodiac stone alone, and she is almost ready, but her zodiac stone and horse are missing.

Nuan Nuan's quiet expression kept coming to her mind, and she was terrified, and she just wanted to find it back quickly.

The third brother woke up and asked her inexplicably: If you are so anxious, do you want to go back early if there is something in the house?

Ai'er nodded indiscriminately: Miss has something, and the housekeeper may come to me at any time.

The third brother immediately picked up his trousers and jumped into the stream: Which zodiac sign is missing? Let the third brother help you find it.

Ai'er blocked her breath: You also said that you want to help me find it, but now you don't even know which one is missing-if you don't look for it, don't look for it, don't find it, don't want it!

She smashed all the pebbles in her hand into the stream, and splashed the stream water on the face of the third brother in the twilight sun.

The third brother was stunned: So angry? It's not that I won't look for you, but I can't ask for it, so take my time.

The blood-soaked sunset almost printed the stream red, and Ai'er cried inexplicably: If you don't take your time so much, maybe I won't be able to come out one day.

The third brother smiled: I know that you will definitely be found if you sneak out for a long time, it doesn't matter, you can't get out this time, you will come out next time, besides, you can't come out of the house, I can come, I can help you find it slowly. If you really can't get it, I'll wrap up the pebbles and throw them in your yard, and it will be over.

The third brother didn't understand Ai'er's situation at all, nor did she understand all kinds of indescribable foreboding in her heart, she looked at the innocent appearance of the third brother and shed tears, she felt that this would be the last time they met, something would happen, and everything would be frozen in the here and now.

Ai'er asked: Our young lady has a marriage contract with another son, and if she marries, I will leave here with the marriage, and I will never come back.

The third brother paused, but he couldn't answer.

Ai'er burst into tears.

The third brother panicked: Oh, why are you crying - I- I'm most afraid that girls will cry - it's not cute!

Ai'er only cries by herself.

The third brother rubbed his palms and scratched his head in a hurry, and finally sighed and said, "Alas! Never mind!

Ai'er paused, what's the matter? Don't these three brothers want to be friends with her anymore?