Chen Yan and Qi Su Niang brought vegetarian stir-fried pickled cabbage shreds, tofu and egg soup, white pepper wind chicken slices and hot rice to the main room. Chen Yan's books and drawings have been put back on the shelves, and the four treasures of the study, water-shaped clay molds, painting utensils and paints and other miscellaneous items have also been properly placed, the bedding is neat, and the windows are bright and clean.

Chen Yan glanced at the books on the bookshelf that were lined up according to Arabic numbers, and did not speak, but sat opposite Qi Su Niang on the small table, eating slowly. The two of them didn't say a word, buried their heads in eating for a while, Chen Yan gave the last two pieces of wind chicken on the plate to Qi Su Niang, lowered his eyes and said: "Because I can't wait any longer, I buried your mother today, and the coffin board is yellow cedar wood, and it is buried very deeply." ”

Qi Su Niang looked at him dressed in filial piety, knowing that he had done everything for her, so she responded softly and slowly ate up the food in the bowl. Chen Yan pointed to the burden on the bed and said: "Those are filial piety clothes and your old things, as well as two clothes, because there is a three-year filial piety period, they are all pure." ”

Qi Su Niang nodded, and was about to speak, Chen Yan put down the chopsticks, took out the rosewood locket from his arms, took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to her, and then cleaned up the two of them's dishes and chopsticks, got up and went to the stove.

Qi Su Niang read the letter first, but it was the peace letter sent by Qi Niang for Chen Niangzi, I think it was written by someone, and the words are very smooth, in addition to the greetings in the day, Qi Su Niang's affairs are also detailed. only said that it was a family affair agreed by Chen Qi's two parents, and explained Qi Suniang's appearance and temperament clearly. Qi Su Niang saw the sentence "Although the year is eleven, the sex is self-gentle." He is six feet tall and straight. The eyebrows are thick and the eyes are apricots, and the skin is like jade. Hold on to the inside and outside, filial piety and respect. couldn't help laughing crisply, Aunt Qi was afraid that she was worried that Chen Xiucai would not look down on her, and the central people covered up her shortcomings in height, rough appearance, and strength with good words, and what could really be used on her was only "six feet tall, thick eyebrows and apricots, and strength inside and outside".

She put the letter away, opened the rosewood locket in confusion, and her heart moved slightly, except for the jade seal, the blue cloth lotus branch money bag was half stuffed, about seven or eight taels of broken silver, and next to the bronze key, there was a brass key. Qi Su Niang suddenly remembered the brass lock on the door of this courtyard, for some reason, her eyes were sour, and then she heard the sound of scooping water and washing dishes from the stove, and finally burst into tears.

When Qi Su Niang returned to the room, she lit a bowl of oil lamp, opened the package, and saw that there was a small package under the filial piety clothes and plain clothes, but inside was the shabby cotton clothes. She gently took out the small package, put it on the side of the pillow with the rosewood box, and stared at it for a long time. When the drum sounded on the third watch, Fang applied ointment, cleaned up, and before going to bed, he saw that the lone lamp was swaying in the main room, and Chen Yan was reflected in the window.

Early the next morning, Chen Yan and Su Niang put on filial piety clothes, went out to buy incense candles, fruits, gold and silver ingots, four broken doors and other sacrifices in the paper shop in the city, and went to the mass grave outside the city together.

Qi Su Niang put on the fruit, lit incense and candles, and had tears in her eyes. Chen Yan glanced at her, "Su Niang, kowtow to your mother." Qi Su Niang nodded, and Chen Yan and Chen Yan both snorted three times in front of Qi Niang's grave.

Chen Yan looked at the grave and said in a low voice: "Su Niang, my township has passed, and I have won the promotion, and I am already satisfied with the road to fame, and I will not seek to be a Jinshi and a high-ranking official." My teacher, Mr. Mei, studied arithmetic, although he was not a scholar, but he was a servant of the Son of Heaven, he knew that I was good at the word "river worker", and now the river situation is dangerous, and he will recommend me to the chief officer to serve in the river and manage the river. You...... Will you go with me? ”

Qi Su Niang was silent for a long time, and finally nodded. Chen Yan kowtowed to Aunt Qi again, and said loudly: "Auntie, Yan'er and Su Niang are both filial piety, each of them keeps a three-year filial piety period, and when the filial piety period is over, the two of us will obey the orders of our parents and visit the church to get married." With that, he stood up, helped Su Niang up, and slowly returned to the city.

Chen ...... Brother Chen, do you know where my mother's parent-child Qi Qiang is? Qi Su Niang looked at the Jiangning City Gate that was getting closer and closer, and asked suddenly.

Chen Yan sighed and said: "At the beginning, Brother Qi Qiang gambled and wanted to go out to make a lot of money, when he left home, he said that he would return in three years, but now it has been almost five years, and there is still no news." Don't worry, I have already planned, as long as we have a certain place, I will go back to Gaoyou to deliver a letter to Uncle Wang, if Brother Qi Qiang comes back, he can also find our place. ”

Qi Su Niang nodded, then did not make a sound, the two walked along the Qinhuai River to the mouth of the small courtyard and alley, and suddenly saw a young man in Tsing Yi leading a horse to meet him, and said happily and anxiously: "Chen Gongzi, my lord invites you to go in a hurry, and please bring the river map made by the son." ”

Chen Yan was stunned for a moment, hurriedly went back to the house to get the river map, because he saw the Venerable, he took off his filial piety clothes again, changed into Qingyi to meet the guest, and said to Su Niang: "Su Niang, Mr. called me to go, I don't know when I will return, you——"

Qi Su Niang hurriedly said: "You go, I will take care of myself." ”

Chen Yan didn't come back until late at night, and after Qi Suniang waited for him to change into his old clothes and warm shoes, she handed him hot dry tea. She was about to retreat to the side room, but she saw Chen Yan with a worried face, sitting silently at the table. Qi Su Niang hesitated slightly, turned around and went to the stove to fetch hot water for him, let him wash his face, burn his feet, sit on the side by himself, and took his clothes to sew with the help of the oil lamp on the desk.

After a while, Chen Yan went out to pour residual water, came back and sat down again, sighed, and said: "The newly appointed governor of the river, Lord Yu, still refuses to accept my good words. Huang, Huai, Cao is already one, the situation is very difficult to control, only the Yellow River diversion, in order to make the river situation better, Cao Yun smooth. ”

Qi Su Niang didn't know about other historical facts, but she knew a thing or two about the diversion of the Yellow River, but she remembered it vaguely, but she also admired Chen Yan for daring to think, thought about it, and persuaded: "Although Lord Hetai doesn't accept your words, he must know Brother Chen's talent through this, which is also a good thing." ”

When Chen Yan heard this, he was still unhappy and said: "Now I don't know how many lives I have lost because of this flood, I am really uneasy." He stood up, walked back and forth, and said: "Since the emperor's southern tour in the twenty-seventh year of Kangxi, there have been ten river governors in the past ten years, and Mr. Mei introduced me to two, both of whom are conformists, have not used their hearts to control the river, and the floods have not been interrupted every year, and finally become today's disaster. With that, he slammed his fist on the desk.

Qi Su Niang looked at the flame of the oil lamp and jumped a few times, was silent for a long time, and said: "Brother Chen doesn't need to worry, I heard that the emperor has defeated Galdan before this southern tour, and the northwest will no longer raise troops in recent years, as long as the emperor cares about governing the river, this river will be able to be governed, why should the eldest brother not accept the good prescription?" As for the unfortunate fact that we have returned to Gaoyou, studied the water shape deeply, and kept improving, it is difficult to say whether he can use it in the next year. ”

Chen Yan nodded slowly, walked to the table, suddenly remembered something, turned his head and said: "Su Niang, tomorrow Mr. Mei will introduce me to the new governor of Liangjiang, Lord Zhang, the matter of Jiangnan River, thanks to the orders of the two governors, I must try my best." After a pause, he said, "Su Niang, you are alone at home, and you can read all the books in this house." ”

Qi Su Niang was stunned when she heard this, I don't know how he knew that she was literate at this time, and he wanted to speak, but he saw him sitting down at the table, taking the scriptures and reading them at night.

When the second watch drum sounded, Chen Yan was still buried in it, and Qi Su Niang was worried that it would damage her body, so she couldn't help but persuade her. That Chen Yan had already entered and turned a deaf ear. She had to retreat, go to the stove to boil vegetable porridge, cut vegetables and noodles, and make some dried vegetables and siu mai, thinking that it was supper.

On the second day, Chen Yan came back happily, Qi Su Niang was also happy for him, thinking that the governor of Liangjiang had accepted his words, Chen Yan smiled and said: "Although it is not accepted, but he has talked with me for a long time, I see that this lord is very familiar with the affairs of the river, and he is known as an official and has a good reputation. After a pause, he said, "It's just that the governor of Liangjiang is not the governor of the river......

Qi Su Niang saw that he was happy, and couldn't help but ask: "Brother Chen, do you know what is the situation of the previous governor of the river who was dismissed by the emperor?" ”

Chen Yan said with a smile: "If you ask others, I will not know, but the governor's son is my same year, and he has also won the move this time." His father was originally a noble man with a full banner, a close minister of the Son of Heaven, and he was also very popular with the monarch in other affairs except for the river workers, but he was transferred to the governor of Zhili. ”

Qi Su Niang suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, she especially remembered that Xiao Cui was a slave in the Governor's Mansion of the River, and now that the master is fine, the slave is naturally not afraid, so she is also at ease.

She was thinking about her old friend, but Chen Yan turned out the baggage cloth and began to pack up her things, Qi Su Niang came back to her senses and saw him put away the books and clothes one by one, and said strangely: "Brother Chen, you are ...... this"

Chen Yan was even more strange, and said in surprise: "Su Niang, haven't you packed your clothes yet?" We left for Qinghe County, Huai'an Province in the afternoon. ”

Qi Su Niang was taken aback, and couldn't help but stammer: "Brother Chen, why are we going to Qinghe?" ”

Chen Yan scratched his head, gritted his teeth and thought about it for a long time, slapped his thigh suddenly, and shouted: "I remember, I haven't told you yet, although Lord Yu, the governor of the river yesterday, did not accept my words, but sent me to Qinghe County to serve as the river master from my invitation, and specialize in the river work of Qinghe County." ”

Qi Su Niang couldn't cry or laugh, seeing that he was apologetic, she hurriedly said: "I only have two clothes, it's very easy to clean up, but Brother Chen, you are here, you have to be busy, I'll help you clean up first." In my heart, I knew that Chen Yan was too focused on the river and thought less about other things.

The two were in a hurry, when they suddenly heard a knock on the door, and someone shouted outside: "Change, change, open the door quickly." Chen Yan was stunned for a moment, and said strangely: "Why is Mr. here?" He smiled again: "I haven't told my husband about you yet, but he came today, but it was just right." With that, he went out of the room and opened the courtyard door.

Qi Su Niang was about to go back to the room to change clothes, but she watched three or four people walk in with a middle-aged man in his forties, only to see this middle-aged man with a long face, lying silkworm eyebrows, blazing eyes, wearing a green silk eight-treasure inlaid dark pattern arrow robe, wearing a jade-topped knotted Liuhe melon skin hat, stepping on deerskin boots, and the momentum is extraordinary.

It was early afternoon, and the sun was shining in the sky, illuminating people's faces. Qi Su Niang looked at the handsome man behind the middle-aged man, and suddenly felt a little dizzy, sweating in her vest, but she was shocked back to her senses by a person's voice: "Change, don't you pay homage to the emperor?" ”