The fourth aunt's wife is the one who married the old man in the summer but did not have a dowry: the younger one in the middle school. She married an ordinary eunuch surnamed Wu in the capital, although she married two years late, but because of the rich dowry prepared for her by Master Xia, she lived very comfortably in her husband's house, and she was able to speak, as soon as her mother-in-law died, she officially took charge of the house. Over the years, she has never forgotten Master Xia's kindness to her, so she naturally loves Xia Ruixi and the two sisters. As soon as I heard that my niece was coming, I packed up and hurried over with a large bag of gifts.

This aunt looks too similar to Master Xia, so she doesn't have any feminine softness, she is not beautiful, her figure is not slender, she is capable but irritable, she has a straightforward personality, and she will always point out things that are not pleasing to the eye, including scolding Uncle Xia and his wife for not being successful, scolding Xia Ruibei for being too eccentric and pampered, and scolding Xia Ruixi for being rude and undocile, but this does not affect her love for her niece from the bottom of her heart.

Xia Ruibei had met this aunt a few times when she was young, and she didn't like this aunt too much. Every time this aunt saw her, although she would give her countless gifts, she would always turn her face and scold her harshly the next moment, leaving her no face at all. Xia Ruixi didn't know what her predecessor liked this aunt, but she didn't mind, as long as she played the role as usual.

The two sisters saluted and greeted the fourth aunt and wife in a proper manner, and Xia Ruixi smiled and served tea with her own hands: "My niece still wants to come to visit my aunt early tomorrow morning, but who knows that my aunt will come to see us first, but it is not my niece's." ”

The fourth aunt took a sip of tea and said, "My son, my aunt misses you so much, so I can't wait to come over." He smiled again: "I haven't seen you for a few years, but I have grown into a big girl, and I am a lot more sensible." Hehe, the more beautiful it gets. "The two nieces have changed the most is Xia Ruixi, and there is almost no shadow of the previous rudeness, which can be regarded as a blessing in disguise.

Xia Ruixi nodded shyly: "Aunt praises falsely." ”

The fourth aunt saw Xia Ruibei sitting in a precarious position, although there was a smile on her face, it was like a log, although she knew in her heart that she was pretending to be demure to show herself, she also felt good, and said with a smile: "Beibei has also grown up and is much more sensible." ”

Xia Ruibei also said a few words. Mrs. Fourth Aunt asked the girl to hold a few lacquer boxes: "Come and see, this is the most popular dress in Beijing recently, my aunt has nothing for you, so I prepared this for the two of you, see if you like it, is it appropriate?" If you don't like it, let people change. ”

Xia Ruibei and Xia Ruixi took a look, their eyes lit up, the dress material was precious, needless to say the embroidery was exquisite, the color was pink and elegant, and the style was something they had never seen in Xijing. Since ancient times, women have loved beauty, let alone two girls in the prime of their lives? Xia Ruixi thanked her aunt on behalf of the two sisters, and the three of them gossiped again, and the aunt stayed for dinner, waiting to see her second brother.

After eating dinner for a long time, Master Xia came back with a tired body. At this time, Xia Ruibei was already sitting dying, and she was about to lose her breath, Xia Ruixi also smiled stiffly, and only felt that this aunt had too many words and was too good.

Xia Ruibei saw Xia Ye come back. Such as amnesty. Soon he found an excuse to escape. Xia Ruixi didn't dare to leave. She is the earth. No matter how tired or tired you are. Impatient. I also had to stay to greet my aunt. Serve my father.

Xia Ruixi served tea to the master. Arrange hot water and dinner on your own. Wait for her to come back. I just heard the fourth aunt say, "Now these two sisters have grown up." The difference is getting bigger and bigger. Today I look. Hee Hee is calm and strong. Sensible and capable. More inherited the advantages of our family. But Beibei is still brutal and weak. The temper is more like that of a big brother. Whoever always takes care of himself more. The second brother will have to be more strict with Beibei in the future. ”

Master Xia heard that his daughter was not good. Although it's my own sister-in-law.。 Still a little uncomfortable. "We've been very strict with Beibei. She's still young. Presumably it will be better in two years. ”

Mrs. Fourth Aunt smiled. and do not fight with him. said: "The matter of Shangxiangdi is for the sake of Xixi, and my sister is waiting here today just to tell the second brother." If this doesn't work. Second brother, don't worry. I pondered. The three elders of our family are extremely gentle. Treat people with sincerity. Hee Hee is only half a year older than him. It's better to let his sister and brother ......."

This aunt is so outspoken. Xia Ruixi hurriedly coughed. When he heard that there was no sound inside, he walked in and said, "Daddy." The meal was ready. Do you use it now? ”

The fourth aunt said a few more gossips. I took my leave. Xia Ruixi sent her to the sedan chair before going back. Wait for Master Xia to finish dinner. Xia Ruixi ordered someone to prepare hot water. Wash Mr. Xia's feet with his own hands. She was tired in her previous life. My favorite place is to soak in hot water. After soaking. Fatigue can be minimized.

Master Xia is a little unaccustomed to his daughter doing such things in person, and he can't resist Xia Ruixi's kindness. Xia Ruixi took off Master Xia's socks, saw that his feet were already swollen, and couldn't help but be moved when he thought that it was all for her. Old man Xia is fat, he rode a horse for half a day during the day, and as soon as he arrived in the capital, he went non-stop to find people, beg people, and wait for people, without a moment of rest, and his feet were not swollen.

Xia Ruixi was silent, squatting on the ground and washing Mr. Xia's feet very seriously, every toe seam, every joint, she was very serious, and the strength was moderate to clean and massage.

Master Xia was extremely comfortable, and his heart was warm, and he just felt that he was so gentle and sensible

It's worth everything.

"Hee-hee, did you hear your aunt's words just now?"

"Hmm.

Xia Ruibei responded, extremely depressed, the real purpose of my aunt waiting for Master Xia here for a few hours was just to say the latter sentence. Could it be that she has really reached this point where she can't marry an outsider, so she can only wait for her relatives to reluctantly take her in like a beggar?

Master Xia carefully observed Xia Ruixi's face, and said softly, "I didn't find anyone I went to find today. ”

"I know." From the moment he entered, Xia Ruixi knew that he had found nothing as soon as he looked at his face. She was waiting for his next sentence, did she not burn the incense and marry her to her aunt's cousin, who had never met and was half a year younger than her? Let people call Hanako to accept it when no one wants it? Xia Ruixi unconsciously pursed the corners of her lips, she didn't want it!

Knowing his daughter Mo Ruo's father, when Master Xia saw Ruixi's expression, he knew what she meant, and sighed in disappointment: "I am also reluctant to leave you so far away." ”

Xia Ruixi lowered his voice: "I'd rather marry someone who has no money than be treated as a begging person, and I want to stay too far away from you and my mother." "It's so far away from home, if she gets into trouble with someone, she won't even have a place to go.

"What? When to ask for food treatment? Xia Ye was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood that Xia Ruixi's self-esteem had been hurt. couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Your aunt is kind, she feels sorry for you, and she will definitely not treat you slowly." That's what she said, and she doesn't turn when she speaks. ”

Xia Xi snorted lightly, took a cloth towel, dried Master Xia's feet, and put on clean shoes and socks: "If it really doesn't work, on the eighth day of the fourth month, let my daughter disguise herself as a man and go to the mountain gate in advance to guard, right?" You send a few more powerful family members to follow, and if there are no particularly ruthless characters, you will grab them! ”

Master Xia was bored for a while before squeezing out a sentence: "There are still a few days, and I will talk about it then." ”

Xia Ruixi is in a hurry? Whether it works or not is a matter of one sentence, why do you have to talk about it when you get it? Just as he was about to say a few more words, Master Xia waved his hand: "You are tired for a day, rest early, I have to sit for a while." ”

Xia Ruixi had to get up and leave: "Then Daddy take care of your body and retire early." ”

When she walked to the door, Master Xia remembered and said, "After dinner tomorrow, the two sisters will bring the specialties and gifts they brought from Xijing, and let Xia Jin send you to your aunt's house." ”

Xia Ruixi had a strong resistance: "I won't go!" "She doesn't want to be pitied, she doesn't want people to look at her like a monkey.

Master Xia became impatient: "Ridiculous! This is the minimum etiquette, shouldn't you go to visit your aunt and uncle? What's more, your aunt came to see you today! ”

Xia Ruixi's throat was choked and sour, and he didn't care if his image was unruly, and he willfully slammed there: "I just don't go!" I don't want to be seen as a! and do not be begged for food. ”

She has been living cautiously since she arrived here, not daring to reveal her true emotions, she has been suppressed for too long. Now it's a rare waywardness, but I can't hold back anymore, and my tears are pouring out. No matter how much Master Xia coaxed, the girl couldn't persuade him.

Master Xia didn't want to cry when she said it, and he was so sad that he couldn't coax it. couldn't help but sigh secretly, no matter how well-behaved and sensible her daughter is, she is still only a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in the end, and it involves her life's events, it is not easy to endure it to this point, where can she force it again? He relieved: "Your aunt's place, you must go no matter what, but my father promised you that he would not wronged you." ”

When Xia Ruixi heard this, there was a play, and he hurriedly raised a pair of hazy teary eyes, and said with a sob: "Daddy won't be busy sending his daughter out of the door like a flower in the future, right?" ”

"What are these words? Busy sending her daughter out of the house like a flower? Master Xia shook his head and sighed: "If I want to send you out like a flower, do I still need to be busy here?" ”

Xia Ruixi burst into tears and laughed: "Daddy loves his daughter, and his daughter knows." She plans to inch in: "If my daughter can't find a good family with the right family, it will be good to marry someone in the future, but if the family background is not very good, my father and mother will not dislike my daughter, right?" She is very greedy, she wants to find someone she is satisfied with, and she is unwilling to give up the love of Mr. and Mrs. Xia because of this.

"How could my father and mother dislike you? Silly, right? Go to sleep! Wake up early tomorrow. ”

"Yes!" Xia Ruixi went satisfied.

Master Xia sat back in the shadow of the lamp and called out loudly: "Xia Yu, you come in, let's go to King Rui's Mansion tomorrow." ”

Xia Yu's face was solemn: "Has the master already thought about it?" The minions pondered this, and you still had to think about it again. Miss's lifelong event is important, but the safety of the family is even more important. If you are not careful, you will be involved in this dispute, and you will live up to the low-key caution of the master over the years, so how can it be good? ”

Master Xia sighed and said, "Why don't I know that this matter is not sloppy? Over the years, I have racked my brains to deliberately avoid these powerful people, and I easily refused to see a doctor for them, because I didn't want to get involved in their affairs. But now I think about it, I don't want to go, I can't go, people are now stretching out ladders waiting for us to go down by ourselves? If I go, everyone will be happy, but if I don't go, I will wait for someone to bring a knife to my neck

It's late. ”

Xia Yu was silent for a long time and said with a strong smile: "Don't worry too much, master, Jiren has his own natural appearance, but it is just an ordinary wind and cold, with your ability, you will definitely get rid of the disease." ”

"It's just because it's just an ordinary cold, but they have to rack their brains to find me, that's why I am worried." Master Xia laughed at himself: "Now this is one after another, so I have to believe that my lord is really unlucky." ”

Xia Yu said: "If that's the case, then try your best to let the second lady burn this incense?" It's not hard to get things going. ”

"That's what I thought, I can't escape it left and right, and naturally I have to go for it."

On the second day, Master Xia took Xia Yu out early in the morning, leaving only Xia Jin to send his two daughters to the fourth aunt's wife's house.

Xia Ruibei said worriedly: "Second sister, I forgot to ask my father if he found anyone, did you ask?" ”

Xia Ruixi shook his head: "Dad only said that he was late, and he didn't wait for anyone to go out early in the morning this morning." Later, when we go to my aunt's house, you have to deal with it with all your spirits, if there is anything wrong with me, you should also remind me, don't let people laugh at us. ”

Xia Ruibei responded: "You put it away, we can't embarrass our father and aunt, right?" ”

Xia Xi asked people to take out the things given to the fourth aunt's wife and check them again, and was sure that there was nothing inappropriate, and he dressed up in a new sedan chair.

Not long after walking, the sedan chair stopped. Xia Ruixi heard someone shouting in the sedan chair, "Master." When he saw the old man's demeanor relaxed, he led the horse to stand on the side of the street and looked at her and smiled, and he couldn't help but feel a burst of excitement in his heart, Is the matter done?

Seeing that Xia Lao nodded slightly, and made a gesture that everything was fine, Ruixi suddenly felt that his whole body was loose, and he couldn't wait to jump up and down and shout three times. There was nowhere to vent, so he called Wan'er next to the sedan chair: "Wan'er, you go and tell the third lady the good news quickly, so that she will be happy and happy." ”

Xia Ruibei was also too happy, the two sisters held back their laughter and joy, and when they arrived at the house of the fourth aunt's wife, they had no intention of sitting more, and finally managed to have lunch, and hurriedly said goodbye and went home. Xia Ruixi traveled all the way, as if in a dream in the clouds, he felt unreal. She didn't believe it at first, but she did, and after believing it, she thought that she couldn't burn this incense, and when she was disappointed, she actually did it again and had to believe in her fate.

After I went back, I realized that there was no hope for this matter, but because there happened to be a noble person who was sick, Master Xia took medicine down, and the disease soon improved, and the people agreed to this matter as soon as they were happy, and said that this is just a trivial matter, and it is not worth being so anxious about Master Xia.

Because of happiness and hope, the two Xia Ruixi sisters lived happily and soon became familiar with this courtyard and everything in it. The only fly in the ointment is that Master Xia is busy conditioning the noble man's body, always in a hurry, leaving early and returning late, and the Xia Ruixi sisters can't see him, let alone go out with them.

Early in the morning of the seventh day of the fourth month, Xia Ruixi was surprised to see Master Xia at the breakfast table, although Master Xia looked haggard, he was very energetic. So he asked, "Isn't Daddy busy today?" ”

Master Xia said: "Tomorrow is the eighth day of the fourth month, and you will go up the mountain to live today." Tomorrow morning, the temple will wait for you to finish burning incense before opening the gates. ”

"Is that good?" Will it arouse public indignation? What does that Qianfu mean? Xia Ruixi was still a little worried.

Master Xia said disapprerovingly: "What's wrong?" How else would it be burned? What am I going to beg for? I don't have time, so I'll let your aunt accompany you. Everything will be up to your aunt when the time comes. ”

Xia Ruixi was a little disappointed when he heard that Master Xia was not going, but he also understood that it was not easy for Master Xia, so he said: "Daddy, be careful about everything, and your body should also be important." ”

Master Xia smiled: "I know." ”

Xia Ruibei pulled the rice grains in the bowl and said, "I want to go too." My sister burned the incense, I burned the second incense, and I also wanted to pray for blessings. ”

Master Xia was stunned for a moment and did not speak.

"I just can't burn the second incense, I beg for a sign, and it's good to get some blessings. I won't cause any trouble for my second sister and aunt, I've been very well-behaved and sensible lately, isn't it my second sister? Xia Rui Bell pulled Xia Ruixi's sleeve and motioned for her to help her say good things for herself.

Master Xia was a little embarrassed, and wanted to agree, but he was afraid that Xia Ruibei would be ignorant and cause a big deal; If you don't agree, Xia Ruibei's request is not too much, if she doesn't agree, she will be too strict and partial, and she can't help but look at Xia Ruixi.

Xia Ruixi thought, if Xia Ruibei wants to go, let her go, with the fourth aunt and wife in charge, she is not afraid of what Xia Ruibei will do.

smiled and said, "Daddy, just let Beibei go, I'll take care of her." ”

As soon as Master Xia nodded, Xia Ruibei jumped up happily: "Thank you, Dad!" Thank you, second sister! She hurriedly ran to ask Yan'er to dress her up, named her to wear the fashionable dress sent by Mrs. Sigu, and asked Xia Ruixi to borrow the ruby red gold hairpin given by Mrs. Xia.

Xia Ruixi didn't want to borrow it, so he said that he stayed in Xijing and didn't bring it. Maybe Xia Ruibei was in a good mood, maybe her purpose was to prevent Xia Ruixi from wearing this hairpin and stealing her limelight, in short, she didn't dwell on it. This is a good start, which makes Xia Ruixi breathe a sigh of relief, but that aunt is not as easy to deal with as she imagined.