A few days later, Long drove back to Beijing, and Chen Yan moved from the Yongding River River Office to Zhang's mansion, preparing to return to Huai'an with Zhang Pengxi to take up his post. Qi Suniang was really released from the palace and temporarily lived in Zhang Pengxi's old mansion in the capital, just waiting to pack her luggage and take a boat to Jiangning to help the coffin back to Gaoyou.

It was the end of October, late autumn, and the golden leaves outside the courtyard were rolling in the wind, making a pleasant rustling sound. Chen Yan stood honestly in the room, stretched out his arms, and asked Qi Su Niang to try on the green kudzu cloth cotton clothes for him.

Although Qi Suniang often sews and mends clothes for Chen Yan, and her body size is very clear, it is the first time for Chen Yan to make clothes. For fear of ill-fitting, the buttons and belts of the clothes were not sewn, and only a belt was used to tie the cotton clothes, and the size was tried.

No one spoke in the room, only the sound of clothes rubbing Suosuo, Qi Su Niang saw that the size was just right, and her heart was happy. Chen Yan saw her with a smile on her face, and a smile appeared on her face, "If you stay in the capital, I'm afraid I'll have to wear this cotton coat next month, in the end, we came from the south, and we are very cold." ”

Qi Su Niang pursed her lips and smiled, "I'll sew the knots and buttons for you now, and put them in your luggage." So saying, he reached for his belt and undressed him.

Chen Yan looked at Qi Su Niang, who was busy with his head bowed in front of him, and said softly: "Don't be in such a hurry, it costs your eyes to do needlework," as he spoke, his outstretched arms were retracted, and he gently hugged Qi Su Niang, "Winter has not yet arrived, take your time...... Even if we do it well next winter, it won't hurt......"

Qi Su Niang was hugged by Chen Yan, her body stiffened, and the hand that untied Chen Yan's belt couldn't help but pause. The belt had long since been loosened, and the unbuttoned cotton garment was opened, revealing the close-fitting mid-coat inside.

Chen Yan seemed to notice it, and quickly let go of his hand, lowered his head to cover his clothes, and suddenly remembered that he was going to undress. He was about to undress with his backhand, and saw Qi Su Niang standing with her head down and silent. He didn't want to take off his clothes, and he was afraid that Qi Su Niang would be in a hurry to sew him clothes and buttons. Chen Yan was in a dilemma, he didn't know whether to take it off or not, he lowered his head and wanted to see Qi Su Niang's face, but he couldn't see it, and stammered: "I'll go outside and take off my clothes......"

Qi Su Niang burst out laughing, looked up at Chen Yan, Lilisuo untied Chen Yan's belt, put it aside with a smile, took off his cotton clothes for him, and turned around to get the jacket for him to put on.

Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, and while sorting out the jacket, he happily watched Qi Su Niang take the cotton clothes and sit on the edge of the bed to sew clothes for him, he wanted to sit next to her and accompany her, but he was afraid that she would be distracted and prick her hands. He glanced at the unfinished packages in the room, then walked over to the table to clean up some clutter.

Qi Su Niang glanced at him sideways, couldn't help but smile, still bowing her head to make needle money. The two of them were busy with their own work, and neither of them cared about talking for a while, only the sound of the leaves outside the house rolling happily in the autumn breeze kept ringing softly.

After half a pillar of incense, Chen Yan packed up the sundries, packed the boxes, and tied them hard, and Qi Su Niang also sewed the buttons of her clothes. Chen Yan watched Qi Su Niang put the new cotton clothes into the clothes package, and said with a smile: "Su Niang, Master Zhang used to have a lot of people in the house, and there are always some days. We've all packed up. I'll send you back to Gaoyou tomorrow. ”

Qi Su Niang glanced at him in a daze, and finally shook her head and said, "You want to go to Huai'an with the adults, and then take office in Qinghe——"

Chen Yan said with a smile: "I have already agreed with Master Zhang, let me take a few days, Qinghe and Gaoyou are only four or five days away by boat, and I will send you back to Gaoyou."

Qi Su Niang heard that he planned to be so clear, so he had to respond, and the two went out to find a ship, this season is the day when the Cao boat transports grain to the capital, and returns to the south of the Yangtze River.

The boat is the most convenient on the water, and when it comes to transporting grain, even the official ship must let it go first. Chen Yan grew up by the Cao River, and Qi Suniang knew about this from Wang Dawhip, so she naturally found a Jiangsu Cao boat to take with her. The journey was smooth, but in January I arrived in Jiangning, hired a car to carry the coffin, looked for a boat back to Gaoyou, and arrived at the dock in a few days, and the carriage and horse carried the coffin to the small village outside Gaoyou.

The sun was about to turn west, and the stream under the setting sun shone with golden sparkles, and the branches of the big locust tree were broken, but they were still standing upright at the entrance of the village. The newly built thatched and mud huts are especially damp, and the fields are neatly leveled, even though there are no crops.

Qi Su Niang stepped out of the carriage with joy, and smiled at Chen Yan on horseback: "Brother Chen, are these things you entrusted to Uncle Wang?" ”

Chen Yan was also full of smiles, obviously very happy when he returned home, "When I came back last time, I gave Uncle Wang ten taels of silver before leaving, and it is estimated that it is enough to repair the house, prepare the land, and beat the furniture." He pointed to the courtyard of the Chen family and said, "Su Niang, let's go home tonight." ”

Qi Su Niang nodded again and again, Chen Yan turned over and dismounted, and kowtowed with Qi Su Niang on the grave of Chen Niangzi outside the village. After entering the village, the coffin was unloaded in the courtyard, the carriage and horses were packed, and the groom was dispatched, the two looked at each other and smiled, and pushed open the door of the Chen family without a padlock.

Entering the courtyard, the two of them were stunned, only to see a two-compartment three-room room, all empty, only the original Chen Niangzi's right wing room on the south wall of the black lacquer three-column shelf wooden bed, among which a black lacquer eight immortal table, two long-backed bamboo chairs, a rough lacquered mahogany box on the wall, as well as a few wooden basins, wooden barrels.

Qi Su Niang looked at the stove room, there were three layers of shelves on the wall, there were tin pots, bowls, cups, chopsticks and other supplies, and there were copper pots on the stove. Chen Yan smiled bitterly: "We don't have time to deliver the letter back, and Uncle Wang is not easy to make his own decisions, so I will go to Qi's house to rest today." With that, he walked out the door.

At this time, it was already dark, he looked for a pine branch and lit a torch, and walked to the Qi family to see that the Qi family was an empty house, and he could see the bottom at a glance more than the Chen family. Qi Su Niang shook her head and said, "Brother Qi Qiang hasn't come back yet, and Uncle Wang never expected that we would return to the Qi family at this time." ”

Chen Yan hurriedly said: "I'll go to the neighboring village to spend the night." Uncle Wang's side—"

"This area is the most remote in our village, Qi Village and Wang Village are all seven or eight miles away, you look at the sky, it's late——"

Chen Yan walked out of the room and saw that the courtyard was empty, only a pitch-black coffin was placed in the courtyard, oozing a piece of yin qi, worried that Qi Su Niang would be frightened here, and it was even more inconvenient to leave, so he had to say: "Let's go home." ”

The water quality of the well in the courtyard has been clear, and the wheels have been safe, Chen Yan drew water, lit a fire under the stove, and watched the red flames rise up. The copper pot on the stove was originally new, and the clear and bright water was flooded on it, reflecting a burst of blue and red, Chen Yan stood at the door of the stove, looking around at the old home, but he could no longer see his loved ones, his eyes couldn't help but be sour, and he quietly shed tears.

"Brother Chen! You're here to help. Qi Su Niang's cry sounded in the room, Chen Yan hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve, and said as he walked into the house: "What's the matter, Su Niang?" ”

Qi Su Niang scrubbed the bed, took the mattress in the luggage from Chen Yan's hand, spread it thickly on the wooden bed, and said with a smile: "Brother Chen, you will pour that basin of water again." With that, he took a bed of coarse blue kudzu cloth sheets in his hand.

Qi Su Niang's arms stretched out violently to the sides, shook in the wind, and the blue cloth sheets stretched out instantly, soared into the air, and fell lightly on the bed.

Chen Yan saw that she was so neat, as if she had endless strength, she couldn't help laughing, turned around and picked up the sewage basin, and walked out. When Chen Yan was instructed by Qi Su Niang, he carried the two quilts in the hall back to the house, Qi Su Niang had already hung up the blue cloth lotus branch bed tent, packed up a suit of clothes and came out, and said with a smile: "Brother Chen, I haven't cleaned it properly on the boat, the water should be boiled, you go wash it first." ”

Chen Yan was stunned for a moment and said, "Otherwise, you go first." ”

Qi Su Niang pursed her lips and smiled, pointed to the dusty tables and chairs, and said, "You go, I'll clean up these." ”

Chen Yan looked at Qi Su Niang, but he didn't move, Qi Su Niang was stunned, and finally laughed out loud, pushing him to turn around, and said, "Brother Chen, you have to boil the pot of water for me again." ”

Chen Yan was finally coaxed by her to go first, and when both of them took a bath, Qi Su Niang slowly wiped her shoulders wet and sent it back to the room, but saw that Chen Yan had already placed the long-backed bamboo chair in front of the black lacquer Eight Immortals table, hugged a quilt and sat down, dizzy, looking like she was planning to sit on the chair and spend the night. When he saw Qi Su Niang, he hurriedly stood up and said, "Su Niang, you are also tired today, go to bed early."