Ning stopped and listened carefully to who was talking.

I only heard a young man's voice saying: "Brother Wang has asked several times, we really haven't met, but I heard that it seems to be a nephew of my wife's mother's family, who came to recuperate when he was sick." "Yes, yes, we are just responsible for guarding the forest here, how can we know that there are so many things in the master's family?" It was another teenager's voice.

Shuning recognized that this was the voice of Niu Xiaosi and Wang Yishui, who were in charge of guarding the edge of the forest. These two people are both born in the family, and they have always been clever and reliable, so they were specially arranged here by the clan, one is responsible for the work of Linyuan Pavilion, and the other is responsible for preventing others from going through the forest to the Pillow Xia Pavilion. As for the "Brother Wang", she couldn't hear who it was, and quietly walked a few steps forward.

The "Brother Wang" said again: "You two are so easy to coax me?" If it was really my wife's nephew who came to recuperate, would he have come after a month or two? Everyone is spreading it in private, saying that it is a noble person from Beijing. Brother, I just itch to know, and I won't say nonsense, what are you hiding from me? ”

It seems that this person seems to treat Tongying and the fourth elder brother as one person. Shuning continued to listen again, only to hear Niu Xiaosi say: "Brother Wang can't talk nonsense, how could a noble person come to us?" Besides, why haven't we heard anything from anyone? ”

"Okay, you're a stinky little four, will you talk back? If it weren't for the nobles in the capital, would you be guilty of letting our girl send food every day? Don't you have any ideas......"

Shuning heard this. His heart sank and he walked out: "Who is shouting here?" The "Brother Wang" was startled and hurriedly stood aside with his hands down. Niu Xiaosi and Wang Yishui saw that it was Shuning, and they also gave a salute.

Shuning glanced at the "Brother Wang" a few times, and felt that although she was a little familiar, she didn't know who it was. Then he asked, "Which courtyard are you?" How did you get here? ”

The "Brother Wang" didn't dare to speak, so Niu Xiaosi replied for him: "Back to the girl, this is the young master's follower Wang Gui, who has always been waiting in the outer courtyard, so the girl doesn't recognize it." ”

Wang Gui? Shuning thought about it carefully and remembered that he was the son of Wang Ruibao and his wife, and the grandson of Mama Wang, the old lady's companion before her death. When the family was sent to the third room to wait, Wang Ruibao and his wife followed south to Guangdong, but because of the premature birth caused by accident, they were driven back to the capital. I heard that since then, the two of them have only been a small housekeeper in the house, and although their son is still working on an errand by Duanning's side, he has not been very favored. This time, Duan Ning returned to Beijing and didn't take him with him. This person's position is not clear, so it is better to be careful.

That Wang Gui was a little scared, but he saw that this master was just a teenage girl. Thinking that it should be easy to coax, he became bold again: "Back to the girl, it was the local steward in front of me who asked the little one to fold a few flowers, saying that the vase in the outer study was to be used." Fang Cai was just joking with the two little brothers. ”

This is obviously nonsense, and even Wang Yishui, who was lowering his head next to him, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Shuning sneered: "Someone else does the work in the outer study, I don't know that the person who goes out with the master still has to pick flowers?" And. If you want to pick flowers, not flowers in front of you? What are you doing in the woods? Now that I've even harvested the fruit, don't tell me I'm going to break the branches and go back. ”

Wang Gui choked and squeaked and couldn't speak. Shu Ning stared at him coldly a few times, thinking that this person was suspicious, whether he knew the truth or not, if he spread the news, he might cause trouble. She groaned for a moment. Then he said: "I don't care what you do in the garden, but it's best not to lean too close to the Xia Pavilion, the guests there are sick, and you rush over." If you are contaminated, don't blame the master for being ruthless. In order to increase her credibility, she also glared at Wang Gui fiercely.

Wang Gui shivered, and asked tremblingly: "Since that person is sick, and the girl goes every day, aren't you afraid?" "Of course not." Shuning smiled, "That disease won't infect me." Wang Gui hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Could it be ...... Is it smallpox? Or chickenpox? ”

Shuning didn't answer, but only told Niu Xiaosi and Wang Yishui to guard it well, and no one was allowed to pass, so she walked away with the basket, leaving only Wang Gui standing in place, his face changing. After a while, he whispered to the two boys, "Haven't you heard that the girl has smallpox or chickenpox?" Niu Wang and the two looked at each other and said in unison: "How do you know if there is any?" Niu Xiaosi smiled and said: "Brother Wang, even if my brother and sister had these things when they were young, we don't know these later, in short, don't ask around, if you provoke the master, what can you get?" ”

~~~~~~~~~~~ = I'm the ~~~~~~~~~~~~ of the dividing line where the scene is transformed

Shuning didn't care what Wang Gui said later, as soon as she left the garden, she went to Changgui and asked him to pay close attention to Wang Gui's actions, and if there was anything wrong, she would report back immediately.

After a half-hour nap, she got up and began to practice calligraphy and painting. She practiced until two o'clock in the morning, and she was about to rest for a while, but she heard the maids report: "Girl, the Zhou family sent two women to ask for peace, and the master asked the girl to meet her." ”

Shuning hurriedly washed her hands and went to the flower hall, where there were already two middle-aged servant women waiting there, and Xiao Liu was talking to them. She recognized one of them as Mrs. Zhou's roommate, Mama Feng, so she said happily: "Mama Feng, I haven't seen you for many years, are you okay?" ”

Mother Feng smiled and saluted: "Hello lady, I'm fine, I came to ask Mrs., the girl and my aunt to say goodbye to Mrs. and Miss Madame today, I heard that Mrs. and Young Master have gone out, it's really unfortunate." ”

Shuning said: "I haven't seen you for so many years, Eniang and I have been thinking about visiting Aunt Zhou and Sister Zhou, but we always have such and such concerns, and we are so far away, so we haven't visited. ”

After sitting down to serve tea, Xiao Liu said to Shuning: "I heard from my wife that the Zhou family has always been friendly with our family, and it is rare for these two mothers to come from afar, so I will confess and let people clean up two clean rooms, invite them to stay overnight, and entertain them well in the evening." Shuning said: "This is as it should be, and please ask my aunt to bother more." Feng Ma and the two hurriedly thanked them. Xiao Liu smiled and nodded.

Shuning asked about the situation in Zhoujiadi, and Feng's mother said: "The old man is still healthy, and the affairs in the yamen are also going well, but I had a cough before, and I have been cured after taking medicine for two days." Madame. I rushed all the way from Anhui, my body was too tired to stand it, I was sick for several days, and now I am asking for a doctor. ”

The latest chapter in the Legend of the Escape

Shuning hurriedly asked if it mattered, and Feng's mother said: "

It's just that I'm tired and cold, so it's not in the way, as long as I recuperate, Miss is waiting by Mrs. every day. Presumably nothing serious. Madame can now eat some porridge and side dishes, but her spirit is not very good and she is easily dizzy. ”

—

Shuning thought about it, and then said to Xiao Liu: "It seems that there are still some medicinal materials in our family, maybe they can be used, why don't you give some to Aunt Zhou?" Xiao Liu said: "That's good, I don't know what kind of medicine Mrs. Zhou used, go back and talk to the housekeeper, take some back, it's better than buying land outside." ”

Feng Ma hurriedly smiled: "Thank you so much." We're here to deliver something. I didn't think that the things hadn't been sent out yet, but I received the girl and aunt *** things first. ”

Shuning asked, "What to send?" Sister Zhou, what new book does she have? ”

Another servant woman hurriedly took out a burden, and Feng's mother took it and opened it: "There are really two or three new books, and there are also a few colors of needlework and thread, all of which are made by the young lady, saying that she asked the girl not to dislike it." In addition, there are a few pills. It was the wife of the house who said she wanted it when she wrote back to the letter. Our wife wanted to send it herself, but she was still sick, so she had to let us send it. ”

Shuning happily took it, glanced at it slightly, and saw that it was a collection of travelogues and essays that she had never seen, and she was also very happy. She asked about Zhou Yin's current situation.

Feng's mother smiled: "Thank you Miss Shu for thinking that everything is fine with our young lady when she is in Anhui." Every day, I watched writing and writing, played the piano and chess, and learned needlework with my wife at night. After arriving in Baoding, he waited for his wife to live every day. She also learned to take care of things at home, and everyone praised her for her intelligence and ability. Miss Lady and Auntie probably don't know that our young lady may be out of the cabinet next spring. ”

Shuning was taken aback at first, but then thought that Zhou Yinlan was about seventeen years old, and it was reasonable to marry, so she asked which one it was, Feng Ma smiled, and another servant said: "It's the family in the capital, it's Fan Hanlin's son, the big name is An Zhi, I heard that he is a talented man in Beijing." ”

Shuning was silent, Fan Anzhi ...... It can't be the illegitimate son of the emperor, right? Could it be that he is a poet again?

She hesitated and said tentatively: "This Fan Gongzi, is he very good at composing poetry?" ”

Feng Ma said: "Naturally, I will, but the Fan family has heard that the generations are all masters of economics and history, and they are rigorous in their studies, and the young master of the Fan family is also very talented." Everyone said that he was a natural match with our young lady. ”

Shuning lowered her head and drank tea, thinking that it should not be another one, it was just a coincidence.

Xiao Liu saw that he was a little cold, so he asked again how the Zhou family was in Anhui, how could they marry Hanlin in the capital. Feng's mother said: "Mrs. Fan and our old lady are both from Shandong, and the year before last, Mrs. took the young lady back to her hometown to visit relatives, and we happened to meet, so we had contacts. Later, the old lady saw that Young Master Fan had a good character and temperament, so she set up a marriage for the young lady, and originally planned to do it at the end of this year, but Young Master Fan was going to participate in the imperial examination this year, so it was postponed to next spring. A few days ago, the Fan family sent a letter from the capital, saying that his young master had been lifted and that he would pick up our young lady when the spring festival was over next year. ”

Xiao Liu smiled and congratulated: "Maybe there will be double happiness at that time, this is really a gratifying and congratulatory thing." Mother Feng and the other servant woman all stood up and saluted, saying, "Aunt Cheng and Grandma Jiyan." ”

Then some gossip was done, and a daughter-in-law said back and forth that a place to stay had been prepared for the two mothers, so Shuning let them go down.

Back in her yard, Shuning opened the burden sent by Zhou Yinlan, touched a few new books and a few delicately embroidered handkerchiefs, sighed, and hoped that Fan Anzhi was a good man worthy of Zhou Yinlan and could bring her happiness for a lifetime.

She was stunned for a while, then found a side of the inkstone, and a hollow magpie Dengmei bamboo inkstone, added two pieces of good ink, wrapped it in a big handkerchief, thought about it, added two more purses, and ordered Holly to send it to Feng's mother's room as a return gift to Zhou Yinlan.

Mother Feng and his wife were entertained by Zhang Bao's family, and they got a few medicinal materials that were extremely useful to Mrs. Zhou, as well as a large bag of return gifts, and they also received a lot of benefits, and the next day they were satisfied with the carriage and went back to Baoding.

Shuning continued to help with housework, delivering food to Tongying three times a day. She didn't deliberately embarrass him now, she often cooked some refreshing and delicious dishes for him herself, and made a few soups to replenish her body.

Although Tongying felt a little strange, but he was not a masochist, he thought that it was probably the little girl's conscience that found out, so he happily accepted her kindness, and every time he did not hesitate to praise, although the words of praise often made Shuning can't help but roll her eyes secretly.

After the third day of Chongyang, Shi and Duan Ning and their party returned.

As soon as Duan Ning learned of Tongying's news, he immediately rushed to the Pillow Xia Pavilion, which startled Tongying. The two were a little excited to reunite after a long absence, and when they calmed down, Duan Ning blamed Tongying for being missing for so long, but there was not even a letter.

He said: "You don't know how anxious our friends are, although your family didn't spread the news, but a few of us can't hide it, every day someone goes to Prince Jian's mansion in the capital to inquire, so that the housekeeper in your house is now running away when he sees us." And on the Fengtian side, several old friends are also in a hurry, I heard that your Ama hair is a few gray. We all thought something had happened to you, and since you're fine, why don't you ask someone to bring a letter home? ”

Tongying smiled, but was silent and didn't speak, Duan Ning saw this, felt that her sister was also there, and some words might be inconvenient to say, so she changed the topic: "Speaking of which, why is your face so bad?" When I saw you just now, I was shocked, how did you lose weight like this? ”

Shu Ning interjected next to him: "Brother, he is already a good place now, and in the first few days after he came, his face was even worse than now." It's a pity that Brother Tong Ying refuses to rest well, otherwise he would have recovered early. ”

Duan Ning was a little angry after hearing this, so he said to Tong Ying: "What my sister said is true? How can you spoil your body like this? ”

Tong Ying smiled bitterly: "I also know that this is not good, but there is no way, what I am doing now is very important, I hope to finish it as soon as possible, but I only have one person, so I have to hurry." ”

Duan Ning asked what was the matter and if he could help. Tongying hesitated for a moment, then said, "You come in with me, I'll tell you everything." ”