From Xigang to Jieqiao Village, it is probably a flat wilderness, in October of the summer calendar, the rice has already been harvested and returned to the warehouse, the winter wheat is planted, the wheat seedlings are only a few inches long, the cold wind whistling over the wheat field without shelter, blowing Zeng Yu shrunk his neck on the horse's back, the Mongolian horse black bean thought that the owner urged it to run fast, so he spread his four hooves, and galloped on the road between the fields -

The twilight is heavy, there are no stars and no moon, it is the beginning of the year when he arrived at Maple Bay, Zeng Yu felt that he was about to freeze, jumped off the horse and moved his hands and feet, and led the horse into the forest, the little light in the depths of the maple forest was warm and cordial, the forest hut was quiet and warm, and when he tied the horse to the single-plank bridge, there was movement in the forest hut, a young girl appeared on the bamboo fence, holding a lantern painted with butterflies in her hand, Lu Miao's hand was very skillful, these lanterns were hand-painted and pasted by herself, the light was revealed, and the butterflies were lifelike-

"Mr. Zeng?"

The girl's infant voice is ethereal and clear, free of impurities, and extremely pleasant.

Zeng Yu responded: "It's me, just from Jichang Garden." While talking, he carefully crossed the bridge by holding on to the bamboo bridge railing.

Ying Zi walked quickly to the stream with a lantern and said with concern: "Mr. Zeng, be careful. ”

Zeng Yu jumped from the bridge to the shore and asked, "Has Miss Yingzi had dinner?" ”

In the afternoon, Zeng Yu went to Jichang Garden and said, "After eating, Mr. Zeng hasn't eaten yet."

Zeng Yu said: "I used it in the garden." ”

With an "oh" sound, he carried a lantern in front of him and asked, "Is that Pei Niangzi's leg injured well?"

Zeng Yu smiled: "Okay, the medicine will cure the disease - by the way, has your aunt's burns healed?" ”

Lu Miaoxiang has been burned for more than half a month, Zeng Yu also asked Lu Miaoxiang in person a few days ago, of course Lu Miaoxiang refused to let Zeng Yu look at her calves again, only said that it had healed-

"The scab has been removed, and there are two spots—" and sighed.

Zeng Yu hurriedly asked, "Is there anything else wrong?" ”

Infant said: "It's just a slight flaw, it's a pity to look at it - what is Mr. Zeng laughing at?" ”

Zeng Yu said: "It's nothing, I came here today to discuss something with your aunt." ”

Infant Zixin said: "Discuss again, what is the matter?" Zeng Yu didn't say it, of course she was embarrassed to ask, her aunt Lu Miaoxiang was already waiting under the eaves.

Zeng Yu and Lu Miao wanted to see each other, entered the West House, and saw a pair of chess sets on the bookcase, and dozens of black and white chess pieces were sparsely distributed on the chess table, Zeng Yu smiled and said: "Do Lu Niangzi and Miss Yingzi still play Go, I really want to understand it." ”

Ying Zi's beautiful eyes widened and said: "Does Mr. Zeng also know how to play Go, I have never heard Mr. Zeng talk about it." ”

Zeng Yu said with a smile: "Could it be that I can play Go games with Yan Shaoqing and them, Mr. Fang Tang will say that I have delayed the studies of Yan's children." ”

The baby giggled and said eagerly, "Can I play a game with Mr. Zeng?" ”

Zeng Yu said: "Wait a minute, let me take a look at this game of chess and guess whose white son and whose black son." ”

Ying Zi and Lu Miaoxiang both looked at Zeng Yu with a smile, Zeng Yu stared at the black and white pieces on the chessboard, and said after a while: "If I expected it right, the black chess was played by Miss Ying Zi, and the white chess was of course Lu Niang's." ”

Lu Miaoxiang smiled silently, but Ying Zi was surprised and asked, "How did Mr. Zeng know the Tao?" ”

Zeng Yu said with a smile: "I know that Miss Yingzi's reading and literacy are all taught by your aunt, and this game of Go is definitely no exception. ”

Ying Zi was surprised: "I have only played chess for about thirty years, and Mr. Zeng can see that I am not playing black chess well?"

Zeng Yu said with a smile: "It's not that Miss Yingzi is not good, but that Mrs. Lu is better." ”

Ying Zi said with great interest: "That Mr. Zeng and my mother will play a game first, and I will watch the chess." ”

Being able to play with Lu Miaoxiang under the west window with a candle is of course a pleasure, and Zeng Yu is looking forward to it.

Lu Miao didn't want to play against Zeng Yuwen, it should be the fun of the boudoir, how can she sit and play chess with a young man as a nun, and said: "Xiaozi, Mr. Zeng should have something to say when he comes here, and then let Mr. Zeng guide you in the next game." ”

Ying Zi looked at her aunt, then at Zeng Yu, and said, "Then I'll go and cook tea for Mr. Zeng." Chong Zeng Yu smiled sweetly and went out of the house.

Lu Miaoxiang looked at Zeng Yu: "Mr. Zeng has something to say, please speak." ”

Zeng Yu took a book on the desk and looked at it, and while telling Lu Miaoxiang about Pei Lin's treatment after falling off the swing frame, he finally said: "On that day, at the mountain spring behind Jichang Garden, thanks to Lu Niangzi for breaking the siege, otherwise it would be bad to let those women get entangled." ”

Lu Miao lowered her head and smiled, but stopped laughing for a while: "Is this what Mr. Zeng is here to say?" ”

At this time, Ying Zi came over with a teacup and said gently: "Mr. Zeng, please use tea." ”

Zeng Yu said: "Miss Yingzi, please also sit down-Lu Niangzi, Xiaosheng said that these are not to talk about Bo and laugh, but to think that Lu Niangzi can also ask to go back to Jinxi under the pretense of illness, I don't know what Lu Niangzi thinks?" ”

Lu Miaoxiang frowned slightly, and said: "Although Jinxi Qingtian is the hometown of the poor nun, he doesn't care about the poor nun's relatives, and he is also sent to the fence when he goes back, but I'm afraid that there is no peace here - Mr. Zeng, the poor nun is not worried about his own fate, but he can't rest assured about Xiaozi, and Yan Shifan is not here, no one can make the decision to let the poor nun leave here - there is a possibility, that is, to send the seriously ill poor nun back to Qingtian, and let Xiaozi stay here." ”

"Ahh The infant sitting on the side cried out: "No, I will never stay here alone, I want to be with my mother." As he spoke, he got up and walked to his aunt Lu Miaoxiang's side, holding Lu Miaoxiang's left arm, as if he was afraid that someone would separate the two of them.

Lu Miaoxiang stretched out her hand to wrap her arms around Ying Zi's waist, looked at Zeng Yu and said: "Zeng Gongzi, next year is the year of the township examination, if Zeng Gongzi can go to high school, and come to propose marriage at that time, the poor nun thinks that good things will definitely come to pass, even if it fails to be Chinese, Yan Shifan is still very likely to agree to this family business when he is impeached by the official and feels that his future is in danger - the poor Ni hopes that Zeng Gongzi can marry my family Xiaozi in three media and six appointments, don't wronged her——"

When Lu Miaoxiang said this, the baby's little face was red with shame, and she didn't dare to face Zeng Yu with her head sideways, she buried her face in the shoulder socket of her aunt Lu Miaoxiang, only to hear her aunt say again: "When Xiaozi and Zeng Gongzi get married, the poor nun has fulfilled her wish, and she can really become a nun." ”

Yingzi raised her head and said: "Mother, why do you say such a thing again, you know that I can't leave you, you are not allowed to go anywhere, just accompany me." ”

Lu Miaoxiang smiled at the corner of her mouth, didn't say more, and looked at Zeng Yu with clear eyes.

Zeng Yu sighed in his heart, looking at Lu Miao's beautiful face, the fine cold hairs on his cheeks under the lamp could be seen, close at hand, within reach, but all kinds of emotions could only be buried deep in his heart, this really had the helplessness of Tagore's "the farthest distance in the world", and looked away at the "Lanting Collection Preface" written by Wen Zhengming when he was eighty-nine years old, the handwriting dragon and phoenix danced, completely took off Wang Xizhi's trap, swayed freely, and his posture was healthy and easy-

After a long time, Zeng Yu raised his eyes and said: "I will take care of Miss Yingzi, and Mrs. Lu should not bring up the matter of family cultivation again, don't make Miss Yingzi sad." ”

Lu Miao wanted to see the loneliness in Zeng Yu's eyes, and her heart was stunned.

There was silence in the west room for a while, and no one spoke, except for the cold wind blowing through the maple treetops.

Zeng Yu didn't want the atmosphere to be solemn, so he smiled and said, "Let me ask Mrs. Lu or Miss Yingzi for a game of chess, right?" When he spoke, his stomach suddenly "growled" a few times, and he was hungry, and he couldn't help but look embarrassed.

Lu Miaoxiang and Ying Zi glanced at each other, and Ying Zi said, "Didn't Mr. Zeng have dinner in the garden?" ”

Lu Miao wanted to get up and said: "Mr. Zeng will teach Xiaozi to play a game, and the poor Ni will make soup cakes, and it will be fine soon."

Zeng Yu was not humble anymore, it was good to taste Lu Miaoxiang's cooking skills, got up and arched his hand and said: "There is Lao Lu Niangzi, Xiaosheng is really hungry." ”

Lu Miao wanted to go to the kitchen, and the baby here was ashamed and happy to clean up the chess pieces on the chessboard, and asked with a red face: "Does Mr. Zeng want white or black seeds?" ”

Zeng Yu asked for a sunspot, let the baby Zi Baizi go first, at first more than ten chess hands Baby Zi played in a dignified manner, but when Zeng Yu deliberately did not follow the common sense of the test hand, he was a little inflexible, Zeng Yu asked her: "Your chess is taught by your aunt, so who taught your aunt?" ”

Ying Zi said: "My mother learned the "Autumn Immortal Legacy". I got up and went to the bookshelf to find two books, which were the woodcut book "The Legacy of the Autumn Immortals" in the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing.

Infant Zi said: "When I was young, my mother often played chess alone, and when I became more sensible, I accompanied my mother to play chess." ”

What a lonely woman, loneliness is a poison that corrodes the soul, and there will be all kinds of desires, what kind of steadfastness does it take to remain undegenerate?

At this time, Lu Miaoxiang called from the kitchen: "Xiaozi, come and help me." ”

Ying Zi responded, put a chess piece in his hand back into the chess box, and said to Zeng Yu: "Mr. Zeng, I will come when I go." ”

Soon, Lu Miao wanted to pick up the lantern, and the baby came with a big soup bowl, full of a big bowl of soup cakes, green onions and oil flowers, fragrant, the so-called soup cakes are actually noodles, in the Ming Dynasty, all pasta can be called cakes, baked cakes, steamed cakes, cage cakes......

Zeng Yu is very hungry, this kind of heavy Luo fine noodles is delicious, Lu Miaoxiang's cooking skills are good, Zeng Yu is very happy to eat, and Lu Miaoxiang and Ying Zi are stunned, they usually can't eat this soup bowl of noodles, Zeng Yu alone soup bowl doesn't seem to be enough to eat-

Lu Miao wanted to see Zeng Yu drink all the noodle soup, so he said, "Then the poor nun will make some soup cakes." ”

Zeng Yu hurriedly said: "No need, Xiaosheng is full, the soup dumplings made by Lu Niangzi are really delicious, Xiaosheng is gluttonous, and the eating appearance is so indecent that Lu Niangzi and Miss Yingzi laugh." ”

The three of them were all laughing and happy, and at this time, there was a sound of beating the watch in Jieqiao Village in the distance, and it was already the second watch.

Zeng Yu got up and said, "Xiaosheng is going back, thank you Lu Niangzi for the soup cakes." ”

Lu Miao wanted to let Ying Zi carry the lantern to send Zeng Yu to the side of the single-plank bridge, and Yingzi stood at the head of the bridge and tried her best to stretch out her arms to illuminate Zeng Yu who walked on the single-plank bridge-

Zeng Yu crossed the bridge, untied the reins, led the horse, and waved to the infant on the other bank: "Miss Yingzi go back." ”

Out of the maple forest, Zeng Yu looked back, and the little light was still faintly still in the position of the single-plank bridge.