received Xing Hongying's reply six months after Zhou Yizhi sent the letter to the hometown of Roger Lopez, the counselor of the French Concession. Roger's family knew that Zhou Yizhi was his classmate, so naturally he quickly sent him to China. The letter was accompanied by a large box of Nanxun rice wine and a dozen gold bars, because at that time the silver dollar was not commonly used, and the most widely circulated currency in the world was real gold and silver. Xing Hongying said in the letter that his father and mother, three sisters and brothers, and their three children are all very good, the children have grown up in the school, and the development of foreign goods and salt stores is very stable. Let him heal with peace of mind, and she will give him wine and money from time to time.

Zhou Yizhi wrote back and said that she had received something, and asked her to gradually infiltrate the financial industry after putting the salt industry in order, and try to invest in many banks. Grain and oil can follow the development of the salt industry, become bigger and stronger, and stabilize the market retention rate; The traditional silk industry should be gradually withdrawn or transferred, because natural silk is being replaced by rayon in a large area, and handicrafts, aquatic products and other profitable ones can be gradually shut down. Tell her to spend more time with her children, and she needs to be supervised and accompanied during the growth stage.

He replied to the letter and asked Lu Jiayu to give all the wine to Nicholas and the attending physician Marcos, who had quit drinking. When she exchanged some of the gold bars for Mark to pay the hospital for treatment, she realized that it didn't cost money to see a doctor, and that his illness had become a research subject declared by Marcos, and the cost was paid by the state.

So Zhou Yizhi gave the money to Lu Jiayu to manage, and she invested them in the Strasbourg wine estate in the northern French city. Strasbourg is located more than 100 kilometers from Heidelberg, and the wine industry there is of a very high standard, which has a lot to do with the soil and climate of the Rhine Valley. She believes that the French wine industry will circulate all over the world, and that Strasbourg has the same potential as the sought-after Bordeaux, and that it is only a matter of time.

During this time, Zhou Yizhi's condition also improved. Except for regular cleaning of dead cells and examinations, it is almost the same as a normal person. He spent most of his time reading in his hospital room, and he became very interested in the mechanical engineering industry in Germany, and several times he consulted with Nicholas about visiting the Ruhr area, but his health did not allow him to reschedule. In the morning and evening when the weather is good, he will walk along the Karl River with Lu Jiayu, breathe in the fresh air and browse the riverside scenery. The living environment here is obviously better than that of Shanghai and Huzhou. Lu Jiayu has also changed a lot, she actively studied German and basic knowledge, completed the preparatory department in less than half a year, and successfully entered the first year of the Department of Economics. People's horizons are wider, her thinking is changing rapidly, her taste of life is also changing, and her behavior is becoming more and more Westernized. I don't feel awkward to eat local food and wear local clothes every day, but reminds Zhou Yizhi of the habit of following the local customs.

Heidelberg is still at the end of autumn on Halloween, and the castle is almost surrounded by yellow, yellow and red mountain scenery. The banks of the Karl River are also dressed in bright makeup, which is no less beautiful than the bright spring of May. The Heidelberg area was controlled by the romantic French for a long time, and after Setler came to power, the people were uplifted, and the overall environment in Germany was gradually free from hunger and British and French control, and everyone was full of hope. Heidelberg, a cultural city full of romance, is naturally more flavorful during the festival.

Because it was a Wednesday, there was no holiday at school. Lu Jiayu asked Zhou Yizhi to pick him up from school, and they went to the castle on the other side of the river to eat and then go shopping. Many of her classmates went to the city after school to play, and this was the first time she had a foreign festival abroad, so it was full of novelty. The weather on this day was very good, the blue sky and the golden-red slanting sun, which made people feel like they were in a painting. The two walked slowly along the riverside path from west to east, blowing a gentle breeze to step on the sunset, and along the way, you could see handsome men and women dressed in strange costumes. Take a walk on the bridge while enjoying the scenery and enter the castle slowly. Once in town, the shops lining the streets are transformed into exaggerated festive costumes. Lu Jiayu bought two masks and put them on, and walked down the street to the central square, near the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, which is the most lively place during the festival.

The two had eaten next to the Knight's House (1), and it was already dark. There were more people coming and going in the streets, people wearing scary or seductive masks, and no one was laughing, which really felt like entering the ghost world. They followed the flow of people to a club diagonally across the street next to the cathedral, where dynamic music led to a joyful atmosphere. Bustling with people singing and dancing, the rich dark beer and the smell of perfume on a woman's body fill the space. Lu Jiayu drank two large glasses of beer after entering the door, and quickly integrated into this cheerful rhythm. The delicate figure swayed lightly with the melody in the alternating light and dark lights, and the faint and coquettish eyes glanced at Zhou Yizhi from time to time. And he just leaned away against the corner of the bar, trying to keep her out of sight. He didn't adapt to the atmosphere, and even thought they were a bit of a plaything, but he knew that he couldn't demand others according to his own ideas, after all, he was in such a foreign country. And the beautiful and quick-thinking girl in front of her came here because of him, not to mention the meticulous care of him, she is also the baby daughter of her father's best friend Lu Hong.

After a burst of cheerful music, it was replaced by a soft saxophone, Lu Jiayu came over and asked for another beer, and leaned next to Zhou Yizhi after a few sips. He saw the fine beads of sweat on the tip of her nose, looked at her and whispered, "Yinhuan, are you tired?" ”

"What?" Lu Jiayu came closer.

"Tired or not?" Zhou Yizhi raised his voice, "If you are tired, rest for a while." ”

"Huh?" She tilted her ears sideways.

He shook his head lightly, stretched out his right hand to stop her shoulder, and with his left hand he held the hair around her ear close to her ear and said, "I said, are you tired?" Let's go back after a break, right? It's ten o'clock—hmm—"

As she spoke, she turned her head around and kissed him directly on the lips. It took about half a minute to let go, his hands were still around his neck, and he said affectionately: "Brother Yizhi, listen to you, you can do anything." ”

Zhou Yizhi felt his head "buzz", took her hand and hurriedly withdrew a few steps. Glaring at her, he turned around and walked briskly down the stairs, and walked out of the city after going out. This sudden kiss made his heart tingle, and he felt like his mind was instantly empty. In the years since he and Xing Hongying got married, although he has also devoted himself to intimacy, he has never been able to empty his mind and can't stop. What's more important is that this incident should not happen between him and Lu Jiayu, not only because he is a married man, but also because he can't ruin her innocence, which may cause disputes between the two families.

"Brother Yizhi, you wait for me! Brother Yizhi, slow down, ......" Lu Jiayu didn't expect him to react so much, and he reacted and quickly followed down the stairs. The tight skirt made her unable to move her legs, so she had to walk one step by step against the wall. After going out, the distance between the two was already more than two hundred meters, and she had to trot and chase closely.

But Zhou Yizhi lowered his head and strode forward as if he was running away, without thinking about her at all. By the time she caught up, she was approaching the gate of the castle, and she went over and grabbed his arm, slowing them both down. The road of chasing him was more tiring than dancing, so she couldn't help but give him a blank look, and then gently snuggled up to him and walked forward. He didn't look at her and didn't react, his body was a little stiff and his steps were a little disordered, and he didn't say a word until he sent her to the door of the school dormitory. She could feel his seriousness, and guessed that he was afraid that he would not be able to live with his wife in his hometown, and he did not dare to say anything more intimate words, lest he say anything hard and affect the mood that should be pleasant. When she turned to enter the door, she still looked at him affectionately for a few seconds, his deliberately avoidable eyes. She whispered, "Brother Yizhi, good night!" Kissing him on the cheek again, he hurried through the door. Hearing the sound of his leather shoes, he gradually walked away, and flashed out to see his back. He didn't go in until he walked through two small intersections and turned out of sight, humming softly the music he had listened to while dancing.

All this was seen by Nicholas, who was not far away, who waited here all night, holding flowers and a box of Italian chocolates for Lu Jiayu in his hands. Unfortunately, when he arrived, she and Zhou Yizhi were walking to the river, and he asked a few people from the economics department and said that they didn't see her. I didn't eat dinner, I stood at the door and waited, and my legs were really sleepy, so I walked to the flower bed not far away and sat down. Seeing the two of them coming back, he was excited to run over, and when he saw her kissing Zhou Yi's heart, he was half cold, and then he thought that they were relatives and brother and sister, and it was nothing to kiss. But after she kissed him, she went in and out and watched him walk away, and the expression on her face was clearly intoxicated with the love between men and women. I couldn't help but sit back on the stage again, and left in frustration after a long time.

Well, a dazzling light flashed, and then it felt cold and cold on his face, as if there was metal next to his face. He felt his heart tremble, and he squinted his eyes to see a bright knife moving up his cheek. Slide it across the corner of your eye, turn it across your forehead, then change the angle and stay at the center of your eyebrows to continue sliding down...... A strong surge of blood in his chest, like a feeling of oppression that he could not spit out. The corners of the mouth and nose seem to be dripping with something. Is it blood? The knife hadn't been pierced yet, and I didn't feel any pain on my body. Is it snot? Shouldn't you have it in your mouth? His body also felt wet, and he wanted to reach out and touch it but couldn't find it. A voice in the ear chakra shouted, "Xiaoyi, I'm sorry. I'm just afraid that I won't have a chance to see you again in this life, and I should really listen to your words and leave together. Sorry, careless. ”

Suddenly, there was a path that separated the calm lake, and there was not a single bare tree on either side of the road. There are two arched bridges about 200 steps apart, one in front and one in the back, one in the east-west direction and the other in the north-south direction, and there is a city tower not far away. "Junsheng, Junsheng, how long have you been here?" A pretty girl shouted and walked along the road, between two bridges. He wanted to say that he was not Junsheng, but he couldn't open his mouth, so he could only watch the girl approach. But there is a strong sunlight behind her, so she can't see her appearance clearly, vaguely eyebrow-length bangs, and two black braids. She wore a powder blue diagonal cardigan, a long black skirt, and a beige acrylic scarf around her neck. The girl called "Junsheng" closer and closer, and her voice was crisp and euphemistic. The white cheeks and a pair of big expressive eyes can be seen faintly......

“Herr Chow, Herr Chow, Es ist Zeit zu behandeln, Herr Chow…… (Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou, it's time for treatment, Mr. Zhou)" was another series of women's calls, startling away the girl's appearance that was about to be taken into view.

Zhou Yizhi sat up suddenly, looking around with wide eyes. Still in the big white ward, in front of two German girls in white clothes and white hats. Needless to say, he was dreaming again, it was the dream they woke him up. They saw him sit up and repeat it, which he had heard many times. He smiled helplessly, and as he got out of bed, he said the German taught by Lu Jiayu: "Okay, Danke, lass mich zuerst mein Gesicht waschen." (Okay, thank you, let me wash my face first)" finished picking up the grooming box on the table and went out to the bathroom.

The treatment process of this day was still a whole morning, but Zhou Yizhi's mind couldn't help but ponder the recent dream? Who is the girl who frequently appears by the lake? Why do you have to call Junsheng's name every time? Who is Junsheng? Why did a dagger appear? Is it blood that keeps dripping in my dreams? Who is Xiaoyi? Could it be the girl at the bridgehead? Why do such nightmares come up again and again? He never seemed to have the names of these two men in his memory, but now they always appeared in his dreams again and again. Whether this was a reflex by chance, or an omen, he couldn't convince himself.

The day after the treatment, it was still a routine examination, and Zhou Yizhi was arranged to use most of the instruments here for examination. Some of them had results at the time, and some of them had to wait for hours, and he didn't need to read them, and he didn't understand them.

“Diese Zahlen sind nur auf Grundlage für die，Auch wenn es keine neue Veränderung auf der Oberfläche，Bedeutet nicht, dass die Behandlung unwirksam ist。 Wissenschaft ist die Schaffung von Wundern jeden Tag。 (These figures are only based on the facts, even if there are no new changes on the surface, it does not mean that the treatment is not effective, science works miracles every day)" such words Marcos has said several times. That's right, at least Zhou Yizhi thinks it's a miracle to be alive until now.

In the evening, when he was about to leave work, Marcos and Nicholas came to see Zhou Yizhi. Tell him that the effect of the new drug is obvious, and the number of new cells in his blood is significantly increased, which indicates that the chance of blood and heart rejection is getting smaller and smaller, and the chance of causing coronary artery blockage will also decrease. Zhou Yizhi thanked them again for taking care of them, and chatted for a while, Marcos left, and Nicholas accompanied Zhou Yizhi to the riverside for a walk.

The two chatted about New Year's Day and the Chinese Lunar New Year as they walked. Nicholas suddenly turned his head and asked, "Can I ask you a personal question?" ”

"Of course, please." Zhou Yizhi had already regarded him as a friend.

"Do you think the marriage system of marrying concubines in your country is disrespectful to women?" Nicholas finished speaking, staring at Zhou Yizhi's expression.

Zhou Yizhi smiled faintly, he didn't expect him to be interested in this topic. He smiled and said, "This is indeed a bad habit that has lasted for thousands of years. However, times are changing, and so are people's minds, and monogamy will be achieved in the near future. ”

"No, no, Mr. Zhou, maybe I didn't make it clear. I'm asking your opinion, are you in favor of marrying a concubine? Would you do that? Nicholas said seriously.

"Me?" Zhou Yizhi smiled, "Do you think my body is okay?" ”

"If you say that, I don't think it's fair to Jiayu!" Nicholas gets down to business.

Hearing this, Zhou Yizhi immediately understood that Nicholas came here to hold grievances for Lu Jiayu. He smiled again and said, "Mistaschnyder, you may have misunderstood, I have always regarded the silver ring as my own sister-"

"No, no, Mr. Zhou, it's definitely not a misunderstanding. I saw Jiayu kiss you with my own eyes, right on Halloween night, at the gate of the student dormitory. Nicholas interrupted Zhou Yizhi, his eyes fixed on his expression, and thought: Look how you still deny it!

"Oh—you said that day?" Speaking of Halloween night, Zhou Yizhi also felt that Lu Jiayu was a little out of order, "Yinhuan drank some beer that day, maybe she made the kiss of the West a little big, I can clearly say that I am a brother and sister relationship with her." ”

"Is that really the case? How do I think she has a lot of affection for you? Otherwise, I won't come out again after entering the door and watch you come to the end of the road. Do you remember? When she left China, she forced us to insist on saving you at gunpoint, and she didn't drink that time. Nicholas said.

"It doesn't mean anything, our two families are friends. You should know that a girl's mind is not easy to guess. What's more, she's a girl with a quick mind and a progressive mind, and now it's a changeable age, isn't it? Zhou Yizhi didn't want Lu Jiayu to fall in love with him. His frail body has to fight against illness, and the family's career and the whole family need to work hard to take care of it.

"Well, that's not wrong to say. So - do you have an opinion on my pursuit of her? I mean, as her brother, would you look at her marrying a Caucasian in a special light? A faint smile crossed Nicholas' face.

"Of course not. Whether as an older brother or a friend, I will support her, respect her choice, and give my most heartfelt wishes. Zhou Yizhi said.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Zhou, you are such a very kind friend, thank you very much for your understanding." Nicholas gradually understood that Zhou Yizhi was not a threat, his mood was completely relaxed, and his steps were brisk. As he walked, his tone became closer, and he asked with a smile, "The New Year is coming, is there anything you want to do?" What are your interesting activities for the festival in Nanxun? ”

"Our New Year is not now, the Chinese New Year is said according to the lunar calendar, that is, the lunar calendar, and there are still more than two months." Huzhou is lively for the New Year, sticking Spring Festival couplets and hanging lanterns...... "Zhou Yizhi mentioned that the New Year was inevitably a little melancholy, from childhood to adulthood, because of physical reasons, he was much less happy than his peers.

The two of them chatted and walked, the golden red sun shining on them, their hair. The dark brown ends of Nicholas' hair turned burgundy, as dazzling as the red shimmer of the river not far away. There are a lot of pedestrians on the road, and the two of them walk unhurriedly, and the smiles on their faces are also very pleasant, which makes it seem that the winter on the riverside is full of warmth.

On the Gregorian New Year, the school is closed for three days. Lu Jiayu went to the dormitory after school to change his clothes and walked out, planning to go to Zhou Yizhi for dinner to celebrate the New Year. I also want to wait for him to go to Strasbourg tomorrow morning for routine treatment, take a boat tour, and see their wine estate by the way. Before she reached the door, she saw Nicholas there, wearing a dark dress and bow tie, holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling and waving at her.

Lu Jiayu had long understood Nicholas's intentions, and it could be seen from his repeated help. Although he is handsome and talented, and his family background is also very good, she likes Zhou Yizhi and just regards him as a friend. It was because he was a friend that he was embarrassed to refuse him, after all, he had helped her and Zhou Yizhi a lot. She smiled and went over to say hello, and he gentlemanly handed her the flowers, indicating that he wanted to treat her to dinner. She smiled lightly and nodded in agreement, but she was thinking about Zhou Yizhi in her heart, without her to accompany him, he could only eat a sick meal in the hospital.

The two of them ate steak and drank red wine at a French restaurant in the city center. Nicholas had obviously drunk a little too much, and confessed to her by the power of the wine, but she politely declined without even thinking about it. He directly broke her mind, saying that it was impossible for her to be with Zhou Yizhi. Because Zhou Yizhi will not accept concubines, she only sees her as a sister, and she also approves of their relationship. She didn't argue with him, she didn't get angry, and said mildly that they could only be friends with each other and leave the restaurant. For her, dislike is dislike, and she doesn't need much explanation.

On the first day of January the next day, Zhou Yizhi pushed a wheelchair to the treatment room under the arrangement of the nurse, which was used when he was tired after treatment. As soon as he got out of the ward, he met Lu Jiayu with a stiff face, and couldn't help but pull him to the stairwell and pointed to his nose and said, "Zhou Yizhi, why did you match me with Nicholas, who gave you the right?" My mom? Or my dad? ”

"No, no, I haven't done anything." Zhou Yizhi smiled helplessly. Seeing the surprised expression of the German nurse outside the stairwell door, she took a step to block the glass, and lowered her voice to persuade, "Yinhuan, don't worry, say something slowly." ”

"Of course you're not in a hurry, because you're not me." Lu Jiayu's mood is much better now than last night. When he returned to the dormitory, he was so angry that he wanted to return to China, but he was worried that no one would take care of Zhou Yizhi after leaving, so that an accident occurred when his condition relapsed, and after thinking about it, he decided to talk to him clearly.

"Yinhuan, I really didn't deliberately match you. It's just that Mr. Schneider came over to ask me to give advice, I think he has quite good conditions and a good personality, and he has always taken care of you-"

"What does it matter to me whether he is in good condition or not? Are you sick or stupid? Don't you have feelings about how I am with you? Why are you pushing me to someone else? I'm just that annoying you? She interrupted him, and from what he had just said and the look on his face had confirmed that Nicholas was not lying.

"How could I hate you? I see you as my own sister, and I am closer than Qiongzhi. ”

"Who wants to compare with Joan Zhi? Who wants to be your sister? You don't feel what I do to you? Are you a piece of wood? ”

"Silverring, you, we can't."

"Why?" She asked.

"One, I'm a tuberculosis (2) and I can't delay you. Second, you should know about me and Jinhuan, I can't live with Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu, and I can't explain it in front of my father. ”

"What age are you still so old-fashioned? We are young people in the new era, and we don't need to explain our marriage to anyone, you know? She was convinced that he was saying this as proof that he had feelings for her.

"That's what I said, but it's not easy for our parents to raise us, so how can we ignore their feelings? Besides, I already have red cherry blossoms and three children, how can I remarry for no reason? ”

"Excuses, all excuses, what about people who have also eaten foreign ink, why are you so old-fashioned?"

"It's not conservatism, it's reality. I really love you as a sister, I don't let others bully you, and I can't let you be wronged for me, don't you say? "That's what he really said.

"It's not! I really like you! If you don't marry me, you'll make me feel wronged! ”

"What do you think I've become? I could die at any moment, how could I-"

"I don't care! I don't care! Anyway, I don't want you to marry! ”

"Silverring-" He really couldn't do anything about her, "I'm going to be treated, you go back and think about it calmly, I really can't delay you." With that, he turned and pulled the door.

"Zhou Yizhi, I warn you! You can not marry me, but you can't stop me from liking you, let alone pushing me on someone else! ”

"This-you-sigh——!" He understood that she could do it, so he had to get out of the stairwell and push the wheelchair forward, his head chaotic and unforgiving. The nurse followed him with a look of surprise on her face, and although she could not understand what they had just said, she could see that his mental decadence at this time was worse than the physical pain.

Lu Jiayu turned around and went downstairs, she wanted to ask Marcos again about Zhou Yizhi's situation, she believed that he would get better, and she also believed that there was a fate between them, and he would definitely accept her.

Note: (1) The full name of the house of St. Georg is the Renaissance building in the old town of Heidelberg. (2) kē la, which originally meant a lump of earth, was often extended to mean invaluable in dialects.