Qianyun took the note, glanced at it hastily, and said nothing. Zhuo Yan smiled meaningfully, and pushed open the closed doors and windows for her to breathe, before leaving.

After Zhuo Yan left, Qian Yun put the note in her sleeve, looked at the sky through the window, and got up to go to the room. She hasn't forgotten that now she is just a third-class fire maid.

The room was smoky and dry, and Qianyun chopped firewood, and threw it into the stove one by one in her arms, although this errand had been done for more than 40 days, she still felt a little difficult. But hard work is hard work, she will not cry out for distress, let alone ask for help in vain.

Finally finished burning the wood, Qianyun took out the note in his sleeve, read it one last time, and waved it into the stove. The orange-red tongue of fire licked up the paper in an instant, burned into black paper ashes, and a trace of sparks rose slightly, and finally the ashes were annihilated and disappeared, as if they had never existed.

Qianyun was silent, and after finishing the day's work, he returned to the room early in the evening and went to sleep. There was another third-class maid who lived with her, and when she saw that she lay down early today, she was a little strange: "My sister used to toss and turn and couldn't sleep, she slept late and got up early, why is it abnormal today?" ”

The knuckles of the fingers holding the corners of the quilt were slightly pale, half of her face was hidden in the futon, and she said in a muffled voice: "I'm tired today, and I'm not very comfortable." After saying that, he turned over again and fell asleep with his eyes closed.

Since then, there has been no word for a night, and it has passed very quickly. When Qianyun woke up the next day, the sky was already white. She originally thought that she would toss and turn and stay awake at night, but she never expected that this would be the most restful night she slept after being belittled.

There was some strange atmosphere in Zhiyanxuan, early in the morning, she went to chop firewood as usual, but the mother of the kitchen steward came over and ordered: "You can chop less firewood today, and Madame will not eat in the garden in the morning." ”

Don't you eat in the garden? Since Mrs. Tai was exempted from morning and dusk, she must eat on time every morning. It stands to reason that today's abnormality should also be, but Qianyun decided to pretend not to know, nodded and replied: "The slave understands, Mother Xie reminds." ”

Having said that, she calmly chopped wood, fetched water, and did the same amount of errands as usual, and was not lazy. After such a busy afternoon, when it was time for lunch, the housekeeper mother of the kitchen and a group of third-class maids gathered around a table to eat, and as soon as Qianyun took a few bites of food, she heard a maid on the table whispering:

"I went to the back door this morning to collect vegetables, and I heard the maid in the eldest lady's garden say that the inner garden was haunted last night, and the burning face was possessed by a ghost, and now it has lost its normality."

"The inner garden is haunted? It actually spread to the eldest lady's garden? The other maid answered urgently.

"Don't you know, I heard that the haunted place is behind the rockery in the inner garden, and the hand-copying verandah on the east and west sides of the place happens to be connected to the two gardens of the second master and the eldest lady, and this matter naturally spreads quickly."

"Humph! Don't do bad things, don't be afraid of ghosts knocking on the door. Why are you scared crazy? ”

"You got to the point, she is Zhiyanxuan's maid, what did the third watch secretly go to the inner garden in the middle of the night? This is a strange thing. ”

"I heard that ghosts love to possess the wicked, because they have no righteousness in them. In the past, when Mrs. Xia was alive, Zhuo Yan relied on herself as the Xia family's maid to marry, and if she didn't look at us in her eyes, she would be arrogant and high, climbing high and stepping low, which must be misbehaving! ”

……

For a while, several maids on the table were talking, and even the mother in charge of the kitchen did not scold, and listened to it with relish. However, apart from surprise and worry, everyone gloated about the madness of the burning face, and no one sympathized with it.

It has only been more than seven months since Zhuo Yan arrived in Yunfu, but he has been commented so far, which shows that his character is indeed not good.

Qianyun ate silently, and did not participate in the discussion of the maids at the table, "Bang Dang" put down the bowl and said, "You use it slowly, I'll go first." As he spoke, he got up and left.

As soon as he turned around, he heard a small muttering from behind him: "Say what!" Don't you know how close the shallow rhyme and the burning face are? ”

The light rhyme was only unheard, and he didn't even stop his footsteps, and floated out of the door......

The next day, the housekeeper Yun Zhong came to Zhiyan Xuan to give a lecture, saying that Zhuo Yan had suffered from madness overnight, and in order to prevent her from hurting others, she had been temporarily imprisoned in the torture hall and isolated.

Qian Yun didn't feel much when she heard the news, and there was only one thought in her mind-

Are you crazy? It's exactly the same as what he said when he was locked up in the torture hall.

*****

For the next half month, Yunfu had been in an eerie silence, and the smooth silence made several people in the center of the storm creepy. This is not a real calm, but an illusion before the storm.

The mountain rain is about to come and the wind is full of buildings, the fifth day of the fifth month of May, the Dragon Boat Festival, there is an annual dragon boat race in Yanlan City. It is said that it is a dragon boat race, but it is not in the rivers, lakes and seas, Yanlan City is built around the mountains, there is only one river in the city, it is turbulent, but it is also clear, it is the source of drinking water for ordinary people.

The dragon boat race is held on this river. Early in the morning, Mrs. Tai ordered that everyone in each room could go to watch the lively events of the year, except for the necessary left-behind servants and maids.

Therefore, many people who were not on duty and took turns to go out of Yunfu to watch the dragon boat race, but the masters of each room, except for the second master Yunqi who went out with a few maids, mostly stayed in the house.

Zhiyanxuan's subordinates also walked several times, and the main garden seemed empty. Qian Yun finished her errand as usual, holding a handful of fresh calamus and mugwort leaves, and plugged them in one door after another. This is the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival, before and after the festival, the whole house must be planted with mugwort leaves every day, and it must be fresh mugwort leaves picked on the same day.

Walking all the way and plugging all the way, in front of Zhuying's house, Qianyun hesitated a little, and thought that he should be on duty by Izuxiu's side at this hour, so he was also relieved, and took a few handfuls of mugwort leaves from his arms and inserted them into his door.

Ai Ye had just plugged it in, but it was shaken off by the sudden opening and closing of the door, and I saw Danxin walking out of the bamboo shadow house with red eyes, and saw Qianyun standing outside the door, and was immediately startled, and lowered her head helplessly: "Sister Qianyun." ”

Since Qianyun was denounced as a fire-burning maid, she and Danxin have never had a close relationship, in fact, Danxin is as usual, it is Qianyun herself who is deliberately estranged. One is because she is now a third-class maid and has a sense of distance; The second is also because...... Bamboo Shadow.

Thinking of that person, Qianyun's eyelids jumped, and she gently bowed her head to the heart. Seeing the falling mugwort leaves on the ground, he hurriedly leaned over to pick them up, and said with a reluctant smile: "I just came to say a few words to Zhuying, and I had some disputes, so I taught my sister to see jokes." ”

Qianyun shook her head and was about to reply, but she heard a question from inside the room: "Qianyun?" As soon as the words fell, Zhu Ying had already strode out of the room, looking a little embarrassed.

Qian Yun glanced at her heart again, and took the lead in speaking: "Today's Dragon Boat Festival, I will insert mugwort leaves, and I will not hinder you." ”

"It's nothing," Zhuying hurriedly explained when he heard this, frowned as he spoke, and said anxiously, "Don't think about it, I'm ...... with Danxin."

"Sister Qianyun!" At this time, Danxin suddenly interrupted Zhuying's words and said, "Madame still has my errand there, so I won't talk to you more, let's go first." ”

Qianyun nodded, her eyes fell on the back of Danxin who fled in the wilderness, and sighed to Zhuying: "Danxin is a good girl." ”

A trace of gloom crossed Zhuying's face: "You obviously know my intentions, even the master can see it, and he said ...... before he died."

"The master said that it is my business whether to marry or not." Qian Yun turned her gaze to Zhuying, and her tone was flat without ups and downs: "Before his death, the master also said that he would let the little marquis take Xiu away, but she insisted on staying. It can be seen that the master's will is not to be obeyed. ”

"Qianyun, why are you ...... this" Zhuying is always silent, but this time he confessed unprecedentedly: "If it was in the past, you would be willing to guard the master." Now that he has passed away and you have been belittled, if you marry me, Madame will not let you suffer this again for the sake of the Hou Ye's face. What's more, you and I have grown up together since childhood......"

"You and Danxin are childhood sweethearts, I have served by Mrs. Tai's side since I was a child, and you have always followed Master Hou's ......" Qian Yun categorically denied it, and finally made up her mind and said: "Since Mrs. Tai transferred me to Zhiyanxuan on an errand, I have regarded myself as the master's person, and Mrs. Tai also taught me like this." Now that the master is gone, I am naturally ...... Do not marry for life. ”

Don't marry for life! Bamboo Shadow was shocked: "Light rhyme! If you don't like me, I won't bother me, you really don't have to make such excuses, it's too ...... Cruel. ”

"No, that's not an excuse." Qianyun's alienated and indifferent eyes suddenly floated with a touch of sadness: "I know, it's my whimsy, and what the master likes is Izuxiu...... I always thought that it would be a great blessing to be able to serve him all the time and have his mercy once in a while...... Now that my heart is dead, even if I don't have this title, I am determined not to marry for the rest of my life. ”

The reason why she never married for life is only because in Qianyun's heart, she has already married herself. On the day she stepped into Zhiyanxuan, the white-clothed fairy once asked her with a smile: "From now on, how about you call 'Qianyun'?" ”

It was also from that moment that she worshipped him as a god and sacrificed her whole body and mind.

"Shallow rhyme ......" Zhuying only felt a throbbing pain in her heart, for the four words "never marry" in her mouth. He had liked this cold woman for many years, and he had been restrained, and he also thought that one day he would ask his master to marry her.

Who would have thought that she would be so obsessive! Not marrying for life, how cruel it is for a woman!

"It's me who is not good and has failed you." At this time, Dan sighed lightly when he heard Qianyun, looked in the direction where Danxin left again, and said, "I can see that Danxin likes you." Even if I don't have a master, even for the sake of my sisterhood with her, I can't marry you and make her sad. ”

"Then you're going to push me to Danxin?" Zhu Ying was a little angry, frowned and asked, "If you like me lightly, I want to accept her?" I like you, you can't accept me? For the sake of your sisterhood, you're going to push me out? ”

Hearing this, Qian Yun only lowered her eyes, as if she was smoked with tears by the smell of wormwood in her arms, and endured: "Lightness is only one of the reasons, the most important thing is that I don't like you." ”

A wry smile came, and Zhuying shook his head lightly and sighed, "Do you know what Danxin came to me for today?" He spread out the palm of his left hand, in which rested a concentric knot woven with red rope, which was extremely red: "She gave me this thing, and I wish you and me to be united forever." ”

"Lightly hearted her......" Qian Yun looked at the concentric knot in front of her, only to feel that her throat was dry, and she was speechless.

Zhuying sighed again: "You have a deep sisterhood with her, why shouldn't she?" You have been cold to people all day, how can she not be arrogant? Indifferently, her name is this, and the pride in her heart is only more than yours, not less than you......"

Zhuying slowly clenched his fists, tightened the concentric knot in his palm, and finally smiled bitterly: "I won't accept your affection, and I won't like me anymore...... You sisters don't have to push around anymore. ”