When the group walked to Chengheyuan, the snow was already falling.

Xiao Yan had no mind to practice knives at this time, and after saying goodbye to his brother, he was escorted back to Jingyuan by Xiao Chengzhong as usual.

She jumped over the wall and entered, almost walking away, and when she entered the outer courtyard, she saw Shang Qi chopping wood under the corridor, but each knife went down silently, and the log cracked silently from it, evenly four pieces.

Shang Qi made a "shh

Xiao Yan nodded, slowed his steps, and entered the inner courtyard without a sound.

Snowflakes fluttered like catkins and fell on the cypresses, sycamores and the ground in the courtyard.

On the cloister in front of the door of the study, there is a bookcase, a leather felt seat.

Shang Qing's ink hair was not pulled, he was plain in a plain shirt, the sleeve on the right side was rolled twice, and he was plain and white in his hand, and he was engraved with bamboo slips.

Xiao Yan walked from the corridor to the east chamber, Qi Niang came over silently, took off some semi-wet outer clothes for her, Xiao Yan changed into a soft-bottomed relief shoes under the corridor, and quietly knelt on the side of the Yin mat to watch her mother engrave.

Shang Qing only engraved one word: snow.

It is engraved with a large seal in gold.

After Shang Qing carved this word, he didn't seem to be satisfied, threw the knife, waved his sleeves and got up, "It's burned." ”

"Whoa." Qi Niang responded and handed a hot towel to Shang Qing to wipe his hands.

Xiao Yan leaned to the side of the desk to look at the bamboo slip, his eyes were dazzling, and he muttered, "It's so well carved!" In short, she can't carve this kind of rhyme, it is obviously a snow word carved by a knife, and the word is half an inch deep into the bamboo, but the "snow" is like a light feather flying. Her baby seemed to be in her arms, and she ran to the east wing with her free shoes, "Grandma, I'll take it and burn it." ”

Qi Niang laughed out loud, Xiaolang, are you going to burn bamboo slips in the bedroom? I went to the dining room to make a show.

"Xiao Lang's heart is not quiet." If it were the usual one, it wouldn't be so unexpected.

Shang said lightly: "Children." "It's just a mother, what's there to be at a loss.

Qi Niang smiled: "Xiaolang has a deep affection for you. "I care too much about you as a "mother".

Shang Qing smiled, his eyes looking at the courtyard where the snowflakes were flying, his eyes were as calm as snow.

Xiao Yan put away the bamboo slip, changed into a light cyan pigmented collared robe, walked out of the wing room, and walked under the corridor of the main room, but he was a little hesitant.

She walked up and down the cloister, and walked over again...... After hesitating for a while, he pushed the door into the study, and after taking off his shoes, he first walked to the side of the bronze inscription, so that his clothes were warm, and then he rubbed to his mother's couch, hugged her waist, and said sneeringly: "Mother, I saw you today, princess." ”

Shang Qing snorted, his eyes still looking at the "Chronicles of the South China Sea" in his hand.

Xiao Yan said with unhappiness in her voice: "The princess said that my father recorded me in her name. She raised her eyes and looked at Shang Qing, "But, Mother, I don't want to." You are my mother! ”

Shang Qing closed the scroll and knocked her on the head, "Didn't you say that you want the mountains and the mountains to be far away, and the sea and the sky to be wide?" If I go to the Xiao family genealogy, how will I be able to enjoy Nanshan leisurely in the future? ”

Xiao Yan said "ah", it seems to be this reason: if the mother is on the genealogy of the Xiao family in Lanling, she will not be able to break away from the Xiao family in the future.

But...... She thought about it and struggled again, "I'm my mother's daughter!" ”

Shang Qing didn't care and said: "You should recognize a stepmother." ”

"Huh?" Xiao Yan saw her mother's expression of not caring, she was unhappy in her heart, she felt that her mother didn't care about her anymore, hummed Qingqing for a long time, was knocked on the door of her head by Shang Qingyi's scroll, and asked her: "The princess is not your elder?" ”

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded.

Shang Qing asked again: "Or, do you hate her?" ”

Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "No." On the contrary, she has a good impression, she also likes that body and temperament, and she is still the mother of the fourth brother, she has no resistance to the princess - but, in her heart, the mother is unique and cannot be replaced by anyone.

Shang Qing said gently: "She is your fourth brother's mother, that is, your mother, and you should be filial to your elders." ”

Xiao Yan remembered that the fourth brother was good to him, hesitated for a while, and nodded. There was hesitation on her face again, and she said in a puzzled voice: "Mother, the princess said that she has an enmity with you?" …… Do you know the princess? ”

"I don't know." Shang Qing said lightly, "She is your father's wife, and all women who have a relationship with your father can be regarded as having a grudge." ”

"Huh?" Is that so?

Shang Qingdao: "It's like Jin Suping, who you have bitten, was taken and bitten by others, do you like it?" ”

“……”

So, is her father, Liang Guogong, a pie?

Mother, is this analogy appropriate?

Well, compared to the reason "Grandma is a woman who has a relationship with her father, so she is hated by the princess", Xiao Yan thinks that "Grandma nibbles a golden pie and is hated by the princess".

Oh, no, Grandma was forced to nibble on a bite of the golden pie, not because Grandma was willing, and the princess shouldn't hate Grandma......

Xiao Yan's expression changed for a while.

Shang Qing secretly felt interesting, admired her wonderful expression for a while, and knocked the scroll in her hand on the door of her head, "Impetuous thoughts, practice words, Taishang Yuqing Sutra twice." ”

Xiao Yan wailed, rolled down on the couch, and was so anxious that Shang Qing said "Don't go again, add it again" jumped up in a hurry, resigned himself to the bookcase, put on the Xuantie bracelet, and silently wrote the Taishang Jade Qing Sutra.

Gradually, the mood calmed down and peacefully.

***

Four days later, on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, the snow had stopped two days earlier.

Xiao Yan came to Chenghe Yuan at the beginning of the year, and today is the day of literature class.

Xiao Cong learned from his mother that Ah Yan was remembered as his son-in-law, and he was in a very good mood these days, which made Xiao Yan feel closer, and his elegant eyebrows and eyes became beautiful like a landscape of colored ink. Seeing that Xiao Yan was wearing a light cyan large-sleeved shirt, he reached out and straightened her collar, and said with a smile: "You can't wear such a plain dress at the family banquet tomorrow, you have to wear the jujube red flower flower big sleeve dress that your sister-in-law made for you." ”

Xiao Yan said "ah", dumbfounded, "Brother, you say...... Dinner? ”

"yes!" Xiao Cong's clear laughter resounded in the study, and his palm slapped her shoulder twice, "Ah Yan, my father said that from this year onwards, you will participate in sacrifices and family banquets. ”

Xiao Yan was stunned for a while, although she had this premonition after meeting the princess, but the good news came too quickly, and she still couldn't believe it, "Brother, is it true?" Her heart suddenly became a little astringent.

Xiao Cong nodded and said with a serious expression: "Of course." How could my brother lie to you. ”

Xiao Yan's chest was churning, she knew that she would get closer to the goal step by step, but she didn't expect this step to be achieved so early, she thought she would have to wait a year or two.

She took a breath to suppress the tumbling in her heart, and reached out to hug her brother, "Brother, thank you!" She knew that the fourth brother must have put a lot of effort into this.

Xiao Cong smiled: "Ah Yan is talented, and my father is very happy. ”

Xiao Yan looked at his brother suspiciously.

Xiao Cong sighed secretly, bypassed this incident, talked about sacrifices and family banquets, and said: "Tomorrow in the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors, you have to wear a dark shirt and a sacrificial dress, your sister-in-law has prepared it for you." You're going to come over tomorrow, change your clothes here, use it too early, and go with your brother and sister-in-law. The sacrifice begins at the second quarter of the first month, and after the end of the first month, everyone goes home to change their dresses, and the family feast is separated. - You go to the inner courtyard first, try whether the sacrificial clothes fit or not, and if it doesn't fit, people will change it immediately. ”

Xiao Yan went to the inner courtyard accordingly.

This will Shen Qingyi was still in Shenghua Courtyard to assist Princess Anping in arranging sacrifices and family banquets before returning, Xiang Lan was instructed early in the morning to try on the sacrificial clothes for her, because Xiao Yan had left the size when making clothes before, and this set of black and red-edged sacrificial clothes was cut very well

Xiao Yan tried on the sacrificial clothes and returned to the outer study, Xiao Cong explained her sacrifice and family banquet etiquette, in great detail, for fear that she would have a business trip. Xiao Yan responded and wrote them down one by one.

When she was in the unit, she returned to Qingning Courtyard and excitedly told her mother about participating in sacrifices and family banquets. Shang Qing hummed, reached out and patted her head, still as calm as usual. Xiao Yan's excited feelings calmed down, and he wrote the Taishang Jade Qing Sutra in the faint incense of agarwood, and his mood became even more peaceful.

After bathing, she said to her mother's room, "Mother, I'll sleep with you tonight." I may not be back until late tomorrow. Xiao Yan rubbed her mother, it seemed that she had never slept with her mother in her memory, and she didn't know if she had it before she was a year old, but since she could remember, she had slept on the couch by herself.

Shang Qing glanced at her, "You don't meditate before going to bed?" Don't get up early in the morning to practice? ”

Xiao Yan suddenly wilted, she couldn't disturb her mother's sleep, right? The black lacquer eyes rolled, and he quickly kissed his mother's smooth cheek, laughing and running away, "Good night, Auntie." ”

Shang Qing's light inky eyes condensed, looking at Xiao Yan's back, revealing a faint smile.

The thirtieth day of the lunar month is Chinese New Year's Eve.

On this day, no matter the scholars of the Tang Empire, they have to sacrifice their ancestors.

Everyone in the Shi clan has an ancestral temple, which is called the ancestral hall or family ancestral hall. The ancestral hall of the Xiao clan of Lanling was built in the north of the Guogong Mansion, which is a small hill mausoleum, and orchids are planted all over the mountain. With the ancestral hall as the center, the residences of the Xiao family branches are built around the mountain mausoleum. From the mountain, the ancestral hall and the Guogong Mansion are located on the central axis of Lanling Fang, one north and one south, representing the highest dignity and power of the Lanling Xiao family.

There are bluestone steps built on all sides from the bottom of the mountain to the mountain mausoleum, 360 steps each, the top of the mountain is the flattened mountain flat, the east and west are 400 steps wide, the north and south are 300 steps wide, the ancestral hall of the top of the Uwashe mountain is built in the north of the mountain flat, the entrance of the hall faces south, a total of 36 doors.

In front of the ancestral hall is the white south stone square, sixty-nine steps from north to south, ninety-nine steps from east to west, there are thirty-six stone carved pillars standing around, the pillars are carved with the family emblem of the Xiao clan of Lanling - the orchid with slender leaves resembling a sword, the Xiao family is called gladiolus. On a late winter day, the light oil pool mixed with spices on the stone pillars burns, reflecting the square as bright as day, and lingering with the faint fragrance of orchid and musk.

Thirty-six rows of red carpets were laid on the square of the white south stone, and the Yin mats were laid on the top, and the brocade mats were placed on the Yin mats in order. A brocade mat at the front is facing the middle door, which is the position of Mrs. Tai. After that, the two brocade mats are side by side, with the east being the suzerain and the west being the suzerain. One zhang back, on the central axis is the Yin seat, and there are 17 and 18 rows of Yin seats in the east and west, representing the 35 branches in the five suits of the Xiao family, and each Yin seat is facing an ancestral door.

Xiao Cong and Shen Qingyi are the sons and daughters-in-law of the sect, and they kneel side by side on the seat of the concubine.

"Ah Yan, where is your place." Xiao Cong smiled and pointed to the brocade mat behind him.

Five feet behind him, there were two brocade mats side by side on the Yan Zhiyin mat: the second son in the east and the third son in the west.

Xiao Yan responded, took off his clogs and stepped onto the banquet, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on the brocade mat representing the third son.

On her right-hand side, that is, Xiao Cheng's position.

Xiao Yan remembered Xiao Cheng's face for a while, and laughed in his heart.

(l~1`x*>+``+