After a brief wandering, Heng Yu asked casually, "Master Hou has also eaten Jingshi's vinegar celery?" ”

Xiao Mu came back to his senses and nodded, "I've tasted-"

His gaze subconsciously fell on the dish of vinegar celery.

When he was a child, it was a very common side dish on the dinner table at home.

"Although I'm a guest, Master Hou can't not move his chopsticks, right?" Heng Yu looked at the double chopsticks in Xiao Mu's hand and said.

Xiao Mu glanced at her: "Why, I'm afraid that this candidate will set up a Hongmen banquet and poison the dishes, and you won't be able to poison alone-"

With that, he picked up his chopsticks anyway.

"Don't mention whether it's poisonous or not, the Hongmen Banquet is right." Hengyu also went to pick up vegetables: "After all, Master Hou can't let me eat and drink for nothing." ”

"Am I not the iron rooster in your eyes?"

"No, it should be said that Master Hou acts in an orderly manner and never does useless work."

"Oh, that means it's all about it—"

"This is Hou Ye's own speculation......"

The two of them just had a match, and they said something that was inconsequential in the ears of the female envoy.

Xiao Mu chewed the vegetables unhurriedly, but his eyes were secretly a little confused.

The light dishes, which usually had little to taste, seemed to recall his long-lost taste again.

This feeling has not been felt for many years, but several times it has appeared, there is one thing in common-

Xiao Mu looked thoughtfully at the girl in front of him who was concentrating on tasting vegetables.

After the envoy filled the two of them with hot wine in the wine cup, she withdrew silently.

The two of them raised their glasses, and drank them all together, without saying who would respect whom.

The wine is soft and mellow but not spicy.

Heng Yu couldn't help but nodded: "Master Hou's wine is really good." ”

"That's also the Ji painter knows wine-" Xiao Mu didn't have too many expressions as always, but this statement could be regarded as a compliment.

Before coming, Yin Hai had advised - if you are asking for others, you should not be quiet and cold, and your words must be friendly.

Marquis Xiao kept it in mind.

raised her eyes slightly, but saw the girl looking at herself with clear eyes.

Xiao Mu immediately introspected himself - couldn't he have failed to grasp the balance under the abnormality, and his words were a little flattering?

The next moment, I heard the girl ask, "Is Master Hou's injury healed?" I saw that Master Hou's complexion had improved a lot. ”

Xiao Mu was noncommittal: "Thank you for the concern of Master Ji. ”

Her concern for his "injury" has always been undisguised.

Therefore, he didn't say this to avoid being cold-

Unexpectedly, the girl looked like she didn't dare to ask for credit, and said, "No, it's still Hou Ye's own boundless Buddhism, and he is blessed by a golden body." ”

She was smiling when she spoke, and her words were jokes, but the smile on her face was genuine.

It seems that she was too worried before, and he has improved, which is really good.

The two ate and drank and chatted, and Hengyu felt unrestrained.

It's been a long, long time since she's been so relaxed.

Either because of the old things that have been pursued for eight years have finally made progress, or it happens that the person sitting in front of him is Xiao Mu, maybe both.

She couldn't tell the specific reason, she was happy and relaxed at this time, and she didn't have time to dig deeper.

When she grew up, she understood that the so-called word relaxation also emphasizes the right time and place, and such a beautiful thing should be immersed in it.

"I heard that you accepted Cheng Ping as a servant." Xiao Muxi asked casually.

Hengyu nodded: "Yes." ”

"Why?"

"It's for the sake of Jia Kite's wife, he himself said that he wanted to repay me, and that day I saw that he was still carrying a burden, so sincerely he ran away, and I had no choice but to fulfill it."

Xiao Mu: "Your accomplishment is very unique." ”

If he hadn't heard Dazhu say today that Cheng Ping had planned to leave Yingzhou, he would have really believed her words.

Heng Yu was also joking, so he smiled at this time: "I am also a person who loves talents, and I see that he has some skills——"

"If you need someone around you, you can talk to me." Xiao Mu raised his hand to pour the wine again, and said: "Like the last time I ridiculed people outside the city, hiring those gangs from the rivers and lakes who gathered out of nowhere would only call me a risk - my life is lost, and no amount of planning is useless." ”

He slowly pushed a glass of wine in front of her.

Heng Yu rubbed his fingers against the warm wine cup, and the warmth seemed to extend to the depths of his heart.

She could perceive that the Hou Ye in front of her had already guessed the purpose of her coming to the Northland.

Because of this, the phrase "you can talk to me" is not like a superficial kind word-

"Yes, a man should spare his life when he lives." I don't know if it's because I received this kindness, or because of the right amount of wine, or if there is really a "fate" between people, Hengyu has some desire to express: "...... In the more than four years I was exiled, I was able to have the opportunity to return home again because of the word "life". ”

Hearing her mention this old incident, Xiao Mu was silent for a moment before asking slowly: "Where did you live in those four years?" ”

He wasn't a man who inquired too much about the private affairs of others—

"Have you heard those rumors about me?" Hengyu did not answer the rhetorical question.

"The rumors are not credible."

"No, the rumors are true." The girl held her cheek in one hand and the wine cup in the other, and always had a good smile on her face: "I was indeed abducted into the land of fireworks, and I stayed for three years." ”

Xiao Mu was stunned.

"I didn't think there was anything to say about it, and I didn't think it was necessary to cover it up and deny it, and it wasn't me who was wrong." The girl's tone was very relaxed, and she didn't have the slightest taboo to dodge: "The reason why I haven't talked about it is just that I don't need to explain it to their outsiders." ”

Xiao Mu looked at her quietly for a moment and said, "That's very good." ”

It's to say that her idea is very right-

She'll understand what he means. valley

"You have been in exile for four years, what happened in that first year?"

"That year was really bumpy, and the ghost gate has been gone several times." Hengyu took a sip of wine and recalled: "I escaped from those mountain bandits at that time, and in order to hide my identity, I was pretending to be a boy's ......."

- Pretending to be a boy?

Xiao Mu's fingers holding the wine cup suddenly tightened, and many pictures poured into his mind.

He looked at the girl in front of him almost in a daze, and listened to her intermittent words.

"But who knew that it avoided the eyes and ears of those mountain bandits, but it fell into the hands of human traffickers."

The girl sighed in a stumbling tone, "Their drug is so heavy that I almost confessed to it...... When he woke up again, he was thousands of miles away from Youzhou and was sold into the home of a small trader who wanted a son. Within a few days, they found out that I was not a man, and they conspired to sell me to someone else. So repeatedly, after changing hands several times, it fell into the flower building. ”

"At first, I wanted to escape, but I was inexperienced, so I was arrested and locked up, and this lock lasted for two years...... That's when I met Gigi. ”

She paused from time to time, and spoke slowly, as if she were talking about a trivial matter that was not worth mentioning.

"We were locked up in the same small courtyard, and Gigi was chained around his feet because of his strength, and he couldn't eat enough for the whole day...... It was especially cold in the winter in that courtyard, there was not a trace of spark to bake, and the bedding was thin and hard, and Gigi and I huddled together, shivering and shivering, often trembling so tired, that we fell asleep. ”

"In those two years, I've seen girls my size go crazy and stupid...... I was afraid that I would become stupid too, so I secretly taught Jiji to read and write, because I often said that only reading and reading can keep my mind clear. ”

At this point, there was a sigh in the girl's tone: "At that time, I used to take a dead branch and teach Gigi to write, and at first I also thought of teaching other girls, but they either cried and refused to learn, thinking that it was useless, or secretly complained to the people who came to deliver food every day, and often caused me and Gigi to go without food for days on end—they thought that in this way they would please those people, but they were so stupid." ”

"Such a stupid person can be seen everywhere in the world, and most of them are women. They were either locked up in that courtyard or elsewhere, with invisible shackles on their hands and feet, and their eyes covered, so that they could no longer see the world outside the courtyard—and I thought, if I could, I would not let there be any more such fools in the world, at least, less. ”

Her voice was very soft and casual, but Xiao Mu listened to every word very seriously, looked at her at this time, and said in a very approving tone: "Persuading people to read is for the great good, especially for women in the world." ”

"I think so too." An immodest smile appeared between the girl's eyebrows: "So, after everything is settled, I want to run a women's school, be a teacher of teaching, and be a great benevolent person praised by everyone——"

There was a joke in her eyes, but also hope.

Xiao Mu's eyes also flashed with a light smile, and he listened to her add: "Of course, men in this world don't necessarily think that I am doing good deeds - but I don't care what they think." ”

Xiao Mu looked at her: "I wouldn't think so-"

"Because Master Hou is an immortal."

Xiao Mu laughed: "What about you?" Sycophants. ”

The girl laughed "hey", and her cheeks, which were slightly red from alcohol, showed a bit of coquettishness.

Xiao Mu took her words: "When everything is settled, I will give money to build a women's school, and you will be the master." ”

"Is what Master Hou said true?"

"Words must be done, and it is not impossible to set up an IOU as proof."

"There is no need for an IOU, I believe that the Hou Ye will not regret it." A pear vortex appeared on the girl's cheeks, and she said very frankly: "Although I have also saved some silver, I am not as generous as Hou Ye...... Master Hou has both a heart and a good person, so I will write down today's covenant. ”

The two looked at each other and smiled, and raised their lamps again.

Another glass of wine entered his throat, and Heng Yu's eyes were a little distant: "This is my past with Jiji...... Therefore, for me, Gigi has a different meaning from others. I pity her and protect her, hoping that she will be comfortable and happy, stable and worry-free. ”

"I believe that Dazhu can do it, even if it has nothing to do with love, his temperament is also here." Xiao Mu's tone was objective.

Heng Yu did not deny this.

Temperament is indeed very important, if a person who is born with a bad temperament, cold-blooded and irritable, no matter how hot his heart is at the moment, he is willing to die for Jiji, she will not consider half a point - good temperament determines the lower limit of a person after the love disappears.

"If you have any other concerns, you can also say it clearly, and I can convey it to the Meng family on your behalf-" The wine is also full, and the Hou Ye has seriously done the errand he shoulders today.

"I can't say I have any concerns, but I do have some conditions." Hengyu also doesn't sell Guanzi: "First, no matter whether you are rich or poor, Jiji will never work with someone as a husband - you can't do it, and so can you take a concubine." ”

Xiao Mu bowed his head, and there was no surprise on his face.

"Second, Jiji reads and reads, not to be confined to her husband and children in the back house in the future, she needs to do what she likes."

Xiao Mu nodded again: "I will convey it." ”

"There is no coercion in the matter of mutual choice. If the Meng family feels that it is too much, they don't have to reluctantly agree, otherwise sooner or later there will be hidden dangers. ”

"I think they will understand that, too." Xiao Mu looked at her: "Is there anything else?" ”

"That's all I can think of for the time being." Heng Yu thought for a while, and said half-truthfully: "When I think of it at any time, I can talk to Master Hou at any time...... In this way, you can rub Hou Ye a few more meals. ”

In his mind, the girl was still talking about the past, and Xiao Mu's tone was a little softer for no reason: "Even if you don't have this matter, if you want to eat and drink when you want, I can accompany you - if you don't think eating wine with me is too boring." ”

Hengyu was a little overjoyed and said with a smile: "How can it be boring? Hou Ye has a good heart, a great righteousness, the suffering of the world, and is willing to build a women's school to help women in the world, I really regard Hou Ye as a confidant. ”

In addition to her smile, she never stingy with her praise.

Xiao Mu should have felt that she was just patting on the back again, but when she heard the word "confidant", she still looked at her deeply and said sincerely: "If you are a man, you and I may be brothers with different surnames." ”

This is really the highest praise and recognition he has for others.

“……？” Faced with such "recognition", Heng Yu also responded politely: "...... It's a pity that this is really a pity, and it is difficult to fulfill this intention in this life, so let's put it in the next life. ”

For this brotherly covenant in the afterlife, the two drank another cup of wine.

The charcoal fire in the small stove where the wine was boiled was not extinguished, and the hot wine warmed the viscera, prompting a feeling of dryness, Hengyu casually pushed open the window on one side, and it was cool for a while, but it was comfortable and pleasant.

The snow has not stopped, and the courtyard is wrapped in thick silver, and the sky, the earth, and everything are white.

With such a quiet and beautiful scenery, Hengyu put his fingers on the window lattice, and he was fascinated for a while.

Her love for beauty is not only in people, but also in all things in the world.

At this time, he couldn't help but point out the window with great interest and said, "Master Hou, I want to go to the courtyard to have a look." ”

Xiao Mu looked at her with some amusement: "You are not a three-year-old child, you don't need to sit and stand with my permission." ”

"Don't trespass without the owner's permission, it's a way of being a guest." Hengyu got up and walked out of the house.

The snow was so deep that she lifted her dress and descended the stone steps step by step, stepping on the shiny and soft snow with each step, and the creaking sound alone was pleasant.

Xiao Mu looked through the window lattice and looked at the lilac-colored figure walking in the snow.

Even if it's just her back, you can't see her expression, but people can also notice that she is in a relaxed mood at this time.

The corners of Xiao Mu's mouth curved slightly, and he watched quietly.

After a while, she stopped in front of a rockery, squatted down, and looked sideways at the gap between the rockeries, not knowing what she had found.

The snow fell on top of her head, staining it white.

Xiao Mu came back to his senses, glanced at the fox fur hanging on the screen, and got up.