Dugufeng walked around the house for a long time, whether it was the stage, the lobby, or the back kitchen, he didn't find Xue Qing. Not long after Zhang Nianxin was on the table, because she couldn't stand the family etiquette, her cousin Xinya couldn't stay up late to play for a while, and she couldn't stay up late and left. The two women left, she suddenly lost interest, and left without even watching the play, but when she turned around, she found that Xue Qing was gone again. She had to carry the lamp and walk towards the back courtyard, when a cry like a yellow oriole crying blood came. As soon as she carried the lantern, she saw that in the corner of the flower bed, a woman with two black tears in the corner of her eyes was sobbing in a low voice. However, when the woman turned her head, Dugu Feng took a closer look at her and couldn't help but be stunned, "You, are you Xueqing, why are you here?" Seeing the eldest lady who was closest to her, Xue Qing couldn't hold back anymore, and threw herself in her arms and cried bitterly. Dugu Feng saw clearly at this time that her eye makeup for Xue Qing was cried, and it became two black lines along the tears.

Dugu Feng didn't know what was going on, so he hugged her in his arms and comforted her: "What are you crying about? What about Snow Goose, didn't you shout to meet your sister when you went out, why did you stay here and cry at this time?"

With tears in her eyes, Xue Qing said grief-stricken: "Sister, she is dead. ”

Dugu Feng was shocked on the spot, shook his head and said in an incredible tone: "How is this possible? She was fine four months ago, why did she die at this time." ”

Xue Qing cried silently and said, "She was killed by Mrs. Fang." ”

Later, Dugufeng learned the whole story in Xue Qing's crying narration: it turned out that not long after her sister Xue Yan finished writing, Mrs. Fang was pregnant, but one day she suddenly miscarried. Mrs. Fang, who lost her beloved son, suspected that someone was cursing her behind her back, so she thoroughly investigated the house, and found a paper doll under the snow goose's bed, so she took this thing as evidence to sue Dugudan, which was simply a disaster, but Dugu had no choice but to order the snow goose to be expelled from the house. At this time, Mrs. Fang pretended to be good again, and pleaded to keep her, but this was not kindness, but she wanted the snow goose to die. But she secretly deducted her monthly charcoal and bedding, and within a month, the snow goose was tortured and sick. At this time, Mrs. Fang pretended to be a good person again and let her sleep in her room, saying that she was taking care of herself and let her recuperate by the way. But every night, she got up at night with the Fa and let her get up to serve herself. In this way, in less than a month, the snow goose was tortured and her condition worsened, and she couldn't even get out of bed, so she struggled for a while, and the snow goose finally couldn't hold on to her life a few days before Laba. Mrs. Fang also said that the person who died the day before the New Year was unlucky and should not be responsible for the funeral, so after the cremation, she casually found a mass grave and buried it on the spot. Poor Xueqing was still coracting with her a few months ago, but today she can't even find her sister's grave. Although Mrs. Fang did everything foolproof, but how can there be a wall in the world that does not leak, she chased after the second son and asked carefully, and finally asked. Angry, she took advantage of Fang Xiuwen to send Dugu Xinya back to her room to sleep, and stepped forward to ask her why she killed her sister. Fang Xiuwen directly sneered mercilessly: "Say that I killed your sister, okay, the law of the Tang Dynasty stipulates that killing a servant for no reason must be beheaded." You go to sue, she died of illness by herself, you see if the government cares. If you know what's interesting, hurry back to Luoyang after the festival, otherwise you'll end up with your sister. The life of a, she has been spoiled by Feng Yatou for a few years, and she really treats herself as a young lady?" Xue Qing was in pain, but she couldn't help her, so she had to run to the back garden and cry quietly. Now, seeing the other and only one in the world who treats her like a sister, Miss Dugu spit out all the grievances in her heart: "Miss, I hate, I hate why I don't have Miss Zhang's martial arts, otherwise I can fight to avenge my sister." Dugufeng also burst into tears, and didn't know how to comfort her, so she had to pull her to her yard at her uncle's house and quietly wipe away a few of her tears. Help her sit down in front of the mirror, and while wiping her face, she said: "That, don't be sad, I'll help you wash your face first, you have a good rest tonight, and then I'll find a way for you." ”

Xue Qing didn't cry at the moment, but her face was expressionless, her expression was completely blank, and she looked at herself in the mirror blankly—like a dead man who had lost her soul, she thought of the tenant she had seen on the dock during the day who humbly begged for life from the head of the king, and she used to think that they were far away from her, but now they are indeed close at hand. So he turned his head and smiled miserably: "Miss, you are so good to me, but when I am no longer by your side, will I end up with my sister?" This question, Dugu Feng's heart trembled, but he was still calm: "How come, don't think nonsense, we are good sisters, how can we be separated?" After wiping her face and helping her to bed, Xue Qing seemed to be tired from crying, and after lying in bed for a long time, she fell asleep.

Waiting for Xue Qing to sleep, Dugu Feng sat in front of the dresser, thinking carefully. Outside the window, there was silence, and a few green bamboos rustled by the evening breeze. The voice came, and it looked particularly bleak. At this moment, witnessing the tragedy of Sister Xueqing, Dugufeng couldn't help but feel a little self-pity. She is not a concubine, it is all thanks to the favor of her uncle and Mrs. Lu Qinnan that she is still free, but both of them are not very good now. Now that the court is in turmoil, the career of his father and the head of the family is not going well, in case he stands on the wrong side between the crown prince Li Longji and the princess Li Lingyue of Taiping, then the position will inevitably be swept to the end or even the whole family will be assigned again. The Dugu family is now old and young, with no successors and extremely fragile. When encountering this kind of crisis again, most of them are to send those young ladies in the family out to make marriages. And she has lost the protection of her uncle and Lu Qinnan, and she still can't get along with Mrs. Fang, so what's the difference between her and those sisters who are concubines? At that time, most of them will end up marrying far away and having a family that will be difficult to return. At this time, the time has come, the New Year has arrived, and the second brother Dugu, who is keeping vigil, took his family to set off firecrackers in front of the house. Duguhui was afraid that Zhang Nianxin, a woman, would be frightened, and by the way, he wanted to take advantage of her, so he hugged her and went to the house. Zhang Nianxin said, I'm not afraid of this thing, picked up the flint and rushed up.

Outside the house, the sound of firecrackers and laughter came, thinking of his possible miserable situation in the future, Dugufeng didn't feel a trace of joy. At this time, the fireworks rose, a few colored lights came, and Dugu Feng vaguely saw a few flashes on his face in the mirror. It turned out that at some point, there were already two lines of tears on Dugufeng's face. Hurriedly wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, looked back, and saw that Xue Qing was not awakened by the sound of firecrackers, so he hurriedly took off his residual makeup, took off his clothes and washed up, and passed out with anxiety about the future...

The next day, as soon as the sky was bright, Xueqing left a letter to her to say goodbye, and then returned to Luoyang with the general manager Wang who transported the goods.

And Zhang Nianxin, who played until midnight yesterday, was called a dead sleeper, if it wasn't for someone to call her for breakfast, she would almost not be able to get out of bed. After getting up, she dressed up casually, and she didn't bother to touch her hair, so she made a simple bun and went to the back hall. I saw that only the second brother Dugu was in the hall, and Mrs. Fang and Dugu Feng were having breakfast. Then he asked, "Isn't it still a festival today?" ”

"Oh," Dugu Yan explained: "My father still has a public office, and I went to the Assassin Mansion on an errand, Xinya went to play in the snow outside the city, as for the eldest brother, um..." Dugu Yan said with some embarrassment: "He and his uncle Fang Wancai went to Wanhualou." ”

Zhang Nianxin asked Dugu Feng on the side, "What is Wanhualou?"

"Huh?" Dugu Feng glanced at her and said angrily: "Qinglou brothel." ”

Zhang Nianxin: "Ah, this... He was too anxious for the New Year. Zhang Nianxin was speechless for a while, and Dugu Yan was also embarrassed and said: "Big brother is like this, I can't help it." ”

Zhang Nianxin looked at Dugufeng again at this time, only to see that she didn't put on makeup, and her hair didn't take care of it properly. Listless, his eyes are dull, and the action of eating is like chewing wax. Then he wondered, "What's wrong with you? ”

"Huh?" Dugu Feng straightened his somewhat messy hair and said, "Oh, the firecrackers were so loud yesterday that I couldn't sleep." ”

Zhang Nianxin looked around and said, "What about Xueqing, I didn't see her last night, isn't she inseparable from you?"

Dugu Feng was stunned and said: "She said that she had some urgent matters to rush back to Luoyang, and she followed Manager Wang early in the morning. ”

At this moment, a harsh voice came: "Hmph, it's okay to go, this dead girl is as obstructive as her sister." Dugu Feng looked for prestige, it was Fang Xiuwen, who was drinking morning tea with heavy makeup and purple clothes. Listening to her, Dugu Feng turned around with his previous decadent momentum, and said to Mai Mang: "Aunt Fang, for the deceased, you can't accumulate some virtue under your mouth, right?"

Fang Xiuwen put down the tea bowl, stared at Dugufeng with a pair of Danfeng eyes, and returned without fear: "That's just a maid, why do you care so much about her? Besides, I'm just telling the truth, my poor child in the womb~~" As she spoke, she took a handkerchief and pretended to wipe her tears, as if she was going to cry.

Dugu Feng smiled after reading all this coldly: "Uncle is not at home again, my aunt is actually dressed like this? Is it going to Wanhua to find the eldest brother?"

Fang Xiuwen was annoyed by her for a while, and pointed at her with a handkerchief but couldn't speak for a long time, because Dugufeng really didn't have any scandals on her body that she could refute, unless Zhang Nianxin, who was escorting her, was a man. But he still wanted to reprimand her a few words, and Dugufeng fought back angrily, and the two of them quarreled like this.

Zhang Nianxin, who didn't know the inside story, looked confused, and said: "Strange, although this Mrs. Fang was angry with her yesterday yesterday, she didn't make such a noise, right?" Could it be that Qingxue's departure has something to do with her?"

Dugu, who knew the inside story, had to be in the middle and mud because he didn't know how to persuade him.

Fang Xiuwen was half in charge after all, and he didn't have time to spend so much time with Dugu Feng, so he poured a sip of tea, snorted coldly, and left them busy with their own business.

After the quarrel, the haze in Dugufeng's heart was swept away, and he took Zhang Nianxin's hand with a smile and said, "Let's go, let's go to the outside of the city to find Xin to play." Hearing Xinya, Fang Xiuwen suddenly changed as if she was a person, and Han Dao, who had a pleasant face: "Tell her not to play outside for too long, it's still very cold now, and she has to pay New Year's greetings in the afternoon, don't get sick." As soon as he went out, Zhang Nianxin saw that Dugufeng had two obvious tear stains at this time, so he asked: "You cried last night?" ”

Dugu Feng smiled and said, "What, where am I crying? What am I crying during the New Year's holiday, how unlucky." However, this smile seemed to Zhang Nianxin. Compared to before, it's fake, it's hypocritical, like it's hiding something...