After Meng Hao returned to the mansion, Mrs. Meng did not ask about his failure to return home last night, but asked gently: "Master, are you hungry?" I asked the kitchen to prepare something for you to eat?"

"Don't be busy, I have something to tell you. ”

Meng Hao felt that he couldn't stand his wife, hesitated for a moment, and finally prepared to tell his wife the truth.

"What's the matter, sir, please. Mrs. Meng just nodded.

"I went to Tenka-in last night. Meng Hao paused and continued: "After getting drunk, ...... with a girl"

Mrs. Meng asked directly, "Qing or Hong?"

Meng Hao hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "When I got up in the morning, there was a red ...... under that girl's body."

"Then this matter is very easy to handle, if the girl was really a clean person before, the master will take her as a concubine and give the girl a name. If it's just a scam and you want to cheat some money, then give some money and get rid of it. Mrs. Meng quickly made a decision.

"Why don't you just give the girl a little silver, and as for the concubine, forget it. Meng Hao resisted a little.

"What's the matter, does the lord value Meng's reputation so much?"

Meng Hao just screamed and refused to answer.

"Well, what's the girl's name? I'll send someone to Tianxiangyuan to inquire first. ”

"Begonias. ”

After Mrs. Meng got the answer, she left Meng Hao there alone and arranged it herself.

Around the time of Shen, the servants of the Meng Mansion went to Tianxiangyuan to inquire about the begonias, but only got the news that someone went to the empty building.

The servant came to reply, "Madam, the little one went to Tianxiang Courtyard and found the mother in the courtyard, wanting to inquire about the Begonia girl, but was told by the Yang mother that the Begonia girl had left. ”

Mrs. Meng looked puzzled, "Where did you go?"

"That Mother Yang said that the begonia girl had left Tianxiang Courtyard and left Lin'an City. The servant replied calmly.

"How is this possible? Isn't it still there this morning? Why did you just leave? Could it be that someone there has lied to you?" Meng Fu looked at the servant with a look of disbelieving.

The servant said respectfully: "Madam, that Mother Yang said that Miss Begonia had already saved enough money to redeem herself a few days ago, just to wait for someone. I heard that I had been waiting for that person last night, so I packed my bags and left at noon. ”

Mrs. Meng paused, "What else did the people from the Heavenly Incense Courtyard say?"

"Nothing more. ”

Mrs. Meng waved her hand, "Okay, you go down." ”

The servant withdrew.

Mrs. Meng was a little restless, and after thinking for a while, she went straight to find Meng Hao.

As soon as Mrs. Meng saw Meng Hao, she immediately asked, "Master, are you and that Begonia girl old acquaintances?"

"Where do you start with this?" Meng Hao looked confused.

"Think about it carefully, do you know her!" Mrs. Meng was very serious.

"Hmm... I want to think about it..."Meng Hao frowned and thought seriously, "I don't necessarily know her, but I should have seen her before." Because... When I woke up in the morning, I saw that she was a little familiar. ”

"Then maybe the people from Tianxiang Yuan are right, that begonia girl is waiting for someone. Mrs. Meng analyzed.

"Who are you waiting for?" Meng Hao looked innocent.

"Wait for you, sir. Mrs. Meng sighed and said with some pity: "She has already saved enough money for redemption, but she refuses to leave for a long time, just to see his sweetheart." Until last night, she saw you there, and she got her wish. That's why I left Lin'an County today. ”

"How is it possible, I don't know her. Meng Hao argued.

"Master, you may not know her, but she will know you. "Mrs. Meng has some pity for Begonia.

"Then you don't have to commit yourself to me......"

"Well, no more guessing here. Tomorrow, we will invite the mother of Tianxiangyuan to have tea together, won't we know everything!"

"Since Miss Begonia is gone, why bother to dig into it?" Meng Hao was quite puzzled.

"You men, you are the most unkind. ”

Mrs. Meng threw down a word that was neither light nor serious, and turned to leave. Meng Hao was left alone frowning and reflecting.

The next day, shortly after the afternoon, Mrs. Meng sent her servants to Tianxiang Courtyard to invite the steward Yang Mama to talk at the teahouse.

The servant returned: "Madam, the housekeeper Mother Yang agreed, about two moments later, Qinglian Pavilion." ”

"Good. ”

After noon, Mrs. Meng called Meng Hao, took the little maid, and went to the teahouse Qinglian Pavilion together.

When they arrived at the place, the people in the Meng Mansion were first invited to the private room by the people who ran to the hall, and then served tea and sat down separately. The maid Xiaohuan stayed in the house and waited, while the maid went downstairs and waited for the guests at the door of the teahouse.

After a while, the guests came, and the little maid hurriedly invited them to the private room.

After Mrs. Meng and Mother Yang greeted her, she asked straight to the point: "May I ask Steward Yang, is that Begonia girl really gone?"

Mother Yang looked dignified and beautiful, "Naturally, I'm leaving, can't I still lie to you?"

Mrs. Meng coughed dryly twice and smiled awkwardly, "That's not true." It's just that we want to know something about the Begonia girl. ”

Mother Yang pursed her lips, "Since the person has left, what is there to ask?"

Mrs. Meng said gently: "Having said that, what if we have a fate to see you again in the future? ”

Mother Yang hesitated for a moment and said slowly: "Okay, since you are so sincere, I will briefly tell you what I know." ”

Mother Yang thought for a while, then cleared her throat and said: "Begonia, she is one of the most popular girls in Tianxiangyuan over the years, she is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and she is also ahead of everyone step by step in singing and dancing. It's just that she has always been weak-hearted and cold-tempered, so she has never been the most popular one. She didn't want to be small for those masters, and she didn't want to be the outer room of those sons, I followed her, and I didn't force her to pick up guests, so her reputation in Lin'an City was not top. Until a few days ago, when she had saved up enough money, she consulted with me about redeeming herself, and I agreed to her. The reason why she hasn't left is to wait for the person she likes. As for who she likes, I won't say much.

After she had saved enough money, she did not keep in touch with those benefactors, nor did she go to any poetry and literary gatherings, and almost cut off contact with the outside world. The life in this building is nothing more than ushering in the send-off, she disappeared for ten days and half a month, and slowly faded out of this world, just took over the job of teaching people piano music, which can be regarded as earning some living expenses. On the eve of this day, she saw the person he wanted to see, so she fulfilled her wish and left. ”

Mrs. Meng asked, "Steward Yang, do you know the situation at her family?"

"I used to hear Begonia say some things at home, Begonia's ancestral home is in Luzhou, she used to be an official in her family, she is a scholarly family, she also read books when she was a child, and learned some poetry and songs. It's just that later her father had something to do with the court, and he was dismissed and exiled, and the female dependents were all used as official slaves. After several displacements, he finally entered the Tianxiang Temple. ”

In a few simple words, Begonia's life experience was revealed. Mrs. Meng thought for a moment and said softly, "Then who else is in her family?"

Mother Yang shook her head: "There should be no one in the family, all the men in her family have been exiled, and the female dependents are all naturalized and enslaved, now that it has been many years, how can they still be contacted?"

Meng Hao, who had never spoken, suddenly answered: "Do you know what happened to her father? In what year?"

Mother Yang thought for a while, shook her head and said, "What is the specific thing Begonia didn't say, the time should be shortly after the new emperor ascended the throne." ”

Hearing this answer, Meng Hao and his wife glanced at each other.

Mrs. Meng continued, "Do you know where she went?"

Mother Yang shook her head again: "I don't know, I kept persuading her to stay, but she was too strong, she had to go, and she didn't say where she was going." ”

Mrs. Meng asked tentatively, "Could it be that she has returned to her hometown of Luzhou?"

Mother Yang waved her hand: "It shouldn't be." ”

Mrs. Meng continued to probe: "Then why does she have to leave Lin'an County?"

"Maybe it's just sad. Mother Yang sighed faintly and glanced at Meng Hao.

Mother Yang's behavior made Mrs. Meng's face a little unsightly, and she understood that her husband Meng Hao must have said something that hurt Haitang, which caused Haitang to leave.

When Mother Yang said this, she didn't say anything more, but just presented a letter and a sachet. As if reminding, he said, "This is what she left to Master Meng." I know that Master Meng will find it sooner or later, so I'll give it to you in person today. ”

Meng Hao stretched out his hand to take it. Seeing that the name of the recipient was not written on the envelope, he immediately opened the letter, and said:

Written to Mr. Meng:

See the words like meeting.

I remember seeing you at the beginning of the year, you were wearing a blue shirt and full of spirit. The concubines are unforgettable, and the love is deep.

It has been many years since I came, but Sijun's thoughts have not been a little out of the way, and to this day, it is still unforgettable.

In the past, he was in the same house with you, but now there are countless walls and partitions, although he has a heart, he is powerless.

Only the bright moon sends lovesickness.

It is a gift from God to be able to see it now, and the concubine can only be committed to the king, so that she will be satisfied.

When she wrote it, the concubine had already packed her bags.

May you have a bridge in the water, a road in the mountains, and a healthy and happy day and night.

May you cherish yourself. Yes.

On August 12 of the first year of Taiping, Begonia wrote a letter.

After Meng Hao finished reading the letter, he tightly squeezed the letter paper and sachet with his hand.

Mother Yang saw that Meng Hao had finished reading the letter and was about to leave. As soon as he got up, he patted his head and said, "I almost forgot, there is something else to tell you." ”

Mrs. Meng nodded, "Say it, Steward Yang." ”

Mother Yang said slowly: "Haitang has a maid Yun'er who is like a sister, and she is still in Tianxiang Courtyard, if you want to redeem Yun'er, come as soon as possible; ”

After Mother Yang finished speaking, she didn't care about the reaction of Meng Hao and his wife, and twisted her slightly bloated body and went out.

Meng Hao put away the letter, still holding the sachet in his hand. Meng Hao didn't open it directly in front of his wife, but he pinched it gently, and found that the sachet was light and weightless, and he planned to open it after returning home.