The first half of Mrs. Meng's sentence was to reprimand Xiaolian, and the second half of the sentence was to ask Xiaohuan behind her.

Xiaohuan was blessed, "Mrs. Hui, punish you for kneeling a pillar of incense." ”

When Meng Ran heard this, he immediately pleaded: "Mother, it's not Xiaolian's fault, it's me who went to my father's study in the middle of the night......"

"Punish kneeling for half an hour. Mrs. Meng made a decision.

"Mother..."

Meng Ran wanted to intercede again, but he was pulled by Xiaohuan, and he understood that if he pleaded again, his mother would only increase the punishment, so he had to shut down and look at Xiaolian who was kneeling on the ground with a distressed face.

"Bai Shao, you are staring at the time. Mrs. Meng turned around and gave a command, and walked down the steps and walked away.

Xiaohuan glanced at Meng Ran and followed.

Bai Shao was stunned in place, glanced at Meng Ran, then looked at Xiaolian, and said in a low voice: "Xiaolian, you bear with it, I'll go get incense." ”

A pillar of incense burned out, and Xiaolian was already pale and trembling.

Meng Ran squatted there with a sad face, silently accompanied.

And Bai Shao, who was standing on the side to supervise, looked at Xiaolian with a little envy, and sighed faintly in his mouth.

"Young master, don't worry about me, you go to dinner first, otherwise Madame will be angry with you again later." Xiaolian's voice trembled a little.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault......" Meng Ran looked guilty.

"Don't blame the young master, it's all my fault, it's me who slept too deeply, I don't know if you went out in the middle of the night......"

"Don't say it, I'm here with you, I'm not going anywhere, you don't have to drive me away. Even if my mother is angry, it's a big deal that I'll kneel with you. Meng Ran said angrily.

"The young master laughed......"

In the courtyard, there were three boys and girls, full of emotions.

The second incense burns slowly in the breeze, and a stream of green smoke rises and dances with the wind.

The three of them smelled the faint smell of burning incense, and did not speak, but waited quietly, so that the only sound in the courtyard was the wind on the leaves, and the slight crackling of burning incense.

Time flies, and it seems to be slow.

Soon there was the last section left in the incense, and Meng Ran looked at Bai Shao anxiously, as if she hoped that she would immediately open her mouth to announce the end of the punishment, but she just drooped her eyebrows and did not look at Meng Ran's burning eyes.

When the incense was finally burned, Bai Shao said softly, "When the time is up, the punishment of kneeling for half an hour is over." ”

As soon as her words fell, Xiaolian's body fell diagonally, and Meng Ran hurriedly supported her body.

Meng Ran was not in a hurry to take Xiaolian away, but took a deep look at the white spoon, and then picked up his maid, leaving an inexplicable back.

Bai Shao sighed, but he didn't explain, just cleaned up the incense burner.

......

In the living room, Mrs. Meng, who was drinking tea by herself, looked up at her personal maid, "Xiaohuan, estimate the time, the punishment should be over." Are you saying I'm doing the right thing?"

Xiaohuan hesitated, "Madame is right. ”

"Oh, what's wrong?" Mrs. Meng seemed to be testing Xiaohuan.

"Madame is for the good of the young master, so that the young master knows that there is a difference between respect and inferiority. ”

"Alas," Mrs. Meng sighed softly, "you still know me." It's just a pity, I'm afraid I can't understand my mind, I'm afraid I'll resent others. ”

Xiaohuan didn't answer, just stood there with a calm face.

"What did you say Ran'er was doing in the study in the middle of the night?"

"The slave doesn't know. ”

"Of course you don't know, and if you do, I know. ”

Xiaolian asked tentatively, "Then I'll ask the young master?"

Mrs. Meng shook her head, "No need, I think he had something to tell me just now, but now in such a field, he may not be willing to tell me." ”

After a while, Mrs. Meng ordered, "Let's go, let's go to the study too." ”

When Mrs. Meng walked into the study, Meng Ran had already carried Xiaolian back to his room, and he directly put Xiaolian on his bed.

"Sister Xiaolian, does it hurt?"

Xiaolian, who looked very ugly, shook her head.

Meng Ran looked at her distressedly, "Sister Xiaolian, you wait here, I'll go get some medicine." ”

"No, just rest for a while. Young Master, put me back in my own bed, I can't sleep in your bed. Xiaolian suppressed the pain and said softly.

"Don't talk, just lie down and wait for me for a while. ”

Meng Ran ignored Xiaolian's request, turned around and went out to find the ointment.

Xiaolian, who was lying on Meng Ran's bed, smiled sadly and said to herself: "My stupid young master, why don't you understand? Madame is doing this just to let you and me understand the difference between respect and inferiority, why don't you understand? I don't have to be wronged a little, but why do you want to fight with Madame? What should I do if I hurt my harmony." ”

Just as he was thinking to himself, Meng Ran came in with a bottle of ointment.

"Sister Xiaolian, this is what I asked for from Fu Bo, and it is said to be very useful. Wait a minute, you can bear with it when I apply the medicine to you, I heard it hurts a little. ”

Xiaolian smiled reluctantly, "Young Master, you don't have to worry about me, I can do it myself, you go and admit your mistake to Madame first, otherwise Madam will be angry with you." ”

Meng Ran didn't answer, just opened the medicine bottle by himself, and was about to give Xiaolian medicine.

Xiaolian struggled to sit up, but pulled the tendons in her legs, and couldn't help but snort.

Meng Ran hurriedly hugged Xiaolian, "Don't move, I'll give you medicine, don't be afraid." ”

Meng Ran stuffed a quilt behind Xiaolian, let her lean on it, and then began to sort out Xiaolian's clothes.

It is said that it is organized, but in fact, there is no way to start.

Xiaolian's laughter was a little weak, "How can the young master serve people, let's go and get busy, I'll just come by myself." ”

"No, your injury was caused by me, and I am naturally responsible. ”

"Really?" Xiaolian blinked, "Then I'll teach you." ”

"Good..."

Xiaolian's pale cheeks began to redden, and there was a kind of sickly beauty.

"Well, how to do it?" After not hearing Xiaolian's command for a long time, Meng Ran couldn't help but raise his head and ask.

A strange style appeared in front of Meng Ran's eyes, and he was a little stupid, looking at Xiaolian stupidly.

The two got closer and closer, and their rapid breaths gradually collided together, and a rapid and heavy breath sounded in Meng Ran's nose, and the heat wave hit Xiaolian's face.

Xiaolian's heart beat like thunder, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Just as the lips were about to touch each other, the voice of Xiaohuan came from outside the house.

"Is the young master here?"

The emotional two separated instantly, each clutching his chest, as if he was afraid that his heart would jump out of his chest if he was beating too fast.

Meng Ran cleared his throat, "I'm here, come in." ”

Xiaohuan walked into the room, looked at the two people lying on the bed, and coughed lightly, "Young master, Madam asked you to go to the study, as for the matter of giving Xiaolian medicine, leave it to me." ”

Meng Ran's face turned red, so he got up and stood aside, and asked, "Then it's troublesome Sister Xiaohuan." ”

After saying that, Meng Ran glanced at Xiaolian deeply and went out.

Xiaohuan looked at Xiaolian, whose blush had not yet dissipated, and joked, "I didn't bother you, did you?"

Xiaolian just lowered her head and didn't speak.

Xiaohuan sighed and said meaningfully: "Xiaolian, how old am I to you, say a few words that you shouldn't say on weekdays, if you are willing to listen, I will say, if you are not willing to listen, then I will not say." ”

Xiaolian raised her head, "Sister Xiaohuan just said it, Xiaolian naturally listened." ”

Xiaohuan nodded, "Between you and the young master, there can't be, and shouldn't be, the so-called concubine, do you know what I mean? We are just subordinates, you must know that there is a difference between respect and inferiority, no matter how much the master likes it, it can't change our own identity." ”

Xiaolian snorted, "Is it Madame's meaning or ......?"

"Whoever it means, you have to understand what I mean. You know what?"

"Well..."

The atmosphere in the room was a little weird, and the two sat awkwardly for a while.

Xiaohuan smiled, "Okay, don't think so much, just do your job." Now I'll give you the medicine. ”

Xiaolian hummed softly.

Her embroidered shoes were taken off by small rings, followed by moon-white thick pants under the hem of her skirt......

......

In the study, Mrs. Meng sat quietly behind the desk, looking at the inkstone, pen wash, wolf hair and other things on the table in a trance.

A sound of footsteps gradually approached the study, and Mrs. Meng adjusted her posture to make herself look less casual.

Meng Ran walked into the study, saluted Mrs. Meng, and then asked, "I wonder what my mother is looking for me?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I haven't talked to you in a few days. ”

This unconvincing casual answer made Meng Ran very dissatisfied, and he said with a little emotion: "What does the mother want to say?"

Mrs. Meng didn't look up, but said lightly: "Did the Four Books and Five Classics only teach you how to be disobedient for so many years? The husband your father hired for you only taught you how to be unfilial?"

Meng Ran lowered his head, "The child doesn't dare." ”

Mrs. Meng did not reprimand or feel sorry for herself, but asked in an emotionless tone: "Don't dare? Don't dare! For a servant girl, you are disrespectful to your mother, and your words contradict each other, is this what you don't dare?"

Meng Ran didn't refute, just knelt in front of the desk and made his own resistance in this wordless way.

"Good, good. Since you like to kneel, get on your knees. ”

Mrs. Meng glanced at her son and then left the study. Before she stepped out of the study, she said, "Get up when you figure it out." ”

In the quiet study, Meng Ran clenched his fists, he couldn't figure it out, he didn't understand why his mother was angry.

He only knelt, and could only kneel.

Time passed in a breath, and he was still on his knees, because he still couldn't figure it out.

At noon, Mrs. Meng's personal maid Xiaohuan came once, and she persuaded Meng Ran to apologize and admit her mistakes, "Young Master, as long as you are soft, Madam will definitely forgive you, why should you do this?"

Meng Ran slammed his neck, "I'm not wrong, why should I admit my mistake?

"Just because there is a difference between dignity and inferiority, just because Xiaolian is just a maid, and Mrs. is your biological mother. Xiaohuan spoke bitterly.

"Is it because of one's status and kinship that one can be unreasonable, and can one easily punish others?"

"Alas..."Xiaohuan sighed, and no longer persuaded him, but walked away gently, as if he had never come.

......

Mrs. Meng was sitting there in the backyard, and when she saw Xiaohuan coming back, she asked, "How is it?"

Xiaohuan just shook her head.

"Since he likes to kneel so much, let him kneel, huh!" Mrs. Meng was very angry, so she didn't ask about anything else, just lay on the bed with her eyes closed.

On this day, lunch was made in the kitchen, but no one ate it, and the mother and son were both working hard.