When they arrived in Chuzhou, it was curfew, and the three of them were looking for a place to stay on the street. I saw a crazy woman in front of the street, draped in sacks, with messy hair and ragged clothes, stumbling along, and the baby in her arms let out a faint cry.

Liu Xunyin only felt that the cry was different, as if he was weak, and whispered to Wen Yan: "It can't be the one who stole the child." ”

"Stop. Ember pointed his sword at the woman's head.

The woman knelt down with a plop: "Let go of the child, let go of the child." I beg you, spare the child. She was trembling, her lips were dry and white, and she seemed to be overly frightened.

The three of them were surprised to hear this, and Ember put the sword back into its sheath.

"Ma'am. Liu Xunyin squatted down and held her hand, looked into her eyes and asked, "In the middle of the night, why is Mrs. wandering on the street? I'm afraid it's not safe, so let's go home quickly." ”

"I'm not a lady. Madame, I don't dare...... Don't dare......"

The three of them glanced at each other, and Wen Ember whispered, "I'm afraid she's insane." ”

"Where is Madame's house, we will send you back. Tang Qiqi asked on the side.

"Broken Temple...... The ruined temple in the west of the city ......"

The three searched for the inn to no avail, and brought the mother and son back to the temple. Tang Qiqi fed the woman some water, and the woman fell asleep grogily.

"Bastard. Wen Shen heard Liu Xunyin's angry voice, walked over and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"Look. Liu Xunyin took off the clothes wrapped around the child's body, the child was bruised, had a high fever, and his body was full of traces of abuse.

Tang Qiqi let out an exclamation and looked at the sleeping woman with a complicated expression.

The next morning, the woman woke up looking for the child and seemed much more awake.

"Tiger poison doesn't eat children, why do you beat a child like this!" Tang Qiqi asked sharply.

"It's not me, please save the child, save the child. The woman knelt down and kowtowed: "I am really desperate." ”

"Do you abuse children when you are cornered!" Tang Qiqi was angry.

The woman was about to explain, but she heard the sound of footsteps outside the door, and some officers and soldiers shouted: "Search for me!"

Seeing that the woman's expression was in a hurry, Tang Qiqi stuffed the woman and the child into the gap behind the Buddha statue and blocked them sideways.

"You have seen the man in the portrait with a baby less than two months old. The officers and soldiers reprimanded.

"No, we just passed through here, and we came in to rest. Liu Xunyin replied calmly: "I don't know what crime this woman has committed, we will also help pay attention to it." ”

"This is a-clothed maid in Zhang's mansion, who gave birth to a child after fornicating with outsiders, and went crazy after giving birth. The head of the Zhang family is kind-hearted and willing to leave the two behind. Fortunately, she killed her guards and fled. The officers and soldiers got up and left: "If you see it, remember to inform the government as soon as possible." If you dare to cover up, you will be dealt with as an accomplice!"

After all the officers and soldiers left, Tang Qiqi turned sideways: "Come out." ”

The woman hugged the child tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Their words are true. Liu Xunyin asked.

"I am indeed the maidservant of Zhang's house. It's just that this child is Madame's brother's...... He came to Chuzhou to do business and lived in Zhangfu temporarily, and I was sent to serve him...... He had promised to take me as a concubine......"

"Covetousness and vanity are deserved. Tang Qiqi sneered.

"Girl, although I am a servant girl, I also know what self-knowledge is, and I will not sell myself for glory. Falling into such a situation is that I can't know people clearly, and it is not a pity for me to die, but the child is innocent. ”

"The officers and soldiers said that you killed the guards and escaped, is this true?" asked Liu Xunyin.

"No," the woman sobbed, "and when I found out that I was pregnant, I made a deliberate mistake and was demoted from a maid to a maid in a raccoon dress. When the child was a month old, it was the middle of winter, and I was already thin, and I wrapped myself in heavy clothes to hide people's eyes and ears, and finally gave birth to the child safely. When Madame found out, she was furious and wanted to send us mother and son to the suburbs to extinguish our mouth, but the servant she sent was my old friend for many years, and for a moment she relented and left us to fend for ourselves in the wilderness on the outskirts of the city. ”

"What about the servant?"

"It was disposed of after the incident. No one who dares to resist Madame's orders will survive. The woman smiled sadly: "I hid in this temple because I had no milk, and ran to the town to find something to eat." Bumped into the searching guards, and hid in the corner until the curfew dared to come out. ”

"Why did the officer and soldier say that you killed someone?" asked Tang Qiqi.

"Madame regarded me and the children as a shame to the family. In order to find us, she went to report to the official, saying that the servant was killed by me, and she wanted to use the power of the government to find me. ”

"The wounds on that child's body ......," Liu Xunyin asked hesitantly.

"It was when I was in Zhang's house, and Mrs. called. The woman lifted her sleeves and choked up, "I've got them all on me." ”

Liu Xunyin looked at it, and the woman's body was red and purple, all of which were shocking scars.

"Childe, two girls......" The woman looked sad: "I have something to ask for." ”

"You say. Liu Xunyin responded.

"The child is innocent. The woman looked at the baby in her arms with nostalgia: "Please help me find a good family to adopt my child." ”

"Why do you think we're going to help you? Wen Yanjun said.

"If you weren't a good person, you wouldn't have helped me hide. The woman kowtowed to them: "I don't die, and Madame will not give up." Dear benefactors, please. Great kindness, retribution in the next life. ”

With that, the woman turned and struck the beam. Wen Ember flew to stop, but it was too late, and with a dull sound, blood flowed from the woman's brain.

"Madam, even if you die, they won't let this child go. Liu Xunyin took out a cloth and pressed it against her wound, but it was still bleeding endlessly.

"Please, throw me into the river...... If they can't find the child, they will think that I have killed myself with him...... Please. ”

The woman burst into tears and took her last breath.

The three of them were silent for a long time, and Wen Ember covered the woman's body with straw: "Let's go." ”

"Where to go. Liu Xunyin asked in a choked voice.

"There are a lot of people during the day, and I will deal with it alone at night, don't worry. Wen Ember replied, "Let's go to the city to rest, the child looks very bad." ”

"Good. Liu Xunyin took out clean clothes from the baggage and wrapped the child: "It's just that he is scarred, I'm afraid it's not easy to find an adoptive family, and I don't know what to do in the future." ”

"You have a lot of rules in the Central Plains, and you value your background the most. This child comes from a humble background, and even if he grows up, he has to live in humiliation. Why don't you let me take it back to the Valley of Forgotten Sorrows, where there is no distinction between dignity and humility, and I am happy to be accompanied by ice and snow all day long. Tang Qiqi picked up the child and said, "Let's go." ”