Southerners

No matter how ugly Xiuniang's face was, on the way back, Xiuniang didn't get angry. She didn't start to settle accounts with him until they got to Xingshun Hutong, broke up with Bai Maner's mother and daughter, and went home.

Before Bai Man'er went home, she looked back at Song Zhi worriedly, and left with a heavy heart.

When he came back from Meilin, Song Zhi didn't take the stove that Meng Huansai gave him, because he was afraid that Xiu Niang would think too much, and the way back was far away, and it was freezing cold, not to mention Xiu Niang, Song Zhi's hands were frozen stiff.

Xiu Niang lit up the stove and asked Song Zhi to warm her hands before she began to ask, "Master, tell me the truth, what is your relationship with that Mr. Meng?"

Song Zhi was worried all the way, and when she heard this, she thought that she still couldn't hide it from Xiuniang.

Xiuniang was the one who had gone through the war, rescued him from the Mongols, and brought him up with hardships. She was not an ignorant woman who lived in a deep boudoir and didn't know anything.

Besides, she watched Song Zhi grow up, and as soon as Song Zhi's eyes rolled, she knew what Song Zhi was thinking.

Song Zhi hesitated, determined not to tell the truth, otherwise he was afraid that Xiuniang would kill herself in front of her parents' souls with a kitchen knife, but how should she say it, and how much should she say to convince Xiuniang?

Who knows that Xiu Niang has already seen through his thoughts, and stretched out her skinny and callused hands to the stove to roast them.

"The young master is thinking, how can I satisfy Xiuniang?"

It used to be a pair of delicate and soft catkins with ten fingers that did not touch the spring water.

Xiuniang is a family child and grew up with Li Hansu. She only needs to take care of Li Hansu's daily life, and she doesn't need to do rough and heavy work.

But these years, in order to take care of Song Zhi, she seemed to have changed from a slim young woman to a weather-beaten woman.

Even though her actual age is only in her thirties, she looks to be in her 40s.

Song Zhi looked at those hands, and couldn't help feeling a little sad. He lowered his eyes, the lie he was about to utter was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say it anyway.

Xiu Niang said indifferently: "Master, do you think that it is Xiu Niang who is restraining you and restricting you?"

"No, Song Zhi didn't think about it that way." Song Zhi said.

I only heard Xiu Niang say: "What Xiu Niang has done all these years is for Madam, and Xiu Niang voluntarily. with..."

"In the past few years, since the young master was raised by Xiuniang, then Xiuniang should take on this responsibility to cultivate a son who is worthy of their pride for the wife and the master. Years, it is a waste of life, it is better than five years ago, I went with my wife."

"Xiu Niang, don't say that." Song Zhi said hastily.

Xiu Niang pursed her lips, and stared at Song Zhi calmly and hotly. Song Zhi unconsciously lowered her head, a little ashamed, not daring to look directly into her eyes.

"Master, what is your relationship with Mr. Meng?" Xiu Niang asked again.

The tone seemed to be gossiping, but Song Zhi knew that this was clearly the time when Xiuniang was the least calm.

"Yes..." Song Zhi opened her mouth, but still lied, "...a friend."

Xiuniang's gaze was almost stern, and the cold room instantly became colder by several degrees.

"Xiuniang, but you saw it too," Song Zhi hurriedly explained, "Mr. Meng is different from other people!"

"It's different, why is it different? It's because he helped you once?" Xiu Niang asked back.

Song Zhi was at a loss for words, and said weakly: "... Isn't this enough?"

"Since Mr. Meng can give a helping hand to a stranger, it proves that he is a warm-hearted and good person, not such a cruel and bloodthirsty barbarian..."

The fire in the stove glowed golden red in the dark, flickering, and there were bursts of "crackling" sounds as the charcoal fire burned.

Song Zhi's voice became smaller and smaller: "...Mongols are also different..."

"Master," Xiu Niang interrupted him, "How long have you known Mr. Meng?"

Song Zhi mumbled, "Three months." Counting from the time at Chongguo Temple in August to now, it was about three months.

"Three months," Xiu Niang repeated, with a subtle sarcasm in her voice, "Three months is enough to make you, young master, trust him so much?"

"Xiu Niang..."

"The Mongols were ambitious during the period of Zilizong, and began to attack the Song Dynasty. It has been more than 40 years. During this period, the Mongols launched three wars, and finally destroyed our Song Dynasty, occupied our country, and killed our soldiers. Oppress our people."

"The year Madam married Master, the third war hadn't started yet. Lin'an is very prosperous, Master is a Beijing official with a bright future, and Madam is a lady of every family. They are a mandarin couple that everyone in Beijing admires."

"...but all of this has changed since the Mongols started attacking us."

Song Zhi pursed her lips, Xiu Niang seldom told him about the past, and he hadn't been very clear about it all along.He mostly read the process of Meng Yuan's conquest of Song from the history books, and the history books are always the most ruthless.

"...The young master was only four years old at that time."

That is, the fourth year of Duzong Xianchun, the fifth year of Shizu Zhiyuan, 14 years ago.

"The Mongols began to attack south again. They coveted the vast and fertile land of Song Dynasty, and coveted our treasures and food. Half of the country is not enough, and they still want to continue going south reconciled."

"Since then, the mansion has never lived a peaceful life."

"The master is a civil official who is not as strong as a civil servant. My wife followed him. I once advised my wife not to follow the master like this, and make a fuss to the point where everything is destroyed, but my wife will not listen."

Xiu Niang's eyes gradually turned red.

"Madam is like this, so what can I do as a servant, I just hope that Madam will be well."

"In the two years since you escaped from Tongling, you may be young, my young master. In addition, at that time, my wife always protected you and did not let you see the situation outside the carriage. I didn't have a deep impression of many things."

"At that time, we were faced with the threat of death every day. Madam led us to avoid all the Mongols as much as possible, because wherever the Mongols passed by, there would be rivers of blood...Master, you have never seen such a tragedy , can’t be like me, hate and hate the Mongols to the bone.”

"I don't understand, the Mongols are cruel and ruthless in their bones."

Song Zhi was speechless by Xiu Niang and lowered her head.

During those two years of fleeing, he spent most of his time in the carriage, so it was true that as Xiu Niang said, he had no intuitive impression of many things.But in the carriage, he could also hear voices and smell smells.

The screams, the cries of women and children, the smell of blood, the disgusting smell of rotting corpses on the roadside.

He was not insensible to the brutal nature of the Mongols.

"Master," Xiu Niang's voice seemed a little tired, "Perhaps Mr. Meng did help us once, and your relationship with him may indeed be harmonious for the time being, but this does not mean that the harmony will last forever, nor does it mean that he It's different from those Mongols."

"Xiuniang doesn't stop you from making friends. Originally, a man's ambition is everywhere, so he should make friends. But you should not forget your roots, and you must not forget how our home country was trampled by the Mongolian iron cavalry. A piece of charred smoky soil."

When Xiu Niang said this, she raised her eyes and looked at Song Zhi, only to see Song Zhi lowered her head, with shame and guilt on her face, knowing that he had listened to her own words, she breathed a sigh of relief, and patted Song Zhi's face. Shoulder: "Young master, are you hungry, Xiuniang is going to make you something to eat."

Song Zhi responded in a low voice.

My mind is in chaos.

Song Zhi had read about the cruelty of the Mongols mentioned by Xiuniang countless times in books, but Song Xiuwen and Li Hansu's past made Song Zhi pay attention to it.

The beautiful memories of An Ning's childhood are no longer clear, only some broken pictures are left, which occasionally flash in my mind like a feather in auspicious light.

For example, the pink crabapple flowers blooming in the mansion, such as the bustling Lin'an Street...

He also had a warm home once.

All his relatives died in the war, and he was still involved with a Mongolian.

Xiu Niang's words really hit Song Zhi's sore spot: Temporary harmony does not mean eternal harmony.

Song Zhi knew this early on.

He and Meng Huan will not last long.

Song Zhi bit her lip and couldn't help asking: Why?

Why didn't he die five years ago?

On the official road in Pujiang County five years ago, Meng Huan shouldn't have rescued him.

Song Zhi covered her face with her hands, thinking in despair.

When Xiu Niang came back after finishing dinner, Song Zhi had readjusted her emotions, put on a seemingly flawless smiling face, took food for Xiu Niang, and said, "What Xiu Niang said, Song Zhi has kept in mind." .”

Xiu Niang nodded, but didn't ask him how he planned to deal with it.

On the second day of the winter solstice, Xiuniang made dumplings and invited the Bai Man'er family next door to eat with them.

After Bai Man'er stopped going to the Jiaofang Division, the Bai family lost another income, so Bai Man'er had to learn female celebrity again, and just like her mother, she sold some embroidery work to subsidize the family.There is still more than half of the 100 taels of silver that Lian Shen compensated, which is barely enough now.

During the dinner, Bai Man'er kept looking at Song Zhi, wanting to ask how he was doing.

But Song Zhi and Xiu Niang were as normal as if nothing happened yesterday, which made Bai Man'er a bit uncomfortable to ask.

On the other hand, Song Zhi saw the little girl kept looking at him, knew she was worried, and comforted her with a smile: "Brother Lang is fine, you don't have to worry."

After hearing this, Bai Man'er became even more worried.

One day after the winter solstice, Song Zhi returned to the Meng Mansion.

Of course, what Xiu Niang said was to go to the customer's house.

After the conversation the night before, Xiuniang didn't question Song Zhi's errand for the time being, and let him go.

When Song Zhi returned to the Meng Mansion, Meng Huan went to the Privy Council to order a job, but he hasn't come back yet.

Song Zhi copied her hands and stood in the yard, looking at the eleven crabapple trees that Meng Huan had planted.

It's a pity that there are only piles of snow on the crabapple trees in this season, without a single flower, which is different from the crabapple trees in Lin'an's family in memory.

Song Zhi looked at it and couldn't help thinking, when Meng Huan was admiring the plum blossoms the day before yesterday, he said that he wanted to plant some plum blossoms in the mansion for him to enjoy, but he didn't know when to plant them.

...I don't think it will work this year, maybe it will be planted in spring next year, and then we will have to wait until next winter to see the flowers bloom.

But can he still stay in the Meng Mansion until next winter?

He will be nineteen next year and will be crowned, and Meng Huan is 21 and has reached the age to get married. What kind of excuses can he use to stay in Meng's mansion?How long can Meng Huan keep his body and not marry a wife as he said?

Song Zhi was so engrossed in thinking that she didn't even know when Meng Huan came to him.

Meng Huan's face was flushed red from the cold, and when he spoke, steam came out of his mouth, but his palms were warm.

"Why are you crying?" Meng Huan asked him softly, wiping away the tears on Song Zhi's face with warm hands.

The author has something to say:

Third watch, I'm sorry, it's past twelve o'clock... Continue to abuse.

School has just started in the past few days, and with Calvin, the update has been unstable. I apologize to everyone, but everyone should not be so indifferent, be more enthusiastic, hehehe, tomorrow will still be the third update.