Southerners

From this day on, the strange calm between the two returned. Although Meng Huan hadn't released Song Zhi's restraint, he was allowed to walk around in the mansion freely.

It seems that the previous quarrels and cold wars did not exist, how Song Zhi escaped, and how Meng Huan captured him, never happened.Meng Huan pretended not to exist when he wanted to conquer the East.In order to maintain the surface peace.

Apart from going to the Privy Council all day, and discussing the Eastern Expedition with Marshal Zhang Lin and others, Meng Huan returned to the mansion and spent most of his time at Song Zhi's place.

This gradually aroused the dissatisfaction of the beauties in the Meng Mansion.

Ever since they were awarded to Meng Huan by the ancestors, they were favored for a period of time. Later, Meng Huan ignored them and only cared about that scholar.

This time the scholar did something wrong, and it was easy to make Meng Huan cold for a while, but now it is like glue again.

The sisters were free all day long, so they gathered together to poke Song Zhi's spine.

Hearing that General Huduhu was coming back soon, he thought about how to get this matter to General Huduhu, so as to teach this scholar to know his identity.

After a while, Song Zhi, taking advantage of the two being happy, begged Meng Huan to let him go back to see Xiu Niang, taking advantage of the two being happy, and begged Meng Huan to let him go back to see Xiu Niang. Song Zhi had no room to refuse to follow him personally.

After Song Zhi returned to Xingshun Hutong, she stood at the door of her house, a little afraid to go in.

He is sorry for Xiu Niang.

This apology is multifaceted. Xiuniang wanted to go back to Hangzhou wholeheartedly, and it was he who cut off Xiuniang's hope.Xiu Niang missed him wholeheartedly, but he disappeared silently for so many days.

Every time she faced Xiu Niang, Song Zhi would feel her shamelessness.

On the one hand, she made false claims with Xiuniang, one lie after another, and on the other hand, she was constantly implicated with Meng Huan.

How should he deal with himself?

Song Zhi asked herself, the hand that knocked on the door stopped there, yes, he couldn't stand the torture of his own conscience, and he didn't dare to face Xiu Niang.

"Sir, don't you want to go in?" The man who was sent to follow Song Zhi was a young servant with quick hands and feet and quick reflexes.

It can prevent Song Zhi from escaping.

But at Song Zhi's request, instead of a Mongol, a Han was arranged.

Song Zhi paused, withdrew her hand, and smiled bitterly: "I want to go in, but I dare not. I don't know what face I should use to meet her."

The young man said: "You can't control your reputation. You have a clear conscience, why should you be afraid of what others say?"

It was reasonable, but Song Zhi felt ashamed.

But it's impossible not to go in, Song Zhi couldn't bear such a weak self.

"Tuk Tuk Tuk!"

"Tuk Tuk Tuk!"

There was a knock on the old wooden door.

Song Zhi stood at the door anxiously, for a moment, she was afraid that Xiuniang would ignore him.

But Xiuniang won't.

For Yu Xiuniang, the current Song Zhi is everything to her and the support for her survival.

"Squeak!" With a sound, the wooden door was opened, and Xiu Niang was wearing a shabby sarong, standing inside the door, raised her head, and looked at the people outside the door.

Song Zhi and the servant behind him.

Xiu Niang's expression changed, she stepped aside and said, "Master, you are back."

With a flat tone, it seemed that she had been waiting for Song Zhi to come back, and she knew that Song Zhi would come back, and she had no doubts about Song Zhi's departure.

Song Zhi smiled, with an awkward smile: "Well, I'm back."

"This is the boy my master sent me back."

Xiu Niang nodded lightly.

"It's good to come back, go in and rest for a while."

Since I brought my servant here, I'm afraid I don't plan to stay for long.

But this time, Xiuniang didn't intend to let Song Zhi leave easily. When Song Zhi entered the door and the servant was about to follow in, Xiuniang closed the door with a "bang": "Just send it to the door, please go back."

The young servant didn't expect that there would be another problem, so he became anxious immediately. Meng Huan ordered him not to let Song Zhi out of his sight.

Scratching his ears and cheeks, he said, "Madam, villain..."

Xiu Niang: "Xiu Niang is just a slave, not a wife."

The servant was dumbfounded, is the servant so fierce?

However, the servant has nothing to say, and Xiu Niang has already brought Song Zhi into the room.

Song Zhi didn't dare to vent her anger, didn't dare to say a word, she lowered her head and followed Xiu Niang into the room, the more she walked, the more flustered and cold she became.

Finally, Xiuniang brought Song Zhi to the coffin of his parents. Xiuniang knelt down before the coffin first, and Song Zhi quickly followed, not daring to lift her head.

"Master," Xiu Niang said, "you look up at Master and Madam."

Song Zhi clutched the hem of her clothes, not daring.

"The young master doesn't look up, is he afraid or guilty?"

"Xiu Niang...I..."

"Master, don't tell me, Xiuniang is just a servant, she dare not tell the master's right and wrong, the young master should tell the master and wife."

Song Zhi raised her head in embarrassment, the names of Song Xiuwen and Li Hansu on the spirit tablet were so glaring.

"Don't you dare to watch, young master?" Xiu Niang asked.

"I'm sorry, Xiuniang..." Song Zhi said.

"Xiuniang has already said that the young master did not apologize to me," Xiuniang looked at Song Xiuwen and Li Hansu's spiritual tablets, and said, "Young master, in front of the master and madam, answer me, what is the relationship between you and that General Meng?" what relationship."

Song Zhi was robbed by Meng Huan in the street, and it only took a little inquiring to know. Combined with the two previous meetings with Meng Huan, Xiuniang didn't need to use her brain to know that there must be something wrong with the two of them.

Song Zhi looked back in fear, not daring to look up, and not daring to answer.

"The young master didn't answer...does he have a ghost in his heart?"

Song Zhi was forced to have no choice but to bite the bullet and said, "It's... Xiuniang, I..."

"I... am indeed in General Meng's mansion, but I..."

"So the so-called salt merchants, the master's family, don't exist, they are fabricated, right?" Xiu Niang's tone was calm and steady, and she could barely hear her emotions just by listening to the tone, but Song Zhi knew that under the calm What kind of waves are there.

Hastily knocked his head down: "I'm sorry..."

This is an admission.

Admitted that he had been lying all along.

Before coming back, it's not that he didn't think about facing Xiu Niang's questioning, but Song Zhi knew that he had to come back, otherwise he would be ashamed to call himself a person.

Xiuniang saved his life, defended and raised him with all her might, but in the end he returned with a series of lies and deceptions.

Xiuniang's eyes were like a faint fire, silent and cold.

Her back was straight, and she knocked her head down suddenly, causing blood to flow from her forehead. Song Zhi panicked and wanted to help her, but she didn't dare.

"Master, madam, it's Xiuniang's fault. Xiuniang... I'm ashamed of you for not teaching me a good young master."

Xiu Niang closed her eyes, her teeth were clenched tightly, and the lines of her face were tense.

Song Zhi's heart trembled twice, and suddenly felt that he had reached a desperate situation, what should he do?

Is there any way in this world to have the best of both worlds, so that he can live up to his ancestors and Meng Huan?

Only then did he agree to Meng Huan...to accompany him for a few years.

Song Zhi also knocked her head down, her head was dazed for a moment, warm and sticky blood flowed down her forehead, past the corners of her eyes, and the smell of blood could be smelled from her mouth and nose.

"Xiuniang, Song Zhi made a mistake, Song Zhi should bear it herself, Xiuniang... take care of yourself."

The corners of Xiuniang's lips curled up, mocking, she didn't know whether she was mocking the world or herself, it was ridiculous that she had been doing it for many years, following the behest of the master and wife, the young master she taught was unparalleled in talent, superb in poetry, calligraphy and painting, All are one-to-one.But one thing...he obeyed the Mongols' order.

"If I had known this earlier," Xiuniang's voice seemed a little choked up because of the ups and downs of her heart, hoarse and unbalanced, "...Xiuniang would rather the young master learn the crafts by herself than learn those poems and books."

Song Zhi's head was still lying on the ground, and her head hurt a lot, but her heart was already cold to the bone.

What should he do?

Song Zhi asked herself.

"Has the young master been at General Meng's residence since the autumn of last year?" Xiu Niang continued to ask.

Song Zhi closed her eyes: "Yes."

Xiu Niang: "What are you doing?"

Song Zhi said: "...General Meng asked me to teach him calligraphy."

"Are you voluntary?" Xiu Niang asked.

Song Zhiyuan wanted to say no, and he didn't agree at first, but Meng Huan used Xiuniang Bai Man'er to force him, so he had to agree.

But saying this is almost like shirking responsibility.

What's more, Song Zhi stayed in the Meng Mansion voluntarily for most of the time afterwards. He was not so shameless, so he didn't say anything.

"Yes..." Song Zhi whispered, "I voluntarily."

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a drop of tear falling from the corner of Xiu Niang's eye. Song Zhi only glanced at it, then quickly retracted her eyes.

"Xiu Niang, I..." Me what?Song Zhi was speechless.

The facts are in front of you.

Song Zhi's face was hot.

In the past, he was arrogant and self-righteous, and he always felt that those who bowed their heads to the Yuan Dynasty were not worthy of being called Song people, and they were not worthy of being called scholars.

But now, he is not only outrageous, but also more shameless than those people. At least, those people are aboveboard, and he even erected a memorial archway even if he was a gangster.

Xiu Niang asked again: "If you are teaching calligraphy, he can find another person to teach you after you leave. Why did he take you back in the street?"

Hearing these words, Song Zhi's face turned pale instantly.

Xiu Niang finally touched the point that he was most afraid to answer.

Even the color on her lips was gone, and Song Zhi's fingers almost tore the hem of her clothes.

...Even this suit was bought by Meng Huan for him.

What to say?

Tell the truth?

How could he... how could he speak out?

But how could he deceive Xiuniang by telling lies in front of his parents' spirits?

"Master, do you dare to do it or not? How did the master teach you back then?"

"What is the most important thing for a man?"

Song Zhi's eyes gradually blurred, and the unclear memories of her childhood came to mind following Xiu Niang's words.

I still remember that at that time, they had just moved to Tongling, Song Zhi was only ten years old, and Song Xiuwen did not forget to look at his son every day during the busy business break, give him a hug, and teach him:

"A Zhi, what is the most important thing about a good boy?"

Song Zhi remembered that she replied: "I want to read the books of sages, become a high-ranking official, and relieve the suffering of the people."

Song Xiuwen laughed and said: "My son is worthy of being my son, but what I want to tell you today is another thing called responsibility."

Daddy's voice seemed like yesterday, but the child who was ignorant of the word "responsibility" had grown into an adult.

Song Zhi couldn't stop crying. Although he knew that he looked cowardly and incompetent, he couldn't control himself.

"I said, Xiu Niang..."

"General Meng and I..."

Suddenly a strong wind blew outside the window, and the leaves of the crabapple tree in the corner were blown and danced wildly in the wind.

Clouds quickly covered most of the sky.

The weather in this metropolis is very weird recently, it always rains when it says rain.