The next morning, when Pingxi woke up from her sleep, Shi Kang, who was sleeping on the outer couch, had already tidied up and changed into a dark blue warrior waiter outside.
In addition to being depressed, Shi Kang no longer looks like he was in a mess after being drunk... Pingxi's small building was built according to the drawings of his residence in the county palace. It doesn't look obvious from the outside, but the partition in the bedroom is actually very clever , Pingxi only added a wall after moving in, and created a mezzanine that is not easy to be found by outsiders. Although it is not big, it is still very easy to hide an adult and a few sets of clothes. That's why Shi Kang dared to do this He lingered on and refused to leave.
Pingxi's schedule is very regular, so Xuehua has already prepared hot water towels. Seeing Pingxi come out to help him wash up, Xuehua was about to help comb his hair when she saw Shi Kang winking at her. Xue Hua chuckled, apologized to Ping Xi, and then packed up her things to get breakfast.
"Pingxi, let me comb your hair for you."
Seeing Pingxi sitting in front of the mirror, Shi Kang, who was still in a bad mood, forced a smile, picked up the comb on the table with his right hand, and gathered the hair scattered on Pingxi's shoulders with his left hand towards his back.
Shi Kang can take advantage of the fact that no one climbs over the wall at night. It is too dangerous to do this during the day, so he usually stays until the next night, and then climbs over the wall to leave. Before when he went out during the day and met people when he was not separated It is an excuse to go to the garden, but now it is impossible. Of course, Shi Kang can only be happy with this change.
"Now that you've left the West Mansion like this, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay in Bo City any longer. Should you go back to your hometown?"
Knowing that it's useless to stop her, Ping Xi just sat upright and looked at Shi Kang's expression in the mirror, letting him play with her hair.
"No! I won't leave. Over the past year as an errand, I have saved hundreds of taels of silver. Adding on the previous savings, even if I don't look for errands for a while, it will take me a few years. Seeing There is going to be a filial piety at the Prince's Mansion... Pingxi, just follow me, I'll go to Master Qiao and steal your deed, okay?"
Hearing this, Shi Kang tightened his hand, and immediately realized that he was still holding Pingxi's hair, so he let go of his hand quickly, and asked nervously while holding Pingxi's shoulder.
"Shi Kang, don't be naive..."
Just as Ping Xi was about to say that it is impossible for two men to stay together for a lifetime, the figures of Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze suddenly appeared in his mind. Thinking of the seriousness and persistence of those two men, Ping Xi couldn't help shaking his head, and then was stoned. Kang La stood up and turned around, and hugged her waist tightly.
"I'm going to be naive, I'm going to cling to you for the rest of my life, you don't want me to let you go, you won't let me go even if you die!"
Shi Kang hugged Pingxi as if wishing the two could become one, his eyes were red as he spoke, he hated his incompetence and insignificance. The aristocrats resisted, even wanting to completely break away from the shackles of the family. Pingxi has been letting go of the Shi family for his own sake, but his parents have been trying to get rid of Pingxi all the time. All he can do is threaten his parents with his own life. It is necessary to use the power of the magistrate to deter them from doing evil things...
If it weren't for the self-knowledge that couldn't be protected, how could Shi Kang let him live like a bird in a cage for so many years, just pestering him like this.
He didn't allow Pingxi to follow him to live the hard life of hiding, he wanted to give Pingxi the best.
"What kind of relationship is worth putting your whole life on? It's just that you are young..."
Ping Xi felt that he could hardly breathe, but he still hugged Shi Kang motionlessly. Before he could utter the ridicule, he was interrupted by the wetness on his neck. Ping Xi's pupils shrank, and he kept holding on The wall of her heart has long been full of cracks, and now, it is finally broken...
It's also possible, right? Since he has the same hope as those two, is it possible to persevere
Shi Kang didn't let go and didn't answer, but Ping Xi didn't hug back or struggle. The two who hadn't been in such close contact for many years just stood still until Xuehua's footsteps came from outside. He raised his hand and pushed Shi Kang away, but this time Shi Kang didn't bother him anymore, he took a few steps back and sat down on the couch with his head down.
Ping Xi sat in front of the mirror and combed his hair and tied it with a headband. After Xue Hua finished breakfast and left again, he got up and walked to the table to sit down. Ping Xi resisted the urge to rub her forehead, and waved to him with a sigh. Shi Kang lowered the corners of his mouth, and obediently walked over and sat down beside him.
Neither of them made a sound during the meal. Although Shi Kang hated the vegetables on this table, he still choked on them a lot. Ping Xi, who had always had a bland taste, felt that these things were boring... His heart ached. swinging.
If it was before, Pingxi would definitely hide the truth of the matter, let Shi Kang continue to misunderstand, make him lose the support of Qiao Yingze and his husband, and then force him to give up on himself, but now, Pingxi finds that he is very resistant to this kind of behavior Thoughts, on the contrary, I hope he can stick to it...
"Since you hate it, why do you force yourself to eat those?"
After Xuehua removed her breakfast and changed to tea, Pingxi sat cross-legged on the futon, suppressed the churning thoughts in her heart, picked up the piano score that she had copied last night, and looked through it, seemingly unintentionally asking One sentence.
"You never allowed me to be picky eaters since I was a child. Besides, you are afraid that I will hurt my stomach by eating meat and meat after drinking, so you eat vegetarian food with me. I know it."
Shi Kang was still a little sleepy after drinking, so he dragged a mat across from Pingxi's piano table, and leaned sideways on the cushion to peep at him.
"You feel so good about yourself... Go back to the West Mansion tomorrow."
After hearing the words, Ping Xi couldn't help but glared at him, and then gave a weak chuckle, having made up her mind.
"..."
Shi Kang was dumbfounded at Ping Xi's smile at first, then realized what he meant, the smile froze on his face, then lowered his head and shook his head slightly, expressing his resistance with actions.
Although he was drunk last night, he still remembered what Shi Kang said. He didn't dislike Qiao Yingze and Gong Zhuoliang, on the contrary, he sincerely admired them. But it was precisely because of this sincerity that he couldn't pretend to be concerned about them. Don't care, that would be too hypocritical.
"... Idiot, the two of them are husband and wife, and Gong Zhuoliang has been disguised as a woman."
Ping Xi just plucked the strings without saying a word, and when Shi Kang raised his eyes to peek at him with a little aggrieved, he pressed his hands to stop the sound of the piano, and met his gaze with a smile.
"yeah?"
Shi Kang sat up cross-legged, staring at Pingxi across the piano table, really dazzled by the news, his always upright handsome face was stunned no matter what he saw at this moment.
"Following them for so long and not finding them, you're just stupid."
As if seeing the little fat man who was always haunting her in a daze when she was a child again, Ping Xi pinched Shi Kang's cheeks with both hands, and pulled them to both sides with a smile, while muttering in her heart, this flesh is hard, but it doesn't feel like it did when I was a child. OK.
"It hurts! Brother Ping..."
In fact, Ping Xi didn't use much energy, but Shi Kang still screamed exaggeratedly, and he couldn't see anything except Ping Xi's smile in his eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze went to the East Mansion to greet the old lady after breakfast, and then went to find Qiao Yingxuan together, wanting to settle the matter of Qiao Yuanyin's dowry first.
"I went straight to my mother and said, 'I want to show my face by doing a good job in this marriage. Others have taken care of their errands properly, but it was my mother who dismantled me. , They stepped on my face to get money out of their own pockets, what is the reason!' Then I saw that my mother was also angry, so I proposed to release those unfaithful people through marriage. Love, if it wasn't for me... Hehe, anyway, I finally agreed to it."
Qiao Yingxuan talked about his achievements to his elder brother and sister-in-law with great interest, so he didn't have a bald mouth to tell his mother that he didn't eat to force his mother to let go. Now he has fully grasped the essence of getting along with his mother, and he is really like a brother As I said, being obedient and respectful in the past will only make my mother wrong more, and it is true filial piety to help her be kind with one's own strength.
"It's done well. It looks like I'm about to leave for Beijing. Don't patronize the eldest sister's marriage and neglect your own side."
Meeting Qiao Yingxuan's longing gaze, Qiao Yingze smiled lightly and patted him on the shoulder. He really felt like an adult.
"Mother's side is ready, and there is a proper old man at home, so don't worry."
When asked about his marriage by his brother, Qiao Yingxuan lost the excitement just now, and rubbed the tip of his nose with his fingers in embarrassment.
"That's right, Second Uncle is going to visit his future father-in-law when he comes to Beijing this time. Are you nervous?"
Seeing that Qiao Yingxuan was shy, Gong Zhuoliang also joked with Qiao Yingxuan with a light smile. He felt a little bit emotional about the blind marriages in this era. For women, this marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime gamble, and for men, it is not an easy task.
"No...hehe, the person my mother picks must be a good one."
Qiao Yingxuan laughed dryly without confidence, quickly changed the topic to the marriage arrangement, and sighed secretly.
It would be a lie to say that Qiao Yingxuan is not worried. After all, she is a fiancée whom she has never met and is the eldest daughter of a wealthy family. The daughter of a Shangguan here, relying on the power of her natal family, loves to gamble and be aggressive, she is also disrespectful to her in-laws and her husband, and even beats, scolds and abuses her servants at will, but their family can only endure it and cannot divorce their wives. What a pity A hero like Senior Brother Lu.
"Brother Lu also came to Beijing with you this time? Although the relationship between you is close, it is not good to trouble others like this."
Hearing that Qiao Yingxuan said that Lu Zijian would also accompany him, Qiao Yingze remembered that he had just traveled to the capital to help arrange marriage a while ago, and felt that it was really hard for him.
Ever since they became acquainted with Lu Zijian, a martial artist, Qiao Yingze and the others also found that besides his flamboyance, he was really a good man who valued affection, so they became close to him.
"Next year is the year of the martial arts exam. Senior brother wants to go to Beijing to prepare for the exam, so he simply set off with me. Senior brother wants to take the martial arts championship."
Speaking of martial arts, Qiao Yingxuan was also full of envy. If his family hadn't stopped him, he might have been able to get a reputation as a martial artist. Why is it that he can't do anything like he is now, and he has to rely on his family everywhere.
"That being said, he also wants to help you more. You must remember this kindness."
Hearing Qiao Yingxuan mention the martial arts examination, Qiao Yingze couldn't help but think of Wenju, he can also go directly to Beijing to participate in the next year's literary examination... Shaking his head lightly, Qiao Yingze suppressed the hopeless thought bottom of my heart.
"Yeah, speaking of grandma and mother-in-law's natal relatives are mostly in the capital, second uncle will have to go everywhere this time, have the things for the ceremony been arranged properly?"
Gong Zhuoliang saw that the two brothers were suddenly depressed, and probably guessed what was on their minds, so he opened his mouth and took the topic away. The three of them discussed for a while, and Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze left his yard and went to After Qiao Yuanyin said a few words, they went to Pingxi's yard together.
For the arrival of Gong Zhuoliang and his wife, Xue Hua who greeted them was a little embarrassed, and hurried into the birdcage to report on the second floor, which made the couple who slowly walked into the building a little confused. It's not time for dinner, so it must have disturbed Pingxi's rest, could it be...
When Ping Xi went downstairs, the two of them really showed a little blush when they saw it, they couldn't help but subconsciously looked at each other, and then faintly looked towards the stairs.
"Your Excellency and Madam are here, please sit down."
Not surprised at the arrival of Gong Zhuoliang and his wife, Ping Xi ordered Xue Hua to draw down the windshield curtains on the eight sides of the first floor, and then the three sat down at the table to drink tea.
After knowing the secrets of Gong Zhuoliang and Qiao Yingze, Pingxi also knew that they knew about their acquaintance with Shi Kang, but they didn't ask each other too deeply, so now that Shi Kang made such a fuss, they would come It's normal to ask for information here.
"Pingxi, we would like to invite you to live in the West Mansion, would you like to?"
Guessing something from Pingxi's attitude, Gong Zhuoliang smiled lightly and asked him a question in a low voice.
"What?"
Ping Xi thought they were here to ask about Shi Kang's news, but she didn't expect them to bring up such a thing suddenly. Ping Xi couldn't help being taken aback, and looked at Gong Zhuoliang in surprise.
"Pingxi, although we don't know much about your past, as friends, we really don't want to see you trapped in this small courtyard anymore. Maybe we can't help you too much, but living with us, After all, you can be a lot more free."
Seeing Gong Zhuoliang looking towards the stairs with a half-smile, Qiao Yingze answered their words and explained why he came.
"My lord... madam... Pingxi hereby thank you two for your friendship."
Ping Xi looked at Qiao Yingze with a sincere face and Gong Zhuoliang who was nodding with a smile, she got up moved and clasped her fists to them. After her arms were supported by them respectively, Ping Xi raised her head and smiled brightly at them.
"It would be great for Pingxi to agree. We are ashamed to say that we can only come up with such a solution to treat the symptoms but not the root cause. I don't know if Pingxi can talk about the past in a convenient way. Maybe we can think of something better. Countermeasures."
Seeing Pingxi's smile, Gong Zhuoliang felt a little sour while being happy. Seeing Pingxi's moving appearance, he probably wanted to get out of this kind of life a long time ago.
"Actually, there's nothing you can't say. My surname is Kang Mingping, and I'm cousin Shi Kang. I'm three months older than him..."
The three of Pingxi sat down again. Seeing the cordial and sincere faces of the two, he suddenly had the desire to confide in those secrets that had been accumulated on him for many years.