When Taohua returned, Nanny Xu was in high spirits directing the girls in the courtyard. Taohua knew that every time Mrs. Liu came to talk to her, she was very happy, and today her eyes were full of joy.
"Mommy."
She stepped forward, bowed quickly and intimately, pulled Nanny Xu's sleeves and walked to the corridor, telling her what Fuquan told her with bright eyes.
Mother Xu originally listened to her with a smile, but when she finished speaking, the smile on her face was obviously startled.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Brother Fuquan in the master's courtyard told me personally, how can it be false?" Taohua raised her lips slightly proudly: "When Miss Liu comes, I must take good care of her. Brother Fuquan said, maybe Our family can have a godly marriage with Mr. Liu's family."
After she finished speaking, she waited for Nanny Xu to praise herself, but she didn't wait for the other party to make a move for a long time. When she raised her eyes, she was stunned by the complicated look on Nanny Xu's face.
How complicated should it be? Both joy and sadness.
Taohua was made uneasy by her expression, and she didn't dare to laugh. She asked timidly: "Mommy, did I say something wrong?"
Aunt Xu came back to her senses: "It's nothing. You watch these girls clean up the yard first, and I'll go back to the house."
After saying that, she hurried into the room. Taohua looked anxiously with a confused face and tilted her head in confusion.
I have never seen grandma so eager.
She didn't seem to say anything just now, right
In the room, Li Ziqian, who was quietly lowering her head to make clothes, paused for a while before threading a needle, and then slowly said: "I'm afraid this girl Taohua heard it wrong, the master has never mentioned this to me in the past sixteen years. "
"Although Taohua is young, she usually does things safely. If she doesn't remember clearly, she won't come back to deliver the message."
Seeing Li Ziqian like this, Aunt Xu sighed: "Madam, Master...maybe he really misses Miss in his heart. Otherwise, why would he still mention her after sixteen years?"
"Mom, there's no need to say anything."
However, Li Ziqian still lowered her eyes and threaded her clothes: "I know exactly what kind of person he is."
She didn't believe that Ji Changze really had any love for his daughter who "died young".
When she first learned that Ji Changze had betrayed her father as a son-in-law and disciple, she made the decision to send the child away, but in her heart, she still had some expectations for this childhood sweetheart and a husband with whom she had a deep affection after marriage.
I hope everything out there is just rumors.
Looking forward to him explaining it to her personally.
But in the end, there was nothing.
The man who smiled cheerfully at her when he was a boy, who tenderly drew her eyebrows after getting married, who was a caring disciple to her father and mother, and who was a tender husband to her, seemed to have finally taken off all pretense.
His expression was cold and his eyes were full of indifference.
Even when he found out that their child was a "stillborn child", he didn't show any sadness at all. He just calmly accepted the news, which was bad news for his father.
At that time, Li Ziqian stared at her husband almost without blinking, hoping that the look he should have on his face would show.
He had lost a child he had longed for.
But no, nothing.
Ji Changze's reaction was so bland, as if the person who smiled softly at her and touched her belly before she went home had never existed.
Maybe it means that he no longer has to pretend.
If there was still a glimmer of hope in Li Ziqian's heart when she heard the news on the road, it completely turned into gloom after witnessing Ji Changze's indifference towards the child's death.
Isn't it normal for a person who doesn't even have any affection for his own flesh and blood to betray a teacher who treats him like his own child
Sixteen years ago, he had no reaction when he learned that his daughter was "dead". Sixteen years later, he pretended to be a good father again.
The clothes in Li Ziqian's hands were ready. She carefully gathered the threads, picked up the clothes and checked them several times. After making sure that there was not even a thread, she handed the clothes to Aunt Xu with satisfaction.
"Received in that red box."
"yes."
Nanny Xu wanted to say something, but she didn't say it in the end. She just held the clothes and carefully put them into the red gift box.
After the clothes were finished, Li Ziqian had nothing to do for a while, so she sat in front of the window and looked out the window quietly, motionless.
Sitting like a stone sculpture, it seemed as if someone had taken away all of its life.
Waiting until it became lively outside, the sound of a little girl laughing and talking could be heard.
"Mrs. Liu is here. I have seen Mrs. Liu, Miss Liu. I will go and report it now."
Li Ziqian froze and stood up almost uncontrollably and looked at the girl standing in the yard outside the window.
She was lowering her head slightly and smiling, with a crooked smile in her eyes. Although she was smiling, her demeanor was not missing at all, which showed that she was well-bred.
Aunt Xu came in and her tone could not hide her excitement: "Madam, the young lady is here."
She was so excited, but Li Ziqian quickly calmed down, turned around and said calmly: "It's Miss Liu, don't say it's wrong."
"Yes, I know that."
Mrs. Liu has been here many times and is already familiar with the roads. After entering, she smiled at Li Ziqian who came out: "I just heard from the girl outside that you asked the kitchen to prepare things early in order to have dinner with us. It seems that I can have a good meal today.”
Li Ziqian also smiled.
"I know you are a greedy person. If you don't prepare some delicious food, how can you stop your mouth?"
Liu Leping, who was standing obediently at the side, was curious.
Mother has never been so relaxed when dealing with others. It seems that Mrs. Ji is really the handkerchief of her mother's boudoir.
After the two of them exchanged some affectionate words, Mrs. Liu pointed at Liu Leping and said, "This is Leping. He has a very sweet temperament and has been smart since he was a child. If there is anything my husband can't figure out on weekdays, You have to ask this girl, she helped a lot."
Liu Leping hurriedly took a small step forward and said slightly, "Leping has met Mrs. Ji."
"Quick, get up."
She felt a heat in her arm, and Mrs. Ji directly took her arm to help her up. Liu Leping was a little flattered.
Looking again, Mrs. Ji looked like she really liked her, her eyes were full of love, but her eyes were a little red for some reason.
"What a good kid. You raised this kid really well."
"This child follows his mother, so he will naturally have a good temper."
Liu Leping was confused when he heard this. His mother never liked to boast, so why did she praise herself so carelessly in front of Mrs. Ji
Their relationship is really good.
"I heard that Leping is coming, so I don't have anything to give him. At such an old age, it's time to dress up, so I'll give him some clothes."
However, Li Ziqian quickly recovered her emotions, blinked her tears, and called Aunt Xu with a smile: "Bring that red box."
Aunt Xu quickly brought it over. She opened it and took out the newly made clothes inside to show it to Liu Leping: "This material is made of the finest river forging. It is the most comfortable to wear. Don't look at the thin clothes." , dress very warmly.”
The elder gave the gift, and Liu Leping quickly stood up from his seat: "Thank you, Mrs. Ji."
"It's okay, it's okay. Children of your age should dress up properly."
Mrs. Ji smiled affectionately, and took Liu Leping's hand and patted it: "Good boy, your mother and I have something to say. You go out for a walk, and I will let the girl take you to take a good look at the garden of our house. "
Liu Leping agreed, and as soon as Taohua took him out of the door, he heard his mother's voice faintly coming from behind: "You too, why don't you talk more."
Say more? Are you talking about her
Liu Leping didn't think much and followed the girl out. This girl named Taohua liked to talk and she didn't stop talking all the way.
"Miss Liu, look, this is the Nine-turn Roundabout Pavilion. There are nine roads in it. Each road leads to a different place. The scenery is also beautiful in various ways. If it comes in summer, it will be even more amazing. There are flowers everywhere. , it’s pretty.”
Taohua learned from her brother Fuquan that Miss Liu reminded the master of the young lady who died young. Now she is serving her with all her strength, hoping that Miss Liu can leave a good impression on her.
Liu Leping nodded frequently after hearing this, and the look on his face became much more relaxed.
Just as he was smiling, he raised his eyes and met the eyes of a stranger.
She was startled and took a step back subconsciously, but the man smiled at her first: "Is she Miss Liu? I am your Uncle Ji."
Uncle Ji
Father's friend, Mr. Ji, who came to give father a farewell gift
Since he is an elder, there is no need to avoid him. Liu Leping quickly stepped forward to greet him: "I have met Uncle Ji."
Ji Changze already called himself uncle, and she was too embarrassed to call him "sir" anymore.
"You're welcome, didn't you follow your mother to the madam's yard? Why are you here?"
Taohua hurriedly explained: "Madam and Madam Liu were chatting, so I asked my servant to take Miss Liu out to stroll around the yard."
"What a coincidence."
Ji Changze still smiled and waved: "Fuquan, bring me the gift for Miss Liu."
Seeing Liu Leping lowering his eyes without a word of curiosity, he explained in a loving tone: "I wanted Fuquan to bring you a gift. I have no children, and I don't know what children your age like, so I just gave it to you." I got some jewelry, you can wear it."
Liu Leping hesitated for a second, then reached out and took the box from Fuquan's hand: "Thank you, uncle."
It stands to reason that after giving her gifts and seeing them, she should leave, but Uncle Ji in front of her just looked at her with a loving smile and asked warmly;
"How are you doing at home, Liu?"
What is the problem
Liu Leping was stunned for a second before he quickly replied: "My niece is doing well at home."
“It’s good, it’s good, it’s good…”
Ji Changze murmured something and smiled: "Although the Liu family is not clean, it is not bad."
After saying something that Liu Leping didn't understand, he said again:
"Okay, go back. If you have free time on weekdays, come and spend more time with your aunt. Go ahead."
Liu Leping felt slightly blessed, turned around and left.
After taking two steps, she suddenly felt something was wrong and quietly looked back.
Master Ji was still standing in the pavilion looking at her. When he saw her, his face showed a touch of kindness and he waved to her.
But why... His figure looks so lonely.
It looked a little familiar, as if I had just seen it somewhere.
It wasn't until he walked back into the yard that Liu Leping suddenly remembered.
When Master Ji looked at her, his eyes were full of love, and his smile that only made people feel sad even though he was smiling was exactly the same as Mrs. Ji's.
She lowered her head and quietly opened the box. The small box was filled with all kinds of precious jewelry. She even saw a pair of jade earrings of excellent quality inside.
Liu Leping opened his eyes wide in surprise.
This pair of jade earrings alone was something that even her cousins could not afford after more than ten years of savings.
This gift is extremely heavy for the elders.
Just like the clothes given by Mrs. Ji, although they were only packed in an ordinary box, the clothes inside were extremely meticulous.
But why
Since Mrs. Ji and Mr. Ji show that they love her so much, why should they be sad