A little unexpected.
Luo Qingzhou didn't expect that the second lady would be here today.
What he didn't expect was that the little girl who used to always secretly go to play with him but was finally ruthlessly hurt by him was also there.
"Qingzhou, come in quickly. It's very cold outside. You are still too weak."
Luo Yu greeted him at the door with a warm face.
Second Madam Yang also had a big smile on her face, but her tone was sarcastic: "Qingzhou, you haven't been back for more than a month since the last time you came back. Are you living well there and have you forgotten about us at Chengguo Mansion?"
Luo Xiaolou stood in the corner, looking at the young man outside the door with complicated eyes, and did not dare to step forward.
Luo Qingzhou bowed his head and saluted outside the door, saying respectfully, "Second Madam, Second Young Master."
"We're a family, why are you being polite? Come in."
Luo Yu took his arm affectionately, led him to the table, and said with a smile: "I asked the kitchen to prepare a lot of delicious dishes for you today. Let's have a good gathering together, brothers."
"Thank you, Second Young Master."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said.
Luo Yu smiled, looked at the cold girl who was still standing outside the door, stepped forward and bowed, and said politely: "Young lady, please come in and sit down to eat together. We are not outsiders, so there are no so many rules."
Xia Chan turned around and stood under the eaves holding a sword, looking outside. Her pretty face was as cold as ice. She treated him as air and ignored him.
The muscles at the corners of Luo Yu's eyes twitched, and he smiled slightly. Without saying anything more, he turned back to the house and told the maid to serve the food.
"Xiao Lou, didn't you just say you wanted to see your brother Qing Zhou? Come here quickly."
Luo Yu smiled and greeted the girl in the red dress standing in the corner.
Luo Xiaolou looked at his mother timidly, then looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar boy. After a few glances, he did not see the familiar and kind smile on his face.
"Xiao Lou, come over here and call for help!"
Yang said with a straight face.
Luo Xiaolou then walked out from the corner, came to the front of the young man, lowered his head, and said softly: "Qing...Brother Qingzhou."
Luo Qingzhou glanced at her and nodded slightly without showing any extra expression on his face, nor did he reply.
He turned to look at the gentle and smiling man in front of him, and said with a cupped hand: "Second Young Master, I have already had dinner in the mansion."
Luo Yu took his arm and sat down, smiling, "Then eat less, just think of it as eating with me. I haven't eaten a meal like this in a long time."
Yang, who was standing next to him, also smiled and said, "Yes, yes, Qingzhou, you finally came back, why don't you accompany your second brother to have a good meal? I'll pour you some wine."
As he spoke, he went over, picked up the wine jug, and poured wine for the two of them personally.
Luo Yu turned to look at the girl next to him and said with a smile: "Xiao Lou, come sit down, let's eat together. Sit next to your brother Qingzhou and talk to him."
Yang smiled and said, "Second Young Master, don't worry about her. She just had some snacks and is not hungry now. You two brothers can just eat. She is just a little girl, so just let her stand and pour you some wine."
After saying that, he went over and stuffed the wine jug into her hands, patted her on the back of the head and said, "Stupid girl, go stand aside and pour wine for the second and third brothers."
Luo Xiaolou took the wine jug and walked behind the two of them without saying a word.
Luo Yu smiled, said nothing more, picked up the wine glass and said: "Qingzhou, come, I'll toast you first."
At this moment, the cold girl who was originally standing outside the door suddenly walked in, stood behind Luo Qingzhou, staring coldly at the wine glass in his hand.
Luo Yu was stunned for a moment, looked at her, and suddenly understood. He smiled and drank the wine in the glass first, then said to Yang next to him: "Second Madam, you also have a drink, and then pick up some food to eat."
Yang was such a smart person that she understood it immediately. She glanced at the girl holding the sword, muttered something softly, went over, picked up the glass of wine in front of Luo Qingzhou, and drank it all in one gulp.
Then, he picked up the bowl and chopsticks, picked up a little bit of each dish on the table, and put it into his mouth.
When she finished eating and raised her head to make a few sarcastic remarks, the girl with the sword had walked out of the door without her knowing and stood under the eaves again, cold as ice and motionless.
"Tsk, you have a mean mind!"
She muttered something and put down her bowl and chopsticks.
"Xiao Lou, pour the wine."
She took a new wine glass from the maid and placed it in front of Luo Qingzhou.
Luo Xiaolou stepped forward and carefully filled the glass.
"Qingzhou, please."
Luo Yu picked up the wine glass with a smile on his face.
Luo Qingzhou also picked up his wine glass.
They both drank it down in one gulp.
Yang was serving them some food and asked with a smile, "Qingzhou, how are you doing in the Qin residence? Are you living with Miss Qin?"
The sword-holding girl under the eaves outside tilted her pretty face slightly.
"Good."
Luo Qingzhou looked down at the food in the bowl and said lightly.
Yang looked at Luo Yu next to him and said with a smile: "That Miss Qin..."
At this point, he lowered his voice and said, "Is everything okay? I heard that she can't talk or laugh... Is that true?"
Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment.
Yang smiled and said, "Qingzhou, we are all family. This Chengguo Mansion is your home. What can't you say? If you have any grievances in your heart, you can tell Second Mother."
Luo Yu next to him had a smile on his face but didn't say anything else.
Luo Qingzhou replied: "She's fine, but she's a little introverted and doesn't like to talk."
Luo Yu's eyes flashed and he picked up the wine glass.
Yang glanced at him, then asked with a smile: "That Qingzhou, that Miss Qin, does she... like you?"
The wine in Luo Yu's glass rippled slightly.
Luo Qingzhou said: "I don't know."
Yang smiled, picked up some food for him and said, "Come, eat some food."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and ate.
Yang looked at the second son of Luo again, thought for a moment, and then asked in a low voice: "Qingzhou, I have something to tell you from the bottom of my heart. If you don't like it there, and if those people treat you badly, you can always come back. Your second brother will go to Kyoto in the future. The Chengguo Mansion has such a large industry, and you are well-educated and smart, so you can help manage it when the time comes."
Luo Yu smiled and said, "Second Mother is right, Qingzhou, I am actually not interested in these things, I will still have to rely on you in the future."
Luo Qingzhou didn't say anything.
"Come on, Qingzhou, have a drink."
"Qingzhou, eat some food, eat some food."
One of them toasts while the other serves food.
After chatting for a while, Yang suddenly changed the subject and whispered, "Qingzhou, when your second brother is admitted to Dragon and Tiger College next year, you will also be proud of it. That... the second son of the Qin family, have you seen him recently? Have you seen him practicing martial arts?"
Luo Qingzhou put down his wine glass and said respectfully: "I have been studying in the house recently and have not seen him."
Luo Yu lowered his head, and his expression could not be seen clearly.
Yang smiled, chatted for a few more words, and said, "Eat some food, eat some food."
After more than ten minutes, the table fell into silence.
Luo Qingzhou stood up at the right time and bowed to say goodbye.
Luo Yu stood up and said with a smile: "Qingzhou, I know you have been studying hard recently to prepare for next year's autumn exam, so I dare not keep you any longer. Come back more often in the future, and let's get together more often."
Yang also smiled and said, "Yes, yes, Qingzhou, you should come back more often in the future. Not to mention coming back every day, you should come back two or three times a month, right? According to the rules, you should come back every month to pay your respects to your father and wife. You are a scholar, you can't let people gossip about you. What is the most important thing in the world? Of course, parents are the most important, and filial piety is the most important. You must remember this."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said, "Qingzhou remembers it."
"Xiao Lou, go see your third brother off."
Luo Yu spoke gently to the girl next to him.
Luo Xiaolou glanced at his mother.
Yang glared and said, "Why are you still standing there? Listen to your second brother, put down the wine pot and go see your third brother off."
Luo Xiaolou quickly put down the wine jug and followed the young man.
After the figures of several people disappeared at the gate outside, the smile on Luo Yu's face gradually disappeared.
Yang looked at him anxiously and whispered, "Second Young Master, I don't know if that boy is hiding something on purpose or if he really knows nothing."
Luo Yu looked at her and smiled faintly: "It's okay, Second Mother, it doesn't matter whether you know it or not. I don't bother to defeat Qin Chuan in this way. Don't worry, I have confidence."
Yang flattered with a big smile on her face: "Second Young Master will definitely be able to defeat that kid, absolutely."
Luo Xiaolou walked him out the door, looked around, and seeing that there was no one else, he suddenly ran to Luo Qingzhou's side and hugged his arm, his eyes red and his face full of grievance: "Brother Qingzhou, are you doing well there? Is anyone bullying you?"
Luo Qingzhou stopped, frowned, and said indifferently: "Very good. You don't have to see me off, go back."
He drew his arm back indifferently.
Luo Xiaolou looked at him with tears in her eyes: "Brother Qingzhou, I know... I know that Brother Qingzhou ignored me for the good of me and my mother..."
"Go back to study."
Luo Qingzhou didn't say anything else and left quickly.
Xia Chan followed behind him and looked back at the little girl in a red dress who was standing there crying. A ripple appeared in her cold eyes.
Luo Qingzhou remained silent all the way out of Chengguo Mansion.
Xia Chan held a sword in her left hand and an umbrella in her right hand, and walked silently with him in the snow.
Luo Qingzhou stopped on the street outside the mansion, looked back, and a complex emotion appeared in his eyes.
He didn't stay any longer and left quickly.
“Dumplings! Dumplings! Dumplings fresh out of the steamer!”
There are vendors shouting on the street.
When Luo Qingzhou heard the voice, he looked in that direction and seemed to remember something. He walked over, took out the silver and bought five buns.
"Miss Xia Chan, please wait here for me."
He took the bun and left quickly.
He passed through the alley next to him and easily arrived at a dark alley behind Chengguo Mansion.
After entering the alley, he kept walking forward.
After passing through a small door behind Chengguo Mansion and reaching the end of the alley, I did not see the two weak and frail figures.
When he first came to this world, he was curious about everything in the Chengguo Mansion. While wandering around, he saw this small door. After opening it, he saw two little beggars shivering in the wind and snow, who were so hungry that they could not stand up.
They were a brother and sister about eight or nine years old, wearing tattered clothes, without shoes or cotton-padded jackets. Their four feet were red and swollen from the cold, their hands were covered with frostbite, and they were dying of hunger.
If he had discovered it a day later, the brother and sister would probably have died of hunger and cold here.
He brought them steamed buns, ointment, cotton jackets and bedding.
In the days before he married into the Qin residence, every time he ate, he would ask Xiaodie to take a few more steamed buns and bring them to him.
It's just a piece of cake.
But in this era, there are too many poor people and people who starve to death.
So after he left, he didn't think about it anymore.
When I came back today and saw the small building, I suddenly thought of the brother and sister again.
However, they are no longer here.
I don’t know whether he died in the snowstorm, was dragged away and thrown into a mass grave outside the city, or went somewhere else.
Luo Qingzhou stood in the alley for a while, then walked out of the alley in the snow, holding the gradually cooling buns.
At the entrance of the alley, the cold girl stood there, as if looking at him, or as if looking at the quiet alley behind him.
"Let's go home."
Luo Qingzhou took the oil-paper umbrella from her hand, opened it, and covered her head with it.
The two left the alley.
After taking a few steps, the girl turned around and took another look at the alley that was silent in the wind and snow. In a trance, she seemed to see the scene of that day again.
Snowflakes were flying everywhere. Two little beggars were huddled in the corner of the alley, wrapped in big cotton-padded jackets and eating steaming steamed buns.
The young man sat on the steps nearby, soaked in the snow, and watched them quietly. His handsome and peaceful face was as bright as the winter sun in the cold alley...
"Tang Haws! Tang Haws..."
Suddenly, on the street, the sound of a vendor hawking candied haws was heard.
The girl came back to her senses, glanced, and then looked at the boy next to her.
Luo Qingzhou was thinking about something. After walking for a while, he suddenly found that the person under the umbrella was gone, so he turned around to look.
The girl stood sideways under the eaves not far behind, with her arms folded across her chest, a sword in her arms, and a cold look on her pretty face as she looked at the wall next to her.
And just one step behind her, there was a vendor selling candied haws, who was holding the candied haws in his hand and shouting loudly.