The winter in Shuojing is getting colder every day.
It rained at night, and the next morning, the ground was covered with a damp coldness. On the tenth day of October, He Yan got up early.
He Sui and He Yun left before dawn. One of them was going to work and the other was going to school. He Yan got up after they went out, lit a candle, finished grooming quietly, and walked out the door on tiptoe.
Qingmei was sleeping soundly, and it was not time to get up to cook. He Yan knew that Chiwu lived in an empty room in the yard. However, this man was very quick-witted. Afraid of being discovered, He Yan took out the kung fu that he had used in his previous life to raid and hide in the Qianfeng Camp, and walked the short distance from the yard to the outside of the yard.
Xiangxiang glanced at her, as if puzzled by her behavior, He Yan touched the horse's head. He Yunsheng really cherished this horse, and even specially equipped it with a saddle, but in the end he was reluctant to ride, the saddles were all new. It's just that she is going out of the city today, and now she is really poor and has no money to rent a carriage, so she can only ask Xiangxiang to help her take her for a ride.
He Yan got on his horse and galloped out of the city in the hazy morning light of the winter in Shuojing City.
When the rooster croaked for the third time, Qingmei yawned and got up to boil water. The water boiler is placed outside the yard, and the kettle is steaming hot, creating a little warmth in the cold morning. She first went to the kitchen to boil the porridge, and then went to the yard to add water to the sink in the stable.
He Yunsheng loves horses like his life. In the past, he had to feed the horses himself, but now he has a lot of schoolwork, and he leaves early and returns late every day. Qingmei did not dare to neglect, Quan Dang Xiangxiang was the third young master in the house and took good care of her.
In the past, when she walked to the "stable", Xiangxiang would pace back and forth when she heard her voice, but today it was unusually quiet. Qingmei was a little worried, could it be that she was ill? It has been very cold these days, and people are susceptible to wind-cold, not to mention horses. Qingmei walked to the stables and took a look at the wind lantern. She was stunned for a moment. After a while, she recovered and ran to He Yan's house in a hurry. Xiangxiang was stolen…”
The door was pushed open, Qingmei's voice stopped abruptly, and the room was empty, no one was there. She was flustered in her heart, and looked around, but did not see He Yan's shadow, was stunned for a moment, and burst into tears.
With a "bang", the door was opened again, and a man's voice appeared in the yard: "What happened?"
Chiwu rubbed his forehead and had to say that the He family was really poor. Apart from the three rooms in the courtyard, there are no other guest rooms. He Sui was a sincere person and wanted to vacate his house for Chiwu. He Yunsheng reluctantly agreed to live in the same room with Chiwu, but Chiwu categorically refused. Although he was not particular in the past, he did not let his life go to the point where he went to work as a bodyguard to protect the safety of the master's house and went to the main house of the master's house. In the end, after thinking about it, He Sui could only vacate the innermost room in the yard where the sundries were piled up.
The room is very small, and after removing the clutter, only one bed can be placed. If Chiwu wanted to leave, he had to lean forward. Although he was also a bodyguard in the Xiao family, his treatment was very different. Even though the He family had tried their best to provide him with the best conditions, many times, Chiwu could not wait to pay out of his own pocket and let the He family change to a bigger house.
He watched the first half of the night last night, and went back to the house to rest in the second half of the night. When he woke up at this moment, he heard the heartbreak of the little maid crying, so he got up and asked.
Qingmei turned around and was startled when she saw Chiwu. Chiwu was silent in the yard on weekdays. He didn't eat with them, but just slept in the utility room at night. So sometimes Ome almost forgets that there is this person in the house. At this moment, Chiwu appeared, Qingmei seemed to have caught a life-saving straw, and rushed up and said: "Chiwu son! The girl and Xiangxiang are gone, they were taken away!"
Chiwu: "..."
He said, "I'll go take a look."
He Yan's bedroom was garish, with sachets and red tents hanging everywhere. Chiwu was shocked. If he had to go in, he wouldn't want to see these things. He just didn't expect He Yan's casual appearance to love him so much. Jiao. When I look back, I have to tell Bai Rongwei about this. When Bai Rongwei arranges a new house for Xiao Jue in the future, it will be exactly as He Yan intended.
He walked out of the room with only a few glances, and Qingmei followed: "Master Chiwu, how is it?"
"She wasn't taken away, she went by herself."
"How is that possible?" Qingmei didn't believe it. "Why did the girl leave by herself? Even if she wanted to leave, she would say hello. Young Master Chiwu," she looked up and down at Chiwu suspiciously, "Don't you think so? I'm afraid it's not good to deal with Governor Xiao, so let's put the responsibility on our girl."
Chiwu couldn't bear it any longer, "Miss, see clearly, before your young lady was taken away, you folded the quilt carefully." The quilt is the way the Liangzhou Guard recruits fold. It is square, like a square tofu cube. It is from He Yan's hand. "May I ask which assassin has to wait for her to fold the quilt before arresting someone?"
Qingmei: "But..."
"It's okay to arrest people, even people and horses are arrested, and I've never seen them."
Qingmei stopped talking.
After a while, she seemed to have forgotten all the accusations and suspicions she had just made against Chiwu, and asked politely: "So Young Master Chiwu, can you think of why the girl left without saying goodbye? "
"Forgive me for not knowing."
Chiwu was also full of anger, and there were only two people in the yard, Qingmei and him. Looking at Qingmei's stupid appearance, how could He Yan need to go out of the house secretly, without a doubt, to prevent himself from following her!
Now that the person is gone, when the young master turns around and asks, he must be unlucky. He Yan walked easily and left him a piece of chicken feathers. He had long known that going to He's house was not a good job, as expected!
"What do I do now? Do you want to report to the official?" Qingmei had no choice but to stare at the only person in front of her who could speak.
Chi Wu said: "No, I'll go out and find her." Since He Yan secretly went out, it's very likely that he was doing something he didn't want people to know about.
Just after taking a step, someone grabbed his sleeve, Chiwu turned around and saw Qingmei grabbing him, as if afraid that he would also leave without a word in the next moment, "I'll go with you."
"No need."
"I'm the only one in this yard, not even Xiangxiang anymore," the little maid's mouth flattened, and she seemed to be about to cry, so she forcibly held back, "Young Master Chiwu, I'll go find it with you!"
Chiwu: "..."
He was helpless, "Okay."
…
He Yan could of course guess how the house would be turned upside down after he left. It's just that she also believes in Chiwu, and can comfort the crying bag of Qingmei.
She couldn't do anything about it. If it wasn't for Qin's goodwill - Niu Blacksmith only went down the mountain to the "Changmao Iron Shop" on the tenth day of every month, she would not have come up with this method. I can't let Chiwu go with me, I can only go out secretly. As for the other things, I'll talk about it after I find Mother Qin.
Since Xiangxiang called He's family, she has been nourished by He Yun's food and drink. Occasionally, when she doesn't go to school, she can take it to the nearby river for a run. The pony still ran very fast, and He Yan went out of the city smoothly.
It is not as lively as the city, and there is only such a large market in the nearby villages and towns. On the tenth day of every month, businessmen from all walks of life will set up stalls here. Some sell herbal medicine, some sell old clothes, some sell cattle and sheep, it is so lively and dazzling.
He Yan led the horse to a shop selling wine, and the shopkeeper greeted with a smile, "Is your brother going to buy wine?"
He Yan went out today and dressed up in men's clothes for convenience. Hearing this, he just smiled and said, "I'm going to get a pair of horseshoes for my horse. I heard that there is an iron shop nearby called 'Changmao Iron Shop', do you know where the shopkeeper is? place?"
Hearing the shopkeeper's words, he pointed He Yan in a direction, "Go along this road until you reach the end, look to the right, and that is Changmao Iron Shop."
He Yan thanked this man, and took Xiangxiang to the other side. When the road came to an end, he turned back and saw that there was a shop directly opposite him, with the words scrawled on it " "Changmao Iron Shop".
He Yan tied the horse outside and walked in by himself. There was only a gray-haired old master sitting in front of the iron stove, banging on a black iron vat.
"Master." He Yan called to him.
The old master raised his head and glanced at He Yan, and asked, "What is the guest officer trying to fight?"
"Sorry," He Yan said, "I'm not here to strike iron. I'm here to inquire with the master about a man named Niu Blacksmith. I heard that he comes here every day on the tenth day. Has he been here today?"
He Yan was a little uncertain. Fuwang only said that the blacksmith would come every day on the tenth day of the first day, but he didn't say when. With the prudence of Niu Blacksmith, he must leave after finishing his business. She came here out of town, it was almost noon, maybe the blacksmith had already been here and left.
Hearing the words, the old master stopped what he was doing. He stood up, picked up the handkerchief that was soaked in water, and wiped the stains off his hands before saying, "Old Niu hasn't come today. However, he is already late, this is still He was late for the first time."
He Yan: "Is it late?"
"In the early morning of the tenth day of every month, he will come here to deliver the goods. Lao Niu's craftsmanship is very good," the old master said with some emotion: "I originally asked him to help in my shop, and the monthly salary is much higher than that of his own. If he refuses, forget it. According to the time, he should be here in the early morning today and hand over the ten iron sickles I asked him to make last month, but it’s almost noon now,” the old master looked at the sun outside. Head, "He hasn't come yet."
"Maybe there is something delayed on the way." He Yan said so, but his heart sank. I was afraid that Xu Zhiheng had already found Qin's whereabouts one step ahead of her, so now he can't see the blacksmith.
"Lao Niu is a safe person. If there is nothing important, he will not be late." The old master asked He Yan again: "What is the son looking for him, since I know him, he is alone. Does the son know Lao Niu? "
He Yan smiled and said, "I don't know him, I just wanted to ask him about something."
The old master nodded, pointed to a wooden board next to him, and waited, "The son, just sit here and talk until the old cow arrives."
He Yan sat down according to the words, but he didn't expect that this sitting would be a whole day.
The sun was gradually setting, and the sky was starting to get dark. The old master finished his day's work, washed his hands and changed his clothes. He stood up and said to He Yan, "Sir, it seems that the old cow won't come today."
"The market is about to end by this time, and I'm going to close the door too." He gently gestured to He Yan that it was time to leave.
He Yan's heart sank as if a stone had fallen, she forced a smile and said "Okay". In the end, he was not at ease, and solemnly said to the old master: "Master, please don't mention today's matter to others. The same is true for Niu Blacksmith. In a few days, I will come again."
The old master responded, and He Yan led the horse away.
The people in the market dispersed in twos and threes, and there was only a mess left after the lively day. Some poor mothers and children were bending over to pick up leftover vegetables and fruits on the ground. The lanterns in the distance gradually lit up, He Yan. Walking slowly with the horse, it is really difficult to be happy.
Originally thought that Fuwang had found a clue, and when he came here today, he would follow the blacksmith to find Qin's whereabouts, but he didn't expect to find anything.
For the past few months, the blacksmith has been going to the blacksmith shop to deliver the goods on time every month, but he didn't come today. From morning till night disappears, it is impossible to be sooner or later. Either Niu Blacksmith took Mother Qin to move out again, or he could no longer come here.
He Yan's eyes sank slightly.
…
When I got home, the house was already in chaos. He Sui hadn't come back yet, He Yunsheng was about to go out, and the whole family was clamoring. When He Yan led the horse back, Qingmei was at the door. When he saw He Yan, he thought he was wrong and rubbed it. Rubbing his eyes, he rushed over and shouted, "The girl is back!"
Before He Yan had time to speak, He Yunsheng took the lead and put on the appearance of asking for guilt, and said, "Where did you go? And you took Xiangxiang with you!"
He Yan didn't know for a while whether he was caring about Xiangxiang or himself. After thinking about it, he said, "I just have nothing to do today, and I haven't gone out these days, so I took Xiangxiang out for a walk."
"Since you're going out, why don't you bring someone with you?" He Yunsheng glanced at Chiwu who was silent on the side, "Don't even say hello."
"Ah," He Yan pretended to be surprised, "I left a note on the table when I left. Didn't you see it? If you didn't see it, maybe a swallow flying from outside took it away."
"It's cold in the middle of winter, where did the swallows come from?" He Yunsheng looked at her with cold eyes, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I just went out for a walk and didn't do anything. I see it's still early, Chiwu hasn't woken up yet, I think I shouldn't wake him up, anyway, I'll be back in a while. I didn't expect to go out for a long time, and I forgot when I went out. Time. I'm sorry, this time I'm just having fun, I'll never do this next time." He Yan apologized insincerely.
Chiwu: "..." Is this saying that he slept too hard
He Yun was angry: "He Yan!"
"I'm hungry, did Qingmei cook?" He Yan rubbed her stomach. It was true. She stayed in the blacksmith shop for a day today and never left. Even eating is solved by buying two steamed buns at the door.
"I've done it." Qingmei hurriedly went to the kitchen to bring out the food, "If the girl is hungry, she will eat first. The servants have been keeping the porridge hot, and it tastes just right now."
"Thank you." He Yan replied with a smile.
He Yunsheng is helpless even if he is angry with He Yan. He has never been able to control what He Yan wants to do. Feeling angry and helpless for a while, he had to follow He Yan to sit down at the table, pick up chopsticks and eat without knowing the taste.
Chiwu stood by the door, and he was also puzzled. He Yan went out for a whole day. On this day, he and Qingmei searched for people everywhere, but they couldn't find He Yan's whereabouts. He Yunsheng was about to report to the official, and now He Yan seemed to be safe and sound, and his expression was not too flawed.
But... what on earth did she do
…
In the remote courtyard of the house, in the room, a man and a woman sat opposite each other. The man and the woman are both quite old. The man has dark skin, wrinkles on his face, and dirty fingers. He is strong and powerful. At first glance, he looks like a man who works hard. The woman was in her forties. Although she was dressed in ordinary clothes, her skin was delicate and she had the appearance of a milf, and she didn't look like she had suffered.
The man was better, but the woman looked extremely frightened. Both of them were tied with ropes and could not move half a step. They could still speak, but since they got here, they called for a long time, but no one answered.
"Old Niu, what the hell is going on?" the woman said, her voice unstoppable in panic.
The man and the woman were exactly the blacksmith He Yan was looking for and his close friend, Mammy Qin.
Blacksmith Niu shook his head. This man looked dull, but his eyes were a little shrewd. He looked around and said, "Maybe it's from the Xu family."
As soon as she heard the word "Xu's family", Qin Mama couldn't help shaking her whole body.
At the beginning, she followed He Wanru into Xu's house, and He Wanru was favored, and even took her as a nurse, and had a good life. Food and food are much better than in the He family in the past, but unfortunately, the good times did not last long.
Thinking of He Wanru's death, Qin mama couldn't help fighting a cold war.
He Wanru is her first-hand nurse, and although she has a arrogant temperament, she trusts her nurse very much. It's not that Mother Qin didn't remind He Wanru that some things are secrets, and the fewer people know about them, the better. If someone tells you the secret without any cover, it's not trust in you, it's because, in the eyes of the other party , you are already dead.
The dead are the best kept secrets.
It's not that she never persuaded He Wanru to pack up and run away with her. It was a pity that He Wanru did not believe her words, so He Wanru died in the Xu residence. Before He Wanru's death, Qin mama expected her fate, so she wrote a letter to this old friend, hoping that after her death, Niu Blacksmith could help take care of her family.
Although Niu Blacksmith is a rough-handed craftsman, his brain is active, and he has some sincere feelings for Qin mama, so he gave Qin mama an idea, only that if she died, Qin mama's children and grandchildren will still be in danger. . It's better to run away, Xu Zhiheng may not dare to attack Qin's family because of his scruples.
When Mother Qin heard it, she felt that what the blacksmith said was not unreasonable. As for where to escape, it was naturally the blacksmith who had the final say.
Over the past year, she and Niu Blacksmith have been hiding in the barren mountains, and they have indeed lived a peaceful life. But last night, for some unknown reason, a group of strangers suddenly broke into the thatched hut on the mountain and took them away in uniform. When they woke up, they were already in this room.
"Old Niu, are we going to die?" Mother Qin said timidly, "They found us, and they won't give us a way to live... My grandson... And you, it's me who has troubled you all."
The blacksmith said: "A-Qin, don't be afraid, I don't think they want our lives."
Mother Qin raised her head: "What did you say?"
If there is a chance of life, who would want to die easily? Mother Qin didn't want to die either. Hearing the blacksmith Niu said so, a gleam of light flashed in her eyes immediately.
"If it was Xu Zhiheng, he would be able to do it when he found us, and he wouldn't leave us alive until now." Niu Blacksmith comforted her, "At least we won't be in danger now."
"Then... Then what do you mean, the person who arrested us wasn't Uncle Xu?" Qin mammy asked suspiciously, "Then what exactly is he trying to arrest us for?"
"I don't know that either."
Mother Qin fell silent. Sometimes the fear of the unknown is the most terrifying thing. The other party just left the two of them here without paying attention, but it was more suspicious than revealing their identities at the beginning.
After an unknown time, someone's voice rang from outside. Mother Qin was refreshed and looked at the closed door expectantly.
The door was pushed open and someone walked in. The first to come were two men in black, a man and a woman, with no clues on their expressions. The one who came in later was a young man, who was exceptionally handsome. Looking at his clothes, he should not be an ordinary person.
Mother Qin has been serving the Xu family for many years, and she still has this wink. As soon as she saw these three people, she knew that the last handsome young man was the master, and immediately said, "Sir, please forgive me!"
On the other hand, the blacksmith didn't say a word, just silently looking at the person who came.
The handsome young man sat down on the chair in the middle of the room, with two men in black standing beside him, his gaze swept over the two of them, and finally landed on Mother Qin.
It was clearly a calm expression, but it made Mother Qin shudder.
"Are you the nurse of Xu Jiahe Wanru?" the man asked.
Mother Qin's heart sank, she was still holding on to luck at first, but now she understands when this person opens his mouth, the other party is coming for the secret of the Xu family. She said: "Indeed... Young Master..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the other party. The young man said lightly, "How did He Wanru die?"
"I… "
"If you lie, he will die." He raised his chin slightly and looked in the direction of the blacksmith.