The New Year in Shuojing is coming soon.
At the end of last year, He Yan was in Liangzhou Wei and couldn't come back. After this year, He Sui was going to get married again, so He Sui went to buy some New Year's goods and had to spend the New Year at home lively. It's a pity that he was not originally from Shuojing. Since Mrs. Dahe's death, there have been fewer relatives in the family, and there are very few people who can go to the family.
However, the neighbors are very enthusiastic, and from time to time they come to deliver some dried fruits to eat. This one cooks dumplings and sends a plate, the other one puts a piece of marinated meat, and they often take He Yan's hand and say, "Yan Yan, you In the future, I will marry into the Xiao family and become a young mistress, but don't forget our neighbors. I hugged you when you were young. "
"Yes, yes, I even sewed small clothes for you!"
Thanks to Xiao Jue, I don't have to buy enough meat this year.
However, He Yan still bought some things at his own expense, and asked someone to bring them to Wang Ba and the others, and by the way, gave a New Year's gift to several coaches. They were in the camp outside the city, and Nian could only live with the soldiers. She was about to get married on the tenth day of the first day, and He Yan wanted Xiao Jue to allow them to take a leave of absence. Shitou and his group followed her from Liangzhou Wei to their current friends. He Yan wanted to invite them to his wedding banquet.
However, since Xiao Jue appeared on the day she met Chu Zhao, she has not seen Xiao Jue in the past few days. Thinking about it, he was busy with the matter behind the Mingshui case.
The sky gradually darkened, and the sound of firecrackers and fireworks could be faintly heard in the distance. There was no snow tonight, it was a clear night. He Sui moved the table to the courtyard and asked He Yan and the others to come and eat. He Yan wanted to help at the New Year's Eve dinner, but He Sui refused. He Sui said, "You are going to get married as soon as the New Year's Eve is over, so why do you still have to work and sit! Yan Yan, you can just eat. "
He Yunsheng rolled his eyes secretly.
There was a large table of dishes, even with green plums, but there were only four people, but five pairs of bowls and chopsticks. The pair of empty bowls and chopsticks belonged to the deceased Mrs. He.
He Sui poured everyone a small glass of sweet wine, which was a New Year's gift from the host when he was a guard. He Sui took a sip from the wine glass, looked at the empty tableware, her eyes softened, and she sighed with emotion: "If Ahui is still there, I don't know how happy I would be to see Yan Yan getting married."
"Ahui" is the deceased Mrs. He.
He Yan felt a little sad in her heart, the real Second Miss He was gone, but what she could do now was to live on behalf of Second Miss He, protect He Sui, He Yunsheng, and Qingmei.
"Father, don't say these things on the big happy day," He Yunsheng frowned, "Besides, maybe it was my mother who was a god in the sky to bless my sister and taught her to get married smoothly. Look at her. Like this, if it wasn't for God's blessing, I would only be able to quarrel with me at home for the rest of my life, and no one would want to marry."
He Yan looked at him with a smile: "Yes, yes, but Yun Sheng, I think you are not too young, I wonder what kind of girl you will marry in the future? Are other girls happy to see you? Your temper If you don't change it, you may really have to quarrel with Xiangxiang at home in the future."
"You are talking nonsense, I..." He Yunsheng immediately retorted.
He Yan leaned closer: "Oh, do you already have a girl you like? Let's hear it?"
When it comes to fighting with each other, He Yunsheng has never won against He Yan, so he was in a hurry and turned to look for He Sui: "Dad, look at He Yan!"
"There's nothing wrong with what your sister said." He Sui always stood by He Yan's side, "You should learn from your brother-in-law."
He Yan was drinking wine with his head down, and almost choked when he heard the words. This "brother-in-law" spoke very fluently.
He Yunsheng looked at her gloatingly, Qingmei covered her mouth and laughed lowly.
"Okay, okay, don't talk about this anymore," He Sui raised her cup, "In the new year, I hope we all have good luck and good luck!"
The afterglow of fireworks can be seen far in the night sky, and the new year is approaching.
He Sui did not allow He Yan to drink too much, so He Yan only drank a small cup, as long as he had a sense of it. However, He Yunsheng drank a lot. The family originally promised to keep the year old together. The father and son fell down before the time was up. He Yan and Qingmei worked hard to send the two of them back to the collapse, and then went back to the main room, lighting the fireplace.
Qingmei rubbed her hands and said, "I didn't expect the young master and the master to get drunk so early."
He Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, the Shou Sui proposed by He Yunsheng was sound asleep by himself, and that's all, he should be helping him.
"Do you want to eat?" He Yan handed Qingmei a roasted orange.
Qingmei took it and peeled the orange peel, took a piece and put it in his mouth. The He family did not take the green plum as a person, and they did not have as many master-servant rules as the wealthy family. The orange was a little sour, Qingmei squinted her eyes, swallowed it, and said, "I didn't think that it was New Year's Day today, but I felt that the family was a little deserted. The master and the young master are not there, only the girl and the slaves are."
Looking at other people's houses, the whole family is happy and lively.
He Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with this. She spent a lot of time alone, but she was not as wistful as Qingmei. Instead, he looked at Qingmei, nodded and said, "Chiwu should be called."
Qingmei was taken aback: "What does this have to do with the Chiwu guards?"
"It does matter," He Yan also took an orange and said while eating: "He lived here every day a while ago. You didn't say it was deserted. Now that he's not here, you say it's deserted. You miss him."
Qingmei was stunned and denied without thinking: "I don't, girl, don't talk nonsense."
"Actually, it's nothing." He Yan put the peeled orange peel on the side of the stove and roasted it, and there was a fragrant fragrance in the hall, "After I go to Xiao's house, we'll be your only girl, of course you want to I went along with you. When you and Chiwu look up and see each other, you won't feel deserted by then."
"Girl," Qingmei's anxious stomping **** maid really didn't mean that. "
"I think Chiwu is not bad either," He Yan teased her deliberately, "She was born very well, and he is a member of the Nine Banners Battalion. He might be able to become an official in the future. And he listens to you very much. I see that if you let him sweep the floor, he also swept the floor, and let him dry the clothes, if he doesn't mean that to you, why should he obey?"
"Girl!" Qingmei was annoyed, her face flushed red, she stood up at once, she didn't eat the oranges, and she didn't watch the night, she just said: "This servant doesn't mean that, don't talk nonsense, girl. I'm talking to the Chiwu guards. It's nothing." She put the oranges back and ran away.
"Hey?" He Yan asked from behind, "You're not keeping your age?"
"No more!"
He Yan felt a little regretful, as if she shouldn't be teasing her like this, and now she is the only one left to watch the night. She picked up the orange that Qingmei had put down just now, threw it up, and sighed, "You duplicitous little girl."
Someone's voice sounded: "You know more."
When He Yan looked back, Xiao Jue was leaning against the door of their house, looking at her with a half-smiling smile.
"Xiao Jue?" She was overjoyed, "Why are you here?" She looked outside again: "You came in directly?"
"I knocked on the door," Xiao Jue said as he walked in, "However, there are no guards in your house, so it doesn't make much difference whether you knock on the door or not."
This is also true.
He Yan pulled him to sit down by the fireplace, and slipped an orange into his hand, "Do you want to eat?"
Xiao Jue took the orange and only held it in his hand, but did not eat it.
"Why did you come here?" He Yan asked, "Aren't you going to accompany your brother and sister-in-law at the manor?"
"I came to see you after the New Year's Eve dinner." He said, looked around again, and said thoughtfully, "Why aren't your father and brother here?"
"Don't say it, I'm drunk, I helped them into the room to sleep." She looked at Xiao Jue, "If you come a step later, I'll sleep too."
Xiao Jue: "You're waiting for me, why are you sleeping?"
"I didn't wait for you." He Yan was inexplicable.
Xiao Jue looked at her sideways, and said "Oh" with a faint expression.
He Yan was very heartfelt, grabbed his arm, and said sincerely: "How do you know that I'm waiting for you! I just waited for everyone to sleep before waiting for you! There's no one at the moment, just in time... "
"Just what?"
"Exactly..." He Yan was just talking nonsense, but he didn't make it up. When he raised his eyes, he met his faint light.
"Exactly, please eat an orange." He Yan took his hand and held the orange to his chest.
Xiao Jue looked at her for a while, then turned her head and laughed in a low voice.
He Yan felt that he might be a pistachio or something. Xiao Jue, who is usually inhuman and high-ranking, is always amused by him, which is also an ability that ordinary people do not have.
"It's not interesting to sit in the house, do you want to sit on the roof?" He Yan warmly invited him.
"The roof?"
He Yan grabbed his hand and walked out: "Yes!"
The He family's mansion was not an expensive mansion, and the roof was not very high, so it was easy to jump up. She sat side by side with Xiao Jue, with both hands behind her, looking up into the distance.
On the New Year's Eve in Shuojing City, there are fireworks set off everywhere. It is too far away to see clearly, only bright lights like flowing stars can be seen flashing across the sky.
"When I was a kid before I went to the military camp, I liked to climb the roof." He Yan said, "The roof of the He family is higher than this one. At that time, my kung fu was not good, and I couldn't fly up, so I could only use a ladder. Once I climbed halfway and fell down, afraid of being discovered by Mrs. He, so I didn't dare to make a sound, and my back hurt a lot during that time."
Xiao Juewei: "Why do you like to climb the roof?"
"Because it's high enough," He Yan compared his archery posture, "If you climb to a place high enough, you can go up to the sky to hold the moon and pick up the stars with your hands."
He smiled and said, "Childish."
"Who wasn't naive when they were young?" He Yan retorted, "Besides, I haven't climbed the roof for years."
After joining the army, they will live in tents, where the roof can be climbed, let alone after they get married. Thinking about it now, it was a long time ago to climb the roof.
"If you want," Xiao Jue said, "the roof of the Xiao family will belong to you in the future."
He Yan looked at him sideways, and asked tentatively, "Is it okay to crawl after marriage?"
"Row."
"Is it okay to crawl with you?"
"Row."
"Hold something to eat..."
Xiao Jue interrupted her, "You can do whatever you want."
He Yan blinked, lowered his head and smiled, the smile could not be concealed, like a rippling water splash, magnifying in circles.
Xiao Jue glanced at her, seemingly speechless. After a while, he said, "Climbing on the roof to be happy like this?"
"Of course," He Yan replied, "I am a very satisfied person, and I don't have any expensive interests. All I have to do is eat, wear, and climb on the roof."
Xiao Jue smiled, noncommittal.
"Hey," He Yan touched his arm, "What happened to Xu Xiangyudang?"
Xiao Jue's smile faded, "Part of it belongs to Chu Zilan."
This was something He Yan had already expected. She asked, "You mean that Chu Zhao's righteous killing of his relatives was intentional?"
"Nine times out of ten." Xiao Jue looked into the distance, "He should have replaced Xu Jingfu's place in the prince's heart."
"Do you know what the emperor thinks about the Utuo people?" He Yan asked, "After this incident, the emperor should not accept the Utuo people's proposal for peace, right?"
Xiao Jue didn't speak, and after a while, she shook her head gently.
In fact, He Yan knew in his heart that what happened to Emperor Wen Xuan was no longer the most important thing. The conflict between the crown prince and the fourth prince, I am afraid that because of Xu Jingfu's death, the plan will be faster, I am afraid that it will not be long before the battle will be clearly put on the table.
Xiao Jue and Crown Prince Guangyan are regarded as a gangster and hatred. In the future, if they really want to... they must stand on the side of the fourth prince, but the name is not right. If the emperor intends to pass down the edict, at least the name will be eaten. suffering.
"Don't worry," Xiao Jue said calmly, "I know what I know."
He Yan smiled: "Yes, today is the New Year, it's better not to think about it."
"The wedding dress is ready," Xiao Jue suddenly changed her words, "In a few days, I will be sent to the mansion."
"So fast?"
Xiao Jue's eyes glanced at her: "It's less than ten days to get married, where is the time?"
He Yan sneered and said, "Even so, but..."
I didn't feel it on weekdays, but when I heard him say that, it seemed like I was suddenly a little nervous on the spot.
"After tomorrow, I won't see you again."
He Yan: "Why?"
"The newlyweds cannot meet for a few days before they get married," Xiao Jue replied.
He Yan whispered: "I don't see you as such a well-behaved person on weekdays."
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow.
"I mean," He Yan grabbed his hand and said sincerely, "You are so right, it should be so, I am very relieved to have you manage everything like this."
She understands now that Xiao Jue is a person who is soft but not hard. He will be very happy as long as he says a few good words to flatter him. Knowing that this person is so easy to coax, He Yan thought to himself that when he was in the Xianchang Pavilion, he should have hugged his thigh and flattered him a lot. Maybe in addition to swordsmanship, he would also give pointers on swordsmanship and equestrianism.
Her acting skills were poor, but Xiao Jue just looked at the hand that was grabbed by He Yan, paused, and then put her hand in his palm again.
"He Yan." He called her name.
"what?"
"Happy New Year." He said lightly, his black pupils filled with stars in the night, more soul-stirring than the fireworks in the sky.
He Yan was stunned for a moment.
A kind of warm satisfaction gradually rose from her chest, and she suddenly felt that this new year was really a brand new year.
"You're welcome," she tilted her head, leaned against Xiao Jue's shoulder, and rubbed hard, "Happy New Year to you too."
…
At the end of the street, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the distance.
Every door has the newly changed Spring Festival couplets posted on it.
In Shi Jinbo's mansion, this year was particularly bleak.
Originally, according to this time, the Chu family should be the day when the bride entered the door, which happened to be a double. Unexpectedly, the Xu family had an accident not long ago, and even the Chu family was unlucky. Although Chu Zhao killed his relatives righteously in the end, he escaped for the time being. However, because of his marriage with the Xu family, Shi Jinbo went from being envied by everyone to a laughing stock in Beijing. Chu Linfeng has a good face. He closes the door and does not leave the door for the whole year. There is no joy in the house for the New Year, and it is extremely deserted.
In Chu Zhao's courtyard, it was even more silent.
In the days when Xu Pingting first came, she learned the truth of Xu Jingfu's death. Every day she scolded Chu Zhao for being ruthless and unrighteous in the courtyard. many. But in this way, the only bit of excitement in the entire yard will dissipate.
Chu Zhao was sitting in the house, the sound of fireworks was far away, outside the house and inside the house were like two completely different worlds.
Someone came in behind him, and the servant said, "Fourth Young Master, Miss Yingxiang has written a letter."
Chu Zhao took the letter and looked at it. After a while, he placed the letter in the flame on the oil lamp, which gradually burned out.
There is also a strangely shaped stone on the table, flat as a human palm, if you look closely, it seems to be the shape of a horse, but the fracture looks rough and uneven. It is out of place with other furnishings on the table.
Chu Zhao's eyes fell on the stone, and his expression gradually became distant.
The boy paused, struggled for a moment, and finally couldn't help but say, "Fourth Young Master, when you saw Miss He that day, why didn't you use Grandma Xu as bait and keep Miss He?"
He Yan valued He Xinying so much. If He Xinying was used as a coercion, the marriage between He Yan and Xiao Jue might not be possible.
"It's useless." Chu Zhao returned.
The little servant was puzzled and looked at the person in front of him. The man sat alone at the table, the light from the oil lamp was weak, and his figure was thin and lonely. In the huge house, it seemed that he was the only one who was going to sit here and sit alone for a long time.
"She is a woman who can control her destiny in her own hands." After a long time, Chu Zhao smiled and said, "No one can coerce her."
"I can't, Xiao Huaijin can't, and He Xinying can't."
The night market in Jiyang Shuicheng appeared in front of his eyes. The bright-eyed girl was walking on the street. The crowd was surging, and the lanterns were like day. She stood there, different from other people. It was clear at a glance that she yearned for the sky, not a cage.
He is someone who can't control his own destiny, so he is inexplicably attracted by her, but he is destined to be abandoned again.
Because as she said, they are not the same.
Never was.