Every April around Qingming Festival, it always rains in Shanghai. The sound of the pattering rain mixed with the smell of flowers and grass falling in the courtyard gave it a unique flavor.
Many years later, in the cold Harbin, she still couldn't forget the fresh smell.
At this moment, Tang Jiao was sitting in front of the dressing table in the room in a daze, smelling this smell.
In the mirror is a pretty and beautiful girl, with almond-shaped eyes and peach cheeks, long eyelashes as tall as a small fan, a pair of red lips naturally pouting slightly, and small pear dimples at the corners of her mouth. Her expression seemed to be full of smiles, she was really a sweet girl.
Tang Jiao gently raised her little hands, which were white and delicate. The fingers were clean and did not have the nail polish she was used to. She lightly brushed her face and then pinched it hard.
It hurts!
She turned back and looked at the room.
Opposite the dressing table is a large Suzhou embroidery screen, with flowers and butterflies lingering around it. This is the first masterpiece of Mrs. An in Suzhou. Mrs. An and her mother were close friends in the past. When she was born, Mrs. An gave her a beautiful, luxurious and exquisite screen.
This screen had been placed in Tang Jiao's room since she was a child, until the Tang family fell into decline.
On the side of the screen is a mahogany table and a few lilies in blue and white porcelain vases. Tang Jiao liked lilies the most when she was innocent and didn't know what it was like to feel sad. She always felt noble and pure, like orchids in an empty valley.
Further inside, there is a mahogany Arhat bed with exquisite gold cushions. Her mother has only one daughter, and she wished she could give her all the best things since she was a child. She is really precious at home.
These are all hers. Tang Jiao glanced at them one by one. They were not unfamiliar, but she was shocked.
"Miss, you're awake." The smiling maid opened the curtain and entered the room.
Hearing this voice, Tang Jiao looked at her. This was their maid Si Ye, who had been responsible for serving her.
At first sight of Siye's smiling face, Tang Jiao was in a trance for a moment.
Yotsuba has been dead for twenty years.
"I..." Tang Jiao found that her voice was delicate and soft, with a hint of waxiness.
She was a little uncomfortable, but she continued: "Where's my wife?"
Siye smiled: "My wife is praying for you in the Buddhist hall..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the young lady running out barefoot.
Tang Jiao had not seen her mother for twenty years. Based on her memory, she quickly rushed to the Buddhist hall at the side door on the first floor.
Sure enough, there was a Bodhisattva enshrined in the blessing hall, with green smoke curling up, and Mrs. Tang was kneeling on the futon, very pious.
Tang Jiao panted and held the door, looking at the much younger mother in front of her, her mood was rolling. Although she didn't know why she returned to her girlhood, seeing her mother who was still alive and well, she couldn't hold back all the sadness she felt up to this point. I poured it out, threw myself into my mother's arms and cried heartily.
Mrs. Tang didn't know that Tang Jiao had come back from the dead. She just thought that her youngest daughter's squeamishness was offended. She held her in her arms and patted her on the back. She coaxed lovingly: "Who has been wronged by us? Don't cry." Hehe, you are already a big girl, but you are still so childish."
"Yoyou" is Tang Jiao's nickname. No one has called her her in twenty years. When she heard "Yoyou" today, she felt as if she had grasped a life-saving straw.
Tang Jiao raised her hand and bit her hand, but it still hurt.
Not a dream!
After confirming that it was not a dream, I cried even harder.
She's back, she's back.
Mrs. Tang knew her daughter, so she coaxed softly: "Why is this girl so wronged? Or..."
She paused and asked cautiously: "But you had a quarrel with A Heng?"
Upon hearing this name, Tang Jiao immediately stiffened. Mrs. Tang thought she had guessed correctly and was a little annoyed, but she still advised her daughter: "Don't pay attention to that dead girl. You are a serious young lady. She is just a child from an outsider. How can you be considered a serious person? She was so external in the early years. The child born in the room is nothing more than the skin of a maid. You are the only one who listens to your father and treats her as a sister. I think she has no good intentions. "
Tang Jiao buried her face in Mrs. Tang's body and burst into tears.
Seeing her daughter like this, Mrs. Tang felt even more distressed. She gently wiped her tears and said seriously: "We are a thousand times stronger than her. We are just suffering from a cold, and yet we are crying so hard. You really feel sorry for me." "
Tang Jiao hugged Mrs. Tang's waist and remained motionless, just peaceful and quiet.
Her father and mother were matchmakers appointed by their parents. If it had been an earlier year, perhaps they could have become a good couple. It's just that there are no ifs in life. Nowadays, there is a new wave everywhere. Everyone has to move towards a new life, and her father is no exception, just like most men in this era. After they read, learned a lot, and saw a lot, they began to dislike their wives at home. Falling in love with a like-minded female classmate seems to have become a big trend.
Her father happened to be affected by this kind of influence, but Mrs. Tang's natal family was not a small family with no name and no status, so this relationship was cut off abruptly.
Although the matter has passed, he never thought that when Tang Jiao was thirteen years old, his father would bring this woman back again. At that time, she was already leading Tang Heng, who was only one year younger than Tang Jiao. It is said that they were already pregnant when they broke up. They did not dare to disturb the harmony of the Tang family and lived a hard life with their children. If they didn't meet again, she would never let Tang Heng recognize his ancestor and return to his clan.
The deal was already done, so Mrs. Tang could only allow them to come in.
Tang Jiao originally hated this mother and daughter, but Hu Ruyu was very good at being a good person, and Tang Heng was gentle and courteous to please Tang Jiao. As time went by, Tang Jiao gradually warmed up to Tang Heng and felt that this sister was quite good.
There were even times when her mother made up the story that the mother and daughter were not good, and Tang Jiao felt that her mother was making a fuss out of a molehill.
But now, Tang Jiao thought about her past and resented herself for not being able to see through people's hearts in the first place. Then when she wanted to fight back, she was no longer a match for Hu Ruyu.
At that time, Hu Ruyu became close to the foreign minister and became his outer chamber.
Tang Heng married the second son of the deputy finance minister's family again, and she was forced to flee Shanghai.
Thinking of this, she clenched her fists and her eyes suddenly turned fierce.
She is no longer the desperate girl she was before, and now everything is not at its worst. And she has been immersed in Harbin's business scene for many years, and she is no longer a weak and easy to bully little pitiful girl.
"Mom knows you don't like to hear it, but those mother and daughter are really not good people." Mrs. Tang's eyes were soft and she gently advised her daughter: "What mom is most afraid of is that you will be deceived by them."
Tang Jiao looked up, with crystal tears still hanging on her face.
She nodded obediently and said softly, "Mother, I know they are not good people."
Mrs. Tang looked at her daughter in surprise. She originally thought she would give her some advice, but unexpectedly her daughter figured it out.
She looked deeply at her daughter, feeling even more worried, and asked cautiously: "What did they do to you?"
Tang Jiao lowered her head, then raised her head, pitifully: "They didn't care about me, but I dreamed that they killed my mother."
She threw herself into Mrs. Tang's arms again and whispered: "I don't want to leave my mother, they are too bad."
There was a bit of childishness in the voice.
Mrs. Tang was stunned, her expression became softer and softer, and she said softly: "Silly boy, your dreams are all fake."
Tang Jiao didn't speak. She leaned on Mrs. Tang's body. When she raised her head, she saw Lady Guanyin in the Buddhist hall.
She looked at it like this for a while, and then suddenly said: "Mom, can you find me a Buddhist scripture?"
Mrs. Tang was even more surprised. Now everyone wants to learn those Western things. Originally, Yoyo could not understand her worshiping Buddha. I was afraid that my classmates would know about it when I went out, so I kept it hidden. But I don't think it's completely different now.
She probed: "Do you want to read Buddhist scriptures?"
Tang Jiao nodded seriously, with a very pious expression: "I want to thank Empress Guanyin."
Although Mrs. Tang didn't know why her daughter had changed, she still pampered her and let her go, nodding in agreement.
Tang Jiao let go of Mrs. Tang, knelt on the futon, and clasped her hands together.
There was a sound of footsteps, and a clear and crisp female voice sounded: "Mom, is sister here?"
What are you talking about!
This is Tang Heng's voice.
She stood at the door without entering, very polite.
It was precisely because of her disguise that Tang Jiao believed her, but now she no longer believed her.
When Mrs. Tang was about to have a seizure, Tang Jiao held her mother's hand, then showed a smile and said, "Come in."
Tang Heng opened the door and saw Tang Jiao kneeling on the futon. A flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he still showed a shy smile, "Sister, my cousin is here."
While Mrs. Tang couldn't see her, he secretly winked at her.
She really looks like a lively, innocent and caring "good sister".
Tang Jiao and Mrs. Tang said, "Mom, I was sick and depressed at home before, so I asked my cousin to take me to a movie. I think he fulfilled his promise by coming here today."
After a pause, she smiled, gently shook Mrs. Tang's hand, and said, "Can you let me go?"
Mrs. Tang doesn't like trendy female students because of her husband's affairs, and she is particularly disliked by those trendy items. Tang Jiao originally kept this secret from Mrs. Tang.
This even became a little secret between her and Tang Heng.
But this time, Tang Jiao spoke frankly to her mother. She said coquettishly, "Is that okay?"
Mrs. Tang was really not happy, but seeing her daughter's pitiful appearance, she said softly: "Go ahead."
Tang Jiao smiled brightly, as if she wasn't the one who cried loudly just now.
She put her arms around Mrs. Tang's neck, pressed a kiss on her face, and said happily: "Thank you, mother!"
This move shocked the other two...