All the way in, white lanterns were erected everywhere in Gu's house, and the servants and servants were all wearing filial belts around their waists. This atmosphere was depressing, and Shu Huan's mood became heavy before he knew it. After wearing the plain clothes, there was no need to return to Shengmei Pavilion at this time, the dead were honored, and going to Songhe Hall to pay their respects could also be postponed, so they went straight to Luoxia Courtyard where Gu Xitian used to live.
The courtyard was covered in white, and Gu Xitian had already lay in bed at this moment, wearing a shroud, lying lifelessly on the coffin, his wife Fang Shi, who was covered in sackcloth, sat by the side with dull eyes, without tears, she looked as if she was dead. average.
Shu Huan followed Gu Xiran and went up to cry and worship. Through her tearful eyes, she saw the man lying on the coffin with clean and handsome features. This was the first time she saw Gu Xitian, the eldest son of Gu's family. There were seven points of similarity, she panicked for some reason, she was still sobbing silently with her red eyes relying on the effect of the chili water, but suddenly she really lost her voice and choked up.
Seeing her crying, all the maids in the room also cried out in mourning, only Fang Shi, who seemed to be ignorant of everything in front of her, sat still as usual, without even raising her eyelids.
After crying for a while, someone came up to persuade him, after a while, Gu Xiran took advantage of the situation and asked, "How did the elder brother get there?"
Yingluo, Fang's dowry maid, sobbed and shook her head: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is just over, and the uncle said he was going out in a hurry. Yesterday morning, he packed up his things and took two young servants, and went out with the master. Weeping together, I came back to report... saying that the horse my uncle was riding was frightened for some reason, and he galloped away after going out for a short distance. When someone caught up, my uncle had... fell off the horse and died..."
Shu Huan was wiping away tears, and was slightly taken aback when she heard the words. She had guessed the cause of Gu Xitian's death, but she never thought that he fell from a horse and died. It was a bit surprising.
Gu Xiran frowned and said, "That's it?"
Yingluo nodded, turned her face away to wipe away her tears.
Gu Xiran pondered for a while, then suddenly bowed to Fang Shi: "The matter has come to this, sister-in-law must take care of herself."
Fang was stunned, as if she didn't know that someone was talking to her at all. Yingluo stepped forward and pushed her, and then she looked up at them expressionlessly. After a long while, she opened her mouth slightly and said, "Here is the rope." ?"
…
Shu Huan couldn't bear to look at her ashes-like expression and empty eyes.
I still remember the plain but warm smile on the corners of Fang's lips two months ago, it was clearly a budding youth who still had half of her life to live, but after only one night, that smile disappeared forever, People have become as dry as wood.
Seeing Fang like this, Yingluo stopped crying again: "Since the uncle's accident, my girl has been like this... She doesn't seem to be able to see or hear anyone who comes to persuade her..."
In private, she still maintains the old address of Fang Shi, but in fact, her identity as a girl has long since left Fang Shi, and even since yesterday, she has a new identity, widow.
"It would be great if I could cry." Shu Huan sighed in a low voice, "Has she ever eaten?"
Yingluo shook her head: "From yesterday to this meeting, Shuimi hasn't had a tooth broken."
If you go on like this, you won’t starve to death for a while, but you will become dehydrated. Shu Huan doesn’t know how to persuade Yingluo, so she can only tell Yingluo: “You can adjust the light sugar and salt water first, and try to persuade her to drink some, or make her cry. Immediately, I asked Doctor Ji to come over and have a look, to see if the phlegm surged up from the grief and fascinated my heart."
When something like this happened, the old matriarch and Mrs. Lin were also in a mess. They couldn't take care of Mrs. Fang for the time being. Yingluo was a maid who had lost her backbone and lost her mind a long time ago. Now that Shu Huan had made a clear assignment, she immediately nodded her head. , and then hurriedly sent them out of the yard.
After seeing Gu Xitian for the last time, according to the rules, they still have to go to the mourning hall to offer incense. Shu Huan and Gu Xiran don't know much about the rules here, but fortunately, with Aunt Yun by their side and a servant to remind them, it seems a bit wrong difficult.
Since Gu Xi had already passed away before he became weak, and he still had no children, not to mention that before the day of mourning, no one cried and worshiped in the initial mourning hall, only Gu Xiren brought a few servants and maidservants to watch them inside. The servant girl was busy lighting incense and handing papers, Gu Xiren also came up to greet her, bowed her head and called out: "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law."
He usually likes white clothes, and now he is dressed in plain clothes, but he doesn't feel any different from his previous appearance, but his voice is a little hoarse, and when he raises his eyes, he can see the reddish circles around his eyes.
Gu Xiran nodded to him, then put incense on the coffin, burned paper and made a drink.
In fact, there should be another cry, but this behavior is not what he and Shu Huan wanted. Even if they were really sad to the extreme, they couldn't cry exaggeratedly.
After silently burning the paper, Gu Xiran said hello to Gu Xiren: "Let's go see the majesty."
Gu Xiren said nothing, but sent them to the gate of the mourning hall, and then turned back.
It was a different situation in Songhe Hall. The old lady was sad, Lin was exhausted, Gu Da was completely paralyzed on the couch, his face was sallow, and there was a handkerchief on his forehead. Xihe curled up beside the old matriarch, looking at this and then that, showing a very bored look on his face.
When they entered, they seemed to be discussing how to suspend their mourning. They only heard Mrs. Lin say there: "The weather is not too cool. If you want to suspend your mourning for seventy-seven forty-nine days, it might be a bit inappropriate. Why don't you Stopped the first seven... "
Before she finished speaking, Gu Da, who was lying there, opened his eyes and snorted: "There is nothing wrong, just stop for seventy-seven forty-nine days, and those monks and Taoists will come back in a hurry. altar setting"
After finishing speaking, he saw Gu Xiran walking in from the outside, his dejected eyes suddenly lit up, and he was anxious to stand up, but then he heard the youngest son call out excitedly: "Second brother"
He immediately realized that this was his second son, not the deceased eldest son, and his heart was sore, the old tears almost flowed down, and the concubines who were serving beside him in a panic persuaded: "Master Sorry, take care of yourself"
Gu Xiran and Shu Huan were summoned back urgently, not because there was something waiting for them to take care of, but because there was a funeral at home, and everyone in the whole family had to gather together, not to mention the sickness that Gu Xiran showed in the past, no one really expected him to be capable Something, so after they greeted and expressed their condolences, the more Gu Da looked at Gu Xiran, the more he felt disliked.
When he was in a bad mood, he actually came up with a very absurd idea, wondering how his second son, who had been sick for many years, was still alive until now, if only he could die for his most beloved eldest son...
Such a thought, just flashed in his mind, and he suddenly realized the viciousness of his thought, and couldn't help feeling a little ashamed, but he didn't want to see Gu Xiran any more, so he blurted out: "You still know that you want to come back for the funeral? Go, leave here as soon as possible, and go back to your house to recuperate."
This is nothing to find fault with, words that are extremely detrimental to people's dignity and face, even the old matriarch glanced at Gu Da with some dissatisfaction, but seeing that he was so sad that he couldn't get sick because of Gu Xitian's passing away, he couldn't bear to say anything about him, He just let out a long sigh, and said in an old-fashioned way: "You go and rest first, and you will have to work hard to watch the coffin and go out for the funeral."
Gu Xi looked indifferent, answered "yes", and led Shu Huan all the way out.