When Xi Fuwei rushed to Xi Fucui's yard, she happened to see him vomiting a large mouthful of blood into the gold basin that the maid hurriedly brought!
"How could this happen?!" Her voice trembled involuntarily, and as she stepped forward to support her brother, she scolded the people around her, "Why don't you call the doctor quickly?!"
Quezhi, the maid who had been with Xi Fucui for the longest time, choked up and said, "I've already sent someone to invite him..."
Taking a deep breath to hold back her tears, she continued to answer Xi Fuwei, "Young Master was lying down fine, but it looked like he was asleep. Suddenly he wanted to sit up, saying he felt chest discomfort... So the slaves helped the Young Master to lean on him. Sitting on the couch, I was about to tell the master or the lady, but the young master just... "
She tried hard to suppress it, but she still let out a sob involuntarily. People said that if the young man vomited blood, his life would be at risk. Xi Fucui was still lying on the bed for many days, and there was no improvement after several diagnoses and treatments... In this situation, even if Quezhi is serving this young master, the relationship between master and servant is deep, and even though he is not willing to think in a bad direction, he can still control it. I couldn't help but have an ominous premonition.
Not only her, but Xi Fuwei was also in a panic. She pinched her palms hard before she calmed down a little and said in a deep voice: "Send someone else! Please hurry up, doctor!"
Before he finished speaking, Xi Zongwang rushed in like a gust of wind. Just as he was about to ask, he saw his son leaning on his daughter's shoulder with a pale face and dying. Tears immediately fell from his eyes: "My son! You... don't scare your father!" "
Xi Fucui was very weak at the moment, his whole body was light and airy, as if he would fly when he followed him. Someone seemed to be talking around him, but he couldn't hear clearly what was said.
Even who I am is gradually forgotten in this kind of drifting...
The most outstanding talent in Dongchang Prefecture in recent years, and the most promising young man from the countryside of Dongchang's leading wealthy Wen family, his condition suddenly worsened and he passed away on the day he received the good news of being ranked third in the high school championship list.
I didn't even leave a last word when I left.
"My son, why are you so cruel?" It was late at night. In the hastily built mourning hall, Xi Zongwang burst into tears. While looking at the young concubine Xi Jiao kneeling in front of the brazier to burn paper, he choked and said, "You guys My mother passed away early. My father has been both father and mother over the years, and it was easy to bring you up. You were successful in school, and you also helped your sister to have a good marriage... My father originally thought that the next step would be to enjoy a happy life. ... I didn’t expect that... you would actually be ahead of the curve in becoming a father... "
In the filial piety curtain behind him, Xi Fuwei, dressed in linen like snow, knelt beside the coffin, silent, but tears kept pouring out of her eyes, soaking her whole face.
"My ancestors of the Xi family have never done less than give soup and build bridges."
"Since your mother passed away, in order to pray for you, my father will donate to the village every year... Although his ability is limited and he is not a good person, he is not a vicious person... Why does the white-haired person give the black-haired person something to do? Our house?!”
Xi Zongwang looked at the flames infatuatedly, unable to figure it out, "If the Xi family has done any evil in the past and needs retribution, why not repay me, an old man, and why do I have to do it to my young son?!"
He rambled on, reviewing the more than ten years that father and son had been dependent on each other, and finally cried uncontrollably, "My father is old and frail, Wei'er has not yet left the cabinet, and Jiao'er is only six years old." Years old!!! You kid, why can’t you bear to go like this?! What are you going to do next if you leave this whole family behind?!”
Six-year-old Xi Jiao was still ignorant. He just followed his grandfather's request and knelt down in front of the brazier and handed the paper money in. He didn't know what the scene in front of him meant.
However, listening to Xi Zongwang's heartbroken cry, he was stunned and started to cry.
Xi Fuwei, who was inside the curtain of filial piety, noticed that she could no longer hold back. She stood up with a few steps on her knees, walked out, hugged her nephew and cried loudly!
This night, the grandfather and grandson lived an extremely long and cold night.
Early the next morning, the news of Xi Fucui's death spread, and people near and far were very surprised.
They had just heard the news about the Xi family's eldest son's high school diploma, and were preparing generous gifts and well-dressed to come to congratulate him. Who knew that the situation suddenly changed, and now they were upset... In addition to the surprise, some people also felt sad. Secretly delighted.
The Xi family was not born and raised in Dongchang Prefecture.
The reason why we settled here was related to the previous dynasty, which was the "Blue Jade Case" that shocked the world when His Majesty Emperor Taizu was in power. In this matter, the clan executed the first Duke, the Thirteenth Marquis, and the second uncle, and they were all implicated. The so-called "Blue Party" is said to have as many as 15,000 people!
The Xi family was also involved. After some turmoil, the remaining children moved from Jiannan to Dongchang Mansion.
Although he has often given alms and donated money to the countryside over the years, he has been vaguely ostracized among the local gentry.
It was only in recent years that such an outstanding junior as Xi Fucui appeared, and he made a marriage agreement with the Wen family. With the introduction and help of the Wen family, he was gradually accepted by them.
But in the final analysis, this kind of acceptance is based on the Wen family's face. These people may not be jealous of the Xi family in their hearts.
Now that Xi Fucui is gone, how can he rejoice in his misfortune
I'm just worried that the Xi family has Xi Fuwei, the fiancée of the eldest son of the Wen family. The Wen family has always attached great importance to their daughter-in-law-to-be. Since their engagement, they have never stopped sending condolences during every year and festival.
Even if Xi Fucui dies, the relationship between the Xi family and the Wen family may not end there.
So now I changed into plain clothes and came to express my condolences with gifts.
The Xi family's grandfather and grandson hugged each other and cried all night. They were all very tired, but now they had to drag their tired bodies to greet the guests, so that was all. What saddens them the most is the whispers and pointings coming from the crowd from time to time, the attitude of treating a tragedy that has nothing to do with them as a pastime... which makes them angry and helpless...
Just as I was feeling sad, there was suddenly a noise outside.
Then I heard several people rushing to greet "Brother Qing'an". Xi Fuwei heard this and reminded her in a mute voice through the filial curtain: "Dad, it's the chief steward of the Wen family who is here!"
Xi Zongwang was in a daze for a while, then wiped his tears and stepped forward to meet him.
Behind the filial piety curtain, Xi Fuwei bit her red lips tightly, and a solemn look gradually appeared on her pale face: Everyone in the Dongchang Mansion knew how much the Wen family attached to the Xi family's marriage! During previous festivals, the tribesmen and even Wen Xianyun came over in person... Now that Xi Fucui has passed away, for such a big event, only one steward came...
Xi Fuwei secretly prayed that things would never go as she thought!
It's not that she realizes that she no longer has a supporter like her brother. If the Wen family cancels her engagement, it will be difficult to find someone better.
But he was afraid that Xi Zongwang wouldn't be able to bear this blow that would make matters worse.
Wen Qingqing, the head steward of the Wen family, lit the incense after entering the door, comforted Xi Zongwang with gentle words, and explained that the Wen family had been very busy recently, so he could only let one of his servants run errands... and then left.
After he left, everyone in the mourning hall exchanged meaningful glances with each other: the daughter-in-law-to-be's brother passed away, and the Wen family just had a steward. However, from beginning to end, no one asked about the young master behind the filial piety curtain. If Madam is okay... even a fool can appreciate the intention here!
Xi Zongwang, who was still immersed in the sadness of losing his son in old age, could not react for the time being, but Xi Fuwei's heart sank completely.
That night, taking advantage of the opportunity when all the condolences had dispersed, she watched Xi Jiao lying tiredly beside the coffin and falling asleep. She covered him with a blanket, then walked away and went out to say to Xi Zongwang: "Dad, I want to break off the engagement!"
"What are you talking about?" Xi Zongwang was silent as he looked at his son's spiritual tablet. It wasn't that he didn't want to cry anymore, but that his tears had dried up and could no longer be shed.
Listening to his daughter's words, he was stunned for a moment before he realized, "Yesterday, my family, the Wen family, just came over to discuss the marriage..."
"I lost my brother yesterday!" Xi Fuwei interrupted in a low voice, "Dad, who doesn't know how this marriage came about? What they are interested in is not me at all, but my brother's future! But my brother No more... Yesterday, Wen Xianyun's uncle and aunt left in a hurry. It can be said that such a big event happened in our family. They had to go back to report to the Wen family. Today, only the manager came... The head of the Wen family is now He is not in Dongchang Mansion, but Wen Xianyun is there!"
"He and his brother were both classmates and my fiancé. They knew the sad news of my brother's death but they didn't show up... Do you need to clarify what the Wen family is thinking now?"
"Our family's foundation in Dongchang Mansion is incomparable to that of the Wen family!"
"Now that the Wen family has the intention of repenting of their marriage, they brought it up without knowing it...are they still waiting for someone to break up with each other?"
She breathed out, "After all, it's okay that I'm betrothed to someone else from the Wen family, but it's the eldest son of the Wen family! Dad, ask yourself... If you were the head of the Wen family, would you let a descendant of the heir family marry the daughter of an ordinary squire? ?!”
Without Xi Fucui, even though the Xi family has a small fortune, it is nothing more than a loss to everyone.
There are a lot of country squires with such a small amount of wealth in Dongchang Mansion.
In front of the Wen family, which has controlled Dongchang Mansion for several generations, they are all ants.
If the Wen family's wish was just to keep this one-third of an acre of land, they would value Xi Fuwei's talents and appearance even more. However, judging from their actions of coming to propose marriage to young Xi Fucui immediately after he passed the examination as a scholar, it was obvious that they had great ideas to further revitalize the family.
In this way, without the young and talented elder brother as a backer, why would the Wen family continue to accept Xi Fuwei as the young lady? !
Seeing Xi Zongwang's face changing as he listened, and his lips trembling slightly, she couldn't bear it for a moment, but after a pause, she still said, "Dad, listen to me. Tomorrow... I will send someone to the Wen family to cancel the engagement. As for the reason, I would say that the eldest son of the Wen family is old and urgently needs a wife to marry him. Since I have to keep my filial piety for my brother, I am really worried about you and Jiao'er being the only ones in the family now! So I plan to delay leaving the cabinet for a few years. In order to avoid delaying him, it’s better to cancel the engagement!”
"The Wen family may not agree at first, but if we are firmer, they will agree."
"In this way, both families are willing to settle the matter without going through the government."
She had always been worried about Wen Xianyun's filial piety. She had told Xi Fucui about it before, but now she was not too reluctant to break off the engagement. At most, she felt a little embarrassed out of the self-esteem of a girl of this age.
So my thinking was very clear now, and I was as calm as if I was talking about someone else's marriage.
However, Xi Zongwang was heartbroken and choked up: "This is all useless as a father..."
He was sad for a long time, and then calmed down after being comforted by his daughter. He promised to send the old housekeeper to the Wen Mansion the next day to discuss the dissolution of the marriage between the two families.
Who would have known that when I woke up early the next morning, the old housekeeper would come in and report: "Master, Miss, my uncle is here!"