Fourth brother, fourth brother...
I fell into a drowsy sleep, as if I heard someone calling me, until I was pushed. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, and saw a person sitting in the light and shadow. She was still wearing that half-worn skirt, and she was mending my clothes with her head down.
I heard her say, what time is it now, doesn't fourth brother need to go to the school today
I got out of bed and ran towards her before I could even put on my shoes. I knelt down and hugged her waist, my eyes turned red. She seemed to have nothing to do with me, put down what she was doing, and reached out to touch my head.
Alas, fourth brother...
I was sobbing, and suddenly, the voice in my ear became cold - remember what my aunt said, if you can stay in Beijing, even if you are a slave, don't come back to me!
"Aunt... Mother...!"
My body shook violently, and I woke up. The eyes were dazzled in front of me, and the sound of "buzzing" sounded in my ears. It took me a long time to hear what those people said clearly——
"Wake up, finally wake up..."
I felt my mouth dry, so I opened my mouth. A man helped me up from the bed, his voice was extremely pleasant, and he asked eagerly with worry: "Sanxi, what do you want?"
"water… "
After a while, the tea was delivered to his mouth. I anxiously swallowed several mouthfuls, and my dry throat felt much more comfortable. I lay dizzy in that person's arms for a while, and then I opened my eyes again. This time, I finally saw all of them clearly.
Xu Qihe sat on the bed and supported me, and beside him sat an old man, who was Doctor Zhang who had checked my pulse at Mrs. Yu's before. Besides them, there are Xu Changfeng and—
"...Jing Ting!" Xu Yanqing leaned forward, he looked very decadent and downcast, as if he hadn't changed his clothes for two or three days. Seeing me waking up, he couldn't help showing surprise on his face, and his red eyes seemed to be misty, but when he was about to reach out to touch me, I was so scared that I avoided it and went straight to the person behind me. She flinched in her arms.
"..." Xu Yanqing's hand was still in the air, and she looked at me blankly. But I was terribly afraid of him, I huddled tightly in Xu Qihe's arms, trembling all over.
Xu Qihe hugged me, his eyes were full of distress, then he raised his eyes, and said to the person in front with a little anger: "Second brother, I think you should go out first."
"You...!" Xu Yanqing glared at him angrily, but Xu Qihe was not afraid at all.
Xu Changfeng, who had been silent all this time, said suddenly: "Now that I'm awake, I still need to rest." He glanced at Xu Yanqing, and said solemnly, "Second brother, come out with me."
Even the imperial doctor Zhang said: "I have given acupuncture to Young Master, no matter what happens to this body, everyone else should go out." Having said that, Xu Yanqing could only go out with Xu Changfeng.
After he walked out, my heart seemed to relax.
Xu Qihe put his arms around me, and took a good look at me with watery eyes. For some reason, apart from worry, there seemed to be a hint of guilt in his eyes. I just heard him whisper: "You have been in a coma for two whole days. If there is something wrong, I..." He seemed to be unable to bear to continue, just looked at me and murmured, "...No matter what, just wake up .”
At this time, there was movement outside.
Xu Qihe's face was slightly cold: "—what's the matter?"
The servant came in and said tremblingly, "Yes, it's the Eldest Young Master... teaching the Second Young Master a lesson."
Xu Qihe sighed, and said: "Forget it. You go out and say, Shaojun still needs to cultivate, let them change places." The servants responded and withdrew.
Xu Qihe helped me to lie back, Doctor Zhang felt my pulse again, and then said to Xu Qihe, "Third Young Master, let's take a step to talk."
"Please." Xu Qihe tucked the quilt up for me before going out, and coaxed me to say, "Take a good rest. With me here...no one will hurt you." Then I seemed to feel more at ease, and grabbed my hands Pull the quilt. He told Biyu Biluo to take care of me, and then walked out with Doctor Zhang.
Both Biyu and Biluo's eyes were red, as if they had cried. Bi Luo came over, helped me tuck the corner of the quilt, wiped the corners of my eyes with the back of her hand, and said softly: "Young Master, you can sleep in peace."
I didn't wake up again until the next morning.
After I woke up, the first person I saw was still Xu Qihe. He seemed to have been guarding outside, and walked in when he heard the sound: "—Sanxi." After he brought me a cup and fed me water, he sat down holding my hand and asked me: "What do you think now? How? Are you still dizzy? But... where does it hurt?"
He asked me a lot, and I kept shaking my head lightly, and Xu Qihe finally felt relieved. I pursed my lips, and he noticed it, and asked me softly, "What else do you want?"
"I..." My voice was hoarse and I could only breathe out, "I want to change clothes..."
I sweated a lot and felt uncomfortable after lying down for a long time. Biyu brought the boy servant and helped me change into dry clothes. After changing, the servants also brought porridge over.
Xu Qihe didn't pretend to be someone else, he took the porridge and fed me mouthful by mouthful. I gradually became sober, and listened quietly to what he said to me: "That day... it was really chaotic. The doctor in the mansion gave you the antidote, but you didn't wake up. This red pill was originally a bed. It's just for fun, the medicine is very strong, he actually gave you three at a time..." Xu Qihe tightened his hand holding the bowl, I looked at him, only to see him pursing his lips tightly, and there was a flash in his eyes that I never The worst I've ever seen.
My lips moved a bit, I turned my eyes away, and said in a hoarse voice: "... I don't want to mention him."
"Okay, okay." Xu Qihe coaxed me quickly, "Don't mention it, we won't mention him. Sanxi, Doctor Zhang told me yesterday that your body is very weak, but fortunately you have a good foundation. You just need to rest for a month and a half, carefully Take care of yourself and you will be back to health soon.”
Xu Qihe fed me half a bowl of porridge, then watched me lie down. He told me some things that happened in the past few days. On that day, I had a nosebleed under Xu Yanqing's body, and then passed out. The Xu family was in chaos, and the doctors were at a loss, so Xu Shangshu invited the imperial physician from the palace to treat me. Dr. Zhang Tai, as the judge of the Tai Hospital, was really rejuvenated. After he administered the needle, I woke up. As for how Xu Yanqing is now, and Guanshi Lu... I didn't dare to ask about him, and Xu Qihe didn't tell me either.
In the afternoon, Xu Changfeng came to see me. He must have come from the yamen. When I saw him, I wanted to sit up on the bed, but he told me to lie down: "Don't get up, lie down properly."
I had no choice but to lie down again, leaning on the jade pillow and looking at him, and called softly: "Officer."
Hearing the sound, he raised the corner of his mouth comfortingly, and said to me: "What's the matter?" I shook my head, only to see him stretch out his hand and slowly hold my palm. His palm is much bigger than mine, it is very warm and only makes people feel stable. I looked at him and said, "You still have to go to the Yamen...?"
He said, "It's okay, we'll talk about it when you're asleep."
I fell asleep again, and this time, I slept so deeply that I didn't have any dreams.
In the next two days, many people came to see me. Among the wives, both the Yu family and the Jiang family sent people to express condolences, but the Xie family came here in person. She didn't let me get up, she just sat down on the edge of the bed. She is still the glamorous appearance in my memory, but her face is a little haggard. She said to me: "Master and I already know what Yanqing did to you, and the master is very angry. Although Yanqing It's my son, but you can also call me mother." She gently held my hand and said, "Jing Ting, mother... I will definitely give you an explanation."
After that, I heard people say that the second young master was punished by the master's staff, and then he was locked up in the ancestral temple, without food or drink for two days. This time, Mrs. Xie didn't speak a word for him.
I have been taking care of my body in Xu Qihe's yard. In the first few days, I had blood in my urine. Doctor Zhang gave me acupuncture every day for ten days. After a short period of time, I got better, and during these ten days, Xu Qihe never left my side. No matter how I asked him to work, he refused to leave, and would rather move all the accounts to the house. .
He smiled and said: "You kept me waiting for so long this time, now, you are not allowed to drive me away again." I had no choice but to let him go. However, even though Xu Qihe thought so, he couldn't stop things from happening.
On this day, Xu Qihe had to get away for a while, thinking that something happened to the shop again. I rested on the soft couch, and after lying down for a while, Bi Luo walked in and said hesitantly: "Young Master... There is one thing, I don't know whether I should say it or not."
It doesn't matter if I let her speak straight, Bi Luo looked outside, and I followed her gaze, vaguely seeing the tall figure outside. When I saw him, my heart suffocated.
"Actually, after the second young master came out of the temple, he came over every day to see you, but the third young master stopped him outside and didn't allow us to tell you..." Bi Luo said hesitantly.
Just look, that person is pacing back and forth in the hall, seems to be very anxious...
I silently clenched my palms, silently lowered my eyes, my shoulders trembled slightly, and said, "I don't want to see him."
Bi Luo hesitated for a while, then nodded in response: "The servant girl is going to tell the truth to the second young master."
When she was about to turn around and go out, I said again: "Tell him, I've already rested..." Bi Luo stopped, I looked at her, and said softly, "Tell him not to come again."
I stayed here with Xu Qihe for more than half a month, and I was able to get out of bed and walk slowly. He looked happier than me: "When you feel better, I'll take you out to have fun and forget about those unhappy things."
I looked at him, and nodded lightly in response: "...um." He then helped me to lie down, watched me finish drinking the medicine, and then stood up reassuringly: "Recently, the Inner Palace is short of manpower, It's really going to spoil me, the young master."
Short of manpower...
I was startled, but before he walked out, I still couldn't hold back and said, "Guard Lu..."
I saw him stop suddenly, turned around, and asked me as if he didn't hear clearly: "Who are you talking about?"
I looked at Xu Qihe for a long time, then shook my head and said, "It's okay... Helang, go and do your work." Xu Qihe smiled, still with that extremely gentle look.
After he left, I lay in bed and couldn't fall asleep. Just when I was restless, I suddenly heard a servant say in surprise: "Second Young Master, you can't break in, Second Young Master—"
No one expected that Xu Yanqing would barge in directly. As soon as I saw him, I hugged the quilt and turned around as if instinctively.
Xu Yanqing had just seen me with a smile on her face, but when she saw me turn away and stop looking at him, that smile seemed to collapse again.
"Jing Ting..." he whispered softly.
I didn't respond, I just thought I was asleep, but in fact my eyes were wide open, and my hands were tightly clutching the quilt. The other end was quiet for a long time, so long that I thought he had already left, but he suddenly said, "I've been thinking a lot these days..."
When I closed my eyes, I suddenly heard: "I'm sorry for you."
The bird was sitting on the window rail, and the autumn wind was blowing, and his voice came into my ears clearly.
Seeing that I didn't respond, Xu Yanqing pondered and said, "I know, you definitely don't want to see me now." He pursed his lips and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm going to court today, and I've already asked Jinshang to go south as an imperial envoy to review One trip. If you go out this time, you won't see me in the next three or four months."
I have been silent.
Xu Yanqing seemed to endure it to the extreme, and when she spoke again, she said: "Lu Qingsu has been transferred to Befu, Jiangzhou—in this life, you may never see him again." He murmured softly: "...you have been married to me for so long Time, I didn’t know that you still have the name Sanxi.”
Hearing this, I suddenly felt uncomfortable for a while.
At the end, Xu Yanqing didn't speak again, I heard the sound of him turning around. Just before he walked out, I finally said: "Second Master."
He stopped.
I still didn't turn around, I just said softly: "I have never failed you."
After a long silence, the sound of footsteps sounded, getting farther and farther away, until it could no longer be heard.