Xianjin squinted his eyes and quickly read the list again. He heard the low voices of the old woman and the little maid chatting and laughing in the east wing, which sounded like a buzzing sound in the dark. Xianjin was startled and quickly hid the cowhide bag and the list under the bed sheet, and turned around vigilantly!
No one!
Xianjin let out a long breath and called out loudly, "Suo'er! Suo'er!"
Wang Sansuo immediately poked his fat black head out from between the flowers, holding a large paper box of sugar popcorn, stuffing his mouth full, "What!"
"Has anyone been here just now?" Xianjin asked anxiously.
Suo'er thought about it and shook his head, "No, Aunt Zhang came to ask if you wanted to eat tofu fruit with houttuynia for your evening snack. I thought the smell was too strong, so I didn't want it."
Xianjin didn't have time to figure out why Aunt Zhang arranged such a heavy-tasting midnight snack for her. He could only purse his lips and nod randomly.
After Suo'er walked away, Xianjin closed the doors and windows, and even covered the paper-pasted window frames with flower pots. Then he took out the cowhide bag and the list. After thinking for a while, he dragged out a half-person-high camphorwood box from under the bed. After taking out several small boxes, he finally revealed a long and narrow wooden box.
The wooden box was also locked with a small copper lock.
Xianjin took out a bunch of keys from the drawer, opened the wooden box, took out a neatly rolled long scroll, and unfolded it bit by bit with bated breath.
It was the "Ultimate Theory of the Traveler on the Business Road" signed by Bao Yuan.
The article that Master Qiao showed her for the first time.
Xianjin knelt in front of the bed, placed the list and the scroll side by side, and nervously compared the pen strokes, the strokes, and the text.
After a long time, Xianjin raised his head with a sore nose but couldn't help smiling.
It’s Qiao Hui’s handwriting!
The pen tip is sharp, the starting stroke is elongated, the strokes are casual, and the ending is neat.
Baoyuan, Qiao Hui, Qiao Dacongming, Qiao Jieyuan, are still alive!
Even now, in Xuancheng Prefecture!
Xianjin's eyes were filled with tears. He suddenly remembered something, put the two scrolls in a wooden box and put them away carefully, then turned and ran towards the west wing of Yiyuan.
Three or four candles in the west wing had been extinguished, and the whole room was misty. Baozhu, Xiaopang and Huahua were sitting in front of the bronze mirror with wet hair, yawning sullenly. Behind them, Xiaoyan and Dayan, on the left and right, were wiping her hair with fluffy and soft gauze scarves.
When the little fat Huahua saw Xianjin, his eyes lit up and said, "Sister!" As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his head towards her.
The wet hair rubbed against the golden jacket, which had a light scent of gardenia.
Xianjin took the scarf from Xiaoyan's hand with a smile, signaling them to go and rest. He pulled a stool and sat behind Baozhu, carefully helping the little girl to dry her hair. "Why don't you put the charcoal in the basin? It's so late, dry your hair by the charcoal fire, it will dry faster, and you can sleep better."
Baozhu raised her face comfortably and squinted her eyes, "Everyone hasn't used the charcoal yet."
Charcoal is not a rare commodity. The temperature in Xuancheng Prefecture gradually turns colder in late October and early November. Last year, the Chen family opened the charcoal account in mid-to-late November.
In the Qiao family, who cares when the family starts using charcoal?
It’s just a sentence. Use it whenever you want.
Xianjin felt a tightness in his chest and said, "The Chen family is the Chen family, and you are you. Your charcoal money, hair oil money, soap, and even bamboo salt, fabrics, tailoring, embroidery... are not from the Chen family. You can use them if you want. My sister is so poor that she only has money left."
The little fat Huahua covered her face with a big scarf and laughed.
Xianjin continued to wipe the girl's hair gently, his mind racing: since Qiao Hui chose to climb over the eaves and walls to get into the Chen family's inner courtyard to see his sister, he must be hiding something that he doesn't want to make public. Baozhu can't keep things secret, so Qiao Hui probably never showed up in front of Baozhu.
Xianjin wanted to tell the little girl loudly: Your brother is still alive and well!
but...
Xianjin took a deep breath and looked at the little girl's hair cascading down like a waterfall. Xianjin gently and lovingly touched the top of Baozhu's head, "Are you happy in the Chen family?"
Baozhu hugged the large scarf, looked up at the oil lamp, and answered irrelevantly, "The old lady was very good to me. She would ask me to come over to eat something good from time to time, and ask about my father, my brother, my uncle, and my mother who passed away early—"
What I mean is, I never asked what Baozhu was like.
Xianjin was speechless and choked with emotion.
Old Madam Qu was peeking through the chubby girl at the life and class that she had always longed for but had not yet achieved.
Xianjin paused, then used a comb to comb the little girl's hair from head to toe. The tips of her hair were still dripping with water. Xianjin turned around and told Suo'er, "... we still have to go to the kitchen, light a pot of charcoal, add two dried gardenia flowers, and dry them out before we can sleep."
Suo'er replied quickly.
The whole room was filled with a lingering but unignorable fragrance.
Xianjin's mood slowly calmed down with the fragrance, warmth and mechanical repetition of combing his hair. "On weekdays, do what makes you happy, and don't endure what makes you uncomfortable. You are in the Chen family, and you are more beneficial than harmful to the Chen family. Although we should not be arrogant, we must remember not to feel dependent on others. When your brother comes back and when Master Qiao is vindicated, there will be great benefits for the Chen family."
Fatty Huahuamu was stunned for a long while, then hesitantly whispered, "...Can they really come back?"
Xianjin said firmly, "Yes! Why not?! Don't forget what kind of people your father and brother are!"
The little fat boy Huahuapang grabbed the corner of Xianjin's clothes tightly with his claws, tilted his head back, and fell on Xianjin's thighs intimately. He squinted his eyes and pulled the hem of Xianjin's clothes, like a young bird returning to the nest, and said with a nostalgic tone, "Sister and my father and brother are equally beautiful and outstanding people."
A dim warm light ripples in the room.
Xianjin was doing Baozhu's hair in a casual way, and from time to time he talked about the lanterns and moon cakes of the Mid-Autumn Festival a few days ago, the October weather of Longchuan Creek, the wet bark drying on the rocks on both sides, and some of Zhang Ma's cooking skills have returned recently, and all dishes must be added with fish mint, etc...
Baozhu was feeling sleepy, so Xianjin tiptoed back to her room.
I slept very soundly and didn't even turn over.
The next day, Xianjin called Jianghouzi by name, "Seven Seven Seven--"
Qi Qiqi jogged forward.
"Be my deputy." Xianjin said directly.
Qi Qiqi, "Ah?"
Zhou Ergou said, "Ah?" Then he raised his upper body with great grief and indignation, "You really think my left leg is injured!"
Xianjin frowned, "It has nothing to do with your left leg."
The innocent and happy muscle man began to roar, "So do you dislike me rolling my eyes at you?"
Xianjin:? You rolled your eyes at me?
We'll settle this account later.
Xianjin shook his head patiently, "Not really..."
"You must think I'm illiterate!" Zhou Ergou said bitterly, "I even wrote a quatrain to encourage you!"
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