In the early summer, the grass grows and the birds fly happily. In a blink of an eye, it is the season of the fragrant mugwort and corn. However, this year's Dragon Boat Festival is different from previous years. The mansion has experienced a series of changes. Not only did the two concubines and the princess pass away one after another, but the younger generation also became increasingly distant. Although the servants dared not say it in person, they could not help but sigh behind their backs. I am afraid that even the family banquet this year will seem very cold.

Yuan Xi was unaware of the servants' plans. She was leaning against a tree, reading a medical book, enjoying the warm breeze and a few plates of honeyed fruit. Since she had completely cured Xiao Du's injury, she had become more and more passionate about studying medicine. Some time ago, she went to ask Zuo Taiyi to be her teacher and borrowed many pharmacology books from him. If she had any insights from reading them, she would practice on Xiao Du. Of course, she would eventually compensate the person who lent her the books in some way.

She blushed a little when she thought of this, and quickly concentrated on the pages of the book. At this time, she felt that An He, who was fanning her from behind, seemed to move, so she said without turning her head: "If you are tired, stop fanning and go and rest."

An He did not answer her, but scooped a spoonful of cherry yogurt from the porcelain plate beside her and put it into her mouth. Yuan Xi's mouth was filled with it, and she couldn't help but put on a smile and looked at her and said, "Why are you so well-behaved today?" Unexpectedly, her eyes met a handsome face with a smile. She was immediately delighted, put down the book in her hand, and said, "You're back."

Xiao Du sat down beside her and continued to fan her with a silk fan. Yuan Xi thought he looked very funny and said quickly, "Stop fanning. It's a joke to let others see you."

Xiao Du, however, did not take it seriously and said, "I love my wife, who dares to laugh at me?"

Yuan Xi swallowed the ice cream and felt the cool and sweet taste penetrate into her heart, so she scooped a spoonful and put it into Xiao Du's mouth and said, "Try this, it's cold and sweet, very delicious."

Xiao Du reached out to hold her hand, and suddenly turned the spoon and put it into Yuan Xi's mouth. Yuan Xi opened her mouth and took it in without knowing what was going on. Then his lips came up to hers, and the tip of his tongue probed in a little bit to hook the sweetness in her mouth, and then licked it passionately, until the sweetness kept spreading outwards, and she could no longer tell whose mouth it was in.

Yuan Xi closed her eyes in a daze, feeling as if she had drunk strong liquor and her whole body was hot. The sound of insects and birds chirping and the fragrance of flowers lingered in her ears. The two kissed so deeply that they couldn't bear to separate for a long time. At this time, a group of footsteps came from afar. Xiao Du cursed in his heart, but reluctantly let go of her lips and pulled the disheveled Yuan Xi behind him to block them. Then, a servant came over. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xiao Du staring at him with vicious eyes. He couldn't help but shiver and lowered his head and said, "The master ordered that the marquis go to his yard to have dinner tonight."

Xiao Du was somewhat surprised. Since the princess' death, the old marquis had only been cultivating flowers and practicing calligraphy in the yard every day. He rarely saw anyone except for important matters. Why would he suddenly call him to dinner? He thought for a moment and asked, "Who else did the old marquis call?"

The boy did not dare to raise his head and replied, "There are also the Second Young Master and the Third Young Miss."

Xiao Du's face darkened. He had hardly spoken to Xuan'er since the betrothal gift incident. He waved his hand to let the boy go first, but Yuan Xi had already understood and walked out from behind and said, "You and Xuan'er are so arguing now. I'm afraid that the father-in-law is looking for an opportunity to reconcile you. Go and have a good talk with her later, and don't get angry."

Xiao Du sighed softly, then grabbed her hand and said, "Aren't you going with me?"

Yuan Xi smiled and held his hand, saying, "I can't help you with anything. You have to untie this knot yourself sooner or later."

By dusk, a table of wine and food had already been set up in Fenghe Courtyard where the old marquis lived. Xiao Du arrived a little late. When he entered the room, he found that Xiao Qing and Xiao Zhixuan had already sat down at the table, but they just sat there indifferently without any greetings. When they saw him come in, they raised their heads and called him "big brother" dryly, with some discomfort on their faces.

Xiao Du couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. When did the relationship between them become like this? He then lifted his robe and sat down, and said to Xiao Yunjing, who had been sitting quietly at the upper seat, "I wonder why our father asked us to come here today?"

Xiao Yunjing glanced at him and said coldly: "Do I have to have something to ask you to come? You are my children. If there is nothing to ask, you can't come and have a meal with me."

After these words came out, several people felt a little guilty. Xiao Yunjing asked the servants to fill the wine for several people, and then sent the servants out to guard, and then he raised his sleeves and raised the cup and said: "Don't be restrained today, just treat it as accompanying Dad to eat and drink, and if there is anything unhappy in your heart, just say it here."

Seeing that the others were still a little confused, he sighed, drank the cup in his hand, showed an apologetic look on his face, and said: "It's all my fault in the past. I didn't take good care of you. This family has become like this. It's all my fault." Seeing that the other three were about to refute, he raised his hand to signal them to be quiet. His eyes slowly moved from each of them and continued: "In fact, you are all my children, each of you is the flesh and blood of my heart. I feel very uncomfortable when I see you become like this." At the end, he was already choking up in his throat.

At this time, Xiao Zhixuan had already burst into tears. She hugged Xiao Yunjing's arm and said, "No, Daddy is very good to us. It's Xuan'er who is not good. Xuan'er has done a lot of wrong things in the past..." She thought of many past events, and the more she talked, the more uncomfortable she felt, and she cried breathlessly.

Xiao Yunjing gently stroked her head and said, "You are right. It is Daddy's fault. Daddy has put too much burden on your elder brother, only knows how to blame and scold Qing'er, and is too doting on you... Forgive Daddy, it is me who does not know how to be a good father."

After these words were spoken, Xiao Zhixuan cried even harder. Xiao Du also felt his eyes a little sore, he raised his head and drank the wine in his hand, the hot alcohol surged in his chest, and finally all the depression that had been buried for a long time came out. At this time, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Qing beside him, who was constantly drinking by himself, with a lonely and gloomy face. He was moved: the second brother has become what he is now, isn't it because of them. So he raised the wine pot to fill Xiao Qing's cup, and then raised his own cup and said to him: "Zichen, big brother did many wrong things in the past, and never took your feelings into consideration. Please forgive big brother."

Xiao Qing looked at him in disbelief, his hands trembling slightly, but he said nothing and just drank the glass of wine in his hand.

After a while, the old marquis seemed to be overwhelmed by the alcohol and stood up and said, "I am old and useless. You guys drink slowly. I will go back to my room to rest first."

Xiao Du quickly stood up and tried to help him in, but the old marquis just waved his hand and said, "You go and have a good talk with your brother and sister." His already blurry drunken eyes suddenly gathered a ray of light, staring at Xiao Du and said slowly, "No matter what happens, you are all my children." Xiao Du was shocked and his chest felt a little hot. No matter whether the old marquis kept him because of a promise or out of responsibility, he had always treated him as his own child and educated and tempered him. If it weren't for him, how could he have grown up to be what he is now.

Just as he was in a trance, the old marquis had already staggered into the room. Xiao Du sat down slowly. There was another silence at the table. The three of them had their own thoughts and just drank and ate in silence. For a moment, they didn't know what to say to break the deadlock.

At this time, Xiao Zhixuan suddenly put down her jade chopsticks and said to Xiao Qing with a smile: "Second brother, do you still remember what happened when we were little?"

Xiao Qing was stunned, then Xiao Zhixuan continued, "At that time, my eldest brother was studying with me in the palace. Every time he came back, he would bring back some rare things from the palace. You always said that he was partial to me, and you always tried to snatch them from me. One time, he brought back some cakes that were tributes from foreign countries, and you ate them all by yourself before I came. As a result, you got an upset stomach and squatted in the toilet for several days without daring to come out."

Xiao Qing thought of the embarrassing things in his childhood and couldn't help but laugh. Xiao Zhixuan looked at him with her chin in her hand and said in a sad voice: "Second brother, I haven't seen you laugh for a long time."

Xiao Qing met her gaze, feeling a strange feeling in his heart, and his smile slowly faded. At this time, Xiao Du raised the corners of his lips again and said, "When you were little, you were all troublesome. One time, you insisted on asking me to take you to the back mountain to release a sky lantern, but I kept making trouble, causing the lantern to fall down halfway through its flight, and almost burned down the mountain."

Several people recalled the panic escape on the mountain that day, and couldn't help laughing. Later, they talked about many childhood stories, and the atmosphere at the table finally became warm. After three rounds of drinking, several people were drunk. Xiao Zhixuan patted her flushed face, hooked Xiao Du's arm, and said coquettishly: "Brother, let's go release the sky lantern again!"

Xiao Du found it a little funny and said, "Where can we find a sky lantern in the middle of the night?"

Xiao Zhixuan seemed to be in a good mood, just tilting her head and smiling, saying, "I know that Zhang's family just made a batch yesterday and are going to set them off on the evening of Dragon Boat Festival. We can go and steal them and set them off in the backyard."

The few people became more playful, and Xiao Du led them over the wall across the courtyard, stole a sky lantern from the servants' room, and then ran to the backyard and sat around together, preparing to put it into the sky. Xiao Zhixuan unfolded the paper in her hand and was about to write a prayer when Xiao Qing snatched it away and said, "It's just a few words of yours, and you're not afraid of making people laugh when you write them." Xiao Zhixuan pouted her lips angrily and said, "Yours Good handwriting? What did your husband say to you before: You can't teach a child?" She imitated the old master's way of twirling her beard with her hands behind her hands. Xiao Qing found it funny and said unconvinced: "You thought my handwriting was bad, so don't let me copy the book for you in the first place. ah."

As the two of them fought and argued, Xiao Du leaned against a big rock and watched with a smile. In a trance, it seemed as if he had returned to his childhood, when they were close brothers and sisters, playing and fighting without any grudges.

Finally, Xiao Zhixuan grabbed the paper and pen and quickly wrote a line of words. Then Xiao Du stood up and held the lampshade high. Xiao Zhixuan and Xiao Qing lit the candle together. The warm flame reflected the excited faces of the three people, and slowly rose with hope until it lit up the dark night sky. Xiao Zhixuan raised her head, jumped and jumped happily, and shouted: "It's up, it's up!"

Xiao Du and Xiao Qing stood side by side, watching Xiao Zhixuan laughing and shouting under the lights swaying in the night sky, with smiles on their lips. At this time, Xiao Qing suddenly said in a very soft voice: "Brother, I have always admired you."

Xiao Du was startled, and turned his head to look at him. Xiao Qing smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "When I was little, I always thought that my elder brother was the most powerful person in the world, and I always wanted to be the same as you. But others laughed at me, saying that you were just a bastard of low birth, and how could you be compared with the prince of the marquisate." He took the wine pot in his hand and poured it into his mouth, his expression a little gloomy, and said, "Later, you went to the border. I was proud of you but also worried, afraid that you would not come back. Later, you returned to the capital victoriously, received the award and was made a marquis, how glorious, but you didn't have time to look at me. It was then that I realized that perhaps the one who was qualified to be your brother was someone like the prince, not me at all."

Xiao Du's heart ached, and he quickly said, "How could that be? You are my second brother, and no one can replace you."

Xiao Qing shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes, and said, "Later, I became more and more unwilling to accept it. We are both father's sons, so why can you be so high up in the clouds while I have to be stepped on. Whether it's father, Xuan'er, or even the servants in the mansion, they only have you in their eyes. What about me? Then, my aunt told me that everything you have should have been mine. She said that there was something wrong with the princess and that she would fight for what I deserved one day. So I hated you more and more, and felt that you had taken everything from me."

Xiao Du held his shoulders and said guiltily, "I'm sorry..." His throat felt dry and he couldn't say the rest of the words.

Xiao Qing smiled and closed his eyes, saying, "It was not until after my aunt died that I saw you taking poison, getting injured, and mediating with them time and time again, that I realized how much you have done for this family." He suddenly took out an account book from his arms and handed it to Xiao Du, saying, "My aunt has indeed lost a lot of money during these years as the head of the family. Some of it was given to my uncle, and some of it was used to buy a lot of businesses for me outside. These should have belonged to the Marquis' Mansion, and now I'm giving them back to you."

Xiao Du clenched the account book in his hand, and felt that the thin book seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. He sighed and said, "You should keep these for yourself. If something happens to the Marquis' Mansion, you can still keep your wealth and live a normal life outside."

Xiao Qing turned around. He was already very drunk, but his eyes were extremely clear. He said word by word: "Brother, this is our home. This home should not be supported by you alone."

Xiao Du's body trembled, and then his eye sockets became a little hot. At this time, Xiao Zhixuan suddenly jumped over, grabbed their arms and said, "Big brother, second brother, let's go light the lanterns again, okay?" The two smiled helplessly at each other, and when their eyes met, the hurt, resentment and misunderstanding that had been lingering for many years just disappeared. They were a family, and no one could separate them anymore.

Finally, Xiao Qing was drunk, and Xiao Du had to carry him back to his room and asked Wang Shiqin to take good care of him. He and Xiao Zhixuan also drank a lot, so they walked back slowly in the night breeze to sober up. After walking for a while, Xiao Zhixuan suddenly said, "I heard everything you and my second brother said just now."

Xiao Du sighed and said, "It's my fault that I was useless. I couldn't let you grow up peacefully and happily."

Xiao Zhixuan shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, and said: "You have done enough, but we are no longer children, and we also have our own responsibilities."

Xiao Du turned his head and stared at her, and suddenly realized: "That's why you want to marry Xia Qing."

Xiao Zhixuan lowered her head and said, "He told me that as long as I marry him, he will help us."

Xiao Du was a little impatient and said, "That man is very cunning and scheming. How could you believe what he said? Besides, I will never sacrifice my family in exchange for him to help me."

Xiao Zhixuan said firmly, "I didn't sacrifice myself, and I believed in him!" She looked up at Xiao Du and said, "Brother, I'm not as innocent and beautiful as you think. Xia Qing told me a lot about his past, how he depended on his mother, how he compromised in order to return to the Xia family, how he was looked down upon and grew up living under someone else's roof. I understand all of this."

Xiao Du looked at Xiao Zhixuan's dejected expression, and he suddenly understood that Xuan'er, like Xia Qing, had a shameful mother and an unspeakable past. Her former innocence and simplicity were partly spontaneous and partly a pretense to please him and his father. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel distressed. It turned out that he had never really understood his sister.

Xiao Zhixuan patted her cheeks and said, "But I am luckier than him. He didn't have the same love and tolerance for me as I did for my father and brother, so he hated the Xia family. He has the military power and the emperor's trust. He can help us and protect the Hou Mansion. And I can be by his side, watching him and accompanying him in doing all this."

She looked up at Xiao Du and choked up, saying, "Brother, Xuan'er has grown up. She also has things she must do and responsibilities she wants to take on. Can you let Xuan'er do it?"

Xiao Du felt his chest pounding with emotion, so he hugged her and said, "Okay, if he bullies you, you can come back. This will always be your home."

A month later, the news of the marriage between the Xiao and Xia families spread throughout the capital. The streets were filled with people dressed in red. Xiao Zhixuan sat in the middle of the wedding gown, listening to the clamor of drums and music outside the window. She slowly took out a piece of ink from her bosom. She seemed to hear the man's elegant voice again: "Miss San, you should be like ink, delicate, smooth, gentle and calm. Luo will give you this Hui ink as a gift for our meeting as master and apprentice."

She gently placed the ink tablet on her chest, closed her eyes and murmured, "Mr. Luo, Xuan'er is getting married."