Chapter 22 Chapter Three

"I heard that the water in this ancient well is so sweet that it never dries up, so I want to taste it." Far away, I have already seen the ancient well, but the ancient well is hidden among the branches and leaves, and I can't see the whole picture thoroughly. "Then Yuan Qing will be disappointed. The well has been sealed since Zhou Yaoniang jumped into the well." Shen Bai said while pointing, "Look, it has been locked." When he got closer and took a look, it was as Shen Bai said, the heavy iron chains on the well of this famous woman had already been rusted.

"That's a pity." Lu Yuanqing walked around the ancient well a few times, sighing slightly. "Okay, I have helped Yuan Qing fulfill his wish to appreciate the third largest ancient scene in Biancheng, so can I also make a request to Yuan Qing?" "Oh, it turns out that there are conditions for your lord's eagerness to help. Let's talk about it first." "Yuan Qing, I will leave Biancheng and return to the capital after handing over my official seal with the newly appointed Biancheng county magistrate next month. I hope you can go with me."

"Oh, what job do you want after you return to Beijing?" "I will only know after I return to Beijing to report on my duties to you." "Given my lord's background and family background, after being sent back to Beijing, I will definitely be promoted to a higher position, so what else can I do for my lord? Has my lord seen a cabinet minister with a master following him?" Lu Yuanqing smiled kindly, "I have neither talent nor education, and the only things I can help adults with are small cases. Other than that, it's really hard to help adults any more."

Sure enough, he declined in the most modest way, he didn't even say no... Shen Bai was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Lu Yuanqing and said, "Don't worry, there is still a month, I will make you change your mind .” After speaking, he moved forward with his hands behind his back. Lu Yuanqing watched Shen Baixian's back for a while, and then slowly followed.Sure enough, people all have a stubborn side, and the more gentle people are, the more troublesome they are when they are stubborn. My lord, how can I walk with you?You have your official career to go, and I have my remaining wishes unfulfilled.Let's say goodbye next month, and from now on, the sky will be high and the water will be long, each cherishes each other.Even if we meet again in the future, the situation between you and me will definitely not be what it is today.

At night, Mrs. Zhou set up a banquet in the East Garden.There were staggered toasts, the aroma of the wine was full, and the table was full of delicacies, but with these scattered people, there was always an unspeakable sense of desolation. Mrs. Zhou looked at Shen Bai and the others who were sitting on the left side of the lower head, and then at Feng Yanqiu who was sitting on the right side, and sighed silently.Why is this seat so long, there are empty seats as far as the eye can see. "Butler Zhou." "What is the old lady's order?" "Call everyone here, just these few people don't seem to be busy."

"This...the old lady, how can they be seated? This is against the rules..." "I'll just let you go and tell you to go, how can there be so much reason?" Mrs. Zhou was slightly angry. "Uncle Zhou, just follow grandma's request." Feng Yanqiu said. "Yes." Hearing this, Steward Zhou had no choice but to back down. Mrs. Zhou said: "Wanzhi, Qiu'er, there are no outsiders here tonight. I'll call all the servants of the mansion together and let's have a drink together. You don't mind?" Shen Bai smiled and said: "The old lady is the host, we are the guests, the so-called guests can do as the host pleases, and what's more, there is no need to mind, there are many people and it is lively."

Feng Yanqiu also said: "Master Shen is right." While the few people were chatting and laughing, Steward Zhou had already attracted several people to come forward, "Go back to the old lady, everyone is here." Mrs. Zhou seemed very happy, "Then sit down, don't stand up." Hearing the words, several people knelt down and kowtowed in fear, "Thank you, Madam, for the banquet." Mrs. Zhou immediately waved her hand, "Whatever you kneel, get up quickly." Lu Yuanqing noticed that when all these people knelt down to thank them, only one person stood abruptly.The reason why Lu Yuanqing noticed him was not just because he was standing, but because his back was severely deformed.

He was obviously standing, but Lu Yuanqing couldn't see his face. His left shoulder was arched into a semicircle, so his head couldn't be lifted at all, and could only hang low. Therefore, Lu Yuanqing's first gesture to him was Impressions are just guesswork. Judging by his attire and his stature, he should be a boy in his teens, maybe because of his thin body, or maybe because of the abrupt arch on his back, in short, his head looks extraordinarily large, There are even some illusions that are out of proportion to the body... "Xiaozheng, why don't you sit down?" The old woman's question interrupted Lu Yuanqing's thoughts.

At this moment, the servants of the Zhou family had already sat down under the arrangement of the housekeeper Zhou, only this arched boy stood there alone, looking very abrupt. "Old, old lady... Sit, sit is full." It turned out that the arched boy was still stuttering.Lu Yuanqing listened patiently and carefully before he heard what he said clearly. "How come? Isn't there still a seat?" Madam Zhou pointed to the tail seat on her right hand, "There is still a seat, you go and sit." The boy named Xiaozheng moved over slowly and almost with difficulty, but he did not sit down, but took out a wooden sign from his arms, and then he put the wooden sign on the seat.

His next movements were even more strange. He slowly knelt on the opposite side of the seat, which meant that his current position was facing that seat, with a table in between.He raised his hands to pick up the jug on the table, then carefully poured wine into the empty glass, and finally pushed the glass forward respectfully. His posture, his movements, his behavior, as if, as if there is a person whom he respects very much sitting on that seat, he is pouring wine for that person, he is... I started to watch the man drink the wine, and then a happy expression appeared on his face... "Xiaozheng, what are you doing?" Mrs. Zhou suddenly stood up, pointing to the position where Xiaozheng was, "Steward Zhou, Steward Zhou!"

As if he had never seen the old lady so angry, Steward Zhou stood up from his seat tremblingly, "Old lady..." "You, you..." The old lady seemed to be choked in her throat, and she beat her chest hard for a long time before she said hoarsely, "You go and see, go and see what he is doing?" Butler Zhou quickly agreed, and rushed to Xiaozheng's place. When he got closer and saw Xiaozheng's expression, Butler Zhou couldn't help but stand on end. The child in front of him was facing the empty place opposite Laughing, he was raising his wine glass to pour wine into that glass again, but that glass, that glass... was actually empty! This, what's going on here?Xiaozheng poured the wine, but there was no one in front of him, so how could the wine glass be empty?Who drank the wine in this glass?What the hell... Butler Zhou was thinking wildly, but his eyes widened in surprise when he unconsciously swept across the seat.The wooden sign that Xiaozheng just put on the empty seat had words on it, the words were crooked and extremely ugly, but they were carved deeply into the wood, every stroke seemed to be desperate enough to use all the strength in his body. On it was a person's name: Zhou Yaoniang. Steward Zhou saw the words on it clearly, his facial features twisted together in horror, he raised his hand tremblingly and pointed to the sign and asked Xiao Zheng, "This, who gave this to you?" "A very beautiful elder sister, she said that if she misses her, she will order a drink from this brand, and she will come to see me." Xiao Zheng still smiled, holding the jug in his hand, as if he still wanted to pour wine. Mrs. Zhou stood up angrily and walked over step by step. Seeing that the old lady was angry, Steward Zhou quickly knocked over the jug in Xiaozheng's hand and cursed: "You're talking nonsense, Miss My Lady is already dead, how could she come to see you!" At this moment Mrs. Zhou was trembling and standing in front of the table. She looked at the inconspicuous wooden sign with shortness of breath, the name on it, the words on it... It seemed to be picked out by hand. Same, weird, twisted, desperate, struggling... Mrs. Zhou pressed her chest and felt her heart beating fast. She closed her eyes, but still felt dizzy.She stepped back step by step, and suddenly staggered, her arms were catching in the air, as if trying to find a barrier that could support her and prevent her from falling, but there was nothing, nothing.That's right, she is the only one left alone in this huge house, in this Zhou Garden with boundless honor and favor. "Grandma..." The moment Mrs. Zhou gave up struggling and fell down, a voice rang in her ears, and a pair of warm hands supported her shoulders. "An'er, An'er..." Mrs. Zhou grasped her hands in a daze, "An'er, why did you leave grandma behind? An'er..." Hearing that name, Feng Yanqiu's expression froze, but he still ordered calmly: "Grandma is not feeling well, tonight's dinner will be over, you guys clean up here, I will help grandma go back first." Turning back to Shen Bai, he said, "I'm sorry for disappointing everyone." Shen Bai hurriedly stood up and said, "Is Mrs. Zhou all right?" "It's okay, I'm sick, it's just like this after some stimulation." Feng Yanqiu glanced at the wooden sign on the chair as he spoke, and then turned to the arched boy, "Put Xiaozheng in the woodshed for me, who the hell You are not allowed to bring food to him, otherwise..." "Master Qiu, don't worry." Steward Zhou nodded hurriedly, and dragged Xiao Zheng who was still smiling. Feng Yanqiu helped the old lady go, Xiaozheng was also taken away by housekeeper Zhou, and the rest of the servants took away all the dishes that no one touched their chopsticks. Shen Bai and the others. "I haven't eaten anything yet!" Song Yutang complained in a low voice. But Shao Ying sneered and said: "I think it looks good, sitting and eating with that person is very uncomfortable." Shen Bai asked: "You know Master Feng?" "More than that!" Shao Ying sneered, "If I hadn't left Jinyiwei, how could I have gotten him to be the governor of Beizhen? Seeking to be a villain!" "But I think it's good to leave Beizhen Fusi." Lu Yuanqing said as he walked towards the table that Xiaozheng had just worked on, "Didn't Shao Butou hear that Beizhen Fusi is full of ghosts?"