Chapter 2 Chapter two
Ling Yang's first Spring Festival in the Tang family will come soon.
As soon as the twelfth lunar month enters, the busyness of the whole family is new to Ling Yang - when her family celebrates the New Year, it is just that her sister-in-law and three or four people are busy for a few days, and there has never been such a big battle.The kitchen has long been filled with sausages and rice cakes. Standing behind the railing on the second floor, she can see that the jars and jars in the yard can be piled up into a wall—it is said that pickled radish and dried vegetables, or chicken gizzards and geese Palms and the like are piled on the left; candied fruits of various colors and candied walnuts and lotus seeds are piled on the right. Wine yet to be cleared.Wrapped in a very old indigo gorilla felt cloak, Hui Niang stood in the winter cold and yelled at more than twenty people, as if commanding a war.
"Little girls can't remember things, you have to be careful." Hui Niang's voice instructing the cook can always be clearly heard far away, "Counting from top to bottom, the jars on each floor contain nothing. Same, which floor is which, you old man, don’t bother, just watch them in person, don’t mix it up. Like the year before last, some stupid car burned shredded pickled melon as prunes into the meat, and it was almost there Make a big joke with the guests..." The cook hurriedly agreed, and the housekeeper ran up to Madam Hui again, saying that Madam Hui had to look at the ledger for the next year's purchases before paying the money.Hui Niang sighed happily: "Give me a break, okay? Even if you kill me, I won't be able to support you all." After a while, Brother came back from ethnology and saw These magnificent jars, asked Hui Niang: "Aunt Hui, otherwise I will write a few words for you and put a lottery on each jar, so you won't be afraid of making mistakes. It will also save you from having to instruct them..." Hui Niang smiled brightly: "Forget it, thank you brother for your kindness. Just think about it, how many people in this room are literate?"
Ling Yang was fascinated by it, and said to Yunqiao sincerely: "Ms. Hui is really amazing, if I am half as capable as her, that's fine."
Yun Qiao just smiled faintly: "Everyone has his own life. Who knows which one she envies secretly." Immediately afterwards, Yun Qiao changed her tone again, "I said, can you stop hanging around all day long? On the railing, it’s winter, so you’re not afraid of the cold?” When she said this, Yun Qiao was sitting upright in the warm pavilion on the second floor, holding an exquisite but worn-out hand stove in her arms, pointing at Ling Yang Laughing from the back in the corridor.Ling Yang turned back into the house resentfully, closed the window, and sat at the table with Yun Qiao, the tea cup in front of her was already slightly cold, and Yun Qiao filled her with a hot one——Ling Yang immediately exclaimed: "Ah! Yun Qiao, it's not up to you to do these things now, if you want to get pregnant or something, you will be guilty of a serious crime." Yun Qiao frowned: "It's so delicate to be so delicate." "When I was at home." Ling Yang's eyes didn't know where to fall on the window lattice, "I heard from my sister-in-law that our master had a concubine who went crazy after giving birth to a young lady--I thought at that time It's Niang Hui. Now it seems that matchmakers can only deceive people. There are so many people in the family, food and clothing, money coming and going, and it's Niang Hui who is in charge—why make arrangements for others." Yun Qiao retracted her hand. Putting it into the fox fur bag, he said: "The master is a person who wants to save face. The family invites the doctor in every three days. You have heard the sound when the old lady is ill. It spreads far away in the middle of the night. You can't hide it." Who lives there. Five or six years ago, some people spread rumors that our master had a concubine who was crazy, so the master let those idlers spread the word, which was considered to maintain the dignity of the old lady. The old lady could come out to see people from time to time, In the past two or three years, I really can't hide it—"
"I don't understand." Ling Yang was fiddling with Yun Qiao's shoes on the table, "Even if outsiders know that the old lady has madness, miscellaneous grains and misfortunes, what's the shame?"
"Actually, I'm also surprised. Why does the master care so much about this?" Yun Qiao hesitated, but said it anyway, "Maybe, madness is not decent."
"Hui Niang is also strange." Ling Yang raised her chin, "I like Zhang Luo's family so much, but I just don't like talking to the master. It's hard for you and me to find her to come over for a cup of tea. I've been here for so many days. I haven't had a few meals at the same table with her."
Yun Qiao didn't answer anymore.
However, Ling Yang's interest has obviously shifted to other places: "After the new year, my brother will marry a wife. I heard that he is about the same age as me. I don't know what kind of temper it is. If we have another person to talk Nothing could be better."
Yun Qiao was just in a daze and didn't answer.
"Last night, the master also said that this year should be more lively than previous years." When Ling Yang was talking happily, she didn't care that Yun Qiao was staring at her, "There will be several good things next year. Brother Marrying, you are about to give birth, and he said that if there is another good news about my brother's new daughter-in-law at the end of the year, the master will entertain the whole family during the ancestor worship." After more than half a year, Ling Yang seems to have gained a little weight, and his face is even more serious. It is more rounded, but when talking, the eyes still stare straight at people, and then suddenly stare at other places—in any case, that kind of eyes cannot be called "Gu Pan", but more like A small animal lying in wait for prey in the bushes.
"Master specified that you brought these good things. Did I guess right?" Yun Qiao looked at Ling Yang's flushed face with a smile.
"You're so smart." Ling Yang threw a candied date at her and hit Yun Qiao impartially in the stomach.
"Let me ask Madam." Yun Qiao moved closer to her, her voice softly caressing the skin below her ears, "Is Madam still afraid of having sex with Master?"
"People treat you as their own person, you're fine..." In desperation, Ling Yang wanted to throw out another candied date, but found that she had just held the last one in the small dish in her mouth.For a while, his fingers rested on Xiaodie, and his face became redder with embarrassment.Yun Qiao smiled and bent over, suddenly clutched her stomach and said: "The intestines are about to be twisted into a ball of twine."
"Oh, Yunqiao." Ling Yang's eyes widened, "I really didn't use any strength when I threw that candied date. It couldn't be..."
"Ma'am, don't worry, it's okay." Yun Qiao patted the back of her hand lightly, "Madam's candied dates just hit him, maybe he will really respond and come out earlier."
"If I had known earlier, I would have used sugared lotus seeds." Ling Yang smiled embarrassingly, "He hit me, he answered me, and he became a brother."
It didn't take long, to be precise, after just over a month, everyone temporarily forgot to care about whether Yun Qiao was pregnant with a brother or a young lady.The master of the Tang family was lying unconscious in the upper room, not knowing whether he was alive or dead—all reputable doctors in Xiuning County and even nearby places had been invited to see him, but the words they said were all the same.During the most dangerous days, the doctor who always came to treat the old lady simply lived in the Tang family's house, watching over Tang Jian day and night.By the way, the old lady had to be dosed with heavier medicines, and Yun Qiao had to be prescribed anti-pregnancy prescriptions frequently.When the first month was coming to an end, no one thought of tidying up the lanterns that were hung all over the yard on the day of the Lantern Festival.
It was the first time for Ling Yang to sit upright in the main room, talking like a "madam" by herself - but she didn't expect that it was this group of doctors she had to deal with.But it's not too difficult, the doctor salutes, and she also owes her best wishes.Then he respectfully asked the doctor how his master's condition was - the doctors all said that a vital bone was injured, and then they would say a lot of pulse conditions that Yang couldn't understand.She just remembered that the master must not be moved. If she can wake up, she may not know whether the master will be able to walk until around Qingming.She couldn't forget that after prescribing the master's prescription, she begged the doctor to give Yun Qiao a pulse -- Yun Qiao watched helplessly as the master fell from the second floor, broke the railing, scratched the banana tree heavily, and then It landed stiffly on the flagstones of the patio—in front of her.When everyone screamed and ran towards the master, only Ling Yang hugged Yun Qiao from behind, who slid to the ground like a fish.
The doctor said that Yunqiao was overly frightened and worried, and the fetal image was unstable, so she had to rest and take medicine.In fact, there is no need for a doctor to say this, everyone knows it.But no one can comfort her.The master was in a coma day after day, and Yun Qiao hadn't left her house for many days.She leaned on the head of her bed all day, no longer combed her hair, and let her black hair hang down along the edge of the bed in strands, almost sweeping to the ground.Ling Yang didn't know what to say to her, Yun Qiao was usually the eloquent one.Yun Qiao's hands were silently hanging on the black quilt, Ling Yang wanted to hold them, but they dodged deftly. "Master is still alive, what are you doing?" Ling Yang was anxious.She suddenly saw the jade bracelets left by the couple on her wrists - they followed her all the way to the Tang family from the past.She couldn't help but pull the one off her right wrist forcefully, and when the bracelet passed through her palm, it rubbed a red mark on the back of her fair hand.She grabbed Yun Qiao's dodging hand, bit her lip, and without saying a word, she firmly put it on Yun Qiao's wrist.Yun Qiao's hand was slightly bigger than hers, and the bracelet got stuck under four fingers. Yun Qiao shook her hand vigorously in pain, and bumped her elbow on Ling Yang's shoulder without thinking, "This is when my mother died. Leave it for me, if you throw it out and break it, I will fight with you." Ling Yang said loudly to Yun Qiao's face, startled the little girl who was behind delivering the soup to Yun Qiao, her hands trembled , the medicine cup was crooked in the tray, nearly half of the bowl of medicine was spilled, and some of it was spilled on Ling Yang's back, she didn't realize it, she just tightly held Yunqiao's palm until she was no longer Struggling, bit by bit, she pushed the bracelet onto her wrist - the size was just right, "My mother left me two, these are the best things she has ever worn, one for you, one for me, Yun Qiao I promise you, as long as I am here, you will be here, and I will raise the child with you, do you understand?"
Yun Qiao was crying.
It was at this time that Ling Yang realized that her cuffs were stained with soup.
She also wanted to change clothes, but when she was sitting beside the master's bed, she suddenly lost the strength to stand up.She looked at him quietly, and she felt that he hadn't changed - he was the same as when he was asleep on weekdays, except that he was so breathless.After such a chaotic time, she finally had the time to think about how all this happened.She lived the best year in her memory--in the second year of junior high, her elder brother and sister-in-law came to see her at Tang's house, and Chunmei, who had already accepted her birth, refused to be hugged by her, and hid behind her sister-in-law, who grabbed her buttocks. Looking at her hair bun and the pimples on her cheeks, she said sincerely, "Young lady is getting better and better." Then, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
They were all groping for dominoes in the warm pavilion on the second floor—originally, they could go out by car to see the lanterns during the Lantern Festival, but because Yun Qiao was inconvenient, Ling Yang refused to go—in order not to let Yun Qiao Qiao looked greedy.Aunt Hui also played with them very rarely.Ling Yang has never been good at these games, but she doesn't care about losing, she likes the excitement.When all the lanterns in the yard were lit, the railing on the second floor was cut into pieces by balls of light and shadows. She didn't know that her eyes were watery, and the magenta cotton bikini rolled Those silver-threaded flowers all shone in their eyes, and everyone in the room was secretly admiring why Madam was so beautiful today; she didn't know when Yun Qiao supported a maid and followed her brother to the In the courtyard, she seemed to want to get a closer look at the exquisite Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Lantern; she didn't know exactly when the old lady was invited over: the sound of firecrackers on New Year's Eve made the old lady sick again, and for more than ten days, the old lady Didn't see any visitors.She did remember what Niang Hui said to the master, otherwise forget it, the old lady must have rested already.But the master said, then send someone to take a look, if the old lady has not yet fallen asleep, please come and look at these lanterns together.She remembered that the old lady was sitting upright in a corner, her clothes and hair were all in order, but her expression still seemed to be tied up.She also remembered that she said a few words to the old lady and showed her the lamp on the corridor, and the old lady seemed to smile at her strangely.
The lantern riddles were all made by the master and brother.Read it out, everyone guesses.Hui Niang guessed the most.Ling Yang suffers from the same problem - she is illiterate, so she doesn't understand all the lantern riddles whose answers are words, and can only guess along with those whose answers are objects. This Ling Yang is good at it.Among the whole row of lanterns hanging above the railing, she likes one that looks like a flower basket.She wanted to see what riddles were written on the lamp, so she walked out of the warm pavilion, not wanting that the riddles were not written on the side facing her—she stretched out her hand to reach for it, trying to turn the lamp around.Yun Qiao raised her neck in a panic and shouted at her in the courtyard: "Ma'am, be careful not to fall—" The master stood beside her at this time, her arms were too short, but the master stretched out his arms easily. Came across that flower basket.She finally saw the lantern riddles—those lines of small script were written by Hui Niang's daughter, Third Miss. Although she didn't recognize them, she felt that they were beautiful and peaceful from the bottom of her heart.The master stood a little farther away, and said with a smile: "So what if you read it, try reading it out, and let everyone guess." Everyone laughed behind her, and she heard that it was either Hui Niang or an old lady. The girl said: "Master, you can't bully Madam just because of her good nature."
It was at this time that she heard the sound of furniture falling to the ground. She thought it was just someone who knocked down the stool. The old lady rushed over with her arms outstretched, as if possessed by a bird.When everyone came back to their senses, the old lady had already bumped into the master beside the railing.After the collision, he fell to the ground and leaned to one side, chanting words that others could not understand as he usually did when he was sick.The railing broke, and the master fell right in front of Yunqiao's eyes.When the master was falling, he caught the string of the hanging lantern, and the thread broke. In an instant, a long row of lanterns approached from both sides to the middle like a formation of wild geese, and fell down from mid-air.The so-called fiery trees and silver flowers refer to this.The master was lying on the ground silently, crushing a carp lantern with his body, the master's sleeves were burned by the flames from the carp lamp, but Yun Qiao, who was close at hand, didn't think of trampling them out, only screamed .
The railing is broken.A string of floating, broken lanterns seemed to bloom where the wood was broken.
Since that day, the old lady has been locked in her room again.
She touched the master's hand lightly.She felt that in the past few days, he had lost a lot of weight while sleeping.Touching his skin has never been a pleasant thing for Ling Yang.But, for the first time, she seriously thought that maybe they were going to say goodbye so soon.She didn't know why she had met him, and maybe that was why it was only fair not to know when she would lose him.However, she has only passed this year of sincere happiness.She's not that greedy, she knows that people can't always be happy, she just thought that if he writes lantern riddles and she guesses, there will be more Lantern Festival, at least one more.His arm was terribly heavy, but she lifted it up and brushed his face lightly against her face.
She didn't expect that it was Hui Niang who knocked on her door late that night.
"I saw that there was a light, so I know Madam is not asleep yet." Niang Hui bowed politely.She returned it clumsily. "Master is ill. There are a few things that need to be discussed with Madam." She couldn't tell how old Hui Niang was, but there were always thirty-five or six-year-olds.It is said that at that time, because she was old, she got out of the Jiaofang Division in the capital and followed the master. She could play the pipa well and sing well.Even today's Jingchai cloth skirt, the words and deeds are naturally different.
"Hui Niang has something to do—just talk about it." Ling Yang knew that he had been avoiding Hui Niang all the time, because—because as long as people face each other, everyone can feel the "battle".
"First thing, starting tomorrow, I will show my wife the family's account books. Since I came here, for twelve or three years, the family's income has been just enough to cover expenses. Only in those three or four years are there surpluses. Fortunately, both the old lady and the master are thrifty people. But since last year, there have been several major events, one is that the wife entered the door, and the other is that the elder brother is supposed to get married next year. Fortunately, if it's true—madam understands what I mean, then brother's marriage has to be done during the filial piety period, otherwise you have to wait another three years. In this way, the mansion may be in a tight spot this year .I will make a decision, and discuss it with my wife when it is urgent, can you make it?"
She couldn't think of anything other than nodding.
"The other thing is that I want to discuss with my wife whether my brother will marry this year or not. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for some time to go to the ethnology school because of the family situation. I have a distant cousin who also passed the provincial examination in the early years. Later, for some reason, he always failed, but he was extremely smart, with a laid-back temperament and some family background, so he gave up the idea of taking the exam. I heard that he was a teacher in their yamen for a few years, and the article was published. It’s good to have a good name. I also have some knowledge of medicine. If my wife thinks it’s suitable, I’ll invite him to live in the mansion for a while. A letter from the family said that he helped my mother prescribe a few medicines, which were more effective than the doctor's..."
"Okay. Just do as you say."
Perhaps Huiniang didn't expect the conversation to end so soon.The tea in the cup in front of him was finished, but he didn't get up.Ling Yang was not sure whether he should persuade her to refill the glass, anyway, she was always troubled by these small things.It would be great if Yun Qiao was beside her, and she could make up her mind.
As expected, Madam Hui still said quietly: "There is something that I think I need to tell Madam. The old masters in the clan heard about Master's affairs, and they will definitely come to the door within three or two days. At that time, Madam must be careful to deal with it." on."
"Mother Hui, I didn't understand."
"I'm worried—they will force Madam to cut off her fingers and swear that if the master dies, she will never remarry for the rest of her life."
Ling Yang thought he had returned to his childhood, and was listening to his sister-in-law telling ghost stories: "If you don't remarry, then don't remarry, why do you have to cut off your fingers?"
"Ma'am, do you know how the old lady got madness?"
Nearly two o'clock, Yunqiao's maid, Chanjuan, put on her clothes and got up, and lit the lamp: "Aunt Qiao is still asleep." Yunqiao didn't respond, she still sat leaning on the pillow, Chanjuan sighed, "The doctor said it all, you have to rest well to get pregnant..." Afterwards, she stopped talking and shook her head secretly.A faint noise outside helped her out, and Chanjuan's tone seemed to suddenly become cheerful, "I'll go out and have a look, the door must have been blown open by the wind." In fact, she didn't think it was really necessary to go there A door——Yunqiao doesn't know it, and now everyone who is close to her is afraid of her.
Yun Qiao heard Chanjuan's exclamation: "Oh, it's madam, it's so late." Yunqiao turned her face slightly, and saw Ling Yang standing next to Duobaoge, Chanjuan followed her embarrassingly, Holding a lamp.She said: "Yun Qiao, I want to sleep here tonight." Ling Yang's hairpins had all been removed, and her temples were a little loose, which reminded Yun Qiao of the night when the two of them met for the first time, Yun Qiao Standing behind a screen and watching secretly, Ling Yang hesitantly opened the curtain and poked her head out. She had the same expression on her face at that moment—there was still a difference. It was a bit refreshing and sad.Yun Qiao's heart trembled slightly, as if she just realized that someone put a teacup in her heart that would overflow with just a touch.After many days of not speaking, Yun Qiao felt awkward hearing her own voice. She finally uttered a complete sentence: "Cicada, get a basin of water, and serve Madam to wash and change clothes. Then come out with the quilt on the bed." In the past, she She would not order the servant girl in such a concise tone in front of Ling Yang, she would definitely make the bed for Ling Yang together with Chanjuan, just like what she was used to doing.She didn't have the energy to be obedient and courteous anymore, and she didn't find that her face had turned as cold as ice overnight.
Ling Yang unbuttoned her clothes indiscriminately, making Chanjuan look superfluous.She crawled to Yunqiao's side, leaned on the pillow and stared at Yunqiao's face: "Why are you still sitting, why don't you lie down?" Chanjuan blew out the lights for them with relief.Chanjuan felt that she could finally sleep peacefully—only Chanjuan had seen Yunqiao try to hang herself to death in the middle of the night—Cicada jumped on desperately, while dealing with Yunqiao who was fighting, While promising that she wouldn't tell anyone about it.
"Hui Niang told me a lot of things just now." Ling Yang's voice sounded like he had done something wrong, but it was extraordinarily clear.
Yun Qiao lay down, Ling Yang's breath warmed her left arm, she said shyly, "What else can I do?"
"Hui Niang won't let me tell others." Ling Yang's head came closer and pressed against Yun Qiao's shoulder.
Yun Qiao smiled: "It's up to you. See how long you can bear."
"Yunqiao, you laughed." Ling Yang turned over triumphantly, "Anyway, you are not someone else. Hui Niang said, if the master really dies, those old people in the clan will come and force me to cut off my fingers and swear that I Keep it. I just keep it, why do I have to cut off my finger, it's really scary, it will hurt to death, right?"
"What are you guarding against?" Yun Qiao sneered quietly, "How old are you. You're not me. With this evil obstacle in my heart, I can't go anywhere. You are different."
"Why do you say such damned words." Ling Yang slapped Yunqiao lightly, "You are so boring, I promise you, I won't go anywhere, I will bring up this child with you, this life."
"It's a long life."
"Not necessarily, my mother's life is not long."
"I don't know who should go to hell to pull out their tongue." Yun Qiao slapped Ling Yang on the back.
"Hui Niang also said." Ling Yang stared deeply at the curtain above his head in the dark, "When the old master passed away—it was the father of the old man, the old people in the clan, they originally wanted to force the old lady to cut off her fingers. I made an oath, but later someone remembered that when the old master left, the old lady was already over thirty, so she stopped talking about the severed finger."
"How do you say it?" Yun Qiao was very confused.
"It seems to say that if a woman loses her husband before she is thirty, she is willing to guard her life. When she is fifty, the court will erect a chastity memorial archway. If she loses her husband after thirty, she will not be given a memorial. When. If there is a strong woman in a clan, the corvee of the whole clan will be reduced accordingly——Yunqiao..." Ling Yang didn't know that his eyes were slightly bright at the moment, "A woman can make the court give you instant relief. A memorial archway, and then let a lot of men get rich because of your archway, it seems very remarkable, isn’t it?”
"I don't know." Yun Qiao touched her belly unconsciously, which was her new habit, "Anyway, it has nothing to do with us concubines."
"I'm thinking, this is a great thing." Ling Yang suddenly became a little happier, "If the master really has to leave, there must be something to look forward to in the next days, right?"
"Shentian Bodhisattva, my wife." Yun Qiao clasped her hands together in front of her chest in the dark, shaking slightly, "If your words had ears, wouldn't you be afraid of being arrested and Ling Chi?"
"I'm not looking forward to Master's death." Ling Yang slid under Yunqiao's arm skillfully, "If that memorial archway is not very special, why do the old people in the clan care so much? Mother Hui also told me... I don't know if it's true or not, but Madam Hui doesn't look like she's cheating on me."
"Be careful with Madam Hui." Yun Qiao said quietly, "You and I combined, can't compare to her cleverness."
"She said earlier that there was an accountant in the family, and our old lady..." Ling Yang's face became hot, "You understand, it's that kind of shameful thing. Everyone in the house knew it. I kept it a secret. Later, the master stopped being an official and came back with Madam Hui, and he found out about the rumors—in short, Mr. Accountant threw himself into the well in the backyard one night, and after that, the old lady fell mad. But there was no It's so great now."
"That's not the case." Yun Qiao said softly and decisively, "Master told me that Mr. Account Manager threw himself into the well because Master left home for many years, and the first thing he did when he came back was to check the family accounts. He knew that there was a huge deficit in the books. The old lady always believed in him and ignored him, but the master was different. He committed suicide when he saw that he couldn't cover it up. The old lady has been a widow for so many years. There are too." Yun Qiao suddenly felt sad, because she finally knew that there were so many things the master wanted to tell her that he hadn't told Ling Yang.
Ling Yang was quiet for a long time, then slowly said: "But the year Mr. Account Manager threw himself into the well, you didn't come to the mansion, you are different from what I heard."
"Listen to what the master said, can it be the same?" Yun Qiao felt a little regretful as soon as she said that, she stretched out her arms, and hugged Ling Yang's head even tighter.She thought that Ling Yang was a little jealous after all, but Ling Yang's breathing became more and more even, and she pushed her slightly, and her shoulders immediately collapsed obediently.Yun Qiao was stunned for a while, then murmured to herself, "You can really sleep."
The doctors said that they would not know whether the master could still walk until Qingming.But when the master died, it was not Qingming yet.When there was a lot of wailing inside and outside the master's bedroom, Ling Yang looked at the familiar face in ecstasy, and asked him in his heart: "If it really won't leave, what will we do on the road to Huangquan?"
At the beginning of February, the master was sober, he suddenly opened his eyes at dusk, Ling Yang turned his back to the bed and was lighting the lamp—she sent the maid to the kitchen to look at the medicine pot.In Huizhou in February, it was still cold and humid, and a brazier had to be kept burning in the master's room all day long.She bent down and touched the charcoal with fire chopsticks—at this moment, she heard a hoarse voice behind her: "Ling Yang."
She woke up like a dream.Throwing down the fire chopsticks and rushing to the bed.The first thought was actually, don't let other people know that he is awake.She carefully grasped his cold hand—in fact, her hand was not much warmer, and it was still suffering from embarrassing frostbite like when she was a child.Her fingers were wrapped around his, and she just wanted to know if he still felt his hand—but no, she was too nervous to feel anything.She squeezed the four fingers of his right hand tightly into her palm—and breathed warm breath on them.A sense of grievance suddenly surged out from the depths, and she said with difficulty: "Master, don't die." There was a circle of gray around the master's lips, and he smiled half-smile: "I will not die." "Master fell while looking at the lantern. I came down, but the doctor said that after the Qingming Festival, the master can get out of bed and walk." -Of course the doctor didn't say that, but it doesn't matter.When the servant girl came in with the medicine jar, the master went back to sleep again. It took her a lot of effort to convince everyone that the patient had really spoken to her.
The master's sobriety is intermittent, and he can talk to people for a few hours a day without any problem.But he still couldn't feel his legs, and couldn't sit up completely—he didn't seem to care at all whether he could walk again in Qingming—he was a mild-tempered person, and when he was dying, he was gentle to the point of indifference.One morning, when Ling Yang opened the door and went in to help him wipe his body, she smelled a faint smell of decaying earth in the room—she knew that day was coming.Hui Niang has long been negotiating with the master who made the coffin, choosing wood, color, and carving patterns-first pay the order silver, and after each process is completed, send the housekeeper and his wife to look at it, and then give the money step by step.The last coat of varnish had just been painted on the coffin, and it took two or three days for the master to apply it.
Hui Niang knelt in the crowd of female relatives, letting out a cry of grief wantonly.Although Ling Yang knelt in front of her, it seemed that Hui Niang's crying was the backbone of all the crying.Ling Yang couldn't cry, she just shed tears quietly, she was still thinking about Yun Qiao, Yun Qiao was five months pregnant, her body was slightly showing, she shouldn't be kneeling for so long.The master's funeral was done very decently, and the family allocated a sum of money to them, and Madam Hui took care of everything up and down carefully.Ling Yang didn't know how Hui Niang managed to calculate the number of incense candles and paper money in the mourning hall in a straightforward tone after crying to death every day, and cared about the dishes for the funeral banquet—the monks who came to chant sutras must be prepared Our vegetarian food, this is what she is talking about.At this moment, she was just afraid that she would not be able to tear her face into a hideous look like everyone else did.The old lady seemed to be all right, mournful but not sad, and admirable, but people had to be on guard at any time, fearing that the shrill cry would disturb the ceremony of the dead by surprise.
There is one thing that Ling Yang didn't even tell Yun Qiao.One afternoon when the master just woke up, when Ling Yang stepped into the master's room, he saw the old lady sitting alone beside the master's bed.She stroked the back of the master's hand, which looked as old and skinny as hers, and Ling Yang hid behind the screen for some reason.She just felt like she shouldn't be there.
Mother asked: "Is the pain better?"
The son replied, "It doesn't hurt."
Mother said: "It's fine if it doesn't hurt, and it's easy to give birth."
The son said: "I will have a good birth, the old lady can rest assured."
It was then that the house smelled of excrement.The master has completely lost control of his excretion.The old lady covered her nose and mouth with her hands, and after thinking about it, she also covered the master's mouth and nose with her free hand.Ling Yang couldn't see the master's expression.After a while, the old lady let go of her hands, which hung abruptly between her and the master.The old lady laughed.
Mother smiled and shook her head: "You were like this when you were young."
The son said: "The old lady pushed the son down on purpose, I know it very well."
Ling Yang slowly stepped back towards the door, trying to silence the sound of footsteps.She knew she was in a ridiculous shape and gait at the moment.She also covered her nose with her hand.She had to go out without showing a trace, and called someone to help change the master's clothes, and she also needed to call someone who served the old lady to bring the old lady back.She was not afraid that the old lady would know that she heard what they were saying, but she was afraid that the master would also cover his nose when he saw her.When she cleaned the feces for the master for the first time, she had thought with horror that if the master wanted to live to the old lady's age like this, it would be better to let her be a widow from now on, so that at least there would be memorial archways to take.
The master stayed in the mourning hall for seven days. During the "first seven days", the last ceremony was done.
On the day of the funeral, paper money flew all over the sky and fell into mud on the field path.He clearly promised Ling Yang that he would not die.It's just that people go back and forth, which is also common.
Now there is finally no more rotten air that fills the room, no more bedding stained with excrement and urine, no more that man's body that was as heavy as a stone, no more his skin that felt like moss, no more Decubitus sores, no matter how careful you are, no feeling of humiliation that both the patient and the caretaker suffer—all gone.The bright moonlight in front of the bed is suspected to be frost on the ground.Death is like flatness and rhyme, trimming the dirty life into a poem.Ling Yang thinks the master's coffin is very beautiful, the decoration is simple and simple, but it has a quiet beauty.It was because he was lying in it that she could miss him so cleanly.It has been less than a year since she became the wife of the Tang family.It seems that marrying him is to give him a ride.
She remembered that it should be around the time of Waking of Insects, a lightly raining afternoon.She saw Huiniang go to her brother's study and ask him to make up his mind to choose the decorations on the coffin.She greeted Hui Niang, and Hui Niang waved her to come in and watch together.She seemed to have never been in my brother's study.On a small couch in the study, sitting a strange man dressed in dove gray.As soon as Ling Yang came in, he got up and sang.She knew that that was Hui Niang's distant cousin, so she temporarily invited her to point out her article.She was in such a hurry to say Wanfu, she didn't see that her brother was also saluting her.
That was the first time Ling Yang saw Mr. Xie.She didn't dare to look closely at what he looked like.Xie Ying, courtesy name Shunhui.Regardless of master or servant in the Tang residence, everyone simply called him "Mr. Xie".
The day after the master was buried, people from the clan came.Huiniang recognized that it was Tang Pu, Tang Liugong's nephew, who came to the door.Liugong is the patriarch, and Liugong's nephew is not very old, but his seniority is actually higher than the master.Tang Pu doesn't look like an arrogant person.Only the boys who followed him were allowed to stand at the gate and wait.对蕙娘道：“族里的规矩是这样，新寡的妇人，须得到祖宗祠堂里去跪一夜，由长老们口授女德。”蕙娘做了个手势叫丫鬟出去，自己为唐璞斟上了茶，殷勤备至：“族里规矩自然是要守，只是我家夫人也要有个贴身的人跟着才好，方便伺候，夫人前些日子一直操劳着照顾老爷，身子虚弱，还望长老们担待。”蕙娘用力地盯着唐璞的眼睛，重重地说出“担待”两个字。 “也罢。”唐璞放下了没动过的茶杯，“只带一个。可是有一样，夫人什么时候回来，那丫鬟就什么时候回来，中间须得在祠堂候着听使唤，不可中途擅自回府。”唐璞带着令秧离去的时候，蕙娘的嘴唇已经被自己咬得发白，她吩咐身边一脸忧心的管家娘子：“快点去把大夫请来，今晚就留在咱们府里，还有，让大夫多备点止血的药。”
很多年后，令秧即使非常努力地回想，也还是记不得祠堂的样子。她只记得那几位长老一人坐一把红木的太师椅，然后一个四五十岁的婆子放了张蒲团在她膝下，眼神示意她下跪。至于跟着她过来的那个丫鬟，早已被唐璞的随从们拦在了外面。她不记得自己对着那一行又一行的灵位究竟磕了多少个头。总之，磕到最后，俯下身子的瞬间她就错觉那些牌位马上就要对着她飞下来，“枭枭”地叫着，淹没她的头顶。她袖子里藏着一小瓶白药——是来的路上，那丫鬟偷偷塞给她的，想必是蕙娘的主意。不过她却不知道这药究竟该用多少。那些断过指的女人，砍掉的是哪一根？用左手拿刀还是用右手？要是自己真的下不了手，砍不断怎么办，难道还会有人来帮忙不成？
六公清了清嗓子，不怒自威，讲话的声音中气十足：“唐王氏，你可知道这是什么地方？”
她不知道自己算不算得上“知道”，所以只好看着六公的眼睛。六公边上那个不知是“九公”还是“十一公”的老者慢条斯理地放下了茶杯：“唐王氏，今天找你来，是为着好意提醒你做女人的本分，也自然是为着光耀咱们唐氏一族的门楣。咱们唐家的男人向来体健长寿，上一个朝廷旌表过的贞节烈妇，怕是二十多年前了……”他朝着半空中拱了拱手，然后另一个声音截断了他的，这声音从令秧的右手边传过来，沙哑，调门却很高，听着直刮耳朵：“是二十九年了。中间只出过两个未满三十的寡妇，一个有辱门楣，沉潭了；另一个回娘家了，也是因为那妇人的父亲当时升了巡抚，来接她走，这个面子不能不给。如今我们唐氏族中也该再出个烈妇，唐王氏，恰好轮到你，也是老天垂怜。”
听起来，他们像是灾民求雨那样，盼着一个年轻的烈女。
唐璞站在她的左手边，打开一本册子，高声诵读起来，六公缓缓地说：“唐王氏，你且仔细听着，听完了，我们还有话要问你。”
唐璞抑扬顿挫地念完了一大段话，她其实一个词都听不懂。她能听懂的部分，只是一长串的名字，似乎无穷无尽。
洪武四年，河南南阳府，刘氏，十七岁丧夫，触棺殉夫，亡。
洪武十二年，陕西平凉府，张氏，十八岁丧夫，矢志守节，至二十二岁，公婆迫其改嫁，自缢而亡。
洪武二十三年，徽州府婺源县，林氏，二十一岁丧夫，绝食七日而亡。
永乐四年，湖广黎平府，赵氏，十八岁丧夫，投湖而亡。
永乐十年，山东莱州府，冯氏，十四岁定亲，完婚前半月，夫急病暴毙，自缢而亡。
正德元年，河南汝宁府，李氏，夫亡，年十六岁，公婆欲将其改嫁其夫幼弟，执意不从，自刎而亡。
嘉靖九年，徽州歙县，白氏，二十岁丧夫，时年幼子两岁，矢志守节，其子后染时疫暴卒，卒年四岁，白氏遂投井而亡。
嘉靖十一年，徽州休宁县，方氏，二十三岁丧夫，吞金而亡。
嘉靖二十年，山西沁州府，苏氏，十九岁丧夫，矢志守节，侍奉家翁，后家翁病故，其父母欲使其改嫁，自缢而亡。
嘉靖二十三年……
原来这世上，有这么多种自尽的死法。只是这“嘉靖年间”为何这么长，令秧的腰间已经麻木，略微一挪动，人就像木偶一样散了架，不听使唤地朝前匍匐，她用手撑住了冰凉的地板。这一次，她没有力气再抬起头注视六公的脸。
“我真的，跪不动了。”一颗泪重重地砸在手背上。唐璞的声音不知疲倦地继续着，有一个字像雪片一样飞满了令秧的脑袋：亡。
“也罢。时候不早，大家都乏了。”六公挥手将先头那个婆子招进来，“扶她去隔壁歇着，明日接着念。你要知道，给你念的这些，都是朝廷旌表过的节妇。过去的规矩，填房继室都不予旌表——可是圣恩浩荡，自洪武年间，恰恰是在咱们休宁穆家的一位继室夫人身上，太祖皇帝把这规矩破了。往后，才有了你们这般填房孀妇的出路，要说你的运气也算是够好——那本册子才念完不到两成，你若生在早先，还不配有她们的归宿，最好的归宿，你明白吗，唐王氏。”
祠堂的后面是一个小小的内院，影壁两旁，有翠竹，新绿冒了出来，却还有枯黄的竹叶没能落尽，遮挡住了影壁西侧的小屋。令秧就被关在里面。一张旧榻，一个摇摇晃晃的矮凳，一张小炕桌被丢在屋角，摆着几个碗和杯子。破晓时分，竹影泼在窗户纸上。那婆子坐在矮凳上慢吞吞捶打着自己的腿，终于开口道：“我知道夫人睡不着，好歹闭上眼睛歇歇。天一亮，可就又不能清净了。”令秧抱紧了膝盖，往榻角处缩了缩，像是要把自己砌进身后的墙里，或者变成一块帐子上的补丁。她试过想要伸展开双腿，稍微一动，膝盖就钻心地疼。似乎不知道该拿这个僵硬的自己如何是好。她也不想跟这个看守她的老妇说话——人们似乎叫她“门婆子”，虽然相貌可憎，却也不曾为难她——可是令秧知道，眼下，她对任何人和颜悦色，都没有用。
“依我看呢——”门婆子的声音听上去元气十足，佝偻着腰，捏自己的小腿，眼睛直直地看住她，她有一只眼睛是斜的，裸露在外的一大片眼白呈现一种蒙尘的黄色，像是茶垢，“夫人不懂得守一辈子的苦处。别怪我说话粗糙，夫人未必做得到。”婆子熟练地盘起腿，把自己准确地折叠在了那张小凳子上，突然间成了一个诡异的神龛，“又没个儿女，也就没什么牵挂。跟着老爷去了，左右不是坏事。博了名节自不必说，省得熬往后那些看不见头的日子。夫人现在年轻，觉得活着有滋味儿——可是信我门婆子一句话，一眨眼，活着的滋味儿就耗尽了。等当真觉得死了比活着痛快的那一天，就由不得夫人您了。”
令秧不吭声，像是打瞌睡那样闭上了眼睛。门婆子随随便便地从那把破壶里倒出一杯看起来像是泡得过久的茶，再拿起一只粗瓷的碗，转身在屋角的水缸里舀了一碗水。“夫人？”门婆子将杯子和碗并排搁在炕桌上，也不管脏不脏，就将炕桌横到令秧面前的被褥上。“夫人若是想好了，就喝了那杯有颜色的。我跟你保证，喝下了，只需忍不到一个时辰的工夫，就什么都过去了。若是还没想好，就把那碗水喝了——等会儿还要再去祠堂跪着听训呢，不喝水撑不住的——我老婆子也没法子，长老们吩咐过了，只准我给夫人水，不准给吃的。”
片刻之后，令秧听见了关门的声音，她知道此时屋里只剩下了她自己，和那碗毒药。她怕，可还是忍不住睁开了眼睛——毕竟，长这么大，还没见过毒药是什么样的。捧起那杯子的时候胳膊都在打战，但是她还没有意识到那其实是因为饥饿。不然——先稍微用舌尖舔一下呢——她还是把那杯子丢回到炕桌上，还以为它会被打翻或者直接摔碎，但是它只是危险地颤了颤，像是转了半圈，就立住了。她从小就怕死了喝药，这跟那药究竟是为了治病还是为了死根本没关系。手抖得太厉害，洒出来的一点点弄湿了她胸前的衣裳，若是让嫂子看到了准又要数落的，她已经很久没有这样自然而然地想起嫂子了。一夜之间，成为唐家夫人的那段日子似乎已经成了一场梦，她的心魂又回到了童年去。
Die and die.既然这么多人需要她死——那可能真的像门婆子说的，不是坏事。虽然说她若真的守到五十岁，也有牌坊可拿——但明摆着的，长老们不相信，也等不及。一具新寡的，十六岁的女尸换来的牌坊更快，也更可靠些。到了阴间，能看见娘，还能看见唐简——糟了，娘认不得唐简长什么样子，他们如何能够聚在一起，迎接令秧过来呢？令秧像是被人兜头泼了一盆冷水，在这世上，她最亲的两个亲人都已经走了，可是他们彼此还形同陌路。令秧并未期盼过会有人来救她，因为她从不觉得自己能有那种好运气。唐家大宅里，每个人有每个人的位置，每个人有每个人要做的事情，老夫人只消隔几日兴师动众地犯疯病，宅子里的岁月就没什么两样，蕙娘继续日理万机地管家，厨娘年复一年地记清每排坛子里究竟装了什么，哥儿要等着迎娶新媳妇，云巧的孩子一旦出生她就有了偿不完的债——可能，唯一让大家不知如何是好的，便是她这个没了老爷，并且什么都不会的夫人。就像是筷子一样，哪怕是象牙雕出来的又镶了金边和宝石的筷子，其中一根丢了，另一根又能怎么样呢？若是她成为了一道牌坊，就不同了——她有了恰当的去处，所有的人都会在恰当的时候想起她。
有道光照了进来。她不得不抬起胳膊，用袖子遮挡住眼睛。发髻松垮了好多，软塌塌地堆在脖子那里，几缕散碎的发丝沿着脸庞滑出来，脸上的皮肤不知为何紧得发痛，就好像躯壳马上就要裂开让魂魄出窍。她仰起头，注视着光芒的来源。门婆子站在门槛里面，垂手侍立。院子里是唐璞和那几个随从。“夫人。”门婆子不疾不徐地说，“长老们马上就到，是时候去祠堂了。”
令秧微微一笑，端起面前那碗水，一饮而尽，然后小心翼翼地把那空碗捧在胸前，轻声道：“知道了。”
门婆子走到卧榻边上：“我来扶着夫人。”令秧的右手轻轻搭在门婆子的手腕上：“我不敢喝。你来帮我一把？”门婆子摇头道：“这种事，除却夫人自己，谁都插不得手。”令秧的笑容突然间有了一丝慵懒：“灌我喝下就好，谁还能为难你呢？”门婆子弯下腰，摆正了令秧的鞋：“夫人若是实在下不去手，也别为难自己。凡事都讲个机缘，夫人说对不对。”
多年以后，当令秧已经成了整个休宁，甚至是整个徽州的传奇，唐璞依然清晰地记得那个三月的清晨。她一瘸一拐地停在他面前，一身缟素，衣襟上留着毒药的污渍，粉黛未施，眼睛不知何故明亮得像是含泪。昨天把她带来的时候，她还不过是个只能算得上清秀的普通女人而已。可是现在，有一丛翠竹静悄悄从她身后生出来。发髻重新盘过了，不过盘得牵强。她宁静地垂下眼帘，甚至带着微笑，对唐璞道了个万福。屈膝的瞬间她的身子果然重重地趔趄了一下，她也还是宁静地任凭自己出丑——唐璞奇怪，自己为何会如此想要伸出手去扶她一把，又为何如此恐惧自己的这个念头。他清早出门的时候，接过他的小妾递过来的茶盅，还轻描淡写地抱怨过，也不知这个妇人能不能知晓进退，早些了断了自己，也好快些结束他这桩差事——毕竟谁愿意白天黑夜地守在祠堂里看这些长老的脸色行事呢。
可是此刻，一切都不同了。令秧的眉头始终顺从地垂着，眼睛却停在他已经往前稍稍凑了几寸却马上收回的右臂上。她柔声道：“有劳九叔。”唐璞心里长叹了一声：人们常说的老话有些道理的。若是让这妇人一直活下去，她怎么可能不变成个淫妇。
他却实在说不清，为何，当他再一次在这妇人面前打开那本记载节妇的册子，开始念的时候，悄悄从散发着一股霉味的纸张后面看了看她的脸。她和前一晚一样，跪着，眼神清爽地凝视着那些林立的牌位——今日长老们决定换个地方，挪到了唐氏宗族的女祠。这里供奉的，都是整个家族几百年来恭顺贤德的女子。如果一切顺利的话，她很快也会加入她们——并且成为她们的荣耀。
他诵读的声音不知不觉放缓了，有了一点琅琅的韵律。他甚至有意识地跳过了一些过于残忍的例子——比方说，有个女人，为了不改嫁，拿银簪捅穿了自己的喉咙，生生挣扎了一天一夜才死；还比方说，有个女人，在马上就要临盆的时候丈夫突然落水溺亡，她在守灵的夜里撞了棺材，脑浆迸裂，人却没有马上断气，却在这撞击中惊了胎气，她死的时候婴儿也死了——婴儿的脑袋已经出来，身子还在她肚子里；还有个女人自己跳进了烧着开水的大锅里，人们把她捞上来，救活了她，从此她带着一个怪物一般的躯壳活着，她算是一个比较特别的节妇，殉夫未死，却也拿到了牌坊……
唐璞跳过了所有这些记载，他只把那些轻描淡写的“自缢而亡”“溺水而亡”之类的读给她听。不过他不知道，令秧其实早就听不见他的声音了。她清楚有个声音在持续着，可是就像知道雨水滴落在屋檐上而已。她的腰支撑不住了，不得不用胳膊撑着蒲团，她觉得自己像个木偶，若不是有提线抻着，四肢早已散架。门婆子时不时会走进来，为长老们添茶。终于，也靠近她，在她身旁的地面上跪下，擎着一只水碗，喂她喝下去，似乎门婆子知道她的胳膊已经抬不起来。周遭突如其来的寂静刺进她的耳朵里，她扬起头，静静地看着六公的眼睛。
“又给你念了两个时辰了，唐王氏。”六公的嗓门比昨晚小些，更家常了点，大约也觉得这戏没那么好看了，“你明白了点儿什么没有？”
“我依长老们的意思。”令秧心无城府地笑笑。长老们面面相觑，神色惊喜，十一公道：“这话可就岔了，这不是我们的意思，这是天道。”
“我死就是了。”令秧的笑意更深，“我夫君走了，我也该跟着，长老们满意了吗？”
“天佑我唐氏一门，难得有唐王氏深明大义。”六公突然间声若洪钟，祠堂里所有坐着的老人们都跟着笑了，好像看戏的时候心照不宣地知道什么地方有个好。
“只是六公，那毒药，我实在喝不下。我一个妇道人家，胆子太小。我上吊行不行？”唐璞默默地合上那本册子，垂手侍立到一边去，经过令秧的时候，他的腿极为小心地一闪，怕碰到她。
“也好。”六公向唐璞道，“马上叫你的人去准备点白绫过来，要上好的。”
“依我看……”长老中那个从未开口说话的老人放下了茶杯，跟其他长老比，他面色上泛着奇怪的红润，“在祠堂自缢，不妥，打扰了祖宗们的清静不说，祠堂这地方，可是一点秽气都见不得的。”
“这容易。”十一公摆摆手，“叫人押着她回她们家里不就得了。在自己府里自缢，说出去也没有不妥的地方。”
“只怕又生枝节。”
“这话糊涂，谁又敢生什么枝节？哪个不知道这是整个宗族的头等大事，我倒借他个胆子……”十一公的胡子伴随着说话，一飘一飘的。
线断了。祠堂的屋顶在不停地转圈，就像小时候哥哥给她做的那个陀螺。眼前的一切隐匿于黑暗之前，她觉得自己能稍微看清的，是唐璞俯下来的脸。然后，她真以为自己用不着上吊，就已经死了。所以她不知道，门婆子冲上来掐了一阵她的人中，未果，又搭着手腕把了她的脉。
门婆子不慌不忙地对六公说：“老身略略通得一点岐黄之术，唐夫人的脉象，怕是喜脉。不敢乱说，还请诸位长老赶紧找个大夫来给瞧瞧。”
祠堂里顿时嘈杂了起来，似乎没人再在乎打扰到祖宗。唐璞微微地攥住了拳头，也许她用不着去死了——正因为这个，他胸口才划过去一阵说不清的疼。
唐家大宅里，不少人都度过了一个无眠的夜晚。
云巧坐在蕙娘的房间里，不肯走。“出了再大的事情，你现在都得去歇着。”蕙娘把这句话用软的、硬的、软硬兼施的语气讲了无数次，一点用也没有。不只是云巧，这几个人房里的丫鬟都静悄悄地站成一排，正好挡在蕙娘的屏风前面，没有丝毫要散的意思。蕙娘颓丧地把脸埋在十指尖尖的手掌中，重重地叹气：“你们都在这儿耗着也没有用，早就差了好几拨人去打探了，离祠堂还有好几丈远就被九叔的那班小厮拦了下来……”“我不信，就连她的一点儿声音都听不见。”“罢呦。”蕙娘无奈地摊手，“真听到什么动静，哪有不告诉你的道理？”“那就让他们一直在远处守着！”云巧的声音里带上了哭腔，“你不是说他们要逼着她断指立誓吗——她总不能连叫喊声都没有吧——可是若真的断指，哪用得了这么些时辰？别看她十六了，其实她根本就是个孩子她什么也不懂……”云巧放声大哭了起来，蝉鹃也即刻跟着抹起了眼泪。
“这算什么意思！”蕙娘气恼地站起身，椅子在她身后“轰轰”地划拉着地面，“深更半夜的，你是不是非要吵醒了老夫人和哥儿才算干净？断指也是我过去听人家说的，谁能真的亲眼看见……”管家娘子在此时推开了房门：“蕙姨娘，小厮们回来，听说祠堂里散了，六公十一公他们的轿子都走了，只是没有咱们夫人的信儿，那个跟着的小丫头也不知被支使到哪儿去了。夫人好像是就在祠堂的后院歇了，族里看祠堂的那对老夫妇伺候着她，祠堂里彻夜都还有九叔的人轮班守着，咱们靠近不得。”
蕙娘招呼管家娘子在圆桌边上坐了，云巧急急地招呼蝉鹃，扶她起身离开圆桌，坐到旁边的矮凳上去。却立刻被蕙娘拦住：“都什么时候了，还讲这些虚礼。若真的丁是丁卯是卯地论起来，她是伺候过老夫人的人，她坐下的时候我都该站着。”管家娘子也劝道：“巧姨娘眼下可千万哭不得，不能伤了胎气。依我看，今晚夫人不会有什么事情，明天天一亮咱们家的小厮也还是会过去打探着。不过九叔家的那些人向来跋扈——”“使些银子罢了，倒没什么。”蕙娘苦笑道，“我最心慌的，就是不知道这班长老究竟是什么意思。我怕就算是打探到了消息，咱们也来不及想主意……宗族里的事儿，官府都能躲就躲，我怕咱们……”眼看着云巧又要哭，管家娘子硬硬地给蕙娘递眼色：“我倒觉得，谢先生像是个有主意的，他一向起得早，明天，我打发人早点去把早饭给他送过去。”“正是这话。”蕙娘会意地点头道，“我一早就去跟他商量商量，看他有没有什么法子。”
次日清晨，跟着令秧去往祠堂的小丫鬟被一众唐府的小厮骑马带了回来，他们是在去往祠堂的半路上遇到了她。蕙娘和众人都在哥儿的书房里。一见着蕙娘，小丫鬟便跪下哭道：“蕙姨娘，可了不得了，我一整夜被他们关在祠堂的柴房里，根本连夫人的面都见不着。是一大早，那个看祠堂的老婆子，有一只眼睛有毛病的……”蕙娘急得叱道：“你这孩子就不知道拣紧要的说么，都火烧眉毛了还管人家的眼睛！”“是她偷偷放我走，嘱咐我来给咱们府里报信的。”小丫鬟从袖子里掏出一张叠得四四方方，像是从账簿上扯下来的纸，“那老婆子说，把这个交给咱们府里管事的就好。”“一个看守祠堂的婆子，倒会写字？”蕙娘惊愕地挑起了眉毛。打开匆匆看完，却僵硬地跌坐在椅子里，都忘记了叫小丫鬟起来。
“到底怎么回事？”云巧面如土色，甚至不敢正视蕙娘的脸。
蕙娘把那张纸交给她的丫鬟：“去给谢先生看看。”云巧此刻才想起来，谢先生一直安静沉默地站在回廊上。
“没事。”蕙娘用力地笑笑，朝向管家娘子道，“叫你当家的马上去把罗大夫请来。告诉罗大夫人命关天。再去账房支银子，有多少拿多少过来。”
“蕙姨娘。”管家娘子面露难色，“老爷的丧事刚完，现在要银子，只怕都得动厨房买菜的钱了。”
“不怕。我房里还有体己的首饰。”蕙娘笑笑，“顾不得这些了，救命要紧。等一下，你知不知道六公平日里都请哪个大夫？”
“这个得去问九叔身边的人。他们一准知道。”
“那就叫小厮们去打听，把跟六公熟的大夫和罗大夫一起请到咱们家。顺道把我的首饰押到当铺去，全是在京城的时候攒下的好东西，只怕还真值个六七十两。”
“要那么多？”管家娘子倒抽了一口冷气。
“这么多，只怕人家大夫还不肯收呢。”蕙娘似笑非笑地看了云巧一眼，“咱们又不是叫人家来诊病，是求人家来撒谎的。”
“我横竖听不懂你在说什么。”云巧淡然地抿了抿嘴唇，“不过我就知道一样，若是大夫不肯收你的首饰，我跟我肚子里这个孽障，一块儿死在他们跟前。”
谢舜珲站在回廊上，背对着窗，注视着远处烟青色的天空。
“谢先生？”哥儿站在他身后，“蕙娘她们，究竟在商议什么？夫人到底被带走做什么呢？”
他转回头看着这十七岁的少年，头上依然纶着月白的方巾，白皙，清瘦，俊美，有一双大且漆黑的眼睛。谢舜珲知道自己答非所问：“这几天，怕是没心思想功课吧？不打紧的，咱们缓两天再念书。”
哥儿微笑的时候，眼神里却总有种动人的无动于衷：“让先生费心了，这时候还惦记着我的功课。”
“你们族里的长老们，希望说动你家夫人殉夫，以死明志。”
“倒也好。”哥儿轻声道，“若真这样，我父亲也走得安心。”
“不过现在怕是不成了。”谢舜珲来到唐家也住了月余，早已