Chapter 51 5. Chen Nianfeng was originally the son of Sang Zhiping

Xiangshan County is about 200 miles away from Guangzhou in the north, about 100 miles away from Macau in the south, near the mouth of the Pearl River in the east, and the bank of the West River in the west. It is located in a rich and precious land in southern Guangdong.This place was a salt drying place in the Ming Dynasty.It gradually developed into a town where salt merchants gathered.Because of its warm climate, it is rich in agricultural products, its economy is developed because of sea salt trade, and because it is close to the South China Sea and close to Macau, it has been infected by the western wind early.Now, a great man born here is twenty years old.He is studying in Nanyang, and he is about to take the first important step in his glorious life. The curtain of a new era is waiting for him to unveil.Forty years later, in order to permanently commemorate his immortal historical merits, his hometown Xiangshan was renamed Zhongshan.The reason why this great man was born in Xiangshan is not accidental. Its geographical environment and humanistic customs have prepared a solid foundation for it.

As early as the early years of Daoguang, a pioneering figure was born here, and he was Rong Hong.Yung Wing came to a church school in Macau at the age of 12. He studied in the United States at the age of 19, obtained a bachelor's degree from Yale University, and became an American citizen.When he returned to China at the age of twenty-seven, he encountered a civil war that spread throughout the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.As a Christian, he first set his sights on the God Worship Association, and he proposed a series of ideas to the leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to enrich the people and strengthen the country.

However, the king of heaven, who was busy seizing power at the time, didn't care about his tricks. Unexpectedly, the king of heaven, Zeng Guofan, appreciated him very much and asked him to meet him several times.Rong Hong finally met Zeng Guofan, the commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army who was the governor of Liangjiang at the time, in Anqing, and the two had a happy chat.Zeng Guofan praised Yung Wing's grand vision, and he immediately allocated 60,000 taels of silver and entrusted him to go to the United States to purchase machines for China.Later, Yung Wing took on the important task of being in charge of Chinese children studying in the United States.

At that time, the orthodox way out for Chinese scholars was still the imperial examination, and people did not pay much attention to studying abroad to study Western learning.Yung Wing couldn't recruit qualified children in the capital and the Central Plains, so he turned his attention to his hometown, Xiangshan.Sure enough, he selected many excellent young people here, and these talents played a great role in promoting Xiangshan's progress in the future.In this way, Xiangshan became a small county with special status in modern China. Chen Nianfeng's home is in the northwest corner of the county, which is relatively remote.The brick and tile houses one after another look old and gloomy compared to those houses in the center of the county town.Chen Nianshui led Sang Zhiping into a door with peeling paint, and said, "This is my home."

The person who opened the door was a young man who looked very different from Nian Reng.He happily called out: "Brother, you are back." Nian Reng introduced to Sang Zhiping: "This is my brother Yaohan." Then he said to his younger brother: "Quickly call Mr. Sang, he is my master examiner." Yeohan timidly called "Hello, Mr. Sang" and hurried into the room. As soon as I sat down in the simple living room, a young daughter-in-law in her twenties brought out two cups of tea.Niantou said to Sang Zhiping: "This is my younger brother and sister. When I went to the United States, my younger brother was ten years old, and my mother took him to live. The family was small and lonely, and my younger brother and sister had many families and were poor. The next year, my mother took her in. Came home to be a child bride, and got married last year."

Sang Zhiping smiled and said, "Have you engaged?" "No." Nian Reng blushed a little, as if embarrassed. Sang Zhiping said: "The older brother was not married, but the younger brother married first." Nian Reng said: "It is rare in China, but it is very common in the United States." Yaohan put a plate of southern fruits on the coffee table, and interjected with a smile: "Brother has seen the world, and his vision is high, so it's hard for him to get married." Nian Reng said: "It's not because I have a high vision and it's hard to order. I don't want to order because I have no career."

Sang Zhiping said: "Now that my career has settled down, I can get engaged." Yeohan happily said to his brother, "Are you recruited?" Nian Reng nodded. Yeohan said happily, "I'll go and tell Mom right away." "Where is mom?" "Grandma Li is celebrating her 70th birthday today, and she's helping out at her house. I'm going to call Mom back right now, Mom is so happy!" With that said, he ran out the door. In the small living room, Nian Reng was talking with Sang Zhiping.Sang Zhiping was coping with it with his mouth, but waves of waves were churning in his heart.

Is Nian Reng's mother really her?He subconsciously shook his head.The weak and docile maid in Su's Mansion in the capital couldn't be connected with this small county at the end of the world no matter what.Back then, I searched all over the capital through iron shoes and visited Henan, but I didn't get any information. Could it be possible to meet by chance and get it without any effort?This kind of thing can only be seen in books on the stage, but it is rare in the world.This kind of rare thing can happen to me, Sang Zhiping. Is it really a matter of sincerity?Sang Zhiping laughed quietly in his heart.It is impossible to say that it is impossible.Sang Zhiping believes in his intuition. Those big, round, bright eyes full of infinite affection are like two black Khotan jade chess pieces that blend wisdom and agility, like two chess pieces in the same color of water and sky. The seagulls flying up and down with the waves are like two quiet, clear, bottomless spring wells. For more than 20 years, they have been deeply resident in his heart and engraved in his memory.In these years, how many people Sang Zhiping has seen, how many pairs of eyes he has looked into, never has any pair of eyes made him feel so kind, so cute, so heart-beating at the first sight, so able to recall his infinite sweetness memory.

He took another serious look at Nian Chu who was sitting across from him.Suddenly, he found the answer for the young man's eyes, isn't the erratic shadow just her? Just when Sang Zhiping was daydreaming like this, Nian Reng yelled out the door: "Mom, I'm back." A cheerful voice came from outside the door: "Listen to Yaohan, you have been recruited!" Just as he was talking, a middle-aged woman walked into the room.Nian Reng hurriedly stood up, pointed to Sang Zhiping and said, "This is my master, Mr. Kaosang. He came to our house from Guangzhou just for the sake of it."

"Ah!" The middle-aged woman said happily, "Honored guest, honored guest." She walked up to Sang Zhiping, said a blessing, and said, "Master examiner, thank you for recruiting my son. He has been abandoned for four or five years after he came back from the United States. You are our family's great benefactor." Sang Zhiping got up, smiled slightly, looked at her carefully, and said: "Nian Reng is a talent cultivated by the government, the government should use him and let him display his talents." "Thank you, thank you. Nian Reng, please talk to the examiner well, and I will help Chunzhi go to the kitchen to cook." Then he turned to Sang Zhiping and said, "Master examiner, please sit down for a while, I will go prepare for dinner."

Seeing her back disappearing outside the door, Sang Zhiping's blood rushed for a moment, and thousands of emotions rushed into his heart.It was her, the woman who had been hidden in the depths of her dreams for more than twenty years. She is visibly old.Wrinkles appeared between the brows and the corners of the eyes, the skin became thicker and darker, the hair was not as black and shiny as before, the walking seemed to be heavy and slow, and the voice of speaking became a little rough and rough. The girl who was white, tender and beautiful, who walked lightly and gracefully, and spoke crisply and loudly, no longer exists. The only thing that has not changed is her eyes, which are still so big and round, and still so deep and clear!She didn't see herself coming.Yes, over the past twenty years, due to poor fame, setbacks in career, years of grinding, and ruthless time, the handsome, suave and personable young man in the past has long since disappeared without a trace. How could she recognize Shuang's half-hundred man!What's more, she would never have thought that the teacher from the Su Mansion would show up in Xiangshan County and get in touch with her son.After all, the world is too big, time is too fast, opportunities are too few, and life is too hasty.She is a weak woman, how could she have such high hopes for fate! So, to recognize, or not to recognize?Searching for thousands of miles, missing each other for more than 20 years, and coming back just because I came to meet each other but not knowing each other, it can't be justified anyway.Recognition, how do you recognize it?Sang Zhiping hoped that she would recognize him when they had dinner together later, what a gratifying scene it would be! When it was time to eat, only Nian Reng and his brothers were with him, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were gone.Sang Zhiping asked Nianchu: "Where are your mother and siblings?" Nian Reng said: "Because you are a rare guest, they don't come to the table, they eat in the kitchen." Sang Zhiping said, "I'll invite them." After speaking, he walked to the kitchen and saw his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law cleaning up the stove. Sang Zhiping said eagerly: "Sister-in-law, I heard from Nian Reng that you are from Henan, and I am also from Henan. It is not easy for us two Henan people to meet in Guangdong." , please come to the table with your daughter-in-law, let's chat about homework!" Nian Reng's mother raised her head and said with a smile, "Master examiner, are you also from Henan?" "Yes." Sang Zhiping changed into a pure Henan dialect, "I am from Henan, and I heard that my sister-in-law is also from Henan, and we are fellow villagers." The familiar voice seemed to suddenly recall her memory.She stared wide-eyed, staring intently at the tall and strong examiner in front of her, the smile disappeared quietly on her face, and doubts gradually emerged in her eyes.What a familiar person, who is he? "Okay, okay, I haven't met my natal folks for many years." She felt a little flustered for no reason, and took her daughter-in-law's hand and said, "Chunzhi, let's accompany the examiner to the table for dinner with your mother. Your brother It’s a big happy event for my family!” At the dinner table, Brother Nian Reng kept toasting Sang Zhiping to encourage food.Sang Zhiping tried to chat with her several times, but was interrupted by the enthusiastic toasts of the two brothers.She lowered her head, said nothing, ate in silence, and shared her son's joy, but often involuntarily cast her eyes to the opposite side, taking advantage of her sons' enthusiastic toasting, to stare carefully at the examiner, one after another, Her mood became more and more chaotic: at first, it was just a gentle breeze blowing, causing fine wrinkles on a pool of autumn water, and then the wind and rain hit the Xijiang River, and the waves splashed and washed the two banks. Now it is like midnight, when the tide rises and falls in the South China Sea Hitting the reef in the water and the solid rock on the shore. What the son was saying to the examiner, she didn't seem to listen to a word, but the Central Plains dialect that made her kind, drew out those thoughts of childhood and girlhood that had been indifferent for a long time from her mind, and hooked them up. What comes out is always a bitter, bitter, and melancholy flavor.However, in that difficult girl life, there was also a brief period of bright colors.That color is pink, warm, and warm. It will always be the sweetness in her suffering life and the rareness in her ordinary years.The reason why there is that color is because of him.How much this master examiner resembles him!Those piercing eyes, that upright and straight nose bridge, and especially that bright and kind smile on his face.It was him, yes!Although he had been separated for twenty-five years, his face was wrinkled, and his waist was thicker and rounder than before, but generally there was not much change, it should be him!It's just that there are many similar people in the world, the capital is four to five thousand miles away from Xiangshan, and it's been more than 20 years. Is it really such a coincidence that they eat together in the same room and at the same table? In her more than forty years, fate has hardly given her any preferential treatment. She does not believe that such a happy event will happen to her in middle age.At this time, a sentence suddenly came to her ears: "Nianchu, when I was your age, did you know what I was doing? I worked as a teacher in a co-organized scholar's family in the capital. Later, something happened to the owner. I can't be a teacher anymore, so I roam the world in order to find my love." Like a sound of spring thunder, it suddenly exploded all the haze in her heart.it's him!It was really, really, really him!God, you really have eyes, and you actually let me realize this dream in my lifetime.A line of clear tears flowed down from her eyes.She quickly got up, walked into the kitchen quietly, covered her face, and let the tears flow freely... Sang Zhiping saw all this, how he wanted to rush into the kitchen, hold her in his arms, wipe away the tears from her face, and warm her heart.But he couldn't stand up, couldn't move his body.Twenty-five years have passed, and today, twenty-five years later, they are no longer hot-blooded boys and girls, but elders who are fathers and mothers. In front of their children, they need to be solemn and restrained. After dinner, Sang Zhiping was placed in Nian Ren's room to rest.How could his heart be quiet!The scene of the moonlit night in early autumn twenty-five years ago was vividly displayed again.In twenty-five years, more than 9,000 days and nights, Sang Zhiping blamed himself and repented countless times for Meng Lang that night.He would never have dreamed that in just over two months, the world would undergo such earth-shaking changes, and all the original beautiful visions would be completely destroyed, so destroyed that even a single fragment could not be picked up.How can a good-looking girl get married in the future?How to settle down?You shouldn't have ruined her life alive.Sin! Sin!Every time he thought of this, Sang Zhiping couldn't help slapping himself hard on the face: it's all because he was young and ignorant, and he was impulsive and couldn't control himself! At this moment, the first thought that popped up in Sang Zhiping's mind was to ask her to take the blame.Although the passing years will not come back, and the lost life will never be regained, a word of apology is so insignificant compared to twenty-five years of life!But Sang Zhiping still wanted to say this in front of her.Only in this way can the burden on one's mind be lightened slightly. Sang Zhiping tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep no matter what.He stared at the bright moon in the night sky, and remembered the famous saying of the ancients: "Flowers are similar every year, and people are different every year." Yes, flowers are just similar, just like people, and they cannot be the same year after year. To say that the only thing that does not change with the passage of time is the bright moon in the sky!It was another autumn night, another round of autumn moon. Wasn’t the moonlight exactly like that on that night twenty-five years ago? In the middle of the night, Qiu Ling got up from the bed, she was going to leave Zai Chu and go back to her room.Zai Reng reluctantly sent her out of the room, and the two came to the atrium hand in hand.At this moment, a round of bright moon, like a jade plate fished out of clear water, hangs high in the spotless starry sky. The melting brilliance flows in the spacious and luxurious courtyard of Su Mansion, giving the fiery red pomegranates and dark green qiu The pine and light gray white marble railings and orange glazed tiles are covered with a thin and soft gauze, and a layer of misty mist envelops it.When people ask everything, everything has entered into an empty and implicit artistic conception.When a bright moon rises in the sky, the world will be beautiful immediately; with an autumn water chestnut beside you, life will be beautiful immediately.Zai Reng finally couldn't hold back the fiery passion in his heart, hugged Qiu Ling in his arms again, and muttered in his mouth: "Qiu Ling, I really can't bear to leave you!" "The emperor won't live in Rehe for a long time, and he will return to the capital in two or three months at most, and then we will be together again." Qiu Ling was surrounded by great happiness again, her chest jumped, and the two Cheeks are flushed. "Two or three months is a long time!" "It would be great if Su Zhongtang told me to go to Rehe too!" "Let's go to Rehe together tomorrow!" "Then how can it be!" Qiu Ling laughed softly. "Qiu Ling, you must marry me!" Qiu Ling's face turned even redder.She lowered her head and said in a low voice for a long time: "I'm already yours, if I don't marry you, who will I marry?" "Okay, it's settled like this!" Zai Reng lifted Qiu Ling's cheek.The moonlight shone on her upright and beautiful face, which made her look more charming and lovely than in daytime! "Qiu Ling!" Zai Reng called softly, and hugged the woman in his arms even tighter.The moon hid in the clouds, and it deliberately made the lovers feel at ease and boldly kissed for a long time... well!The moon twenty-five years ago was the same as it is tonight, never a little more or a little less, neither brighter nor darker; but people are very different.Sit across from each other, but you can't talk, laugh, snuggle, hug and kiss like you did back then! Tonight's her, do you still remember that year?Remember that night of ecstasy? Can't stay like this!How much effort has been spent in the past to search for it through mountains, rivers and rivers, how can I miss it today, and miss it in person!Sang Zhiping put on his clothes and walked out the door.The small town of Xiangshan County has long been silent, and the simple courtyard of the Chen family has also entered a dreamland. The only dim oil lamp dances on the window paper of the side room in the east wing.Sang Zhiping knew that this must be Nian Reng's mother's house.Tonight, like herself, she is also a sleepless person.After hesitating for a while, Sang Zhiping finally plucked up the courage, walked over, and gently knocked on the window lattice. "Who is it!" The voice from the room was soft and gentle. "I, the master of Nianfeng, Kaosang... No, I am Zaireng." The door opened gently. Sang Zhiping's heart was beating rapidly up and down.He walked into the room quickly, and saw her standing by the oil lamp, looking at him eagerly with her eyes, as excited and touching as that night twenty-five years ago. "Qiu Ling!" Sang Zhiping rushed over desperately, hugging Qiu Ling's shoulders tightly. "Is it really you?" Qiu Ling looked at Sang Zhiping carefully, two lines of tears rolled down her face, and after a long time, she said tremblingly, "This is not a dream! It is not a dream!" "It's not a dream, Qiu Ling, this is not a dream." Sang Zhiping hugged Qiu Ling again, and wiped away her tears gently.Qiu Ling's face was burning hot, as if she had a high fever. "Qiu Ling, we met again. Do you remember that night? It was also such an autumn night, in the capital, in the Su Mansion, the moon was as beautiful as tonight..." There are so many words hidden in Sang Zhiping's heart, he can't wait to pour them all out, and confide in the love in his heart! Unexpectedly, just as he opened his mouth, Qiu Ling covered her face with her hands and began to cry, Sang Zhiping hurriedly shut up.Qiu Ling was still crying.Sang Zhiping helped her to the edge of the bed and told her to sit down, then he pulled a stool and sat opposite her.The two sat opposite each other for a long time, and Sang Zhiping said solemnly: "Qiu Ling, I know that you have a lot of pain in your heart. I hurt you. Although I really love you and want to marry you, even though the later Changes are beyond my expectation, but I have been blaming myself all the time for more than 20 years. It is my impulsiveness that has brought you pain that will never be erased in your life. Today, in recognition The moment I missed you, my first thought was to apologize to you. You slap me twice, and let go of the pain you have accumulated for more than twenty years!" As Sang Zhiping said, he stretched his head towards Qiu Ling.Qiu Ling's hands were still covering her face, but the crying had gradually stopped.The surroundings were so quiet that everything seemed to freeze, only the faint yellow flame of the small oil lamp on the table was still jumping and flickering.For a moment, the two stood still like two stone sculptures.Suddenly, Qiu Ling stretched out her hands, hugged Sang Zhiping's neck tightly, put her face on Sang Zhiping's forehead, and began to cry again, saying: "It's been more than twenty years, you arrived Where did you go, why didn't you write me a letter?" Tears flowed down Qiu Ling's cheeks to Sang Zhiping's face, and from Sang Zhiping's face to Qiu Ling's hands.Sang Zhiping was moved by Qiu Ling's affection, and the man who never shed tears couldn't help but burst into tears. It took a long time for the two to be freed from this state of embracing and crying.Qiu Ling got up, brought a towel to Sang Zhiping, and poured him another cup of tea. Sang Zhiping's heart calmed down: "Qiu Ling, I hurt you, you have suffered!" "Oh—" Qiu Ling sighed heavily.This breath seemed to come from the depths of her internal organs, and with this sigh, most of the pent-up in her heart for more than twenty years seemed to dissipate in an instant. "Let's not talk about it, all of this is life. I know that you have suffered less than me these years." This soft sentence, like a sharp axe, broke all the invisible shackles on Sang Zhiping's body at once, and he felt a sense of release. "Qiu Ling, in order to inquire about your whereabouts, I lived in Xishan for more than a year. In order to find you, I traveled all over Henan. I couldn't find you in Henan, and I searched all over the country. For more than 20 years, I have been looking for you all the time. I was thinking of you, but unexpectedly I was lucky enough to meet your son this time, he took me to Xiangshan, and finally saw you here. Heaven has eyes, I never thought that in this life, we will meet again one day." The words "your son" slammed into Qiu Ling's heart.She stared again at the man in front of her who had appeared in dreams countless times, and after a long time of whispering, she finally said, "Nian Reng is your son!" "My son!" Sang Zhiping opened his eyes wide and looked at Qiu Ling. He suspected that she was emotional and said the wrong thing. "Yes." Qiu Ling calmed down, and repeated what she said just now, "Nian Reng is your son!" Could it be that Nian Reng is the root seedling planted that night?This question flashed across Sang Zhiping's mind for an instant, but he thought it was unlikely.He took Qiu Ling's cold hand and asked eagerly, "What's going on here, please explain clearly!" "Two months after you left, I began to feel that there was something wrong with my body. I was weak, sleepy, nauseous, anorexia, and I didn't understand what was wrong. One day, I finally told Sister Liu. Sister Liu, that is You should still remember the big sister who was doing chores in the kitchen." "Remember, remember!" When Sang Zhiping nodded, a young woman of twenty-four or five years old appeared in front of her eyes.She is a widow who lost her husband, and her husband's family sold her to the Su Mansion.Sister Liu is kind-hearted and helpful, and because she is a little older and has a little more history, she has become the big sister of those little girls in the Su Mansion.They are willing to tell Sister Liu anything, and Sang Zhiping also knows that she is a hardworking and good woman. "Sister Liu was stunned for a long time after listening to my narration, and then she whispered in my ear, tell the truth to my sister, do you have a good man? When I heard this, I blushed and felt ashamed. It was down to the base of my neck. Seeing me like this, Sister Liu suddenly understood. She said with a low face, "Sister is someone who has experienced this kind of thing. Let me tell you the truth. Your illness is probably due to a baby! I Hearing this, I felt dizzy before my eyes, tears couldn't help streaming down like balls, grabbed Sister Liu's hand with both hands, and kept saying to Sister Liu, "Is what you are telling the truth? Is it the truth?" Sister Liu said solemnly. Said, my sister has had this problem with two babies, especially when she was pregnant with the first baby, it is exactly what you said. You are a manless person, how can my sister lie to you about this! I was suddenly scared Liushen Wuzhu, his whole body went limp, his hands loosened, and he fell into Sister Liu's arms." Sang Zhiping felt very uncomfortable: an unmarried woman is pregnant with a baby, what a shameful scandal!Throughout the ages, nine out of ten women who have such scandals commit suicide, and after they die, they will be scolded and cursed by others!Even the mother's family can't lift their heads.Sang Zhiping, Sang Zhiping, how could you do such a crime!The blood on Sang Zhiping's heart was flowing drop by drop! "Sister Liu said to me, you tell me who this person is, and I will help you decide. At this point, I have to tell the truth. Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Sister Liu smiled and said that it was Mr. Yan If that’s the case, my sister would like to congratulate you. Mr. Yan is a good scholar, and he will have great achievements in the future. You follow Mr. Yan, this is your blessing. I heard that Mr. Su will return to the capital soon, and wait for Mr. Yan to come back Afterwards, you have to deal with important matters as soon as possible, and give birth to a boy in a dignified way next year. My heart is much relieved by what Sister Liu said. Don't think about anything else, and wait for you to return to the capital wholeheartedly." Sang Zhiping's heart was not relaxed, because what happened after that was not at all what Qiu Ling and Sister Liu expected. "After a few days, Ersheng returned to the mansion from Rehe and said that Mr. Su will return to the capital in a few days. The whole family is busy preparing to welcome Mr. Su back to the mansion. I am even more happy in my heart. I will tell you this. Unexpectedly, the happy event did not come, but the catastrophe of the Su Mansion came. One day early in the morning, one or two hundred soldiers suddenly came and surrounded the Su Mansion, and no one was allowed to go out. I I didn't know what happened. After a while, Sister Liu told me that Mr. Su had committed a serious crime of treason, and the Su's house was ransacked. I was shocked and flustered for a while. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know that the Su's house was ransacked. How will we deal with these maids in the future? What I am most worried about is that I will lose contact with you. Where can I find you in the future? I thought at that time, if you came back a few days later and ransacked the house, it would be fine. With you By your side, I am not afraid of anything, I just follow you. Alas, something happened at that time." Qiu Ling sighed heavily again, Sang Zhiping wanted to talk about the thrilling power struggles in the Jehol Palace, but he didn't interrupt for fear of interrupting Qiu Ling's thoughts. "I sat in the house for three days. On the fourth day, a group of us young girls were taken to one place alone, and Sister Liu was also caught in our group. A man with a savage face walked up to us and yelled at us. Dao, the maids of your Su family are also guilty, because you are women, you are not punished, and you are all sold at the same price, one hundred taels of silver each, and there are buyers. Buy Whether the family is a prisoner on the border or a master in the capital, whether you buy it as a concubine or a girl, it depends on your fate. After finishing speaking, a soldier took a bamboo tube, and there were twenty or so in the bamboo tube. Bamboo sticks. The manager yelled again, "Each person draws one, whichever one you get, you can't draw a second time. After drawing, pack up your luggage and send you to that house." When Sang Zhiping heard this, his heart ached like a knife again: Unexpectedly, the Suxiang Mansion, which was noble and prominent a few days ago, suddenly fell to such a state, and the poor maids of the Su Mansion were suddenly reduced to being bought and sold. goods.Dear Qiu Ling, what fate is waiting for you? "The little soldiers holding the bamboo tubes passed by the maids lined up one by one, and each maid took out one from the bamboo tube. Some stared at the bamboo tube for a long time before making a move, and some closed their eyes and did nothing. I picked up one without hesitation. After taking a look at the bamboo sticks, most of the maids closed their lips tightly, expressionless, and some suddenly burst into tears. The atmosphere in the room was tense and depressing. I was cold and trembling. I saw the little soldier approaching slowly. Sitting on my left was Sister Liu. Her hands trembled for a while before she took out a bamboo stick from the bamboo tube. She couldn't read, She asked me to read it for her. I saw the note on the bamboo stick that said: The Secretary of the Cabinet, Chen Jianyang, is a concubine. Sister Liu remained silent with a livid face. When it was my turn, I closed my eyes and took out a stick , Take a look: a washerwoman in the auspicious place of Emperor Daxing for ten thousand years. "Sister Liu told me softly that a washerwoman is better than being a concubine. I just comforted myself for a while, but immediately became terrified: in three or four months, this stomach will be seen by others. What to do? In another six or seven months, the baby will be born. Wouldn’t it be even more frightening? I grabbed Sister Liu’s hand and cried, saying that the washerwoman is a good thing for others, but not for me! Sister Liu understood immediately , Say yes, you will be pregnant soon! Suddenly, I had an idea: change with Sister Liu! As soon as the idea came out, I denied it: How can I be worthy of brother Reng when I become someone else’s concubine? I've broken my body, don't others dislike it? Turning around and thinking, if I become a washerwoman, the lives of mother and child will not be saved. Being a concubine can at least temporarily cover up my ugliness. I think Brother Reng can understand my painstaking efforts. Fighting and fighting, in the end, I finally became ruthless, and said to Sister Liu, let's change the bamboo sticks, it's fine for you, and it's fine for me. Sister Liu nodded, taking advantage of Xiaobing drawing lots for other maids At that time, we hurriedly and secretly changed. After leaving the Su Mansion, she went to the mausoleum of Emperor Daxing, and I went to the Chen family." When Sang Zhiping heard this, his bleeding heart was suddenly put into an ice cellar, and it was completely cold inside and out. "Chen Jianyang, the secretary of the cabinet, turned out to be an old man who was almost sixty years old. There was an old wife who was about the same age as him. The old wife gave birth to him four daughters, but she had no son. Chen Jianyang bought a concubine because he wanted a son. Knowing this After the situation, I decided to tell him the truth. I said, I have been pregnant for more than two months. The old man was taken aback, and blurted out, is it Sushun? I nodded vaguely, but unexpectedly the old man became happy and said , Sushun is a man of heaven, if you bring his seeds into my house, if you give birth to a son in the future, you will surely have a great future. I followed his words, if you have a son, it will also be the glory of your Chen family. The old man hurriedly said that is That is. I felt much better, and said, then please, sir, keep it a secret for me in front of my wife, and only say that the child is premature. The old man said, this matter is only known to you and me, and no third person can know about it. I Hearing this, he knelt down and kowtowed to the old man, saying, if this is the case, you will be my savior, and I will serve you as an ox or a horse for the rest of my life. Since then, I will offer incense and kowtow to the Bodhisattva every day, and ask the Bodhisattva to bless my life. A son. Sure enough, more than seven months later, a boy was born, and the old man was so happy that he named him Yaochao, which means that he can glorify the court in the future. Her wife didn't suspect it at all, and was happy along with it." At this time, Sang Zhiping's heart returned to his chest, and he felt much more at ease. "Two years later, I gave birth to my second child, Yaohan. When Yaochao was five years old, the old man suddenly fell ill and died. He was from Xiangshan, Guangdong. At that time, all four daughters were married. His wife took us mother and child like this. Came to Xiangshan County. The Chen family didn’t have any property. There was only this old yard in the county town, and there were only ten acres of paddy fields in the countryside. In the second year of Xiangshan, his wife passed away. For the funeral, he sold four acres of land. The result was left to us. There are only this house and six acres of land for the mother and child." Sang Zhiping interjected: "Three people, six acres of land, how do you live these days?" "Bitterness is bitterness, and it's like this. I rent the land to others and give us 20 stones of grain every year. I grow vegetables myself. I will help others to sew and mend, and I will also embroider some flowers to earn a little money for the two brothers to study. .” "Qiu Ling, you are a good and knowledgeable mother. You can still let your son study in such a difficult life." "I'm grateful to you. You taught me how to read. After I learned how to read, it will be very different, not to mention that the two brothers are boys, let alone blind people." Having said that, both of them felt much more relaxed.Sang Zhiping asked: "Later, how did Nian Reng go to the United States?" Qiu Ling straightened her hair and said: "That year when he was twelve years old, Mr. Rong came back to his hometown to recruit young children studying in the United States. He saw that he was smart and cute, so he intended to recruit him. When he came home, he asked me if I would like to. I will ask first. He himself, this kid said he was willing. You know, there are many overseas Chinese in Xiangshan. Overseas Chinese work in Nanyang and the United States. It’s better than ours. The child’s straightforward promise helped me make up my mind. I thought, if the family is poor and has no power, the child will not have a great future if he stays in Xiangshan. It’s better to let him go abroad, so I agreed. Mr. Before leaving, the uncles and brothers of the Chen family knew about it and firmly opposed it. I said, I gave birth to the child, and I have the right to make decisions for him. You have never given him a penny, so what right do you have to object!" Previously in the Su Mansion, Qiu Ling was always a weak little girl in Sang Zhiping's eyes, unexpectedly she also had such courage.Just in response to an old saying: women are weak by nature, but mothers are strong! "On the way to send the child to the boat, I said to the child: You can change your name to Nian Reng. The child asked me why I changed my name. I said, when my mother was young, she met a good man named Nian Reng. Mom is kind, Mom has always missed him. The child nodded sensiblely and didn't ask any more questions. Since then, the child has used this name." The blood on Sang Zhiping's body surged up again.He grabbed Qiu Ling's hand and said excitedly: "How can I thank you, Qiu Ling! You endured the grievances and pains, kept this child, and sent him to the United States to study and return to China. He will soon become the leader of the country. I am very happy for the useful talent. Tomorrow, I will recognize him, let him return to the sect, and change his name to Yan Nianfeng!" Qiu Ling listened silently without making a sound.Withdrew his hands slowly from Sang Zhiping's, and after a long time, he said softly: "It's God's will that Nian Reng finally came to his biological father, and I'm so happy; you recognize him, it's also justified. But I thought about it carefully, and thought it would be better not to recognize him and not let him return to the sect." Sang Zhiping said urgently: "Recognizing the ancestors and returning to the clan is a great thing, why don't you agree?" Qiu Ling said: "After all, the child of Nian Feng was conceived by us unmarried. Only you and I know about this, and Yao Han's father knows about it. Apart from that, there is no fourth person who knows. You return him to the clan. , Isn’t this causing a stir, everyone knows, how should I behave in Xiangshan? After my sister-in-law finds out, she will feel resentful towards you to some extent.” Sang Zhiping nodded again and again: "You are right, right." "One more thing, let Nian Reng be born safely, grow up, let me have a day to reunite with you today, who depends on it, isn't it Yaohan's father? We can't cross the river and tear down the bridge, forget about him的大恩大德。念礽可以改名，但却不能改姓，这一辈子就让他姓陈姓到底吧，也算是我对耀韩父亲的感激。” 桑治平忙说：“秋菱，你说得很对，刚才是我喜极而懵了。我只有一个女儿，多年来极想有个儿子，现在猛然听到自己有个这么卓异的亲生儿子，你说我该有多高兴！我再不说什么认祖归宗的话了，一切照旧，念礽依旧是陈家的长子。” 秋菱脸上泛出一丝笑容，说：“我倒有个主意，明天我对两个儿子说，我们昨夜聊家常，才知道原来是表亲，让儿子叫你表舅吧。如此相称，日后你也好多管教他关心他。” 桑治平似乎忽然之间对眼前的这个女人有了更多的认识。若说二十多年前，他对她是一个热血青年对一个多情少女的爱恋，那么二十多年后的今天，则是一个中年男子对一位饱经坎坷的成熟女性的敬慕。 桑治平动情地说：“秋菱，若不是有你嫂子的话，我真想明天就将你娶过门，我们堂堂皇皇拜天地，体体面面做夫妻。” 秋菱脸上顿时飞过一片红霞。“堂堂正正拜天地，体体面面做夫妻”，多少年来，这一直是秋菱的梦想和追求，但如今梦中人真的来到身边的时候，却又时过境迁，往日的憧憬倒反而变得飘渺起来了。 她充满柔情地说：“说说嫂子吧，说说你的女儿吧。这些年来，她们才是你最亲的人。” 是的，也应该向秋菱说说这二十多年来自己的经历。于是，桑治平将自己如何改名换姓隐居西山到漫游天下，到古北口成家，到人张之万幕，一直到跟着张之洞从山西来广东的过程。细细地告诉了秋菱。秋菱静静地听着，脸上看不出多少反应，而胸中却如一锅沸水似的翻滚不停。她从桑治平的叙说中，时时能感受到一个男人真挚而深沉的情和爱，一个志士博大而执著的事业心。她为自己当年慧眼识人而欣慰，更为儿子今后的前途有望而舒畅。 “哥，”依旧是当年肃府时的称呼，它将桑治平全身的热血直唤到脑顶。“我给你看样东西。” 秋菱起身，从床底下移出一只黑漆梓木箱子来。桑治平把桌上的油灯挑亮，他要把秋菱让他看的东西看个仔细。秋菱站在木箱边，定了定神，桑治平见她的脸色渐渐泛红，隐隐约约地感觉到她的心在急速跳动。这情景又使他想起了当年去热河前夕，秋菱刚进书房那一刻的神态。 她把木箱打开，箱子里整整齐齐放着几件旧衣服。她把衣服拿开，露出一大堆男人穿的棉鞋来。秋菱拿出其中的一双递给桑治平。这棉鞋，跟二十五年前秋菱送给他的那双一模一样。秋菱重新坐到桌子边，眼睛盯着桑治平手里捧着的棉鞋，好半天，她才开口说话，语调缓慢而凝重：“这箱子里一共有二十四双棉鞋，二十五年来我对你的思念都在这里面。” 桑治平的心陡然一惊，手中的棉鞋忽然变得异乎寻常的珍贵而沉重起来。他又向木箱那边看了一眼，那一排排堆放的棉鞋，也突然在他的眼中有了异样的感觉。他很想说话，却又不知说些什么，呆呆地望着手中的鞋子，犹如当年捧着秋菱送的那双鞋子一样，激动得全身热血奔涌。 “你那年陪着肃大人去热河的时候，院子里的海棠树开始飘叶了。第二年京师海棠树再次飘叶的时候，我却做了陈家的小妾。我不知道这个时候你在哪里，也不知道你脚上的棉鞋穿坏了没有，我想我应该为你再做一双。于是我拿起针来，一针一针地纳鞋底。边纳边想，那一针一针地上下抽纳，就好像在跟你一句一句地说话，满肚子的心事，满肚子的苦水，吐了出来，心里就好受多了。” 月亮早已不知去向，夜已经很深很深了，四周是一片浓重的黑暗。远处零丁洋的海浪拍岸声，似有似无地传进陈家旧宅，更使人感到长夜的冷寂。 “从那以后，每年秋风起的时候，我便开始为你做一双棉鞋。我把这一年来的思念之情，用这一针一线，把它纳入鞋中。平时，拿起这些鞋子来，往日的桩桩旧事便会一一浮现在我的眼前。从北京到香山，从背着念扔兄弟到他们成人，就这样，二十五年来，我为你做了二十四双棉鞋。每次做鞋的时候，都想到什么时候能让我看到你亲自穿上它就好了。前几年我还抱着一线希望，近几年来随着年纪老了，精力衰弱了，我也不再抱希望了。不料，上苍有眼，还有我们重逢的一天。我真的可以亲眼看到你穿上我做的鞋子的时候了！” 秋菱眼中的泪水顷刻问决堤而来，她不再说话。二十五年里积压的无穷无尽的思念幽怨、郁闷冷寂，今天夜里，都要借这悲喜交集的泪水来彻底洗刷荡涤！ 零丁洋的海浪，似乎翻卷得更高，撞击得更响了；一声一声递进，比起刚才来，显得清晰可辨。它是在为她苦难的身世而哀哀哭泣，还是在为安慰她而絮絮轻语？茫茫无垠的星空，浩浩无边的大海，今夜，你们听到的是一个平凡女子的来自情感最深处的声音。在天长地久亘古不息的宇宙看来，人类实在太脆弱，太无能，人的一生实在是太渺小，太短暂。这脆弱渺小的人类，好不容易拥有一个生命，为什么不好好享受，偏要生出这么多自身造成的灾难，制造出这么多美与恶的争斗，情与仇的纠缠？这个当年卑微的肃府小丫环，用她整整二十五年的相思之情，纳成的这二十四双浸泡着泪水的棉鞋，是情到深处的美丽，还是情到痴处的迷误？是人性的光辉，还是人性的悲哀？这实在是一个说不清道不明的话题。不过，无论外人怎么评说，对面的男人，却实实在在地被这一腔深情厚谊所打动，所震撼！ 桑治平放下棉鞋，将秋菱的双肩再次抱紧：“秋菱，你那年送我的那双棉鞋，我一直没有穿，我走到哪儿，都把它带着。看着它，就如同看到了你。这二十四双鞋，寄托了你二十五年的情意，我会用我的全部生命来珍惜它。” “我知道。”秋菱幸福地望着桑治乎，温存地说，“回房去睡吧，念初从今往后就交给你了！”