Chapter 2 2

That night, Qin slept in Shuying's room.When the gong rang at midnight on the street, both Juemin and Shuhua dispersed.Then there was a shrill siren, and the electric lights gradually dimmed.Cuihuan had already prepared clear oil lamps, and Shuying lit a match. As soon as the lamp grass was lit, the lamp went out completely.The wall clock in the next room rang suddenly, and the metal sound struck eleven in the quiet night. Qin and Shuying were left in the room.Qin sat on the rattan chair in front of the desk and casually flipped through a book.Shuying walked slowly to the front of the second cabinet on the right, took down the teapot that was simmering on the "Wu Geng Chicken", poured a cup of tea, turned around and asked, "Sister Qin, do you want some tea?" Qin turned to look at Shuying. Ying, nodded slightly and replied, "Give me a cup." She stood up, put down her book, and went to pick up the teacup.

Shuying was going to bring it to her, but now she saw her coming, she stood still, waited for her to come, said: "Be careful it's hot," handed her the cup, then turned around and poured it for herself a cup. "When do you go to bed every day?" Qin asked suddenly after taking a sip of tea, holding the teacup in her hand.She walked back to the wicker chair and sat down. "It's always around twelve o'clock, sometimes it's one o'clock," Shuying replied casually, then she picked up her teacup and went back to the right end of the desk, and sat on the ebony armchair in front of the window.

Qin was a little surprised, so she looked at her with pity.Shuying sat with the light behind her back.Qin couldn't see her face clearly, but she felt a pair of melancholy eyes dangling in front of her eyes. Qin's heart was moved by sympathy, and she said with concern: "Why do you sleep like this? You don't have to be so enthusiastic about reading. You work too hard. "Shuying sighed, and answered after a while: "How can I say that I work hard? I'm no better than you, and I'm just wasting my time reading. In fact, I can't fall asleep if I don't read at night. Lying on the bed I always think about a lot of things, and the more I think about it, the more distressing I become. They all say that I have changed.... I think my temperament is indeed too cowardly. But what can I do?" Her voice was hopelessly sad. Shaking for a while.The moonlight peeped in from the window, but faded under the clear oil lamp, leaving only a little shadow on the window sill.

"Second cousin," Qin called affectionately.She went on to say: "You shouldn't think like this. A seventeen-year-old girl is pessimistic. Aren't you shy? You really weren't like that before. You shouldn't be thinking all day long and worrying about yourself for no reason. No wonder they say You have changed..." "But not only I have changed, many people and many things have changed," Shuying interrupted sadly. "I also understand what you mean. I don't want to be pessimistic, but the environment doesn't allow you, so what do you do? For example, the Chen family—" She stopped talking as soon as she said this.She felt uncomfortable for a while, so she stood up, walked to Qin's side, pressed Qin's shoulder lightly, changed the subject and said, "I'm very bored in my heart. Sister Qin, you go out for a walk with me." "Tonight Deep, where else are you going?" Qin turned her head and looked at her, meeting her distressed eyes.Qin's heart was also disturbed, so she stretched out her right hand to pinch Shuying's hand, and said half begging and half comforting: "Second cousin, you should be more at ease. Don't go outside anymore. It's cold outside at night. It's better to be good." Let's go to sleep. It's good for us to talk on the bed for a while." "No, I'm very upset," Shuying said with a frown, her face was flushed, and her two phoenix eyes showed deep distress. "Maybe I shouldn't drink today. I still feel hot on my face. I don't know what to do. I can't calm down for a while. Sister Qin, just go out with me." She said Begging for the arm of the violin.

"Okay, I'll go out with you for a walk." Qin stood up in agreement.She noticed that Shuying was only wearing a jacket and felt a little flimsy, so she said, "You should wear an extra layer of clothing, because it might be cold outside." "It doesn't matter, I'm wearing a tight jacket," Shuying replied .But she also took out a jacket from the closet and put it on top of the jacket, and gave Qin another jacket, asking her to wear it too.Then the two of them closed the door lightly and walked outside. The night was very quiet.The moon is already westward.There are countless white clouds like fish scales embedded in the sky.The patio was more than half illuminated by moonlight.They walked across the courtyard and stood in front of Guitang.The houses on both sides of Guitang are silent.The row of rooms on the opposite side was also hidden in darkness, only a faint light in Zhou's back room came through the yellow curtains.There were also chattering voices.

"Auntie isn't asleep yet," Qin whispered. "She's probably chatting with her eldest brother and third sister," Shuying replied in a low voice.They walked out of the corner door lightly, passed under Shuhua's window, and suddenly heard footsteps behind them, they stopped and turned their heads to look.Cuihuan was catching up at a fast pace, and when she saw them turning around, she called out in a low voice: "Second Miss, where are you going late at night?" , and asked: "Cuihuan, is the madam asleep?" "The madam and the master are both asleep. I went to the second lady's room and ran out to look for you when I saw that you were not there," Cuihuan replied in a low voice. He looked at Shuying with concern and curiosity, not knowing what interesting things they were going to do late at night. "You came just in time. Come with us for a walk in the garden," Shuying said happily suddenly.

"Going again? Haven't you played enough today?" Qin said these two sentences in surprise, glanced at Shuying, and stopped talking to stop her. Cuihuan was very happy when she heard Shuying said that she wanted to play in the garden, and immediately said with a smile: "Then, I'll go and make a lantern." Shuying hastily stopped her. "Let's walk like this. There's a moon anyway, so we can see the road," she said, taking Qin's arm and walking forward.Cuihuan happily followed behind. "Second cousin, why are you suddenly happy again? I think you've been too aggressive recently, so I should persuade you," Qin felt that she understood Shuying's feelings a little bit, and she was even more worried about Shuying, so she said this talk.

"Sister Qin, you don't know. I laugh and cry for a while, and I think it's all fake. I feel like I'm dreaming every night, and I often forget myself. Today I dare not think about tomorrow," Shuying said sadly Said in Qin's ear, leaning against Qin tightly, as if wanting to get some warmth from Qin. With the dim light of the oil lamp hanging on the wall, Qin looked at Shuying's touching and loving melon-seeded face, which was covered with a cloud of sadness.His brows were furrowed, and there were tears in his phoenix eyes.This sad look seemed to make Shuying's face look more beautiful.It was the first time Qin had seen such a sad beauty on Shuying's face, and it reminded her of a dead person.The eyes and eyebrows are obviously the same as that person's. "May," she almost said the name.Then the shadow of her dead friend Qian Meifen flickered in front of her eyes.Her heart is also a little sore.At the same time, Shuying's words rang faintly in her ears.Why does Shuying speak like that person today?The thought terrified her in addition to her grief.But she was also able to control her emotions.She said to Shuying with pity and trembling voice: "Second cousin, why did I just say two or three words to make you sad? You shouldn't think like this. You have indeed become more. Why don't you believe it?" You yourself? Can't we help you a little bit, can't we share a little worry for you? If you have something to say, just say it, let us discuss it, don't hide it in your heart alone, and only suffer from yourself. " Qin's words, especially the tone of Qin's speech, moved Shuying, which she had never expected, but now it came unexpectedly.Qin spoke so naturally and so rationally.Qin seems to understand her deep heart, so Qin's words can also touch her deep heart.At the previous moment, it was as if a stone was pressing on her heart, but now she suddenly felt much more relaxed.Tears flowed out all of a sudden.She felt that her eyes suddenly brightened, as if she had grasped a hope in the darkness, and found a support in the helpless despair.She gradually calmed down, and her countenance unfolded.She looked at Qin gratefully and smiled, and said in a low voice: "Sister Qin, I will follow your advice, and I won't be angry anymore." When Cuihuan saw them standing at the gate of the garden talking those words, she just listened and didn't dare to go. She interjected, and seeing Shuying smiling again, she felt relieved and urged: "Second Miss, let's go quickly. If you want to talk, it's better to talk inside, so as not to meet people..." Before she finished speaking, she heard the aisle There was the sound of a man's footsteps.The three of them were startled at the same time, and hurriedly crossed the threshold, walked into the outer gate of the garden, and quietly walked a few steps along the stone steps under Juexin's window.They heard footsteps entering Juexin's room, turned their heads inadvertently, and saw a black shadow drifting into the room with white screen curtains.

"Young master," Cuihuan said in a low voice. "Don't ring," Shuying hastily urged softly. The three of them stooped and walked lightly to the inner gate of the garden.Cuihuan gently opened the latch, let the two ladies into the garden, and then closed the door carefully.They also heard Juexin coughing in the room. They walked into the moon cave gate, then turned around the rockery and walked to the right, entering a winding corridor.No lights, but quite bright at night.The moonlight smeared several places on the rockery outside the railing.A rhododendron was planted in the courtyard, swaying in the shadows with a breeze.The surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of grass moving seemed to be audible.All the scenery lies silently in the half-light, half-clear, half-fuzzy, not as concrete as in the daytime.A subtle but intoxicating fragrance of the night filled the air.The spring night is soft.They took a step as if they were stepping into a dream, and it was getting deeper and deeper.They just walked silently, just admiring silently.Everyone didn't speak, as if they were afraid that if they made a sound, they would scare the dream away.

They walked into the bamboo grove and heard the sound of gurgling water, as if it was flowing on their hearts, washing their hearts and washing away all the dirt.There is a small path in the bamboo forest, and the moonlight shines directly from above.The sky is now a boundless blue, and those scale-like clouds have dissipated to nowhere.They stepped on the stones and walked to the end of the bamboo forest.A small stream lay in front of it, and a wooden bridge was built over the stream to reach the opposite bank.The stream flows down from the crevices of the rockery next to it, and the bed of the stream is covered with fallen leaves and stones.

"Sister Qin," Shuying suddenly happily called out, holding Qin's arm. "Look at how cool the water is." "Well," Qin Ying said, looking at Shuying suspiciously. "I want to wash my hair," Shuying whispered. "Forget it, second cousin, it's getting late, the water is very cold," Qin gently stopped. "I'm bored, so it's good to wash up. Fortunately, no one sees me here," Shuying said stubbornly like a pampered child.She shook her head two or three times, then reached behind her back and took the braid over the front, and began to untie the foreign hair rope on it. "Second Miss, let me explain it for you," Cuihuan said hastily when she saw this situation.She reached out and grabbed Shuying's braids, and untied them one by one. While untying, she said, "It's a pity that I didn't bring the comb or the comb," and she quickly finished untying.Shuying's thick black hair is completely spread out under the clear light of the cold moon, it is so soft, so delicate, so bright, and it looks even more beautiful when paired with Shuying's slender figure, even Cuihuan can't help but keep crying. She praised: "Miss Er has really nice hair." Qin looked at Shuying with praise and affection.It was the first time that this young girl's beautiful figure was fully displayed before her eyes, and her beauty-loving heart was also moved.She stared at Shuying obsessively, and said two or three words of praise, but she immediately felt sorry for Shuying's situation. Shuying knelt by the stream, bowed her head, let her hair hang upside down on the water, and scrubbed them with water. "Miss Qin, you also have good hair, wash it too, and let me untie your braid," Cuihuan said, about to untie Qin's braid, Qin saw Cuihuan kindly begging, and then Shu Ying washed her hair there, and felt that there was nothing wrong with it, so she said, "Okay, I'll untie your braid later," and asked Cuihuan to untie her braid for her.When she wanted to relieve Cuihuan, Cuihuan refused to die. After washing for a while, Shuying stood up, wiped her hair with her hands, and said to herself, "It's really a bit cold." When Cuihuan saw it, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the water for her. "Second Miss, your hair is really nice," Cuihuan praised enviously while wiping. "I want to cut this annoying thing," Shuying replied without thinking. "Cut it off?" Cuihuan exclaimed in surprise. "Stupid girl, what's all the fuss about?" Qin just wiped off the water from her hair, and when she heard Shuying and Cuihuan's conversation, she suddenly threw her head back, and her hair immediately draped behind her back with the remaining water spots Go, while the water splashes everywhere.She was kneeling and said this sentence, but now she sat on the ground with a slanted body, parted her hair into strands, wrapped them in a handkerchief to wipe them, and continued to wipe them: "There are already people in the school. I saw it with my own eyes." "I don't believe it. That's ugly!" Cuihuan answered Qin's words while straightening Shuying's hair. "You don't believe it, if I cut off my hair one day, how happy it would be!" Qin's heart was suddenly carried away by ideals, and she almost forgot herself and said proudly.She lowered her head to look at the water, and there was also a clear sky in the water, and her face was pressed against it, and the flowing stream stirred up the sky and her face. "Miss Qin, do you want to cut off your hair? Are you kidding me?" Cuihuan said in surprise; "It's a pity to cut off your good hair. Don't say such things, people in our mansion will hear it." Laughing at you." Cuihuan said innocently, she didn't understand Qin's psychology at all, she didn't know that her words seemed to be a cold water to Qin.Qin's dream was broken in half by her.Qin frowned slightly, stood up without saying anything, walked to Cuihuan's side, grabbed Cuihuan's braid intentionally or unintentionally, looked at it, and said with a sigh: "You are right..." She didn't seem to finish, but she stopped talking. "Sister Qin," Shuying tilted her head and called softly, she cast a melancholy look on Qin's face.Qin just turned to look at her, and the eyes of the two met.Qin felt uncomfortable for a while, and turned her head away.Shuying's soft words continued to reach her ears, and Shuying said half-enviously and half-comfortably, "You are much better than me after all." But there was a kind of hopeless depression in this voice. These words entered Qin's heart clearly, without any ambiguity.It reminded her suddenly.She knew Shuying was telling the truth.The two of them were in different situations.So she remembered everything she had seen and heard during these times.She felt more sympathy for Shuying, and she loved her cousin even more.In this way, she also forgot about her unsatisfactory things.She raised her head to look at Shuying again, and asked softly, "Second cousin, are you worried about the Chen family's affairs?" Sitting sideways.She lowered her head and smoothed her hair, and said with distress and hesitation: "I don't know...it's probably irreparable." This household?" Qin said angrily. Shuying sighed, and slowly replied: "Actually, it doesn't matter which one you choose. Anyway, I can't make decisions about my own affairs at all." The voice was a bit sad, similar to sobbing. "Our master really has no eyes, and such a good daughter should be sent to such a family!" Cuihuan interjected feeling aggrieved.She also sat down beside her, and then begged Qin bluntly: "Miss Qin, you are a guest, our master and wife treat you very politely. You can go and persuade the wife for our second lady, and see if there is any way to think about it. "Shuying shook her head slightly, and said: "You are really delusional!" She couldn't help laughing at Cuihuan's simple idea.Afterwards, she said sadly: "My wife doesn't understand me. She doesn't seem to care about me too much. And she listens to the master in everything, and she does what the master says. She never contradicts me..." Shuying's words have not yet reached After finishing speaking, Cuihuan interrupted confidently: "Second miss, master and wife are your parents after all, they are all educated and sensible people, you can't marry your daughter casually and leave it alone!" The Chen family is rich, and Mr. Chen is a well-known barrister, who would not seek him in a lawsuit?" Qin said sarcastically. "Hmph! Rich and powerful, the master and the young master bullied a girl together, gave birth to a son, and had the nerve to let the young master take over the house. Who doesn't know such a shameful thing?" Cuihuan was furious for a while, and cursed like this. "Cuihuan!" Shuying felt that Cuihuan's words were rude, so she called out sternly, then raised her eyes and gave her a reproachful look.Cuihuan herself knew that she had said something wrong, so she blushed and remained silent.However, her words were like a needle piercing Shuying's heart, and Shuying's heart ached slightly again. "Second cousin, things don't have to be completely hopeless, we can still find a way," Qin couldn't bear the silence, so she spoke to comfort Shuying.Her words came out of the mouth without careful thought, and she hadn't made up her mind at this time. Shuying's eyes lit up after hearing this, but her face darkened again afterwards.She said desperately and helplessly: "What else can I do? We are all cowardly, our fate is like this, look at Simei, she is more miserable than me. She is living this kind of life now, She doesn't know what will happen in the future." The more she spoke, the more sad her voice became, and her voice became more distressed, and she was about to cry.She wanted to stop talking, but couldn't. She paused for a moment and suddenly burst into mournful voice, "Second Brother criticized Fourth Sister for being cowardly tonight. I think he is warning me. I think of Cousin Mei again... ... She was tortured to death all her life." She couldn't help but bowed her head down on her own knees, and wept softly, her shoulders slightly twitching under her loose long hair. Sensational.Seeing this, Cuihuan moved forward, grabbed her shoulders and called her softly. Seeing this situation, Qin suddenly remembered that Qian Meifen had said similar things to her a year ago when she was dying of hemoptysis.Moreover, Mei also lamented that her mother didn't understand and didn't care, and her younger brother didn't understand.This is also the case with Shuying. Shuying only has one more stubborn father than Mei.Now Shuying is forced to approach Mei's fate step by step.It is not easy to watch a life younger than oneself be destroyed.May's tragic ending was still deeply imprinted in her mind, and the memories of the past found opportunities to grab her heart from time to time.At this time, she suddenly saw Mei's face on Shuying's body.Her heart trembled slightly unconsciously.Shuying's sobbing came into her ears one after another.Such a voice sounded weaker and more desolate in the quiet night, full of despair and sorrow.She felt that something stronger than sympathy was stirred in her heart.So she forgot everything and hugged Shuying, bent her body on Shuying's shoulder, and put her mouth next to Shuying's ear.She was about to kiss Shuying's temples and cheeks.While pulling Shuying's head, she whispered lovingly: "Second cousin, don't be sad. It's useless to cry, and crying too much is just ruining your body in vain. Second cousin and I will definitely help you, we You can't watch your happiness being ruined for nothing." "Second Miss, what Miss Qin said is the truth. Don't cry. Put your tears away. Let's go back to the room," Cuihuan said smoothly With the tone of the piano, he persuaded. These sympathetic and encouraging words made an impact on Shuying's heart.She stopped her grief for a while, raised her body, and leaned her head on Qin's chest. While wiping the tears on her face with a handkerchief, she said coldly: "I understand what you mean. But I'm afraid it's too late to think of other ways." It's too late. Sister Qin, you know the rules of our family. I don't think there is another way to save it except for the lake. But I don't want to follow Mingfeng's example. I still miss the world, and I can't bear to leave you. ’ She looked away a few times at the stream as she spoke. "Second Sister, why do you think of Mingfeng again? You must not think of such a stupid idea!" Qin pitifully blamed, and she hugged Shuying even tighter. "You are no better than Wan'er. It is not so easy for them to marry you! And it will not be so fast. There is no guarantee that there will be no changes in the middle. Although your family rules are very strict, it is just a lie. Besides, there is a Third cousin, isn’t he a child of your Gao family? Why was he able to escape from the house? And second cousin, how can he get rid of the marriage of Feng’s family? You can still learn from them when it’s a last resort !” Enthusiasm inspired her, and many powerful arguments naturally flooded into her mind, and she spoke freely.All the unpleasant thoughts that had tormented her earlier vanished at once.Her big eyes suddenly lit up.The Wan'er mentioned by Qin was originally a girl in Shuying's mother Zhang's house. A year ago, she took the place of Mingfeng who committed suicide by throwing herself into the lake and went to Feng's house to become a concubine. Shuying heard all these words in her ears, and she also felt that these arguments were true and powerful, and she had nothing to refute.Then her heart became lighter.Her face lit up, too.She turned to look gratefully at Jean.There were tears in her phoenix eyes.But the two curved thin eyebrows have already been developed.Jean smiled at her, and she smiled back.But she said timidly again: "But I'm afraid I don't have the courage like them." "It doesn't matter, courage is developed slowly. The times are different now," Qin said comfortingly in Shuying's ear, and stretched out her hand Touching Shuying's hair, the soft, satin-like black waves seemed to reveal a delicate fragrance, which aroused her affection even more, and she said tenderly: "My good sister, just don't worry. Just now Cuihuan Well said, third uncle and third aunt are your biological parents after all. Even we feel sorry for you, can’t they be so hard-hearted? You just have to show your courage. I don’t believe they will be tough to the end.... And you still You can touch their hearts with admiration." Qin's affectionate expression and tender words completely removed the heavy pressure on Shuying's heart.Shuying unconsciously tilted her head and smiled at Qin.She said full of emotion: "Sister Qin, I really don't know how to thank you! After all, I am young and ignorant. I seemed to be in the ice cellar before, but now I remind you, and I understand completely. Now I Don't be pessimistic anymore." "Okay, this is a smart idea," Qin was very happy to hear these words, and praised encouragingly. Cuihuan interjected next to her and said, "Miss Qin, you see our second young lady is happy when she tells you about it. She usually has a sad face all day long, but she only talks and laughs when you come. If you come more often, she will be happy." It won't be like this." "Yes, sister Qin, it would be better if you come to talk to me more often," Shuying said. "In our family, only the second brother and I get along the best. But he is very busy, and he often goes to your house, so I don't have much time to see him. The eldest brother has his own concerns. The third sister is an optimist. Every day the family talked and laughed, but they didn’t understand others. I couldn’t find anyone to discuss with me when I had something on my mind. Cuihuan got along with me. She often defended me. But she couldn’t think of any good ideas. "The moon entered the thin clouds, and the surroundings suddenly became dark.The sound of the stream covered the end of Shuying's words.In the moss-covered courtyard on the opposite bank, a thatched pavilion quietly reveals its outline, but the thatched roof suddenly appears under the clear light of the moon breaking out of the clouds.The night was getting colder gradually, even sitting on the ground felt cold, and the cold air invaded their bodies from the sleeves.Cuihuan was the first to shiver, and at the same time she also felt tired, so she stood up and wiped the dust off her legs, and said, "Second Miss, let's go back, the night is getting late, and the weather is getting colder." Qin Zheng Wanting to talk to Shuying, when Cuihuan said this, she echoed, "That's fine, second cousin, let's go back. I'm afraid everyone will catch a cold after a while." She said, and gently pushed Shuying's body to let her stand up. Shuying didn't speak, she stood up immediately, and patted the dust off her body.Qin also stood up.At this time, the moon was shining brightly, and the clouds were scattered behind.The moonlight shone like frost on the mossy ground. "I will come here often in the future," Qin said affirmatively, she looked at Shuying, then at Cuihuan, and suddenly asked in surprise: "Second cousin, Cuihuan has been here for less than a year, why are you acting like this?" Okay?" "Second Miss thinks highly of me and doesn't treat me as a servant. She is kind-hearted, treats me well, and our temperaments are compatible, so I am willing to serve her wholeheartedly," Cuihuan rushed to answer Dai Shuying. "It's probably fate," Shuying added with a smile.Then she said: "I didn't treat Wan'er well before, and now I regret it too." She looked at the scenery on the other side, and said again: "Will you go for a walk?" "Second Miss, don't go, "Cuihuan hastily stopped her. "The moss in the courtyard opposite is very slippery. It's not easy to walk. Let's go back." Qin reached out and pinched Cuihuan's sleeve, and said, "Why don't you wear an extra layer of clothes? It must be cold." Then she said to her again Shuying said: "Second cousin, let's go back, Cuihuan's clothes are thin, I'm afraid I can't bear it." "I'm fine," Cuihuan replied, but she shivered again. Shuying nodded, then turned and walked into the bamboo forest.