Chapter 16 16

On Friday afternoon, Mrs. Zhou came with Hui and Yun, and everyone sat in Mrs. Zhou's room and chatted.Shuying heard that Hui and Yun were coming.Then he hurried over. The room seemed lively, but had an air of melancholy.Mrs. Zhou kept talking to Mrs. Zhou and Juexin.Hui and Yun sat a little further away from them, but they could hear them clearly.Hui lowered her head and remained silent, with a sad and shy expression on her face.Yun pouted her mouth and frowned slightly. Mrs. Zhou asked Juexin to help prepare for Hui's wedding, and Juexin resolutely agreed. Although it was a painful thing for him, he originally disapproved of this marriage.When Juexin spoke, he was very excited.Although Hui lowered her head, she secretly glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. There was affection in her eyes, which revealed her emotion.But Juexin didn't feel it at all.Yun still did not speak.Shuhua glared at Juexin dissatisfied, as if blaming him for agreeing to help with such a matter.

"This matter is entirely your uncle's fault. In fact, where would I be willing to marry Hui'er?" Mrs. Zhou talked for a long time, said all the important things, and suddenly sighed sadly and said angrily . Loh moved her head slightly.Juexin watched her bent face attentively, and he saw her eye circles turn red, which touched his own mind again.All the dark shadows of the past fell on his head.Despair, grief, and remorse fused together and turned into a needle that pricked his heart. He couldn't help it anymore, and finally let two or three tears burst out.Others thought he thought of Haichen, and felt sad for Haichen's death.

Only Hui slightly guessed his thoughts.She raised her head slightly and looked at him deeply with grateful eyes.Two big tears were embedded in the corners of her eyes.The old lady Zhou coughed unhappily. "Since the matter is settled, Mom doesn't have to think about it anymore. I don't think Miss Hui is a person with poor fortune. Marriage is destined in the previous life, and there will be no mistakes." Zhou is afraid that this topic will arouse her anger. The mother was sad and said comfortingly. "I also know it's useless to say any more," Mrs. Zhou answered casually, and she wanted to say something else.But Juexin saw Hui's fidgeting and didn't want to put Hui in an embarrassing situation again, so he came up with an idea to interrupt and said: "I think it's better to let the second sister and the third sister accompany cousins ​​Hui and Yun to the place." Let's go for a walk in the garden, it's rare for them to come here, it's too wronged them to lock them in the house." After he finished speaking, he gave Hui a generous look.

"That's good, I almost forgot. Second girl, you can go to the garden with your third sister and your two cousins. It's not interesting for you young girls to stay with us. Third girl, take Qixia away." " Zhou said in agreement. Yun didn't refuse, just smiled and stood up.Hui hesitated for a moment, then stood up with a vague promise.Shuying and Shuhua let them go ahead.Four young women stepped out of the room, making it easier for the rest of the group to talk. Sister Shuying accompanied the two cousins ​​out of the room on the left. Shuying suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Shuzhen that day, so she asked Qixia who was following behind, "Qixia, did you see Miss Fourth today? Why didn't she come out?" "Wait for me to see. I'll invite her to come. Second Miss, you go first, walk slowly, and I will catch up. Where are you going first?" Qixia asked.

"Alright," Shuying replied, she thought for a while and said, "If you can't catch up with us, we'll wait for you at the Huxin Pavilion. Go and invite Miss Si here." Fifth Aunt scolded me," Shuhua explained without thinking.No one pays attention to her.Qixia walks across the courtyard to Shuzhen's room alone. Qixia had just walked two steps, when Shuhua suddenly called her from behind, and said: "Qixia, if we are not in the Huxin Pavilion, you can come to find us on the lawn next to the Meilin." Shuying and her group entered the garden.In the garden, the vines covered the sunlight, and there was a green shadow on the ground.There are clusters of small green grapes among the green leaves on the shelf.They walked into Merlin, only to hear a few crisp birdsong.Not far ahead is the lake, and there are a few rockeries on the right blocking the road.They turned around the rockery, and a piece of fresh green appeared in front of them.This is an oval lawn.There are all kinds of grass and flowers growing beside the rockery, and a few butterflies are circling and flying on the flowers.

"Let's sit on the lawn for a while, it's better than the Huxin Pavilion," Shuhua suggested cheerfully when she saw the lawn, her eyes glowed. Shuying looked at Hui encouragingly, and asked, "Cousin Hui, what do you think? It's very clean here." Hui's face was slightly red, and before she could speak, Yun answered for her: " I think it would be nice to sit here." There are a few sparse peach trees around the lawn.Shuhua picked a place not far from the peach tree, spread a handkerchief on the grass, and was the first to sit down with her legs bent.Then Shuying, Yun, and Hui all sat down on handkerchief cushions.

Shuhua looked at the flowers and trees around, looked at the clear blue sky, and said happily to Hui and Yun: "I'm so happy, you can play for a few more days when you come back. We are very bored these two days. I miss you very much." , you didn’t come again. I wanted my mother to call someone to invite you, but my mother said you have something to do. Now you are finally here. We all have a good time for a few days.” “I miss you too, and I often want to see you Why don't you come to our house?" Yun replied with a smile; then she changed her tone and said: "But our house is really not interesting, it's better if you don't go, it's better for us to come and see you." "But Cousin Hui I'm afraid I won't be able to come here often in the future." Shuying suppressed her emotional impulse and said in a low voice.

Hui didn't answer.Yun also restrained her smile and remained silent.Shuhua didn't notice their expressions, she asked with half teasing and half nostalgia: "Cousin Hui, will you miss us in the future?" Seeing that Hui didn't speak, she asked again: "Do you have that person? Just forget about us?" Hui bowed her head with a blushing face, sighed, and said slowly: "Third cousin, how can I forget you? It's like I'm dreaming when I come here. Only when I come to you, I feel a little Life is fun." She raised her head slowly, her eyes were already red.She didn't want them to see her cry, so she turned her head to look at a rockery covered with saxifrage.There is a figure shaking in the cracks of the rockery.But she didn't pay attention either.

"Third Sister, look at what you said accidentally made Cousin Hui sad. You still don't persuade Cousin Hui and apologize to Cousin Hui." Shuying also felt very sad. She couldn't find any words of persuasion, so she could only complain to Shuhuadao like this. "Where is it? I am not sad. Second cousin, you are too caring." Hui hurriedly turned around and argued. She deliberately put on a smile, and the tears in the corners of her eyes dried up, but there was still sadness between her brows. Shuzhen and Qixia came.Qixia was carrying a basket in her hand.When Shuzhen saw them, her face showed joy, and she hurried over.She walked to Shuying's side, sat down quickly, and put her arms around Shuying's arms.She greeted Hui and Yun with a smile.

"Fourth Sister, why didn't I see you come out today? What are you doing hiding in the house?" Seeing Shuzhen sitting down, Shuhua asked without waiting for her to speak. Shuzhen didn't answer, and the smile on her face disappeared immediately.Shuying looked at her face carefully, only to see that her eyes were a little swollen, knowing that she must have cried today, so she lovingly grabbed her hand, and whispered gently in her ear: " Is Fifth Aunt scolding you again?" Shuzhen nodded silently. "Hold it, don't be sad, lest people find out, it's over after the matter is over," Shuying asked with concern.

"I know." Shuzhen replied in a low voice. "What are you talking about?" Shuhua interjected curiously when she saw the two of them talking in a low voice. "I didn't say anything. I just asked Simei casually," Shuying replied with a forced smile. "Strange. Why don't you all speak?" Shuhua suddenly asked again. "You all seem to be frowning. What's going on in your heart?" "Only you are happy all day long." Shuzhen pouted her lips and said angrily. "Yes, the third cousin is always optimistic." Yun praised. "Third cousin, your temperament is really enviable. I only need a score or two," Hui said, looking at Shuhua with watery eyes. "Cousin Hui, to be polite, what's so strange about my temperament? People always say that I'm a daredevil, and they say that a young lady should be quieter," Shuhua said bluntly. "Calm down?" Hui whispered in pain and doubt.Afterwards, she sighed patiently and said, "I'm pretty quiet now." Her face suddenly turned pale. Shuying didn't dare to look at Hui's face, so she lowered her head and squeezed Shuzhen's right hand tightly, and Shuzhen leaned half of her body on Shuying's chest.Yun stood up angrily, walked a few steps, and suddenly raised her head to look at the sky.There are a few white clouds moving slowly in the dark blue sky.A dozen white pigeons flew over her head.The whistle filled the wind and rang loudly.The white clouds were blown away by the wind, leaving a blue sky like a calm sea.It was very quiet around.No unpleasant voice disturbed her thoughts.She should have enjoyed all these natural beauties in peace, but she suddenly remembered: "Why do you have to get married to be a woman?" This is just a thought, and Yun still dare not express it in words.However, Shuhua said angrily on the side: "I really don't understand why a woman should get married." She said exactly what Yun wanted to say. Hui turned her head to look at Shuhua, a little surprised why Shuhua said such a thing, then she said helplessly: "In short, being a woman's life is very bitter." "You can't say that. I don't believe that women should suffer "Shuhua argued angrily, and when she raised her head, the braids that were originally on her shoulders floated to the back of her head and hung down. Qixia had already poured the tea and put it in front of them. Seeing that they didn't drink tea and were not interested in talking, she interrupted with a smile, "Miss Hui, Miss Yun, don't you all drink tea? The tea is almost cold. " "Ah, I forgot," Hui replied with a forced smile, and took two sips from her teacup. But Shuhua drank a cup in one go. "Miss Yun, why don't you have a cup of tea," Qixia said, looking at Yun with a smile.She picked up the cup and planned to send it to Yun. "I'll do it myself," Yun said politely.She walked over to take the teacup and held it in her hand. She took a sip of tea, then raised her head to look up at the sky.Pigeons fly high.Only a dozen white spots appeared in the blue sky.Two or three piles of gray and white clouds look like distant mountains.She read in a low voice: When will the bright moon come, ask the blue sky for the wine. She only read a few words, raised her cup and drank the tea, and then handed the cup back to Qixia.She walked past Hui, looked at Hui tenderly, smiled on her face, and said: "I agree with the third cousin. Of course we are not as good as their manly family. But we are also a person. Why should we be the only ones?" Women suffer?" Hui sighed, leaned back slightly, stretched out her right hand and used her long nails to pick the drooping sideburns to her ears.She said lightly: "Oh, of course, what you say makes sense. But what's the use of talking empty words?" She bowed her head again.But she suddenly remembered something, so she turned her head and glanced at Shuying.Shuying was staring blankly at the grass, as if thinking about something.Hui said to Shuying sympathetically and somewhat sadly: "I'm too late. I don't care. I have to live every day. Second cousin, you should think of a way. You can't be like me. You You should remember what your eldest cousin said that night." Before Shuying could answer, Shuzhen was leaning against Shuying, but now she raised her face and almost touched Shuying's face, and she called out intimately and beseechingly. "Second Sister".She hoped that Shuying would follow Hui's advice. Shuying looked movedly at Shuzhen, then at Hui.Her father's angry face suddenly flickered before her eyes.Tears gradually flooded in her eyes, and she seemed to cry sadly once.But she didn't cry, she tried to hold back, she borrowed some power of thought to control herself.She struggled like this for a while, and suddenly a smile appeared on her face, like the sun coming back after the rain has stopped.She resolutely said: "Cousin Hui, don't worry, I will always think of a way. I will not go to Chen's house obediently according to my father's wishes." In fact, she didn't have a clear plan at this time. The only thing that is clear is the desperate step - a vast expanse of white lake water. "But you should be careful," Hui still reminded Shuying worriedly. "If you want to find a way, it's better to try it earlier. When Yan is dead, no matter how good you are, you can't get it back. Things are approaching step by step.If you don't plan ahead, when things come to an end, you will have to be played by others.Please take me as a lesson from the past. "Loh seemed to have forgotten about her affairs on the surface, but in her heart she felt a needle-like pain. "If that day comes, I still can't think of a way, then I will die. I would rather go the way of Mingfeng," Shuying gritted her teeth and said the above words without thinking carefully.She herself doesn't feel anything.This is her last path, which she can decide for now. When Hui heard Shuying's words, her complexion suddenly changed, and a layer of black clouds piled up on her face, like a sudden storm.She whispered one after another: "You can't do this, you can't do this." Shuzhen held Shuying's arm tightly and entangled her and asked: "Second sister, are you serious?" Let's go to those clumps of grass and flowers together to pick flowers and catch a blue butterfly.Qixia also followed.They chased the butterflies with their handkerchiefs, followed the butterflies, and laughed crisply from there.Laughter was sent into Hui's heart and Shuying's heart. This laughter rescued Shuying from a desperate state of mind, and she suddenly blamed herself, "I shouldn't have said such things." She looked at Hui, and then at Shuzhen.She smiled gratifiedly, and said to Hui: "Listen, how happy they are laughing, I want to die." Her eyes followed their shadows.She said again: "I'm so confused, I still want to die." She moved her body slightly, got closer to Hui, and put her right hand on Hui's shoulder.She forgot the unpleasant thoughts she had had earlier.The weight on her heart seemed to disappear suddenly.Surrounding her now is the crisp air, the clear blue sky, and the lush trees.Her eyes brightened, and her heart gradually became brighter. Yun and Shuhua followed the butterfly to the other side of the rockery, and then came back.Butterflies gradually increased.Four or five colorful butterflies flew around their heads, but they never caught them.They were sweating from running.While running, Shuhua called: "Cousin Hui, Second Sister, come and help me. You guys are always sitting there talking and talking. You can't finish talking. Go back to the house at night and talk slowly from the beginning. Okay?" "Sister, just let them go. They are flying well, why bother breaking them up," Shuying gently discouraged Shuhua. Yun was running, and she felt a little tired. When she heard Shuying's words, she stopped with a smile, and said, "Third Cousin, don't rush any longer. You can't catch it anyway." She gently wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. beads of sweat. "Which one said that? Don't listen to the second sister," Shuhua was bending over to look for something in the grass at this time, and she caught a butterfly with yellow and red spots.The little creature lay motionless on the grass as if dead.Shuhua picked it up, put it in her palm, put it close to her mouth, and blew gently. Yun ran over to look at it, and complained, "Look, you killed it. You hurt a life for nothing." Just as she finished speaking, the butterfly suddenly raised its wings and flew upwards. If you don't pay attention, it will slip away. "I didn't expect it to be so cunning," said Sowa, stomping.She and Yun looked at each other and smiled. "It's good to play grass rolling here. I heard that my elder brother and the others used to roll on the lawn when they were young," Shuhua said to Yun with interest when she saw the green grass all over the ground and suddenly remembered this matter. "Then you can give me a call," Yun said with a smile. "Bah, I'll call you." Shuhua spat and laughed.But then she grabbed Yun's sleeve and urged in a low voice curiously: "Let's have a roll and try." opened. "No, everyone doesn't. I'm not a child, who would be happy to roll?" Shuhua said deliberately.Qixia pursed her lips and smiled beside her. Shuying took Shuzhen's hand and walked over to talk with Hui.Shuying smiled when she heard Shuhua's words, and said, "Sister, you still have a childish temper. How can you make guests roll?" After what she said, even the quiet Hui couldn't help laughing. up.Shuzhen also laughed hard, not to mention Shuhua. "Third cousin loves to roll, let her have a good time," Yun said to Shuying with a smile. "Cousin Yun, you lied to my face. When did you see me kick and roll?" Shuhua asked Yun with a smile. "I saw you rolling on the bed when you were young," Yun pursed her lips and smiled. "Bah," Shuhua spat, she couldn't help laughing, and everyone laughed too.After a while, Shuhua stopped laughing, and said to Shuying: "We missed Cousin Hui and the others every day when they weren't here, and we finally hoped for them to come. Second sister, you have a sad face and don't talk much. Let me talk and laugh." You still have to blame me. You really have no reason to do so." "Sanmei, where am I blaming you? Don't worry. Don't you think I'm smiling now?" Shuying's face was completely devoid of sadness Mark of.Calm and happy, like the endless blue sky above.There is no cloud in the pair of phoenix eyes. "Really, Second Sister is very happy." Shuzhen said happily, holding Shuying's arm intimately. "You are simply the second sister's answer." Shuhua pointed to Shuzhen. "It's a pity that Sister Qin didn't come, otherwise you'd be worse." "I didn't talk to you." Shuzhen pursed her lips and turned her head away. "Sister Qin will come these two days," Hui asked Shuying when she heard about Qin. "Tomorrow is Saturday, we call someone to pick her up, she will definitely come," Shuhua rushed to answer with confidence.Afterwards she asked again: "Cousin Hui, how long do you plan to stay this time?" Without waiting for Hui's answer, she said again, "I just hope you can stay longer." Hui hesitated and remained silent.Yun immediately replied on behalf of her cousin: "It will only stay for five or six days at most, according to my uncle's orders." The so-called "uncle" refers to Hui's father, who is also Shuhua's uncle. Hui suddenly glanced at Shuying, lowered her head again, and asked in a low voice intentionally or unintentionally: "Is the big cousin okay recently?" "He has too many unsatisfactory things recently," Shuying said with a low sigh. "Once Hai'er died, nothing would make him sadder than this. His situation is indeed too difficult. I can't comfort him. I can't even take care of myself." The last sentence was uttered in a very soft voice of. At this time Qixia suddenly called Cuihuan and Qian'er's names, she turned around the rockery and disappeared, but quickly brought two girls over. "Second Miss, you are here." Cuihuan greeted with a smile, and she and Qian'er saluted Hui and Yun again. "Cuihuan, why did you come here?" Shuhua asked. "Our wife, the eldest wife, and the fourth wife accompanied the old lady Zhou Wai to play cards in the water pavilion, and we followed," Cuihuan replied. "Young master didn't play cards?" Shuying asked with concern. "The eldest young master is here too, he came out of the water pavilion before us. Second miss, hasn't he been here before?" Qian'er said in surprise.She clearly saw Juexin wandering beside the rockery earlier.She thought he must have been on the lawn. "Stupid girl, if Eldest Young Master came here, wouldn't we see it? Why do you still ask you?" Shuhua blamed Qian'er with a smile. "Then the young master must have gone rowing," Qian'er said with a smile. "Okay, Cousin Yun, let's go rowing." Shuhua couldn't help saying happily when she heard about rowing.Yun naturally agreed happily. "Let's go see big cousin," Hui whispered to Shuying. "It's hard to say whether elder brother is rowing a boat. His behavior is a bit weird recently," Shuying said anxiously, frowning slightly. "It's no wonder him. He has grown a lot in the past few years. All kinds of unfortunate things happen to be on his head alone, and we can't share some of it for him," Hui said with great effort. from.She looked indifferent on the surface, but she was very excited in her heart, sympathy and distress twisted her heart.She saw darkness before her, and now she suffered from the misery of others.When the last word came to her lips, she hesitated, but finally uttered it.A slight blush appeared on her face.She didn't want Shuying to see her, so she turned her head away. "Cousin Hui, how can you say that?" Shuying gently touched Hui's arm and said in a low voice, pain and surprise intertwined in her voice. "Aren't you also... You still—" Shuying swallowed the following words, but the meaning was clearly understood by Hui.This trembling voice scratched Hui's heart, and Hui felt a faint pain in his heart.She didn't want to say anything more, she just wanted to hide in a place where no one was around and cry for a while. She tried her best to hold on, and just sighed slightly.She put all her pain in the sigh.The only expressions of her resistance to the unfair fate are tears and sighs. Shuhua and Yun walked ahead, they had already turned around the rockery.When Shuhua heard Hui's sigh, she stopped and turned her head and asked with concern: "Cousin Hui, why are you sighing?" By speaking, she could also guess Hui's mood slightly.She couldn't comfort Hui, she just wanted to change the subject, so she said with a smile: "I don't believe it, it must be that the second sister bullied you and made you unhappy, let's sue the third aunt, saying that the second sister didn't play well with you, Ask Third Aunt to scold her." When she said this, everyone laughed. "Third Cousin, don't mess with people, Second Cousin has a good talk with me, don't wrong her," Hui replied with a smile, and she felt that the pressure on her heart gradually eased. "It's not my fault. I said something wrong. Tonight, will you punish me for a midnight snack?" Shuying felt happy when she saw Hui's calm expression restored, so she apologized in Shuhua's tone. "Okay, someone is willing to treat you, why should I not agree?" Shuhua was the first to applaud.She said regretfully again: "It's a pity that I'm about to run out of money this month, otherwise I can have a big treat." When Shuzhen heard this, she quickly flattened her mouth and said mockingly: "Sister, don't say Such generous words," everyone laughed.They had already walked in front of the water pavilion, and the sound of cards and laughter came from the water pavilion.On the stone steps on the right, there are two kettles steaming above the small stove.Cuihuan said to Qianer: "Qianer, the water is boiling, you go in and make tea." Qianer responded and walked up the steps.Qixia looked at the basket in her hand, and said to herself, "I want to make some boiling water too," she picked up the basket and walked over.When she walked to the stove, Qian'er had already carried a pot of water into the water pavilion. Qixia filled the teapot with boiling water and still put it in the basket, carrying it down the stone steps.Qian'er came out of the water pavilion with the kettle in hand, and called from behind: "Qixia, the eldest lady is calling for you." Cuihuan was standing under a magnolia tree listening to the ladies talking, so she went to Qixia to meet her. After passing the basket, she said: "Go quickly, let me take care of you." Qixia walked into the water pavilion together with Qian'er.Cuihuan followed Shuying and the others along the pine forest to Wanxianglou. After walking through the pine forest, they arrived at the head of the round arch bridge, and saw Juexin standing quietly on the bridge alone, leaning on the railing, looking down at the bridge with ecstasy. "Brother." Shuhua called out in surprise. "You don't go to watch the card game, what are you doing standing here alone?" Juexin seemed taken aback, he turned his head and stared blankly at them, and after a while he said with a wry smile: "You are all here." "What are you looking at standing on the bridge?" Shuhua asked after walking on the bridge.Shuying glanced at her quickly and told her not to speak any more. "I'm looking at the water. The water always flows slowly, slowly. I can see my shadow on the water. I seem to be dreaming, having a big dream," Juexin said with a depressed expression, slowly Swallow said.Just as he said this, he suddenly moved his head as if awakened, with a desolate smile on his face.He immediately concluded with an almost resolute tone: "I'm just walking here. It's very quiet here." "The scenery here is nice," Hui interjected.As soon as her eyes touched Juexin, she immediately looked away. "Then you go rowing with us," said Shuhua invitingly.Shuying asked with her eyes.Yun looked at him innocently.Hui turned her gaze over again and lightly swept over his face. "Okay, I'll go with you," Juexin replied with a nod. They got off the bridge and stood on the grass.Juexin accidentally raised his head and saw the parrot hanging in front of the eaves of Wanxiang Building.He said to himself, "Haier likes this parrot very much." Unconsciously, he walked up the stairs. Both Hui and Shuying heard this sentence and understood its meaning.It was as if someone poured water on the fire, and their interest was interrupted again.They walked up the stone steps listlessly. "Qian'er, put on cigarettes and pour tea, Miss Qin is here." This loud and shrill voice startled everyone.Someone looked up immediately.But everyone understood immediately. "Bah, stupid thing, you can't even recognize people." Cuihuan pointed at the parrot and cursed with a smile.Everyone couldn't help laughing. "Cuihuan, pack the cigarettes and pour the tea, Miss Qin is here," the parrot fluttered its wings on the shelf, pecked the iron chain on its feet with its sharp beak, and then called proudly with its head held high. "Miss Qin didn't come again today, what are you always calling her for?" Cuihuan scolded with a smile.Everyone laughed even harder.Such laughter broke the gloomy air around.