Chapter 10 Chapter Ten "Selected Tang Poems"
Xiangxi is not far from Jingzhou, and Di Yun arrived in Jingzhou a few days later.This road, he had traveled along with his master and junior sister back then.The mountains and rivers are still like this, and the roads are still like this.When walking back then, the road was full of Qi Fang's laughter.This time, from Maxipu to Jingzhou, he didn't hear a single laugh.Of course someone laughed, but he didn't hear it.
After inquiring outside the city, I found out that Ling Tuisi was still the magistrate.Di Yun's face was still covered in mud, hiding his true colors, and walked into the city.The first thought was: "I want to see with my own eyes how Wan Gui suffers. Has his poisonous injury been healed? I don't know if he has returned. Maybe he is still in Hunan for treatment."
Strolling to the door of Wan's house, he saw Shen Cheng hurriedly coming out of the gate from a distance, with a hurried expression on his face.Di Yun said in his heart: "Since Shen Cheng is here, Wan Gui has already returned home if he wants to come. As soon as it gets dark, I will go and explore." Then he walked towards the abandoned garden.
The abandoned garden is not far from the Wanjia. On the day Ding Dian passed away, Zhou Qi, Geng Tianba, and Ma Daming all died in this abandoned garden. This time the old land reappears, we can only see the weeds everywhere, and the tiles everywhere. .He walked to the old plum tree, stroked the uneven trunk, and said in his heart: "Brother Ding passed away under this old plum tree that day, and the plum tree still looks like this, and it hasn't changed at all. Brother Ding Has been reduced to ashes."
He sat under the plum tree and closed his eyes to sleep.Sleeping until the second watch, I took out some dry food from my arms to eat, left the abandoned garden, and came towards Wanjia.Going around to the back door of Wan's house, entering over the wall, and in the back garden, I couldn't help but feel bitter: "I was seriously injured at that time, so I hid in the woodshed. Junior sister didn't help me to save me, it was considered cruel, but she went to ask her husband to come and kill me. Me." Just as he was about to move forward, he suddenly saw three lights flickering beside the Taihu Stone.
He immediately shrank behind the tree and looked towards the fire.When I stared, I saw that the three lights were three burning incense sticks in the incense burner.The incense burner was placed on a small table. A few days ago, two people knelt and kowtowed to the sky, and stood up after a while.Di Yun could clearly see that one was Qi Fang, and the other was a little girl. Her daughter was also called "Water Spinach".
I could only hear Qi Fang praying softly: "The first stick of incense, please God bless my husband to get rid of suffering, relieve swelling and detoxify, and no longer suffer from the pain of this scorpion poison. Water spinach, say, please pray to the heavenly Bodhisattva May Daddy recover from his illness." The little girl said: "Yes, mother, I beg the Bodhisattva to bless Daddy, so that Daddy will not be in pain and screaming." Although Di Yun is not close, the words of her mother and daughter can be heard Clearly, knowing that Wan Gui was still suffering after being poisoned, he felt joyful in his heart, but also resented that Qi Fang had so much affection for her husband.
I only heard Qi Fang say: "The second incense stick, please God bless my father to be safe, free from disasters and troubles, and come back soon. Water spinach, please ask the heavenly Bodhisattva to bless grandpa with a long life." The little girl said: "Yes, grandpa , come back quickly, why don't you come back?" Qi Fang said: "Pray for the protection of the Bodhisattva." The little girl said: "The Bodhisattva protects Grandpa, and also protects Grandpa and Daddy." She had never seen Qi...fa, Mom asked her to pray, but what she thought about was her grandfather and...
Qi Fang paused for a moment, and said in a low voice: "This is the third stick of incense, please God bless him, bless him with happiness, bless him to marry a good wife and have a precious son early..." His voice was choked up, and he stretched out his sleeves, Wipe away my tears.The little girl said: "Mom, you think of uncle again." Qi Fang said: "You say, please God bless Uncle Water Spinach..."
When Di Yun heard her praying for the third incense stick, he wondered: "Who is she praying for?" Suddenly he heard her say the words "Uncle Water Spinach", and he couldn't help but hear a buzzing in his ears, and he only said in his heart: " Is she talking about me? Is she talking about me?"
The little girl said: "Mom misses Uncle Water Spinach. The Heavenly Bodhisattva blesses Uncle Gong Xifa Cai and buys me a big baby. He is Water Spinach, and I am also Water Spinach. Mom, where is this Uncle Water Spinach? He hasn't come back yet." "Qi Fang said: "Uncle Water Spinach has gone far, far away. Uncle left your mother and ignored him, but mother remembered him every day..." At this point, she picked up her daughter and hid her face on her chest. Quickly walked back in.
Di Yun walked to the side of the incense burner, looked at the three shimmering incense heads, and couldn't help but be infatuated.
He stood there in a daze, the three sticks of incense burned to the end and turned into ashes, but he still stood motionless.
In the early morning of the next day, Di Yun came out of Wanjia's backyard and wandered around in a daze in Jingzhou City. Suddenly, he heard choking and choking sounds.Di Yun's heart moved, he wanted to see Wan Gui's moaning and screaming misery with his own eyes, so he took out ten taels of silver and wanted to buy his clothes, medicine box, and tiger brace.The doctor was very surprised that these were not valuable things, at most worth three or four taels of silver, so he happily sold them to him. Di Yunlu went to the abandoned garden, changed into the doctor's clothes, smashed some herbs, applied the juice on his eyelids, and applied a large piece of herbs under his left eye, making his face unrecognizable. In front of Wanjia. When he was about to reach the gate of Wan's house, he clattered and clattered the tiger's support loudly, and when he got closer, he shouted hoarsely: "He specializes in intractable diseases, unknown swollen poison, poisonous insects and snakes." Injury, see success immediately!" After going back and forth like this three times, I saw a person from the gate come out in a hurry, beckoning: "Hey, Mr. Langzhong, come here, come here." Di Yun recognized him as a disciple of Wanmen, and he was the one who cut off five of his fingers back then. Hom.Di Yun's attire and appearance are very different from those in previous years, Wu Kan thinks he can't.Di Yun was afraid that he would recognize his own voice, so he walked over slowly, lowered his voice even more, and said, "What is your order, but what intractable disease or unknown swelling has occurred on your body?" Wu Kan let out a "bah" and said, "Do you think I have contracted an unknown swollen poison? Hey, let me ask you, I was stung by a scorpion, can you cure it well?" Di Yun said: "The green bamboo snake, the red snake, the gold-legged belt, the shovel head, the first-class poisonous snakes in the world have bitten people, and the medicine will hurt them. What about scorpions, hehe, what's the matter?" ?” Wu Kan said: "Don't brag, this stinging scorpion is not an ordinary guy. The famous doctors in Jingzhou City shook their heads when they saw it, and you've cured it?" Di Yun frowned and said: "Is it so powerful? The world The scorpions are nothing more than gray-haired scorpions, black-and-white scorpions, money scorpions, prickly-headed scorpions, red-tailed scorpions, ground-biting mother-biting scorpions, and white-footed scorpions..." He babbled nonsense, talking about twenty kinds of things, and then said : "Each type of scorpion has different toxicity, and each has its own treatment method. Even a famous doctor may not know everything if he is not really capable." Wu Kan saw that he was ugly and dressed in rags. Although he said many names of scorpions, he stuttered and slurred his speech. He had no talent, so he said, "If that's the case, go and have a look, it's a dead horse anyway. Treat it as a live horse doctor." Di Yun nodded, and followed him into Wanfu.As soon as he stepped through the door, he immediately remembered the scene when he followed his master and junior sister to celebrate his birthday. At that time, a country boy came to the city. He could see in his eyes that everything was luxurious and fresh. He and his junior sister looked around and pointed. Come back today, the door is still the same, but I only feel a burst of bitterness in my heart.He followed Wu Kan through three courtyards and came to the east building. Wu Kan raised his head and said loudly: "Sister-in-law three, there is a grass-headed doctor, he said he can cure scorpion poison, do you want him to come and show my brother?" With a bang, the upstairs window opened, and Qi Fang walked through the window. Zhong poked his head out and said: "Okay, thank you Junior Brother Wu, your senior brother is in more pain today, please go upstairs, sir." Wu Kan said to Di Yun: "You go up." But he himself did not follow.Qi Fang said: "Junior Brother Wu, please come up too, let's take a look." Wu Kan said: "Yes!" Then he went upstairs. When Di Yun came upstairs, he saw a large desk by the window in the middle, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones, a dozen books, and a half-sewed child's clothes.Qi Fang came out from the inner room, her face was not covered with makeup, her complexion was quite haggard.Di Yun only glanced at her, afraid that she would recognize him and dare not eat too much, so he walked into the room as he said.There was only one person sleeping face to face on a big bed, moaning continuously, it was Wan Gui.His youngest daughter was sitting on a small stool in front of the bed, gently beating her father's legs.Seeing Di Yun's filthy and strange face, she exclaimed and hurriedly hid behind her mother. Wu Kan said: "My senior brother was stung by a poisonous scorpion, the poison has never disappeared, it seems something is wrong." Di Yun said: "Is that so?" He was calm when talking to Wu Kan outside the door, at this moment Seeing Qi Fang, her heart was beating wildly, her cheeks were hot, her lips were dry, and she couldn't speak anymore.He walked to the bed and patted Wan Gui on the shoulder. Wan Gui turned over slowly, and seeing Di Yun's expression with a glance, he couldn't help being slightly startled.Qi Fang said: "Third brother, this is the doctor that Junior Brother Wu found for you, he...he may have a panacea that can heal your injury." In his tone, he really had no confidence in this doctor. Without saying a word, Di Yun looked at the back of Wan Gui's swollen hand, saw that the back of his hand was black again, and looked horrifying, and said hoarsely, "This was bitten by a spotted scorpion in Yuanling, western Hunan. , we don’t have this kind of scorpion in Hubei!” Qi Fang and Wu Kan said in unison: "Yes, yes, it was stung in Yuanling, Xiangxi." Qi Fang said again: "Sir, you have seen the origin of the scorpion, so it must be curable?" The voice was full of hope . Di Yun counted the days with his fingers, and said: "It was bitten at night, so now, um, it has been seven days and seven nights." Qi Fang glanced at Wu Kan, and said: "Sir, you really know what happened, it was indeed stung at night, and it has been seven days and seven nights today." Di Yun said again: "Did this master turn his hand back? Palm, beat the scorpion to death? If it wasn’t like this, it could have been saved. Now that the scorpion is beaten to death on the back of the hand, all the poison is forced in, and it will be difficult to save it.” Qi Fang had heard that he even calculated the time very accurately, and expected that there must be a cure, and her face was already happy. After hearing this, she became anxious again, and said: "Mr. is clear, but no matter what, I would like to invite you." Save his life." Di Yun pretended to be a doctor and entered Wan's house this time. His original intention was to witness Wan Gui's scene of dying in agony and groaning, so as to vent the pent-up anger in his heart. If he didn't die, he would kill him himself for revenge. Of course, there is no intention of life at all.But he has always been obedient to Qi Fang, and he will never disobey her in the slightest. Hearing her begging so anxiously, his heart softened, and he wanted to open the medicine box and get Yan Daping's antidote, but then he changed his mind: "This Wan Gui has caused me so much misery and robbed my junior sister, I would be extremely polite not to kill him with my own hands, how can I save his life?" Then he shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't want to save him, it's really him The poisoning is too deep, and the life is delayed, and the poison enters the brain, it is impossible to save." Qi Fang shed tears, took her daughter's hand, and said: "Water Spinach, baby, you should learn from this uncle and ask him to save Daddy's life." Di Yun waved his hands hastily, and said: "No, there is no need to kowtow... "But the girl was very good, she always listened to her mother's words, and knowing that her father was seriously injured, she was also very anxious, so she knelt down on the ground and kowtowed to him.Di Yun lost his five fingers on his right hand and hid them in his sleeve all the time. He immediately stretched out his left hand to help the girl up.I saw that when the girl got up, there was a gold lock piece hanging from her neck, and four words were engraved on the gold piece: "De Rong Shuang Mao". When Di Yun saw it, he couldn't help being stunned, remembering that day when he passed out in the woodshed of Wanjia, and when he woke up, he was already in the boat on the Yangtze River, with some gold and silver jewelry beside him, including a piece of gold from a child. The cleat is also engraved with these four words, could it be... He only glanced at it, and didn't dare to look again. His mind was in chaos, and finally gradually became clear: "I fainted in the woodshed of the Wanjia. If it wasn't for my junior sister to save me, there would be no one else. I used to suspect that she intended to harm me." , but last night... Last night she prayed to the heavens and confided her thoughts. Since she has such a deep love for me, she will never harm me that day. Could it be, does God have eyes? Can we get together again?" When he thought of the word "reunion", his heart beat wildly again, and he glanced sideways at Qi Fang, and saw that her face was full of concern, and she was staring at Wan Gui intently, with a look of extreme love and compassion in her eyes. As soon as Di Yun saw her look, his heart sank immediately, and his back felt cold. He remembered clearly that day when he fought with the eight disciples of Wanmen, and was beaten black and blue by the eight of them. , Junior Sister mended his clothes, and her eyes were full of love and tenderness.Now, her eyes are given to her husband, and she will never give them to him again. "If I don't give you the antidote, no one will blame me. When Wan Gui dies from pain, I will quietly come and take her for a walk at night, who can stop me? I won't mention the old things, and we will do...and be husband and wife again. Well, this girl, I'll just take her along. Alas, it won't work! Junior sister has been working as a young mistress in Wan's family for several years, and she is used to it. How can she go with me to plow the fields and herd cattle? Besides, I describe it as ugly, I can't read a few hundred words, and my hands are crippled, so how can I be worthy of her? How can she go with me?" This one felt so ashamed that he couldn't help feeling ashamed, and lowered his head. Qi Fang didn't know that there were so many thoughts going on in the herbal man's center, she just stared at him blankly, hoping that he would say two words: "Help!" Wan Gui let out long and short groans, at this time the scorpion venom had invaded the armpit joints, and the entire arm and palm were swollen with unbearable pain. Qi Fang waited for a long time, but when Di Yun didn't make a sound, she begged again: "Sir, please give it a try, as long as... as long as it relieves his... pain, even... even... I don't blame you." Meaning, Since Wan Gui's life cannot be saved, then just ask him to stop the pain, even if he dies in the end, he can avoid such suffering. Di Yun said "Oh" and woke up from his contemplation. Suddenly, his heart was empty, all thoughts were lost, and he wished he could die immediately.He loved this junior sister with all his heart, but she married his great enemy, and she was still begging himself to save this enemy. "I'd rather be like Wan Gui, who suffers all kinds of pain, but my junior sister looks at me with pity. Even if I don't live for a few days, what's the point?" He sighed lightly, opened the medicine box, and took out the words Some black powder was poured out of Daping's antidote bottle and put on the back of Wan Gui's hand. Wu Kan shouted: "Ah...Zhengyi, it's the antidote, this...this can be saved." Di Yun heard that his voice was different, and he should have been happy when he said the five words "this can be saved", but his voice was extremely disappointed and a little annoyed. Di Yun felt strange and turned his head to him Taking a look, he saw a very vicious look in his eyes.Di Yun felt even more strange, but what about the eighth brother of Wanmen?There is not a single good person in it.Wan Zhenshan and Yan Daping are fighting each other, and the friendship between Wan Gui and Wu Kan may not be good, but why did he come out to find a doctor for Wan Gui again? As soon as the powdered medicine was applied on the back of Wan Gui's hand, black blood flowed from the wound not long after.His pain gradually subsided, and he said: "Thank you doctor, this antidote is right." Qi Fang was overjoyed, and took a copper basin to receive the blood, only heard a soft click, click, and the blood dripped into the pan. In the copper basin.Qi Fang thanked Di Yunlian. Wu Kan said: "Sister-in-law, younger brother, did you succeed this time?" Qi Fang said: "Yes, I really have to thank Junior Brother Wu." Talk to him again, and said to Di Yun: "What's your surname, sir? We will be rewarded a lot." Di Yun shook his head and said, "You're welcome. The scorpion poison needs to be applied ten times in a row before it can be cured." His heart was sore, but he felt that everything in the world was suffering, so he said, "I'll give it to you!" and took the antidote handed over. Qi Fang didn't expect it to be so easy, but she didn't dare to take it for a moment, and said: "We bought it from Mr., how much money do you want?" Di Yun shook his head and said, "It's for you, no money is needed." Qi Fang was overjoyed, took it with both hands, bowed with blessings, thanked deeply, said: "Sir is so generous, I really don't know how to thank you. Brother Wu, please accompany this gentleman to sit downstairs for a while." Di Yun said: "I won't sit down, I'll take my leave." Qi Fang said: "No, no, we can't repay you for your life-saving kindness. A glass of water and wine is our respect anyway. Sir, don't go!" "Don't go!" As soon as these four words entered Di Yun's ears, his heart softened immediately, and he thought: "I can't take revenge for this revenge. After I bury Brother Ding, I will never come to Jingzhou City again." .In this life, I will never meet my junior sister again. She wants to toast me with a glass of wine, um, it would be good to see her a few more times." She nodded. The banquet was set up in the small living room upstairs, Di Yun took the upper seat in the middle and Wu Kan accompanied him.Qi Fang was extremely grateful for the doctor's kindness and served the dishes herself.It seems that Wan Zhenshan and other people in Wanfu are not at home, and the rest of the disciples did not come to the banquet to drink. Qi Fang respectfully toasted three glasses of wine.Di Yun drank it all up, his heart ached, his eyes filled with tears, knowing that he could no longer hold on, and if he sat for a while, he would show signs of it, so he stood up immediately and said: "There is enough wine, I don't need it anymore." I have gone! From now on, I will never come again!" Qi Fang heard his nondescript words, but the doctor was very weird at first, so he didn't take it seriously, and said: "Sir, we can't thank you for your kindness. Here is a hundred taels of silver, sir, please buy wine and drink on the way." He said holding a bag of silver with both hands. Di Yun turned his head away, looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, and said: "I saved him, I saved him, haha, haha! How funny! Is there anyone more stupid than me in the world?" He laughed loudly, but two tears flowed down his cheeks. Qi Fang and Wu Kan couldn't help looking at him in astonishment when they saw that he seemed crazy.But the little girl said: "Uncle is crying! Uncle is crying." Di Yun was startled, afraid of showing off his feet, he dared not talk to Qi Fang again, and said in his heart: "From now on, I will never see you again. Stretching his hand into his bosom, he took out the shoe-shaped collection of poems taken from the Yuanling cave, gathered them in his sleeves, lowered the sleeves and put them quietly on the chair, not daring to look at Qi Fang again, his head turned Did not go back. Qi Fang said: "Junior Brother Wu, send me off for Mr." Wu Kan said: "Okay!" and followed him out. Holding the bag of silver in her hand, Qi Fang's heart skipped a beat: "Who the hell is this gentleman? Why is his laughter so similar to that person's? Oh, what's wrong with me? These days, third brother's The injury is so serious, but my heart is upside down, always thinking about him...he...he..." He put the silver on the table, put his hands on it, and sat down on the chair again. Di Yun had sat on that chair before, and felt something was on it, so he hurriedly stood up, and saw that it was an old yellow book with the words "Selected Collection of Tang Poems" written on the cover.With a soft cry, she stretched out her hand to pick it up, flipped through it, and a shoe pattern fell out of the book, which she had cut in her hometown in Xiangbing back then.She opened her mouth wide and couldn't close it, her hands were trembling, and she turned a few pages, and saw a pair of paper-cut patterns of butterflies.The scene when I sat side by side with Di Yun in the cave and cut out this pair of paper butterflies suddenly flashed into my mind like lightning.She couldn't help but yelled "Ah", and only thought in her heart: "Where did this... this book come from? Is... who brought it? Could it be Mr. Doctor?" Seeing her mother's expression changed, the little girl panicked and called out, "Mom, mom, what are you... doing?" Qi Fang was stunned, grabbed the book and put it in her arms, rushed out of the building, and chased it out the door.Since she was married as the daughter-in-law of the Wan family, she has always been gentle and gentle, and she has never run so fast in the halls.The servants of the Wan family suddenly saw the young mistress unfolding lightness kung fu, piercing through several courtyards and rushing out, all of them were surprised. Qi Fang ran to the front hall and saw Wu Kan coming in from the door, she hurriedly asked: "What about Mr. Doctor?" Wu Kan said: "This man is very strange, he left without saying a word. Third sister-in-law, what are you looking for him for?" Did senior brother’s injury recur?" Qi Fang said: "No, no!" She rushed out of the gate and looked around, but there was no trace of the medicine seller. She stood outside the gate for a while, then reached out and took out an old book from her bosom to flip through it. Every time she saw a shoe pattern, a pattern, and various joyful things when she was young, she poured into her heart like a tide, and tears burst out of her eyes. She suddenly changed her mind: "Why am I so stupid? My father-in-law and third brother went to Xiangxi to meet Master Yan recently. Maybe they broke into that cave by accident and took this book casually. There is one. This Mr. Doctor How could it have anything to do with this book?" But then he thought: "No, no! How could it be such a coincidence? The cave is so secret that even Dad doesn't know about it. Apart from me, there is only my elder brother and him in the world. ...He alone knows, how did the father-in-law and the third brother find it? They were looking for Uncle Yan, how could they break into this cave? When I set up the banquet just now, I clearly remembered to wipe this chair. Where are the books? ? If the doctor didn't bring this book, where did it come from?"
She was full of doubts, and slowly returned to the room, seeing that after Wan Gui had applied the wound medicine, his energy was much better.Holding the book in her hand, she wanted to ask her husband, but then she thought: "Don't be rash, if that doctor...that doctor..." Wan Gui said: "Sister Fang, this Mr. Langzhong is really my savior, he must be rewarded well." Qi Fang said: "Yes, I gave him a hundred taels of silver, but he refused to accept it. What a person This bottle of antidote... Hey, where is the antidote? Did you put it away?" After the medicine seller handed the antidote to her, she put it on Wan Gui's bedside table. gone.Wan Gui said: "No, isn't it on the table?" Qi Fang searched everywhere on the table, beside the bed, dressing table, chairs, cabinets, under the bed, under the table, but the antidote was nowhere to be found.She was very anxious: "Could it be that I was insane just now and fell on the ground when I ran out? No, I remember clearly that it was placed next to the medicine bowl on the table." Wan Gui was also very anxious, and said: " Look for it again, how could it not be there? I just closed my eyes for a while, and when I was about to fall asleep, I remembered seeing this porcelain bottle on the table." When he said this, Qi Fang became even more anxious, turned around and left the room, pulled her daughter and asked: "Who came in when Mom was out just now?" The little girl said: "Uncle Wu came up, he saw Daddy fell asleep , let’s go down!” Qi Fang let out a long breath, vaguely aware that something was wrong, but Wan Gui was ill, so he couldn't be worried, and said, "Kangui, you stay with Daddy, and say that Mommy is going to buy another bottle of medicine from Mr. Langzhong to heal Daddy's wound." .” The little girl nodded and said, “Mom, come back quickly.” Qi Fang regained her composure, opened the desk drawer, took out a dagger, hid it next to her body, and walked downstairs slowly, thinking: "This guy Wu Kan always sees me in a place where no one is around, and he is always so displeased." Good intentions. This doctor was invited by him, could it be that he colluded with the doctor and arranged a conspiracy? Otherwise, why didn't the doctor ask for money and the antidote disappeared?" While she was thinking, she walked towards the back garden and reached the corridor; she saw Wu Kan leaning on the railing, watching the goldfish in the pond.Qi Fang said: "Junior brother Wu, are you here alone?" Wu Kan turned his head, with a wry smile on his face, and said, "I don't know who it is, it turned out to be Third Senior Sister. Why don't you accompany Third Senior Brother upstairs, I'm so excited Come here?" Qi Fang sighed, and said: "Oh, I'm very bored. I've been with a sick person all day, and your elder brother's hand hurts so much that his temper is getting worse and worse. If you don't come out to relax, find Talking to relieve boredom can kill people.” Wu Kan was really overjoyed when he heard this, and said with a smile: “Third Senior Brother is really unsatisfactory, and with you as a beautiful woman like a flower, If you lose your temper, it's too difficult to wait on." Qi Fang walked to his side, leaned on the railing, looked at the goldfish in the pond, and said with a smile: "The sister-in-law is an old woman, and she said that she is as beautiful as a flower, and she is not afraid of making her mouth turn when she laughs." Wu Kan hurriedly said: "Where? Where? When my sister-in-law was a daughter, she had the beauty of a daughter, and when she was a young mistress, she was as handsome as a young mistress. Everyone said: A flower in Jingzhou City is full of beauty in Wanjia." Qi Fang said "Hey", turned around, stretched out her hand, and said, "Bring it!" Wu Kan laughed and said, "What are you taking?" Qi Nai said, "The antidote!" Wu Kan shook his head and said, "What antidote? Did it treat Brother Wan's injury?" Qi Fang said, "Exactly, obviously you took it." Wu Kan smiled cunningly, and said: "I invited the doctor, and I found the antidote. Brother Wan has already applied it once, and if you don't say anything, it will save you from a few days of pain." Qi Fang said: "Mr. Apply it ten times in a row." Wu Kan shook his head and said, "I regret it deeply, deeply regret it." Qi Fang said, "What do you regret?" Wu Kan said, "I saw that this herb doctor is filthy, like a beggar, and I guess he has no skills. , so I lured him upstairs, but I wanted to find something to cause trouble, to see you one more time, I didn't expect this dog to kill me by mistake, and there is a magic medicine to cure scorpion poison. This, that is quite contrary to my intention." Qi Fang felt furious when she heard this, but the medicine was in the hands of someone else, so she had to trick him into getting the antidote first, and then settle the score with him, suppressing her anger at once, and said with a smile: "According to you, how can I thank you from your elder brother? Are you willing to hand over the antidote?" Wu Kan sighed, and said: "Third senior brother has enjoyed the good fortune for many years, he should have died long ago." Qi Fang's face changed color, she bit her lip and remained silent.Wu Kan said: "When you came to Jingzhou that year, among the eight of us brothers and sisters, which one of us was fascinated when we saw you? That silly boy Di Yun followed you all day long, we only saw that everyone was so angry Let’s all come together, let’s beat his head and crack his forehead before…” Qi Fang said, “It turns out that you beat my senior brother because of me!” Wu Kan said with a smile: "What everyone is saying is of course a different story, saying that he forced his way out to fight the bandit Lu Tong, and cut the face of the disciples of the Wanmen. In fact, in everyone's heart, they are all for the sake of the teacher's sister-in-law. You! You mend clothes with him, talk about yourself, this kind of intimacy, the eight of us brothers and sisters saw it in our eyes and were annoyed in our hearts. Which one of us didn't drink up to thirty-six? Are all the teeth sour?" Qi Fang was secretly startled: "Could it be because of me? Third brother, third brother, why didn't you tell me?" She still pretended to be indifferent, and said with a smile: "Junior brother Wu, are you kidding me?" At that time, I was a country girl, village-style, and I was dressed so ridiculously, what was there to look good?" Wu Kan said: "No, no! What do you need to dress up for a real beauty? If you don't make everyone lose their minds, This..." At this point, he suddenly stopped talking and stopped talking. Qi Fang said: "What?" Wu Kan said: "We left you in the Wan family, and my surname Wu also put in a lot of effort. But, sister-in-law, you usually don't smile when you see me, it doesn't make people feel aggrieved Is it?" Qi Fang gave a "bah" and said: "I stayed in the Wan family and married you, Senior Brother Wan... It was my own will. What effort did you put in? You didn't come to persuade me at that time Half a word, it's really nonsense!" Wu Kan shook his head and laughed, "I...why didn't I put in any effort? You just don't know." Qi Fang was even more frightened, and said softly: "Junior Brother Wu, tell me, what strength you have put in, my sister-in-law will never forget your benefits." Yan Kan shook his head and said: "Old things, you still bring them up What? It's useless if you know, let's just talk about new ones." Qi Fang said: "Okay, if you don't want to say it, forget it. Give me the antidote, if someone bumps into the two of us here, it's not safe." Wu Kan smiled and said: "Someone ran into me during the day, but there is no one here at night." Qi Fang took a step back, her face was as frosty, and said sharply: "What did you say?" Wu Kan laughed: "You want to cure Master Wan's Injury, it’s not difficult. At midnight tonight, I’ll wait for you in the firewood room over there. If everything goes according to my wish, I’ll give you a medicine to make you faint.” Qi Fang gritted her teeth and scolded: “Dog Thief, you dare to say such a thing, how courageous you are!" Wu Kan said in a low voice: "I risked my life a long time ago. This is called being willing to cut my whole body and dare to pull the emperor off the horse. How is Wan Gui better than my surname Wu? It's just that he is my master's son, reincarnated It’s just a good vote. Everyone has worked hard, why let this brat enjoy the beauty all by himself?” Qi Fang heard him say "I worked hard" a few times, she became suspicious, but he couldn't bear to listen to his foul language, she said: "When my father-in-law comes back, I will tell you the truth and see if he doesn't skin you. " Wu Kan said: "I will stay here and not leave. When Master called me, I first poured the antidote into the lotus pond and fed it to the goldfish. I asked the doctor, and he said that the antidote is only in one bottle, and it needs to be prepared again. I can't afford it for half a year." As he said, he took out the antidote from his bosom, uncorked the bottle, and stretched out his hand to the surface of the pool, as long as he turned his palm slightly, the antidote would be poured into the pool. Even if the fate is given away. Qi Fang hurriedly said: "Hey, hey, put away the antidote quickly, we can discuss it slowly." Wu Kan laughed and said, "What's the deal? If you want to save your husband's life, you have to listen to me." Qi Fang said: "If you really cared about me and worked hard for me in the past, then...otherwise, I won't bother you." Wu Kan was overjoyed, put the cork on the bottle, and said: "If I tell the truth, you will come and meet me tonight, won't you?" Qi Fang said: "It depends on whether what you said is true or false. What's the use of it?" Wu Kan said: "It's absolutely true, how can there be any falsehood? That's the plan of Junior Brother Shen. Senior Brother Zhou and Senior Brother Bu pretended to be flower pickers, and lured this idiot Di Yun to the peach red room to rescue him. I, Wu Kan, put the gold and silverware under the fool's bed with my own hands. Sister-in-law, if we didn't use this trick, how could we keep you in Wanfu?" Qi Fang felt her head was dizzy, and her eyes were dark. Wu Kan's words were like a sharp knife piercing her heart, and she couldn't help whispering: "I... wronged you, wronged you!" She never understood, Brother Di grew up with her since she was a child, and they love each other deeply, and would never fall in love with a woman they have never met before.Is she very coquettish?Could she flatter and seduce him?Brother Di has always been faithful, even a piece of cake, a piece of candy, he would never take someone else's casually, if someone really gave it to him, he would not take it without the master's permission, how could he steal other people's gold and silver utensils.Could it be that when he suddenly came to a rich man's house and saw so many gold and silver treasures, he suddenly became greedy? These questions could not be solved in her heart all the time, although she had no choice but to marry Wan Gui, deep in her heart, she never forgot this senior brother.Fortunately, Hu Kan solved the big question in her heart. "I...I'm sorry for Senior Brother. I want to find him and say 'I'm sorry!' to him. I want...to die in front of him!" She staggered and was about to fall, so she reached out to hold the railing, Said: "I don't believe it, how can this happen? You made it up to lie to me." The voice was very bitter. Wu Kan said anxiously: "You don't believe it? Well, no one else can ask, you can ask Tao Hong, she lives in the broken ancestral hall at the back. After you have asked, you must never tell others. Let's bet Excuse me, this secret can’t be revealed at all. If it’s not for the third watch tonight, sister-in-law, for you, I, Wu Kan, would throw everything out!” Qi Fang yelled, rushed out, pushed open the back door of the garden, and rushed out.
Distraught, she ran out the back door, walked through several vegetable gardens, collected herself, and found the small dilapidated ancestral hall in the northwest corner. Seeing that the door was covered, she stretched out her hand and pushed the door open, and walked in.I saw the dust accumulated on the ground, the tables and chairs were broken, and I thought to myself: "My father-in-law's concubine, Tao Hong, how could she live in such a place? Wu Kan is a liar, could it be... Could it be that he tricked me into coming here, and he didn't care?" Good intentions? I'd better go back soon." All of a sudden, there was only the sound of tapping, tapping, and slow footsteps, and a woman came out of the inner hall.It was a middle-aged beggar woman with bowed head, disheveled hair, and dirty and tattered clothes.The beggar woman was startled when she saw someone, and immediately turned back.She was about to enter the inner hall, and turned to take another look, this time seeing Qi Fang's face clearly, she couldn't help exclaiming "Ah".She took two steps back, suddenly knelt down, and said: "Young Mistress, don't say... don't say I'm here." Qi Fang was amazed, and asked: "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The beggar woman said: " No...don't do anything. I...I..." He stood up immediately and walked quickly into the inner hall. Hearing hurried footsteps, the beggar woman hurriedly escaped through the back door.Qi Fang thought to herself: "I don't know why this woman is so scared when she sees me...Ah, I remembered, she...she is Tao Hong!" Stepping on the rubble, he grabbed the back door, reached out and pulled out the dagger from his waist, and shouted: "Tao Hong, you are sneaky, what are you doing here?" The beggar woman was Tao Hong, she panicked when she heard Qi Fang calling out her name, she became even more frightened when she saw her holding a shining dagger in her hand, her knees trembled, she was about to kneel again, and said in a trembling voice : "Young Mistress, you... you spared me." 戚芳在万家只和桃红见了几次，没多久就从此不见她面，每一想到狄云要和这女人卷逃私奔，便心如刀割，是以这女人到了何处，她从来不问。就算有人提起，她也决计不听，那势必碰痛她内心最大的创伤。哪知她竟会躲在这里。这祠堂离万家不远，但戚芳做了少奶奶之后，事事谨慎，比之在湘西老家做闺女时大不相！口：），从不在外面乱走，虽曾多次见到这破祠堂的门门，却从来没进去过。 桃红此刻蓬头垢面，容色憔悴，几年不见，倒似是老了二十岁一般。吴坎叫戚芳到这祠堂中来找桃红询问真相，她虽当面见到了，但如桃红若无其事地慢慢走开，她便决计汄不出来。 她扬了扬手中匕首，威吓道：“你躲在这里干吗？快跟我说。” 桃红道：“我……我不干什么。少奶奶，老爷赶广我出来，他说要是见到我耽在荆州，便要杀了我。可是……我又没地方好去，只好躲在这里讨口吃的。少奶奶，除了荆州城，我什么地方都不认得，叫我到哪里去？你……你行行好，千万别跟老爷说。” 戚芳听她说得可怜，收起了匕首，道：“老爷为什么赶了你出来？怎么我不知道？”桃红垂泪道：“我也不知道老爷为什么忽然不喜欢我了。那个湖南佬……那个姓狄的事，又不是我不好。啊哟，我……我不该说这种话。” 戚芳道：“好吧，你不说，你就跟我去见老爷去。”伸出左手，一把抓住了她衣襟。戚芳本性爱洁，祧红衣襟上满是污秽油腻，一把抓住，手掌心滑溜溜的极不好受。但她急于要查知狄云被冤的真相，便是再肮脏十倍的东丙，这当儿也毫不在乎了。 桃红簌簌发抖，忙道：“我说，我说，少奶奶，你要我说什么？” 戚芳道：“狄……狄……那姓狄的事，到底是怎么？你为什么要跟他逃走？” 桃红心下惊惶，睁大了眼，！时说不出来。 戚芳凝视着她，心中所感到的害怕，或许比之桃红更甚十倍。她真不敢听桃红亲口说出来的事。如果她说：狄云当时确是约她私逃，确是来污辱她。那怎么是好？桃红一时说不出话，戚芳脸色惨白，一颗心似乎停止了跳动。 终于，桃红说了：“这……这怪不得我，少爷逼着我做的，叫我牢牢抱住那姓狄的湖南乡下佬，寃枉他来强奸我，要带了我逃走。我跟老爷说过的，老爷又不是不信，只吩咐我千万别说出去，还给了我衣服银子。可是……可是……我又没说，老爷却赶了我出来。” 戚芳又感激，又伤心，又委屈，又怜惜，心中只说：“师哥，是我冤杆了你，我原该知道你对我一片真心，这可真苦了你，可真苦了你！”这时她并不憎恨桃红，反而有些感谢她，幸亏是她替自己解开了心中的死结。甚至对于吴坎，都有些感激，是他吐露了真相，是他指点自己到这破祠堂来找桃红的。 在伤心和凄凉之中，忽然感到了一阵苦涩的甜蜜。虽然嫁了万圭，但她内心中深深爱着的，始终只是个狄师哥，尽管他临危变心，尽管他无耻卑鄙，尽管他有千般的不是、万般的薄幸，但只有他，仍旧是他，才是戚芳叹息和流泪之时所想念的人。 突然之间，种种苦恼和憎恨，都变成了自悔自伤：“要是我早知道了，便拼着千刀万剐，也要到狱中救他出来。他吃了这么多苦，他……他心中怎样想？” 桃红偷看戚芳的脸色，颤声道：“少奶奶，谢谢你，请你放了我走，我就出了荆州城，永不回来了。”戚芳叹了口气，道：“老爷为什么赶你走？是怕我知道这件事么？”说着松手放开她衣襟，想要给她些银子，但匆匆出来，身边并无银两。 桃红见戚芳放开了自己，生怕更有变卦，急急忙忙地便走了，喃喃地道：“老爷晚上见鬼，要砌墙，怎么怪得我？又……又不是我瞎说。”戚芳追了上去，问道：“什么见鬼？砌墙？”桃红知道说溜了嘴，忙道：“没什么，没什么。喏，老爷夜里常常见鬼，半夜三更地起来砌墙。” 戚芳见她说话疯疯癫癫，心想她给公公赶出家门，日子过得很苦，脑筋也不大清楚了。公公怎会半夜三更起来砌墙？家里从来没见过公公砌的墙。桃红生怕她不信，说道：“是假的砌墙，老爷……老爷，半夜三更的，爱做泥水匠。我说了他几句，老爷就大发脾气，打得我死去活来的，又赶了我出来，说道再见到我，便打死我……”她唠唠叨叨地说个不停，弓着背走了。 戚芳瞧着她的后影，心想：“她最多不过大了我十岁，却变得这副样子。公公不知为了什么要赶她出门？什么见鬼砌墙，想是这女人早就癫癫蠢蠢的。唉，为了这样一个傻女人，师哥苦了一辈子！”想到这里，不禁怔怔地流下泪来，到后来，索性大声哭了出来。
她靠在一棵梧桐树上哭了一场，心头轻松了些，慢慢走回家来。她避开后园，从东面的边门进去，回到楼上。 万圭一听到她上楼的脚步声，便急着问：“芳妹，解药找到了没有？”戚芳走进房去，只见万圭坐起身子，神色甚是焦急，一只伤手搁在床边，手背上黑血慢慢渗出来，过了好一会，才嗒的一声，滴在床边的那只铜面盆里。小女孩伏在爹爹脚边，早睡熟了。 戚芳听了吴坎和桃红的话，本来对万圭恼怒已极，深恨他用卑鄙手段陷害狄云。这时看到他憔悴而清秀的脸庞，几年来的恩爱又令她心肠软了：“毕竟，三哥是为了爱我，这才陷害师哥，他使的手段固然阴险毒辣，叫师哥吃足了苦，但究竟是为了爱我。” 万圭又问：“解药买到了没有？”戚芳一时难以决定是否要将吴坎的无耻言语告知丈夫，顺口道：“找到了那郎中，给了他银子，请他即刻买药材配制。”万圭吁了口气，心中登时松了，微笑道：“芳妹，我这条命啊，到底是你救的。” 戚芳勉强笑了笑，只觉脸盆中的毒血气味极是刺鼻，于是端过一只青瓷痰孟来接血，将铜盆端了出去。只走出两步，毒血的气息直冲上来，头脑中一阵晕眩，心道：“这蝎毒这么厉害！”快步走到外房，将脸盆放在桌边地下，转过身来，伸手入怀去取手帕，要掩住了鼻子，再去倒血。 她手一入怀，便碰到了那本唐诗，一怔之下，一颗心又怦评跳了起来，摸出这本旧书，坐在桌边，一页页地翻过去。她记得清清楚楚，那日翻检旧衣，从箱子底下的旧衣服中见到了这本书，爹爹西瓜大的字识不上几担，不知从哪里拾了这本书来，她刚好剪了两个绣花样儿，顺手便夹在书里。那天下午和狄师哥一齐去山洞，便将这本书带了去，以后就一直留在那边。怎么会到了这里？是狄师哥叫这位郎中送来的么？ “这郎中……莫非……他……他右手的五根手指都给吴坎削去了。这郎中……这郎中……为什么？为什么他……他的右手始终不伸出来？”突然之间，她想起了这件事。她凝神回想那郎中扶起女儿，回想他开药箱、取药瓶、拔瓶塞、倒药末的情景，回想他接了自己送过去的酒杯，将酒杯送到唇边喝干，这许多事情，似乎都是用一只左手来做的，只不过当时没留心，实在记不真切。 “难道，他就是师哥？怎么枳貌一点、也不像？”她心烦意乱，忍不住悲从中来，眼泪一滴滴地都流在手中那本书七。 泪水滴到书页之上，滴在那两只用花纸剪的蝴蝶上，这是“梁山伯和祝英台”，他们要死了之后，才得团圆…… 万圭在隔房说道：“芳妹，我闷得慌，要起来走走。”但戚芳沉浸在回忆之中，没听见。她在想：“那天他打死了一只蝴蝶，将一对情郎情妹拆散了。是不是老天爷因此罚他受苦受难……” 突然之间，背后一个声音惊叫起来：“这……这是……连……连城剑谱！” 戚芳吃了一惊，一回头，只见万圭满脸喜悦之色，兴奋异常地道：“芳妹，芳妹，你从哪里得来了这本书？你瞧，啊，原来是这样，对了，是这样！”他双手按住了那本《唐诗选辑》，只见在一首题目写着“圣果寺”的诗旁，现出“三十三”三个淡黄色的字来，这几行字上，溅着戚芳的泪水。 万圭大喜之下，忘了克制，叫道：“秘密在这里了，原来要打湿了，才有字迹出现！妙极，妙极！一定是这本书。空心菜，空心菜！”他大声叫嚷，将女儿叫醒，说道：“空心菜快去请爷爷来，说有要紧事情。”小女孩答应着去了。 万圭紧紧按着那本诗集，忘了手上的痛楚，只是说：“一定是的，不错，爹爹说那剑谱充作是《唐诗选辑》，那还不是？他们就是揣摸不出这中间的秘密。原来要弄湿书页，秘密才显了出来。” 他这么又喜又跳地叫嚷，戚芳已然明白了大半，心想：“这就是爹爹和公公所争的什么《连城剑谱》？这么说来，原来是爹爹得了去，我不知好歹，拿来夹了鞋样。爹爹不见了这本书，怎么不找？嗯，想来一定是找过的，找来找去找不到，以为是师伯盗去了。他为什么不问我，这真奇了！” 如果是狄云，这时候就一点也不会奇怪。他知道只因戚长发是个极工心计之人，即使在女儿面前，也不肯透露半点口风。不见了书，拼命地找，找不到，便装作没事人一般，暗暗察看，用各种各样的样子来侦查试探，看是不是狄云这小子偷了去？是不是女儿偷了去？只因为戚芳不是“偷”，不会做贼心虚，戚长发自然查不出来。 万震山从街上回来，正在花厅吃点心，听得孙女叫唤，还道儿子毒伤有变，一碗豆丝没吃完，忙放下筷子，抱起孙女，大步来到儿子楼上，一上楼梯便听见万圭喜悦的声音：“天下事情真有这般巧法。芳妹，怎么你会在书页上溅了些水？天意，天意！” 万震山听到儿子说话的音调，便放了一大半心，举步踏进房中。 万圭拿着那本《唐诗选辑》，喜道：“爹，爹，你瞧，这是什么？” 万震山一见到那本薄薄的黄纸书，心中一震，忙将孙女儿放在地下，接过儿子递来的那本书，一颗心怦评乱跳。花尽心血找寻了十几年的《连城剑谱》，终于又出现在眼前。 不错，正是这本书！他和言达平、戚长发三人联手合力、谋害师父而抢到的，正是这本书。三个人在客栈之中，翻来覆去地同看这本剑谱。可是这只是一本平平无奇的唐诗，和书坊中出售的《唐诗选辑》完全一模一样。他师父教过他们一套“唐诗剑法”，以唐诗的诗句作剑招名字，这些诗句在这本书中全有。可是跟传说中的《连城剑谱》又有什么相干？ 师兄弟三人曾拿这本书到太阳光下一页页地去照，想发现书中有什么夹层；也曾拿书中这几十首诗顺读、倒读、横读、斜读，跳一字读、跳二字读……想要找出其中所含的大秘密来……然而一切心血全白费了。三人互相猜疑，都怕给人家发现了秘密而自己不知。三人晚上睡觉之时，将书本锁入铁盒，铁盒又用三根小铁链分别系在三人的腕上。但一天早晨，这本书终于不翼而飞，从此影迹全无。于是十几年来无穷的勾心斗角，无尽的探访寻找。突然之间，这本书又出现在眼前。 万震山翻到第四页上，不错，书页的左上角撕去了小小的一角，那是他当年偷偷做下的记号，生怕言师弟或是戚师弟用一本问样的《唐诗选辑》来掉包，而自已却蒙在鼓里。万震山又翻到了第十六页，不错，当年自己划的那个指甲痕仍在那里。这是真本！他点了点头，强自抑制内心喜悦，对儿子道：“正是谊本书。你从哪里得来的？” 万圭的目光转向戚芳，问道：“芳妹，这本书哪里来的？” 戚芳自从一见到万圭的神情，心中所想的只是自己爹爹：“爹爹不知到了哪里？我这不孝的女儿，将他这本书拿到了山洞之中，他这可找得苦了。在爹爹心中，这本书定是非常非常宝贵。不知这本旧书有什么用？然而这是我拿了爹爹的，是爹爹的书，决不能给公公强抢了去。” 如果在一天之前，还不知道狄云惨受陷害的内情，对丈夫还是满腔柔情和体贴，那么在她心里，丈夫的分量未必便及不上父亲，何况，父亲不知到哪里去了，不知会不会再回来。现今町不同了。“决不能让爹爹这本书落入他们手里。狄师哥去取了书来交给我，要我交还爹爹，当然不能给他们抢了去。不但为了爹爹，也为了狄师哥！” 当万圭问她“这本书哪里来的”之时，她心中只是在想：“怎样将书夺回来？”书是在公公手里。万震山武功卓绝，何况丈夫便在旁边，硬夺是不成的。她心中飞快地在转念头，眼珠骨溜溜地转动。 她看到了书桌旁那只铜盆，盆中盛着半盆血水，那是万圭洗过脸的水，滴了不少他手背上伤口中流出来的毒血。这盆水全成了紫黑色……如果悄悄将书丟进血水之中，他们就找不到了。可是，那本书只怕要浸坏。不过若不乘这时候下手，以后多半再也没有机会了，宁可将书毁了，也不能让他们称心如意…… 万氏父子凝视着戚芳。万圭又问：“芳妹，这本书哪里来的？” 戚芳一凛，说道：“我也不知道啊，刚才我从房里出来，便见这本书放在桌上。这不是你的么？”万圭一时想不明白，暂时不再追究，一心要将重大的发现说给父亲知道：“爹，你瞧，这书页子一沾湿，便有字迹出来。”他伸出食指，指着《圣果寺》那首诗旁淡黄色的三个字：“三十三”。（如果他知道这是妻子的泪水，是思念狄云而流的眼泪，他心中怎样想？） 万震山伸指点着那首诗，一个字一个字数下去：“路自中峰上，盘回出壁萝。到江吴地尽，隔岸越山多。古木丛青霭，遥天浸白波。下方城……”第三十三字，那是个“城”字！ 万震山一拍大腿，说道：“对啦，正是这个法子！原来秘密在此。圭儿，你真聪明，亏你想到了这个道理！要用水，不错，我们当年就是没想到要用水！”（如果他知道这是媳妇的泪水，是思念另一个男人而流的眼泪，他心中怎样想？） 戚芳见他父子大喜若狂，聚头探索书中的奥秘，便拉着女儿的手走到内房，将她搂在怀里，轻声道：“空心菜，那只面盆，你瞧见么？”小女孩点点头，“道：瞧见的。”戚芳道：“等会爷爷、爹爹和妈妈一起奔出去，妈妈将爷爷手里的那本书放在抽屉里，你去拿出来，悄悄丢在面盆里，让脏水浸着，别给爷爷和爹爹看见，叫他们找不到。” 小女孩大喜，只道妈妈要玩个有趣游戏，拍掌笑道：“好，好！”戚芳道：“可别让爷爷和爹爹知道，也别跟他们说！”小女孩道：“空心菜不说，空心菜不说！” 戚芳走到房外，说道：“公公，我觉得这本书很有点古怪。”万震山转过身来，问道：“什么古怪！”他内心早已隐隐觉得这本书突然出现，来得太过容易，恐怕不是吉兆，媳妇这么一说，更增他的疑虑。戚芳道：“在这里！”说着伸出手去。万震山将书交给了她。 戚芳翻开书页，取了那两只纸剪蝴蝶出来，道：“公公，你这书中，本来就有这两只蝴蝶么？”万震山将两只纸蝴蝶接了过去，细细察看，道：“没有！”戚芳道：“这是什么意思？武林之中，可有哪一个人外号叫做'花蝴蝶'什么的？江湖上有没有一个'蝴蝶帮'？他们留下这本书，多半不怀好意。” 江湖人物留记号寻仇示警，原十分寻常。万震山生平坏事做了不少，仇家众多，听了戚芳的话，又见这一对纸蝴蝶剪得十分工细，不禁惕然而惊，寻思：“我有什么仇家……号叫做'花蝴蝶'的？有没有一个'蝴蝶帮'？” 他正自沉吟，忽听得戚芳喝道：“是谁？鬼鬼祟祟地想干什么？”伸手向窗外屋顶上一指。万氏父子同时向窗外瞧去。戚芳反身从墙上摘下两柄长剑，一柄抛给万震山，一柄抛给万圭，叫道：“屋上有人！”万氏父子接住兵刃，戚芳拉开抽屉，将那本唐诗掷了进去，低声道：“莫给敌人抢了去！”万氏父子点了点头。三人齐从窗口跃出，登上瓦面，四下里一望，不见有人。万震山道：“到后面瞧瞧！” 三人直奔后院，只见墙角边人影一晃，万震山喝道：“是谁？”纵身而前，见那人是六弟子吴坎，问道：“见到敌人没有？”吴坎见到师父、三师兄、三师嫂仗剑而来，只道事发，吓得面色惨白，待听师父如此询问，心中一宽，忙道：“有人从这边奔过，弟子赶了过来查问。”他是为自己掩饰，却正好替戚芳圆了谎。 四人直追到后门之外，吴坎连连呼哨，将鲁坤、卜垣等都招了来，自是没发现“敌人”的踪迹。万震山和万圭记挂着《连城剑谱》，命孙均等继续搜寻敌踪，招呼了戚芳，回到楼房。万震山抢开抽屉，伸手去取…… 抽屉之中，却哪里还有这本书在？ 万氏父子这一惊自是非同小可，在书房中到处找寻，又哪里找得到了？问小女孩道：“有没有人进来过？”小女孩道：“没有啊！”转头向母亲眨眨眼睛，十分得意。 万氏父子明明见到戚芳将书放入抽屉，追敌之时，始终没离开过她，当然不是她做的手脚。定是敌人施了“调虎离山”之计，盗去了剑谱！ 万氏父子面面相觑，懊丧不已。 戚芳母女你向我眨眨眼，我向你眨眨眼，很是开心。
In the early morning of the next day, Di Yun came out of Wanjia's backyard and wandered around in a daze in Jingzhou City. Suddenly, he heard choking and choking sounds.Di Yun's heart moved, he wanted to see Wan Gui's moaning and screaming misery with his own eyes, so he took out ten taels of silver and wanted to buy his clothes, medicine box, and tiger brace.The doctor was very surprised that these were not valuable things, at most worth three or four taels of silver, so he happily sold them to him. Di Yunlu went to the abandoned garden, changed into the doctor's clothes, smashed some herbs, applied the juice on his eyelids, and applied a large piece of herbs under his left eye, making his face unrecognizable. In front of Wanjia. When he was about to reach the gate of Wan's house, he clattered and clattered the tiger's support loudly, and when he got closer, he shouted hoarsely: "He specializes in intractable diseases, unknown swollen poison, poisonous insects and snakes." Injury, see success immediately!" After going back and forth like this three times, I saw a person from the gate come out in a hurry, beckoning: "Hey, Mr. Langzhong, come here, come here." Di Yun recognized him as a disciple of Wanmen, and he was the one who cut off five of his fingers back then. Hom.Di Yun's attire and appearance are very different from those in previous years, Wu Kan thinks he can't.Di Yun was afraid that he would recognize his own voice, so he walked over slowly, lowered his voice even more, and said, "What is your order, but what intractable disease or unknown swelling has occurred on your body?" Wu Kan let out a "bah" and said, "Do you think I have contracted an unknown swollen poison? Hey, let me ask you, I was stung by a scorpion, can you cure it well?" Di Yun said: "The green bamboo snake, the red snake, the gold-legged belt, the shovel head, the first-class poisonous snakes in the world have bitten people, and the medicine will hurt them. What about scorpions, hehe, what's the matter?" ?” Wu Kan said: "Don't brag, this stinging scorpion is not an ordinary guy. The famous doctors in Jingzhou City shook their heads when they saw it, and you've cured it?" Di Yun frowned and said: "Is it so powerful? The world The scorpions are nothing more than gray-haired scorpions, black-and-white scorpions, money scorpions, prickly-headed scorpions, red-tailed scorpions, ground-biting mother-biting scorpions, and white-footed scorpions..." He babbled nonsense, talking about twenty kinds of things, and then said : "Each type of scorpion has different toxicity, and each has its own treatment method. Even a famous doctor may not know everything if he is not really capable." Wu Kan saw that he was ugly and dressed in rags. Although he said many names of scorpions, he stuttered and slurred his speech. He had no talent, so he said, "If that's the case, go and have a look, it's a dead horse anyway. Treat it as a live horse doctor." Di Yun nodded, and followed him into Wanfu.As soon as he stepped through the door, he immediately remembered the scene when he followed his master and junior sister to celebrate his birthday. At that time, a country boy came to the city. He could see in his eyes that everything was luxurious and fresh. He and his junior sister looked around and pointed. Come back today, the door is still the same, but I only feel a burst of bitterness in my heart.He followed Wu Kan through three courtyards and came to the east building. Wu Kan raised his head and said loudly: "Sister-in-law three, there is a grass-headed doctor, he said he can cure scorpion poison, do you want him to come and show my brother?" With a bang, the upstairs window opened, and Qi Fang walked through the window. Zhong poked his head out and said: "Okay, thank you Junior Brother Wu, your senior brother is in more pain today, please go upstairs, sir." Wu Kan said to Di Yun: "You go up." But he himself did not follow.Qi Fang said: "Junior Brother Wu, please come up too, let's take a look." Wu Kan said: "Yes!" Then he went upstairs. When Di Yun came upstairs, he saw a large desk by the window in the middle, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones, a dozen books, and a half-sewed child's clothes.Qi Fang came out from the inner room, her face was not covered with makeup, her complexion was quite haggard.Di Yun only glanced at her, afraid that she would recognize him and dare not eat too much, so he walked into the room as he said.There was only one person sleeping face to face on a big bed, moaning continuously, it was Wan Gui.His youngest daughter was sitting on a small stool in front of the bed, gently beating her father's legs.Seeing Di Yun's filthy and strange face, she exclaimed and hurriedly hid behind her mother. Wu Kan said: "My senior brother was stung by a poisonous scorpion, the poison has never disappeared, it seems something is wrong." Di Yun said: "Is that so?" He was calm when talking to Wu Kan outside the door, at this moment Seeing Qi Fang, her heart was beating wildly, her cheeks were hot, her lips were dry, and she couldn't speak anymore.He walked to the bed and patted Wan Gui on the shoulder. Wan Gui turned over slowly, and seeing Di Yun's expression with a glance, he couldn't help being slightly startled.Qi Fang said: "Third brother, this is the doctor that Junior Brother Wu found for you, he...he may have a panacea that can heal your injury." In his tone, he really had no confidence in this doctor. Without saying a word, Di Yun looked at the back of Wan Gui's swollen hand, saw that the back of his hand was black again, and looked horrifying, and said hoarsely, "This was bitten by a spotted scorpion in Yuanling, western Hunan. , we don’t have this kind of scorpion in Hubei!” Qi Fang and Wu Kan said in unison: "Yes, yes, it was stung in Yuanling, Xiangxi." Qi Fang said again: "Sir, you have seen the origin of the scorpion, so it must be curable?" The voice was full of hope . Di Yun counted the days with his fingers, and said: "It was bitten at night, so now, um, it has been seven days and seven nights." Qi Fang glanced at Wu Kan, and said: "Sir, you really know what happened, it was indeed stung at night, and it has been seven days and seven nights today." Di Yun said again: "Did this master turn his hand back? Palm, beat the scorpion to death? If it wasn’t like this, it could have been saved. Now that the scorpion is beaten to death on the back of the hand, all the poison is forced in, and it will be difficult to save it.” Qi Fang had heard that he even calculated the time very accurately, and expected that there must be a cure, and her face was already happy. After hearing this, she became anxious again, and said: "Mr. is clear, but no matter what, I would like to invite you." Save his life." Di Yun pretended to be a doctor and entered Wan's house this time. His original intention was to witness Wan Gui's scene of dying in agony and groaning, so as to vent the pent-up anger in his heart. If he didn't die, he would kill him himself for revenge. Of course, there is no intention of life at all.But he has always been obedient to Qi Fang, and he will never disobey her in the slightest. Hearing her begging so anxiously, his heart softened, and he wanted to open the medicine box and get Yan Daping's antidote, but then he changed his mind: "This Wan Gui has caused me so much misery and robbed my junior sister, I would be extremely polite not to kill him with my own hands, how can I save his life?" Then he shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't want to save him, it's really him The poisoning is too deep, and the life is delayed, and the poison enters the brain, it is impossible to save." Qi Fang shed tears, took her daughter's hand, and said: "Water Spinach, baby, you should learn from this uncle and ask him to save Daddy's life." Di Yun waved his hands hastily, and said: "No, there is no need to kowtow... "But the girl was very good, she always listened to her mother's words, and knowing that her father was seriously injured, she was also very anxious, so she knelt down on the ground and kowtowed to him.Di Yun lost his five fingers on his right hand and hid them in his sleeve all the time. He immediately stretched out his left hand to help the girl up.I saw that when the girl got up, there was a gold lock piece hanging from her neck, and four words were engraved on the gold piece: "De Rong Shuang Mao". When Di Yun saw it, he couldn't help being stunned, remembering that day when he passed out in the woodshed of Wanjia, and when he woke up, he was already in the boat on the Yangtze River, with some gold and silver jewelry beside him, including a piece of gold from a child. The cleat is also engraved with these four words, could it be... He only glanced at it, and didn't dare to look again. His mind was in chaos, and finally gradually became clear: "I fainted in the woodshed of the Wanjia. If it wasn't for my junior sister to save me, there would be no one else. I used to suspect that she intended to harm me." , but last night... Last night she prayed to the heavens and confided her thoughts. Since she has such a deep love for me, she will never harm me that day. Could it be, does God have eyes? Can we get together again?" When he thought of the word "reunion", his heart beat wildly again, and he glanced sideways at Qi Fang, and saw that her face was full of concern, and she was staring at Wan Gui intently, with a look of extreme love and compassion in her eyes. As soon as Di Yun saw her look, his heart sank immediately, and his back felt cold. He remembered clearly that day when he fought with the eight disciples of Wanmen, and was beaten black and blue by the eight of them. , Junior Sister mended his clothes, and her eyes were full of love and tenderness.Now, her eyes are given to her husband, and she will never give them to him again. "If I don't give you the antidote, no one will blame me. When Wan Gui dies from pain, I will quietly come and take her for a walk at night, who can stop me? I won't mention the old things, and we will do...and be husband and wife again. Well, this girl, I'll just take her along. Alas, it won't work! Junior sister has been working as a young mistress in Wan's family for several years, and she is used to it. How can she go with me to plow the fields and herd cattle? Besides, I describe it as ugly, I can't read a few hundred words, and my hands are crippled, so how can I be worthy of her? How can she go with me?" This one felt so ashamed that he couldn't help feeling ashamed, and lowered his head. Qi Fang didn't know that there were so many thoughts going on in the herbal man's center, she just stared at him blankly, hoping that he would say two words: "Help!" Wan Gui let out long and short groans, at this time the scorpion venom had invaded the armpit joints, and the entire arm and palm were swollen with unbearable pain. Qi Fang waited for a long time, but when Di Yun didn't make a sound, she begged again: "Sir, please give it a try, as long as... as long as it relieves his... pain, even... even... I don't blame you." Meaning, Since Wan Gui's life cannot be saved, then just ask him to stop the pain, even if he dies in the end, he can avoid such suffering. Di Yun said "Oh" and woke up from his contemplation. Suddenly, his heart was empty, all thoughts were lost, and he wished he could die immediately.He loved this junior sister with all his heart, but she married his great enemy, and she was still begging himself to save this enemy. "I'd rather be like Wan Gui, who suffers all kinds of pain, but my junior sister looks at me with pity. Even if I don't live for a few days, what's the point?" He sighed lightly, opened the medicine box, and took out the words Some black powder was poured out of Daping's antidote bottle and put on the back of Wan Gui's hand. Wu Kan shouted: "Ah...Zhengyi, it's the antidote, this...this can be saved." Di Yun heard that his voice was different, and he should have been happy when he said the five words "this can be saved", but his voice was extremely disappointed and a little annoyed. Di Yun felt strange and turned his head to him Taking a look, he saw a very vicious look in his eyes.Di Yun felt even more strange, but what about the eighth brother of Wanmen?There is not a single good person in it.Wan Zhenshan and Yan Daping are fighting each other, and the friendship between Wan Gui and Wu Kan may not be good, but why did he come out to find a doctor for Wan Gui again? As soon as the powdered medicine was applied on the back of Wan Gui's hand, black blood flowed from the wound not long after.His pain gradually subsided, and he said: "Thank you doctor, this antidote is right." Qi Fang was overjoyed, and took a copper basin to receive the blood, only heard a soft click, click, and the blood dripped into the pan. In the copper basin.Qi Fang thanked Di Yunlian. Wu Kan said: "Sister-in-law, younger brother, did you succeed this time?" Qi Fang said: "Yes, I really have to thank Junior Brother Wu." Talk to him again, and said to Di Yun: "What's your surname, sir? We will be rewarded a lot." Di Yun shook his head and said, "You're welcome. The scorpion poison needs to be applied ten times in a row before it can be cured." His heart was sore, but he felt that everything in the world was suffering, so he said, "I'll give it to you!" and took the antidote handed over. Qi Fang didn't expect it to be so easy, but she didn't dare to take it for a moment, and said: "We bought it from Mr., how much money do you want?" Di Yun shook his head and said, "It's for you, no money is needed." Qi Fang was overjoyed, took it with both hands, bowed with blessings, thanked deeply, said: "Sir is so generous, I really don't know how to thank you. Brother Wu, please accompany this gentleman to sit downstairs for a while." Di Yun said: "I won't sit down, I'll take my leave." Qi Fang said: "No, no, we can't repay you for your life-saving kindness. A glass of water and wine is our respect anyway. Sir, don't go!" "Don't go!" As soon as these four words entered Di Yun's ears, his heart softened immediately, and he thought: "I can't take revenge for this revenge. After I bury Brother Ding, I will never come to Jingzhou City again." .In this life, I will never meet my junior sister again. She wants to toast me with a glass of wine, um, it would be good to see her a few more times." She nodded. The banquet was set up in the small living room upstairs, Di Yun took the upper seat in the middle and Wu Kan accompanied him.Qi Fang was extremely grateful for the doctor's kindness and served the dishes herself.It seems that Wan Zhenshan and other people in Wanfu are not at home, and the rest of the disciples did not come to the banquet to drink. Qi Fang respectfully toasted three glasses of wine.Di Yun drank it all up, his heart ached, his eyes filled with tears, knowing that he could no longer hold on, and if he sat for a while, he would show signs of it, so he stood up immediately and said: "There is enough wine, I don't need it anymore." I have gone! From now on, I will never come again!" Qi Fang heard his nondescript words, but the doctor was very weird at first, so he didn't take it seriously, and said: "Sir, we can't thank you for your kindness. Here is a hundred taels of silver, sir, please buy wine and drink on the way." He said holding a bag of silver with both hands. Di Yun turned his head away, looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, and said: "I saved him, I saved him, haha, haha! How funny! Is there anyone more stupid than me in the world?" He laughed loudly, but two tears flowed down his cheeks. Qi Fang and Wu Kan couldn't help looking at him in astonishment when they saw that he seemed crazy.But the little girl said: "Uncle is crying! Uncle is crying." Di Yun was startled, afraid of showing off his feet, he dared not talk to Qi Fang again, and said in his heart: "From now on, I will never see you again. Stretching his hand into his bosom, he took out the shoe-shaped collection of poems taken from the Yuanling cave, gathered them in his sleeves, lowered the sleeves and put them quietly on the chair, not daring to look at Qi Fang again, his head turned Did not go back. Qi Fang said: "Junior Brother Wu, send me off for Mr." Wu Kan said: "Okay!" and followed him out. Holding the bag of silver in her hand, Qi Fang's heart skipped a beat: "Who the hell is this gentleman? Why is his laughter so similar to that person's? Oh, what's wrong with me? These days, third brother's The injury is so serious, but my heart is upside down, always thinking about him...he...he..." He put the silver on the table, put his hands on it, and sat down on the chair again. Di Yun had sat on that chair before, and felt something was on it, so he hurriedly stood up, and saw that it was an old yellow book with the words "Selected Collection of Tang Poems" written on the cover.With a soft cry, she stretched out her hand to pick it up, flipped through it, and a shoe pattern fell out of the book, which she had cut in her hometown in Xiangbing back then.She opened her mouth wide and couldn't close it, her hands were trembling, and she turned a few pages, and saw a pair of paper-cut patterns of butterflies.The scene when I sat side by side with Di Yun in the cave and cut out this pair of paper butterflies suddenly flashed into my mind like lightning.She couldn't help but yelled "Ah", and only thought in her heart: "Where did this... this book come from? Is... who brought it? Could it be Mr. Doctor?" Seeing her mother's expression changed, the little girl panicked and called out, "Mom, mom, what are you... doing?" Qi Fang was stunned, grabbed the book and put it in her arms, rushed out of the building, and chased it out the door.Since she was married as the daughter-in-law of the Wan family, she has always been gentle and gentle, and she has never run so fast in the halls.The servants of the Wan family suddenly saw the young mistress unfolding lightness kung fu, piercing through several courtyards and rushing out, all of them were surprised. Qi Fang ran to the front hall and saw Wu Kan coming in from the door, she hurriedly asked: "What about Mr. Doctor?" Wu Kan said: "This man is very strange, he left without saying a word. Third sister-in-law, what are you looking for him for?" Did senior brother’s injury recur?" Qi Fang said: "No, no!" She rushed out of the gate and looked around, but there was no trace of the medicine seller. She stood outside the gate for a while, then reached out and took out an old book from her bosom to flip through it. Every time she saw a shoe pattern, a pattern, and various joyful things when she was young, she poured into her heart like a tide, and tears burst out of her eyes. She suddenly changed her mind: "Why am I so stupid? My father-in-law and third brother went to Xiangxi to meet Master Yan recently. Maybe they broke into that cave by accident and took this book casually. There is one. This Mr. Doctor How could it have anything to do with this book?" But then he thought: "No, no! How could it be such a coincidence? The cave is so secret that even Dad doesn't know about it. Apart from me, there is only my elder brother and him in the world. ...He alone knows, how did the father-in-law and the third brother find it? They were looking for Uncle Yan, how could they break into this cave? When I set up the banquet just now, I clearly remembered to wipe this chair. Where are the books? ? If the doctor didn't bring this book, where did it come from?"
She was full of doubts, and slowly returned to the room, seeing that after Wan Gui had applied the wound medicine, his energy was much better.Holding the book in her hand, she wanted to ask her husband, but then she thought: "Don't be rash, if that doctor...that doctor..." Wan Gui said: "Sister Fang, this Mr. Langzhong is really my savior, he must be rewarded well." Qi Fang said: "Yes, I gave him a hundred taels of silver, but he refused to accept it. What a person This bottle of antidote... Hey, where is the antidote? Did you put it away?" After the medicine seller handed the antidote to her, she put it on Wan Gui's bedside table. gone.Wan Gui said: "No, isn't it on the table?" Qi Fang searched everywhere on the table, beside the bed, dressing table, chairs, cabinets, under the bed, under the table, but the antidote was nowhere to be found.She was very anxious: "Could it be that I was insane just now and fell on the ground when I ran out? No, I remember clearly that it was placed next to the medicine bowl on the table." Wan Gui was also very anxious, and said: " Look for it again, how could it not be there? I just closed my eyes for a while, and when I was about to fall asleep, I remembered seeing this porcelain bottle on the table." When he said this, Qi Fang became even more anxious, turned around and left the room, pulled her daughter and asked: "Who came in when Mom was out just now?" The little girl said: "Uncle Wu came up, he saw Daddy fell asleep , let’s go down!” Qi Fang let out a long breath, vaguely aware that something was wrong, but Wan Gui was ill, so he couldn't be worried, and said, "Kangui, you stay with Daddy, and say that Mommy is going to buy another bottle of medicine from Mr. Langzhong to heal Daddy's wound." .” The little girl nodded and said, “Mom, come back quickly.” Qi Fang regained her composure, opened the desk drawer, took out a dagger, hid it next to her body, and walked downstairs slowly, thinking: "This guy Wu Kan always sees me in a place where no one is around, and he is always so displeased." Good intentions. This doctor was invited by him, could it be that he colluded with the doctor and arranged a conspiracy? Otherwise, why didn't the doctor ask for money and the antidote disappeared?" While she was thinking, she walked towards the back garden and reached the corridor; she saw Wu Kan leaning on the railing, watching the goldfish in the pond.Qi Fang said: "Junior brother Wu, are you here alone?" Wu Kan turned his head, with a wry smile on his face, and said, "I don't know who it is, it turned out to be Third Senior Sister. Why don't you accompany Third Senior Brother upstairs, I'm so excited Come here?" Qi Fang sighed, and said: "Oh, I'm very bored. I've been with a sick person all day, and your elder brother's hand hurts so much that his temper is getting worse and worse. If you don't come out to relax, find Talking to relieve boredom can kill people.” Wu Kan was really overjoyed when he heard this, and said with a smile: “Third Senior Brother is really unsatisfactory, and with you as a beautiful woman like a flower, If you lose your temper, it's too difficult to wait on." Qi Fang walked to his side, leaned on the railing, looked at the goldfish in the pond, and said with a smile: "The sister-in-law is an old woman, and she said that she is as beautiful as a flower, and she is not afraid of making her mouth turn when she laughs." Wu Kan hurriedly said: "Where? Where? When my sister-in-law was a daughter, she had the beauty of a daughter, and when she was a young mistress, she was as handsome as a young mistress. Everyone said: A flower in Jingzhou City is full of beauty in Wanjia." Qi Fang said "Hey", turned around, stretched out her hand, and said, "Bring it!" Wu Kan laughed and said, "What are you taking?" Qi Nai said, "The antidote!" Wu Kan shook his head and said, "What antidote? Did it treat Brother Wan's injury?" Qi Fang said, "Exactly, obviously you took it." Wu Kan smiled cunningly, and said: "I invited the doctor, and I found the antidote. Brother Wan has already applied it once, and if you don't say anything, it will save you from a few days of pain." Qi Fang said: "Mr. Apply it ten times in a row." Wu Kan shook his head and said, "I regret it deeply, deeply regret it." Qi Fang said, "What do you regret?" Wu Kan said, "I saw that this herb doctor is filthy, like a beggar, and I guess he has no skills. , so I lured him upstairs, but I wanted to find something to cause trouble, to see you one more time, I didn't expect this dog to kill me by mistake, and there is a magic medicine to cure scorpion poison. This, that is quite contrary to my intention." Qi Fang felt furious when she heard this, but the medicine was in the hands of someone else, so she had to trick him into getting the antidote first, and then settle the score with him, suppressing her anger at once, and said with a smile: "According to you, how can I thank you from your elder brother? Are you willing to hand over the antidote?" Wu Kan sighed, and said: "Third senior brother has enjoyed the good fortune for many years, he should have died long ago." Qi Fang's face changed color, she bit her lip and remained silent.Wu Kan said: "When you came to Jingzhou that year, among the eight of us brothers and sisters, which one of us was fascinated when we saw you? That silly boy Di Yun followed you all day long, we only saw that everyone was so angry Let’s all come together, let’s beat his head and crack his forehead before…” Qi Fang said, “It turns out that you beat my senior brother because of me!” Wu Kan said with a smile: "What everyone is saying is of course a different story, saying that he forced his way out to fight the bandit Lu Tong, and cut the face of the disciples of the Wanmen. In fact, in everyone's heart, they are all for the sake of the teacher's sister-in-law. You! You mend clothes with him, talk about yourself, this kind of intimacy, the eight of us brothers and sisters saw it in our eyes and were annoyed in our hearts. Which one of us didn't drink up to thirty-six? Are all the teeth sour?" Qi Fang was secretly startled: "Could it be because of me? Third brother, third brother, why didn't you tell me?" She still pretended to be indifferent, and said with a smile: "Junior brother Wu, are you kidding me?" At that time, I was a country girl, village-style, and I was dressed so ridiculously, what was there to look good?" Wu Kan said: "No, no! What do you need to dress up for a real beauty? If you don't make everyone lose their minds, This..." At this point, he suddenly stopped talking and stopped talking. Qi Fang said: "What?" Wu Kan said: "We left you in the Wan family, and my surname Wu also put in a lot of effort. But, sister-in-law, you usually don't smile when you see me, it doesn't make people feel aggrieved Is it?" Qi Fang gave a "bah" and said: "I stayed in the Wan family and married you, Senior Brother Wan... It was my own will. What effort did you put in? You didn't come to persuade me at that time Half a word, it's really nonsense!" Wu Kan shook his head and laughed, "I...why didn't I put in any effort? You just don't know." Qi Fang was even more frightened, and said softly: "Junior Brother Wu, tell me, what strength you have put in, my sister-in-law will never forget your benefits." Yan Kan shook his head and said: "Old things, you still bring them up What? It's useless if you know, let's just talk about new ones." Qi Fang said: "Okay, if you don't want to say it, forget it. Give me the antidote, if someone bumps into the two of us here, it's not safe." Wu Kan smiled and said: "Someone ran into me during the day, but there is no one here at night." Qi Fang took a step back, her face was as frosty, and said sharply: "What did you say?" Wu Kan laughed: "You want to cure Master Wan's Injury, it’s not difficult. At midnight tonight, I’ll wait for you in the firewood room over there. If everything goes according to my wish, I’ll give you a medicine to make you faint.” Qi Fang gritted her teeth and scolded: “Dog Thief, you dare to say such a thing, how courageous you are!" Wu Kan said in a low voice: "I risked my life a long time ago. This is called being willing to cut my whole body and dare to pull the emperor off the horse. How is Wan Gui better than my surname Wu? It's just that he is my master's son, reincarnated It’s just a good vote. Everyone has worked hard, why let this brat enjoy the beauty all by himself?” Qi Fang heard him say "I worked hard" a few times, she became suspicious, but he couldn't bear to listen to his foul language, she said: "When my father-in-law comes back, I will tell you the truth and see if he doesn't skin you. " Wu Kan said: "I will stay here and not leave. When Master called me, I first poured the antidote into the lotus pond and fed it to the goldfish. I asked the doctor, and he said that the antidote is only in one bottle, and it needs to be prepared again. I can't afford it for half a year." As he said, he took out the antidote from his bosom, uncorked the bottle, and stretched out his hand to the surface of the pool, as long as he turned his palm slightly, the antidote would be poured into the pool. Even if the fate is given away. Qi Fang hurriedly said: "Hey, hey, put away the antidote quickly, we can discuss it slowly." Wu Kan laughed and said, "What's the deal? If you want to save your husband's life, you have to listen to me." Qi Fang said: "If you really cared about me and worked hard for me in the past, then...otherwise, I won't bother you." Wu Kan was overjoyed, put the cork on the bottle, and said: "If I tell the truth, you will come and meet me tonight, won't you?" Qi Fang said: "It depends on whether what you said is true or false. What's the use of it?" Wu Kan said: "It's absolutely true, how can there be any falsehood? That's the plan of Junior Brother Shen. Senior Brother Zhou and Senior Brother Bu pretended to be flower pickers, and lured this idiot Di Yun to the peach red room to rescue him. I, Wu Kan, put the gold and silverware under the fool's bed with my own hands. Sister-in-law, if we didn't use this trick, how could we keep you in Wanfu?" Qi Fang felt her head was dizzy, and her eyes were dark. Wu Kan's words were like a sharp knife piercing her heart, and she couldn't help whispering: "I... wronged you, wronged you!" She never understood, Brother Di grew up with her since she was a child, and they love each other deeply, and would never fall in love with a woman they have never met before.Is she very coquettish?Could she flatter and seduce him?Brother Di has always been faithful, even a piece of cake, a piece of candy, he would never take someone else's casually, if someone really gave it to him, he would not take it without the master's permission, how could he steal other people's gold and silver utensils.Could it be that when he suddenly came to a rich man's house and saw so many gold and silver treasures, he suddenly became greedy? These questions could not be solved in her heart all the time, although she had no choice but to marry Wan Gui, deep in her heart, she never forgot this senior brother.Fortunately, Hu Kan solved the big question in her heart. "I...I'm sorry for Senior Brother. I want to find him and say 'I'm sorry!' to him. I want...to die in front of him!" She staggered and was about to fall, so she reached out to hold the railing, Said: "I don't believe it, how can this happen? You made it up to lie to me." The voice was very bitter. Wu Kan said anxiously: "You don't believe it? Well, no one else can ask, you can ask Tao Hong, she lives in the broken ancestral hall at the back. After you have asked, you must never tell others. Let's bet Excuse me, this secret can’t be revealed at all. If it’s not for the third watch tonight, sister-in-law, for you, I, Wu Kan, would throw everything out!” Qi Fang yelled, rushed out, pushed open the back door of the garden, and rushed out.
Distraught, she ran out the back door, walked through several vegetable gardens, collected herself, and found the small dilapidated ancestral hall in the northwest corner. Seeing that the door was covered, she stretched out her hand and pushed the door open, and walked in.I saw the dust accumulated on the ground, the tables and chairs were broken, and I thought to myself: "My father-in-law's concubine, Tao Hong, how could she live in such a place? Wu Kan is a liar, could it be... Could it be that he tricked me into coming here, and he didn't care?" Good intentions? I'd better go back soon." All of a sudden, there was only the sound of tapping, tapping, and slow footsteps, and a woman came out of the inner hall.It was a middle-aged beggar woman with bowed head, disheveled hair, and dirty and tattered clothes.The beggar woman was startled when she saw someone, and immediately turned back.She was about to enter the inner hall, and turned to take another look, this time seeing Qi Fang's face clearly, she couldn't help exclaiming "Ah".She took two steps back, suddenly knelt down, and said: "Young Mistress, don't say... don't say I'm here." Qi Fang was amazed, and asked: "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The beggar woman said: " No...don't do anything. I...I..." He stood up immediately and walked quickly into the inner hall. Hearing hurried footsteps, the beggar woman hurriedly escaped through the back door.Qi Fang thought to herself: "I don't know why this woman is so scared when she sees me...Ah, I remembered, she...she is Tao Hong!" Stepping on the rubble, he grabbed the back door, reached out and pulled out the dagger from his waist, and shouted: "Tao Hong, you are sneaky, what are you doing here?" The beggar woman was Tao Hong, she panicked when she heard Qi Fang calling out her name, she became even more frightened when she saw her holding a shining dagger in her hand, her knees trembled, she was about to kneel again, and said in a trembling voice : "Young Mistress, you... you spared me." 戚芳在万家只和桃红见了几次，没多久就从此不见她面，每一想到狄云要和这女人卷逃私奔，便心如刀割，是以这女人到了何处，她从来不问。就算有人提起，她也决计不听，那势必碰痛她内心最大的创伤。哪知她竟会躲在这里。这祠堂离万家不远，但戚芳做了少奶奶之后，事事谨慎，比之在湘西老家做闺女时大不相！口：），从不在外面乱走，虽曾多次见到这破祠堂的门门，却从来没进去过。 桃红此刻蓬头垢面，容色憔悴，几年不见，倒似是老了二十岁一般。吴坎叫戚芳到这祠堂中来找桃红询问真相，她虽当面见到了，但如桃红若无其事地慢慢走开，她便决计汄不出来。 她扬了扬手中匕首，威吓道：“你躲在这里干吗？快跟我说。” 桃红道：“我……我不干什么。少奶奶，老爷赶广我出来，他说要是见到我耽在荆州，便要杀了我。可是……我又没地方好去，只好躲在这里讨口吃的。少奶奶，除了荆州城，我什么地方都不认得，叫我到哪里去？你……你行行好，千万别跟老爷说。” 戚芳听她说得可怜，收起了匕首，道：“老爷为什么赶了你出来？怎么我不知道？”桃红垂泪道：“我也不知道老爷为什么忽然不喜欢我了。那个湖南佬……那个姓狄的事，又不是我不好。啊哟，我……我不该说这种话。” 戚芳道：“好吧，你不说，你就跟我去见老爷去。”伸出左手，一把抓住了她衣襟。戚芳本性爱洁，祧红衣襟上满是污秽油腻，一把抓住，手掌心滑溜溜的极不好受。但她急于要查知狄云被冤的真相，便是再肮脏十倍的东丙，这当儿也毫不在乎了。 桃红簌簌发抖，忙道：“我说，我说，少奶奶，你要我说什么？” 戚芳道：“狄……狄……那姓狄的事，到底是怎么？你为什么要跟他逃走？” 桃红心下惊惶，睁大了眼，！时说不出来。 戚芳凝视着她，心中所感到的害怕，或许比之桃红更甚十倍。她真不敢听桃红亲口说出来的事。如果她说：狄云当时确是约她私逃，确是来污辱她。那怎么是好？桃红一时说不出话，戚芳脸色惨白，一颗心似乎停止了跳动。 终于，桃红说了：“这……这怪不得我，少爷逼着我做的，叫我牢牢抱住那姓狄的湖南乡下佬，寃枉他来强奸我，要带了我逃走。我跟老爷说过的，老爷又不是不信，只吩咐我千万别说出去，还给了我衣服银子。可是……可是……我又没说，老爷却赶了我出来。” 戚芳又感激，又伤心，又委屈，又怜惜，心中只说：“师哥，是我冤杆了你，我原该知道你对我一片真心，这可真苦了你，可真苦了你！”这时她并不憎恨桃红，反而有些感谢她，幸亏是她替自己解开了心中的死结。甚至对于吴坎，都有些感激，是他吐露了真相，是他指点自己到这破祠堂来找桃红的。 在伤心和凄凉之中，忽然感到了一阵苦涩的甜蜜。虽然嫁了万圭，但她内心中深深爱着的，始终只是个狄师哥，尽管他临危变心，尽管他无耻卑鄙，尽管他有千般的不是、万般的薄幸，但只有他，仍旧是他，才是戚芳叹息和流泪之时所想念的人。 突然之间，种种苦恼和憎恨，都变成了自悔自伤：“要是我早知道了，便拼着千刀万剐，也要到狱中救他出来。他吃了这么多苦，他……他心中怎样想？” 桃红偷看戚芳的脸色，颤声道：“少奶奶，谢谢你，请你放了我走，我就出了荆州城，永不回来了。”戚芳叹了口气，道：“老爷为什么赶你走？是怕我知道这件事么？”说着松手放开她衣襟，想要给她些银子，但匆匆出来，身边并无银两。 桃红见戚芳放开了自己，生怕更有变卦，急急忙忙地便走了，喃喃地道：“老爷晚上见鬼，要砌墙，怎么怪得我？又……又不是我瞎说。”戚芳追了上去，问道：“什么见鬼？砌墙？”桃红知道说溜了嘴，忙道：“没什么，没什么。喏，老爷夜里常常见鬼，半夜三更地起来砌墙。” 戚芳见她说话疯疯癫癫，心想她给公公赶出家门，日子过得很苦，脑筋也不大清楚了。公公怎会半夜三更起来砌墙？家里从来没见过公公砌的墙。桃红生怕她不信，说道：“是假的砌墙，老爷……老爷，半夜三更的，爱做泥水匠。我说了他几句，老爷就大发脾气，打得我死去活来的，又赶了我出来，说道再见到我，便打死我……”她唠唠叨叨地说个不停，弓着背走了。 戚芳瞧着她的后影，心想：“她最多不过大了我十岁，却变得这副样子。公公不知为了什么要赶她出门？什么见鬼砌墙，想是这女人早就癫癫蠢蠢的。唉，为了这样一个傻女人，师哥苦了一辈子！”想到这里，不禁怔怔地流下泪来，到后来，索性大声哭了出来。
她靠在一棵梧桐树上哭了一场，心头轻松了些，慢慢走回家来。她避开后园，从东面的边门进去，回到楼上。 万圭一听到她上楼的脚步声，便急着问：“芳妹，解药找到了没有？”戚芳走进房去，只见万圭坐起身子，神色甚是焦急，一只伤手搁在床边，手背上黑血慢慢渗出来，过了好一会，才嗒的一声，滴在床边的那只铜面盆里。小女孩伏在爹爹脚边，早睡熟了。 戚芳听了吴坎和桃红的话，本来对万圭恼怒已极，深恨他用卑鄙手段陷害狄云。这时看到他憔悴而清秀的脸庞，几年来的恩爱又令她心肠软了：“毕竟，三哥是为了爱我，这才陷害师哥，他使的手段固然阴险毒辣，叫师哥吃足了苦，但究竟是为了爱我。” 万圭又问：“解药买到了没有？”戚芳一时难以决定是否要将吴坎的无耻言语告知丈夫，顺口道：“找到了那郎中，给了他银子，请他即刻买药材配制。”万圭吁了口气，心中登时松了，微笑道：“芳妹，我这条命啊，到底是你救的。” 戚芳勉强笑了笑，只觉脸盆中的毒血气味极是刺鼻，于是端过一只青瓷痰孟来接血，将铜盆端了出去。只走出两步，毒血的气息直冲上来，头脑中一阵晕眩，心道：“这蝎毒这么厉害！”快步走到外房，将脸盆放在桌边地下，转过身来，伸手入怀去取手帕，要掩住了鼻子，再去倒血。 她手一入怀，便碰到了那本唐诗，一怔之下，一颗心又怦评跳了起来，摸出这本旧书，坐在桌边，一页页地翻过去。她记得清清楚楚，那日翻检旧衣，从箱子底下的旧衣服中见到了这本书，爹爹西瓜大的字识不上几担，不知从哪里拾了这本书来，她刚好剪了两个绣花样儿，顺手便夹在书里。那天下午和狄师哥一齐去山洞，便将这本书带了去，以后就一直留在那边。怎么会到了这里？是狄师哥叫这位郎中送来的么？ “这郎中……莫非……他……他右手的五根手指都给吴坎削去了。这郎中……这郎中……为什么？为什么他……他的右手始终不伸出来？”突然之间，她想起了这件事。她凝神回想那郎中扶起女儿，回想他开药箱、取药瓶、拔瓶塞、倒药末的情景，回想他接了自己送过去的酒杯，将酒杯送到唇边喝干，这许多事情，似乎都是用一只左手来做的，只不过当时没留心，实在记不真切。 “难道，他就是师哥？怎么枳貌一点、也不像？”她心烦意乱，忍不住悲从中来，眼泪一滴滴地都流在手中那本书七。 泪水滴到书页之上，滴在那两只用花纸剪的蝴蝶上，这是“梁山伯和祝英台”，他们要死了之后，才得团圆…… 万圭在隔房说道：“芳妹，我闷得慌，要起来走走。”但戚芳沉浸在回忆之中，没听见。她在想：“那天他打死了一只蝴蝶，将一对情郎情妹拆散了。是不是老天爷因此罚他受苦受难……” 突然之间，背后一个声音惊叫起来：“这……这是……连……连城剑谱！” 戚芳吃了一惊，一回头，只见万圭满脸喜悦之色，兴奋异常地道：“芳妹，芳妹，你从哪里得来了这本书？你瞧，啊，原来是这样，对了，是这样！”他双手按住了那本《唐诗选辑》，只见在一首题目写着“圣果寺”的诗旁，现出“三十三”三个淡黄色的字来，这几行字上，溅着戚芳的泪水。 万圭大喜之下，忘了克制，叫道：“秘密在这里了，原来要打湿了，才有字迹出现！妙极，妙极！一定是这本书。空心菜，空心菜！”他大声叫嚷，将女儿叫醒，说道：“空心菜快去请爷爷来，说有要紧事情。”小女孩答应着去了。 万圭紧紧按着那本诗集，忘了手上的痛楚，只是说：“一定是的，不错，爹爹说那剑谱充作是《唐诗选辑》，那还不是？他们就是揣摸不出这中间的秘密。原来要弄湿书页，秘密才显了出来。” 他这么又喜又跳地叫嚷，戚芳已然明白了大半，心想：“这就是爹爹和公公所争的什么《连城剑谱》？这么说来，原来是爹爹得了去，我不知好歹，拿来夹了鞋样。爹爹不见了这本书，怎么不找？嗯，想来一定是找过的，找来找去找不到，以为是师伯盗去了。他为什么不问我，这真奇了！” 如果是狄云，这时候就一点也不会奇怪。他知道只因戚长发是个极工心计之人，即使在女儿面前，也不肯透露半点口风。不见了书，拼命地找，找不到，便装作没事人一般，暗暗察看，用各种各样的样子来侦查试探，看是不是狄云这小子偷了去？是不是女儿偷了去？只因为戚芳不是“偷”，不会做贼心虚，戚长发自然查不出来。 万震山从街上回来，正在花厅吃点心，听得孙女叫唤，还道儿子毒伤有变，一碗豆丝没吃完，忙放下筷子，抱起孙女，大步来到儿子楼上，一上楼梯便听见万圭喜悦的声音：“天下事情真有这般巧法。芳妹，怎么你会在书页上溅了些水？天意，天意！” 万震山听到儿子说话的音调，便放了一大半心，举步踏进房中。 万圭拿着那本《唐诗选辑》，喜道：“爹，爹，你瞧，这是什么？” 万震山一见到那本薄薄的黄纸书，心中一震，忙将孙女儿放在地下，接过儿子递来的那本书，一颗心怦评乱跳。花尽心血找寻了十几年的《连城剑谱》，终于又出现在眼前。 不错，正是这本书！他和言达平、戚长发三人联手合力、谋害师父而抢到的，正是这本书。三个人在客栈之中，翻来覆去地同看这本剑谱。可是这只是一本平平无奇的唐诗，和书坊中出售的《唐诗选辑》完全一模一样。他师父教过他们一套“唐诗剑法”，以唐诗的诗句作剑招名字，这些诗句在这本书中全有。可是跟传说中的《连城剑谱》又有什么相干？ 师兄弟三人曾拿这本书到太阳光下一页页地去照，想发现书中有什么夹层；也曾拿书中这几十首诗顺读、倒读、横读、斜读，跳一字读、跳二字读……想要找出其中所含的大秘密来……然而一切心血全白费了。三人互相猜疑，都怕给人家发现了秘密而自己不知。三人晚上睡觉之时，将书本锁入铁盒，铁盒又用三根小铁链分别系在三人的腕上。但一天早晨，这本书终于不翼而飞，从此影迹全无。于是十几年来无穷的勾心斗角，无尽的探访寻找。突然之间，这本书又出现在眼前。 万震山翻到第四页上，不错，书页的左上角撕去了小小的一角，那是他当年偷偷做下的记号，生怕言师弟或是戚师弟用一本问样的《唐诗选辑》来掉包，而自已却蒙在鼓里。万震山又翻到了第十六页，不错，当年自己划的那个指甲痕仍在那里。这是真本！他点了点头，强自抑制内心喜悦，对儿子道：“正是谊本书。你从哪里得来的？” 万圭的目光转向戚芳，问道：“芳妹，这本书哪里来的？” 戚芳自从一见到万圭的神情，心中所想的只是自己爹爹：“爹爹不知到了哪里？我这不孝的女儿，将他这本书拿到了山洞之中，他这可找得苦了。在爹爹心中，这本书定是非常非常宝贵。不知这本旧书有什么用？然而这是我拿了爹爹的，是爹爹的书，决不能给公公强抢了去。” 如果在一天之前，还不知道狄云惨受陷害的内情，对丈夫还是满腔柔情和体贴，那么在她心里，丈夫的分量未必便及不上父亲，何况，父亲不知到哪里去了，不知会不会再回来。现今町不同了。“决不能让爹爹这本书落入他们手里。狄师哥去取了书来交给我，要我交还爹爹，当然不能给他们抢了去。不但为了爹爹，也为了狄师哥！” 当万圭问她“这本书哪里来的”之时，她心中只是在想：“怎样将书夺回来？”书是在公公手里。万震山武功卓绝，何况丈夫便在旁边，硬夺是不成的。她心中飞快地在转念头，眼珠骨溜溜地转动。 她看到了书桌旁那只铜盆，盆中盛着半盆血水，那是万圭洗过脸的水，滴了不少他手背上伤口中流出来的毒血。这盆水全成了紫黑色……如果悄悄将书丟进血水之中，他们就找不到了。可是，那本书只怕要浸坏。不过若不乘这时候下手，以后多半再也没有机会了，宁可将书毁了，也不能让他们称心如意…… 万氏父子凝视着戚芳。万圭又问：“芳妹，这本书哪里来的？” 戚芳一凛，说道：“我也不知道啊，刚才我从房里出来，便见这本书放在桌上。这不是你的么？”万圭一时想不明白，暂时不再追究，一心要将重大的发现说给父亲知道：“爹，你瞧，这书页子一沾湿，便有字迹出来。”他伸出食指，指着《圣果寺》那首诗旁淡黄色的三个字：“三十三”。（如果他知道这是妻子的泪水，是思念狄云而流的眼泪，他心中怎样想？） 万震山伸指点着那首诗，一个字一个字数下去：“路自中峰上，盘回出壁萝。到江吴地尽，隔岸越山多。古木丛青霭，遥天浸白波。下方城……”第三十三字，那是个“城”字！ 万震山一拍大腿，说道：“对啦，正是这个法子！原来秘密在此。圭儿，你真聪明，亏你想到了这个道理！要用水，不错，我们当年就是没想到要用水！”（如果他知道这是媳妇的泪水，是思念另一个男人而流的眼泪，他心中怎样想？） 戚芳见他父子大喜若狂，聚头探索书中的奥秘，便拉着女儿的手走到内房，将她搂在怀里，轻声道：“空心菜，那只面盆，你瞧见么？”小女孩点点头，“道：瞧见的。”戚芳道：“等会爷爷、爹爹和妈妈一起奔出去，妈妈将爷爷手里的那本书放在抽屉里，你去拿出来，悄悄丢在面盆里，让脏水浸着，别给爷爷和爹爹看见，叫他们找不到。” 小女孩大喜，只道妈妈要玩个有趣游戏，拍掌笑道：“好，好！”戚芳道：“可别让爷爷和爹爹知道，也别跟他们说！”小女孩道：“空心菜不说，空心菜不说！” 戚芳走到房外，说道：“公公，我觉得这本书很有点古怪。”万震山转过身来，问道：“什么古怪！”他内心早已隐隐觉得这本书突然出现，来得太过容易，恐怕不是吉兆，媳妇这么一说，更增他的疑虑。戚芳道：“在这里！”说着伸出手去。万震山将书交给了她。 戚芳翻开书页，取了那两只纸剪蝴蝶出来，道：“公公，你这书中，本来就有这两只蝴蝶么？”万震山将两只纸蝴蝶接了过去，细细察看，道：“没有！”戚芳道：“这是什么意思？武林之中，可有哪一个人外号叫做'花蝴蝶'什么的？江湖上有没有一个'蝴蝶帮'？他们留下这本书，多半不怀好意。” 江湖人物留记号寻仇示警，原十分寻常。万震山生平坏事做了不少，仇家众多，听了戚芳的话，又见这一对纸蝴蝶剪得十分工细，不禁惕然而惊，寻思：“我有什么仇家……号叫做'花蝴蝶'的？有没有一个'蝴蝶帮'？” 他正自沉吟，忽听得戚芳喝道：“是谁？鬼鬼祟祟地想干什么？”伸手向窗外屋顶上一指。万氏父子同时向窗外瞧去。戚芳反身从墙上摘下两柄长剑，一柄抛给万震山，一柄抛给万圭，叫道：“屋上有人！”万氏父子接住兵刃，戚芳拉开抽屉，将那本唐诗掷了进去，低声道：“莫给敌人抢了去！”万氏父子点了点头。三人齐从窗口跃出，登上瓦面，四下里一望，不见有人。万震山道：“到后面瞧瞧！” 三人直奔后院，只见墙角边人影一晃，万震山喝道：“是谁？”纵身而前，见那人是六弟子吴坎，问道：“见到敌人没有？”吴坎见到师父、三师兄、三师嫂仗剑而来，只道事发，吓得面色惨白，待听师父如此询问，心中一宽，忙道：“有人从这边奔过，弟子赶了过来查问。”他是为自己掩饰，却正好替戚芳圆了谎。 四人直追到后门之外，吴坎连连呼哨，将鲁坤、卜垣等都招了来，自是没发现“敌人”的踪迹。万震山和万圭记挂着《连城剑谱》，命孙均等继续搜寻敌踪，招呼了戚芳，回到楼房。万震山抢开抽屉，伸手去取…… 抽屉之中，却哪里还有这本书在？ 万氏父子这一惊自是非同小可，在书房中到处找寻，又哪里找得到了？问小女孩道：“有没有人进来过？”小女孩道：“没有啊！”转头向母亲眨眨眼睛，十分得意。 万氏父子明明见到戚芳将书放入抽屉，追敌之时，始终没离开过她，当然不是她做的手脚。定是敌人施了“调虎离山”之计，盗去了剑谱！ 万氏父子面面相觑，懊丧不已。 戚芳母女你向我眨眨眼，我向你眨眨眼，很是开心。