Chapter 42 Married to Xiahou

When Ding saw Bian for the first time, she realized that she might never get her husband's love again.First of all, Mrs. Bian is younger than herself, and she is one year older than her husband, and this woman is three years younger than Meng De, so her husband will naturally dote on her more.The second is that she is too beautiful, with such a beautiful face, as long as it is a man, I am afraid that no one will be tempted; let alone her appearance, even her own maid, Liu Shi, who was taken over by her husband, can't compare.Another point is that she was born as a kabuki with many talents, Cao Cao has an elegant nature, and she is proficient in rhythm and good at singing, which complements Meng De even more.

Ding stared at this woman who was a hundred times stronger than himself, and for a moment really didn't know what to say, so he lowered his head and patted the sleeping daughter in his arms. "Sister, this is the big girl!" It was Bian who broke the embarrassment first. "Yes." Ding slightly raised his eyelids. "Is it more than four years old?" "Ok." "It really looks like my husband, especially those big fluffy eyes. Don't ask, I will definitely be a beautiful woman in the future." Mrs. Bian said while touching the child's face.

Ding was a reasonable person, seeing her praise her daughter like this, he politely said: "Look at what you said... Sister, I heard that you have suffered for your husband in that hut for more than two years. It's hard for you to take care of him." "Hey, where did my sister say that? Isn't it natural to serve our husband?" Mrs. Bian sat sideways beside her, "Besides, Meng De saved the lives of our siblings, so I'm also repaying him, as it should be... ...My elder sister is a girl from a decent family, so I'm afraid it's hard to know the suffering of people like me."

"Since my younger sister has already entered the door, don't mention the past anymore." Ding's words were more or less serious. Seeing her attitude, Bian lowered her head and thought for a moment, smiling, "Sister, the girl is really sweet, can you ask me to hug her?" Mrs. Ding hesitated for a moment, but still gently handed her daughter into Mrs. Bian's hands.Mrs. Bian hugged the child, shook it slightly, and said softly: "The big girl is so good, she is so beautiful, and her parents love her, unlike me... Sister, when I look at the big girl, I think of myself when I was young. "

"Oh? My sister must have been so cute when she was a child." "I can't compare to her." Bian immediately opened up the conversation, "I am from Kaiyang County, Langye County, and my family is farming. When I was five years old... I was as old as a big girl When I was young, my brother asked the soldiers to arrest him and go to fight, but he never came back once he left. "Later there was a plague in the village, and both parents died. At that time, my younger brother A Bing was only two or three years old. How could the two children live without parents? Fortunately, I have an uncle who has no children. Adopted us. My aunt is very kind, because she can't have children, she treats us like her own children. Although the family of four is not rich, they can still live on.

"But the good days didn't last long. The next year, the plague became more and more serious. Half of the people in the village died, and my aunt was gone. My uncle married another woman later. Everyone said that the stepmother was cruel, so it was even worse. What's more, the queen aunt. She was always beating or scolding all day long, and she made me sew a lot at a young age. When we were eating, he threw a piece of pancake for each of us. My uncle was honest and cowardly and couldn't be her master. Give us something to eat. When Ah Bing was growing up, he often complained about not having enough to eat, so I was hungry and ate closely to him.

"I remember one time, in the middle of the night, A Bing was really hungry, so I stole a handful of raw beans from the vat and gave them to him. Somehow, I told my empress aunt to know, and slapped them all away. I have only one tooth, and it took several years for a new one to grow. Later, when I was a little older, we both farmed the land with my uncle, plowing, hoeing and digging, and doing all kinds of work, but my aunt just didn’t give me enough food. After a while Two years later, she was pregnant with a child. If she had a biological child, would she still have a way of life for us? Life was too difficult, so we both escaped from the house together. It happened that a few singers passed by in the village, so I secretly I begged them to take our siblings away.

"I remember it was one night at the end of the year, it was the coldest season, and A Bing and I sneaked out wearing a rags, we kowtowed three times to my uncle's house and then ran out... Last year I I sent Qin Yilu to find out for me, my uncle has passed away now, and the hated aunt is said to have starved to death." She said, putting the big girl on the bed, and covering her with a pillow and a quilt, and went on Said, "After escaping from my uncle's house, I learned to sing from my master, and A Bing learned to play the flute. We traveled with this team of artists all over Henan, Yan, Qing, and Xuzhou, selling and singing in the streets and alleys to make ends meet. Fourteen years old Last time we passed through Taishan County, we had nowhere to go, so we stayed overnight in the barren hills. When we met a group of bandits and robbers, the master and his family told them to kill them. I took A Bing and fled all night, and even lost my shoes. The others also ran away, my sisters and I begged along the street, managed to scrape together some money, and first bought a flute for A Bing, we both depended on each other and continued to sing for a living, often meeting playboys and rascals, A Bing Bing was often beaten to protect me.

"Later we met Meng De at the Huan family in Qiao County. If Meng De and the others hadn't been there that day, I would have been ruined by evil slaves, and A Bing would have been beaten to death by them too. If the matter is found out, Meng De's future will be over, and we will be taken by Brother De'er and hid on the west mountain. Sigh... I have no way to repay my husband, I can only serve him by his side, not to mention being a concubine, just being a concubine It's also my duty to order the girl around!" As she spoke, Bian's tears welled up. "I didn't expect my sister's life experience to be so bitter... What would I do if I were you? Thinking about it carefully, what else do we women have besides this body?" Ding's eyes were red when she heard her miserable life experience. Suddenly, the distance between the two women narrowed a lot.Ding was relieved a lot, and comforted: "Sister, we will be a family from now on, let's live with Mengde well, don't think too much about the past. In time for the New Year's Eve, you go back to your mother's house with us, and we will do it right. Dear sisters!"

"En." Mrs. Bian turned and knelt down, whispering softly, "My good sister, thank you for your great kindness!" "Get up." Ding hurriedly lowered his head to help. At this moment, the door slammed, and Mrs. Liu walked in. Seeing Mrs. Ding treating her like this, she felt unhappy: "Sister is so kind, she follows her husband to be an official's wife outside, what kind of person doesn't flatter her, why use it?" Do you need to worry about it?" Then he frowned and shouted at Bian, "Why do you have no eyesight at all, your husband greets guests outside, and you don't go to the kitchen to make a fuss, but come here to present to your sister. Coincidentally, can't I just play tricks on me?" She yelled so loudly that it woke up the big girl, and the child was so small that he grinned and began to cry.

Ding hurriedly picked up the child and patted it: "Big girl, be good...don't cry, don't cry, it's my aunt talking...you too, why are you talking to sister Bian like that?" "Sister? My family has you as a sister, so there is no shortage of sisters." He glanced at Mrs. Bian as he spoke, "Let's go! Follow me to the front and get busy." Seeing her like this, Mrs. Bian was quite unhappy, but after all, she is an older sister and she is new here, so she smiled and said, "Sister Liu, don't worry! It's my fault, I'm sorry for you. It’s been a long time. How about this, why don’t you accompany your sister to put the big girl to bed, and I’ll go and make arrangements for it by myself.” Saying best wishes to both of them, she walked away. "Look at you, why are you crowding against people like this?" Ding complained when she saw her leave. "My sister is so kind! She was born as a kabuki, she is a natural vixen, her eyelashes can talk, and she is the most deceptive. You must not believe her words." Liu took out a handkerchief and leaned over. The big girl wiped her tears. "Hey... we are all women, why do you make things difficult for her? It is not easy for her, not to mention anything else, she hid in that hut for two years for Meng De's future. It is cold in winter and hot in summer, so you go Try it?" Ding already felt a little sympathetic to Bian after hearing what Bian said. "Sister, don't be so kind-hearted. You don't know what the future will look like! Don't look at her now, if she gives birth to a boy and a half girl in the future, how can she take us sisters seriously? The slave family was just serving Your servant, no matter how much you suffer, no matter how much you suffer, it is your duty, but my sister can't suffer! What did the master and wife tell me when I went out? I have to think for you when I should think of it!" Mrs. Liu Aggrieved Road. "I also know that you are doing it for my own good, but I don't think she is a double-faced person." Ding lowered her head and thought for a while, "Isn't it good for us sisters to live in harmony? Squeeze against her like you, It's inevitable that she will turn around and plot against you, there will be no end if this continues!" "That being said, it is imperative to be on guard against others. Elder sister! Big girl, and there will be other children in the future, but you must not ask her to hug her. What will you do if she tricks you! My dear sister!" Mrs. Liu sighed, and suddenly leaned into her sister's ear, "I might be happy too." "Really? You have to pay attention to your body." "That's natural." Although Liu Shi said so, his eyes were a little dim.When Cao Cao promoted Xiaolian, he had a good time with her, so he gave birth to a son, named Cao Shuo, but died within a month.Not only did Mrs. Liu not have a son, but she got sick all over. This time she was pregnant with a child again, and sometimes she felt weak. I am afraid that this child will not be easy to conceive. Ding understood her thoughts: "If you feel bad, you have to hurry..." Before she finished speaking, Huan'er suddenly jumped in and said, "Sister Ding, I carved a little wooden figure for the big girl!" She said and handed it to Mrs. Ding. "Good sister, you are really sensible." Ding touched Huan'er's small face. But Mrs. Liu said resentfully: "The eldest girl is asleep, sister Huan will go out to play first, and you can come in after she wakes up." "Alright then!" Huan'er bounced and went again. "Look at you, you are so fierce with a child!" Ding complained to her. "I'm not against her! Her surname is Huan, and Hu Meizi's surname is Bian. I really don't know what kind of relatives they are. They are masters and servants! Our husband is the same, and he brought back a whole family, both sister-in-law and sister-in-law. Husband is too ridiculous..." Ding sighed, she also had a lot of dissatisfaction with Cao Cao.The two sisters sat facing each other like this, thinking about each other, and didn't speak for a long time... At this moment, the living room was very lively. Cao Cao, Bian Bing, Xiahoudun, Xiahouyuan, and Cao De, the five brothers who had covered up the murder of the Huan family, got together again. The cup has been changed, and there are endless things to talk about. "Anyway, it's calm now. Zi Xiao and Zi Lian Fu Xiao can't drink alcohol. Today, there are only five of us. After reading the letter from my father, he has a good relationship with Cao Jie. There is great hope for our Cao family to make a comeback. Everyone should take a breather." Cao Cao said as he thought about it, and he could roughly guess how much his father had spent. "Brother, when you came back from office, did you know what kind of chaos the family was in? The empress was deposed, and Song Feng was imprisoned, and people were already in panic. When the edict comes, all the officials in the family will give it away. Is this okay? Seventh Uncle has prepared all the poison in private, and if things really get to the point where it can’t be solved, the whole family will get together and commit suicide.” Everyone laughed when Cao De said this. Speaking of Cao Yin, Cao Cao frowned: "Seventh Uncle's illness is getting worse and worse. Everyone should be careful." He couldn't help feeling heavy in his heart: Although the Cao family has a prominent status, it was founded by eunuchs after all. , although Cao Song, Cao Chi, and Cao Ding were all in high positions, they didn't seem to have any talents and virtues. Only the seventh uncle Cao Yin is a strange flower in this family.He has both ability and political integrity and is kind, and has a good reputation in the village.But it is such a flawless piece of beautiful jade, but because of his family background, he has never been an official in his life.Now the death of his two elder brothers has dealt him a heavy blow, and he can hardly move around in bed. This is undoubtedly a pity for the Cao family. Cao Cao took a sip of his wine, and continued: "Ade, you prepare more things, and I brought some donkey glue from Dunqiu, let's go and see him tomorrow." "Success!" Cao De was busy pouring wine for everyone, "Let's not talk about Uncle Qi, my brother has hurt me so much not long ago!" "What's wrong?" Cao Cao was puzzled. "What's the matter? Let me ask you, how did my father know about my little sister-in-law of the Bian family? I was so troubled that I was unlucky, and my father sent two letters in a row, scolding me like a dog, saying that I don't know." Being honest and not filial, I lied to him together with you, and said that I am a big kid hiding sinners." "Good brother, I don't know about this matter. I asked Qin Yilu to pick him up on the front foot, and my father on the back foot knew it. It's a bit evil!" "What's evil? Daddy's eyeliner is everywhere. In the past in Luoyang, he knew everything you said and did. I said a long time ago that you can't hide such things from him. Why don't you tell the truth. You just don't believe me, how about you? Get me too Let’s go in! It doesn’t matter if you’re serious about being a concubine, just write to me! You’re all right, daddy wrote to me to ask me. I’m still making up nonsense for you here! It’s all exposed, can he not be angry? " Cao De clicked his tongue repeatedly, "In my opinion, the Qin Yilu you sent has his own problems. That kid is so smart that his eyes can talk, so he doesn't know what to say when he gets to Daddy's place?" "No way...he has such courage?" Cao Cao still firmly believed in Qin Yilu. "Listen! He's still taking a concubine!" Xia Houyuan winked at Bian Bing after hearing what they said, and joked, "I said at the beginning that your brother-in-law was not right. The Huan family fell in love with your sister, and then used murder to snatch the marriage, and then hid it, let his younger brother regard you as deadly, and then step by step transition to a concubine! Look at how treacherous he is!" "Haha..." Bian Bing laughed, "You're right! I'm going to the Yamen to sue the four of you!" "Why is there still our business here?" Xia Houyuan was puzzled. "You think about it! My brother-in-law is murdering and robbing women, and the second brother is harboring criminals and not reporting them. Brother Yuanrang instigated and set up a conspiracy. Big man, you are a scapegoat, and you have to Hit the board!" Everyone was delighted to hear this.Cao Cao suddenly remembered that Xia Houyuan had been imprisoned for so long, and after these two funerals, he forgot, so he picked up his wine and said, "Miaocai, you have suffered for me!" Xia Houyuan picked up the wine and downed it in one gulp, wiped his mouth and said with a smile: "I can't talk about suffering, but I'm so bored! I eat meat and drink with the yamen servants all day long, and I don't even lock the prison door. Come out whenever you want. Just go back to sleep at night. It was said that he was in prison, but after a year and a half he has gained a lot of flesh! Haha... If Wang Ji is a well-known cruel official, it is a great honor to our family." Speaking of the cruel official Wang Ji, Cao Cao couldn't help being afraid.Life and death were only hanging by a thread. If Wang Fu turned his back on him completely and wanted Cao's family to be imprisoned, he might not wait for the court to deal with him, and he would have to be murdered by that cannibal Wang Ji. Xiahou Dun didn't think too much about it. Seeing his brother triumphantly, he began to scold him: "You kid too, you have nothing to do to practice martial arts, why hang out with those yamen villains?" "I have been wronged! I can practice!" Xia Houyuan didn't care. "Have you practiced?" "I practiced with those yamen guards." Xia Houyuan twisted his mouth, "I practiced them all on the ground, and they didn't dare to come with me afterward. Why don't you invite me to drink and eat meat?" Everyone couldn't help laughing, Cao Cao had an idea, and laughed too: "Miao Cai, I have to repay you well." "Meng Demo wants to ask for repayment," Xiahou Dun interjected, "My ancestor Xiahou Ying once took the blame for the great-grandfather, and our Xiahou clan has history and experience in taking the blame." Cao Cao smiled mysteriously: "This time, I must repay." "Why are you being polite? What kind of repayment do we brothers have?" Xia Houyuan waved his hand. "That won't work. I've been thinking about this for a long time. You haven't married yet. I want to betroth my wife Ding's sister to you." Cao Cao said seriously. "Oh?" Xia Houyuan was taken aback. Cao Cao leaned into his ear and said, "Don't worry, my mother-in-law is not born of the same mother, she is much prettier than her, and you are very lucky!" Despite Xia Houyuan's rough appearance, he is also a person who loses face Hearing this, his face turned red to the base of his neck, and he scratched the back of his head with his big hands and muttered: "I don't want a wife, I don't want a wife!" "Nonsense!" Cao Cao grabbed his hand and said, "Marriage is a matter of human nature. How can there be any reason to be a widower for a lifetime? Married is worthy of the word 'big man'!" "This matter... this..." "This matter is settled like this!" Xiahou Dun slapped his thigh, "You are a fool, and you are still laughing at people who rob marriages, and you will not accept them when they propose marriage to you. Meng De, I am the master! We have agreed to this marriage! " "Okay!" Cao Cao stood up with the wine in hand, "We're going to kiss each other!" "Meng De! You sit down first, I also have to mention a marriage to you." Xiahou Dun smiled mysteriously. "Ask me? Which girl has taken a fancy to me? It doesn't matter, the more I am, the better." "I'm not joking, I'm asking your family to marry me sincerely." "Oh?" Cao Cao didn't quite believe it, "tell me." "I propose to my second son, and ask your eldest girl to be my daughter-in-law." Xiahou Dun looked at him with a serious expression. Cao Cao was stunned for a while: "This...success! Your second son Mao! That child is handsome and the age is right. This baby is a good kiss! Since Yuan Rang opened his mouth, from now on, your family Xiahou Mao will be I am Cao Mengde's petite guest!" "Okay, okay! Serve wine! Serve wine! Let's all have a kiss!" Xia Houyuan also stood up, and stretched out his hand to pull Bian Bing and Cao De, who were on the left and right. "Why do we still have business here?" Bian Bing was short and was lifted up by him. "Why not? Your sister is married to Meng De, so she and her sister-in-law are considered godsisters! Your sister's godsister and her own sister marry me, and you are also my brother-in-law!" Xia Houyuan laughed. "Why is this so messy! The more you hear it, the more it sounds like you're cursing me around." Bian Bing stuck out his tongue. Xia Houyuan said again: "Looking at our engagement here, you feel itchy? How about I ask Huan'er to marry you too? It won't save you from chasing after others every day to play the flute." Bian Bingxue blushed: "Don't talk nonsense, we are godbrothers and sisters." "Who are you kidding? Stop talking nonsense! Drink!" Xia Houyuan held his ears to drink, and seeing Cao De put down the lamp in silence, he yelled, "Ziji, don't put it down! How about we The two are also married, didn't your mother-in-law also give birth to a daughter, in the future I will have a son and let her be my daughter-in-law." "Hey! All the daughters of my Cao family are given to your Xiahou family!" Cao De said with a smile to Cao Cao, "Brother! Did you hear that before his son even had a shadow, he ordered my daughter out. Your daughter married Yuan Rang He didn't say anything, even my sister-in-law and sister-in-law got involved, and our business is a big deal!" Everyone laughed, only Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao looked at each other silently, and only the two of them knew some secrets: Cao Song was Cao Cao The adopted son was actually a child of Xiahou's family, Xiahou Dun's uncle!This was what Xiahou Dun's father told him before he died, and Cao Song also vaguely admitted this when he came to Beijing this time, so Cao Cao's daughter marrying Xiahou's family is equivalent to marrying back to the original family, and this relative is considered to have returned to the roots. ! But neither of them expected that Xiahouyuan's jokes would become true in the future: Cao De's daughter would marry Xiahouyuan's son Xiahouheng fifteen years later.Regardless of whether the Cao family and the Xiahou family are related by blood, the kinship between the two families is doomed to be entangled from generation to generation.As for Huan'er's future husband, they were all wrong! Cao Cao drank a lot that night, but he had practiced with drunkards like Ding Chong, Bao Xin, and Lou Gui, so he didn't get drunk at all.It was already late at night, he walked gently into the backyard, intending to enter Bian's bedroom, but when he looked up, he saw the lights still shining in the main room.He gently rubbed to the front of the door and slightly opened the gap to look inside.Mrs. Ding was sitting in front of the loom and was busy shuttling. Although this lady was mediocre in appearance and knowledgeable, she was impeccably hardworking and virtuous. "Are you still asleep?" Cao Cao walked in gently. "Oh?" Ding did not expect her husband to come to her room to spend the night, "You are here." "You've been busy serving these idlers and taking care of the children all day, and you still don't sleep?" Cao Cao said as he prepared to take off his clothes. "The eldest girl slept a lot during the day, and she is not sleepy at night. I coaxed her for a long time, and she just handed her over to her nanny to take her away." "What are you doing?" Cao Cao asked curiously. "Weave some cloth, make some shoes and sachets!" Ding said while busy. "You really worry about it." Cao Cao smiled. "The things at home are all brought back from the capital, and they are all of the best quality. Why do you need to do it yourself?" "That's different." Ding stopped what she was doing, took the clothes Cao Cao took off, and said, "Now you are not an official anymore. Although you have a lot of savings at home, you have no salary after all. How do you make land? There is a way to sit and eat, and I can make some things in my free time, and I can pay some vendors. It’s a small amount of money. If you accumulate a little, you will get a lot, who knows when it will be used in the future!” Cao Cao looked at his wife and thought to himself: "She is so cute and stupid. The Cao family has such a solid foundation. As long as we can avoid this difficulty, what difficulties will we have in the future? If we can't escape this difficulty, no matter how much we save, it will be cheaper for others." The couple were lying on the bed, only a faint oil lamp beside the bed was still on.Neither of them fell asleep, and their heads were raised, thinking about their own concerns. It was so quiet in the room at the moment that one could even hear each other's breathing.After suffering like this for a while, Ding sighed: "It's getting late, let's go to rest! Tomorrow I'll help Aunt Seven make medicine, and then I'll go home and talk about the marriage between my sister and Brother Miaocai." "Yes." Cao Cao turned over and blew out the lamp. At this moment, Ding's hand was stretched out restlessly, but Cao Cao didn't respond to her at all.Seeing that her husband ignored her, Ding could only turn around. Without the lights, Cao Cao felt much calmer, but he still didn't feel sleepy and his mind was in a mess.Turning his head, he looked at his wife who was facing away from him.The hazy moonlight sprinkled on her through the white window screens. She always pulled the quilt very high, revealing only her plump neck. Under the decoration of her loose black long hair, that mediocre face seemed to have changed. It was hazy. Ding suddenly spoke, the voice was so weak and powerless, and there was a bit of sour taste: "Husband, I know you feel uncomfortable. I haven't read any books, but I also know that you have to take your time in career. There is no rush." In an instant, countless scenes suddenly appeared in Cao Cao's mind: she was the one who took good care of her daily life; she was the one who tried to marry Liu for him; Working hard in front of the plane... Cao Cao threw off the quilt and hugged her from behind, and then turned her around—Cao Cao saw tears in her eyes under the moonlight.He didn't hesitate anymore, he gently sucked her tears, and whispered words of love in her ear...