Bondage

After Shen Qianyu and Song Wan passed away, Wan Xiao and Ji Rong sat in the small courtyard and drank silently all day long.Because of the late emperor's will, the general affairs during the funeral were simplified, so the crying was no longer heard in the palace after the 21st.

Wan Xiao lay back on the chair, still wearing white plain clothes, a little wrinkled but clean.

It seems that since Shen Qianyu left, he and Ji Rong don't know how to live.

Liuyao looked after the emperor, and Cui Xun took over Dongchang. The two old bones of him and Jirong are useless now.

"The sun is so hot today that my bones are crisp."

Ji Rong sat under the eaves, murmuring softly.

Wan Xiao sneered when he heard the words: "Why is it so crispy? It's clearly too old to be useful."

He held the jug in his hand and shook it leisurely.

"It's time for us... to find a place to retire."

Standing up with difficulty, Ji Rong walked to Wan Xiao and said softly, "This courtyard is no longer suitable for you and me, based on what I know about the Holy Majesty, he is afraid that he will seal this place up, so let's not waste the time of the Holy Majesty here. "

Wan Xiao unconsciously twitched her fingertips when she heard the words.

The two of them really shouldn't stay here anymore, but where else can they go?

Although there is another courtyard in the palace, the two of them have retired from their high positions. If they are sensible, they should not stay in the palace anymore, but should give way to Liu Yao and Cui Yun.

And leaving the palace...

He and Jirong both have mansions outside the palace, but the big mansion is empty, and the two of them can't bear to go there.

Wan Xiao looked back at the house where Shen Qianyu and Song Wan lived, and let out a long sigh.

Now the doors and windows of that room are closed, but he seems to be able to hear Shen Qianyu's voice.It seemed that the next moment, Shen Qianyu was going to crookedly come out of the room, and slapped him a few more words.

Thinking of this, Wan Xiao snorted and laughed.

"Tell me, where are we two going to live?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to ask you."

Slowly squatting down, Ji Rong sat on the white jade steps, looked up at the clear sky and slightly curled his lips.

As such, they have nowhere to go.

The servants are different from ordinary men. The older they get, the worse their health becomes.He thought that he and Wan Xiao could still be companions, so that he would not die alone.

"You and I have neither relatives nor friends, nor sisters and brothers, but we brothers depend on each other for life."

Ji Rong rubbed the grass seeds picked up from the ground with one hand, while murmuring unconsciously.

In the early years, Hengwu married outside the palace, but now he has a house full of children and grandchildren.Ever since the funeral of the Supreme Emperor and the Supreme Empress had passed, Heng Wu entrusted someone to take Heng Zhi back to her home.

Some time ago, Hengzhi even brought a message to the two of them, saying that they are doing well outside, so they don't have to worry.

"Do you have a place you want to go?"

Jirong shook his head, not knowing where he was headed.

As long as he can remember when he was seven or eight years old, he has been a servant in the palace.I don't know what my last name is, where I live, or who is in my family.

Now naturally there is no place to go.

Knowing his situation, Wan Xiao didn't say much, but just asked Ji Rong if he would go back to Baoding Mansion with him.

He was born in Baoding Mansion, and now decades have passed, he wants to go back and see if the old site of Zhang Li Erfu is still there.

The two were talking, when Cui Yun walked in from outside the courtyard.

Cui Yun's face is not obvious, he is very ordinary, but his temperament is very charming.

This person does not complain about others when he is in trouble, and does not show off when he is rich and prosperous. No matter what situation he is in, he can keep calm and calm.

"Father, my son came to see you."

With wine and meat in his hand, he walked into the courtyard and placed them on the table naturally.

Jirong looked at it and laughed: "The three of us just have something to drink, so I went to get the bowls and plates."

Giving up the place to the father and son, Ji Rong turned and entered the house.

"You haven't changed your coat these days?"

While talking, Cui Xun took a thin blanket from the bamboo basket placed under the porch and covered Wan Xiao's lap.

"What to change? Keep it clean."

"What are you here for today?"

"What's the matter, just come and see the adoptive father."

Cui Yun's family was poor, and he had many brothers. When he was a few years old, he was sent to the palace by his father to purify himself.When he was at home, he never had a full meal. Although he could have enough to eat in the palace, but with a low status like his, even if he kept his law-abiding, he would inevitably be bullied.

It wasn't until Wan Xiao brought him by his side that Cui Yun had only lived a few years in peace.

Although Wan Xiao treated him harshly, Cui Yun also treated him as his biological father.

Although he was not raised, giving him life is like a gift of regeneration, and calling him father is not a disadvantage.

Seeing that Wan Xiao closed his eyes and didn't even look at him, Cui Yun smiled lightly and said, "I bought a house outside the palace, and I want to take you and Master Jirong to retire there there."

"With a child serving by your side, the two of you won't feel bored."

Wan Xiao slowly raised her head when she heard the words, and thought for a moment before she could say anything.

"I don't want to cause you any trouble, but what should I do if you feel that we are burdensome after raising you for a day or two?"

"If you think the two of you are cumbersome, I'll just buy another house and move out."

Cui Yun smiled, only to feel that Wan Xiao lost his temper for no reason.

People always have some eccentricities when they get older, and his adoptive father has become more and more tricky since he got older.But even so, Cui Yun was not annoyed, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"The house is located on Qianjin Street. The place is quiet and far away from the busy city. There are only four houses on this street. This house is opposite the house of Zhenfu Li Chengzu."

As soon as the words fell, Wan Xiao opened his eyes and looked straight at Cui Yun.

"In the early years, due to the large number of people in the family, the Li family moved to this place. It happened that a family on Qianjin Street was released from the capital, so my son bought that house."

"There is nothing to change in the house, and the house has been repaired. The boy has already mentioned to the Holy Master about taking his adoptive father out of the palace to be raised. If you agree, today the boy can pick you up to live with Master Jirong."

Wan Xiao frowned: "Why did you think of buying a house here?"

Cui Yun said: "The foster father has been helping the Li family secretly all these years, presumably it's because of your old age. Now that you are being raised in the palace, it is more at ease to be by their side."

He has never found out the relationship between his adoptive father and the Li family. It is said that he holds Dongchang in his hand, so he shouldn't be able to find any clues about such a trivial matter.Now there is nothing, most likely because of the order of the adoptive father or the erasure of the connection between himself and the Li family.

The adoptive father must have some unusual friendship with the people of the Li family, but he has no intention of asking.

"Old friends who haven't seen each other for decades, although you can't go up to meet each other, it's good to have a look nearby."

"That's right, you should listen to Cui Yun."

Ji Rong came over with the wine and meat, put the things away and said, "Go and have a look, they probably don't remember who you are for a long time."

"It's almost old. If you die, you will have nothing. Don't be afraid to go and have a look."

"There are many descendants of the Li family, and we can enjoy a bit of excitement living next to it."

"I'm going to pack things for my adoptive father."

Regardless of whether Wan Xiao agrees or not, Ji Rong and Cui Yun will finalize the matter.

The two neatly packed their things and moved to the house on Qianjin Street within a few days.

This Qianjin Street is already out of the bustling area of ​​Shangjing, so it is very suitable for clean and elderly care.Moreover, the gates of Cui and Li's families are facing each other. Although they are the courtyards of the third entrance, they are not empty.

When Wan Xiao and Ji Rong moved in, a young eunuch who ran errands lived in the courtyard.

"The two old ancestors, the youngest name is Ankang, I wish you two elders peace and health."

Ji Rong smiled and said, "It's enough to call Master, what old ancestor?"

He asked Ankang to put his bundle into the house, and stood next to Wan Xiao to look at Li's residence with him.

"There is a prosperous place in Baoding Mansion called Wangchun Street. There are only two households on the entire street, one named Li and one named Zhang."

"Do you know why that street calls for Wangchun?"

Ji Rong smiled and shook his head, Wan Xiao said: "When the spring flowers bloom on the Chunri Mountain, you can see the spring from Wangchun Street at a glance, so the local people call that place Wangchun Street."

"Both Zhang and Li are well-known local Confucian businessmen, and they are also the leaders of the business gang. Over the years, they have donated money and materials to help countless people. At that time, when Baoding government mentioned Zhang and Li, everyone got a good name. Character."

Wan Xiao pointed to a banyan tree planted outside the street, and said with a smile: "I look familiar with this tree, I think it was in my home when I was young."

Jirong looked at the withered banyan tree and sighed in his heart.

"This place...is pretty good."

Turning around, Wan Xiao walked slowly into the courtyard, randomly found a room and went in to have a rest.

The next day when he came out of the house, he saw a rocking chair with huanghuali carvings and crabapple flowers in the courtyard. The chair was placed in the middle of the courtyard, facing the banyan tree in front of Li's house. Wan Xiao smiled faintly and sat on it. .

Serving the two of them has no work, and the mother-in-law handles the cleaning, so Ankang is only responsible for accompanying the two and making fun of them.

If one day Wan Xiao is in a good mood, it would be good for him to sit beside Wan Xiao and accompany him quietly.

I don't know what day it is today, the Li family next door has been noisy since the morning, a group of children chasing after each other, it sounds very lively.

Ankang was about to close the gate of the courtyard for fear of arguing with Wan Xiao, but he stopped him.

"You go back to the house, I'll be alone here quietly."

After Ankang left, Wan Xiao lay on the rocking chair, watching a group of little dolls running around in front of Li's house in a daze.

Among them was a girl who was wearing a red and blue embroidered "Fu" patterned jacket, who looked only three or four years old.But no matter which child saw it, they would rush past her, causing the little girl to cry.

Her voice was so loud that Wan Xiao felt that the little girl had been crying all morning.

"Stay with me, with me..."

Angrily, the little girl went to grab her companion, but when she couldn't catch it for a long time, she was so angry that she lifted the big stone at the door and smashed it on the ground with a bang.

Seeing this scene, Wan Xiao suddenly stood up.

The boulder was not small, and it left a shallow crater on the ground. A group of children were startled by her, and scattered away with a whoosh.

Seeing this appearance, Wan Xiao snorted and laughed.

The little girl heard his laughter, and ran towards him with small steps.

"You laugh at me……"

"No."

The little girl curled her mouth and was about to cry again, causing Wan Xiao to squat down hurriedly and said: "I never laughed at you, it's better for a girl to be stronger, she can protect herself in the future."

Pea-sized teardrops hung on her face, the little girl twitched twice, wiped her face and laughed again.

It turned out that she saw the rocking chair behind Wan Xiao.

"I……"

"I go……"

The little girl stretched out a short white finger, pointed at the chair to pull Wan Xiao's trouser leg.Wan Xiao hugged her into the rocking chair, and smiled beside her.

This little girl also gained a lot of strength from nothing, and her head is not as bright as Tao Qian's.

"Ankang, get the girl a plate of caramel."

A plate of caramel was placed in front of the little girl, Wan Xiao handed it to her, and the little girl started to eat it.

Children are prone to sleepiness, with sugar in their front feet, and heavy eyelids on their back feet, falling asleep on a chair.Wan Xiao watched quietly for a long while before asking Ankang to go to Li's house to find someone.

Not long after, a man came out of Li's house in a hurry. When he saw Wan Xiao, he bowed down and apologized.

"My little granddaughter is very skinny. I didn't want to run to your old place. Will she cause you trouble now?"

"Never."

Li Rui stepped forward to pick up the girl, and then bothered Wan Xiao.

When he was about to leave, Wan Xiao suddenly said: "This girl is very lovable, I see her strength is really amazing."

"It's so strange."

Li Rui smiled and said: "This little baby followed her great-grandmother, and she has a supernatural power since she was a child."

Speaking of this supernatural power, Li Rui smiled proudly, but with a simple sentence and slightly smiling eyes, Wan Xiao knew that Taoqian was a filial child.

He raised his lips and smiled: "Can she have a name?"

"Take it, call Yunxiang."

Wan Xiao nodded slowly after listening.

Seeing that he was kind, Li Rui chatted a few more words. When he left, Xiao Yunxiang blinked her sleepy eyes and looked at Wan Xiao wanting to cry, which made Wan Xiao suddenly think of many old things.

His father and Taoqian's father were childhood friends, Zhang's father left early, and the orphans and widows who were left were often worried about making a living.The Li family was richer than the Zhang family since childhood, so his father often helped Aunt Zhang's mother and son when he was young, and this support lasted for many years.

Later, the old lady of the Zhang family passed away, and after Zhang Bo kept his filial piety, he said that he would go out to make a living. His father couldn't bear Zhang Bo's lack of property, so he found a loan shark and paid 30 taels of silver to Zhang Bo.

Wan Xiao still remembered that when his father had a drink with Uncle Zhang, he would often talk about it.

"You don't know. When I came back from Jiangnan that day, I saw your father was beaten with a black nose and a swollen face. It turned out that he borrowed usury and couldn't pay it. He was chased and hid in Tibet, and he couldn't live in peace for several years."

Speaking of Xingtou, Uncle Zhang would pat his father's shoulder and shed a few tears.

Later, Uncle Zhang made his fortune abroad, and returned to Baoding Mansion to pay back the exorbitant usury the Li family had paid off, and even split the property he had worked hard for many years into two.

In this way, the two of them can stand out from Baodingfu in just over ten years.

And the marriage between him and Taoqian was also decided at the time when the two families were at their most prosperous.

Seeing Xiao Yunxiang today, Wan Xiao felt like seeing the childhood Taoqian again.

He was five or six years older than Taoqian, Uncle Zhang had always had a hard time offspring, when Taoqian was born, he already had four brothers and sisters.

No one was suitable, so the marriage fell on him.

When Taoqian was born, she was sculpted like jade, and her hands were very strong at a very young age.Usually when he teased her to play, he would be held tightly by her soft little hand.

When she was as young as Xiao Yunxiang, she would already be able to walk all over the ground with a copper basin by herself.

She is strong and does not know the severity, she will often scratch her peers, in order to watch her, he put the little Taoqian on his back at that time, and took her with him wherever he went.

And this stable life didn't last long, when something happened to Li's family, it happened very suddenly.

Years passed, and he couldn't remember clearly what happened at that time.But Wan Xiao vaguely knew that the two families had some kind of business in Shanghai at that time, and the business should have written the names of the two families, but Uncle Zhang said that he would send it to the Li family in advance as the dowry of Tao Qian, and only his father would be left behind. One handprint.

Wan Xiao still remembered that the night when the incident happened was already very quiet, when the moon was bright and the stars were thin, he was lying on the couch and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.Because during the day, Taoqian snatched off the pearl chain she was carrying, and it splashed all over the kitchen.

It wasn't a valuable item at all, but that night he wanted to get it back, so he went to the kitchen alone.

He was squatting in the kitchen and looking around, when he heard a low sob coming from outside.

Wan Xiao no longer remembered what happened at that time, he only knew that when he recovered, the whole family of Li's family had been slaughtered.

He watched those people throw the dead bodies of his parents, siblings into the car and transport them out overnight.

But he and his younger cousins ​​were strangled by someone, and they passed out.

But overnight, the family was destroyed.

Later, he was brought into the palace to purify himself as an eunuch, and several cousins ​​who entered the palace with him, because of their young age or for some reason, failed to survive the knife, and died one after another in the purify room. Body room.

Eyelids moved, Wan Xiao laughed mockingly.

The palace is really a place to eat people.

He was not yet ten years old when he came, but he nearly died several times. Later, he knew that if he wanted to survive in the palace, he had to regard himself as a beast, not as a human being.

In order to survive, he worshiped a eunuch in charge of the palace as his teacher. From that day on, he abandoned his identity as the son of the Li family and became a low-level eunuch in the palace, changing his name to Wan Xiao.

After many years of tossing and turning, Fang Fang inquired about the reason for the annihilation of the family, and knew who caused his family to be unmarried, and it was difficult to distinguish between people and ghosts.

It's ridiculous to say that his family of Li's was wiped out only because Zhang and Li's family bought a restaurant in Shangjing, which was the Cuiwei Restaurant that was later held by Duan Yiting and then moved to Shen Qianyu's hands.

Back then Duan Yiting wanted to buy it at a low price, but his father never agreed, so all of the Li family's entire family died overnight.

Rubbing her fingertips, Wan Xiao closed her eyes and couldn't help but look gloomy.

When he saw Taoqian again in the palace that year, he was very surprised.

Just because he had imagined what would happen to Zhang Bo's family.

At that time, he thought that Uncle Zhang would look for them for a few days, and after three, five, seven, eight, or even ten years, they would forget about the Li family and their marriage.

And Taoqian will find another good husband and live an ordinary life.

After all, the two families of Zhang and Li had many connections in Baoding Mansion at that time. He thought that the good fortune accumulated over the years would surely protect the Zhang family. Bo a ride.

But when Taoqian entered the palace, he knew that those who had been favored not only did not extend a helping hand, but also made trouble.

Hearing Taoqian's story about the end of Uncle Zhang's family, he felt even more heartbroken.

That little divine girl who was supposed to live a prosperous life and was pampered by her parents, ended up being a slave to others.

This really made him unbearable and unwilling.

He owed Uncle Zhang's family, and it was his debt to protect Taoqian's life without worries.

Wan Xiao sat on the huanghuali rocking chair, looked at the opposite door of the Li family and smiled faintly.

Taoqian had a very good life in this life, and she never suffered any grievances under his protection.

Now she is full of children and grandchildren. Although she has other troubles, the little girl who grew up on his back has never suffered from human suffering.

This is enough for him.