New widow

Before Mrs. Chu finished speaking, Magistrate Chu interrupted her again: "Don't say these words. After all, my brother is not your father and mother. If it is your parents who committed the crime today, then you think it is okay, but this crime Yes, he is your brother, and he committed such a big thing and committed incest."

Mrs. Chu was speechless and could only remain silent. Although Magistrate Chu said that she would leave the next day, when she came the next day, there were many guests coming to pay her respects. The guests who came back to pay her respects were naturally the gentry of this city. .

These gentry naturally invited Chu Zhixian to a banquet and enjoy the flowers. Chu Zhixian had just found a position, so he naturally wanted to socialize more. It was still early for him to take office because of his superiors, so Chu Zhixian readily agreed, and The magistrate of Chu County went to socialize, and of course Mrs. Chu was also invited by those gentry and ladies.

So the couple started socializing in the city. The gentry in the city held a banquet to enjoy the flowers, and these things would naturally reach Su Qiao's ears. As Wu Wu spoke, she still said it was a pity: "What a pity, if not during the filial piety period, I would have invited some wives." When grandma comes to enjoy the flowers, she can also ask them to see what kind of person is worthy of our girl."

"Zhen'er, how come it's time to get married?" Suqiao didn't expect that Aunt Wu would say this, and was stunned for a moment. Grandma Wu smiled: "It means that things happened one after another in the family. Otherwise, when we came to pick up the girl last year, no, the year before, we would have heard in a daze that the Duke of Guo was already there to find a marriage for the girl."

Speaking of which, these things happened within a year, but why did Su Qiao feel that it had been such a long time. So Suqiao smiled: "It's just that my life is confusing."

"It's not that you are confused, it's just that too many things have happened." Aunt Wu also lamented that when she came here to pick up Song Zhen, she never thought that she would come here and live here for such a long time.

"Aunt Kuang." Song Zhen's voice had already sounded. Su Qiao raised her head and looked at her: "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at Bo Zhen's writing." Song Zhen said, putting a piece of paper in front of Su Qiao: "I think her writing is better than mine."

"How can this be possible?" Mrs. Du happened to come over to deliver something. When she heard Song Zhen say this, she hurriedly smiled and said: "She is just a beginner in writing, how can she compare to your handwriting, girl?"

"You don't know, I just can't write well." Song Zhen said with emotion: "My mother often said, she doesn't know who she is following me, she just can't sit still. "

"Follow the Duke." Mother Wu said smoothly. When she saw everyone looking at her, she smiled and said, "I also heard what Nanny Chen said. Nanny Chen said, the Duke When I was little, I couldn't sit still. Later, when I got older, I got better, but it didn't get better for a few years."

Suqiao no longer had any impression of Song An, and Song Zhen couldn't help but laugh: "It's really strange, I've never met him, but I would follow him."

"He is your father after all." Su Qiao patted Song Zhen, and Song Zhen held her chin with her hands: "Yes, he is my father, but," But what, Song Zhen did not continue, but this father, He could leave Song Zhen and her daughter here and ignore them for many years. It wasn't until his mother was about to die that he ordered someone to take him back.

And their father-daughter relationship was so shallow that they never even met each other, and Song An was gone. Song Zhen wanted to sigh again, but Song Zhen looked at Su Qiao. Fortunately, the superficial father-daughter bond allowed her to meet Su Qiao and allowed her to stay here peacefully.

The wind blew and blew the begonia flowers down. Suqiao watched the begonia petals fall on Song Zhen's shoulders and couldn't help but smile. This was enough. A little superficial fate brought her and Song Zhen to meet. Without Song Zhen's company, Su Qiao felt that she might bury herself in that deep courtyard, watch her age grow old, her black hair turn into white hair, live silently, and die, perhaps, well. It was earth-shattering, after all, there was a British duchess in the title.

But what is the use of those mourning and honors after death? I am gone and I don’t know anything.

"In a few days, the peonies will bloom." Sister-in-law Wu's voice came. Su Qiao and Song Zhen looked up and saw that the peony buds were really showing a little bit of red, no longer as tight as the green ones a few days ago. Tight.

"What color is this peony?" Suqiao asked, which shocked Sister-in-law Wu: "I don't know that either. Madam, you bought it."

Yeah? Suqiao smiled again: "I actually forgot that I bought this peony."

"I told you at that time that if you plant these peonies in August, they will not survive. Fortunately, they will bloom even if they survive." As she said this, Sister-in-law Wu poured a ladle of water into the peonies.

There were a few more heavy knocks on the door. Manager Wu opened the door and came to Suqiao: "Madam, it's Mrs. Chu from before. She said she was going to a banquet and was a little thirsty on the way. She passed by here. I came here to ask for a drink of water."

Su Qiao stood up and ordered Sister-in-law Wu to prepare tea, but Mrs. Chu had already walked in. She was not as anxious today as she was that day, and she was also dressed very gorgeously. Seeing Su Qiao, Mrs. Chu smiled and said, "I'm here today." I was in such a hurry that I forgot to drink water, and I felt thirsty only when I got here."

"This is normal. Please sit down here." Suqiao asked Mrs. Chu to sit under the flower tree. Mrs. Chu looked around and praised: "This yard is really nice."

"As a widowed person, there is nothing to do but tidy up the yard and look at the flowers and plants." Sister-in-law Wu came up with tea and snacks, and Su Qiao poured Mrs. Chu a cup of tea herself.

"You are still very young." Mrs. Chu looked at Su Qiao's beautiful face and said sincerely. Su Qiao smiled faintly. Mrs. Chu knew that the two had known each other for a short time, so there was no need to talk so deeply, so Mrs. Chu I just drank a cup of tea, put down the cup and said with a smile, "It's time for me to go, I have to go to the banquet."

Just as Su Qiao was about to stand up and send her out, the little girls ran out of the main room, with Wen Wen running at the front: "I want to go eat..."

Mrs. Chu was startled when she suddenly saw these little girls. When the little girls saw Mrs. Chu, they also stopped in a hurry. Su Qiao had already smiled at Wen Wen and said, "But you still remember how to greet people when you meet them."

"Remember, remember!" Bozhen spoke first. She stepped forward and saluted Mrs. Chu: "I wish you well."

Bozhen did it, and the children saluted Mrs. Chu one by one. Mrs. Chu wanted to return the gift, but Su Qiao held her back. After the little girls left, Mrs. Chu smiled and said, "What are you doing?"

"I was a widower and bored, so I found these little girls and taught them how to work as female workers. I also taught them how to calculate accounts. If there are still smart ones, I could teach them how to write. I could also read a little bit."