A Timely Wife

Seeing his father crying, Zhou Jingxiu couldn't help wetting his eyes. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said to Prime Minister Zhou: "Why did father say this? The child knows his father's intentions. I just ask my father to take care of himself. The father is gone, and the child really doesn't know what to do."

Prime Minister Zhou wiped away the tears on his face with his sleeve, and heaved a long sigh, "Your mother's health is getting worse these days, I'm afraid she won't have many days left, after your mother leaves, I'm going to let you get married again for my father." My younger brother resigned from office to support his soul and return to his hometown, and will serve as a filial piety for three years on behalf of our father and son, and you will send all your children back when the time comes, and you must save some flesh and blood for our old Zhou family."

Zhou Jingxiu was silent for a while, and said, "Father, if we send everyone back, will it arouse the court's suspicion?"

"I can't take care of it anymore. The chaos is coming. My father thinks that our Great Chu will be in chaos in two years at most." Prime Minister Zhou said.

"Up to two years?" Zhou Jingxiu repeated in surprise.

"The bones of the upper body are not very good today, I'm afraid it will only happen in the past two years." Prime Minister Zhou said softly.

"Well, how could this be? You are in the middle of your life today, and you are not in good health. Is the news true?" Zhou Jingxiu was taken aback, a little unbelievable.

"Three years ago, the imperial concubine recommended a Taoist priest to Jinshang. She said that he was more than five hundred years old and was a living god. This so-called living god gave Jinshang some kind of health-enhancing pills. It is said that he felt much better today and that night, and then he gave him a few things. Today, he has more and more trust in this Taoist priest. At the beginning, as a father, he persuaded him not to believe these things, but he was reprimanded by him. After a pause, Weifu persuaded him a few more times, and now he hates Weifu even more, and now he doesn't even want to see Weifu anymore.

And Jinshang's body and bones have also shown something wrong since last year. I don't feel it myself, but the veterans who left behind to assist the father and the late emperor can see that there is obviously an abnormality in Jinshang's physical condition. You don't have a face. Opportunity, so I don't know the situation of the Holy Majesty.

Moreover, my father also has a very good doctor in the Imperial Hospital. He told my father that his body has been emptied. These days, he has become more and more dependent on the Taoist elixir. Things, temperament and temperament are completely different from before, the doctor is telling Wei father to be prepared, I am afraid that the days will not be long. "

After Prime Minister Zhou finished speaking, he suddenly remembered the little emperor who was only as tall as his knees, pulled his sleeves, raised his face and asked himself what his name was, what he did, and would he often play with him in the future? How did you answer him, like squatting in front of the little emperor, telling the little emperor that he would be with him in the future, read and read with him, play with him, as long as he needed me, I would be by his side Yes, it's a pity that I still want to accompany him, but he doesn't need it anymore.

"Father, my son would like to ask, but father has already arranged the funeral?" Zhou Jingxiu asked in a low voice.

Prime Minister Zhou lowered his head and smiled, and said: "There is nothing to arrange for my father. I have never taken a tael of silver that I should not have taken for my father in my life, and I have never done anything to be sorry for the court. The mansion I live in is a gift from the emperor." Except for Li Yin and the few shops left by the ancestors and Zhuangzi, the father has no other private property, even the ancestral house in the hometown needs to be repaired before people can live in it. Tell me, what else needs to be arranged for the father.”

Zhou Jingxiu couldn't help but said: "Since that's the case, why is father worried that his life will be lost in the future? From my child's point of view, no one can find a reason to punish you."

Prime Minister Zhou laughed and shook his head, and said: "You child, it is also because the old man has taught you too honestly and protected you too well, so that you have no awareness of these things at all. If you want to punish someone, why bother?" What is the reason? At that time, no matter who you are, the king, the minister, and the minister will have to die. If you want to commit a crime, there is no excuse. As a father, I really just want to know what kind of crime they will use to punish the father. .”

Speaking of this, Prime Minister Zhou smiled and said: "Jingxiu, as a father, I will do my best to protect you, but you have been in the court for too long, and your roots are too deep. I think they will not tolerate you. I have harmed you, if my father had not insisted on letting you enter the court, you would not have suffered such a crime at this time."

Zhou Jingxiu shook his head and said: "Being reborn as the father's son, the child will not regret it in this life. If he is lucky enough to die with his father, it would be even better. In the next life, the child will still want to be the father's son, listen to the father's teachings, and live in the future." Father is filial to his knees."

Prime Minister Zhou looked at his eldest son. The child who was only not much bigger than his two palms had grown so big in a blink of an eye, and his hair had begun to grow white. Father, he taught him to write, teach him to read, taught him the principles of life, taught him the way of being an official, and now, he is going to teach him how to face life and death.

"Okay, in the next life we ​​will still be father and son, and I will teach you how to read and write, and teach you how to behave." Prime Minister Zhou's eyes were red, and he reached out his hand, just like Zhou Jingxiu did when he was young, and touched his head. He bent down to touch the back of his head, but now he has to touch his head with his feet.

The father and son finished talking in the study room and left the study room one after another. Both of them came out of the study room after tidying up their emotions, doing their own things as if nothing had happened.

Prime Minister Zhou went straight to Songshou Garden, which was the courtyard where he and his old wife lived. The old wife's health became worse and worse. The imperial doctor came several times and told him to let the old wife eat and drink something good. I guess The old wife had a premonition when she thought about it, and she became more and more clingy to herself in the past few days. Every day she would pull herself to talk about the past, talk about Yaoer's marriage, and say that she would go back to her when she left. Marry one, so that he can be taken care of, and she can rest assured under Jiuquan.

He nodded with a smile every time, recalling the past with his old wife, and often the old wife fell asleep while talking, and he would cut the old wife's hair, look at her quietly for a while, and then Going to take care of his own affairs, he was engaged to his old wife since he was a child, a young couple, up to now, rich or poor, his old wife never left him, and gave birth to three such excellent sons He had to be accompanied by such a woman in his life, even if he died, he would be willing.

It is also a good thing for the old wife to walk in front of him. He had thought before that one day, one of them would go first. If possible, he hoped that the old wife would go first, so that he could serve her by her bed and send her away. At that time, no matter how hard it is, the old wife will not bear it. The dead have passed away, but the living must live strong. It is good to go first. He is in a high position, not a prisoner.

Prime Minister Zhou’s only prayer is that the old wife walk slowly on Huangquan Road, wait for him, he will not let the old wife wait too long, he will catch up, hold the old wife’s hand, and then reincarnate together, and they will be husband and wife in the next life , if there is an afterlife, he will definitely not take the imperial examination again, he will be a farmer, he will go to the fields every day, and his old wife will make clothes and shoes at home, and bring the children to deliver meals to him, and they will be an ordinary couple, Happy people.

When Prime Minister Zhou entered the room, the old wife was still sleeping. He just sat down on the edge of the bed when the old wife opened her eyes as if feeling something.

"Husband, are you here?" The old wife looked at him with deep nostalgia in her eyes.

"Well, did it wake you up?" Prime Minister Zhou stretched out his hand to straighten the old wife's quilt.

"No, I have something to tell my husband." The old wife said with a smile.

Prime Minister Zhou seemed to have a premonition, so he said, "Tell me, why should we be so polite as husband and wife."

"Husband, I just had a dream. I dreamed that on the night of our marriage, you took off my red hijab and told me that please let me take care of you for the rest of my life. Follow you, I will follow you up the mountain of swords and down into the sea of ​​fire, I want to stay with you for a few more years, Yao'er is not married yet, I haven't seen Yao'er's child yet, I am not reconciled, I am waiting for my wife to leave , if Yao'er gets married, the husband remembers to send a message to the concubine, so that the concubine will be happy too.

Others say that I am a blessed person, and I feel the same way. If there is an afterlife, I still want to spend my whole life with you, even if we can only live in poverty. , I want to leave you first, although the husband always says that he will find another person to accompany you, but the concubine knows that the husband will definitely not look for him again, leaving you alone to suffer in this world, is the concubine body is not.

The concubine will wait for her husband by the side of the Naihe bridge. If the husband does not come, the concubine will not leave, and the concubine will not drink Mengpo soup. I don’t want to forget my husband, not at all. . "I don't know when, tears have flowed down her cheeks and fell on the bed.

Prime Minister Zhou turned his head away, not wanting his old wife to see his tears. He wiped the corners of his eyes, turned his head, and said with a smile: "What stupid things are you talking about again? Let's make a good marriage for Yao'er together. Watching Yao'er have children, our eldest grandson is already ten years old, and it's time to get engaged in two years. At that time, I still expect you, my grandmother, to find him a good marriage. Good daughter-in-law, that's the eldest grandson of our Zhou family. You can't be sloppy at all. When the eldest grandson gets married, we can have a great-grandson in our arms. You see, at that time, there will be a child growing up with your great-grandmother. Zeng Yu's mother is short, how wonderful, and will serve you tea, beat your legs, and chat with you, you, just take care of your illness with peace of mind, and let us hug our great-grandson together when the illness is cured, okay? ?”

As if seeing the scene described in Prime Minister Zhou's words, Prime Minister Zhou's old wife closed her eyes and smiled, but soon, her smile disappeared. She opened her eyes and said, "Husband, concubine I really want to see it, I want to see the appearance of my great-grandson, and the appearance of my youngest wife, but unfortunately, I can’t wait. Husband, please read to me again what was written in the marriage letter back then, okay? ?”

With tears in his eyes, Prime Minister Zhou said, "Okay."

After finishing speaking, Prime Minister Zhou picked up the old wife from the bed, let her lean in his arms, and said slowly: "The marriage of two surnames, a contract under one house, a good relationship will last forever, and the match has the same name. Look at this peach blossom, which is suitable for an IKEA family." , It is predicted that the melons will continue to grow in the next year, Erchang Erchi, I would like to write to Hongjian with the agreement of white heads, so that the alliance of red leaves will be recorded in the mandarin records, this is the proof."

Before Prime Minister Zhou finished reading, the old wife had already closed her eyes forever in his arms. Prime Minister Zhou did not stop this passage, but insisted on reading the marriage letter he wrote to his old wife word by word. Once again, the last testimony was so light that it could hardly be heard. Zhou Chengxiang lowered his head, looked at the old wife who seemed to be asleep, and said, "Wait for me, I will go to you right away, you must go Slow down, don't drink Mengpo soup, don't drink Naihe Bridge."

A day later, the prime minister's mansion hung white lanterns.