Envy

Mr. Zhao was short-tempered and didn't know how to tolerate, so he brushed off Yan Shuhan's face.Among the crowd, some were watching the fun, and some were secretly mocking, but they still put on a solemn look.

Yan Shuhan had no time to think about other things, so he ordered the old lady to be sent back, and then started preparing for the funeral banquet at noon.

Yan Zhaohan was still missing at the funeral banquet.Meng Tou was restless and had lost his appetite for many days. He only ate a few bites in the afternoon, and looked indifferently at the guests at the same table who were pretending to be sad.He didn't feel as sad as he imagined, but after the banquet, he felt that the wind blowing the lotus was mixed with a cold rusty smell.Difficulty breathing.

He wanted to go to Yan Zhaohan's courtyard, but on the way, he suddenly thought, since they were over, why bother to provoke him.Meng Tou lingered under the old plum tree, thought and thought, and finally felt that it would be fine if he was deceiving himself, just take a look.

He is too familiar with this road.In the past, every year when he came to Fulian, he had to have a meal with Shen Gui and Tongyan's family first.We have to say hello after dinner.His mind was always wandering outside, and as soon as he went out, he followed this path straight to Yan Zhaohan's yard, without a servant leading him.

He didn't want Yan Zhaohan to know when he came.Every time it appeared silently.

Once Yan Zhaohan was washing his hair under a tree in the yard, and put a basin of water on a high chair. He hung his head and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his snow-white neck and arms.His cat sleeps in the shade.Meng Tou just watched, waiting for him to look back.

At that time, I always felt that the days were slow and long, waiting for the winter snow to fall, the grass to grow, and the warblers to fly, and summer to look around in the too long days.Looking forward to the light boat of Fulian and the fragrance of white lotus, looking forward to the warm but not cold murmuring and staying together.

This time, there was no sign of him in the yard.Probably because in winter, the yard looks deserted and dreary.The well water dried up, and the scorpion grass withered.Hay and firewood were piled haphazardly under the eaves.He didn't see the snow velvet ball that loves to run around in the yard.

A voice came from behind him: "Atou."

He looked back and saw Zhao Zheng standing behind him.She was still wearing the original plain dress, and the white silk flowers on her hair were slightly slanted.She looked at him and asked, "Are you also here to see Young Master Yan?"

Meng Tou nodded, and asked back, "Didn't you go back with Mr. Zhao, why are you here?"

She smiled bitterly, and the corners of her mouth turned into dimples: "I sneaked here, Dad didn't know... I remembered that in Yong Ye, Qing Heng talked about his brother. What he was most worried about before his death was still the brother in the yard. This young man. I want to come and see him, and entrust this to him by the way..." Zhao Zheng showed him the white jade pendant in his hand.It is suet jade, and the jade is carved with a picture of fish playing with lotus.Jade beads are dyed purple, and the drooping tassels are gold.

She said: "This is Qingheng's jade. Leave it to the young master, let him remember it."

"Since it is the relic of Second Young Master Yan, you can keep it for yourself."

She rubbed the small piece of jade with her fingertips, obviously she was about to cry, but she bent her lips and smiled, with tears in her eyes: "No. It's just nostalgia."

"Ah Tou, I'm leaving first. Dad can't find me, so I don't know how angry I will be." She gave the pendant to Meng Tou, "When you see the young master, give this jade to him."

She only took two steps, as if she remembered something, she turned around again: "How old is Young Master Yan?"

Meng Tou was a little dazed by her question, and then replied, "Seventeen."

"You comfort him, just tell him that his second brother has no regrets in his life, let him not worry about it, and live a happier life than when his brother was still alive. Also, you tell him that Zhao Zheng is sorry for him I'm sorry for the Yan family. Zhao Zheng on Huangquan Road is willing to be with you. If you are lucky enough to meet Qing Heng again in the next life, you will stay together forever." Zhao Zheng thought for a while, "Don't say the last sentence, it's okay to say this. It's meaningless...I think he knows that his second brother will guard his health."

Meng Tou said, "You'd better tell him these words in person."

Zhao Zheng smiled lightly, without responding, pulled on the wide pocket of his cloak, and walked against the wind.The cloak had a fringe of white down at the end, coming up to her ankles.The cloak is unfurled, and the red laces on the clothes are flying.Meng Tou watched her back gradually disappear into the dust and the whiteness in the distance.

……

Meng Tou stood outside the gate of the mourning hall, while Yan Zhaohan stood by the coffin.

The candles were dimly lit, reflecting the two puppet figurines placed beside the tablet table.The elegiac couplet reads, "The peach blossoms and flowing water are gone, and the moon and the breeze are swimming in a few places."The plain flower curtain flutters with the wind.In the mourning hall, Yan Zhaohan was the only one who kept watch until dawn.Wearing plain clothes, holding a brush in his hand, he wrote on the paper money bag, "Speaking clearly and using it".

When he finished writing, he put down his pen and threw the paper money bag into the abandoned iron basin that was burning.The smoke was lingering, and he raised his eyes to see the name on the spirit card in the smoke, and he never left for a long time.

Meng Tou leaned against the sandalwood door.The moonlight poured down on the promenade, and the silhouettes of the branches were reflected.He didn't know that Fulian still had blooming flowers in this season.It's still early for the plum blossoms to bloom, and the petals of the unknown flower trees are shaking off in the night wind, and at what time they fall on the sill and in the moonlight.It was quiet at night.

He saw the little maid walking over with a puzzled face, and before she could speak, she walked up to her.That was the maid beside Yan Qingheng.On the day he first met Yan Zhaohan, she accompanied Yan Zhaohan to Fulian City to repair the piano, and beat him up with all her might. She was a hot-tempered little girl.

Later he stayed in Fulian for a while, and sometimes Yan Qingheng asked her to send some things to Yan Zhaohan.She and Meng Tou had seen each other several times.

Meng Tou motioned her to speak softly.

"Mr. Meng, why are you standing outside, why don't you go in and accompany the young master?"

"I'll just come and have a look, and I won't go in and mess with him." Meng Tou looked at the food in the food box she was holding, frowned and said in a low voice, "He doesn't eat spicy and greasy food, and he doesn't like to eat shepherd's purse. These You should also give him something light every day."

The maid looked down at the food she was serving, and muttered: "But a few days ago, Mr. Jiang Tongjiang came to give the young master, and it was almost the same. The young master ate it... But not too much, I thought it was Because the second young master... the second young master is gone, and the young young master is in a bad mood, so I ate so much." When she mentioned Yan Qingheng, she was a little choked up, and hurriedly lowered her eyes.

Meng Tou was still stunned by the phrase "Mr. Jiang Tong Jiang", and after listening to her talk for a while, he said, "Tomorrow, I will make a few light dishes and send some porridge. I don’t remember to add clothes. You come over at night and bring him a cloak and cloak. Since it’s a vigil and he insists on sleeping here, you prepare another mattress for him.”

The servant girl nodded and said: "I see... the second young master is gone, I asked to take care of the young young master myself, I was too dull."

"Please take good care of him."

She raised her head to meet his sincere gaze, then lowered her head to nod hesitantly, but she couldn't even say a word she swore.No one would take better care of Yan Zhaohan than him, she thought.