Shanglin Night Snow

The moon is dark and the wind is high.

Xun Miao's legs submerged in the water had already lost feeling, and his body could not stop sliding—his frozen hands could no longer hold onto the protruding but slippery embankment stones.

There was the sound of fighting on the shore.

Guo Kai!Was that black shadow that he caught a glimpse before falling into the water really him?

Turn the last strength of the whole body from the hands to the dantian, take a deep breath, "Huiqing!" With a cry, the person has fallen sharply.The river was piercing, and while he was still able to speak, he repeatedly called out "Help!"

"Zhiwei!" In an instant, the man's voice came from the shore: "Zhiwei, is that you?"

"Yes..." The word "I" was poured back by the river water pouring into the mouth, and the pain in the calf was unbearable as if it had been hit by something. I couldn't even struggle, but I just waved my arms desperately out of instinct.Ups and downs in the water for several times, the river water poured in from the mouth and nose from time to time, choking the chest pains and stomach sinking, the eyes became more and more blurred, vaguely saw a black shadow approaching in front of him, and reached out but found nothing.Immediately after sinking, the icy river flowed over the top of the head, the chest pain intensified, a sense of despair surged, and when the mind gradually lost, a scene appeared clearly in front of the eyes of the green mist: it was the joint efforts of everyone after dawn Salvage a floating body in the river...

Drowsy for a while.

When consciousness returned, I felt my chest was tight, like a big rock was pressing on it. Every time I exhaled, half of my body's energy was consumed, but there was still a force jumping and pressing down between my chest and abdomen, squeezing my lungs out. up.

Xun Miao felt that he was not dead yet, because the dead did not need to breathe, but he was still dying.

It turns out that living is so tiring, it is not easy to take a breath!Xun Miao really wanted to lament for himself (if he could still save that breath): Not only that, but he also has to eat, drink, be an official, earn money, and be bullied by others. How difficult this life is!

"Zhiwei, Zhiwei... Xun Miao!" Who is whispering in his ears?Xun Miao didn't want to open his eyes, but he couldn't.However, that person was also a violent person, and he refused to respond, but he threw his hands and face in the face!Xun Miao turned her head to hide, but just moved her throat, and a cold feeling came into her throat——ah, it's really not suitable to drink so much river water in this cold weather.

After working so hard to drink a full belly of water and vomit it all, when Xun Miao collapsed back, in addition to the disgusting smell of mud, there was still a faint smell of mutton soup in his mouth—woohoo, what a pity that A bowl of hot gourd soup.However, his chest finally loosened, and he finally opened his mouth and sighed: "Hey, people's hearts are unpredictable!"

"Zhiwei!... Xun Miao!", the voices echoed in his ears, Xun Miao didn't bother to open his eyes, and just in time to protect his face with his sleeves before the palm wind came back: Guo Kai, even if I really shouldn't tonight , but let you blame it, you don't want to push an inch, the face of a dignified seventh-rank court official, do you want to hit it when you say it?

"Zhiwei, how are you?" Guo Kai was anxious.

how?If it hadn't been soaked in water from the lungs to the mouth and nose, Xun Miao would have laughed dryly: "You think you are smart, you take risks with your own body, you make one mistake after another, you fall into the trap, and you lose your life, what do you think?"

"I..." I opened my mouth, but my voice was like a gnat, my larynx was hurting, but I still tried my best to spit out two words: "Cold—ah!"

Putting a drenched person on an unsheltered river embankment in the middle of the night, how different is it from killing?

He lifted his eyelids vigorously, but only opened a crack, without seeing anything clearly, the heavy eyelids fell off again and again.Xun Miao felt that his soul was gradually coming out of his body...

Is it really dead this time?However, it is not very comfortable to die, the body is light and heavy, sometimes hot and cold, sometimes it seems to be in the sky, and sometimes it seems to fall into the ground... Also, those noisy sounds... the dojo spread out?

"Zhiwei... Ah Miao..."

But hearing this, Xun Miao's three souls and seven souls trembled together: I don't think so, there are still people in this world who miss him Xun Miao!

Listen carefully... the voice is lacking in breath, sad but not complaining... but it's not Guo Kai... the second treasurer? !

If Xun Miao is still able to speak, he must persuade him to mourn and change. After all, such things as crying spirits are neither relatives nor causes, so I dare not bother, but if I really have the heart, I might as well remind his hard-hearted brother: I don’t want to worry about myself. If you come here often to make troubles, go to Fuquan Temple to do rituals to save yourself, lest the three souls and six souls will never go far away. It has been a long time, but they are still wandering in the house, and there is no bull-headed horse coming to ask for their souls. What a dereliction of duty!Does it matter whether he is a man or a ghost, is he really insignificant?

Xun Miao couldn't swallow this bad breath: come on, since both the human and ghost worlds can't tolerate him, I will go to heaven to seek justice!Thinking about it, I fluttered upwards, and only for a moment when my back touched the beams, did I feel annoyed: I am already a ghost, but I still have no way to penetrate the wall!

"Hey, why don't you go through the door?"

Who is speaking?However, it makes sense!

Just as he was about to float down towards the window, the wind suddenly rang in his ears, before he could regain his senses, he was pushed down by a force behind him, and his whole body paused——

Pain, the muscles and bones all over his body seemed to be sore by a big hand wanton kneading, Xun Miao couldn't help moaning | groaning.

"A Miao, A Miao..." Hearing this faint and hollow voice, there was a tinge of joy, and Xun Miao was suddenly displeased: Fang said that he was neither relative nor relative, so don't cry!If you want to cry, you can cry more heartily, why bother?Anger arises from his heart, wishing to open his eyes and pretend to be a dead body to frighten others, but when he opened it, he opened it!

The moment when the eyes were finally gathered together, there was a burst of heart palpitations, the hairs on the whole body stood on end, and the ghost came out of the body: the pale face on the top---could it be him looking in the mirror?Or... has Bai Wuchang arrived? ?

While staring, that face actually opened his mouth: "A Miao, you finally woke up, it's been a few days, I thought..." He choked up, covered his face and couldn't speak.

This voice... Xun Miao looked at the face carefully again: "Er...?" He opened his mouth, but barely uttered a word, almost silently.

The man suddenly rejoiced: "It's me, Guo Jian!"

Xun Miao moved his mouth again, but this time he made a sound, as if he said the word "Guo".

Guo Jian was quick to understand: "My eldest brother has to go to the Yamen during the day, and visits you at night. I don't feel relieved to leave you and that dry boy to take care of me, so I stay here during the day." He turned around helplessly: "Can't you go through the door? If you don't take a few steps, you can become a fairy?"

"Didn't you think I opened the door too loudly, for fear of disturbing the Xun officials?" It sounded like a child's voice, a little aggrieved, "I'll just ask, can you bring the soup this time? And medicine, at this moment fry it?"

After answering him one by one, hearing the sound of footsteps going away, Guo Jian took some warm tea and carefully fed it to the patient. After a while of soup was delivered, Xun Miao drank some more, and finally some traces appeared on his face. Angry, seeing that Guo Jian wanted to make him lie down again, he shook his head: "I've been lying down for a long time, and now I'm tireless, and I want to sit for a while." He cupped his hands, "I'm sorry to have troubled the second shopkeeper these days. When I recover, I will come to the door to thank you."

Guo Jian said that he didn't need to: "Zhiwei is superstitious. Although you and I haven't known each other for a long time, when we first met at the Chen Ji fruit shop, I recognized you as my precious best friend in this life! Then you met my elder brother and met him. It’s really fate that I agree with you. In fact, now I have treated you as my own family, so you have the right to be at home here, so you don’t have to be cautious.”

My family!Xun Miao's heart twitched, and there seemed to be a warm current flowing through his chest. When the light flickered, the corners of his eyes were actually slightly sour.After a while, he said softly, "Really?"

"Of course!" The man was decisive, and then showed a few traces of embarrassment, "I just think, since I am a family member, I always call Zhiwei or Brother Xun to see others, if you don't give up, I will call you as ah from now on." Miao, and I don’t know how old you are, you can call me the second shopkeeper or the second elder brother, what do you think?”

"A Miao..." Although I felt a little weird, but it is undeniable that compared with "Brother Xun" or "Zhiwei", the two words are really close, so I nodded, "Okay, let's call A Miao!"

After all, the cold and heat have receded, and he woke up from a coma. After talking for a while, Xun Miao felt tired. Guo Jian thought he should have taken the medicine and had a rest earlier, so he went to the kitchen to ask questions, while Xun Miao took advantage of the gap to rest his mind. However, I still think about what that person said just now, and I feel a lot of emotion.

Not long after, the door knocked lightly. Although he didn't smell the medicine, Xun Miao said bitterness in his mouth, and he sat up reluctantly. When the man had just entered the door and was about to get busy, he seemed to ask casually: "Second shopkeeper, Do you think that your eldest brother will treat me as your own family like you?"

There was a long silence.

Xun Miao was terrified, and peeped, but saw that tall figure still standing in front of the door, wearing a blue robe, which seemed a little thinner in this day and night...

Blue Robe——No!The second shopkeeper is wearing Tsing Yi today!

With a fever in his forehead, Xun Miao slowly leaned back on the pillow behind him.

The door rang again, and after a while, Guo Jian's surprised voice sounded in the room: "Brother, I got back too early today!" His joyful eyes turned to the bed: "A Miao finally woke up, she seems to be in good spirits, you don't have to worry." After saying that, the two of them didn't make a sound, although they felt a little strange, but they didn't take it seriously, Gu Zi took out the medicine cup, and the moment he lifted the bowl lid, a bitter smell with some mutton spread in the small inner room, making Guo Kai frowned again and again.

"A Miao, I prepared candied fruit with you. After you drink the medicine for a while, press this kumquat under your tongue, and the bitterness will dissipate after a while." Picking up the small dish containing golden candied fruit, Guo Jian cast his eyes on bed.

However, before Xun Miao could say thanks, the elder brother had already opened his mouth to see off the guests: "It's getting late, you should go back to the shop earlier, I'm here."

"Ah?...Oh." Some good intentions were met with cold reception. Guo Jian was not too upset except that he had not seen Xun Miao's satisfaction and gratitude after tasting the candied fruit. Anyway, he was used to it, but If the elder brother speaks, he will do so.Unexpectedly, he turned around and taught the man to call out: "Wait a minute, wash your face before going out. It's already dark, it's a crime to surprise the old man and childish."

"Huh?" Guo Jian was startled, raised his hand to touch his face, and suddenly realized: "Jin Fu recently made some new powders, and said that I don't visit the shop for the past two days, and it's okay to have a weird face, so she taught me I tried it..." Yan Lai actually beamed with joy, "I don't think this powder is really good, it's so white, you can't get rid of it if you don't do it..." Yan Jian suddenly saw his brother sweeping his eyes, and immediately lowered his eyes: "I'm going to wash it now !” Yan Jian bowed his head and lowered his eyebrows and walked out quickly.

"The medicine is cold, drink it." Guo Kai brought the medicine bowl in his hand, and Guo Kai stood beside the bed with candied fruit in one hand, urging him.

Xun Miao seemed to have also contracted Guo Jian's guilty conscience, he only knew how to do what he said, and didn't dare to say "no".

Holding his breath and concentrating on it, he poured the bitter thing into his throat with a big gulp. After a while, he handed back the medicine bowl, resisted vomiting, and took the golden and attractive candied fruit into his mouth as if snatching it. He took a deep breath, but what happened? Unexpectedly, this exhalation was too hasty, and the candied fruit that had not yet been pressed under the tongue was sucked into the throat!

"Cough, cough, cough..." She rubbed her chest and coughed fiercely, but the deadly candied fruit was still stuck and could not get out. Xun Miao blushed and was weak, and the feeling of chest heaviness and air congestion that day in the water reappeared.

Seeing him pointing at his throat, Guo Kai realized that he was choking, so he patted his back for a few times but it didn't work. He remembered seeing a scene where a doctor rescued a choking child: he lifted the person upside down and slapped his back hard, as if beating and shaking An upside-down robe or bedding.However... I glanced at the person in front of me: Even if he was born with Kongwu, it would not be easy to lift a grown man upside down. After thinking about it, he stretched out his hand to pass through the other's armpit, and locked it firmly around his chest. , carrying the man up and down, shaking his back, patting his back in between, for a moment, suddenly heard a strange cough in the man's throat, and something flew out of his mouth and landed on the quilt, it was candied fruit.

It's done!Guo Xie breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and was about to support the man back to the pillow, but unexpectedly, he felt his thighs warm up, and then his waist tightened, and he heard a sharp cry——the man hugged him. Watching him cry bitterly!Tears were raging, and the skirts of the clothes were wet after a short time. It was a pity for Guo Kai's new winter clothes.

Guo Kai couldn't see anyone crying, especially this one: he nearly died twice within a few days, and it was not uncommon for him to shed two tears quietly for a while, but it made Guo Kai feel distressed to cry like no one else. This scene happened more than ten years ago when Guo Jian tore off Guo Jian’s peach red dress in the garden without his family behind his back, and after he was covered in mud all over his body to make him crawl and gnaw grass roots... But compared to the people in front of him , Guo Jian is really quite coaxing, he kicked two kicks to intimidate him, and then weaved a flower skirt with him, and immediately the rain cleared and the clouds cleared, and the laughter was as good as ever...

I fell into deep thought for a while: Speaking of coaxing people... Guo Kai knows that there are many good things about him, but which one can impress him?Come to think of it... Forget it, just try everything.

It is known that he likes sweets... Guo Kai looked at the two candied fruit still in the plate, hesitated: "Is your mouth still bitter? There are still two candied kumquats..." Before finishing his words, he saw the The shoulders trembled more and more.

Thinking about it, I just choked on it!Guo Kai shook his head: "How about teaching the kitchen to make some sweet soup?" After thinking about it, "Or cheesecake?"

The crying became more and more miserable.

"Sheep soup? Duck in sauce? Hoof?" Stamped his feet: "Come on, salted fish!"

The sticky feeling seemed to seep into the underwear.

Guo Kai showed despair: "Do you want to be happy... But it just ate a pair of raw water, bit two mice in the yamen in the afternoon, and gnawed a mouthful of mud in the flower bed..."

The crying stopped abruptly.

When the silence suddenly subsided, Guo Kai was not used to it, seeing the head that had been attached to his waist for half a day always slowly move away, revealing a dull face, he was relieved, and turned around: "I'm going to find happiness." Fu, but you must first teach someone to wash it..."

His waist suddenly sank, and a hoarse voice came from behind: "I--don't--Xifu!"

Slightly frowning, looking down at the hands on his waist that showed bones from tightly clutching the front of his clothes, Guo Kai thought for a while, then turned to look at the pair of despairing and unwilling eyes: "Didn't you just ask, I Do you regard you as your own family? And that day on the embankment, when you thought you were dead, Qin Liu sent a message to me, and told me to tell you before your soul—"

Xun Miao was taken aback, when the scene of the night suddenly appeared in front of him like a spring----

He taught two burly men to drag them up the river embankment, and he knew that there were many dangers and dangers. After the horror, his heart was sad and even more unwilling: it is a great regret not to be rewarded for his ambition, but it is even more hateful to lose his life at the hands of villains!

"Wait a minute!" Qin Liuzhi's self-satisfied voice came from behind.

Seeing him stepping forward, waving his hands to signal the two men to take the rag from Xun Miao's mouth, he spoke regretfully but pretended to be: "Xun Xingcheng, you have always been proud of your talents, and you don't take Qin in your eyes, but you never thought of it. A Jinshi who is full of talent and learning, but he finally taught me, a loser, to play around with applause? Back then, it was only a handful of cake crumbs that separated you and Guo Kai effortlessly, but today it is easier to kill you. Is it too much to say?"

Xun Miao clenched his fist and said nothing.

The man changed the topic: "However, after all, it depends on you and I getting acquainted, and I owe you my life, so if you have any last wishes at the end of your life, you might as well come up with this way. If it is feasible, I will do it for you."

The night wind blows the leaves, and the sound sounds like a bitter cry.

Xun Miao smiled sadly: "Forget it, you can tell Guo Kai for me, the night in the small courtyard in Nancheng, now that I think about it, I'm relieved, so I asked him to tell me before my soul, does he still regret it?"

After saying that, the two men pushed him towards the river. At this moment, several figures suddenly appeared in front of him, and a startled "Someone!"

"You wipe away your tears, lie down immediately, and promise that you will never be like that again, and I will tell you." The calm voice pulled Xun Miao back from his imagination.Immediately, like Feng Lunyin, he raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears from his face, turned around and put down the pillow, lay down on his back, and Guo Kai tucked in the quilt for him.Every move can be called agile.

Those eyes full of hope stared straight at the person above, and his voice was hoarse but full of hope: "Say it!" His expression was like a child waiting for the candy to fall.

Fanwaiji

In front of Chen Ji's fruit shop.

In front of the queue that was so long that it dragged to the corner, a person announced loudly in front of the counter: "Dried apricots, preserved peaches, dried dates, and candied plums are one or two each! I also want lotus heart sugar cakes, crabapple cakes, plum cakes, and honey flower cakes." Two pieces of each!"

A moment later, after receiving the heavy bundle of paper packages, Xun Miao turned around contentedly.An excited voice came from behind my ear: "Just now, I will pack everything that the guest officer asked for!"

"Best friend!" Xun Miao couldn't help but stop, and glanced back at the pink and slim figure: It's really a strange birth, different from others!

"I'm sorry, sir, the honey flower crisps are gone, and that official just bought the last two yuan." The clerk in the store said a little timidly in guilt.

"What? Honey flower crisps! Why honey flower crisps? It's like this every time, knowing that there are many people buying, why don't you make more?? Is your shopkeeper so careless? But it can still drive??..." It seemed that a pot of cold water was poured down on the head, and the man was extremely angry.

Sighing, while secretly rejoicing, seeing the aunts and women who were surrounded by his disciples working together to squeeze out of the team, Xun Miao persuaded with sympathy: "Forget it, come back tomorrow, I am also very happy with this honey flower cake." I only got it once when I went back inside, but if I persevere, one day my wish will come true.”

The man looked at him with dejected eyes, paused for a moment on his face, then turned to the bundle of paper bags in his hand, his eyes lit up, and he leaned forward: "Brother, since you are a fellow, you are always kind." As for me, I always know the taste of this honey flower crisp, so I raised my hand today, how about giving it to me?" Shaking the bundle in his hand: "You choose from this."

Xun Miao shook his head: "I have everything you have, and I won't change it."

"Two for one? Or three for one!" Seeing the other person still unmoved, the man stomped his feet: "Four for one! No more."

Xun Miao shook his head: "No, I have eight packs of candied fruit and sugar cake. I eat half a tael of candied fruit in the morning and one piece of pastry in the afternoon. I can eat it for four days. If there is less, I will not have enough food. If there is more, it will take a long time." It will taste bad."

Guo Jian was stunned: "You... can't see that it's so extravagant!" He lowered his head, his eyes dimmed: "In this way, brother must be from a wealthy family, different from me..." The tone suddenly changed Miserable: "I have these in my hands. I have to eat with my wife for half a month when I go back... My wife is also from a wealthy family, so it would be unfortunate if she followed me, but I can't even share a piece of honey flower cake with her. It's really embarrassing." go home."

"Then go back after eating these, and tell your wife that there is something on the way, so it would be nice if you can come to line up." Xun Miao narrowed her eyes, and cupped her hands: "Farewell!"

"You... wait!" Guo Jian said angrily, "Come on, how much are you willing to give me that cake?"

Xun Miao walked straight away: "Not for sale!"

"Wait!" Guo Jian caught up, heartbroken: "Do you know Taoyunzhai?"

Xun Miao faltered, turned her head and frowned: "The one on Xinghua Street that specializes in cheese cakes?"

Knowing that there is hope, Guo Jian hurriedly nodded: "Exactly! I am familiar with the shopkeeper, and the cheese cakes are all [-]% off!"

Xun Miao frowned: "How can I trust you?"

Guo Jian also frowned, and thought for a while: "If you don't think it's too far away, you can follow me right now."

Xun Miao hesitated for a moment, and finally took out the bag of honey flower cakes: "Take it, I will look for you in three days."

Unexpectedly, it would be so easy, Guo Jian felt guilty instead: "I... one piece is enough, two people can share the food, and brother Taiwan also keeps one piece for himself."

Xun Miao sighed, and did not open the paper bag to share the honey flower cakes as promised, but took out another bag of candied fruit: "If there is only candied fruit and no cakes on the last day, I am really uncomfortable, so I will simply share it with you, and the rest It’s fine for me to eat for three days.”

Shocked by the words, Guo Jian suddenly felt a warm feeling welling up in his heart, almost moistening the corners of his eyes.Immediately, he bowed his body: "Brother is righteous!" He patted his chest again: "The so-called pastries are delicious, and a confidant is hard to find! From now on, Guo will regard you as a confidant. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, brother, come find me. I can't solve your worries for you, my father, my wife, my elder brother... especially my elder brother, who is righteous and heroic, can take care of you in this life without worry!"

Years later.

Seeing the smug person who arrived home after dark and was carrying a bag of pastries, Guo Kai scoffed, the contempt on the corners of his mouth no doubt revealed.

Sitting down and carefully removing the rope on the honey flower crisps, Xun Miao curled her lips to herself: You are so noble, you didn't get me for a pack of honey flower crisps...