still in the mirror

On a snowy evening in Manhattan, when he returned home, he saw the sugar-fried hawthorn that was only found in old Peking, and gently lifted the snow-green silk handkerchief. The red hawthorn was wrapped in white sugar frosting. He remembered them too much!The greasy, sour and sweet taste is still in the teeth, how many years, oh, time!The snowflakes hit the glass window one after another, and condensed into frost water, forming dreamy streams. One after another, the scenes stretched out on these snowflakes hitting the window. He saw the sky, the branches, the eaves, and various people. , One stroke at a time, sound and color, Beiping, Nanjing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong... All the things in the past 20 years are all displayed, lifelike, as if yesterday, they rolled out the scroll from the snowflakes.

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There was no light in the room, but a faint light streamed in from the windows, illuminating a huge babu bed in the depths of the room.There is a space in front of the bed, forming a small porch with the surrounding of the bed door, hollowed out and carved, small cabinets, and drawers, just like a closed space that does not need to be disturbed by the outside world.

Liu Ziyu walked to the bed, opened the embroidered bird gauze curtain, Liu Aimei was lying on her back, her face was pale and blue, her eyes were closed, her nose stood there silently, and the corners of her mouth fell down. , actually like a dead man.

Liu Ziyu knelt down, leaned on the edge of the bed, and called out "Ai Mei, Ai Mei", the woman opened her eyes slightly, waited for half a minute, before she recognized the person in front of the bed, and called softly: "Fourth Brother" .

Liu Ziyu asked: "I had a cold two days ago, so I didn't dare to come to see you. How about the doctor you invited from Beiping? What prescription did you give? Is it better?"

Liu Aimei said: "There is no such thing as a miracle doctor, it's just an ordinary doctor with an ordinary prescription, and it still looks like that."

Liu Ziyu said again: "Second brother told me today that someone asked Li Chengwu to come to Tianjin Wei to be an official, but if he didn't come, he said that if he became an official, he could only go back to Peiping twice a month, and he couldn't stay in the palace garden. Living here for a long time, you can't have both an official and a garden. He wants the prince's garden without being an official. Now that he is alive in Beiping City, the second brother said, why don't you send the seventh brother over there, let me ask you .”

Liu Aimei said: "Fourth Brother, don't dislike my son who committed crimes. I still have some money here, which is enough for Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law to raise a child."

Ziyu thought about it for a while, and then said: "The division of the family is in disarray. The fourth brother is not up to date. He has no ability to fall. I have a heart to pity you two. Your fourth sister-in-law is also reluctant to bear the child. Last night she He also told me that he was going to the south to find a doctor to treat you, and he didn't want to send Brother Qi away. I said that Li Chengwu is a young man who has stayed abroad and is educated. It is better for him to teach the children than me, a prodigal son."

Aimei said: "That person surnamed Li is not a good person, any woman who follows him will be wronged..."

Ziyu said: "I know he has some problems, but Seventh Brother is his child, and he didn't go to be his concubine in the past. Besides, he only has one daughter and no son. If Seventh Brother goes away, he won't have enough time to love him. It will embarrass the child."

Liu Aimei didn't talk, Ziyu waited, after a while the woman suddenly said: "It's uncomfortable to lie down, brother help me down, let's go for a walk around the room."

She was already terminally ill, where did she have the strength to move around, Ziyu hesitated and said, "Your complexion is not good today, wait a few days/you'll be better, I'll take you to see the chrysanthemums."

Liu Aimei closed her eyes again, Ziyu touched her hand and held it, and said: "You are too used to Seventh Brother, he is only seven years old, he was able to say some harsh words in front of Mom that day, and Mom was so angry Scolding and throwing glasses. Sigh, I am soft-tempered, and I only spoil my children. Do you still remember that Brother Qi played a temper tantrum when he was a child, and dropped bottles and cans? The fourth sister-in-law scolded me badly," he said with a sneer, "My dear, you know all this, if the father comes to teach the child, he must be stricter."

Aimei lay quietly for a while, sighed and said: "I'm a sick person who can't take care of things, and the house is full of smog. The fourth sister-in-law is suffering, and she married into our family, and she didn't catch up with the prosperity of the family."

Ziyu said with a smile: "Who in the world does not suffer? When she is bored, I will take her out to see flowers and mountains, and everything will be fine."

After a while of silence, Aimei suddenly raised her voice and shouted: "Brother, I don't ask for Li Chengwu's name and money, I just want Brother Qi not to recognize him! Good brother, take my son today as I beg you, and don't send him away." To Li Chengwu."

Ziyu held her hand without saying a word, just lowered his head, the light in the room dimmed again, a cool wind came from somewhere, and night fell.Aimei coughed twice, the voice was ethereal, empty, as if a person had lost all internal organs, she called again: "Brother...cough-cough-" She couldn't breathe as soon as she opened her mouth, Ziyu clapped He patted her hand to let her relax, but she was so angry that she couldn't speak anymore.

Her hand was getting colder and tighter, Ziyu was pinched in pain, and he tried to open her knuckles. The skinny withered hand still seemed to be holding something, and finally took on a distorted shape.

The wind came in through the window, and the gauze curtain was blown up and down. The tears had dried up and printed on the embroidery of the deep rose red cotton mattress, falling like sandalwood ash and burning a small piece.Ziyu saw a piece of cardboard next to Aimei's pillow, at first he thought it was a maid who remembered medicine, but when he turned it over, he found that it was a photo taken with Aimei's son when he was five years old.

After looking at the black-and-white photos for a long time, I feel dizzy. The mother and son look alike, especially a pair of misty long eyes, full of affection and hatred. The beauty left, but her eyes remained.

Liu Ziyu said that he wanted to send Seventh brother to his father, but for the first time he didn't lose his temper, and went from Tianjin to Peiping quietly. After getting off the train, he obediently followed Ziyu to the rickshaw.

Li Chengwu only accepted them and let the child go, but he was not happy, he was indifferent, and no one came to pick him up when he arrived in Peiping.

Ziyu looked at his nephew, who was standing tall and sitting upright, Ziyu thought, alas, this is still throwing a tantrum with him.Although this child is usually unruly, he is actually a clingy master. It's cold in early autumn, and he will be hugged by his uncle while sitting in a rickshaw. It's a pity.

As the new owner of the Prince's Mansion, Li Chengwu renamed the Palace as "Tuisi Garden".When they came to the gate of Tuisi Garden, they saw a few shiny black cars lined up vertically, and seven or eight sedans and rickshaws. People were coming and going, very lively.Ziyu led the child forward, and the housekeeper at the door asked, "Where did you come from?"

He had already contacted him, but the gatekeeper didn't know about it, so Ziyu said angrily, "I asked Li Chengwu to send him his son."

Everyone looked at them for a while, then ignored them, and only whispered around.

Seventh Brother suddenly pulled Liu Ziyu's hand and whispered, "Uncle, let's go back, I won't make trouble for Uncle."

Liu Ziyu bent down and whispered in his ear: "You are the young master of their family, and you will live a bright life in the future, which is a hundred times better than being angry at Liu's family. I am absolutely reluctant to part with you, and I sent you here for your own good." As he spoke, he straightened up, and said to those people: "Please go in and inform me, we have agreed with your master before we come."

At this time, the corner door suddenly opened, and a little girl walked out, a head taller than Seventh Brother, wearing a calamus purple lace skirt, half black leg socks underneath, and a pair of walnut brown Mary Jane leather shoes.

When Li Youling saw Liu Ziyu and the child next to him, she blinked and said with a smile, "It's my younger brother who is here, don't blame them, outsiders don't know what's going on at home, come in with me, Dad, wait." For you."

Ziyu said to Seventh Brother: "I won't go in, you go in with your sister."

Seventh Brother looked at Liu Ziyu, but refused to leave, was pushed by Liu Ziyu, stumbled over the threshold, and fell into the door.

Li Youling yelled "Oops" and stretched out his hand to help him, but he knocked off the other hand and got up by himself.Looking back, he saw that Liu Ziyu had already turned around and went down the steps, so he stopped moving. He stood there looking at Liu Ziyu's bamboo basket robe and mandarin jacket. With the closed corner door, it gradually turned into a dark shadow, far away, as if nothing had ever happened before. .His heart thumped, and the door closed.

You Ling tried to talk to him: "Don't be afraid." She wanted to say something more, but she couldn't, so she had to take a few steps forward, and when she turned her head and saw that he was willing to follow, she assuredly led him inside.

The garden is singing church performances, and many old Beijingers in long robes and mandarin jackets are drinking tea and watching plays on their seats; Men in suits, walking around with civilized sticks or felt hats, talked about the revolution and the government, and their nobility exuded a strange mystery to the old-style royal residence.

You Ling said, "These are all Dad's guests. If you feel bored in the future, you can ask the little friends from Tianjin to come and play at home."

The Tuisi Garden has been refurbished, and it is elegantly built, and all the flowers and plants are light-colored and fragrant.Followed Xiaoling around for a long time, came to a courtyard, diverted water to dig a pond, and skillfully formed terraces. In the pond stood the Taihu Lake rocks, gray and white, and a row of autumn bamboos beside the pond, which looked handsome.The water in the pool is clear and translucent, almost in a light blue color, and there are sixteen or seven water lilies scattered here and there, the white ones are cold, and the red ones are scorching, reflecting on the water surface, dotted with clusters of hot and cold lights, vaguely, Like an impressionist oil painting.

Eleven or twelve servant girls came up from several rooms, all wearing dark uniforms, like servants in a western-style building, they followed behind them without making a sound or looking at them.

After entering the main room, You Ling suddenly stopped, followed by a group of people, the surroundings were very quiet, Seventh Brother suddenly became frightened.

He looked up, and suddenly saw a western oil painting hanging on the east wall, which showed a group of beautiful teenagers playing in the forest.There is a western clock standing under the painting, and there is a small revolving door on the clock base, which turns quietly, and it is strange, only to see the pendulum swinging up, accompanied by four or five beeps, which startled him a lot!As soon as the bell stopped, there was another gorgeous sound of pearls and jade clashing, and the jade curtain on the east side was lifted, and a young man stood there, wearing a green lotus-colored gown and a snow-colored patterned bamboo jacket, with delicate features and a handsome figure. Said: "Tell the young master to go up."

You Ling took Brother Seven's hand and said, "Come on."

The entire second floor has a cool and light fragrance, and after entering the room, a strange fragrance blows over the face.

There is a sapphire incense burner on the small tea table by the door, and the newly added sandalwood, with light smoke dancing, it feels even colder.In the dimness, I saw a large bookshelf against the wall, a red sandalwood case, and a glass case on the case, and a huanghuali copper-bodied enamel clock was placed inside.The ticking sound of the pointer with the glass cover closed, each needle seems to be floating in a dream, empty and far away, cold and dusty, as if spending a day in this room, the world has been fooling around for more than ten years.

There was a person sitting on a nanmu armchair, with his back against the light from the window, his face could not be seen clearly, he was wearing a dark suit, his legs were crossed, a stack of water-blue letter paper was placed on his knees, and his index finger was fingering the hair hanging from his vest. bracelet.Standing beside him was a young man, wearing a white shirt, his face could not be seen clearly, only the young man smiled and said: "It just so happens that the third master just finished answering the phone, so he is here now."

Li Chengwu spoke with a cold voice: "Come here and let me have a look."

You Ling pulled Brother Qi forward and said, "It looks like Dad."

Li Chengwu saw that the child was wearing a white silk gown with a mandarin jacket without sleeves, a light yellow bottom, two finger-wide black piping, and a finger-wide begonia red second-layer piping, with auspicious clouds and white cranes embroidered everywhere. That Liu Aimei is just poor. The widow's daughter dresses up the child very elegantly, Li Chengwu said: "Such a young child, how can you tell who he looks like."

Seventh brother's hands are behind his back, his right hand is clenched into a fist, his left hand is holding his right wrist, his head is hanging down, his chin seems to pierce his chest, so that people can't see his face clearly, only feel that he is a cloud of powder.

No one heard anything in the house, only the tick-tick-floating of the pointer. After a long while, Li Chengwu laughed lightly: "He's so scared, take him down, I still have guests to entertain."

After leaving the room, the strange fragrance and coldness receded, and Seventh brother felt that he could breathe smoothly.You Ling led him to the residence, and said as she walked: "Don't be afraid of him, you may think he is strict at times, but he is also a kind and generous person. If you have anything you like to eat or play here, just ask him for it." " She remembered that the younger brother didn't bring any luggage, and said again, "You need to measure the size when making clothes, and the nuns will come later, don't let your temper ignore him..."

"I didn't lose my temper!" Seventh Brother finally spoke his first words when he entered the garden.

Youling smiled—a shallow, malicious smile, and she said: "It must be that you have been told this before, and I understood it as soon as you walked in. Dad likes to be polite. Be careful, don't worry about it." Be willful in front of him."

Brother Seven suddenly shook off her hand and said angrily, "I won't talk to him!"

You Ling cried in her heart, she really is a childish, willful, annoying child.

She grabbed his wrist again, and said: "Well, I don't care about him very much on weekdays. He is busy and likes to go out to play when he is not busy, but he is very strict in checking my studies." Her brows were frowning, as if she was talking about important national affairs. Seeing that Brother Qi ignored her, she bit her lips, pondered for a while, and then smiled again, "That's right! I haven't asked you yet, what's your name?" Name? Are you seven or eight? Are you in school?"

Seventh Brother's residence is in another garden, You Ling leads him into the house, and introduces him to various things. The house is not big, and the mahogany bed is an old style from the previous dynasty.

"Father is entertaining guests today," You Ling said, "Dinner will be delivered to your room, just pick the dishes you like and keep them, I can't make the fragrance well, I'm afraid it will burn, so I'll call someone to come later Light night incense, let's go take a wash at this time."

It was rare for Seventh Brother to speak, with an awkward mosquito-like voice: "Thank you, sister."

He didn't allow anyone to take a bath, and he didn't allow anyone to stay outside. The maids came to deliver dinner, only to find that Brother Qi had fallen asleep in the bathtub. The room was still steaming with warm air, but the water was completely cold.Several people were busy waking the child up, he opened his eyes dimly, looked at the girls and murmured "Uncle, uncle".

This time he finally fell ill, he had a fever in bed at night, and after two days he still didn't get better, the maids and mothers complained to Li Chengwu, children don't take medicine and food, and they are so young, I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover.

The author says:

Long gowns are also called long gowns, which can be covered with a short mandarin jacket or not.