Dai Meng of the Red Chamber

Sitting in the outer room, Zijuan leaned on the small table, and while drawing patterns, asked Yuanyang in a low voice: "What's going on, doesn't the old lady love the second master and our girl the most, why did she become Miss Bao?"

The mandarin duck said in a low voice: "The old lady sighed too, but there is nothing she can do. Who let the empress make an order. It's hard for the second master. I heard the girl from Yihong courtyard go back. She has been lying on the bed for three days. She doesn't want to eat. Those who don’t drink, are clamoring to see your girl, even people are a little demented.”

Zijuan sighed and said: "Well, the people who get it will be sad." Pointing to the inside, Zijuan whispered: "I only drank a few mouthfuls of porridge in three days, and I am also worried."

Yuanyang said: "The old lady has not been able to eat for the past two days, and has been moaning and sighing all day long. There are not many people in the house who are happy with the imperial decree to bestow marriage."

Sighing, Zicuckoo continued to draw patterns, Yuanyang watched from the side, a few rays of sunlight poured in from the window, it looked warm and peaceful, but in Daiyu's heart, it was better than the cold snow and desolate wind.

Seeing off Jiamu, Zijuan saw Daiyu leaning there with a pale face, and even her usual clear eyes were a little blurred, so she couldn't help stepping forward and saying, "Girl, you need to drink some water." Daiyu didn't answer, After a while, he said slowly, "Zicuckoo, help me up."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Daiyu tightened the clothes around her body, coughed softly, Zijuan hurriedly supported her carefully, and after coughing, Daiyu ordered: "Go and gather a pot of fire."

Zijuan asked puzzledly: "What are you doing with the fire? If the girl is cold, put on your jacket." Daiyu said angrily, "Go if you are told, don't ask so many questions." As she spoke, she couldn't help coughing again for a moment.Seeing this, Zicuckoo had no choice but to go out suspiciously, and searched for charcoal to gather fire together with Xueyan.

After a while, Zicuckoo came in with a basin of charcoal fire, put it gently beside the bed, and said to Daiyu, "Girl, the fire has already gathered." Charcoal, then heaved a long sigh and hissed: "Go and get those two old handkerchiefs."

Zijuan said suspiciously: "It's the ones you often use." Daiyu shook her head and said in a low voice: "The ones with words." come over.

The white veil looked a little gray, and the ink stains made it even more old.Zijuan handed the handkerchief to Daiyu, Daiyu took it in her hand, looked at it carefully again, then closed her eyes, threw the handkerchief into the basin with trembling hands, two lines of clear tears flowed down her cheeks instantly down.

Zijuan screamed and wanted to grab it, but a wisp of green smoke curled up, and Zijuan said tremblingly: "Girl, what are you doing?" Leaning back there, Daiyu's face was full of tears, and then Swallowing a sharp itching, he coughed uncontrollably.

Zijuan hurriedly stepped forward to support her, and Xueyan who heard the movement also ran in, patted Daiyu's back, and gradually calmed down, Xueyan went to pour a glass of water and serve Daiyu to rinse her mouth.

Daiyu took the water glass, glanced at the veil that had been reduced to ashes, raised her hand, and poured all the water in the glass into the charcoal basin, a wisp of smoke rose indifferently, Zijuan heard Daiyu murmuring He said: "When a person loses love, his heart becomes ashes." After that, tears came to his face again.

The clever Zijuan suddenly understood what Daiyu had done. It wasn't the handkerchief that was burned just now, it was Daiyu's heart.

In the evening, Zijuan was chatting casually with Xueyan in the outer room, and his subordinates kept drawing the patterns that the mandarin duck wanted, but seeing Daiyu coming out gently, Zijuan hurriedly put down the work in hand, and greeted her , Said: "Why did the girl get up, just tell me what you want."

Daiyu said quietly: "I've been lying down for a whole day, come down and walk, Xueyan, have you fed the parrot yet?" Xueyan said: "I have already fed it, girl, why don't you sit here for a while." Looking at the darkened sky outside, he said, "It's been a boring day, Xueyan, why don't you go out with me to catch your breath."

Walking out of the house, a gust of night wind came, Daiyu and Xueyan couldn't help shaking, and tightened the cloak around Daiyu, Xueyan said: "Girl, why don't we go back to the room, it's cold outside."

Daiyu didn't respond, she silently looked at the thousands of green bamboos in the courtyard, and after a while, she said: "Snow Goose, life flies so fast, we have been here for seven years, I still remember that it was autumn when we first came here." .”

Xueyan smiled and said: "Yes, I encountered very interesting things on the road." Daiyu smiled sadly and said: "When I first came here, I thought I could go back to Yangzhou soon, but now I have no home to go back to." Xueyan said: "Girl..."

Daiyu sighed a long time, and said to herself: "My surname is Lin, and I am the only member of the Lin family. For the sake of my grandparents, I will not let them down."

Xueyan said pleasantly: "It's good that the girl can think so, and I'm relieved. If not, how can Xueyan and Wang Momo explain to the deceased wife."

Daiyu turned her head to look at Xueyan, Xueyan found that Daiyu's eyes had returned to the clarity of the past, looking at Daiyu, Xueyan said excitedly: "Girl, you finally figured it out."

Daiyu gently turned her face away, and said in a low voice: "It doesn't matter if you think about it or not, life has to go on, Xueyan, let's go back, I feel a little cold." Helping Daiyu to go back, Xue Yan felt that his steps were much lighter than when he came here.

Early the next morning, just as Zijuan was helping Daiyu to wash and comb, she heard the door of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion being slapped, accompanied by Baoyu's hoarse cry: "Zijuan, open the door quickly."

Looking through the mirror, Zijuan saw that Daiyu's face turned pale, and her body couldn't help trembling. She gently put Daiyu's hair in a bun, and Zijuan said: "Girl..."

Daiyu sighed softly, and said: "Those who should come will come, and those who should go should go." After speaking, she stood up and said to Xueyan, "Open the door for Second Master."

As soon as Xueyan opened the door, Baoyu came running staggeringly, shouting: "Sister Lin." After rushing into the room, when she looked up, she saw Daiyu standing there quietly, her expression as watery and as elegant as hers. old.

Seeing Daiyu's calm appearance, Baoyu didn't know what to say, and lowered his head, Baoyu murmured: "Sister, are you okay?" Persuading: "Second Master, Miss Lin, you have also seen it, go back quickly, if the wife blames me, we can't afford it, Second Master, go back."

Looking at Baoyu in front of her, Daiyu felt that her heart would hurt again. For seven years, that "Sister Lin" never left her mouth all day long, and Baoyu, who bowed and apologized, was standing in front of her eyes, within reach. , but that Yizhi is like a gap, separating himself from Baoyu, and this life will never pass.

Sighing softly, Daiyu said calmly: "Zijuan, you accompany sister Xiren to sit in the outer room for a while, I have a few words to say to the second master." Xiren hesitated for a moment, then said awkwardly: "Miss Lin, the second master has been a little wise these days..., this..."

Daiyu's face darkened, and she said angrily, "Sister Xiren, you underestimate me too much. I come from a scholarly family, and I know both books and etiquette. I understand this truth. How can I be like those ignorant servants? No shame."

When Xiren heard this, he couldn't help blushing because he had a ghost in his heart, and said in a low voice: "What is the girl talking about, Xiren is only worried about the second master, so he is in a hurry to speak. If this is the case, Xiren will leave first." , quietly backed out with shame on his face.

Standing in the courtyard, the autumn morning wind is cool, blowing bamboo leaves swaying and rustling, Zicuckoo stands on the side, somewhat uneasy Xiren said: "Sister Xiren, why don't we go to Xueyan's room and sit down there? It can be warmer."

Xiren whispered: "It's not necessary, let's wait here for a while." Hearing Baoyu's eager cry in the room, Xiren couldn't help being a little impatient. Just about to go in, he remembered Daiyu's words and the steps he took Back again.

After a while, Zijuan heard Daiyu calling her: "Zijuan, the second master is going back." Upon hearing this, Xiren hurried in with Zijuan, and saw Daiyu standing in front of the window with a calm expression. , but the almond eyes are slightly red, as if she has cried.

Baoyu sat dejectedly on the chair in front of her, holding her head in her hands, and was sobbing.Xiren stepped forward to help Baoyu up and said, "Second Master, let's go back."

Standing up reluctantly, Baoyu's face was full of tears, and she turned her head to look at Daiyu who was facing her back in front of the window. Baoyu wanted to say something but didn't know how to speak, so she had to follow the attacker and walked out step by step. When she came to the door, Baoyu Turning around suddenly, he said decisively: "The mind of Zen is covered with mud, don't dance partridges to the spring breeze."

Daiyu was stunned for a moment, turned her head to look, her eyes met each other, what Daiyu saw was the firmness in Baoyu's eyes that had never been seen before, she lowered her eyelids, and two drops of clear tears fell suddenly.

Seeing Baoyu slowly move out of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Daiyu in front of the window stared blankly, tears streaming down her cheeks, Zijuan didn't know why, so she stood there blankly, and suddenly the person in front of the corridor The parrot imitated Daiyu's voice and sighed, "Once the spring is gone, the beauty will grow old, and the flower will fall and the person will die."