At the third watch of the day, there is a waning moon and two wisps of flying clouds.
Even though it was the end of March, it was still chilly late at night.
Green Ulva was so anxious that she walked around in the yard, stretching her neck to look out from time to time.
Xu Chunjun and Zi Ling were punished by kneeling in Cui's yard, but they haven't come back yet.
Because he knew that asking for mercy would only make Xu Chunjun suffer even more, Lvchun did not dare to go there no matter how anxious he was.
Finally, he saw a dim yellow light, and Green Ulva hurried over.
Sure enough, it was Xu Chunjun and Zi Ling who came back holding a lantern and supporting each other.
Lu Xun put the jacket she was holding on Xu Chunjun's shoulders and said in a tearful voice: "Why are you so cruel to others?! They have evil intentions..."
"Don't talk nonsense, or you may bring trouble to yourself." Xu Chunjun's expression could not be clearly seen in the darkness, but her voice was as calm and calm as usual, without any hint of grievance or sadness.
"Hurry and help the girl back to the room," Zi Ling limped as she walked, her knees were already swollen, and she did not forget to remind Lvchun: "Have you prepared hot water?"
"It's ready," replied Green Ulva, "if I didn't even think of this, my life would be in vain."
Several people entered the house, and Lu Shen saw that both of their faces were swollen.
"Who hit this?" Lu Shen was so shocked that she even forgot to cry.
"Mine was beaten by the fourth girl." Zi Ling was injured more seriously. Half of her face was swollen, and there was a deep purple mark, which was caused by Xu Chunsu's bracelet. "The girl's face was touched by my wife."
"Why?!" Lu Xun felt that a wave of anger was about to burn through his chest.
Even if Mrs. Wei is the mistress, the fifth girl is still the mistress!
No matter how ruined the Xu family is, it is still the family of Shili. How can such a rogue family behave like this?!
"Okay, my daughter Zhang Fei is so angry that she might as well find us some ice to apply on." Zi Ling ignored her own injuries and helped Xu Chunjun undress while urging Lvchun to go find her.
ice.
The Xu family has an ice cellar, and the ice harvested in the twelfth lunar month every year can be used in August and September of the following year.
Green Ulva called a little girl over and asked her to get ice.
"Girl, this knee needs medicine." Zi Ling looked at Xu Chunjun's red and swollen knee and couldn't help but shed tears.
"Injuries both inside and outside the skin will be healed in two days." Xu Chunjun didn't care: "Stop crying."
In fact, this is not the first time she has been beaten by Wei.
When Xu Chunjun was five years old, the Xu family was walking from the capital to Siyuan County, and often ran out of food and water on the way.
One time, each of the children only had half a piece of cake. Xu Daoqing finished his own and came to grab hers.
Xu Chunjun didn't let go, so Wei gave her a slap on the head and starved her for two days.
Since then, Xu Chunjun let the three Xu Daoqing brothers do everything and never made the Wei family angry again.
After treating the wound, Lvxu brought over a plate of snacks: "I know you haven't eaten, so I asked Aunt Liu in the kitchen to steam a few snacks."
"I happen to be hungry," Xu Chunjun picked up a piece and ate it: "Zi Ling, just eat a few pieces with tea. Eat enough so you can sleep. If you don't sleep, it will be dawn."
Such humiliation and punishment would probably be aggrieved to others. But in Xu Chunjun's case, it was just a spring breeze passing by and a drizzle falling in the river. Apart from the injuries on his body, no other traces could be found.
Zi Ling couldn't help but sigh in her heart, their girl was so trouble-free, and she didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Xu Chunjun only got up after sleeping for two hours, and it started to rain again.
Zi Ling endured the pain in her legs and came to serve her. Xu Chunjun smiled and said, "You can keep it at home today. I will take the green shield out."
It had been a rainy day for too long, and moss had grown on the steps. She raised her arm and asked Xu Chunjun to put his hand on it.
"First go to my wife's place to say hello," Xu Chunjun said, "and then go to Third Aunt's place."
Mrs. Wei hadn't gotten up yet, and her accompanying roommate Lu's mother said with a slumped face: "My wife is not feeling well today. Miss Wu, please go back to your room to have breakfast!"
"Have you invited a doctor?" Xu Chunjun asked as gently as usual: "How about I go over and give my wife a leg rub, maybe it will be better."
"I won't bother you, miss. My wife said that I need to sleep a little longer and don't want to be disturbed." Mother Lu looked like she was refusing to let anyone in.
In fact, Wei felt ashamed and didn't want to see anyone.
"Then the fourth sister..." Before Xu Chunjun finished speaking, Mother Lu said impatiently: "Fifth sister, stop being hypocritical. Our girls are honest and straightforward. We can't do one thing in front of you and do the other behind your back."
With that said, he turned around and entered the house, shutting Xu Chunjun out.
Green Ulva gritted her teeth angrily, saying to herself that she had seen ghosts on the way out at night, these bloody slanderers!
Xu Chunjun then went to Xu Lang's yard. When Xu Lang saw her, he said: "The five girls are here. I specially asked them to prepare an extra breakfast. You can eat with me!"
Xu Chunjun didn't say anything about yesterday's punishment, and Xu Lang didn't ask.
But both of them knew it in their hearts.
"There were too many things yesterday and I didn't bother to talk to you in detail. How do you think about going to Beijing?" After breakfast, Xu Lang started talking to Xu Chunjun about business.
"Needless to say, the situation in our family is going on right now. It would be best if my aunt can find someone more suitable. If not, my niece has no choice but to step in and help the family." Xu Chunjun said.
"Good boy, thank you very much. It's hard for you." Xu Lang took Xu Chunjun's hand and said.
Xu Lang had already thought about the family members several times in his mind. Needless to say, men, there was only Xu Daoqing, and he was still useless.
Among women, as long as there is a useful wife, it is not her turn to run the house.
The eldest grandma is discouraged, the second grandma is in her confinement, the second girl is about to leave the court, the third girl is too timid, and the fourth girl can't get into the elegant hall, only Xu Chunjun is the one who can do it.
"Auntie, don't say that. Compared to you, what I do is nothing compared to you?" Xu Chunjun lowered her head slightly. She really wanted to contribute.
"Speaking of which, although we have several relatives in our family, it's a pity that none of them are in Beijing," Xu Lang sighed: "It's really difficult to entrust us with this."
Xu Chunjun knew that she was talking about the natal family of the eldest wife, second wife and others.
"You also know the principle of people leaving for tea, not to mention that we have been away from Beijing for nearly ten years." Xu Lang couldn't help but sigh again: "You are young and a woman. Although you are knowledgeable, you are still unfamiliar with people and places. I have three people here.
This letter is the person I can think of who can help us now, but I don’t have much certainty, so I can only try my luck."
"Third aunt, my niece has an unkind request." Xu Chunjun said: "If these three people can't make it happen, I will go see the fourth person."
"You want to see the fourth person? Who is it?" Xu Lang was very curious when he heard what she said.
Xu Chunjun is just a little girl who has just grown hair and has never left home. It is very rare for a child of her age to have such knowledge.
If she said she knew someone in the capital, Xu Lang wouldn't believe it.
"I saw that my aunt wrote a letter to Master Mao of the Ministry of Rites." Xu Chunjun said: "If I remember correctly, he should be my grandfather's disciple, right?"
"That's right, Mao Yizheng is the disciple of our old man. When something happened to our family, he happened to be Ding You and was not in the officialdom, so he was not implicated." Xu Lang said: "His character should be trustworthy, and
Your grandfather was kind to him. It’s a pity that he is just a secretary in the Ministry of Rites now, I’m afraid..."
"My niece just wants Master Mao to make a recommendation," Xu Chunjun said: "His superior uncle, Master Qiu's uncle, Cheng Yihou, is now the Minister of Justice and is in charge of the judicial prison."
"Marquis Chengyi is the fourth person you want to meet? Is he willing to meet you?" Xu Lang felt that Xu Chunjun was talking nonsense.
