Everything is quiet again, but there is basically nothing to eat.
Xia Zhaoyi sat behind the makeshift stove, staring blankly at the cleaned cauldron in front of her.
The sky in the east is gradually getting brighter, and the morning breeze is blowing from the mountains. Several servants are packing their things. Some people can't even sleep because they have to prepare breakfast immediately.
"Are you hungry?" Yu's mother came over and asked when she saw Xia Zhaoyi sitting there.
Xia Zhaoyi raised his eyes and nodded when he saw it was her.
"Why don't you go to bed first and prepare breakfast later, and I'll secretly leave a bowl for you."
Xia Zhaoyi turned to look at the rows of huts to the west and said, "I don't know where to sleep."
"Go to sleep where you were before."
"I don't dare," Xia Zhaoyi lowered her eyes and said, "Liu Sanniang refused to let me go back and said she wanted me to die in that wooden house. I'm afraid."
Yu Ma sneered: "It's okay, just go to your original place, that shrew will never come back."
Xia Zhaoyi still shook his head uneasily, his eyes gradually turning red.
Yu Ma sighed and said softly: "Then Yu Ma will take you there, don't be afraid."
Xia Zhaoyi choked up and looked up, then smiled suddenly: "Yeah."
"Let's go."
Yu Ma put down what she was doing, wiped her hands on her body, turned around and walked towards the west.
Xia Zhaoyi followed, but after taking a few steps, he stopped and looked up at the stone bridge leading to the southeast of the yard.
Liu Sanniang was taken away from here. Of course, Xia Zhaoyi also knew that Liu Sanniang would never come back if there were no special circumstances.
Unexpectedly, the woman they called Aunt Feng would directly put the word "crazy" on Liu Sanniang, which really saved her a lot of trouble.
And it is foreseeable that these women will "take care" of Liu Sanniang even more in the future.
She had just arrived here today, and she had only met Liu Sanniang a few times, so it was not a blood feud.
But if she doesn't do this, her life will not be easy in the future.
The morning wind is getting colder and colder, coming from the east where the sun is rising, sweeping across the Zhaoyun Mountains, causing the trees all over the mountain to flutter and the petals to sway.
Xia Zhaoyi withdrew his gaze and looked up at the stars in the western sky.
My heart felt empty, like an endless vastness, with only a trace of light and warmth at the end.
Confused, at a loss, confused.
But she still had to live, at least to find out what year it was and whether the people she loved were still alive.
Maybe her father and brother will be reborn like her, and if not, then is it a coincidence or accident that she was chosen by fate, and what is the significance?
There are also the second brother, the third brother, and the current Dingguo Duke's mansion. What are their appearances?
I have to leave here, I have to go back to the capital, I have to find my second brother.
Xia Zhaoyi frowned slightly and made up her mind.
Hearing the approaching footsteps outside, Xiao Wu hurriedly stuffed the small book in his hand under the pillow, turned over and shrank back into bed.
Mother Yu gently opened the door, took a look in the moonlight, pointed to an empty bed, and said, "Just go there."
Xia Zhaoyi walked past her and crossed the threshold. The room was very narrow, with only one large bunk, about five beds, and a small wooden cabinet on the side. It looked very shabby.
Xia Zhaoyi walked to the empty bed and looked back at Yu's mother: "Yu's mother, I'm going to bed first. You can go and rest after your work. There's no need to save the porridge for me."
Mother Yu looked at her small stature, thin face, and large bruises on her face, and said distressedly: "Well, you have a good rest. Liu Sanniang is locked up now. You little girls only need to be here."
If you share a little, you won't be embarrassed."
"Um."
Yu Ma turned around and left, and the wooden door was gently closed.
Xia Zhaoyi took off her shoes and socks and checked her ankles by the moonlight.
That body had been trained for fourteen years, and when faced with danger, it could even react with its legs faster than the brain, but now this girl's body was unable to use it, and her ankle was actually sprained.
Xia Zhaoyi gently rubbed the acupuncture points with his hands, looking at the dim light on the ground with his eyes, recalling which herbs were suitable for growing in this area of Chongyi.
My body is still burning, so I need to cool down quickly. If I burn out, I wonder if it will affect my wild soul. At the same time, I have to find a way to escape from here.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" A slightly familiar children's voice sounded.
Xia Zhaoyi looked at Xiao Wu who was across the bed and recognized her at a glance: "Why don't you sleep?"
"No one is sleeping over there, why did you come here?" Xiao Wu muttered unhappily.
"Mom Yu brought me here."
Xiao Wu stood up and looked at Xia Zhaoyi's ankle: "It seems to be seriously injured."
"It hurts a little, it's nothing serious. Did I disturb you?"
"I haven't slept." Xiao Wu took out the booklet from his arms, opened it and said, "I don't usually like to sleep."
The booklet was small, slightly yellowed, and had many wear and bends on the edges and corners.
Xiao Wu looked at the content above, and at the same time traced the side of the pillow with his fingers, his expression serious.
Seeing that she was probably learning Chinese characters, Xia Zhaoyi stopped making any sound and continued to rub her acupuncture points.
"I'm telling you, don't tell me that I'm studying." After a moment of silence, Xiao Wu said, "Otherwise, I'll teach everyone how to read, but not you."
Xia Zhaoyi turned around and saw Xiao Wu still lying there without raising his head.
"Do they all know that you are studying?" Xia Zhaoyi asked.
"No, I learned it secretly. If you don't tell me, I can teach you tomorrow."
"No need," Xia Zhaoyi looked at his ankle and said, "I'm still sick. It may be very hard to do things these days. I don't have time."
"It's up to you," Xiao Wu said as he turned a page, "You can go to bed early, but that old witch Liu Sanniang is no longer here. You can get more rest tomorrow. I'll turn the book gently so I won't disturb you.
"
"Well, thank you." Xia Zhaoyi replied.
The stove that had just been put down in the yard was turned on again half an hour later. The fragrance of rice wafted out, and everyone who was working couldn't help but swallow lightly.
Today's weather is cooler than yesterday. The clouds rolled in, covering the sun, and the breeze cooled the summer heat a lot.
The ruins burned by the fire need to be cleaned up and rebuilt as quickly as possible.
We already don’t have enough manpower, and now we have to find more manpower to sort it out.
Aunt Feng stamped her feet anxiously and went to the front yard twice to ask when new handymen would join. At the same time, she sent people to Dongshan Xitou several times to urge the ladies who were doing laundry to hurry up.
Qian Qianqian came to do the laundry early in the morning.
In the early morning, the water was cold and the breeze was blowing. She was the only girl among the servants. She was squatting at the end with her head buried in the scrubbing hands carefully.
There was a girl standing behind them. The girl was holding her sleeves awkwardly with her hands. After a long time, she couldn't help but speak again: "Aunt Feng said that we must go back quickly."
"I told you, I got it." Ms. Liang banged the laundry hammer and said, "I will definitely come over after washing these clothes. You go to work first."
The girl looked embarrassed: "But Aunt Feng said that she wants me to go back with you."
Mrs. Liang looked back at her and said displeasedly: "You want to be lazy, right?"
"No, no, it was Aunt Feng who asked me to watch you finish washing..."
"Are you looking at me?" Ms. Liang raised her eyebrows, "You?"
Qian Qianqian pursed her lips and looked at the girl quietly.
Offending Aunt Feng will not bring good results, but offending Mrs. Liang will only make things worse.
The girl looked uneasy and her legs were almost weak. She didn't answer Liang, but she didn't dare to leave, so she just stood there.
A gust of breeze blew, and the heat on Qian Qianqian's body eased a little. She looked away. When her eyes inadvertently passed from a distance, she paused and took a closer look.
A little further upstream of the river, behind the hillside about ten feet away, the girl Ali who gave Qian Qianqian a nightmare last night was sitting on the hillside, not knowing what she was doing.
Qian Qianqian didn't dare to let his eyes stay for too long. He lowered his head and washed clothes, but gradually slowed down.
The maid next to her quickly noticed the frequency of her slowing down and said, "What's wrong with you?"
"I, I," Qian Qianqian stood up, looked at Liang, and stammered, "I have a stomachache, I want to go, I want to go..."
"Go ahead, go ahead." Ms. Liang was impatient.
"Well," Qian Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief and added, "I'll be back soon."
