The work of doing laundry in winter has not slowed down. When the mountains are closed by heavy snow, the snow often melts and soaks in the laundry clothes. Devouring Novels www. If the weather is better, I will go to the stream and smash the solid ice to wash clothes.
The cold water invaded my bones, but I couldn't avoid it. I watched the old chilblains that I had suffered last year relapse, my hands were red and swollen, and I was suffering. I was forced to remember those cold, wet, and miserable days in Tangli Palace.
Those days were the most anxious and lonely time in my life.
I smiled bitterly at Jinxi and said, "There are indeed some things that you can't forget even if you want to, just like this frostbite that recurs every year."
Jinxi warmed my hand with her hand. Her hand was also cold and swollen. Together with Huanbi, the three of them suffered from chilblains. They were like coral beads. Huanbi enjoyed the pain and sometimes joked, "These hands are covered with chilblains."
, red, green, and purple, I just thought I was wearing a multi-treasure ring, the red one is coral, the green one is green jade, and the purple one is purple Ying stone."
Jinxi and I laughed at Huanbi for being crazy about money. However, when it came to pearls, jade, and gems, he became a monk. Except for what he got when he was in the palace, everything he got in Tangli Palace was left in Tangli Palace. Only the dowry brought into the palace from his family was left
They were all taken out of the palace and sealed in boxes and cages, never to be opened again. These gorgeous pearls, jade, and rouge naturally have nothing to do with me anymore.
Jinxi stroked the frostbite on her hand and said softly: "When I first entered the palace, I was just a little maid on the sweeper. At that time, there were only Concubines Duan and Concubines Xian in the palace - the current queens, so naturally they would not have their turn.
We, the little maids, had to wait on us, and new entrants to the palace would inevitably be bullied. During those years, we washed the aunts' clothes every day, and the clothes could never be washed, as if they would never be finished. As a result, we ended up with chilblains on our hands. Still.
Later, Empress Chunyuan saw it and expressed pity for her. She said, "It's called washing clothes when your hands are like this. Doesn't the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have any sympathy at all?" Then she sent the slave to do other jobs. Later, the slave was promoted all the way.
When I went up, I became an aunt, so naturally I no longer had to do these menial tasks, and my hands gradually got better. I didn’t expect that I would not be unfamiliar with the same work today.”
Jin Xi faintly mentioned the old story of Queen Chunyuan, but I only heard about it lightly and refused to care about it.
In this way, month after month passes, winter is over, and spring has arrived.
The day Wen Shichu came to see me was a day in early spring. It was a cloudy day, with clouds hanging down from the sky. It was dark and dark, but there was no sign of rain.
When he suddenly came in, I was struggling to pour the water I brought today by the large vat under the window. When Huanbi saw her old friend, she was surprised and moved, tears fell down, and she cried uncontrollably:
"Lord Wen."
I turned my head when I heard the sound, and Wen Shichu was standing by the door, wearing a blue robe and looking thin. He ran towards me and said in a voiceless voice: "Sister Huan, you have lost a lot of weight!"
I was moved for a moment. I suddenly met my old friend in such a remote ancient temple in the mountains, and I really wanted to cry. However, only for that moment, I was as if nothing had happened and said to Huanbi: "What is there to cry about?"
.”
Huanbi wiped her tears hurriedly and welcomed him in. Wenshi saw me pouring water and grabbed the bucket in my hand. He was surprised and said: "How can you do such a heavy work!"
I smiled lightly and asked, "Why don't you do it? I am no longer a wealthy lady, nor am I a beloved concubine in the palace, but just an ordinary sister-in-law. What can I do if I don't do this?"
He became anxious, "No matter what, you came from the palace to practice cultivation. How could the sisters-in-law of Ganlu Temple treat you so harshly?"
I smiled disapprovingly and said: "I am an abandoned concubine who came out of the palace. I am not the late emperor's concubine. I have no status at all. Why should I be treated preferentially?"
He was at a loss for words, so he had to pull away from me, roll up his sleeves and help me pour all the water into the tank. I said lightly: "Thank you, I already have the water for today."
He was slightly surprised, "Water today? Is it hard for you to fill it like this every day?"
I said: "This is natural, I have hands and feet, and I do it myself."
Huanbi was listening, choked up for a moment, and said: "What do these things mean? Miss and we have to go and chop wood, wash clothes, and prepare food ourselves. Jinxi and I don't have anything. We are supposed to do these things. Poor miss's hands and feet
…”
When Wen Shi first heard what she said, she felt aggrieved. In a moment of impatience, she took my hand and looked at it. My hand was no longer as delicate as it used to be. It had old calluses, new blisters, or broken ones, exposing the bright red flesh, and there were cuts.
The small thorns of the thorns piercing the flesh when the wood is burning are dark little by little.
Wen Shichu felt heartbroken and asked anxiously: "How could this happen?"
Huanbi sobbed and stamped her feet and said: "The blood blisters on Miss's hands are broken one after another, and there is almost no good piece of meat left. Miss has been raised in a boudoir since she was a child, how has she ever experienced such suffering. But those sisters-in-law are so cruel, they bully us because we are new here.
He made things difficult and bullied him in every possible way."
I interrupted Huanbi's crying sternly, "Is complaining useful? Complaining is also hard work, and not complaining is also hard work."
Huanbi sobbed softly, "I just feel sorry for you, Miss."
I shook my head and smiled bitterly, "Don't feel bad. You will be like this for the rest of your life. Just get used to it."
Wen Shichu hurriedly pulled me to sit down, took out the ointment he brought with him, and said with concern: "These are the only medicines I carry with me, so I'll just use them. I'll deliver the Jinchuang medicine tomorrow."
I nodded, "Thank you."
I allowed him to examine my wounds and only asked: "Is everything okay with Sister Mei these days since I have been out of the palace?"
He was startled and complained somewhat: "I am already like this, and I still only think about others."
I asked persistently: "How is Sister Mei? You promised me that you would take good care of her for me."
He sighed and said, "She is fine, but she misses you very much." He paused, "I miss you as much as I do."
I was slightly stunned, and then said: "Of course, you and Sister Mei grew up together with me, so our natural relationship is unusual." I asked again: "Then has her hand been healed? An Lingrong and the Queen
Did you embarrass her?"
He said: "Her hand injury is almost healed, but there is nothing that can be done about the scar. I searched for all the good remedies for her, and finally there were some marks left. But if you don't look carefully, you can't see it." He emphasized his tone.
: "No one made it difficult for her. She only served the Queen Mother day and night. After returning to the palace, she and Concubine Jing took care of Haoyue. No one could do anything to her."
I comforted myself a little, but then felt sad again, "So, how is my Hazy Moon?"
Wen Shichu frowned slightly, but still smiled: "Emperor Longyue was born in eight months, not full term. Naturally, her body is slightly weaker, and she is more prone to colds and coughs than other empresses."
My heart suddenly felt twitching. Although my Ogyue is a girl and will not threaten anyone's status, if someone is jealous of me and plots past grudges against Ogyue, she is a little infant.
, how can she bear it. I said in panic: "Then what should I do? What should I do? Is her wind and cold very important? She is only a few months old, how can she withstand the wind and cold?"
When Wen Shi first saw the change in my expression, his concern and worry were palpable, and he hurriedly comforted me: "It's okay, don't worry. The emperor loves Di Ji very much and ordered me to take care of her with all my strength. Her cold was also a thing last month, and she is almost healed."
Due to the illness of the emperor, Concubine Jing and Shen Jieyu did not have a good rest for almost two days and two nights. They took turns keeping watch, and even the emperor stayed with them all night. I also promise you that Wen Shichu will do his best on the guarantee of his life.
Protect the safety of Emperor Ji."
"She is just a child and can't speak yet. She can't speak out when she is sick, hungry, or uncomfortable. She can only cry. When I think of her crying, as a mother, I feel heartbroken and sad." Tears finally filled my eyes.
After falling, he couldn't help but said: "Brother Shichu, thank you very much."
Wen Shichu was also miserable, "Sister Huan, I can't help you. The only thing I can do is to try my best to protect Di Ji. I also treat your daughter as my own."
I was moved to tears, "With words like yours and with you taking care of Sister Fumei and Haoyue, I feel relieved." The weakness in my heart surged out instantly and I couldn't suppress it, "Brother Shichu, I can trust you to help me.
Yes, it’s only you.”
He was also shy, but he was a man after all, so he held it back. He looked around and said, "The place you live in is so simple. Do you need anything? If you need anything, I will bring it to you next time."
I shook my head, "I don't lack anything. Even if I lack anything, it doesn't matter. As long as my Haoyue is fine, everything will be fine."
He comforted her softly: "She is very good. Concubine Jing loves Di Ji as bright as her eyes, and Meizhuang also likes her very much. They live in the same palace, so it is convenient for them to take care of each other."
He looked at me again, and his tone was extremely pitiful: "I will definitely find a way to take you out of here. I can't let you suffer like this again."
I smiled casually, thinking he was just talking casually and didn't take it to heart. As long as he could take care of my Hazy Moon, that would be fine.
Several times like this, Wen Shichu either sent medicine or clothes and daily necessities to help me with my shortcomings. I gradually became familiar with him, and I am grateful for his enthusiastic help.
However, after he came a few times, I felt a little uncomfortable.
Ganlu Temple was originally a pure place for nuns to live and practice. He rushed over excitedly several times. Although I knew that he was the imperial physician in the palace and an old acquaintance of mine, I saw that he took great care of me. Although he didn't say anything to me, his expression was...
Gradually it doesn't look good.
That day, Huanbi and I went to wash our clothes by the stream. In the early spring of March, it was the time when the grass sprouted and wild flowers bloomed. Colorful butterflies and birds were flying all the way. She and I carried the
He picked up a large basket of the temple's nun's undergarments, held up a stick, rolled up his sleeves and robe corners, and washed them by the gurgling stream.
There were so many and heavy clothes that Huanbi and I had a hard time lifting them. Fang washed a few times, and Huanbi turned over them again. Suddenly, he let out an "oops" and frowned and complained: "Jingbai and the others are getting more and more excessive. Close-fitting clothes
How can you wash it for us? There are no taboos at all!" I reached out and looked through it, and saw that most of them were women's underwear. I frowned in disgust. However, seeing that Huanbi was angry, I didn't want to add fuel to the fire, so I had to say: "Forget it.
, who said we are new here."
Huanbi endured it, but was still unconvinced after all, "We are new here? Mo Zhen and the others are also new here, why should we do all the rough and dirty work for us? It was fine in the past, but now it is getting worse and worse, even leaving underwear and underwear.
Wash us, what does this mean?"
I remained silent and just raised the stick and hammered hard, causing water to splash and "plop" to hit my face with cold water.
Huanbi held my hand down, her pretty face white with anger, "Aren't you angry, Miss?"
In March, even though the water is spring, there is still a bit of chill. When Huanbi’s fingers press on my hand, I can still see the purple-red marks of chilblains left by the laundry in winter.
I felt heartbroken for a moment, sighed and said, "Now that I've come here, I know that I don't come here to live in comfort and happiness."
Huanbi was speechless for a moment, and said in a daze: "I feel sorry for you, Miss. When has Miss ever done such a dirty and dirty thing before?" She took my hand and asked, "Is Miss's hand still functional?
No matter how much gold medicine you apply on the sore, it won't heal. I can't bear to see it. Don't you, Miss, feel sorry for yourself?"
I was silent for a moment, feeling sorry for myself. How should I feel sorry for myself?
I wasn't used to washing clothes by the stream, but while I was struggling while talking to Huanbi, I accidentally stepped into the stream and wet my shoes. For a while, my shoes and socks were soaked through, and my feet felt cold and sticky. That's all.
What's worse is that the robe is wet, which makes it even more uncomfortable. I felt cold and couldn't help but sneeze. Huanbi said in shock: "Although it is spring, it is still cold when you step in the water. How can this be good?"
I'm afraid that if I cover my body for a long time, my bones will be sore when I go home at night."
I thought about it, then put down the stick and clothes in my hands. Seeing that there was no one around, I took Huanbi's hand and went to the bushes nearby to change out of clothes and hang them to dry. I just hoped that they could dry quickly and put them on again.
After I took off my clothes, I heard people laughing and walking by the stream. I thought the sisters-in-law from the temple had come out to wash their clothes, and they were walking together one by one. It was very lively.
Someone said "Ouch" and laughed sharply: "Mochou and Huanbi are two lazy idiots. They are full of snake bones and lazy hair. Their clothes were left here without being washed, and they ran away to hide their laziness.
"
Someone else sneered loudly, with a contemptuous and disdainful tone, "It may not be because she is lazy! I don't know which imperial doctor or guard in the palace came to visit her, maybe she went somewhere to whisper behind her back.
"
Everyone burst into laughter, and there was a loud bang in my head. The anger of being humiliated surged up. I turned my head and asked Huanbi: "Who are they talking about? Are they talking about me?"
Huanbi shook her head in embarrassment and said: "Their words are not pleasant to listen to. They are just gossiping and their words are so fragmentary. Miss, please ignore them."
However, the other side said: "She came from the palace, and she is very charming. She used to be the emperor's woman, so naturally no one dared to talk to her. Now that she has been kicked out, naturally there are many stinky men running around.
Look for her. Look at the coquettish way she talked to the imperial doctor that day. I heard that she used to be very favored in the palace, but she was suddenly separated from her man and locked up in a place like ours. Can she endure the loneliness? Maybe she will be alone with that doctor.
The imperial doctor said that his old husband is getting better, and he got better when he was in the palace." These words were spoken loudly, and they hit my ears one by one. I couldn't even think about it or not. I heard it very clearly, and it was Jingbai who had
loud voice.
The nuns laughed again, and one person praised: "Uncle Jingbai has the most experience. If she says so, it must be so."
I curled up my fingers vigorously. I felt angry and resentful for a moment, and my blood was surging in my chest. I originally thought Buddhism was a pure place, but I didn’t want to be separated from the harem with such filthy words, malicious speculation, and backbiting.
Nothing.
Huanbi couldn't listen, her face turned red, her eyebrows were raised one by one, and she was about to rush out. Anger and humiliation were entangled in my thoughts, but I still had the remaining sanity, so I held Huanbi down and whispered
And said firmly: "Don't go."
Huanbi couldn't hold back and looked straight at me, "Miss..."
I shook my head again, "Don't go..."
I held Huanbi's hand firmly, as if suppressing my aggrieved and unfair heart at the moment.
The laughter outside was louder, and a sharp female voice said: "Uncle Jingbai is right. She must have had an affair with the imperial doctor for a long time. She was kicked out of the palace. When the people in the palace brought her, she said
I came to practice to pray for the fate of the country. But if this is the case, how could I have been deposed?" Their laughter was ambiguous and secretive, and they seemed to understand tacitly, "It must have been when I had an affair with the imperial doctor.
We Long Live found out about it, so we were kicked out."
"Tsk tsk... Such indiscretion is simply shameless..."
"Do you know? Last time I saw her walking the imperial doctor to the door, talking, laughing and whispering. She was very reluctant to part with him."
Last time, we were talking, laughing, whispering, and reluctant to leave... I just asked Wen Shichu to take good care of my Haoyue, but she was never as wretched as they said.
"I once saw the imperial doctor go back, and then come back and look at her house in a daze, but I don't know how infatuated she was..." They giggled, "If a woman is willing to let go of her figure, then the man will look like
I'm like a fly, and I don't know what they are doing in the house." They whispered to each other, laughed loudly, beat their clothes hard, slandered me hard, and imagined hard. The sound of them beating the clothes was loud.
, the stick hit the stone slab hard one by one through the soft clothes, just like hitting my heart one by one.
Did he come back and look at my house? I didn't know at all. I sighed, Wen Shichu wasn't too unruly. Besides, Wen Shichu was always aboveboard when he came, and I often didn't even close the door.
Huanbi was indignant and said: "Buddhist land, slaves and maids think it is a very clean place, but they actually say such unfounded words, even the ignorant village women in the countryside are inferior."
I didn't even feel that my anger was worth it, so I just sneered and remained silent.
I don’t know how long it took, but everyone was laughing and joking, after washing their clothes, they dispersed in a swarm. The wet clothes gradually dried.
Huanbi put her clothes on me, shook my hand, and said cautiously: "My lady's hands are so cold. Let's go back. We need to make a bowl of ginger soup and drink it to dispel the cold, so as not to catch the cold."
Seeing that I just sneered and said nothing, she comforted me in a low voice: "It's no wonder that the young lady is angry. This slave can't listen to me. I just feel disgusted."
I patted her hand and said slowly: "I'm not angry. It's not worth getting angry with them." I tried to calm down my thoughts, went out to pack the clothes to be washed, and said calmly: "Huanbi,
Do we have one too?" I looked at her, "Are we very close to Mr. Wen?"
Huanbi said anxiously: "No. They are talking nonsense."
"I know they are talking nonsense." I hammered my clothes, as if to vent my anger, "I always thought that Mr. Wen and I were treating each other politely. But isn't there any truth in what they said? These days,
Mr. Wen is here very often. He is looking at my house outside in a daze..."
Huanbi lowered her head and thought for a while, then said softly: "Although I didn't see it, but based on Mr. Wen's temperament and affection for the young lady, he may not do such a thing..."
I suddenly remembered that when I was pregnant for the first time, during nap time, I knew he was outside the palace, but I didn't want to get up and talk to him. I just pretended to sleep under the window, but he stood quietly outside the window, his figure hidden in the window.
In front of me, through the double window screens and gauze curtains, I watched with infinite attention and remained silent for a long time.
I always thought that he no longer had that affection for me and that I was too negligent.
However, he didn't show any obvious expression to me, and I didn't even have room to refuse.
I looked at Huanbi and looked a little embarrassed, "I have become a monk and practice..."
Huanbi thought for a while and hesitated: "Although Miss is a monk, she is practicing as a monk. Besides..." She hesitated slightly and said softly: "Miss has left the palace. The emperor has deposed you. You are divorced and there is no relationship anymore.
.You are now at ease, so it is inevitable that Mr. Wen will have some thoughts again."
I smiled indifferently and said, "I think he really thinks too much."
Huanbi said with a somewhat complaining tone, "Miss, don't blame me for talking too much. Mr. Wen has always thought about Miss like that and has never changed. It's just that he does it so conspicuously now. It's in vain to add gossip and trouble to Miss."
." However, she sighed, "It's just Mr. Wen's affection that is really touching."
"My thoughts about him are the same as before, and they have never changed." I thought for a moment, "He forgot to behave, but we can't forget. If it's not necessary, we'd better keep away from him. Don't shout.
It's best that he misunderstood, and don't embarrass him too much." The chill of the spring cold was particularly obvious by the water. I sighed: "Sister Mei and my long moon need his care in the palace, they are old friends, after all, they need to be cared for by him.
Leave some room for meeting."
Huanbi bowed her head in response, "Jinxi and I both understand this." She looked at the place where her sisters-in-law were washing their clothes, frowned and said in disgust: "I thought this place was just a hard place, but I didn't expect the people to be so indifferent. I thought it was also
It's just that they are indifferent, but I don't want them to speak so viciously and meanly, which makes people's hearts feel cold. Even a Buddhist school like Ganlu Temple has such a cold and cruel world, how can there be a quiet place."
Yes. I thought in confusion, where is the quiet place? Peace in this world is hard to find. But troubles are coming one after another, and there is no way to hide away.
In this case, every time I thought that Wen Shichu might come that day, I hid early. I would rather walk farther to mow the grass and wash the laundry, and didn't go back until sunset. I bumped into Meizhuang and Longyue by chance.
Due to the situation, I found an excuse to send him back.