Chapter 10 - Tong Xin

　　The room seems to be quiet for a while, Tong Xin does not know very clearly, she crouched on the floor, crying, choking, only feel all the grievances suffered in more than two months are painfully cried out, in a trance seems to hear people say "you all go down", and then back to God, only to find that within the cabinet, in addition to the girl still sitting on the embroidered pier, there is only her own. When she came back to her senses again, she realized that in addition to the girl sitting on the embroidered pier, she was the only one left. 　　The blue sky outside the window was covered with heavy clouds, and the dull light made the room gray. 　　Xu Shanran did not immediately turn her gaze to Tang Xin, who was kneeling on the ground. 　　She casually plucked off the last flower in her hair and rested it on the dressing table, making a soft crashing sound, and then stood up to get the candlestick on the table, lighting the copper lamps in the room one by one. 　　The warm orange light quickly drove away the gloom in the room. 　　Xu Shanran slowly walked up to Tang Xin, lowered his eyes and looked down on the crouching servant girl. 　　Tang Xin couldn't help but cower for a moment. 　　The body is too thin clothes and can not withstand the cold of early spring, she cried when she did not feel, wait until now, the cold on the ground is like a steel needle penetrating those thin fabrics straight into the body, those early frostbitten places are more hilarious like pain and itchiness ...... She can not help but reach out to grab the hem of Tianshui Bi's skirt in front of her, pleading: "Girl ......" 　　"Tongxin, you and Zhusi are not underlings of the State Duke's House." Xu Shanran suddenly spoke. 　　"Mother brought your family over when she married at that time, your father and mother stayed at the manor to watch the manor, they know about you being here, but don't think about how they can help you, think about how you can't involve them first is better, you still have an older brother and a younger brother ...... " 　　"I heard that someone has taken a fancy to you recently?" 　　"That family to say that the family is not bad, in front of the big aunt is also a bit of face, if she begged, you are not the State Duke House family born underlings, and evil mother, the big aunt will most likely be allowed. Think about it from another perspective, the days are always out, her family is already much better than the outside, you obey the small will, maybe also--" 　　When Tang Xin heard this, her face turned as white as death. The irony of the crowd scorned and laughed at and ostracized and trampled on, anything is good, listen to it for a long time, even if it is satirized and scorned and laughed at and ostracized and trampled on themselves also feel that it is all their own faults. But as long as still a person, she always expects that she can live a little better, always expect some light ahead, they can also eventually try to walk on the road of flat: "girl do not know, that person has died two wives, the second or pregnant, flow out is a boy into the type ... ... ...Girl, girl, have mercy and save me this time!" 　　"I'm able to save you." Xu Shanran's tone was light, but one word at a time, she couldn't have said it more clearly, "I can save you, I can transfer you back to me again, and I can give this courtyard of mine to you to take charge of, and let you be the first person in this house of mine-isn't that what you wanted in the first place?" 　　Tang Xin froze, and then panicked and mouthed, "I don't dare, I don't dare, slave girl doesn't dare ......" 　　"But what can you give me?" Xu Shanran interrupted Tang Xin. She did not need to go around in circles with a maid, without Tong Xin, there was still Li Xin, and Rui Xin, she only needed to find a maid that met her requirements. She squatted down and looked straight at the maidservant who was bent over the ground, asking again, "I can save you, what can you return to me?" 　　Tang Xin still looked a bit bewildered and overwhelmed as she walked away. 　　Re-entering the house, mama Li helped Xu Shanran change her clothes while smiling tentatively, "Miss, did Tang Xin suddenly come over with a confession? This counts as a bit of her conscience, but there are some things ah, doing wrong is doing wrong, and then can not be described to make up for it ......." 　　Xu Shanran did not speak. 　　She was getting used to the change from the old madam who controlled the forest house to a seven year old girl, and the maidservant mothers around her had to get used to her change as well. 　　It was no longer possible for her to listen to her mother and talk to her mother about everything like a real seven year old girl. 　　Mom Li waited for a while, not seeing Xu Shanran answer, more or less embarrassed, and wanted to open her mouth again. Or green parrot saw the opportunity early, rushed forward to interrupt: "girl, night you only eat with the master and wife, after eating to eliminate food is almost rest, also do not need to wear too many things, just wear the master last year to give that piece of ink jade, the head only tied two colorful silk satin can be good?" 　　"That's it." Xu Shanran said. 　　And the matter was revealed. 　　After some cleaning up, when Xu Shanran brought the maid to He's place, the main room of the four-sided courtyard was already full of masters and maids. 　　I saw He sitting on the left seat of the upper head, changed into a plain lotus-colored twining branch peony pattern long coat, under the two benches sat a woman and a man, beside him stood a woman wearing a dark green long coat, slightly hanging her head, looks as if the mansion stewardess servant. 　　With a glance, Xu Shanran recognized them all. 　　This was the first time she had seen them since her return. 　　Her concubine sister Xu Danqing, concubine brother Xu Danyu, and the aunt Zhou who gave birth to these two children. 　　Between thoughts, Xu Shanran had already stepped through the doorway and walked into the hall, first greeting her mother, then saluting her concubine sister and brother sitting next to her, before leaning on her mother's words and snuggling up next to her. 　　After a day of rushing He's also a little tired, is crooked in the cushion rest, has always been with He's side waiting for He's mother Gui is holding an abacus, crackling to the account book to dial beads. 　　When Xu Shanran sat down, he took a look at the account book, and saw nothing wrong with it. Combining this with his past memories, he concluded that there was no problem with the account book. 　　Not long after, mother Gui finished calculating the account, and indeed closed the book and smiled at He: "All finished, there is nothing to change." 　　He then smiled at Aunt Zhou who was standing next to her, "You've worked hard in the past two months while I was away, it's hard for you to be so thorough. Take some bird's nests from me later, you also replenish your body." 　　"This is all what the maidservant should do, it's not worthy of Mistress's word of thanks." Aunt Zhou blessed He's body and respectfully said, "If Mistress has no other orders, the servant girl will leave first." 　　He looks at the sky, "Master will be back from the field today, just in time for dinner at home, why don't you stay a little longer?" 　　"Master hasn't seen Mrs. Fifth Girl for a long time, he should have a good chat with Mrs. Fifth Girl, although Mrs. is kind-hearted, the maidservant should know what's good and what's bad, and retire early." Aunt Zhou said and blessed again before turning to go out. 　　Xu Danqing and Xu Danyu, who were sitting next to her, didn't care at all. 　　Because Xu Dan Yu is a boy, in front of the first mother is still a bit constrained, Xu Dan Qing has already smiled early: "Mother this time stayed outside for so long time, there is no daughter to bring any gift? There is no need to mother what jewelry and jewelry this and other stuff, they say that the mountain has the most Buddha nature, a flower and a leaf is also enough!" 　　He was still sighing at Auntie Zhou's back, but laughed when Xu Danqing stirred her up, "If I really bring back those flowers and leaves, I don't know how I'll be buried by this monkey." 　　Said Gui mom took two boxes out, a box is for Xu Danqing, a box is for Xu Dan Yu. 　　Both results open a look, only to see Xu Danqing box is a few kinds of jewelry, pink flowers charming, green leaves translucent, and that craftsmanship, lifelike butterfly hairpin, only just open the lid to see that the butterfly tentacles trembling, butterfly wings shaking, want to fly up. 　　As for Xu Dan Yu's is more simple a little, but pen, ink, paper and inkstone, good pen and ink, good paper and inkstone only. 　　Both of them stood up and bowed to He to say thank you. 　　Xu Danqing then pulls out a scroll of Buddhist scriptures from his sleeve like a magic trick, smilingly handing it to He: "Mother look, this is the scriptures I copied for my sister, I recited the Buddha three times every morning and evening for more than two months, and heaven is lucky that my sister has been fine ever since." 　　This is a somewhat odd thing to say, as if Xu Shanran got better because she copied the sutras and recited the Buddha. 　　He smiled and took it. 　　Xu Shanran also smiled slightly, from He's side stood up, to his concubine sister blessed: "Thank you sister, think if not sister these scriptures, I'm afraid that I'm not okay; unfortunately sister total on the copying of a volume, if you copy two more volumes, maybe I can come back last month." 　　Listen to the words and listen to the sound gongs and drums. 　　Xu Danqing himself with meaning to speak, and then listen to Xu Shanran's jokes, hear more than one meaning, on the spot was choked a little speechless. 　　Just at this time, the maid outside said "the master is back", all eyes will look toward the hall outside, not long, see the head wearing a jade crown, wearing a rolled silver border purple cashmere cloak of the man walked in, the man laughed and said: "What are you talking about, I heard the sound of laughter from afar. " 　　That person's skin color is slightly white, danfeng eyes, under the chin has a long beard, a hand and a foot can not be said to be spontaneous and natural, born with a section of the wind in the body, it is out of a few months of Xu Peidong. 　　After this person came in, sitting on the kang He also got off the kang, with children to greet their husbands, greetings, Xu Danqing and cheered, ran to their own next to Xu Peidong, hugging Xu Peidong's hand pouting, said: "Father you finally came back, you do not know how much my daughter has been working hard in the past two months!" 　　Xu Peidong, who was looking at Xu Shanran, was interrupted by this, and forgot what he was going to say, and turned to his eldest daughter and said, "Oh? Then bring your paintings for me to comment on?" 　　"I'm afraid you can't see it!" Said Xu Danqing, then asked her personal maid to fetch the painting, the moment she turned her head, she threw a look at Xu Shanran, smug and provocative. 　　Xu Shanran who had already sat back down naturally saw this hidden glance. 　　She felt some amusement in her heart, but also felt that if she fought with such a little girl over jealousy, losing would certainly be a joke, and winning would be nothing to be happy about. 　　Any way you look at it, it was an idle matter that was better left undone. 　　But this was for Lin Xu's. 　　And she is now, only seven years old. 　　Looking forward to growing up earlier to be able to do things boldly, and looking forward to growing up slower to give her more time to prepare, that's probably the kind of mindset she has now, isn't it? 　　Xu Shanran thought so, see that went to get the scroll of the maidservant has returned to the hall, will scroll to Xu Peidong. 　　Xu Peidong took it and unfolded it, looked at it for a moment and praised it: 　　"Not bad! I can see that you have been working hard for a while!"