Chapter 68

On the first seven days, the Pei family performed the first seven rituals at Ci'en Temple, and after one night, they returned to the city and returned to their residence the next day.

There was a blizzard in the mountains last night, and it was freezing cold to the bones. Everyone stayed up all night, all of them were tired, and when they came back, they took a rest.

Pei Youan and Jiafu went back to the room, and the servants brought hot water. After the two washed their clothes, they changed their clothes and lay down for a while. Another servant came to call. The guardian who stayed in the temple sent someone to rush back to report. It is said that there is a hundred-year-old locust tree outside the root hall where the ancestors of the Pei family are worshipped. The trunk has been eaten by insects and ants, but the branches are knotted with dragons and horns. Almost half of the courtyard of the root hall was opened. The wind was strong, and the branches were found to be tilted this morning. The guards were afraid that there would be another heavy snowfall tonight. If the whole tree collapsed top-heavy, it would be a big deal. Because there was the lotus pedestal of the ancestors of the Pei family, I didn’t dare to deal with it arbitrarily. Therefore, it was urgent to send someone back to report.

Pei Youan asked Jiafu to sleep, got up by himself, and ordered someone to ask Pei Quan to discuss.

Pei Quanfang fell asleep, and was disturbed by the servants. He heard that there was a hidden danger in the temple. Pei Youan came to ask for a discussion. Come down, why are you panicking? Isn't there someone on his side holding the ancestral iron coupon given by the old lady? Whoever holds it will go. Without you, I'm afraid the sky won't be bright? It snows and the road is long, your body is already weak, didn't you just complain that your knees are sore and swollen, and you can't walk? You lie down and I'll answer you!"

Before the old lady left, she gave the iron coupon to the second nephew of the big house. When arranging the separation of the two houses, although she gave the second house more land and property to make up for it, what Pei Quan secretly hoped for was the iron coupon. , Knowing that he is hopeless, he is extremely disappointed, and secretly complains that his mother is partial. In addition, after many years of hard work, I finally managed to get where I am today. The old lady went like this. In addition to his son delaying the opening of the spring, he was also forced to worry about Ding You. With his qualifications, it is impossible to win love. After three years, the court affairs will be unknown. What has it become. Depressed things happened one after another, and Japan was depressed and unbearable at these times. When Meng Shi said this, when he hesitated, seeing that Meng Shi had already gone out, he slowly lay back.

Pei You'an waited for a while, but he didn't see Pei Quan, but the second lady came and said apologetically, "You'an, it's really unfortunate, your second uncle froze all night last night. After going down the mountain this morning, he suffered from an old problem and his knees were swollen. The pain was unbearable, so I just put two ointments on it. If you don't think Xiuluo gets in the way, or I ask him to come with you to fight?"

Pei You An said there was no need, and asked Meng Shi to speak on his behalf and let his uncle rest his legs in peace. Together with Pei Xiuzhi and the third uncle in the clan who had heard the news, they brought a few stewards and hurried out. When they were pulling the horse, Zhou A woman in front of Jiao'e ran out and said that Zhou Jiao'e was a little unwell and was looking for the second master everywhere.

Two days after the old lady's death, Zhou Jiao'e was diagnosed as having a happy day. It was extremely expensive to eat sour and sweet for the past few days. Yesterday, she naturally stayed at home to raise her baby.

Pei Xiuzhi reprimanded the old woman, "If you don't ask the boss to come and see, what do you want me to do? I have other important things to do!"

The mother-in-law obeyed and turned to leave. Pei Youan said, "My brother and sister's health is important, I can deal with it, you can go back."

Pei Xiuzhi shied away for a few words, and finally had no choice but to agree, turned around and came back into the inner room, and saw Zhou Jiao'e leaning against the bed, holding a warm woman in her arms, the chestnuts were simmering in the stove, and the girl beside her was busy peeling the chestnuts. Shell, she looked at herself with a smile, then frowned: "Didn't you say it's uncomfortable?"

Zhou Jiao'e told the girls to go out, and smiled: "The wind is blowing like a knife outside, someone is already here, what are you doing, and who are you going to show? Come here quickly and beat me down the waist. Oh, my waist is sore, I can't sit, I can't lie down, I'm going to lose half of my life..."

Pei Xiuzhi couldn't feel the pain in her heart. With a sullen face, she turned around and was about to go out. Behind her, Zhou Jiao'e raised her eyebrows, grabbed a handful of empty chestnut shells, smashed it at his back, and shouted, "I'm hot. With a cold butt on your face, like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, you don't know the good heart? If you dare to step out of this house, you will show me! You are thinking that something happened to Zhou Guojiu, this time Long live is not lovable , you will also lose the empress in your eyes, right?"

She sneered, "After I got married, you would pick on me and look up and down, don't think I don't know, you're still thinking about the one in the courtyard, right? Dream! Look in the mirror and see how foolish you are! That's me, I love you when I marry a chicken, but you treat me like a donkey! Be careful to make me anxious, and everyone will break up, don't even think about having a good life!"

Pei Xiuzhi's face became hot, and he froze there. After losing her temper, Zhou Jiao'e took up her handkerchief and wiped away her tears. After a while, Mrs. Xin's cough was heard outside. Pei Xiuzhi suppressed the resentment in his heart, but he had no choice but to slow down his face.

...

Shortly after Pei You'an was called away, it snowed again. At first, it was like catkins, but gradually it became a goose feather snow.

Even though the house was as warm as spring, Jiafu couldn't sleep.

After noon, it was no more than two quarters of Shenshi, and the sky was gloomy, as if it was about to get dark. A girl opened the curtain, and Sandalwood came in with a bowl to eat, put it down, sighed warmly into her palm, and said, "Grandma, there was a message from the concierge just now, saying that the third uncle slipped on the mountain, The people have been sent back now, the uncle can't come back for dinner, if it's late, he won't be able to go down the mountain at night, wait until tomorrow morning, and tell the grandma to close the door earlier, you don't have to wait for the uncle to come back."

Jiafu listened to the whistling sound of the north wind passing over the courtyard wall outside, and thought that when he went out, he did not plan to spend the night on the mountain, but only wore a cloak, and the snow was wet. The boots must be soaked. If one really spends the night in the mountains, although there are guests in the temple, but such a snowy night, the bedding is thin...

How can Jiafu rest assured, and immediately ask someone to take out the wool quilt, together with Pei You'an's clothes, plus thick shoes and socks, all together. I wanted to send a servant to send it over, but the words came to my lips, thinking of the lonely cold in the snowy night, and I still wanted to accompany him in my heart, so I changed my mouth and asked Tanxiang and Liu mama to wear clothes to keep out the cold. , brought enough bedding for the night, called the steward, ordered the servant, prepared the carriage, and went out of the city to the temple. There was not half a person on the road. Braving the wind and snow, I finally arrived at the foot of the mountain before it was completely dark. Down, with the bright corner lights on, they slowly walked up with the help of each other. The little servant who had long legs and feet quickly climbed up to report.

Before the Jiafu people arrived at the mountain gate, Pei You'an quickly came out, connected her, and placed her in the residence where the ladies came to pay homage to the Buddha. After entering the house, she ordered the stove to warm up, and when she saw her cloak She was covered in snow, her eyelashes were stained with a little velvet, and her nose was flushed red from freezing. While helping her to pat the snow, she whispered rebuke: "Who is going out in this weather? Didn't I tell you to close the door earlier, so you don't have to wait for me? You If you don't obey, you ran over by yourself? There is a lot of snow on the ground, what if you fall?"

For Pei You'an, the death of his grandmother must have been a great sadness. In the past two weeks, he was exhausted again, but he never showed his heart in front of her.

In front of her, he was more gentle and considerate than before, as if he was afraid that she would be sad and sad, as if she was a little person who needed his care.

The snow velvet on the eyelashes gradually melted into small water droplets. Jiafu blinked: "I will be very careful. I heard from them that Uncle Six accidentally fell on his leg and came back first, you are the only one left on the mountain..."

She stopped, looking at him slightly uneasily.

Pei You'an was stunned for a moment, then smiled, led her to sit on the edge of the couch, looked down and saw that the toe of her deerskin boots were covered with snow and snow. Take off her shoes.

Jiafu hurriedly shrank her feet back, but Pei Youan had already held them, took off her boots, and took off the other one, rubbed her numb toes hidden in her socks with her palms, and then put them on the couch. , asked Sandalwood to bring the woolen quilt, covered her legs and feet, and put a small heater in her arms, which was sent by the Zhike monk, and said, "You should rest here first. Tonight, you must first Put the tree down in case it falls down, but the tree is too big, so it is a bit troublesome to deal with. I will go first, and I will come back to eat with you later."

He turned around, instructed Sandalwood and the others to serve Jiafu, and then hurried away.

At the moment of Xu, when he came back, the house was already warm. The monk served vegetarian food, and after eating, he went there again. It was not until Hai Shi that he finally came back, saying that the tree had fallen down safely, and the originally put away. The lotus positions have also returned one by one, just wait for the tree to be dragged out tomorrow morning.

Although the two were husband and wife, they were in the temple, but it was inconvenient to live in the same room. Pei Youan ended the night's affair, came to see Jiafu, let her sleep, then left the house and went back to his place for the night. There was a courtyard with a gable in the middle. Jiafu had already passed by and helped him make the bed again.

The snow gradually stopped. Sandalwood Madam Liu and others, who slept in the same room as Jia Fu, had already fallen asleep.

The mountain temple in the middle of the night, even though it was smeared with the rich and noble fireworks in the world in the daytime because of the name of the royal family, at this moment it was completely silent, restoring its original tranquility and emptiness.

Jiafu closed her eyes and tossed and turned while thinking of Pei You'an, who was separated from her by a wall, accompanied by the high and low snoring sound of Liu mama.

She had a feeling that at this moment, he should not be able to sleep peacefully.

She finally couldn't bear it anymore, quietly got up from the couch, put on her clothes, opened the door, stepped on the snow below her ankles, walked out of the courtyard door, and came to Pei You'an's house.

The panes were dark and there were no lights inside.

Jiafu went up the porch and stood at the door. While hesitating, she heard Pei You'an's voice from inside: "Come in."

Just now, although she lightened her footsteps, she still made a slight creaking sound when she stepped on the snow. He must have figured it out already.

Jiafu responded softly, pushed open the door that was hidden, and saw Pei You'an standing in front of the window in a robe, the window was open, he turned his face and faced himself at the door.

The surroundings were dark, and his figure was immersed in the night, only the snow outside the window reflected half of his face with a deep outline.

He looked at her, his eyes silent and gentle.

Gave walked over to him. He touched her little hand, which was a little bit cold: "wear so little! Why don't you sleep?"

"You don't sleep either." Jiafu defended herself in a low voice.

He smiled slightly: "I'm about to go to bed. You're sleeping well too."

Gave was speechless.

Pei You'an looked at her with a scrutiny from the snow outside the window, then grabbed her shoulders, lowered her head and kissed her face, her voice soft and soothing: "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. ."

After he finished speaking, he took off his cloak, put warm clothes over her body, and immediately took her by the shoulders and took her to the door.

Nothing could hide from him, including his own emotions.

Tonight, she braved the wind and snow to come here, originally wanting to accompany him, but not wanting the result, but instead he comforted herself.

Jiafu was moved, but she felt lost, and refused to leave, so she stayed where she was, grabbing his sleeves with both hands, with a little coquettishness and stubbornness.

Pei Youan smiled and shook his head helplessly.

He added some silver charcoal to the gradually extinguished fire, and when the charcoal fire became vigorous, put a pot of tea and sat in a chair in front of the fire, motioning for Jia Fu to go over.

Gave came to him. He hugged her and sat on his lap, covered her body with his clothes, and the two of them squeezed into a chair.

The warm firelight, in the dark night, jumped quietly. From the belly of the teapot on the stove, there was a slight but pleasant sound of water boiling.

This quiet night in the mountain temple is so peaceful.

Jiafu closed her eyes and leaned against his embrace, gradually becoming sleepy and dazed. After an unknown amount of time, she felt as if she was being gently hugged.

She opened her eyes, looked up at Pei You'an who was about to lay her flat on the couch, stretched her arms around his neck, and said in a low voice, "Big cousin, I want to pay homage to your aunt, Come with me, okay?"

...

Jiafu wrapped the clothes on the inner three layers and the outer three layers, was held by Pei You'an, and walked towards the courtyard deep in the Zen courtyard behind the Ci'en Temple without accompanying her.

The night sky was clear, and a half moon shadow gradually appeared. The entire mountain temple was like a silver clad, and the ears were quiet, except for the slight creaking of the snow under the feet of the two of them.

Gradually coming to the place where few people approached on weekdays, Pei You'an suddenly stopped.

There is a fork in the front, and there is a trail on the side, which leads to the gate of the back mountain.

On and off, it has snowed for several days and nights. The snow is half a foot thick. At this moment, there are two rows of footprints on the fork. On the footprints, there is no snow, and it leads to The courtyard in front.

That is to say, just tonight, maybe a moment ago, someone had already gone to that place before them.

Who could have come to this now almost deserted place where she spent the last part of her life in the middle of the night when there was no one in the middle of the night in this bad weather where the heavy snow almost closed the mountain?

Jiafu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately thought of a person.

She quietly glanced at the people beside her.

Pei Youan frowned slightly, then continued to hold Jiafu and walked forward.

It was getting closer and closer to the closed door.

The footprints in the snow are also clear, leading to the door.

Pei You'an went straight to the door, stretched out his hand, and pushed it.

The door was not locked from the outside, but it couldn't be pushed open, as if it was bolted from the inside.

Pei You'an's brows furrowed even tighter, and he pushed it again, but the door still wouldn't open.

His face darkened slightly, he pondered for a while, pulled Jiafu behind him, and then slowly pulled out the long sword on his waist.

The sword light reflected the snow, and a dazzling cold flashed under the moon.

He pointed the tip of his sword to the crack of the door, and said coldly, "I'm Pei You'an. I know you're behind the door. This is a forbidden area. Who are you, you dare to enter! If you don't open the door and show yourself, my sword will not recognize anyone!"