"Madam, why are you crying?" Mammy Zheng said in surprise.

Xiao Shi subconsciously reached out and touched the corners of his eyes, and his hands were wet.

She slowed down, only to realize that a corner of the messy and ruined temple had become a corner of the magnificent Daxiong Palace, and the corner of the quilt held in her left hand had become a sign.

Is it a dream?

But it's too real.

If it weren't for a dream-

Xiao Shi looked down at the signed inscription in his hand: "I work hard to succeed, wait until the flowers bloom and a gust of wind; Xi Jun can only borrow lightly, and there is no red in the east."

She couldn't help but substitute this signed text into herself in the 'dream'.

The previous sentence said that she managed the backyard of the Guogong's mansion diligently, and only hoped that IKEA would make her son a talent. As a result, the mother-in-law watched with a cold eye. The husband was cold in nature and detached in appearance. The son who had been spoiled for more than 20 years was not only not his own, but also tried his best to want her life.

As for Xi Jun in the latter sentence, recalling what happened in her 'dream' just now, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at the three Buddhas who were not far away, who were graceful and generous or kind-hearted—

At this moment, a middle-aged monk hurriedly walked in, stood in front of the lottery booth, folded his hands, bowed and said, "Amitabha, the poor monk suddenly had persistent abdominal pain, so he left for a while, and let the two The female benefactor has been waiting for a long time. Are the two female benefactors asking for a signature? Huh—"

The eyes of the three suddenly fell on the signature in Xiao's hands.

Mammy Zheng subconsciously looked behind the middle-aged monk, where there was still the figure of the old monk.

Xiao Shi obviously realized this, she was stunned for a moment, half-opened her mouth, and only said: "This lottery booth has always been handled by you alone, Master?"

"Exactly." The middle-aged monk suppressed the doubts in his heart and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's not a dream, it's really not a dream..." Mrs. Xiao grabbed Madam Zheng's hand and stumbled to her feet, as if a thunderbolt struck her head, and it was as if someone had poured a basin of cold water from head to toe. Lost consciousness all over.

Sadness, hatred, confusion... a lot of emotions were intertwined in her heart.

"Madam, what's wrong with you, Madam?" Seeing Mrs. Xiao's shaky appearance, Madam Zheng said in a hurry, "Madam, you can't have an accident, the purpose of our coming to Huguo Temple at this time is for those who are about to go to the Tatars. Soldiers pray for blessings, if at this juncture, something happened to you at Huguo Temple, wouldn't it be a blow to the morale of the soldiers?"

Xiao Shi suddenly came to his senses.

Mammy Zheng is right, at this juncture, she can't be chaotic, let alone jump to conclusions.

In case, in case it is really a dream!

She couldn't help but take a chance.

Finally, she suppressed the complicated emotions in her heart, took two quick breaths, and then tried her best to keep her tone calm, and said slowly, "Mother Zheng, didn't you just say that the osmanthus flowers in the back of the temple are blooming?"

Mammy Zheng knew what to ask and what not to ask, so she just followed Xiao's words and continued: "Yes, the monks in the temple said, it's very prosperous!"

"Then let's go and have a look!" Xiao shi picked up the handkerchief and wiped the corners of his eyes. A decent smile appeared on the corners of his mouth, and he instantly returned to his former graceful and luxurious appearance.

"Eh."

On the other side, in a corner of the rockery in the back garden, Meng Zezhi sat cross-legged on the ground, raised his left hand, put his index and middle fingers together, and muttered words.

In the next second, there was only a puff, and a flame suddenly appeared from a grass figurine in a monk's robe standing in front of him, followed by the whole grass figurine on fire.

Meng Zezhi opened his eyes abruptly, and after heaved a sigh of relief, the corners of his lips could not help but bend.

You're done!

At this moment, Meng Zezhi heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and he immediately stood up and patted the dust on his body at will.

It wasn't the He Shi who came here. Seeing Meng Zezhi, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and quickened her pace: "Master, why did you come here? It's easy to find me."

"I don't know either. I walked and walked, and I came here."

As if remembering something, Meng Zezhi took a step back and stepped on the ashes that were still bubbling with sparks.

"It's almost noon, young master, are you hungry too?"

"kind of."

"Then let's go back to the main hall and wait... I heard that the vegetarian food in Huguo Temple is very good, even the master of Xichun Building can't compare."

"Yes?"

...

As the voice got farther and farther, an old monk with white eyebrows came out from behind the rockery. His eyes fell on a small amount of black ashes at his feet, and then he looked up at the cloudless sky, and the movement of fiddling with the beads in his hands was inadvertent. Two points slower.

He sighed slightly and said in a distant voice, "It's going to change!"

Xiao Shi, who returned to the Duke's Mansion, held on for three days and handled everything in an orderly manner. In the eyes of outsiders, she was still the dignified and elegant lady of the country, and there was nothing wrong with her.

Meng Zezhi was in awe when he saw it in his eyes, but he still couldn't underestimate the acting skills and scheming of a woman who had been struggling for decades in the backyard of the dignified state's mansion.

Song Guogong and Zhao Yijing left the capital with the front foot and Xiao Shi fell ill on the back foot.

She was very ill, and the entire palace was filled with a layer of bitterness of medicinal juice.

The scene of Mammy Zheng being stabbed to death, the dark life in the family temple, the pain pierced into the bone marrow when Caishikou was pressed to the ground and beaten... and Zhao Yijing's ugly face, the scenes were in Xiao Shi's mind Repeated, lingering, lingering.

"Ma'am, it's time to drink the medicine." With a haggard face, Madam Zheng scooped up the concoction with a spoon and brought it to Mrs. Xiao's mouth.

After eating a bowl of concoction, she remembered the business in a daze, she barely cheered up, and said weakly: "Know the piano, help me up."

"Yes." The maid Shiqin immediately stepped forward to help her sit up.

"You all go down, Mother Zheng, you stay, I have something to ask you." Xiao said weakly.

"Yes."

After all the servants serving in the room withdrew, Madam Zheng said, "Madam?"

Mrs. Xiao panted lightly, her eyes were sunken, and her face was pale. She said, "Mammy Zheng, I remember that you have a son who is in charge of the house in the house."

Although Mammy Zheng didn't understand why Mrs. Xiao asked such a question, she still replied, "It's my youngest son."

Mammy Zheng is proud of this son. He has been clever since he was a child. Before he was 30 years old, he had already been the steward of the cloth factory, and also oversaw a dyeing workshop and two ready-to-wear shops. Of course, there are more or less Mrs. to take care of her face.

"You call him, I have two things for him to do."

At this moment, Xiao Shi can use it with confidence, that is, these old servants left to her by her father.

"Hey." Mammy Zheng didn't ask much, just sent someone to call her younger son over.

"lady."

Mammy Zheng's youngest son, Ji Guyang, knelt down for Mrs. Xiao as soon as he entered the door.

When Madam Zheng saw this, she immediately retreated, not forgetting to bring the door behind her.

Xiao Shi said with difficulty: "I called you here because I want you to help me check two things."

"Madam, just do whatever you want." Ji Guyang lowered his head even lower.

"The first thing, more than 20 years ago, when did Zhou Suniang, who lived in the East Street of Fishing Hall, die, and how did she die?" Mrs. Xiao gasped: "The second thing is that by the Yellow River in Gongchang Mansion, Shaanxi Province. Is there a Linghe Village? There is a family named Xing in the village, and the eldest daughter of the second house is named Xing Xiaoya."

She finally said: "On these two things, check it secretly, and don't let unrelated people know."

"Yes." Ji Guyang replied respectfully, and then retreated.

Xu Shi was mentally prepared, and Xiao Shi's body was getting better day by day.

Half a month later, Ji Guyang came back in a hurry.

"Back to Madam, the villain went to Shaanxi in person, but there is a Linghe Village in Li County, Gongchang House. There is a family named Xing in the village, and the eldest daughter in the second room is named Xing Xiaoya. As for Zhou Su Niang and Zhou Su Niang..."

Ji Guyang was hesitant to say anything, the matter was related to the host's private affairs, and he didn't dare not to panic.

"Say—" Xiao Shi's breath was slightly short, and there was a taste of gnashing his teeth in his tone.

"Yes," Ji Guyang said with difficulty: "Zhou Su Niang was beaten to death on the street by someone who was treated as an adult trafficker during the Lantern Festival nineteen years ago..."

His voice was getting lower and lower: "It was Ma Sihai next to the grandfather who presided over her funeral. It seems that the grandfather was also present."

Ma Sihai has a scar on his face that spreads from his eyelids to the corner of his mouth, so he is very recognizable.

Like a thunderbolt from the blue, the Xiao family sat on the bed like a wood, staring blankly at the ground with both eyes, unable to speak for a long time.

Ji Guyang was crawling on the ground, not daring to catch a breath.

After recovering, unexpectedly, Xiao shi didn't have much grief in his heart.

Crying and crying, sickness and sickness, or maybe she already had the answer subconsciously, at this moment, her face was calm, only hatred remained.

She said, "You can help me with a few more things. If it's done, I'll return your family's deed to you."

Ji Guyang's eyes tightened, his heart was pounding, and his throat was dry: "Ji Guyang swears allegiance to Madam."

As soon as Ji Guyang left, Madam Zheng came in with a bowl of rice porridge: "Madam, it's time to eat."

Mrs. Xiao took the small bowl and said, "Mammy Zheng, you go to the Wutong Courtyard, invite the ninth young master, and say let him come over to serve me."

Mammy Zheng was startled. Since Madam went to Huguo Temple, after she came back, she couldn't guess what Madam was thinking.

Although it is normal for a concubine to treat the concubine's illness, and at the same time, it can be regarded as a means for the concubine to spar with the concubine, but the lady has no preference in this regard. What she hates most on weekdays is the pile of evildoers in the backyard. Wishing to be out of sight is pure, so serving illness is something that has never happened before.

However, when the wife was seriously ill, she said that she wanted to see the ninth young master, and later said that she could not pass the illness to him, so she dismissed the idea...

Thinking of this, Mother Zheng had an immature idea in her heart.

"Waiji?" Nurse He Shi subconsciously raised her voice.

"I see." Meng Zezhi gave He Shi a reassuring look. The day came earlier than he expected.

"Then let's go now, Madam is waiting." Mammy Zheng said politely.

"good."