Seven bitter flowers

Chapter 2: Whose Lights Want Someone to Return

At night, the sky is full of moonlight.

Kaifeng City, Shangma Street.

In the Northern Song Dynasty Meng Yuanlao’s "Tokyo Menghualu" once said, Kaifeng City "Light night, moonlight, snow and flowers, begging for cleverness to climb high, teach the pool to visit the garden. Raise your eyes to see brothels and painting pavilions, show household bead curtains. Carved cars compete in the In Paradise Street, BMW competes on the imperial road, the golden emeralds are dazzling, and Luo Qi is fragrant."

During Renzong's reign, although Kaifeng was not as prosperous and lively as the later Huizong's period, it still had the scene of a prosperous city with teahouses, hotels, restaurants, shops on both sides of the street, and night markets.

Ding Xiu and Zhan Zhao were walking side by side on the street, and there was endless noise in the street, but at this time, Ding Xiu was not interested in looking at the roadside stalls where sugar blowers sold sugar paintings, made clay figurines for supper, and juggled. Limping and holding a stack of bowls in one hand with a painful expression, he grinned and protested to Zhan Zhao: "Zhan Zhao, without such a guard, how can you let me alone Poor people with disabilities do this kind of physical work?"

Zhan Zhao folded his arms, with a calm expression: "That's not okay, I paid for the money, if you don't take it back with your own hands, how can Aunt Wang forgive you?"

Ding Xiu wanted to cry but had no tears: "Then you can get half of it for me, you see I'm still limping..."

Zhan Zhao gave her a white look: "Pretend, pretend again, you won't be able to pull it back after a while, you're really crippled."

It's fine if you don't help, but she still sarcasm her, Ding Xiu really wanted to hit the wall, paused, then changed the plan, took a detour, and looked at Zhan Zhao pitifully: "Look at Zhan Zhao, I'm Min, You are an official, I am an unknown soldier, you are a majestic southern hero, I am a weak woman with no strength to restrain a chicken, and you are a strong man who can carry a tripod..." Before I finished speaking, I was given a chill by myself, After shaking, he continued, "Strong Man...a man..."

Can you carry the tripod?Still strong man?Zhan Zhao angrily interrupted Ding Xiu's chatter: "Stop, stop, save your energy and serve the bowl." After a pause, he added, "If you pretend to be lame and drop the bowl carefully, then Aunt Wang should really take the knife chasing you."

Seeing that the hope of getting Zhan Zhao to hold the bowl for her was shattered, Ding Xiu snorted, and finally rolled her eyes after holding back for a long time, but was blocked by two tall stacks of bowls, so she said bitterly: "Stingy ghost!" , Didn’t I just laugh for a while? As far as you remember? He’s still a hero who eliminates violence and protects the good. See the wind and make the rudder, see the difference and think about it..."

Seeing that she might come up with some shocking words if she went any further, Zhan Zhao only felt that one head and two were big, and he reached out to take a stack of bowls, and said with a wry smile, "Grandma, I'm really afraid of you. On it, can you pay attention to..."

After talking for a long time, she still only took half of it for her. When she returned to Kaifeng Mansion, Ding Xiu was still angry. She put down the bowl and turned around to go back to the house. After walking a few steps, she heard Zhan Zhao laughing. Voice: "Axiu."

Are you embarrassed to laugh?Ding Xiu turned his head, saying that he had to give him some color today... Turning around, he saw Zhan Zhao standing there, taking out a clay figurine from his sleeve like a magic trick.

Ding Xiu's mind was a little dazed for a while, what does this mean?Guessing that she was going to hit him, so he took out such a thing to defend himself?

Zhan Zhao saw her wary face, secretly amused, reached out and handed the clay figurine to her, and said, "I saw it while patrolling the streets today, so I just bought one for you to play with."

Ding Xiu had a strange feeling in her heart, she didn't know how to react for a while, she took the clay figurine blankly for a while, and saw a white and fat clay doll lying on a sandalwood support, She was dressed in a white shirt with blue flowers, and had two horns on her head. She was charmingly naive, with one hand supporting her head and the other holding a rope.Ding Xiu pointed to the rope and asked, "What is she doing?"

Zhan Zhao laughed and said, "Catch the sparrows, look at the end of the rope is connected to a short stick, and the short stick is supporting a big bamboo plaque, and grains are sprinkled on the bottom to attract the sparrows to peck at the grains. When the other end pulls the rope, the sparrows I was caged."

Ding Xiu was very happy, playing with the clay doll over and over again, she couldn't put it down, but she still insisted on saying: "Well, this clay doll is pretty cute, and today's matter, I don't mind the villain's mistakes, I don't care about you." The tone was light, but the brows and eyes were full of joy, but they couldn't hide it. After a pause, he was picky, "This clay figurine is cute, but it's not handsome enough, nor slender enough."

Zhan Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "This is a decent Wuxi clay doll. This one is Big Ah Fu. Of course, the fat ones look better. The slim ones you mentioned are not sold at the stalls here. If you want them, you must go to Wuxi for a look." It's time." After speaking, she sighed again, touched her hair, and couldn't help laughing: "It's really not easy to let you not care about it. I haven't had many smiling faces in the past half a month, but I feel better after being angry. , it seems that I will be more angry with you in the future."

Ding Xiu was in the right mood, but she didn't reply back. She was playing with the clay doll in her hand, and went back to the house excitedly, almost jumping up, where did she look like she was limping just now?

Zhan Zhao watched Ding Xiu go back to the house, couldn't help but shook his head and smiled wryly, only watched her close the door and turn on the light, then turned and went back to the house.

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The night is cold as water.

Ding Xiu was lying on the roof with her arms under her pillow, looking up at the sky, the moon had already risen to the mid-heaven, but there was only a small crooked tooth, it looked cool and desolate.The stars are so many and bright. When you squint your eyes, a few stars twinkle and twinkle, trembling as if they are about to fall in the next moment.The night in the distance is that kind of dark blue, as thick as ink that cannot be melted.Looking out from the ridge of the roof, you can see clusters of lights scattered around the city, dim, but with a reassuring warmth.

Ding Xiu stared blankly at the lights in the distance, and suddenly felt a huge sense of desolation in her heart. She took a deep breath, took out the little clay doll from her bosom, and stroked the fat doll. With a fat little face, she said in a low voice: "Aniang, I don't care about this matter, okay?"

When Zhan Zhao jumped onto the roof, Ding Xiu leaned on her arms and closed her eyes, as if she had fallen asleep, Zhan Zhao frowned, bent her index finger and tapped the tile next to her ear, and asked in a deep voice: "Asleep? "

Ding Xiu didn't open his eyes, but a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and said: "I fell asleep, I'm sleepwalking, you must not wake me up."

Zhan Zhao sat down on the ridge of the roof and said to Ding Xiu, "Axiu, get up first, I'll ask you a few things."

Hearing Zhan Zhao's solemnity, Ding Xiu opened his eyes and sat up, looked at him blankly, but had a bad premonition in his heart, subconsciously licked his lips, and asked him: "What's the matter? explain."

Zhan Zhao pondered for a while, and said, "Half a month ago, we rescued those children, and Chang Wuwang was already dead, but... according to what you said before, the Qikuhua should still be in the hands of that Shangguan Bar?"

Ding Xiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, she didn't answer Zhan Zhao's question, she lowered her head to make up her mind, raised her head after a while and asked Zhan Zhao: "Zhan Zhao, it's almost Chinese New Year, isn't it?"

Zhan Zhao didn't expect her to say that, so he paused and said, "There are still two months, so it's not too soon."

Ding Xiu smiled "Hey": "Two months, it's just a blink of an eye." She brushed the hair hanging by her ear, and then asked, "Zhan Zhao, where did you celebrate the New Year in the past?" ever?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly: "It's in Kaifeng Mansion, and many arrests are about to take advantage of this time to go home to visit relatives. When it's Chinese New Year, there are usually only adults, Mr. Gongsun, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, and me. "

Ding Xiu opened his eyes wide and wondered, "Even Aunt Wang and the others are gone? Then who will cook for you?"

Zhan Zhao couldn't help laughing: "You can order wine and meals at 'Xinyuelou', besides, Mr. Gongsun's craftsmanship is also good..."

Ding Xiu chuckled, lowered his eyelashes, and asked casually: "Zhan Zhao, if... I mean if, if I want you to go with me to another place for the New Year, would you like it?"

Zhan Zhao frowned, and said, "Where are you going? Aren't you staying in Kaifeng to celebrate the New Year with us?"

"Stay?" Ding Xiu slowly revealed a smile, "I'll stay, so who will get the seven bitter flowers?"

The author has something to say:

Others give a sweet date with a stick, Xiao Zhan, you give a sweet date first and then hit the head, you are too unkind. . . . . .