Brocade tears

On the third day of May in the 20th year of Wanli, at the beginning of the day, in the small courtyard of Chengxian Street, Nanjing City.

Meng Kuang was wrapping her Tengdao with strips of cloth and carrying it behind her back.Beside her, Luo Daochang and Meng Zixiu are already ready.When the operation started, Daoist Luo and Mencius went out first, looking for General Feng and the whereabouts of Dayou Guo.And Meng Kuang waited for a quarter of an hour before they left, and she went to follow An Xifan.

After talking with his second brother for an hour, Meng Kuang finally knew the ins and outs of the family's blood feud many years ago.The truth came unexpectedly, and it was outrageous and absurd. Her father and brother died so unjustly and unworthily.In the past nine years, whenever she couldn't sleep at night, she always thought about the reasons for the death of her father and brother, and guessed all kinds of complicated political struggles, but she never thought that they died because of the use of colleagues, or because of unjust killing.She couldn't accept this matter for a while, and if a big stone was blocked in her heart at this moment, she didn't know what to do.

She asked her second brother, Tang Fu'an is currently in Nanjing, if he wants to kill him to avenge his blood.The second elder brother said that the time has not come yet, Meng Kuang is on a mission right now, under the control of Guo Dayou, and is still being hunted by King Lu, if she kills Tang Fuan with a knife at this time, it will cause trouble Big/Troublesome.And if this matter does not bring out all the dirt accumulated in the past, and completely defeats the chief culprit, King Lu, how can it be said that he has avenged him?Just killing Tang Fu'an can't solve the fundamental problem. Mencius knows that Tang Fu'an has been in Nanjing for many years, but he has never done anything, and he is not afraid to wait for many years.Meng Kuang also understood this truth in his heart, but he could only grit his teeth, helpless.

Just before the second brother left, he said the last words to her: "For Sui'er, our father and brother are 'I don't kill Boren, but Boren died because of me'. How did the news get out? Yes, why did Wang Daoming and Zhang Jing know the news that his father and brother were going to send Sui'er out of the city first? I haven't found out about this matter yet, and neither do people in the organization. We guessed that there might be a traitor, but each other At that time, Beijing was under martial law, and the people organized in Beijing did not dare to act rashly. Li Laosan and his father and brother should be very aware of the danger of passing news at that time, and they would not pass the news at that juncture. After thinking about it, or It cannot be ruled out that Sui'er may have passed on the news. She may not have malicious intentions, but if she really leaked the news..."

The second brother looked at her, as if he wanted to say something, but he stopped talking.Meng Kuang's heart hurt like a crack, so much so that after talking with her second brother, she didn't go to find Sui'er, she didn't know how to face her.And she didn't know how to tell Sui'er and her sister the truth about the blood feud at home.Perhaps the second elder brother also thought that this matter was too difficult to accept and had doubts, so he just told her alone and did not tell anyone else.

With complicated thoughts, Meng Kuang didn't want to think about it anymore, put on the fence, and opened the backyard door.But just as she opened the door, she heard Sui'er's voice behind her calling her:

"Brother Thirteen...you wait."

Meng Kuang turned around and saw Sui'er stepping forward, handing a silver longevity lock into her hand.Meng Kuang was a little confused, so Sui Er explained:

"This is the only thing that was kept in my infancy when I was brought home by my mother when I was young. Take it with you and go to Qijiawan to find a Muslim family. The man in the house is named Ma Chengye. If this family is still there, So I showed them the Longevity Lock and asked if they still remember Mrs. Li who held the child 20 years ago."

The more Meng Kuang listened, the more frightened he became, looking at Sui'er for a while, he didn't know where to start asking.Seeing her like this, Sui'er bowed her head and said:

"Time is tight right now, so don't ask any more questions. I'll tell you in detail when I get back. This is the only clue I know about my biological mother. Both the old mother and mother have passed away, and now only this family may I still know a little about the past. The male owner of that family, Ma Chengye, used to be a groom in Beijing for a long time. He is a Muslim. He came to Beijing with his father from the northwest when he was young and never went back. My mother was holding me When he left the capital, he took his mule cart. He took my mother all the way to Nanjing, and my mother stayed in Nanjing for more than a month. After that, he never left Nanjing, and my mother went south to Jiashan, Zhejiang."

Meng Kuang opened his mouth, "Why have you never mentioned this to me?" stuck in her throat, she didn't say it.He just put away the longevity lock and said:

"I see, you stay at home, don't run out. I will come back as soon as possible."

Sui'er couldn't help stretching out his hand to straighten her skirt, and embraced her again.Meng Kuang didn't hug her back, and said, "I'm leaving." He gently broke away from Sui'er's embrace, opened the back door, and walked out.Sui'er lost her arms and frowned tightly for a moment, sensitively aware of the change in Meng Kuang's mood and attitude.She looked at the closed door and stood behind it for a long time without leaving.

……

This afternoon, the sky is overcast, the thunder is billowing, and it will rain soon.

Meng Kuang walked quickly on the street. She was wearing a blue cloth and vertical brown, her legs were tied, and she was walking on straw sandals.Wearing a fence made of bamboo hats on her head, she didn't cover her face.It's just that she forgot to bring a coir raincoat, she secretly thought that she had lost her plan.All the way to the south to the northern end of Shangyuan Street, the heavy rain finally poured down.She was distracted for a while, and had no intention of walking, so she simply hid under the eaves of the houses next to the street to avoid the rain.

The thunderstorm washed the bluestone road, and the passers-by on the street rushed into the houses beside them to hide from the rain while complaining. rain.Meng Kuang recalled the day when his father and brother took Sui'er away.If she remembered correctly, it was the morning of the [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month in the tenth year of Wanli when her father and brother mentioned that Sui'er should be sent away, and they set off the next day.If Sui'er wants to pass on news, this day is her only chance.But on this day, father and brother were all at home preparing their luggage, and Sui'er was also at home all the time, so he never had any free time to send news outside.After careful consideration, Sui'er's suspicion should be greatly reduced.Meng Kuang couldn't help but feel relieved, secretly thinking that something went wrong in other links, and she should talk about it with her second brother again.

She secretly thought that she shouldn't always be suspicious of Sui Er, and she had already decided to trust her completely, but... Alas, once the enmity in the family was involved, she couldn't keep her composure completely. In control, the brain is not clear.And this girl is also true, so far she has not completely told the truth to her. Meng Kuang really just learned about the longevity lock, and I don't know what to hide, or Sui'er thinks this matter is not so serious. It's important, so I didn't mention it before?well!I really don't understand this girl.

Just now she gently pushed her hug away, she must have noticed it, this girl is so sensitive, I am afraid that some wild thoughts are going to start in her mind again.Oh, it really shouldn't be, she should finish the task earlier and go back to find ears earlier.

The thunderstorm came and went quickly, and the rain stopped after a while, and Meng Kuang continued on his way.She reorganized her mind, got rid of distracting thoughts, and planned to concentrate on the task.An Xifan is the head of the Department of Seal Inspection of the Nanjing Ministry of Officials. He works in the Nanjing Ministry of Officials during the day. Meng Kuang started from Chengxian Street and headed southeast to the Qianbu Corridor south of the Nanjing Imperial City. Only then can we find the official government office.She walked eastward from Shangyuan Street, all the way to Taiping Street, and then all the way south, following the footpath under the root of the imperial city all the way to Tongji Gate.It was a long way to go, but she walked fast and didn't delay things much.

Turn eastward on Taiping Street, pass Jiaofangsi, Wumanyi, all the way to the vicinity of Huitong Hall.Just as Meng Kuang was about to cross the Yuhe River in the imperial city from the Huitong Bridge in front of the Huitong Hall, he met a woman with disheveled hair, holding a large bundle of cloth in her arms, walking from the other end of the bridge with some difficulty.Meng Kuang was taken aback when he saw the woman. This face was so familiar that the memories buried in her heart for many years were suddenly awakened. She almost blurted out the woman's name, but she stopped him.

Who is that woman if she is not Ban Ruhua from the past?Meng Kuang never saw her again after leaving Beijing.Didn't Ban Ruhua go to Hangzhou to learn embroidery?How can you be in Nanjing?Meng Kuang stayed where he was, unable to move for a moment, only watching Ban Ruhua, who had already curled up, passing by her.After so many years, she is still married, so Meng Kuang's heart finally fell to the ground.Seeing that she didn't seem to recognize him, Meng Kuang didn't intend to disturb her, so he pressed the fence above his head, and walked silently to leave.

But he never thought that just after taking two steps forward, Ban Ruhua's call suddenly came from behind him:

"That person, please wait."

Meng Kuang was taken aback, and out of subconscious avoidance, she hurriedly took two steps forward, but she still stopped in the midst of Ban Ruhua's urgent call of "Please stay!"She knew in her heart that the other party had recognized her, and it would be unreasonable for her to leave like this, as if it was an old friend reuniting, and it would be considered decent to say hello.She Meng Kuang didn't have anything to do to Ban Ruhua at all, Luohua intentionally flows ruthlessly, now that the world has changed, the past has become the past, and it should be forgotten, so why is she so coy and afraid to face others?

So she turned around and faced Ban Ruhua who was hurriedly running towards her.Unexpectedly, Ban Ruhua ran too fast, his footsteps slipped on the slippery bluestone of the bridge, and he fell to the ground immediately, and the bundles of cloth in his hands all fell on the muddy bridge.She fell so badly that she couldn't get up for a while, and she cried out in pain.

Meng Kuang was taken aback, and hurried forward to help her.Even dragging and pulling her up from the ground, Ban Ruhua's leg was injured, and the knee of his left leg was hit hard on the road. Right now, his heart hurts so much that he can't even touch the ground, let alone walk.Meng Kuang first asked her to hold on to the railing of the bridge, and he hurriedly packed up the cloth scattered on the bridge. As soon as he came back, he saw Ban Ruhua smiling at her with tears in his eyes.

"It's been so many years, I didn't expect to meet you here today. Tell me, is this fate?"

Meng Kuang's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly thought it was bad, could it be that this girl hasn't forgotten the love she had back then?

"Just talk, I know you are a woman, you must be unable to speak because you are a woman." Ban Ruhua continued to speak surprisingly.

Meng Kuang was even more stunned, and froze in place for a while, not knowing how to react.Although Ban Ruhua's complexion turned pale from the pain, she was still full of smiles. After so many years, she still has an exquisite face, a glazed heart, and a pair of gentle eyes, but this bun can't fool anyone. .

"You... how do you know I'm a woman?" Meng Kuang finally spoke softly.

When Ban Ruhua heard her voice, although he had expected it, he still had a look of surprise on his face.Probably because Meng Kuang's voice didn't quite match her imagination. Meng Kuang has a very gentle and pleasant female voice.Hearing her question, Ban Ruhua replied:

"Of course I can see it. How can there be a man like you in this world? Since there is no such thing, then you must be a woman. Haha, I guessed it too. When you spoke just now, I finally got the answer to my doubts for so many years. Ah , Don't worry, I have never mentioned my conjecture to anyone, and I have never revealed your secret."

Meng Kuang was silent for a moment, and said, "Did you marry and come to Nanjing?"

Ban Ruhua was taken aback for a moment before realizing it.She blushed, bowed her head and said: "I have never married, this is just combing by the embroiderer. I have sworn never to marry in my life."

Meng Kuang suddenly didn't know how to answer these words, and anxiety arose in his heart. Could it be that Ban Ruhua is still waiting for her sycamore leaves?But herself... She knew that she couldn't marry her.

Seeing Meng Kuang's silence, Ban Ruhua's eyes dimmed, and he changed the topic and said, "I'm currently working as an embroiderer at the Nanjing Weaving Bureau. The girls look at the tricks, but they never thought of meeting you."

Hearing her mention of Nanjing Weaving Bureau, Meng Kuang thought of Tang Fu'an, and immediately asked, "Do you know Tang Fu'an?"

"The admiral weaves the eunuch, so of course I know it... You came here for a mission?" Ban Ruhua felt a little evil spirit from her.

"Well, I'm on a mission right now."

"Yeah, then I don't want to disturb you."

"You're injured, I'll send you back first, it's too early for my task, so I'm not in a hurry." Meng Kuang said.

While talking, she helped Ban Ruhua limping towards the south bank of the bridge.

"Where is your home?" Meng Kuang asked.

"It's not far away, just turn a corner." Ban Ruhua's face was extremely red, and he couldn't help looking at her, only feeling that this person seemed more calm and handsome after not seeing her for so many years.However, if you miss it, you miss it. From the clues in her expression, Ban Ruhua can tell that she has no intentions for him.

That being the case, then learn to let go, she said to herself.