unlucky ghost

"What are you all staring at me for? Just be busy with whatever you should be busy with. Let's go."

Still no one said anything.

When Jiang Han came out again, he held steamed buns in his hand and handed them to him, saying, "The mansion has been in chaos for the past few days, and the kitchen staff are still looking for you outside. There is nothing to eat, so you just make do with it."

Tanzi was so hungry that he picked up the steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth.

Tan Zishi's mouth was full of steamed buns, and he was eating when he suddenly felt something was wrong. He raised his head and saw that all the people in the courtyard were watching him eat.

Jiang Han stood in front of Tan Zishi with his hands down, but his eyes turned red.

"Jiang...Jiang Han, what's wrong with you, didn't I come back well?"

The whole courtyard was extremely quiet, as if no one was there.

Qi Yaoma lowered his head and shook his head towards the pool.

"Master he..."

Tanzi Shiyou hugged the steamed bun, and said nonchalantly: "Did my father scold me again? What did he scold me, a bastard or a bastard? You just leave him alone, if he is happy, just don't hit me later , I can scold you no matter what."

A line of tears trickled down Jiang Han's cheeks.

The candlelight on the gate reflected the line of tears in a cold light.

The steamed bun in Tan Zishi's hand fell to the ground with a "clack", and rolled a few times to the foot of Tanxi, covered with a layer of black dust.

That night, there was a lot of crying from all over the Tan mansion, the plains surrounded the beams, and the servants all put on white clothes.

The red lanterns were replaced with white ones, white plain cloth was hung in the hall, and the lights were brightly lit until sunrise.

Master Tan put on a silk shroud, closed his eyes, folded his hands, and lay quietly in a nanmu coffin.

The coffin was placed in the middle of the hall, and Tan Zishi, who was dressed in filial piety, was kneeling under the hall, with a thin group of cattail pads under his knees, and a black brazier in front of him, a stack of fire paper was burning inside, glowing A layer of light blue flames reflected on his cold and stiff face, motionless like a paper man.

Wen Zhong took his servants to various houses to make an announcement.

A crowd of people surrounded the door, and Wen Zhong gave orders one by one and dispersed.

"Little Gezi, go to the yamen to find Wang Wenhan and tell him to come back soon."

The little pigeon bowed and trotted out of the house.

There were already people outside who came to express their condolences. When they got off the carriage, the female relatives began to cry loudly, calling "big brother" and "second uncle" and so on.

Wen Zhong also changed into mourning clothes, greeted him personally, and wiped his tears, saying, "Death cannot be brought back to life, my lord and madam, my condolences..."

The carriages that came to pay their respects came one after another, and the people in the carriages wept all the way from the gate to the hall, and finally kowtowed their heads in front of the brazier at the entrance and gradually stopped crying.

Jiang Han was dressed in white and knelt outside the hall with his back to Tan Zishi, and bowed to all the visitors one by one in return.Originally, this matter could only be done by Tan Zishi, but since last night Tan Zishi knelt down until now, never crying, laughing or talking, he has become a wooden man, no matter who he shouts, he won't answer.

At noon, the number of people who came to visit the funeral gradually decreased. Seeing that it was getting late, Wen Zhong asked the kitchen to prepare wine and meals to entertain in the west courtyard.

After the time of Shu, the carriage of the Liu family arrived at Tan Mansion. Liu Xunzhou brought a group of servants and other aunts to express condolences. Before they reached the gate of the mansion, the aunts burst into tears, Wipe away tears and walk inside.

Wen Zhong met Li at the door and led the group inside.

"Uncle Wen, I came to see my uncle a while ago, so I just left..." Liu Xunzhou was still wearing official robes and a filial piety outside.

Wen Zhong nodded his eyes, and said: "Master, he is sick from overwork, his body is already weak, and these days he has toiled and exhausted his mind and mind, and he really can't stand it..."

Several women were crying at the front, walked to the front of the hall and kowtowed to Master Tan's coffin, Jiang Han also kowtowed to them one by one, and added a few pieces of fire paper to the brazier in front of him.

Several women were led to the west courtyard by servants. Liu Xunzhou walked up to Jiang Han, knelt down on the ground with a plop, and kowtowed to the hall with tears in his eyes. When he got up, he looked in front of the coffin Tan Zishi, who was kneeling with his head bowed, said to Jiang Han, "Admonish your young master, Uncle Tan is leaving now, how could he just ruin his body like this, just mourning."

Jiang Han nodded slightly, Liu Xunzhou sighed and followed the servants to the courtyard.

After the third watch, the front yard gradually quieted down, and the people who were supposed to leave dispersed. Several relatives of the elders stayed in the side yard at night, and Wen Zhong entertained them on their behalf.

Jiang Han helped to take care of the wing room for the visitors in the side courtyard, and ordered the servants to move the tables and stools. He didn't move away until the fourth watch to look forward to see Tan Zishi.

Tan Zishi was still kneeling beside Master Tan's coffin in a daze as in the daytime, his pale mourning clothes were loosely wrapped around his body, the brim of his hat covered his drooping head, and he was huddled on the ground. into a very small ball, completely different from the young master Tan who called the wind and rain in the past.

"Master, let's eat something." Jiang Han held a bowl of hot porridge in front of Tan Zishi, picked up a spoonful and blew it to his mouth, "If the master sees you like this, how can he feel at ease? go?."

Tan Zishi's eyes were empty, looking at the brazier in front of him, the fire paper residues inside were glowing with bits and pieces of fire, Jiang Han fed a spoonful of it, and he opened his mouth to eat a spoonful, he didn't know the warmth, bitterness or sweetness.

After drinking half a bowl, Tanzi stopped opening his mouth, and suddenly grabbed Jiang Han's arm, his voice hoarse and trembling, "I thought, I..." Tears flowed down, "...I thought he was the same as usual Suffering from an old disease..."

Jiang Han put the bowl on the ground, shook his cold hand, and said in a low voice: "Life and death are up to everyone, no one would expect it, why bother to blame yourself so much."

Tan Zishi lowered his head again, his whole body trembling slightly, "My father... when..."

"Master, he... he lasted for two whole days," Jiang Han stared blankly at Tan Zishi with red eyes and said again, "At the end of the second day, tell us to go out to find someone, and leave Wen Zhong to explain, In less than an hour, then..."

Tan Zishi lowered his head and remained silent, with his fist hanging on the ground, his whole body convulsed, and he cried, "If I had come back a step earlier, wouldn't I... be able to see him for the last time?"

Jiang Han also lowered his head, not knowing how to comfort him.

After a long time, Tan Zishi slowly let go of Jiang Han's wrist, and knelt down as before, his body stiff as a walking dead.

Jiang Han stood up slowly, pulled down his sleeves to cover the red marks on his wrists, looked at Tanzi for a while, and quietly backed out.

There are so many sleepless people this night, besides the kneeling one standing outside the hall, there is actually another one, and that is Tanxi.

Master Tan has a kindness for nurturing Tanxi, and his kindness is as heavy as a mountain. No matter how to make him sleep peacefully, he will follow the spirit in the hall.

When it was Choushi, the silvery moon in the sky shone brightly, and the cold air fell in the night. A few gusts of cool wind blew into the hall door. On the table next to the coffin, two rows of white candles flickered, and the pool was actually cast on it. The shadow on the ground also swayed.

Tan Xi was kneeling not far from the pool, her eyelids drooping slightly, and she was about to raise her hand to cover her mouth and yawn when she suddenly felt movement behind her.

"You are indeed here." A slightly hoarse voice came from behind.

Tanxi looked back and jumped up from the ground.

"Old, old, old..."

Tanxi's tongue has been idle for more than ten years, and now at a critical moment, it can't be straightened, and she can't even speak a personal word.

The old man smiled slightly at him, and didn't mean to blame him.

"Old...Master, what are you..." Tan Xi swallowed, and stammered.

Master Tan's figure was like smoke, standing lightly on the ground, still wearing the clothes he wore when he died, smiling and said to Tanxi: "I never imagined that I would still see you after so many years. Crying and mourning, my life is consummated."

Master Tan walked up to the coffin, leaned over to look at the dead man in the coffin, and couldn't help laughing again: "No wonder Tan'er said I'm an old man, this face really isn't as good as it was when I was young, it's wrinkled like a piece of paper. Dry bark."

Tanxi looked at Master Tan's ghost, with mixed feelings, "Does Master know that I am in this mansion?"

Master Tan turned his head to look at Tan Xi, and said with a smile: "That day, a face was reflected in Tan Zishi's wine bowl. I was shocked, but I just couldn't believe that there are ghosts in this world."

Tan Xi lowered his head and smiled.

Master Tan suddenly walked up to him, pulled his arm and moved aside, then looked back at Tan Zishi who was kneeling on the ground, his face suddenly became serious, and he said, "I'm afraid the time is running out."

Tanxi knew that he was worried about Tan Zishi, so he also looked serious.

"I made a big mistake in this life. I thought that since the Liu family has regarded my Tan family as a great benefactor, if this marriage can really be forged, after I return to the West, the Tan family will have the support of the Liu family after all. It’s not going to be depressing either.”

Master Tan stared at Tan Zishi, his eyes were full of love, and said: "The Liu family is a family of officials and officials. This marriage is difficult to achieve. For this marriage, I have really put in all my thoughts."

The Tanzi on the ground fell headfirst, and hurriedly supported the ground and knelt up straight.

"I locked him up, watched him, and didn't tell him to go out and mess around with people, and I didn't tell him to behave like those bums, just because I was afraid that he would make the Liu family look down on him if he didn't have a promise, and the marriage would not come true. , he fell to the ground instead."

With a muffled sound of "dong", Tanzi was so sleepy that he fell to the ground.Jiang Han quickly came in to help him up, squeezed his numb leg, and persuaded him: "Don't ruin your body like this, the master doesn't blame you."

Tan Zishi shook his head, gritted his teeth and stood up, his legs softened and knelt down again.

"He is still young, I was afraid that he would lose his mind by playing with things, so I didn't ask him to get close to the maids in the yard, but I didn't prevent him from getting close to the boys in the counting room and also losing his mind..."

Master Tan looked meaningfully at the two people who were supporting each other, sighed and said: "It's my fault, I always think it's for his own good, and I usually keep a straight face and refuse to give him a good look. Kindness is the most difficult thing in this world, but when you come to him, you will do nothing for him."