In recent years, Shengjing, thousands of miles away, is lively and peaceful.
Many wealthy families have begun to put up lanterns and streamers, and red lanterns have been hung under the eaves for a long time.
Jiang Lianzhi looked at the person in the painting blankly, always feeling that they looked alike but not alike. Ayu seemed to be more energetic than the person in the painting, and the look in her eyes was brighter.
Yes, he painted her as she was before. In this life, he knew her earlier and saw her differently.
He picked up the pen and added a few strokes to the painting, stepped back and looked again, and sure enough, she looked even more similar to the one he saw at the back door of Shen's house that night.
A smile appeared on his lips, and he put down his pen with satisfaction, staring blankly as he had the past few days.
Gao Jin, the young man, knocked on the door outside and said, "Master, Miss Shen Er is here."
He listened to the door but didn't hear any movement inside, so he knocked again, "Master?"
In the study room, Jiang Lianzhi, who opened his eyes and looked at the paintings on the wall, finally moved.
He turned his head and asked in a hoarse voice, "What's the matter?"
Gao Jin said cautiously: "Miss Shen Er is here. Madam asked me to inform you."
Jiang Lianzhi was silent, "What is she here for?"
"I said I came to apologize to the young master, and I brought some..." Gao Jin paused, that name has now become a taboo for Jiang Lianzhi.
"She also brought some relics of Miss Shen."
Jiang Lianzhi clenched his hands into fists, trembling slightly, and relaxed them after a moment, "Let her wait in the side hall."
Shen Yan was dressed in plain clothes, with a white silk flower on her head. She frequently looked towards the door. After a long time, she heard the sound of footsteps.
She stood up immediately, mingling the handkerchiefs in her hands. Seeing Jiang Lianzhi crossing the threshold with his robe in hand, she bowed and said, "Master Jiang."
Jiang Lianzhi nodded and sat down, "Miss, why are you here late at night?"
Shen Yan immediately turned red and refused to sit down. She said, "I came here specifically to apologize to you today. I know you blame me, but I lied to you that my sister was still at home."
"My sister ran to the border alone, and she is about to discuss marriage. If this matter is known to others, her reputation will be stained. I believe you also know how important reputation is to a woman."
During those days, Jiang Lianzhi would come to the house every day or three to deliver gifts, which were all small things from his daughter's house.
After more than a month of seeing her off, the report of the battle at the border came in. He knew that Shen Yu must be heartbroken at this moment. He was afraid that she would cry, so he didn't care about etiquette at all, he just wanted to see if she was okay.
When he first discovered that she was not at home at all, Shen Yan told him everything, saying that Shen Yu had gone to the border a long time ago, and it was Shen Yan who accepted his things these days.
He personally went to the front line to find someone, but before they arrived at Yanliang Pass, another news came from the Shen family. General Shen's body was escorted back to Beijing, and Shen Yu's body came back with him.
When he came back, the body had been enshrined.
Jiang Lianzhi's expression remained unchanged, "Miss Shen, please sit down. There is no need to say more about this matter. I have not blamed you for this."
If you don’t blame her for this, then it’s something else?
Shen Yan choked up and said, "She is my sister. She has been loved by her since I can remember. She never hesitates to give me whatever she has. I am the person in the world who hopes she can live the most."
There was silence in the side hall.
After a long time, Jiang Lianzhi finally spoke, "Did she leave any words before she left?"
"No," Shen Yan shook her head, "She left secretly, and no one in our house knew about it."
Jiang Lianzhi looked at her expression, as if he wanted to find some clues from it.
But no, Shen Yan stared at him, her eyes not averting in the slightest, and the sadness on her face could not be faked.
Shen Yan turned her head, wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and said, "I haven't touched anything that your Excellency gave to Sister. Except for the broken pastries, I brought everything else over. I know your thoughts about Sister, so Today I brought some of my sister’s belongings as a thought for you. I heard from Mrs. Jiang that you haven’t thought about food and tea recently. If my sister knew this, she would definitely not want you to be like this."
Jiang Lianzhi blinked his eyelashes slightly and suddenly smiled. He murmured: "She won't care about me. She probably hates me."
Shen Yan didn't hear clearly, "What did your Excellency say?"
"Nothing," Jiang Lianzhi looked at her, "Where are her things?"
Shen Yan tilted her head, and the maid behind her presented an exquisite box.
Jiang Lianzhi opened the box and found several things in the box, including a hairpin, a wooden comb, and a small wooden sword.
He picked up the wooden sword and asked, "What is this?"
"It was a wooden sword that my elder sister made for her after she was pestered by her elder brother when she was little. She liked it very much, and later she stopped playing with it and was reluctant to throw it away."
Shen Yan choked up again as she spoke, "I originally wanted to keep it for myself, but my sister in the General's Mansion has been everywhere, and her shadow is everywhere. I think you need it more than me."
Jiang Lianzhi lowered his eyes and stroked the wooden sword, and said, "Thank you, Miss Shen Er."
Shen Yan stood up and said goodbye, "Then I'll leave first, sir, take care."
Jiang Lianzhi nodded, "Gao Jin, go give me a gift."
"Miss Shen Er, please come this way." Gao Jin saw Shen Yan out.
Jiang Lianzhi put back the wooden sword, picked up the box, looked at the sky when he stepped out of the threshold, and casually asked the boy at the door, "Why did Miss Shen Er come so late?"
Mrs. Jiang, who came to comfort him, happened to hear this and said, "Why else? Three Shen family members were killed in one battle. It sounds like they are full of loyal people, but in the end, they have no heirs. Only a step-wife and a young lady are left. They collapsed." Everyone wants to step on it."
"I don't know some heartless person who spread the rumor that Mrs. Shen didn't like the children of her first wife, so she sent Miss Shen to die too. Now that they are being criticized when they go out, their life is very difficult. They can only Go out while the black people are young.”
Jiang Lianzhi went to the study in silence.
Mrs. Jiang hasn't seen Jiang Lianzhi in a few days. His temper has become more and more unpredictable recently. She usually doesn't dare to disturb him in his courtyard, but today she finally found an opportunity.
"Lianzhi." Mrs. Jiang followed.
After receiving the news of Miss Shen's death, Jiang Linzhi became angry for quite a while. Later, he stopped thinking about food and drinks. He lost weight and his temper became more sinister.
Now everyone in the house treats him with caution.
"Now that Miss Shen has passed away, she cannot be resurrected. There is no way to delay your marriage like this. Now I will not force you to look at each other in a hurry. I have watched Cuiyun in my courtyard grow up. , you are familiar with her, she has a good temper and can take care of others, I want to give you a wife first, and then I will make her a concubine after you marry your real wife, what do you think?"
Cuiyun's face was full of shyness, and she secretly peeked at Jiang Lianzhi.
Jiang Lianzhi didn't even look at her, the veins on his neck were bulging, but he still remembered that filial piety comes first, and he suppressed his anger.
The courtyard gate was right in front of him. He quickened his steps. After entering the courtyard, he turned around and said, "Mother, it's late at night. My son will go to pay his respects to his mother another day."
Mrs. Jiang watched the courtyard door close in front of her and turned to ask Cuiyun, "Did I say something wrong? He looked very angry."
Cuiyun said: "The young master probably hasn't gotten over his grief yet."
