Du Hengshuang was young after all. Although he said harsh words, Uncle Qian knew the right measures and only kicked Xiao Ruisheng, leaving his legs red and swollen for a few days. If it was really interrupted, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Seeing Xiao Rui Rui's embarrassment running away, Xiao Shiji felt angry and clapped his hands, asking them to come in and sit down.

In the small and dilapidated central hall, stood Xiao Shiji and Xiao Taiji. Xiao Taiji was only three years old, and he still ate the sesame cake Xiao Ruisheng had just brought over.

Xiao Shiji couldn't bear to take the sesame cake away from his younger brother. Without looking at him, he asked the Du family and his entourage to take their seats.

Fang Wu Niang did not come, but Du Hengshuang came with her adoptive mother, Uncle Qian, and several maids.

"Go and take these rice noodles and meat dishes to the kitchen to make some delicious dishes and bring them to Auntie. For sister Yanran, my mother helped find a wet nurse and nurse her for another year. The salary has been paid.

, Brother, don’t worry." Du Hengshuang explained the matter clearly like fried beans.

While Xiao Shiji was still stunned, Du Hengshuang had already taken out another deed and handed it to Xiao Shiji's hand, "Brother Ji, this is a house deed. It is the yard prepared by my mother for my brother. It is bigger than this one."

, the location is good, let’s live there for now. My mother said that when my father comes back, she can help my brother revive the family business. Now our family is also full of women, and we can’t do anything else except help with some money.”

Xiao Shiji's nose was a little choked. Fortunately, they still have Uncle Du. As long as they wait for Uncle Du to come back, everything will be fine...

Xiao Shiji solemnly took the deed and said to Du Hengshuang: "Thank you to Aunt Fang for me. In the future, when our Xiao family survives this crisis, we will never forget the kindness of the Du family."

Du Hengshuang pursed her lips and smiled, "Brother Ji is still polite to me." After saying that, he went to the inner hall and took his maid and wife to serve him and wipe him with dragon fragrant leaves.

The Du family helped the Xiao family move again and settled in their new home. They returned to the Du family when it was almost dark.

However, Fang Wu Niang was sitting in the middle hall with an uneasy look on her face, the handkerchief in her hand almost becoming a mess.

"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Du Hengshuang walked into the middle hall and called several times before waking up Fang Wuniang.

Fang Wuniang stared blankly at Du Hengshuang's pink face. What echoed in her ears were the words that her eldest sister Fang Liniang hurriedly said just now.

"Sister, you have to make up your mind quickly and draw a clear line with the Xiao family... Do you know who they offended? You can't even imagine the people they offended! Previously, our master said it was okay, but he wanted to squeeze out the Xiao family.

It's just money. Now I know that money is a trivial matter. The key is that they have offended that noble man. The Xiao family will not be able to get ahead in their lifetime, oh, no, how many lifetimes! - If you continue to show your support for the Xiao family, they will

Maybe it will target your family. When I saw it, even the Du family couldn't save it! Isn't your Hengshuang engaged to the eldest son of the Xiao family? You should break off the engagement quickly. It's not that the Xiao family is worried about poverty, but that their family is

The whole family will die every moment! Are you willing to let Shuang'er marry and be buried with the Xiao family? I think even if my brother-in-law is here, he won't want to marry your daughter off again."

The Xiao family is in complete ruin. Even if I return the Xiao family's secret property to them, it will only be food for others and will never make it easy for them. And my family...

Let’s take a look first.

Fang Wu Niang still couldn't bear it, so she put the matter aside and asked her a few questions about the Xiao family, and then let her go back to her room.

In the next few months, Du Hengshuang visited Xiao's house frequently. Each time, he brought a lot of things, which he later exchanged for money and quietly stuffed into Xiao Shiji's hands.

Xiao Shiji used the money Du Hengshuang gave him to seek medical advice, and finally the disease of Long Xiangye was almost cured.

The Du family, however, gradually felt pressure from certain forces.

Although the men Du Xiancheng left behind were loyal, they couldn't handle his absence, and all the troubles for the Du family were powerful people.

The Du family's business also gradually declined.

Fang Wu Niang felt extremely distressed. Finally, after another shop of the Du family was smashed, she made the decision to break off the engagement with the Xiao family and return all the Xiao family's secret properties to the Xiao family like a hot potato.

Of course, as soon as these properties came into Xiao Shiji's hands, they were immediately taken away by those who had been keeping an eye on the Xiao family.

"Shuang'er, let me tell you something." In the evening, Fang Wuniang came to Du Hengshuang's house to explain the matter to her.

Logically speaking, the marriages of children in the Zhou Dynasty were all ordered by the parents and the matchmaker, and there was no need to ask for the opinions of the children. However, Du Hengshuang and Xiao Shi had been in a relationship since they were young, and they were both at a sensible age, and they already knew that they had an agreement with each other.

After getting married, now that we want to break off the engagement, of course we have to let her know.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Fang Wu Niang finished saying she wanted to break off the engagement, Du Hengshuang immediately objected, "No! I don't agree to break off the engagement!"

Seeing that no matter how hard she tried to persuade her, Fang Wu Niang became angry and scolded her in a low voice: "Your father and I had already discussed it when we engaged you two. If that boy from the Xiao family is incompetent, there is no need to fulfill the engagement."

Du Hengshuang retorted: "What's wrong with brother Ji? I think he is much better than my cousin." He was talking about the sons of Fang Wu's sisters.

"Now it's not a question of whether he can become a useful person, but even if he wants to become a useful person, others won't allow him to become a useful person! - You little kid, I don't even understand what I'm telling you. I'm also well-fed, so why are I telling you this?

These things! Needless to say, I am your mother and I make the decision. I will cancel the engagement tomorrow!"

Du Hengshuang was so anxious that he shouted behind Fang Wuniang: "If mother wants to break off the engagement, I will...I will...not eat!" After thinking for a long time, Du Hengshuang only threatened Fang Wuniang with "not eating."

Fang Wu Niang just regarded it as a child's quarrel and didn't take it seriously. The next day, she asked the matchmaker she had originally chosen to go to Xiao's house to break off the engagement.

Of course Long Xiangye refused, and insisted on Fang Wu Niang coming to say it in person.

After going back and forth for two or three days, Fang Wu Niang didn't find time to go to Xiao's house because Du Hengshuang was really on a hunger strike.

After two or three days without water or rice, I was already dying.

After all, Fang Wu Niang felt sorry for her eldest daughter and cried and tried to persuade her in front of her bed, but Du Hengshuang was determined and cruel. As long as Fang Wu Niang didn't give up the idea of ​​remarrying, she would not eat.

Fang Wu Niang really had no choice but to go to Xiao's house in person and ask Xiao Shiji to come and persuade Du Hengshuang.

Of course, there was no mention of breaking off the engagement.

Xiao Shiji came to Du Hengshuang's room expressionlessly and saw her lying on the bed with her eyes closed, her face as pale as gold paper. Then she rushed to Du Hengshuang's bed and said loudly: "Shuang'er! Brother Ji is here.

Got it!"

Du Hengshuang was in a daze, but when he heard Xiao Shiji's name, his mind became clearer.

"Brother?" She stretched out a hand and groped randomly in the air. Her eyes seemed to have no focus and looked around.

"I'm here, I'm here..." Xiao Shiji held her hand and put it on his chest, his face as calm as water, unruffled.

"The eldest lady is hungry and can't see clearly. If Brother Ji doesn't come, we, the eldest lady, may not be able to survive." Ou Yangniang wiped tears from her eyes beside her.

No one expected that a child under seven years old could be so angry. Even if adults forced her to eat, she would eat it and then pick her throat to make herself vomit it out.

How could Fang Wu Niang really dare to be cruel to Du Hengshuang, so she had no choice but to put aside the matter of breaking off the engagement for the time being and asked Xiao Shiji to come over and persuade her.

Du Hengshuang didn't listen to Fang Wu Niang's words, but she still listened to Xiao Shiji's words.

"You get up first, and my brother will feed you some porridge, okay? Let's talk after we finish the porridge." Xiao Shiji gently coaxed her, sat sideways on the bed, and let her lean in his arms.

Ou Yangniang hurriedly brought the millet porridge over and fed it spoonful by spoonful.

With Xiao Shiji there, Du Hengshuang finally opened his mouth, ate a few spoonfuls of porridge, and fell asleep again.

Xiao Shiji helped Du Hengshuang tuck in the quilt and quietly left her room and went to the outside.

Fang Wu Niang sat there with a tired face, her head propped up on one arm, thinking silently.

"Aunt Fang, about breaking off the engagement..." Xiao Shiji plucked up the courage to speak, but Fang Wu Niang raised her hand to block her.

"There is no need to mention the breakup of the engagement. You have also seen that if I really break off your marriage, my daughter will not be able to survive. You can take care of yourself." After saying this, he served tea to see off the guests.

Xiao Shiji has always been worried, fearing that Fang Wu Niang would break off the engagement, but he also felt powerless and sad about his family's predicament, and worried that if Du Hengshuang married him, he would not have a good life, so he might as well break off the engagement.

I was upset for a while and didn't know what to do.

After seeing Xiao Shiji off, Fang Wuniang sat alone under the lamp and meditated.

Ou Yangniang walked in quietly and said to Fang Wuniang: "Madam, this matter cannot be rushed. It should be discussed in the long run."

"How can we take the long view? It's not like you don't know that this little ancestor can really die for you! Such a stubborn temper is the result of her father's pampering." Fang Wu Niang said, thinking of Du Xiancheng, she couldn't help but cry again.

field.

Ou Yangniang waited for her to finish crying before offering her advice in a low voice: "Madam, the two of them get along almost day and night now, and suddenly they are asked to break off their engagement. Of course, they both refuse. Especially the eldest lady, she has been convinced since she was a child.

She is as good as her brother."

Fang Wu Niang sighed and became more and more listless, "I said back then not to get engaged to them so early, but I just didn't listen."

"If the master were at home, the eldest lady would probably listen to what he said. But now that the master is not here, what will the lady plan to do?"

"What else can we do? Just wait one day. Anyway, it's still early for Shuang'er to get married." Fang Wu Niang put down her comb and went to change clothes behind the screen.

Ou Yangniang said: "The eldest lady is still young, so it's good to be separated for a while. Children are forgetful, how can they remember things from childhood in the future?"

Fang Wu Niang heard this from behind the screen and her heart moved. She poked her head out and said, "What do you mean...?"

"Let's leave Chang'an."

Fang Wu Niang came out from behind the screen, thought about it all night, and finally made up her mind.

The family moved back to Luoyang.

Their business in Chang'an City has been shut down ten times because of the Xiao family. After all, Luoyang is their ancestral home, and all their relatives and friends are there. With the Du family here, others don't dare to go too far.

Within a few days, Fang Wu Niang closed all the shops in Chang'an like a gust of wind. At the same time, she sold all the houses. She loaded several large cars with her family's belongings. Under the escort of the escort, she left Chang'an and returned to Luoyang.

Xiao Shiji got the news and rushed over frantically, but he only had time to intercept the group ten miles outside the city.

Du Hengshuang's health has not yet recovered, but Ou Yangniang and Fang Wuniang both promised her in Du Xiancheng's name that they would not break off the engagement, so they did not go on a hunger strike again.

Hearing Xiao Shiji's voice, Du Hengshuang stuck his head out of the car and weakly called "Brother Ji".

Xiao Shiji came over and looked at her, but was speechless.

Ou Yangniang got out of the car and asked Xiao Shiji to get in and talk.

Xiao Shiji climbed into the car and saw Du Hengshuang leaning against the board wall covered with a small quilt, his face so white that it was almost transparent.

"Brother Ji, this is for you. I have returned to Luoyang, so you must remember to visit me in the future." Du Hengshuang thrust a thick stack of banknotes into Xiao Shiji's hand. "This is when my father is leaving.

It was left for me. I didn’t know what to use it for before, but now it comes in handy for my brother.”

"No need... I still have some at home..." Xiao Shiji declined. In fact, what they had at home was given to them by the Du family.

"Brother, there is no need to be polite to me. My adoptive mother said, if you want to marry me in the future, you will have to betrothal me. If you need money, if your family is not short of silver, these can be used to betrothal. If not, give it to Tai."

Let's have dinner with your sister and aunt." Du Hengshuang coughed twice, and his breath became weaker.

Xiao Shiji took the money with trembling hands. "Okay, I'll keep it. When I marry you in the future, I'll return it to you intact."

Du Hengshuang smiled, took out a pair of red gold footbells from his arms, and placed them in Xiao Shiji's arms.

"I originally wanted to learn the Hu Xuan Dance and show it to Brother Ji. But now it's too late. Brother Ji keeps these footbells. When I learn it, I can come to Chang'an and put on these footbells and dance to Brother Ji. Okay?

good?"
To be continued...