After Shen Xiu posted the missing person notice, she waited for someone to come and claim the reward.
In order to prevent the recipients from running away empty-handed, Shen Xiu also specifically told the inn clerk that if someone came to see her and she was not around, they must treat her with good food and drinks. As for the money spent, all the money would be recorded in her account. On account.
After she gave the clerk a piece of broken silver, the clerk assured her that if anyone came to claim the reward, he would bring him to her as soon as possible.
When Xu Erzhu came to receive the reward, Shen Xiu happened to be away. She felt that she couldn't put all her hopes on the notice. She always had to spare an hour every day to go out and look for people. Maybe with good luck, she might actually meet Aunt Xu. indefinite.
It was a pity that she returned without success that day, but when she returned to the inn, she was greeted by the waiter with a smile on his face.
"Ms. Shen, good news, someone has come to claim the reward."
Shen Xiu couldn't help but feel happy. Following the waiter's line of sight, she saw Xu Erzhu in the lobby.
Xu Erzhu was devouring several plates of snacks at the moment. He looked like he had never seen much of the world.
The waiter saw that Xu Erzhu was just eating. When he walked to him, he coughed slightly and pointed at Shen Xiu and said, "This is Mrs. Shen."
Xu Erzhu had just stuffed a piece of snack into his mouth, and now his mouth was so full that he couldn't find any time to talk.
Still the waiter couldn't stand it and poured him a bowl of hot tea.
After Xu Erzhu took a sip of tea and swallowed the snack, he said: "I know the whereabouts of my aunt, but I have to see Yinzi first before I can tell you her whereabouts."
Shen Xiu heard what he meant and thought that he was probably Aunt Xu's distant nephew, so she asked: "You said you are Aunt Xu's nephew, then let me ask you, what does Aunt Xu do for a living?"
Xu Erzhu said without hesitation: "My aunt turned out to be an embroiderer. She had been to the capital earlier. Later, her eyes were broken and she returned to Qingshan County."
This was consistent with Aunt Xu's situation. Shen Xiu believed Xu Erzhu's words and happily took out a purse from her arms, which contained exactly ten taels of silver.
"Now that the money is given to you, you can tell me the whereabouts of Aunt Xu!"
Xu Erzhu took the purse, took out the silver ingot inside, and bit it with his teeth. After confirming that it was real silver, he grinned and said: "My aunt lives in our village. You can see her if you come with me." She got it."
When Xu Erzhu came, he was driving an ox cart, and Shen Xiu simply got on his ox cart. While sitting in the cart, she asked him how Mrs. Xu was doing.
Xu Erzhu could answer some questions, but he hesitated a bit on others.
Shen Xiu quickly inferred one thing from his words: Aunt Xu might not live with them.
She tentatively asked Aunt Xu about her livelihood, and when she learned that she now made a living by starching and washing clothes, she couldn't help but feel sad.
The descendant of Tangtang Hair Embroidery has fallen to such a low point.
However, Aunt Xu did not have many emotions or complaints. After taking a nap in the afternoon, she began to dig the ground in the backyard.
When Aunt Xu moved from Qingshan County to the countryside, she had to live in a dilapidated temple because no one took her in.
Later, an old hunter saw how pitiful she was and took her back to his home. The two helpless people lived like this.
But the good times did not last long. When the old hunter was hunting in the mountains, he was accidentally injured by a beast and died on the spot. From then on, Aunt Xu was alone again.
However, the old Orion had no relatives, so the dilapidated courtyard where he lived was left to Aunt Xu.
The yard is a bit shabby, but the space is not small. The backyard is more than ten feet long, just enough to cultivate a vegetable plot.
Aunt Xu eats some of the vegetables grown on this vegetable field herself, and the rest can be sold in the county town for some vegetable money.
Therefore, Aunt Xu took care of this vegetable patch with great care.
When Shen Xiu followed Xu Erzhu to the ruined courtyard, Aunt Xu had already turned half of the ground.
When she heard the knock on the door outside, Aunt Xu thought it was her neighbor next door, so she wiped her hands and returned to the front yard.
When Aunt Xu opened the door, she saw Xu Erzhu and Shen Xiu.
Xu Erzhu quickly introduced to Aunt Xu, "Aunt, this is Mrs. Shen, who came specially to see you."
Aunt Xu squinted her eyes. She didn't know Mrs. Shen, so she looked at Shen Xiu with vigilance.
Shen Xiu stepped forward and said, "Aunt Xu, have you ever recognized an adult named Zhen?"
Master Zhen, Aunt Xu slowly thought about it, "You are Master Zhen's..."
Shen Xiu originally didn't want to borrow the name of Magistrate Zhen, but in order to gain Aunt Xu's trust, she had to say: "I am Lord Zhen's in-law, and I have a cousin who married him."
Since she was Lord Zhen's in-law, Aunt Xu felt much more relieved, her face lost all vigilance, and she stepped in and said, "I am the only one who lives here. If you don't mind, come in and sit for a while!"
Xu Erzhu brought Shen Xiu here, feeling that he had done his duty, and left before Aunt Xu could say anything.
Shen Xiu entered Aunt Xu's house alone and saw that there were only three thatched houses in the north. The yard was very clean, but it still couldn't conceal the dilapidation.
"The house is so shabby that it makes you laugh." Aunt Xu said as she let Shen Xiu into the house.
Shen Xiu smiled and said nothing.
When Aunt Xu said this, she did not mean to be embarrassed or ashamed, but she felt very calm.
Shen Xiu asked herself, if one day she ends up like Aunt Xu, she may not have such a peaceful mind.
While she was thinking this, she heard Aunt Xu ask: "Master Zhen, is he okay?"
Shen Xiu came back to his senses, smiled and said, "Master Zhen is very good. He is now the magistrate of Huai'an County."
"When I met Mr. Zhen, he was still the magistrate of our Qingshan County. At that time, he heard that I knew how to embroider, a lost tradition, and wanted me to help embroider something. Unfortunately, my eyes have been damaged."
"At that time, he even said it was a pity that this skill had been lost. He also asked me if I had any plans to recruit apprentices."
When Aunt Xu said this, she looked at Shen Xiu and smiled, "I told him that I would really like to have an apprentice, but there is no such suitable person. He must be able to embroider and be patient. Mr. Zhen was then He said that if he meets a suitable candidate in the future, he will ask her to come to me."
"Now that I think about it, Magistrate Zhen has indeed taken this matter to heart." Aunt Xu looked at Shen Xiudao, "You are the suitable candidate he found, right?"
Aunt Xu had said this, and Shen Xiu admitted his purpose openly, "Yes, I came to worship you as my disciple, Aunt Xu. I just don't know if Aunt Xu is willing to accept me as your disciple?"