auspicious time has come

Chapter 70 Sudden Betrayal
"Painter Ji, Captain Meng sent a talking mynah, where do you think it hangs?"

"Painter Ji, Lieutenant Meng is here to deliver things again..."

I don't know how many times this happened, Heng Yu sat in the study and rubbed his forehead.

And this time-

"One bow to heaven and earth, two bows to high hall!"

"...?" Heng Yu raised her head and looked at the talking mynah in the cage with complicated eyes - is it... a wedding bird?
The Meng family really reflected their sincerity in every detail...

Everywhere she favors her as a dandy, she even trains a bird on purpose.

"One bow to heaven and earth, two bows to high hall!"

"Take it out, take it out." Heng Yu ordered Cui Huai.

"Yes." The maid Cui Huai suppressed a smile and stepped forward to lift the birdcage.

Heng Yu also got up from the desk, and went out of the study to take a breath. When she walked to the corridor, she saw Jiji who had just returned from shopping, and the boy who helped her carry her back was Meng Dazhu— —

The boy was tall and mighty, but when he faced the girl in front of him, he looked like a gentle and loyal dog. The difference between the two could be clearly seen even if they were far away.

Hengyu poked her head and looked for a while, then said to herself in a dejected way: "I can't see any shortcomings..."

"Cooperate with you to pick on other people's thorns!"

Suddenly came the voice of Jiang's matchmaker behind him, Heng Yu didn't turn his head and said: "Isn't that the case when marrying a daughter?"

"Yes, yes, you have to be cautious about seeing your son-in-law!" The Jiang matchmaker came to her and stuffed a booklet to her: "What you want-the Meng family goes up and down, count up The background of the Five Dynasties is all here! It’s almost time to dig up the family’s ancestral graves!”

"You are the one who said those wicked words, and you are responsible for the nightmares..." Heng Yu took it and flipped through it.

What can be verified is one of the conditions she uses to weigh this marriage.

As for the second concern, perhaps there will be an answer soon.

At the courtyard gate, Meng Dazhu watched Jiji enter the courtyard before leaving.

After leaving the Hou Mansion and returning home, he was immediately surrounded by his family members and asked in the front hall how the battle was going today.

Looking at the faces full of hope, the young man felt a lot of pressure, but he could only shake his head truthfully.

There was a sigh.

"Why don't you ask the Bodhisattva for help?" Father Meng suddenly suggested.

Shan: "What do you need to say? Recently, I have to go to the Buddhist hall to offer incense sooner or later!"

"I'm talking about Lord Xiao Hou!"

"That's right...why didn't I think of it!" Suddenly, Shan hurriedly urged his son to ask the gods for help.

Dazhu responded, and was too busy to go.

While the young man got on his horse and left, a dusty figure hurried back to Meng's house on his back.

The shop assistant who came to deliver the account book met this figure in the front yard.

"The girl is really back?!" Cheng Ping grabbed the buddy and asked in a steady voice.

"Then there's still a fake?" The man was caught sorely in his arm, but he still smiled: "The girl and the eldest lady are both in the front hall at the moment. Uncle Ping will know when he goes to see him!"

Cheng Ping immediately ran to the front hall.

In the hall, Mrs. Wen and Mrs. Shan were talking, Jia Yuan was sitting beside her and was teasing the little yellow dog on her lap. Father Meng got up from his chair and was about to go to the shop when he saw someone coming.

"Brother Cheng is back!"

Cheng Ping didn't respond, and stopped outside the hall door, looking into the hall with a tense expression.

Jiayuan, who was holding the little yellow dog in the hall, subconsciously turned her head to look.

The four eyes met for a moment, Cheng Ping's eyes trembled, and his eyes almost turned red.

"Like..." His chapped lips moved, but he said with a smile, "...like Brother Meng."

And since the eldest lady personally recognized it, there can be no mistakes!

"Sister Yuan, this is what Uncle Ping told you!" Father Meng waved to his niece with a smile: "Come and see you!"

Mrs. Wen also nodded with a smile.

Jia Yuan hurriedly put the pup down and bowed her knees to Cheng Ping who came in late, she was a little embarrassed but sincerely called "Uncle Ping".

She had heard what A Niang and her aunt had said—how many years she had been lost, this Uncle Ping had been looking for her for as many years.

For such a person, even though it was like meeting her for the first time, she couldn't help being grateful.

"Okay..." Cheng Ping was able to nod his head after a while, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister Yuan...it's good to be back."

There will be no more words.

The entire 20 years of searching, all the hardships and struggles on the shoulders, and the despair and confusion, are all unloaded with this sentence at this moment.

The next morning, Cheng Ping went to Mengluo's grave with Mrs. Wen, his mother and daughter to pay homage.

After paying homage, the mother and daughter left Cheng Ping alone in front of the tomb for a while.

This is the first time in 20 years that Cheng Ping came to pay homage.

"Sister Yuan is back home..."

Cheng Ping sat in front of the grave with no manners, holding a wine jar in his hand, and said in a low and hoarse voice, somewhat relaxed and at a loss, "I should go too."

"At the beginning, I was sending you home, but I didn't expect that this stay would last most of my life..."

"I went out this time, and accidentally found traces of their suspected secret activities near Yingzhou. It has been more than 20 years, are they still there..."

"So I should go."

"As for where to go..." Cheng Ping took a sip of wine, which also stained his messy beard, "Let's go and see."

After speaking, he got up, and ignored the dirt and grass clippings on his robe.

I'm going to say goodbye to the eldest lady.

After saying goodbye, he still had to meet someone to fulfill his promise.

……

In the warm afternoon sun, next to the swing in the courtyard, the girl leaned in a rocking chair and read a book, with a soft blanket covering her knees, and the toes of the lotus-colored embroidered shoes under the apricot-colored dress swayed lightly.

The young girl's posture is relaxed and casual, and the delicate eyebrows and eyes also have a bit of a romantic posture that is rarely seen on girls. Even though the female envoys in the courtyard are seen every day, they can't help but want to take a few more glances at this time. , and his voice became softer and more authentic: "Painter Ji, an old servant in Lieutenant Meng's family named Cheng Ping wants to see you."

"Cheng Ping..." Heng Yu seemed to think for a moment before remembering who this person was. After saying "Oh", he put down the book and said, "I'll go see him."

"You don't need to see Painter Ji, the maid will bring you here." The maid said with a smile, "Your Majesty has been ordered, if any visitor comes to find Painter Ji, please come into the mansion."

Heng Yu was slightly startled, and then nodded for a moment: "That's the work."

Soon, Cheng Ping was brought over by the female envoy.

Hengyu was still sitting in the rattan chair, Cheng Ping approached her, knelt down without saying a word, and kowtowed.

Heng Yu looked at him, and said in a warm tone, "Uncle Ping is back."

"Yes."

"Did you see Lady Jiayuan?"

"Yes." Cheng Ping said, "That's why I came to thank Miss Tongji."

The girl's eyes fell on the burden on his shoulder: "Uncle Ping is leaving Yingzhou?"

Cheng Ping replied "Yes" again, and said: "These years I stayed in Meng's house just to find the girl, now I have fulfilled my promise to Miss Ji, and I will leave Yingzhou."

He still remembered that the little girl said that as long as he answered a question, although he thought about it, he always felt that this request was a bit strange——

But it's just a question anyway.

But what he never expected was...

"Oh, then maybe you can't go." The little girl said on a whim, "I've changed my mind."

Cheng Ping looked up.

The girl on the rocking chair sat up straight, looked at him, and asked with a half-smile: "I remember you said before that you are willing to be a cow or a horse-does this still count?"

Cheng Ping was taken aback, but nodded without hesitation: "Naturally."

"That's good." The girl nodded in satisfaction, then turned her head and confessed: "Jiji, go draw up a deed to sell yourself as a slave, and take Uncle Ping to the government to stamp it."

Cheng Ping: "...?!"

"How much money does Uncle Ping want? I won't treat you badly." Heng Yu asked with a smile.

Cheng Ping calmed down a little, and said seriously: "I don't mean to turn my back on what I said, but if Miss Ji has something to say, just tell me, and I will do it, and there is no need to do business."

"But if you stay by my side for a long time, you still need a name and identity, otherwise what will you do if you suddenly disappear one day?" Heng Yu said while thinking: "I have to sign a death contract with you, so I'll give you a name." Let’s use a three-year contract—after three years, you will be free again, I just want you to do things for me for three years, how about it?”

Repaying favors, casually wanting people to sell themselves into slavery, no matter how the girls look at it, it seems that they are messing around on a whim, and they really have the willful and arrogant style of a rich and wealthy dude.

It should be noted that among officials and eunuchs in the capital, the buying and selling of slaves is often used as a comparison. The case of a merchant selling Kunlun slaves at a high price is an example.

At this moment, in the eyes of this little girl, he is afraid that he is just an object that she can take for her own use and show off because of some skills.

Facing those smiling eyes, Cheng Ping endured for a moment, and then said: "I don't know how to change my temperament, I have offended many people, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for Miss Ji—"

But the girl smiled calmly and said: "It's okay, trouble is excitement, and I like excitement the most."

"..." Cheng Ping clenched his fists, completely speechless.

"Of course, a lover's prostitution is voluntary. I can't force it. If Uncle Ping repents, he can leave." The girl picked up the scroll casually, with a look of indifference.

Cheng Ping gritted his teeth secretly, a mouthful of blood choked in his throat.

Repent?

Who is going back on his word?

Seeing that the girl really read the book and ignored him, Cheng Ping closed his eyes and said, "I will keep my promise."

It's only three years.

Moreover, the official lady is greedy for novelty, so she might lose interest in a few days.

The most important promise in his life is that the other party will find the girl for him. If he does not repay this kindness, his conscience is disturbed.

Heng Yu smiled when she heard the words, but her eyes were still fixed on the scroll, she nodded lightly and said: "Okay, then from today on, Uncle Ping is mine."

Cheng Ping followed Jiji all the way to the government in silence.

When he came out of the government office, holding the heavy money bag in his hand, he felt that the sale of his body was really sudden.

Jiji collected the deed of prostitution, and on the way back, Cheng Ping sat on the shaft with the driver of the Ji family, and the driver talked to him about the many rules of the Ji family, which meant training for the job.

"...Besides these rules, we girls love beauty very much. I always like clean and handsome people. Brother, you need to put some heart into your appearance."

The young Cheng Ping, who was neither handsome nor beautiful, finally couldn't help but twitched the corner of his mouth.

However, Jiji and the coachman decided that it was human nature, so they cleaned him up that day, bathed and rubbed him, trimmed his sideburns, shaved off his messy beard, changed into new clothes inside and out, and even smoked him to cover up his body odor...

After doing all this, Cheng Ping, who was sent to Hengyu the next morning, seemed to have only one feeling—he became clean, but he seemed to be completely dirty.

"Uncle Ping, sit down." In the study, Heng Yu put down her pen.

"Master and servant are different, the girl has something to say." Cheng Ping stood up straight, as if only in this way could he retain his indescribable dignity.

"My order is to let you sit down."

"..." After Cheng Ping followed suit, he felt that instead of retaining his dignity, he lost it even more thoroughly.

"Uncle Ping drinks tea." Heng Yu raised her hand to signal.

With a lesson learned from the past, Cheng Ping didn't say much this time, and picked up the tea bowl expressionlessly and drank all the tea.

Next, the girl said again: "Uncle Lao Ping rolled up his sleeves, and let me have a look at his arms."

Cheng Ping frowned.

If he wasn't an old man now, he would really suspect that this playful little girl was going to moles him for plotting against him!
Or is it like buying a Kunlun slave to pry open his mouth to see if his teeth are fine?

He stretched out his arm with a solemn face, and stroked his right sleeve to his elbow.

Heng Yu shook her head lightly: "No, I want to look at the left hand—"

Cheng Ping stared fixedly at the girl sitting behind the desk.

The girl's expression was calm, and the surroundings were quiet, and the needles could be heard falling.

The doors and windows of the study were closed tightly, and the two maids beside her were guarding outside the study at this moment.

Cheng Ping quietly clenched his left fist.

No, it's not possible...

The little girl in front of her is only seventeen or eighteen years old...

Meeting those eyes, Cheng Ping stretched out his left hand and rolled up his sleeve halfway.

With a smile on his face, Heng Yu stretched out a hand, with the palm turned upside down, signaling him to follow suit.

Cheng Ping straightened his body, and slowly turned his palm so that the inner side of his wrist was facing up, revealing it in the girl's sight.

The study is located facing the sun, even though the doors and windows are closed, it is still bright in the morning——

What Cheng Ping saw in his sight, the girl looked at the tattoo pattern on his wrist, and slowly pursed the corners of her lips.

She spoke, her voice was soft and casual——

"Uncle Ping, have you ever killed someone?"

What is the problem?
Want a murdered servant to show off?
Cheng Ping tried not to think about that possibility, put his arm down, and said calmly: "I have been on the battlefield, and I have killed it naturally."

"What about outside the battlefield?" the girl asked again.

Cheng Ping erected a silent guard all over his body: "What exactly does the girl want to ask?"

Heng Yu looked at him and said in a low voice, "I want to know the origin of the tattoo on your wrist—"

Looking at those quiet eyebrows and eyes, which were no longer arbitrarily and casually, Cheng Ping completely tensed up in an instant.

　Good afternoon, today is also a day of two chapters combined into one
　　
　
(End of this chapter)