The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 144
Thousands of sails are competing at Tongzhou Wharf. This economic artery connecting the Great Shanxi, the North and the South, and Beijing is still extremely busy. Ships from south to north are constantly flowing day and night.

A woman in ragged clothes was standing on the pier at the moment, watching the boats that were docking or leaving the shore hesitated.A little girl about three or four years old quietly nestled beside the woman. Although the clothes on her body were dirty, her face was very clean, as if carved in powder and jade. There was a small bright red spot on the tip of her chin. Carmine nevus, very conspicuous.

It's late autumn now, the two are still wearing summer shirts, shivering slightly in the morning sun, all the passers-by are looking at them, some of them have malicious intentions, and their eyes linger on the woman wretchedly .

Although the woman's clothes are torn, she looks good and has a good temperament and looks very educated. She probably came from a wealthy family, and the little girl is also golden and jade-like, pink-born, and bright-eyed. Teeth, she is already a beauty at such a young age.

At this time, the two sleazy guys finally couldn't help coming up together, and said with a smile: "This lady wants to take a boat?"

There was a trace of fear in the woman's eyes, and she pulled the little girl aside, obviously seeing that these two guys were not good people.

The two scoundrels looked at each other and smiled, the woman's timidity only fueled their arrogance, so she boldly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Don't be afraid, lady, we are good people, seeing that you have been hesitating here for a long time, I'm afraid you don't have money to take a boat, but it's okay, we have a boat, and we can take you for free."

"We don't take the boat, we are just waiting for someone, thank you two elder brothers for your kindness." The woman turned around and left with the little girl.

The two ruffians dodged and blocked the way again, and said with a playful smile: "Who are you waiting for? Is it a good friend?"

"What's none of your business?" The woman was shocked and angry, the little girl must have been frightened, she hugged the woman's hand tightly, and looked at the two ruffians in front of her with bright eyes in horror.

One of the ruffians rolled his eyes, pointed at the little girl and said, "Who is this girl?"

The woman was obviously aware of the danger, and hurriedly hugged the little girl in her arms, and said vigilantly, "She is my daughter, what do you want to do?"

The two ruffians looked at each other and sneered again, and one of them said seriously: "I don't think you two look alike at all, how could you be a mother and daughter, I'm afraid they were kidnapped from somewhere else!"

The other ruffian immediately showed his fierce face and said: "That's right, looking at your tattered clothes, you look like a kidnapper. How can you be so unreasonable? How dare you steal a child in broad daylight. Come and see the official with us." grabbed the woman's arm.

The woman yelled, "Let go of me, I'm not a kidnapper!"

The little girl cried out in fright, and hugged the woman's neck tightly. Seeing this, another ruffian stepped forward to snatch the little girl. Although the surrounding people knew the details of the two ruffians, no one dared to step forward. Give a helping hand.

Seeing that the little girl was about to be snatched away, a man who was as strong as an iron tower rushed over and punched one of the gangsters in the face with a sudden yell. Fly, fell flying more than ten feet away, fell to the ground rolling and screaming.

The remaining ruffian was stunned for a moment, then pulled out a dagger, and warned sternly, "Brother, I advise you not to meddle in your own business!"

Tie Hu pointed at his chest with disdain and said, "Come on, I have a kind of greeting here!"

The ruffian looked at the iron tower-like iron tiger in front of him, and the other party's contemptuous grin, and his eyes couldn't help changing, obviously knowing that he had encountered a tough problem.

"Trash, I don't have time to spend with you." Seeing that the ruffian didn't dare to make a move, Tie Hu stepped forward and pinched the opponent's wrist as soon as he stretched out his hand. With a little effort, the ruffian screamed in pain, and the dagger in his hand It also clanged and dropped to the ground.

bang...

Tie Hu punched the ruffian's belly, then threw it out like a dead chicken, cursing: "If you dare to bully this mother and daughter again, I will screw your heads off, get out!"

The two ruffians were so frightened that they reluctantly got up and fled away.

Tie Hu clapped his hands, walked back to Jia Huan and said with a smile: "Third Master, it's done, let's get on the boat."

Jia Huan nodded, and headed towards a big boat docked on the pier, when the little girl suddenly called weakly: "Little brother!"

Jia Huan's footsteps paused slightly, and he turned around slowly. The little girl looked at Jia Huan pitifully with tears in her eyes. The woman bowed hurriedly and said, "Young master, do you still remember us?"

Jia Huan nodded. He has a photographic memory, so he naturally remembered that the mother and daughter once received food from the porridge stand where they served porridge, especially this pink little girl with A bright red beauty mole, very recognizable, which is why he decisively asked Tie Hu to rescue him just now.

The woman couldn't help but be overjoyed, the young man was giving porridge at the gate of the city some time ago, and now he saved the two of them, obviously he was kind-hearted, so he fell to his knees with a plop.

Jia Huan quickly stepped aside, frowned and said, "Ma'am, what do you mean?"

The woman's eyes turned red and she said: "Young master is a good person, can you help us, you are a great kindness, I will never forget it!"

At this time, many people gathered around to watch the excitement, Jia Huan hurriedly said: "Madam, please get up and talk, otherwise I will not accompany you." After speaking, he turned around and wanted to go.

The woman stood up hastily, chased after a few steps and said: "Young Master, can you give us a ride?"

Jia Huan shook his head and said calmly, "I'm afraid it's inconvenient."

The woman couldn't help being disappointed, she thought this young man was a warm-hearted person, but she seemed to have misjudged her, turned around sadly and left without entanglement, the little girl put her arms around the woman's neck, resting her chin on the woman's shoulder The pitiful look with tears in his eyes immediately softened Jia Huan's heart.

"Wait a minute!" Jia Huan called to stop the woman.

The woman couldn't help being overjoyed, she turned around and walked back. Jia Huan told Ping'er who was beside her, "Sister Ping'er, give this lady two liang of silver to take the boat."

"Oh!" Ping'er hastily took out two taels of silver and handed it over, apologetically said: "Madam, our boat is really inconvenient, you should take the silver and take another boat."

Only then did the woman notice Jia Huan's attire, and when she looked at the white silk tied to the eaves of the boat, she realized that it was for sending spirits, and she suddenly realized, "I'm sorry, so young master... Thank you, We can't ask for this money, in fact, I have the money for the boat, and I'm afraid that the road will be unsafe."

Jia Huan glanced at the two shivering slightly in the cold wind, frowned and said, "Since you have the money for the boat, why not buy a thick coat, adults can resist it, and children can also resist it?"

The woman was speechless in embarrassment, in fact, she had a silver hairpin, which she planned to use for the boat, but if she pawned it to buy clothes, she might not be able to get on the boat again.

Jia Huan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Where are you going?"

"Go to Suzhou to find my aunt." The little girl said first, looking at Jia Huan expectantly.

At this time, the butler Lin Zhixiao shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to go to Suzhou with two taels of silver, not to mention the boat fee, I'm afraid I can barely eat and drink on the way."

Ping'er was kind-hearted in the first place, and couldn't help but said: "Third Master, it happens that we are also on the way, so let's take them along. Orphans and widows are so pitiful. What if we meet bad people again?"

"Steward Lin, is there still room on the boat?" Jia Huan asked.

Lin Zhixiao nodded and said: "I can still sit down, but I don't know if they have a guide. If not, there may be trouble if they are interrogated by the government on the way."

The woman was dumbfounded for a moment, and then she realized that she had no way to guide her, and it might be too late to do it now.

Jia Huan pondered and said, "I have the status of a scholar. If my wife is willing to pretend to be a accompanying servant, there should be no problem."

Scholars in the Jin Dynasty not only had certain tax benefits, but also had the privilege of not kneeling before seeing officials, and traveling around without being restricted by guides.

The woman was surprised and delighted when she heard the words, but she didn't expect that the young man was actually a scholar, she hurriedly said: "It doesn't matter, in fact, the maid is not the girl's mother, but just the girl's nurse, this time I went to Suzhou to rely on my concubine. "

A flash of surprise flashed in Jia Huan's eyes, and he looked at the little girl. The little girl nodded very sensiblely and said, "What Nanny Zhou said is true."

"In that case, let's get on the boat." Jia Huan turned and went to the pier.

Mother Zhou thanked her a lot, and followed Jia Huan and others onto the boat.

Zhao Guoji still had a family to take care of, so he did not go back to Jinling with Jia Huan this time. He watched the sailboat leave the pier and disappear into the sky and water. Then he left Tongzhou in a carriage and returned to the capital.

The wind on the canal carried a bit of moisture, which neutralized the dry autumn wind, and it was very comfortable to blow on the face.

Jia Huan stood on the deck of the bow, watching the boats passing by on the canal in a daze, the little girl walked behind him at some point, tugged his sleeve lightly and said crisply: "Little brother, do you want to eat?"

Jia Huan looked down and saw a little girl wrapping a cold steamed bun in a small handkerchief, looking up at him with a small face, and smiling, "Where did you get the steamed bun?"

The little girl said earnestly: "A kind person gave it to me yesterday, and I've been keeping it until I'm too hungry to take it."

"Give me half!" Jia Huan said.

The little girl broke off half of the steamed bun and handed it to Jia Huan, and Jia Huan took a bite, nodded and said, "It tastes good."

The little girl showed a happy smile, put the other half of the steamed bun into her mouth and took a small bite, she was really cute, and asked again: "Brother, what's your name?"

"Jia Huan, what about you?"

"My first name is Xing Yuan. My baby name is Yuanyuan. Little brother, you can call me Yuanyuan."

Jia Huan nodded, and ate half of the cold steamed bun, muttering in his heart, "It's okay, my surname is not Chen!"

The little girl pointed to the inside of the cabin and whispered, "Who is in there?"

Jia Huan didn't mind Tong Yan's words, and said lightly, "My mother, this time I'm going to help the spirit go back to Jinling for burial."

The little girl showed sympathy and lowered her head, "My mother is also dead, killed by the tartar."

"Where's your father?"

"I was also killed by the Tartars, and the house was also burned. Only Nanny Zhou escaped with me. I have an aunt who married to Suzhou." Two clouds of mist rose in the eyes of the little girl, and she wanted to cry. : "Little brother, I miss my mother so much, do you miss your mother?"

Jia Huan sighed secretly, stretched out his hand to touch Yuanyuan's little head and said, "Come on, my little brother treats you to something delicious, sleep when you're full, and forget about it when you fall asleep."

(End of this chapter)