Southerners

Chapter 109

"Xiu Niang!"

"Xiuniang, Xiuniang... don't scare me!"

Bai Maner threw herself into Xiuniang's arms and burst into tears.

"Xiuniang... Xiuniang! Wake up!"

Perhaps Bai Man'er's emotions were too intense, Song Zhi sat there on her knees, holding Xiu Niang's still warm body in her arms, and couldn't cry for a while.

He didn't cry loudly like Bai Man'er, or even sob, but just lowered his head in a daze, looking at Xiu Niang's slightly aged face.

"Xiuniang!" Bai Man'er was still crying, as if it was her mother who died.

Not to mention that Xiuniang's care for Bai Man'er these years is the life-saving grace of today, and it is impossible for Bai Man'er to remain indifferent.

However, Song Zhi suddenly felt a little unreal.

What happened all these years?

Why is everything so vague in retrospect? Xiu Niang should have a gentle and serious appearance in memory, but who is she lying motionless in his arms now?

Is it Xiu Niang?

... How could Xiuniang, who had always straightened her back and refused to bow her head, be so depressed and lifeless?

Song Zhi raised her hand tremblingly, but sniffed Tan Xiuniang's breath.

Not breathing.

Song Zhi choked for breath, and two lines of tears rolled down.

"Do not……"

Song Zhi choked up and uttered a syllable.

"Do not……"

He threw Xiu Niang away, supported the gravel ground with his hands, and stepped back step by step, as if he couldn't believe it.

How could this woman be Xiu Niang?

she is not...

She is not Xiu Niang!

"Xiu Niang..." Song Zhi murmured, "Isn't she..."

"she is not!"

Song Zhi stood up, turned around and was about to run to Xiuniang's house: "I don't believe it..."

"……she is not!"

"Xiuniang is still in the house...waiting for me to rescue her."

"Brother Lan!" Bai Man'er shouted, Song Zhi stared at her blankly, but Bai Man'er couldn't say anything, her voice lowered, "...It's my fault."

"...It was my fault."

"No..." Song Zhi still didn't believe it.

"Sir!" Lian Er grabbed Song Zhi who was about to run to Xiu Niang's room, "Sir...don't be impulsive."

"Calm down!"

Everyone is trying to persuade Song Zhi, but how can Song Zhi believe, or accept, that his only relative in this world is gone?

From the first year of Zhiyuan, the fifth year of Song Lizong's Jingding, when Song Zhi was born in Lin'an, Xiuniang accompanied him day and night.

At that time, Song Xiuwen was busy with official duties, and his mother, Li Hansu, was busy with the affairs of the house. Besides the wet nurse, Xiu Niang was the one who accompanied him the most every day. However, the wet nurse had already died in the flames of war, and only Xiu Niang accompanied him all the way. , from Lin'an to Tongling, from Tongling to Pujiang, and then from Pujiang to Dadu.

From the first year of Zhiyuan to the 21st year of Zhiyuan, 20 years.

Father, mother, left him one by one, only Xiuniang... only Xiuniang, who was always with him, took care of him, and protected him.

Now, Xiu Niang is gone.

What did he do?

Why... why couldn't he save Xiuniang?

Song Zhi covered her face, knelt down, and wept silently.

At the age of 11, he lost his father, at the age of 13, he lost his mother, and now at the age of 20, he lost his last relative.

What kind of young master Pian Pian who is a master of poetry, calligraphy and painting, after all, is just a poor wretch abandoned by all his relatives.

"Sir..." Lian Er knelt beside Song Zhi, at a loss.

Man-made disasters may be avoided, but natural disasters cannot be avoided.

In this earthquake, I don’t know how many people died. In and outside the city, especially the residences of the civilians, the houses are old and easily collapsed.Xiu Niang is just one of them.

There are many people who have lost their loved ones.What's the point of Song Zhi's pain in the crowd.

At the same time, the army of Meng Huan and Zhennan Wang's Tuohuan was still on the way to the south.

Whether it is Champa or Annan, the war seems to never stop. Where should those who lost their loved ones, precarious and homeless during the war cry?

Song Zhi had been seriously injured, and Xiu Niang's death had dealt a great blow to him, so he passed out within a short while of crying.

When Song Zhi woke up again, Zeno had already presided over the overall situation and settled everything that needed to be settled.

Generally speaking, the houses in the Meng Mansion were not too seriously damaged, only a few houses collapsed.But a lot of precious items were broken, which was also a big loss.

After the personnel counted, Zi Nuo ordered the servants to search for the corpses in the ruins, and finally found seven corpses, five maidservants, two domestic servants, plus one Xiu Niang, a total of eight people died.

After Song Zhi passed out, after the aftershock passed, she was carried to her room, and a doctor treated him.

The dead servants were all buried hastily. As for Xiu Niang, the people in the mansion didn't make their own decisions, they made their own decisions after Song Zhi woke up.

Unexpectedly, after Song Zhi woke up, she seemed to have lost her soul, neither eating nor drinking, not speaking, like a living dead.

Bai Man'er, Lian'er, and Jin Ming tried to persuade him in turn, but it was useless.

Song Zhi ignored it.

This situation lasted for three days.

On the fourth day, Song Zhi seemed to come back to life suddenly, she stopped crying and making trouble, accepted Xiuniang's death calmly, and seemed to deal with Xiuniang's funeral calmly.

On the day of Xiuniang's burial, there was no rain, and the sun was very strong, hanging high in the sky. The sky was scorching hot, and it was rare for it to be so hot in mid-autumn.

Xiu Niang wore very decent clothes, her face and hair were neatly arranged, and she did not show any signs of distress before she died. She seemed to be the same as that noble maid in Lin'an City back then, and she had never changed.

Song Zhi buried Xiu Niang on the mountain in the western suburbs, and after worshiping with Bai Man'er, Song Zhi took a carriage back to Meng Mansion.

Sitting in the carriage, Song Zhi suddenly felt a little dazed.

For the first eight years, Xiu Niang has been her life guide, so what should he do now?

Xiuniang is gone, and Meng Huan is not here, what should he do?

"Brother Lang..." Bai Man'er sat next to Song Zhi and tugged at his sleeve timidly.

Song Zhi came back to her senses, oh, he still has to take care of Man'er and send Man'er to get married.

However, at this time, Song Zhi lowered her head and saw a jade bracelet on Bai Man'er's left wrist, which was obviously worn by Xiu Niang in the past.

Song Zhi grabbed her hand suddenly, her eyes fixed on the jade bracelet.

"Brother Lang... what are you doing, you scratched me." Bai Man'er struggled.

Song Zhi's eyes moved, she raised her eyes, looked at Man'er, let go of her hand, and asked dryly, "Where did you get this bracelet?"

Bai Man'er glanced at the bracelet on his left wrist, shrank it into his bosom, and whispered, "Xiuniang gave it to me."

"...After the earthquake that day, Xiuniang held me in her arms and gave me this bracelet."

"Xiuniang gave it to me, but if Brother Lang wants it, I can return it to you." Bai Man'er said, and went to get the bracelet on her wrist.

"No need." Song Zhi pressed her hand, "Since Xiuniang gave it to you, you can keep it."

Bai Man'er didn't understand, so he nodded.

Song Zhi was still staring at the bracelet... He remembered that Xiuniang had said that she would give this bracelet to the future young mistress.

This is Xiu Niang, do you want him to marry Bai Man'er?

"Man'er, did Xiuniang... have anything to say to you at that time?"

Bai Man'er thought about it for a while, her eyes turned red again, and said, "Xiuniang told me to take good care of Brother Lan."

take care of……

Song Zhi closed her eyes and smiled wryly. Maybe Xiuniang knew at that time that she would not escape this disaster, so she took care of her affairs early and hoped that Bai Man'er could take care of herself instead of her in the future.

But Man'er was originally a little girl, how could Song Zhi let her take care of her?

"Brother Lang, what's wrong?" Bai Man'er asked.

Song Zhi shook her head, raised the curtain, and looked out of the carriage.

"This bracelet... you can keep it."

"This is Xiu Niang's personal thing, you should cherish it."

Bai Man'er nodded.

Not long after Song Zhi returned to the Meng Mansion, the Meng Mansion welcomed an unexpected guest, Chuo Man.

Originally Meng Huan was not around, so she would not come, but this time such a big incident happened, not only Chuo Man came, but also some of Meng Huan's friends who stayed in Beijing came to the Meng Mansion, mainly to see if the young master was okay .

Chuoman also glanced at Song Zhi by the way.

Of course, she doesn't care much about Song Zhi's existence now.

Although Meng Huan seemed to love Song Zhi very much, so what?

But when Chuoman saw that Song Zhi and Bai Man'er were intimacy, Chuoman couldn't bear it anymore.

Anyone can tell at a glance that the little girl likes Song Zhi, and whether Song Zhi is intentional or not, she should guard her identity and not get too close to Bai Man'er.

So Chuo Man found a fault and scolded Song Zhishou, scolding him for being shameless.

Song Zhi was not annoyed, and just said softly: "Since this is the case, Miss Chuoman's eyes will be dirty, Song Zhi should leave the Meng Mansion."

Chuoman didn't understand the matter between Meng Huan and Song Zhi, and when he heard that he was leaving, he was secretly happy, and drove Song Zhi out of the Meng residence viciously.

After leaving the Meng Mansion, Song Zhi took Bai Man'er back to Xingshun Hutong, but Bai Man'er's house had already collapsed at the epicenter.

Song Zhi had no choice but to tidy up her dilapidated house and asked Bai Man'er to move in to her own house, to be like her brother and sister.

But Bai Man'er was unwilling.

Song Zhi pointed to the bracelet on her wrist and said, "Do you know what this bracelet means?"

Bai Maner shook his head.

Song Zhi said, "Xiuniang prepared this for my wife."

Bai Man'er blushed immediately.

Song Zhi didn't care whether she was red-faced or not, and said to herself: "But Man'er, no matter what you think in your heart, I can't possibly marry you."

"...Why?" Bai Man'er asked unwillingly, "Is there anything wrong with Man'er?"

Song Zhi slightly bent her lips, the corners of her lips were slightly curved: "Do you know what is my relationship with Mr. Meng?"

"It's the young master of the mansion you live in. Do you know what relationship I have with him?"

Bai Man'er thought that Song Zhi was afraid of Meng Huan's anger, and said, "But doesn't he have other women? He has a child, Brother Lan, he has already let you down, why do you still..."

"Man'er," Song Zhi stopped her words, "It doesn't matter if he is sorry, he didn't forgive me..."

"He was supposed to have a group of wives and concubines...to have a bunch of lovely children."

Bai Man'er looked at Song Zhi in confusion, Song Zhi was a man, how could he allow the person next to him to be involved with others?

"It's me," Song Zhi said, "I'm sorry for him, I'm sorry for Xiuniang, and I'm sorry for you."

When Song Zhi said this, she felt a little bitter: "I know he treats me well, but I can't respond."

"Xiuniang gave me her whole life, but I can't repay her."

"Man'er, Brother Lang knows you... But you shouldn't be like this, you should marry someone better. Brother Lang doesn't want you to waste yourself on me, wasting a good time for nothing."

"Brother Lang, I...don't love women."

Hearing this, Bai Maner's eyes widened in surprise.

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