Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Shijun told his family that he had decided to resign for the incident in Shanghai, and he also had some unfinished business, so he needed to go there.He came back to Shanghai, stayed at Shuhui's house for one night, went to the factory the next morning to see the factory director, handed in a formal resignation letter, and went to the place where he worked to explain the matter clearly. It was the time when he got off work at noon, so he went upstairs to find Manzhen.This time he resigned, he didn't discuss it with her at all beforehand, because he told her that she would definitely oppose it, so after deliberation, he decided to cut it first and then play it.

As soon as he walked into the office, he saw Manzhen's old light gray sheepskin coat draped over the back of the chair.She leaned over the table and didn't know what document to copy there.Shuhui’s former desk is now another clerk sitting there. This person imitated the American style of their manager, put one foot high on the desk, and leisurely displayed his floral striped socks Unlike leather shoes, the soles have absolutely no palming.He greeted Shijun and still read his newspaper with his feet crossed.Manzhen turned around and smiled: Hey, when did you come back?Shijun walked to her writing desk, bent over to see what she was writing there.As if she was very secretive, she covered both sides with other paper, leaving only the middle two lines.She simply ignored his attention, but he had already seen that this was a letter addressed to him.He smiled, and it was inconvenient to have to look at it in front of people.He stood leaning on the table.Said: Let's go out to eat together.Manzhen looked at the clock and said: OK, let's go.She stood up and put on her coat, and before she left, Shijun said again: "Where's your letter, take it out and post it?"He picked up the letter paper, folded it, and put it in his coat pocket.Manzhen smiled and said nothing, walked outside and said: Pay me back.You have already come, why write a letter?Shijun ignored her, took out the letter and walked to read it.As he watched, a smile appeared on his face.Seeing Manzhen, he couldn't help but move closer to see what he saw.After seeing it, she snatched the letter with a blushing face, and said, "I'll read it later."Take it back to watch.Shijun smiled and said: All right, don't look at it.You pay me back, I put it away.

Manzhen asked him about his father's illness, Shijun said something briefly, and then he slowly told her about his resignation, starting from the beginning.He told her that when he went back to Nanjing this time, he was so anxious that he stayed up all night on the train, thinking that if his father's illness was to recover, his mother, sister-in-law and nephew would immediately become his burden, which was not a light burden.Fortunately, there is such an opportunity that his father needs him very much now, and everything is entrusted to him. By this time, he can seize the financial rights from his concubine, and the future life of his mother and widowed sister-in-law will be guaranteed.For this reason, it is impossible for him not to resign.Of course, this is just a temporary measure, and he will still come out to do things in the future.

He had prepared some words long ago, and said them very tactfully, but he still couldn't express his real difficulties.For example, his mother had been so happy these days, like a poor child who picks up a broken trinket and treats it as a treasure.And her pitiful happiness was caused by him alone. Since it was given to her, he really couldn't bear to take it back from her.In addition, there was another reason, but this reason, not only he could not tell Manzhen, but he was unwilling to admit to himself that it was their marriage problem.The truth is, as long as he inherits his father's family business, everything will be easy for him. After he gets married, it's nothing to help his husband's family.On the contrary, if he fails to seize this opportunity, his mother, sister-in-law and nephew will all depend on him for support in the future.He and Manzhen are two people, he has his family burden, she has hers family burden, and she refuses to burden him, not to mention marriage, it's just in the foreseeable future.He felt that he had waited long enough, that his boredom could not make her understand.

There is another layer, he didn't care much about gain and loss towards Manzhen, but ever since the incident with Yujin happened, he couldn't feel at ease.People say that nights are long and dreams are many, but now he feels that there may be some truth.It's not easy for him to tell her these things. Of course, Manzhen doesn't understand why he suddenly compromised with his family, and resigned rashly without asking her consent at all.It pained her that his cause was so light to her that she would have sacrificed so much for it.I was going to tell him this truth, but seeing his expression, he was already very ashamed, so she couldn't bear to condemn him anymore, so she kept smiling and just asked: "Did you tell uncle?" Hui no?Shijun smiled and said: I told him.Manzhen smiled and said: What did he say?Shijun smiled and said: He said it was a pity.Manzhen smiled and said: He also said the same?Shijun looked at her, smiled and said: I know, you must be very upset.Manzhen smiled and said: What about you, you are very happy, aren't you?You have moved to Nanjing, and we will not see each other from now on, you don't care anyway.Shijun saw that she was just blindly loving her son and daughter, and did not scold him righteously for giving up on herself. He suddenly felt relieved, and said with a smile: I will come to Shanghai once a week, okay?This is only a temporary matter, and it has to be like this for the time being.Don't I want to see you?

He was delayed in Shanghai for two or three days, and they met every day these days. On the surface, everything was the same as before, but as soon as he left her, he recollected it and felt something was wrong.So as soon as he returned to Nanjing, he immediately wrote a letter.The letter said: I really want to see you again, but I just came here, and I really can't find an excuse to come to Shanghai again in the past few days.Is this good or not.You and Shu Hui came to Nanjing for a weekend.You haven't been to Nanjing yet.My parents and sister-in-law, I often tell you about them, you must also feel that they are very familiar people, I don't think you will feel restrained living here.You must come.Uncle Hui, I will write another letter to him.

When Shuhui received his letter, he hesitated.He really didn't want to go to Nanjing again.He made a phone call with Manzhen and said: We should wait for spring to go, it is too cold at this time, and I have already been there last time.If you haven't been, you might as well go and have a look.Manzhen smiled and said: If you don't go, I won't either.It seemed a bit awkward for me to go alone.Shuhui had also noticed that Shijun invited them this time to meet his parents and Manzhen.If so, Shu Hui thought it was his duty to accompany her. At the end of this week, Shuhui and Manzhen came to Nanjing together, and Shijun went to the station to pick them up.He saw Shuhui first, Manzhen wrapped his head in a lake-green woolen scarf, and he barely recognized her.Such a prick on the head made her chin look much sharper. I can't tell if it looks better, but he still likes her usual appearance and doesn't like a little change.

Shijun called a carriage, and Shuhui smiled and said, "It's so cold, why don't you take us for a ride in the carriage?"Manzhen laughed and said: Nanjing is really cold.Shijun said: "It's much colder than Shanghai, I forgot to tell you, better wear more clothes."Manzhen smiled and said, "It's nothing to tell me. It's not like I made a pair of big cotton trousers just to make a trip to Nanjing."Shijun said: "I will ask my sister-in-law to borrow a pair of cotton trousers later."Shuhui laughed and said, "It's no wonder she's willing to wear it."Manzhen smiled and said: How is your father these two days?Is it better?Shijun said: Much better.Manzhen looked at his face, smiled and said: Then why do you seem to be very worried.Shuhui smiled and said: When I came last year, he had this look, as if he was very worried, and now he has this look again, as if he is afraid that you will go to their house to spit or grab food, and lose his people.Shijun smiled and said: What do you say?Manzhen also smiled, flirted with her and tightened her bun, saying: The wind is really strong, luckily I tied my head, otherwise my hair would be blown like a shaggy ghost!However, after a while, she untied the green bun again, and said with a smile: I don't see anyone with their heads tied on the road, maybe this is not popular here, and I am not happy to do it, it is obviously strange, like a red head Asan.Shuhui laughed and said: "The red-headed San?Blowflies!Shijun laughed, and said: It's better to tie it up, protect your ears, and keep warm.Manzhen said: It doesn't matter if it's warm or not, it blows your hair out of style!She took out a comb and used a small powder mirror to comb it neatly, then blow it into a mess. In the end, she still tied the scarf on her head, and was going to take it off when the time came.When Shijun got to know her about these things, he went out and went with her, and no matter where he went, he never saw her stage fright like today.He couldn't help smiling.

He told his family that he invited Shu Hui and a Miss Gu to come and play for two days. Miss Gu was a friend of Shu Hui and also a colleague of him.He didn't intend to hide it either.He has always felt that his family members are always harsh on foreign girlfriends, that they are not worthy of their own.He didn't want them to look at Manzhen with special eyes, but hoped that they could meet in a more natural situation.As for after the meeting, Manzhen must be unanimously in favor of it, but he is very sure of this. The carriage came to the gate of the fur shop, Shijun helped Manzhen carry the box, and the three of them walked in together.In the store, there were two customers picking things there, and leather belts were hung from the window above the walking horse building.Huhuhu put down the rope, and hung down such a small roll of things, with the reverse side facing outwards, revealing some fur.The big red silk lining was like a swaddling baby, with a little fluffy animal sleeping inside it.Behind the stained-glass windows upstairs, probably either his mother or his sister-in-law presided over everything.It was his mother, she must have seen them, and immediately shouted: "Mother Chen, the guests are here!"The voice was extremely shrill, as if there was a big parrot upstairs.Shi Jun frowned unconsciously.

There is always a special smell in the fur shop, the smell of fur and camphor, everything seems to be taken out of the box, wrapped in silver paper with care.When Shi Jun was a child, he always felt that the shop downstairs was a gloomy and gorgeous palace.Now he sees everything as ordinary, leaving only some intimacy.He often imagined what it was like when Manzhen came here for the first time.Now she's really here. Shuhui knew the way very well, and when he went up the stairs, he saw two monkey skins hanging on the wall, so he pointed to them and told Manzhen: This is called the golden snub-nosed monkey, and it came from Mount Emei.Manzhen smiled and said: Oh, is there a little golden light on the yellow hair?Shi Jun said: It is said that there are three golden lines on the forehead, so it is called the golden monkey.The stairs were dark and gloomy, Manzhen went closer to have a look, but couldn't see why.Shijun said: When I walked here when I was a child, I always felt very mysterious and a little scared.

The young lady greeted her at the stairs, and nodded to Shuhui, and Shuhui introduced, "This is sister-in-law."This is Miss Gu.The young lady smiled and said: Please sit inside.No matter how Shijun dispelled it, he said it was Shuhui's girlfriend, but it was a female guest he had specially invited from Shanghai. How could the family not pay attention.The eldest grandma thought: Shijun usually looks down on local girls like this, but I don't think their Shanghai lady is very fashionable. Shuhui said: "Where is Xiaojian?"The eldest young lady said: "He's a little uncomfortable again, he's lying down."The source of Xiaojian's illness this time, the eldest grandma thought that his grandfather taught him to read blocks and gave him food as a reward, so he ate badly.Every time Xiao Jian gets sick, the eldest and young mistress will blame this person or that person, this time even her mother-in-law is to blame.Mrs. Shen has always worked hard every day to get a lot of food for Xiaotong and Shijun. Why doesn't the child feel greedy?Mrs. Shen has been living such a happy life recently, and with her happy appearance, the sad young mistress is watching, so she naturally finds it a bit unsightly.In the past two days, Xiaojian has been ill again. There are two patients in the family, one old and one young, and they have to invite some boyfriends and girlfriends from Shanghai to come and live here. Mrs. Shen came out, and Shijun introduced Manzhen again. Mrs. Shen was very polite to her and very affectionate to Shuhui.The eldest young mistress only walked around in this room, then walked away.A table of food has been set on the table, Shu Hui said with a smile: We have already eaten on the train.Shijun said: "Then I was fooled. I haven't eaten yet, so I'm just waiting for you."Mrs. Shen said: "Eat quickly."Miss Gu, young master of the Xu family, eat some more and accompany him.They sat down to eat, and Mrs. Shen directed the servants to take their luggage to their rooms.Sitting there, Manzhen suddenly felt a dog's tail waving, flicking back and forth on her lap.She looked under the table, Shijun smiled and said: "It comes as soon as we eat, it's all Xiao Jian used to, always feed it with vegetables."Shu Hui said: "Is this the same dog Miss Shi gave you?"Shijun said: Hey, how do you know?Shuhui smiled and said: When I came last time, I heard her say that her family dog ​​gave birth to a litter of puppies, and she wanted to give one to Xiaojian.As he was talking, he went to pet the dog and was silent for a while, then asked with a smile: "Is she married?"Shijun said: "Not yet, probably soon, I haven't seen Yipeng recently."Manzhen said: Oh, I know, it is the Mr. Fang who came back to Shanghai.Shijun smiled and said: By the way, do you still remember?When we had dinner together, he either said that he was going to get engaged or that Miss Shi, they were cousins. After dinner, Manzhen said: Let's go see the old man.Shijun accompanied them to Xiaotong's room. They had just eaten at this time, but Xiaotong had just eaten snacks. He leaned on the bed, said please sit down, and then hiccupped deeply twice. Son.Shijun thought to himself: Why don't you hear your father hiccuping normally, but today he hiccups often too, and I didn't pay attention.I don't know why, but today is the worst day for his family's conduct.Even his mother and sister-in-law were much lower than their usual standards. Shuhui asked about Xiaotong's condition.As the saying goes, a long illness becomes a doctor by itself, and Xiaotong knows more about his own illness than the doctor.Especially now, he entrusted Shijun to take care of everything, and he became an old man with peace of mind, so he bought a copy of "Compendium of Materia Medica". He didn't eat dead people either, which strengthened his self-confidence even more.Although he himself consulted Western medicine, he believes that Chinese medicine is still effective for some diseases.He also has no one to talk to at home, Shijun is simply dumb.On the contrary, even though it was the first time we met Shuhui today, we got along very well.Shuhui was a perfunctory person of any class. Xiaotong was talking happily when Mrs. Shen came in.Xiao Tong then asked: "Is Xiao Jian feeling better today?"Mrs. Shen said: "It's still a little hot."Xiao Tong said: "I don't think he is quite right after taking Dr. Wang's medicine."Tell them to come and show me.I gave him a prescription.Mrs. Shen said with a smile: Oh, old man, just take a rest and don't bother with this matter!Our young mistress is timid.Besides, he is a famous doctor, and he still doesn't treat his own people.Xiaotong just fell silent. To Manzhen, because she is a woman, except for nodding to her when they met, he never looked directly at her. At this moment, he suddenly asked: "Miss Gu, have you ever been to Nanjing before?"Manzhen smiled and said: No.Xiaotong said: I feel like I have seen it somewhere, but I can't remember it anymore.After listening to Man Frame, he looked at his face carefully again, and said with a smile: I can't remember it for a while.Could it be that we met in Shanghai?Does the old man often go to Shanghai?Xiaotong pondered for a while and said: I haven't been to Shanghai for many years.The last time he went, it caused quite a disturbance.It was my concubine who went to Shanghai herself and escorted him back.Every time he goes, he stays at his brother-in-law's house.Although he and his wife are at odds, Uncle Lang is very speculative.When he came to Shanghai, his uncle often accompanied him for a walk.What he thought was a play on the spot, but in the eyes of his concubine, it was a conspiracy by his wife. He specially asked his uncle to take him out to play and marry a dancing girl so that he could suppress his concubine.No matter how he argued about this matter, he couldn't explain it clearly. At that time, his wife was also very wronged because of this matter, and she and her brother also vomited. Xiao Tong suddenly blurted out: Oh, I remembered!Who does Miss Gu look like?She looks like a dancing girl named Li Lu.No wonder it looks so familiar!He boldly said that he remembered, and everyone in the room looked at him, waiting for his next words. How could he say that she was like a dancing girl he knew before.He paused, then smiled to Xiang Shijun: Come to think of it, isn't your uncle's birthday coming up, and the gift we gave just happened to be entrusted to the two of them to take it.Shijun smiled and said: I would like to make a trip by myself to pay my uncle's birthday.Xiaotong smiled and said: You just came back from Shanghai, but you are going again?Mrs. Shen said: You can go there, uncle's birthday is this year.Shuhui glanced at Manzhen intentionally or unintentionally, and said with a smile: Shijun has become a dignitary now, running from Shanghai to Nanjing! While talking and joking, the maid came in and said: The second young master of the Fang family and Miss Shi are here, and they are trying on coats downstairs.Mrs. Shen laughed and said, "It must be the dowry there."Shijun, go down and have a look, and ask them to come up and sit down.Shijun smiled at Manzhen and Shuhui, "Come on, let's go down."He chuckled again and said, "It's not about Cao Cao, Cao Cao will be there."But Shuhui frowned and said: Are we still going out today?Shijun said: We will leave in a while, but fortunately my sister-in-law is with them.Shu Hui said: Then I will take the camera, so as not to run up the stairs again. He went to open the box to get the camera. Shijun and Manzhen first went downstairs to meet the unmarried couple Yipeng and Cuizhi.The dog that Cuizhi sent them also ran out, and it still knew its old owner, wandering around the shop, wagging its tail.As soon as Yipeng saw Manzhen, he smiled and called out: Miss Gu!When did you come to Nanjing?Cuizhi couldn't help but cast a sharp look at Manzhen, and said, "Eh, you two knew each other?"Yipeng smiled and said: Why don't you know each other, Miss Gu and I are old friends!As he spoke, he blinked at Shijun.Shijun felt that there was no need for him to make such jokes, and Shi Cuizhi didn't have a sense of humor at all, so you go and tease her, she should not take it seriously.He looked at Cuizhi, and Cuizhi smiled and said: How long has Miss Gu been here?Manzhen smiled and said: We have only arrived for a while.Cuizhi said: The weather happened to be so cold these two days.Manzhen smiled and said: Yes.Every time Shijun saw two women whom he met for the first time talking in a polite and gentle manner, he felt a little chilly and scared.I don't know why.He asked himself that he was not a timid person. Yipeng smiled and said: Hey, there is another person here, let me introduce him.A female classmate of Cuizhi's came with them, standing a little far away, trying on a fur coat in the mirror.Female students at that time were relatively conservative, and they liked to drag a female classmate wherever they went. Even if they went out with their fiancés, they had to invite a female classmate together.Cuizhi didn't get rid of this habit either.Her classmate is Miss Dou, named Dou Wenxian, who is slightly older than her by two years and shorter in stature.Miss Dou took off the coat she was trying on, and Yipeng, who was the most considerate of those who came from these places, immediately helped her put on her own mink coat.Cuizhi is a leopard coat.Although things like leopard skin are very common, there is a big difference between good and bad, bad ones are similar to cat skins, like Cuizhi, which is the best stuff, the color is yellow and clear, and the black circles on it are full of pen and ink They are full, but there are only eighteen or nineteen-year-old girls who are well-dressed, looking lively and slightly wild.Shijun smiled and said: If you want two coats like yours, I'm sure we won't be able to get them out in our shop.Shu Hui said on the stairs: You are too good at business!Yipeng laughed and said: Hey, Shuhui is here too!I do not even know.Shuhui came over and said with a smile: Congratulations, congratulations, when will you treat us to a wedding wine?Shijun smiled and said: "It's almost there, the dowry is already done here!"Yipeng just laughed.Cuizhi also smiled, leaning over to scratch the puppy, scratching slowly under its chin, making the dog stretch its neck and refuse to move away. Yipeng said with a smile: What programs do you have today?I invite you to eat Liuhuachun.Shijun said: Why are you so polite?Yipeng said: It should be.When I arrive in Shanghai at the end of this month, it's up to you to invite me.Shijun laughed and said: Are you going to Shanghai again?Yipeng turned his head to Cuizhi's side, and said with a smile: Accompany her to go shopping.Dou Wenxian said conveniently: If you want to buy something, you have to go to Shanghai.Shanghai is one for shopping and one for watching movies, so convenient!She is such a fashionable person, but she doesn't live in Shanghai, and she always thinks it is a defect, so when she mentions it, her sense of superiority and inferiority clash, and her throat immediately becomes sharp. The eldest young mistress also went downstairs. She and Wen Xian had met each other before, and she greeted Miss Dou with a smile from afar.Cuizhi called her cousin.The eldest grandma said: Why do you still call me cousin?It's time to call me sister!Cuizhi blushed, sank her face, and said: Don't make fun of me.The young lady smiled and said: "Go up and sit for a while."Cuizhi said to Yipeng: Should we go?Didn't you say you want to invite Wen Xian to watch a movie?Yipeng said to Shijun and the others: Let's go to the movies together, okay?Cuizhi said: "He just came from Shanghai, who wants to watch our crap movie!"The young lady then asked Shijun: Where are you going to play?Shijun thought for a while, discussed with Shuhui temporarily, and said: You didn't seem to have been to Qingliang Temple when you came last time.The eldest young lady said: "Then you all go to Qingliang Temple together. Yipeng has a car, so you can go faster, otherwise you can only run back and forth!"After coming back here for dinner together, Ma Te prepared a few dishes for the two of them.Yipeng didn't care at first, so he smiled and said: "Okay, that's how we do it." So I went to Qingliang Mountain.Six people packed a car full.In the car, Shuhui didn't say much at first, then he suddenly cheered up, he was joking and in good spirits, but Shijun felt that the jokes he told today were not very funny, they were a bit funny.Cuizhi and her female classmates were always the only two of them chirping and giggling, which was normal for female students.When they arrived at Qingliang Mountain and got off the car, the two of them still kept pace. Wen Xian followed Cuizhi, putting both hands under Cuizhi's leather collar to keep warm.The two of them only talked to themselves and completely left Manzhen behind. Yipeng felt a little bit uncomfortable, but he didn't dare to perfunctory with Manzhen. In front of Cuizhi, after all, he had some scruples, fearing that she might misunderstand.Seeing that Manzhen was alone, Shijun had no choice but to accompany her, and the two walked up the hill side by side. There are endless broken and incomplete stone steps.Soldiers were stationed somewhere, and there was a faint sound of trumpets blowing along the wind.Hearing the horns of the barracks in the faint afternoon sun, I felt extremely desolate. The temples in the south of the Yangtze River all have such miserable red walls.Walking in, there are people living in several side halls. A ragged old woman is sitting on a broken futon peeling garlic. There is a small stove next to her, a roll of mats is erected, and children are sitting on the threshold to play.Like a group of refugees, in fact, they are poor people, living the life of refugees all year round.Cuizhi smiled and said: "I heard that the monks in this temple have family members, and they also wear monk clothes.Shuhui became curious and said with a smile: Oh?Let's go and see.Cuizhi smiled and said: Really, let's go and have a look.Yipeng smiled and said: Yes, they won't let you see it. There is a tripod in the middle of the yard. The iron looks relatively new, probably within a hundred years, and engraved on it are the names of the believers who donated money to cast this tripod, densely packed in rows. , XX, XX are all women, Manzhen and Shijun stood there in a daze for a while.Manzhen laughed and said: These are the people who put their hope in the afterlife.Presumably this life is unsatisfactory.so many people.It's really miserable to watch.Shijun said: No.I think we are so lucky.Manzhen smiled and nodded. She sat down on the bluestone seat.Shijun said: Are you tired from walking?Manzhen said: Tired but not tired.She paused, then suddenly raised her face and smiled at him: What should I do?The chilblains on my feet broke.She was wearing a pair of thin gray suede shoes with half high heels.At that time, women's high boots were not yet popular, and cotton shoes were of course not elegant. Felt shoes were available, but they could only be worn at home, and they looked a bit like a proprietress when they went out.So most women still wear stockings and leather shoes in winter. Shijun said: "Then what should we do?"let's go back.Manzhen said: Then what a disappointment they are.Shijun said: "It doesn't matter, the two of us will go back first."Manzhen said: Let's go back in a rickshaw, don't want their car to deliver it.Shijun said, "Okay, I'll go and talk to Shuhui, and tell him not to tell Yipeng yet." Shijun accompanied Manzhen to go home in a rickshaw. Although the winter in Nanjing is extremely cold, stoves are not as common in Nanjing as in Beijing. There is a brazier in the sitting room with an iron shelf on it, and a pot of water chestnuts is simmering.Manzhen was still shivering while being roasted by the fire.She smiled and said: It was really freezing just now.Shijun said, "I'll find a dress to add to you."He originally wanted to ask his sister-in-law to borrow a sweater, but after thinking about it again, his sister-in-law's attitude was not very friendly, he didn't bother to ask her to borrow it, and her sister-in-law, like his mother, combed her hair, so there might be pomade on her clothes smell, he ended up with an old coffee-colored sweater of his own, something from his middle school days, what his mother called a dog pullover.Manzhen's clothes were too big, and the sleeves covered the backs of his hands.But he liked the way she wore the sweater very much.Sitting opposite each other in the twilight of the fire, he felt completely content, as if she had been part of his family. When the water chestnuts are cooked, they peel the water chestnuts and eat them.Shijun said, "You don't have nails. I'll get a knife. You peel off the skin and eat it."Manzhen said: Don't go.Shijun really didn't want to move, it was so comfortable to sit like this. He suddenly fumbled in his pocket for a while, took out something, handed it to her shyly, and said with a smile: "I'll show you."This is what I bought in Shanghai.Manzhen opened the small box, and there was a ruby ​​ring inside.She smiled and said: Oh, you bought it in Shanghai last time, why didn't I hear you say it?Shijun smiled and said: Because you are angry with me there.Manzhen smiled and said: That's because you are overthinking, when did I get angry?Shijun just lowered his head and played with the ring, saying: On the day I went to resign, I received half a month's salary, and bought a ring with the money.When Manzhen heard that he bought it with his own money, he felt very comforted in his heart, and said with a smile: "Is it expensive?"Shijun said: "It's extremely cheap."How much do you think?It's only sixty yuan.Strictly speaking, this thing is not real, but it is not fake, it is made of gem powder.Manzhen said: The color is very beautiful.Shijun said: "Try it on, it's probably too big." The ring was on her hand, Shijun held her hand and looked at it, and she also looked at it silently.Shijun suddenly smiled and said: When you were a child, did you ever wear the paper circle around the cigar as a ring?Manzhen smiled and said: I used to wear it, did you play with that when you were young?The ruby ​​ring reminded them very much of the small gilt paper circle of vermilion flowers. Shi Jun said: Did you see that ring on Shi Cuizhi's hand just now?Probably their engagement rings.That diamond was always the size of a watch.Manzhen laughed and said: How can it be so big, you have said too much.Shijun smiled and said: It's probably because of my psychology, because I think my ruby ​​is too small.Manzhen smiled and said: I don't like diamonds very much, I only heard that it is the hardest thing in the world, I think even its light is hard, like a steel needle, it hurts my eyes.Shijun said: Then do you like beads?Manzhen said: The beads seem too colorless again.I still prefer rubies, especially the one made of ruby ​​powder.Shi Jun couldn't help laughing. The ring was too big for her.Shijun smiled and said: I just guessed it was too big.I have to send it to collect and tighten it up.Manzhen said: Then don't wear it now.Shijun laughed and said: I'll find something to wrap around my head, and I'll wear it for two days first.Will the silk thread work?Manzhen quickly stopped him and said: Don't ask them for it!Shijun smiled and said: Good.He suddenly saw a strand of wool dragging from her cuff. It turned out that the old woolen sweater he lent her was torn.Shijun smiled and said: Just pull off a little bit of this wool and wrap it around the ring.He pulled out the wool, pulled out a piece of it, pulled it off, wound it on the ring, wound it a few times, and put it on for her to try again.At this time, he suddenly heard his mother talking to the maid outside, saying: "Let's send the snacks to the master first, they are not busy, let's eat together when Ms. Shi and the others come back."The voice of the voice was outside the door, Shijun was taken aback, and immediately changed to a chair and sat down until Manzhen was facing him. The door was always open, and then I saw Chen Ma passing by the door with a plate of steaming snacks, and went to his father's room.Probably it was meant for them, but his mother stopped her and didn't let her in.Mother must have known something.Fortunately, he will announce it to her in a few days, so it doesn't matter if he knows it earlier. Just as he was thinking in this way, Manzhen suddenly smiled and said: Hey, they are back.There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Mrs. Shen's voice was heard laughing, "Huh, is there anyone else?"What about Cuizhi?Yipeng said: Eh, Cuizhi didn't come here?Thought they came back first!There was a sound of whooping.Shijun rushed out to greet him, but it turned out that there were only two people, Yipeng and Dou Wenxian.Shijun smiled and said, "Where's Shuhui?"Yipeng said: Shuhui and Cuizhi, I don't know where they went.Shijun said: Aren't you together?Yipeng said: "It's all Cuizhi. When she was happy, she heard that the monk there had a wife, so she clamored to go and have a look. Here, Wen Xian said that she couldn't walk anymore, so I said let's go and sit in the sweeping leaf building." Come on, have a cup of hot tea and wait for them there.I don't know that I won't come if I wait left, and I won't come if I wait right.Wen Xian smiled and said: "I'm really in a hurry. I said we'll come here to have a look, and we'll come first."Originally, I didn't plan to come again, I was going to go back directly.Shijun smiled and said: "Sit for a while, sit for a while, they are coming soon, these two are really children, where did their temper go?" Shijun was already full from eating water chestnuts, so he had some snacks with them, and talked about it, it was already dark, and Shuhui Cuizhi hadn't come back yet, so Yipeng couldn't help becoming anxious, saying: Don't meet some bad people up.Shi Jun said: No, Cui Zhi is also an old Nanjing, and Shu Hui is with her, Shu Hui is very smart, and will never take advantage of others.Saying this in his mouth, he also murmured a little in his heart. Fortunately, Shuhui and Cuizhi came back without much effort.Everyone questioned them one after another, Shijun smiled and said: If you don't come back, we will organize an expedition here, and go up the mountain with lanterns and torches to find it!Wen Xian said with a smile: "Yipeng is dying of anxiety!"Where have you been, you guys?Shuhui smiled and said: "Didn't you go to see the monk's wife? I didn't see her. The monk asked us to eat vegetarian buns."After eating steamed stuffed buns, I went to Sao Yelou to look for you, but they are no longer there.Manzhen said: You also came back by rickshaw?Shuhui said: "Yes, I couldn't find a car after walking for a long time. Then I came across one with great difficulty and asked him to call for another one. That's why it was so late." Yipeng said: That place was too deserted, I thought something must have happened.Shuhui smiled and said: I guess you will think of burning the Red Lotus Temple in your mind, when we fall into the trap and can't get out.Didn't it mean that the monks there had family members, maybe Ms. Shi was also left behind to form a small family.Shijun smiled and said: I also thought of this level, but I didn't dare to say it, because I was afraid that Yipeng would be in a hurry.Everyone laughed. Cuizhi kept silent, but only showed a very happy expression.Shuhui also seemed very happy. Seeing Manzhen sitting next to the brazier, he yelled at her, "Hey, why are you so useless? It's embarrassing to us Shanghainese. It's too late to walk so long. It's too late." Sneak back!Cuizhi smiled and said: "Wen Xian is not good either. She can't walk a few steps and then clamors to take a rest."Yipeng said with a smile: Are you tired?If you're not tired, let's go somewhere to play later.Shu Hui said, "Where are you going?"I am a complete layman in Nanjing, and I know that there is a Confucius Temple, and there are singers in the Confucius Temple.All the ladies laughed.Shijun smiled and said: You read it from the novel, right?Yipeng said with a smile: "Then let's go to the Confucius Temple to listen to the singing, or to see and see."Shuhui laughed and said: Are those singers beautiful?Yipeng paused for a moment, then smiled and said: I don't know, I don't go there often, and my knowledge of Peking Opera is limited.Shijun smiled and said: Yipeng is the most serious person in the world now, don't you know?Although he was speaking to Shuhui, he glanced at Cuizhi.Unexpectedly, Cuizhi kept a cold face, as if she didn't hear it.Shijun was bored, but he was the only one to blame, knowing that Cuizhi had no sense of humor, why he forgot and went to joke with her again. 大家說得熱熱鬧鬧的，說吃了飯要去聽戲，後來也沒去成。曼楨因為腳疼，不想再出去了，文嫻也說要早點回去。吃過飯文嫻和翠芝就坐著一鵬的汽車回去了。他們走了，世鈞和叔惠和曼楨又圍爐談了一會，也就睡覺了。 曼楨一個人住著很大的一間房。早上女傭送洗臉水來，順便帶來一瓶雪花膏和一盒半舊的三花牌香粉。曼楨昨天就注意到，沈太太雖然年紀不小了，仍舊收拾得頭光面滑，臉上也不少搽粉，就連大少奶奶是個寡居的人，臉上也搽得雪白的。大概舊式婦女是有這種風氣，年紀輕些的人，當然更不必說了，即使不出門，在家裏坐著，也得塗抹得粉白脂紅，方才顯得吉利而熱鬧。曼楨這一天早上洗過臉，就也多撲了些粉。走出來，正碰見世鈞，曼楨便笑道：你看我臉上的粉花不花？世鈞笑道：花倒不花，好像太白了。曼楨忙拿手絹子擦了擦，笑道：好了些嗎？世鈞道：還有鼻子上。曼楨笑道：變成白鼻子了？她很仔細地擦了一會，方才到起坐間裏來吃早飯。 沈太太和叔惠已經坐在飯桌上等著他們。曼楨叫了聲伯母，沈太太笑道：顧小姐昨天晚上睡好了吧，冷不冷哪，被窩夠不夠？曼楨笑道：不冷。又笑著向叔惠說：我這人真糊塗，今天早上起來，就轉了向了，差點找不到這間屋子。叔惠笑道：你這叫新來的人，摸不著門。新來乍到，摸不著鍋灶。這兩句俗語也不知是不是專指新媳婦說的，也不知是曼楨的心理作用，她立刻臉上一紅，道：你又是從哪兒學來的這一套。沈太太笑道：許家少爺說話真有意思。隨即別過臉去向世鈞道：我剛在那兒告訴許家少爺，你爸爸昨天跟他那麼一談，後來就老說，說你要是有他一半兒就好了又能幹，又活潑，一點也沒有現在這般年輕人的習氣。我看那神氣，你要是個女孩子，你爸爸馬上就要招親，把許家少爺招進來了！沈太太隨隨便便的一句笑話，世鈞和曼楨兩人聽了，都覺得有些突兀，怎麼想起來的，忽然牽扯到世鈞的婚事上去明知道她是說笑話，心裏仍舊有些怔忡不安。 世鈞一面吃著粥，一面和他母親說：待會兒叫車伕去買火車票，他們下午就要走了。沈太太道：怎麼倒要走了，不多住兩天？等再過幾天，世鈞就要到上海去給他舅舅拜壽去，你們等他一塊兒去不好麼？挽留不住，她就又說：明年春天你們再來，多住幾天。世鈞想道：明年春天也許我跟曼楨已經結婚了。他母親到底知道不知道他們的關係呢？ 沈太太笑道：你們今天上哪兒玩去？可以到玄武湖去，坐船兜一個圈子，顧小姐不是不能多走路嗎？她又告訴曼楨一些治凍瘡的偏方，和曼楨娓娓談著，並且問她家裏有些什麼人。也許不過是極普通的應酬話，但是在世鈞聽來，卻好像是有特殊的意義似的。 那天上午他們就在湖上盤桓了一會。午飯後叔惠和曼楨就回上海去了，沈太太照例買了許多點心水果相送，看上去雙方都是盡歡而散。世鈞送他們上火車，曼楨在車窗裏向他揮手的時候，他看見她手上紅寶石戒指在陽光中閃爍著，心裏覺得很安慰。 他回到家裏，一上樓，沈太太就迎上來說：一鵬來找你，等了你半天了。世鈞覺得很詫異，因為昨天剛在一起玩的，今天倒又來了，平常有時候一年半載的也不見面。他走進房，一鵬一看見他便道：你這會兒有事麼？我們出去找個地方坐坐，我有話跟你說。世鈞道：在這兒說不行麼？一鵬不作聲，皮鞋咯咯咯走到門口向外面看了看，又走到窗口去，向窗外發了一回怔，突然旋過身來說道：翠芝跟我解約了。世鈞也呆了一呆，道：這是幾時的事？一鵬道：就是昨天晚上，我不是送她回去嗎，先送文嫻，後送她。到了她家，她叫我進去坐一會。她母親出去打牌去了，家裏沒有人，她就跟我說，說要解除婚約，把戒指還了我。世鈞道：沒說什麼？一鵬道：什麼也沒說。 沉默了一會，一鵬又道：她要稍微給我一點影子，給我打一點底子，又還好些抽冷子給人家來這麼一下！世鈞道：據我看，總不是一天兩天的事情吧，你總也有點覺得。一鵬苦著臉道：昨天在你們這兒吃飯，不還是高高興興的嗎？一點也沒有什麼。世鈞回想了一下，也道：可不是嗎！一鵬又氣憤憤地道：老實說，我這次訂婚，一半也是我家裏主動的，並不是我自己的意思。可是現在已經正式宣佈了，社會上的人都知道了，這時候她忽然變卦了，人家還不定怎麼樣疑心呢，一定以為我這人太荒唐。老實說，我的名譽很受損失。世鈞看他確實是很痛苦的樣子，也想不出別的話來安慰他，惟有說：其實，她要是這樣的脾氣，那也還是結婚前發現的好。 一鵬只是愣磕磕的，愣了半天，又道：這事我跟誰也沒說。就是今天上這兒來，看見我姊姊，我也沒告訴她。倒是想去問問文嫻文嫻不是她最好的朋友嗎？也許知道是怎麼回事。世鈞如釋重負，忙道：對了，竇小姐昨天也跟我們在一起的。你去問問她，她也說不定知道。 一鵬被他一慫恿，馬上就去找文嫻去了。第二天又來了，說：我上文嫻那兒去過了。文嫻倒是很有見識真看不出來，她那樣一個女孩子。跟她談談，心裏痛快多了。你猜她怎麼說？她說翠芝要是這樣的脾氣，將來結了婚也不會幸福的，還是結婚前發現的好。世鈞想道：咦，這不是我勸他的話嗎，他倒又從別處聽來了，鄭重其事地來告訴我，實在有點可氣。心裏這樣想著，便笑了笑道：是呀，我也是這樣說呀。一鵬又好像不聽見似的，只管點頭撥腦地說：我覺得她這話很有道理，你說是不是？世鈞道：那麼她知道不知道翠芝這次到底是為什麼緣故一鵬道：她答應去給我打聽打聽，叫我今天再去聽回音。 他這一次去了，倒隔了好兩天沒來。他再來的那天，世鈞正預備動身到上海去給他舅父祝壽，不料他舅舅忽然來了一封快信，說他今年不預備做壽了，打算到南京來避壽，要到他們這裏來住兩天，和姊姊姊夫多年不見了，正好大家聚聚。世鈞本來想借這機會到上海去一趟的，又去不成了，至少得再等幾天，他覺得很懊喪。那天剛巧一鵬來了，世鈞看見他簡直頭痛。 一鵬倒還好，不像前兩天那副嚴重的神氣。這次來了就坐在那裏，默默地抽著煙，半晌方道：世鈞，我跟你多年的老朋友了，你說老實話，你覺得我這人是不是很奇怪？世鈞不大明白他問這話是什麼意思，幸而他也不需要回答，便繼續說下去道：文嫻分析我這個人，我覺得她說得倒是很有道理。她說我這個人聰明起來比誰都聰明，糊塗起來又比誰都糊塗。世鈞聽到這裏，不由得詫異地抬了抬眉毛。他從來沒想到一鵬聰明起來比誰都聰明。 一鵬有點慚恧地說：真的，你都不相信，我糊塗起來比誰都糊塗。其實我愛的並不是翠芝，我愛的是文嫻，我自己會不知道！ 不久他就和文嫻結婚了。