With their experience in the Yaqi trade, Zhao Cheng and his wife quickly bought a house in the old city. It was located in Fenghuang Lane and was a small courtyard with one entrance.
Although the yard is not big, the house is fully equipped with blue bricks and red tiles, and bananas and green bamboos are planted under the windows.
It was obvious that Zhou Rushuang liked this place very much, so Zhao Cheng paid the money directly.
The good thing is that the furniture inside is complete. Although it is a bit old, there is no need to buy any more. Moreover, the owner has been living in it and only moved out half a month ago. There is no musty smell in the house except for a layer of floating dust.
"Husband, I want to go back to the temple to get some things." Zhou Rushuang was very happy to finally have a home of her own, but she kept thinking about the many important things that she had not retrieved from the ruined temple.
Zhao Cheng asked: "In addition to half a jar of grains and some old clothes, there seems to be nothing else left, right? As for pots, bowls, buckets and basins, I will buy them back later."
"No, it's very important..." Zhou Rushuang whispered, "It's something grandpa left behind."
"Then I'll go back with you." Zhao Cheng was worried about Zhou Rushuang being alone and decided to go back with her.
It was not yet noon when we returned to Zhoujia Village from Qinghe County. On the way, we occasionally met a few villagers from Zhoujia Village, and they all looked at Zhou Rushuang strangely.
Zhou Rushuang lowered his head and remained silent. Zhao Cheng couldn't stand it anymore. He stopped a villager and asked, "Why are you all looking at her like this? What happened?"
"Nothing, nothing!" The villagers waved their hands repeatedly and left quickly.
After asking several people in a row, this was the case, Zhao Cheng simply didn't think about it. Zhou Rushuang was by his side anyway. This time he went back to get his things and left. It would be difficult to meet these villagers again in the future, and there would be no relationship from now on. .
Returning to the ruined temple at the entrance of the village, Zhou Rushuang ran under the altar, dug out half a brick from the pedestal, and took out a small square brocade handkerchief folded inside.
"Mr. Dong said that this was left to me by my grandfather. He asked me to remember to keep it by my side. When I see it, I will think of my grandfather."
"After your grandfather passed away, has Mr. Dong always taken care of you?"
Zhao Cheng couldn't help but admire Mr. Dong. He was indeed a Confucian scholar with a warm heart.
"After we move away this time, we will not come back again. If you want to say goodbye to Mr. Dong, I will accompany you."
In addition to the handkerchief, Zhou Rushuang wanted to take away the iron pot as well: "Husband, this pot is fine, why do you need to replace it? Can't we still use it?"
Zhao Cheng nodded and felt it made sense, so he took it in his hand without hesitation.
"Also, this basin is too heavy. If your husband doesn't want to take it, forget it, but the water ladle is light and small, so you can put it in the pot..."
Zhao Cheng looked at Zhou Rushuang's pleading eyes and nodded helplessly again.
Zhou Rushuang's eyes once again glanced at the many things in the ruined temple one by one. Although they were all shabby things, they were all obtained by Zhou Rushuang's hard work and suffering. She couldn't bear to part with any of them. .
Zhao Cheng picked up the pot and said, "Let's go, Rushuang, we have to rush back in the afternoon."
The two of them left the ruined temple. Zhao Cheng was walking forward when he suddenly felt his sleeve being pulled. Looking back, he saw Zhou Rushuang pulling his sleeve and saying, "Husband... can you accompany Rushuang to pay homage to this temple?" ?"
Zhao Cheng understood Zhou Rushuang's feelings for this ruined temple. If this ruined temple hadn't protected her from wind and rain, how could she have grown up with difficulty? Paying homage to the ruined temple can be regarded as saying goodbye to Zhou Rushuang's life for the past fourteen years.
"Okay!" Zhao Cheng put the pot and ladle aside and worshiped twice with Zhou Rushuang.
Zhou Rushuang kowtowed three times devoutly, and there seemed to be tears in her eyes.
After the two worshiped at the ruined temple, they went to Mr. Dong's house. Mr. Dong lived in the southwest of Zhoujia Village, next to a small courtyard next to a small pond. At this time, smoke was rising from the chimney on the roof. It seemed that Mr. Dong at home.
Zhou Rushuang opened the courtyard door familiarly and walked in, followed closely by Zhao Cheng. Before the two of them reached the house, two small wooden doors opened with a creak. One was in his fifties, tall and strong. The old man came out.
"Mr. Dong!" Zhou Rushuang bowed respectfully to Mr. Dong. Zhao Cheng was holding a pot at the side, which was inconvenient, so he had to bow after him.
The old man had a dark face, his thick eyebrows were still as black as ink, but his beard was already gray. When he saw Zhou Rushuang, he sighed: "It's Rushuang."
"Mr. Dong, Rushuang is here to say goodbye this time. Rushuang has married her husband and moved to Qinghe County. Maybe it is not convenient to see Mr. Dong again, so I came to say goodbye."
"Hmm." Mr. Dong frowned, glanced at Zhao Cheng, and asked Zhou Rushuang, "Where in Qinghe County did you move? Do you have anything to move?"
Zhou Rushuang quickly said that there wasn’t much, just a pot and a ladle.
Mr. Dong waved his hand and said, "Since you are moving away, take away all the books your grandfather left you as well."
Zhou Rushuang said she didn't know her grandfather had left a book for her.
Mr. Dong said: "When you were very young, your grandfather entrusted these things to me. Since you are leaving Zhoujia Village, take all these things with you."
Zhou Rushuang looked back at Zhao Cheng, who was holding a pot in one hand and a ladle in the other. Before she could say anything, Mr. Dong had already turned around and returned to the house.
Mr. Dong did not invite the two of them into the house, and it would not be good to enter rashly, but turning around and leaving seemed even more impolite, so the two had to wait in the yard.
Not long after, Mr. Dong had already walked out with a wooden box on his shoulders and said to the two of them in a deep voice: "Seeing that you two don't have a carriage or horse, I reluctantly gave you a ride."
Saying this, he ignored Zhao Cheng and Zhou Rushuang and strode out of the yard.
Before Zhao Cheng met Mr. Dong, he thought that Mr. Dong, whom Rushuang often talked about, was a well-educated scholar. Unexpectedly, he was a majestic and powerful old man who looked like a martial artist.
The wooden box didn't look too small, and if it was filled with books, it would be very heavy. However, Mr. Dong actually picked it up and walked away, so effortlessly that Zhao Cheng couldn't help but be impressed.
The two caught up with Mr. Dong, who was striding ahead, and walked side by side.
Zhao Cheng asked: "Mr. Dong, when we came back from Qinghe County, we met several villagers on the way. They all looked at Rushuang with strange eyes. I went to ask but refused to tell the reason. Has Mr. Dong heard about what happened in the village? Is something going on?"
Mr. Dong said: "The villagers are ignorant and just follow the wind. Why do you care about so many of them?"
"I just want to know what happened." Zhao Cheng said.
Mr. Dong glanced at Zhou Rushuang: "Li Fu from Liuxi Village spread rumors that he has taken possession of Zhou Rushuang's body."
