Su Shi suddenly wanted to drink too, because Xiu Niang's words aroused countless worries in him.
Didn't he come into this world out of nowhere and experience so many things out of nowhere?
A person who is worried should not drink because it is easy to get drunk.
But when a person is worried, he still likes to drink, because when he is drunk, he may roll around on the floor, talk nonsense, giggle, or cry, but he will never think about things that make him suffer.
As for worries coming to mind again after sobering up, that will be tomorrow.
If you have wine today, you will be drunk today, and you will be worried tomorrow.
So Su Shi also picked up the wine glass.
"It seems that you are not suitable for drinking today." Xiu Niang suddenly smiled when she looked at Su.
Su Shi did not refute her, because with Xiu Niang's eyes, it was easy to see that he had something on his mind, not to mention that Su Shi did not hide his emotions.
"But your worries are definitely not caused by that handkerchief." The embroiderer said firmly.
"Why?"
"Because you don't know the origin of that handkerchief at all." The embroiderer looked directly at him and continued: "That handkerchief may cause you confusion, but it will never cause you any worries."
Su Shi had to admit that Xiu Niang was right.
"Is that handkerchief Hui Niang's work?" Su Shi suddenly asked.
"Yes." The embroiderer's face suddenly showed deep sadness. She poured herself a glass of wine and said slowly: "And it is her last work."
"Posthumous work?"
The embroiderer said calmly: "The meaning of the posthumous work is that she will die when this embroidery is completed."
"I understand the meaning of the legacy, but I want to know the secret of this handkerchief even more."
The embroiderer suddenly showed a hint of sarcasm: "What secret do you think this handkerchief has?"
"Isn't there?" Su Shi frowned involuntarily.
The embroiderer picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it down in one gulp, and then said silently: "The biggest secret of this handkerchief is that it proves that my master is a fool, an out-and-out fool."
When the embroiderer said that her master was a fool, she shed tears.
Even after so much time, she still felt heartbroken for Huiniang.
Xiu Niang did not wipe her tears, but drank one cup after another.
Su Shi didn't ask any more questions because he could feel Xiu Niang's sadness.
So Su Shi could only drink with Xiu Niang.
It took a long time for the two meat and two vegetable dishes to be served, but the dishes were already cold and no one moved their chopsticks, but two jugs of wine had been consumed.
Although Xiu Niang drank a lot, she drank with an empty stomach and full heart, and Xiu Niang got drunk quickly.
Before she was about to get drunk, she told Su Shi an address.
"Hui Niang lived there for the last three months, staying at home every day just to complete the embroidery."
"When she completes this embroidery, her life ends."
The embroiderer was drunk, and she lay motionless on the table. At this time, the owner of the tavern came out, looked at her with pity, and gently put a piece of clothing on her body.
"She hasn't been this drunk for a long time." The shopkeeper said softly: "The last time she was this drunk was nine years ago."
Su Shi asked carefully: "When Huiniang passed away?"
The shopkeeper nodded: "She has followed Hui Niang since she was six years old. At that time, Hui Niang was only thirteen or fourteen years old, so the relationship between Hui Niang and her is like a teacher and a sister."
The owner of the tavern obviously has a very unusual relationship with Xiu Niang, so he knows everything about Xiu Niang. He even knows about things that happened so far ago.
Su Shi had been listening quietly, and then he suddenly asked, "Why did Hui Niang die?"
"Because she's sick."
"What disease?"
"Lovesickness." The shopkeeper sighed: "The person who loves me is dead, so she can't live."
Although Su Shi also drank a lot, his thinking was more active now.
He already knew the origin of the handkerchief.
Because her lover passed away, Shenzhen Huiniang spent three months completing this embroidery, and then followed her lover away.
But there was another thing that Su Shi didn't understand, and that was that the person who gave the handkerchief to him definitely didn't want Su Shi to hear a poignant love story.
What exactly did he want Su Shi to know?
Although Su Shi was still confused, he already had a direction, which was the address Xiu Niang left for Su Shi before she got drunk.
It's just that nine years have passed. Will the place that Xiu Niang mentioned have changed? Can we still find traces of the original owner?
All this is unknown.
However, Su Shi was still prepared to try his luck.
So Su Shi left the tavern, got on the carriage, and returned to Ngee Ann Square.
When Su Shi came to Ngee'an Fong again, it was already midnight, and looking at the brightly lit Ngee'an Fong, he suddenly had a very special feeling.
In the past, Su Shi only thought of Ngee Ann Fong as an exotic market. However, after experiencing so much here, his feelings about Ngee Ann Fong became different.
Just like that handkerchief.
Having never heard of Hui Niang's story, Su Shi would only appreciate the handkerchief as a work of art no matter how sophisticated the craftsmanship or the exquisite embroidery was.
But after hearing Huiniang's story and seeing this handkerchief again, Su Shi would always think of Huiniang.
Although he has never met Huiniang, he can almost imagine her image.
She must be a very infatuated, beautiful, gentle and kind person.
But what surprised Su Shi was what secrets this handkerchief contained for him to discover.
Xiu Niang, who is Hui Niang's personal disciple, doesn't even know what secrets are hidden in this handkerchief. What secrets can he dig out?
Su Shi came to the Hongmei Pavilion on Kuzhi Street, Ngee Ann Square.
This is the address Xiu Niang told him.
When Su Shi heard this address, he couldn't help but smile bitterly because he thought of the solitary plum blossom on the handkerchief.
He really didn't expect the hint on the handkerchief to be so obvious.
The Hongmei Pavilion seemed to have already known that there would be visitors, so the door was ajar.
Su Shi pushed it gently, and the door creaked, and then a crack opened, allowing one person to pass through.
Su Shi didn't hesitate, crossed the threshold and walked in.
Hongmei Pavilion is not big, with a small courtyard and four or five rooms.
Su Shi stood in the yard, silently observing the interior of the Red Plum Pavilion.
First of all, he was sure that no one had lived in Hongmei Pavilion for a long time, because there was no atmosphere of life here.
Secondly, although there is no one living in the Hongmei Pavilion, people come to clean it regularly, because it is still very clean and tidy, and there is not even a weed.
In the end, Su Shi knew that the ultimate purpose of the person behind this incident was to get Su Shi to come to the Red Plum Pavilion.
As for who the person behind the scenes was, Su Shi already knew it, but his purpose of bringing Su Shi here, Su Shi had not guessed yet.
