Soon, Xiao Zhen became familiar with the neighbors and gossiped with the women every day, while Han Ziran learned from the next-door neighbor, an old scholar in his twenties who never passed the imperial examination again.

While raising birds, I would take the birds to the teahouse every three or four days to chat with bird friends and listen to current affairs in the DPRK.

The days passed quite happily.

Two dishes and one soup were made for dinner, which Han Ziran cooked by himself. Han Ziran took care of three meals a day and housework. The burden of repairing the yard and house fell on Xiao Zhen. The neighbors around him were a little bit pointed at first.

There is no reason for a man to enter the kitchen, but after Xiao Zhen helped them a few times, these sounds disappeared. He even disliked the rough work done by their men. The yard at home was broken and they just wanted Xiao Zhen to come over.

help.

It’s the end of the year in a blink of an eye.

Half a year has passed, and there has been no disturbance in the court, which makes both Xiao Zhen and Han Ziran feel that this time the emperor is playing a long game to catch the big fish.

The New Year in Beijing is very lively, with the sound of firecrackers being heard every day, and the shouts on the long streets being heard even ten miles away.

Han Ziran warmed a pot of Shaoxing rice wine for his wife and brought it out.

"You didn't beat the eggs?" Xiao Zhen wanted to drink eggnog.

"When you beat the eggs, the alcohol content will be high. It's not good to be drunk on New Year's Eve." Han Ziran filled up the wine glass for her: "Eat the food quickly. These bowls of food are the ones I had with the boss next door a few days ago.

My sister-in-law learned it.”

Xiao Zhen narrowed his eyes and looked at him, "Sometimes, I feel that you are more liked by the old ladies next door than me. Also, even though you are old, your charm is still there."

Han Ziran said: ""This idiom is wrong. Then he said with a smile on his face: "Since you are jealous, then I won't go."

Xiao Zhen: ""

The door was opened at this time. Wu Yin and Zhao Jie shook off the snowflakes from their shoulders. When they saw the dishes on the table inside, their eyes widened.

"You guys started eating without waiting for us?"

"It's too much."

The two sat down while talking, and Xiao Zhen quickly brought them glasses and wine glasses.

"I just poured a glass of rice wine for your sister, but I haven't touched this dish with a single chopstick." Han Ziran said with a smile.

"Then I'll take the first chopstick." Wu Yin grabbed the chicken thighs from the chicken plate and ate them without any ceremony.

"Is it snowing outside? It's snowing during the Chinese New Year. It's so nice. You guys are really asking me to stay at home with Xi Ya and Xiang'er. Why do you have to come over?" Xiao Zhen looked at the two people devouring their food in a funny way. It seemed like

I had been hungry all day, so I came to her house to get some food.

Zhao Jie drank up the wine in one gulp and handed the wine glass to Xiao Zhen for her to pour: "When the affairs in the palace come to an end, you have to leave again. Now that I'm leaving, I really don't know when we can meet again. Can I accompany you?"

One day at a time."

When Zhao Jie talked about the palace, Xiao Zhen asked, "How is the situation in the palace?"

"There is nothing wrong in the palace, but those who are working in private have been trying to find faults with the Queen. We, Yao'er, have been very good at it in the past two years. We are not sure that anyone will catch her, so the emperor has no worries." Wu

Yin laughed and said.

"Yao'er is becoming more and more like a queen." Xiao Zhen was very pleased: "When is the emperor going to close the net?"

"This network is so big that it won't be able to collect it for a few years."

"It takes so long?" Xiao Zhen and Han Ziran looked at each other.

"The emperor has six princes, and the three princes under Yao'er's knees are from the same mother. Yao'er has raised them himself and there will be no problems. The rest is hard to say. The net that the emperor has cast is also for these princes.

A test." Wu Yin's voice paused and then said: "It is also a test for His Royal Highness."

Xiao Zhen pursed his lips tightly, feeling slightly unhappy.

"This remark does not sound like there is any family affection at all." Han Ziran smiled faintly and patted the back of Xiao Zhen's hand: "But we have to look at this matter from the emperor's perspective, so it is not difficult to understand."

Xiao Zhen sighed in his heart. Since ancient times, the emperor's family has been the most ruthless, so he said nothing more. He just said: "Then there is no need for us to stay in the capital anymore. Let's go back to the countryside in a few days."

"So soon?" Zhao Jie was very reluctant to give up.

"We stayed here thinking that something would happen within this year, thinking that we might be able to help Yao'er. If you say that, even if we have intentions, we won't be able to use our strength." Han Ziran said with a smile, a few years ago

What happens next, they may even have difficulty walking.

While the four of them were drinking and chatting, a shadow guard suddenly came in and reported: "Sir, madam, Mrs. Han has fainted."

When Xiao Zhen, Han Ziran, Wu Yin and Zhao Jie hurried back to the Han Mansion, the Han Mansion was already busy. The eldest brother of the Han family had already lost his opinion and Xi Ya was in charge of the whole scene.

"Brother, younger brother and sister?" Seeing Xiao Zhen and Han Ziran, the eldest brother of the Han family was stunned, "Why are you back?"

"Brother, I'll tell you more later. How is my sister-in-law?" Han Ziran asked quickly.

"Why did you faint when you were so good?" Xiao Zhen looked worried.

The eldest brother of the Han family shook his head: "I don't know either. Everyone was happily eating the New Year's Eve dinner. They were all laughing when they talked about being happy. Your sister-in-law suddenly fainted."

Just as he was talking, the doctor came out.

Everyone hurried forward to ask the doctor how Liu was doing.

The doctor's face looked a little heavy: "The heart pulse is blocked and the heart energy is weak. This is a symptom of blood stasis. It's difficult. I'll prescribe some medicine first. If she can wake up after three days, she will be fine. If she can't wake up, you can

Get ready for the funeral."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and they couldn't accept this. After all, the sister-in-law was a very healthy person before, she just fainted, and the doctor actually asked them to prepare for the funeral.

This night was supposed to be the night to watch the New Year's Eve, and everyone should be happy, but now there is no trace of festive atmosphere in Han Mansion.

Xi Ya asked her servants to boil the medicine and feed it to her sister-in-law. The next step was to wait.

The doctor went back first and said he would come back at dawn.

The night is already very dark, and the stars and moonlight are very bright tonight.

Xiao Zhen sat on the doorstep and stared at the night sky in trance.

"What are you thinking about?" Han Ziran came over, put a coat on her and sat next to her.

"Sister-in-law is already in her seventies." Xiao Zhen said quietly: "And we are also past the age of hearing. The Queen Mother is the youngest, but she was the first one to go."

Han Ziran hugged Xiao Zhen tightly and remained silent.

At dawn, no one had the appetite to eat. When the doctor came, he took Liu's pulse, shook his head and said, "No improvement, I'll come back in the evening." and left again.

On the third day, the worry on everyone's faces became more and more serious, especially that of the eldest brother of the Han family. In the past three days, he had hardly slept at all, and whenever he closed his eyes, he would open them in fear.

That night, everyone stayed in Liu's house waiting, and the doctor didn't leave either.

The intermittent sound of firecrackers can still be heard outside the house, and the Spring Festival is still being celebrated outside.

Until it was slightly light, Xiang'er, who was taking care of Mrs. Liu in the back room, suddenly burst into tears.

Everyone's hearts sank when they heard Xiang'er shout: "Sister-in-law is awake."

Everyone: ""

Mrs. Liu finally woke up, and the whole family was so happy that they didn't know what to do, but Xiao Zhen noticed that the doctor's expression was not right, and she pulled Han Ziran's sleeve.

The two followed the doctor outside.

"Mrs. Han is also doing her best," the doctor said: "Many old people fall asleep like this and never wake up again. She survived it, but this disease cannot be cured. Fortunately, she has woken up now. She really wants to

Now that we have gone, how sad you must have been during the Spring Festival in previous years."

"Doctor, how long can my sister-in-law live?" Han Ziran asked.

The doctor thought for a moment and said, "I just hope she can survive this spring."

"What?" When the voice of the eldest brother of the Han family rang, footsteps came over in a hurry. He came out to get medicine for his wife. Unexpectedly, he heard such words and asked tremblingly: "Doctor, you, there is nothing you can do to let her

How many more years to live?”

"The old lady looks like this. I'm afraid she has had heart stasis for many years. There is no cure for this disease. If she had known about it earlier, she could have controlled her diet. Now." The doctor shook his head and said, "Goodbye."

Sister-in-law Liu's days are limited, so Xiao Zhen and Han Ziran naturally have to stay with her.

In the evening, they told Wu Yinxiya and the others about this. Xiya and Xiang'er burst into tears when they heard it. However, life and death are not something people can control. They have no choice but to accept it.

As for the children, they still kept it a secret. After all, it was an extraordinary time. As for Xiao Hua, Xiao Zhen still asked the Shadow Guard to tell him that if he could come back, he would come back and spend the last few days with his mother.

Half a month later, I received a letter from Xiao Hua. He couldn't come back. Obviously, something happened on his side, but he didn't reveal anything in the letter. Either he could solve the matter by himself, or he couldn't.

It's convenient to reveal, but his mother is so seriously ill that he can't come back. It's extremely dangerous to think about it.

These days, Ms. Liu is very happy. The whole family is together. Every day she takes Xiao Zhen, Xi Ya, and Xiang'er to talk about the family. What she likes the most is the interesting things about the children when they were young. Whenever they talk about interesting things, the whole room is filled with laughter.
Chapter completed!