Shan Hai and Mu Wan followed Xiao and ran on the overgrown path. They heard the sound of water in the distance, maybe they were approaching the river. The footsteps covered up the other small sounds on the roadside, and the animals poked their heads out from the bushes.
, looking curiously.
"Liangqiu, I thought of one thing." Shan Hai said, "The name written on the tombstone should be the word Chi Li, right? The word "chi" means "departure", not the word "chi" in the pond, and the word "pear in the pear blossom".
"Yeah...what's wrong?"
"She said it was the last two words... Are these really just random words with the same sound?"
"What's going on here - wait."
Mu Wan was two steps slower, but quickly caught up with Xiao. At that moment, she suddenly recalled something, the reason why Shan Hai said this. That poem, that poem Yan Muxue wrote casually
Shi, she probably had no other ideas, after all, in her eyes, Chili had been dead for a long time.
Close and far away, I return on a cold night, half of the pond is covered with snow and inkstones, and the pear blossoms are withered.
Half pond, pear blossom.
Chili.
Why did the two words she chose at random happen to be exactly the same as Yan Muxue's impromptu lyrical poem?
The two people kept chasing the back of Xiao in front of them, vaguely feeling that they knew something. He did not look back, but naturally heard the conversation between the two people. While running, he said in front of him at a volume that the two of them could hear:
"Your suspicion is not unreasonable. Indeed, she has been secretly watching the Xue Yan Sect."
Chi Li is indeed not a ruthless person. Although considering her biological father's behavior, it is natural that she has no feelings for the Xue Yan Sect. However, since she often interacted with her grandfather here as a child, the feeling of being unable to let go is still somewhat
.
What's more, her longing for her mother can naturally be transferred here. Her mother has always supported her father. Whether he wants to travel around the world to call home, or he wants to find a stable place to live a simple life, she is happy. She said that family is home.
, Home is wherever your family goes. A home without family is just a house, an empty shell.
After Xiao told them this, Shan Hai breathed a sigh of relief. This can explain why her eyes looking at Mu Wan were a little complicated, and she was not just seeing a related stranger who was relayed by others. And this
This feeling is positive, she must be willing to help Mu Wan.
Xiao led them to a forest. Mu Wan was already familiar with this area. She had lived there when she was a child. At that time, this area was full of small houses built by everyone. As a result, she didn't live long.
Several old houses collapsed during the season. When Chili's father, Mu Wan's master, first took over this place, many things were lacking in maintenance. After all, when his father was old and faint, there was little organization. After that
, he picked a new place and spent his own money to find someone to rebuild a series of connected houses for everyone to live in. Later, when the funds improved a little, he changed places twice. Xiao said that the last place was for those crooked people.
, most of the disciples were concentrated in the newly built building. After the fire, they had to move back to an old site until the repairs were completed. Later, they said they would strengthen patrols and gave the old site to outsiders, and some unnamed disciples also joined them.
Being in the same company. Either being assimilated or being bullied.
"It's a smoky atmosphere." Mu Wan cursed secretly.
"It's very chaotic. The forces are severely divided. Either everyone is close to him and used by him, or they dare to be angry and dare not speak out. I predict that Chili will be able to win people's hearts when he comes back this time."
Shanhai glanced at Xiao and stopped talking. Xiao knew what he wanted to ask, so he continued:
"She came back with Yun Waijing, so she is naturally convincing. If there are still people who don't believe it, we have other ways."
Xiao said this mysteriously, as if there was some kind of grand finale. Mu Wan didn't care about this, it would be a good thing if they had a way. Now, they came to the place where Mu Wan first settled down when he was a child.
There were not so many rules at that time. Relatives and friends from outside the valley could live together when visiting, and my mother also came here. But now they are all run-down houses with no one taking care of them. They are full of scraps and cobwebs, making them very desolate.
"They just put my mother here?!"
"No." Xiao continued to lead them away, "It's your mother who wants to live here."
Mu Wan's throat was sore and she was speechless.
Xiao walked towards the only house that looked relatively intact. Even so, the top was in tatters, and had been randomly covered with wooden boards, straw or mud from the outside. She recognized this house at a glance, and it was even more obvious that this was the house she had just arrived.
At that time, the master asked someone to build a newly built house for her, so even though no one had taken care of it, she was still able to live in it for more than ten years.
My mother only recognizes this room.
The room was bright, with a faint light flowing out from the gap between the wall and the eaves. It was like a bright lamp in the dark and cold night.
Xiao and Shanhai stood at the door, looking at her at the same time. She felt a little uneasy in her heart. It was obviously much different from the cozy little house outside the valley, but she felt like she had arrived at the door of a long-lost home—
—Earlier, when her father and brother were both at home. As soon as she opened the door, she could see the familiar and happy scene. Four sets of bowls and chopsticks, and a table of food. There must be a plate of cold green vegetables.
If it's hot, there must be a basin of soup that's neither thin nor thick. Although my father is an official in the court, he lives in poverty and meat is not available every now and then. But it's enough, it's enough.
Opening the door, it was much colder than expected. The table was empty, but you could see traces of water that had just been wiped after dinner. A single candle was burning on the table, and it was almost reaching its bottom. The old lady was about to blow it out.
But as soon as she opened her mouth, she was stunned, staring straight at Mu Wan, motionless. Mu Wan didn't dare to move, he just looked at her mother's missing front tooth, which she clearly had before leaving.
.
"...Did Mom freeze to death?" the old lady asked, "She was so frozen that she saw something wrong...or did you die outside too..."
"Don't say such unlucky words...I'll come back to see you."
Mu Wan guessed that her face must be ugly. She tried her best to control her facial expression so as not to burst into tears. She pretended that nothing had happened, blocked all the pressure that was originally intended, and said lightly:
"Oh..."
The old man walked around the small table and ran to her, touching her up and down with such force that it hurt her to pinch, but she didn't even make a sound. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth again, snot and tears would come out.
"Why did you come back today? Did you come back to celebrate the New Year? I thought you weren't coming back. They took me here and let me live with a group of people, saying that you asked me to come. I don't believe you didn't come.
The white and green clothes, as well as the people wearing other clothes, all looked fierce. If I didn't go, they would pull me away and ransack the whole house, but we didn't have anything, so we were not afraid of them searching... I didn't know those people
People, don't live with them, just pack up your things and run here - this is the only place I know. In the end, they didn't care about me, so I have been waiting for you. Occasionally, people come here. Those who come ask me to write to you.
I said I had no idea where you were. I passed by by chance, so I asked where you were, but no one knew... I guess they knew but didn't tell me. My mother felt that everyone had changed and become bad...
…or become indifferent.”
The coldness is probably for your own good. Mu Wan couldn't say anything. She stretched out her hand and touched her mother's cracked lips. It was like a completely dry and chapped river bed, with dirt falling off at the slightest touch. She gave birth to her brother.
She was not young when she was young, but now she is only over fifty, but she clearly looks like an old lady. Her hair was not so white last time, but now it is mottled. She stretched out her other hand and put it on the head of her mother, who was as tall as herself.
If you brush it off, the white color won't come off, so it doesn't look like wall plaster.
"Did they bully you?" Mu Wan's look and tone became anxious, "What happened to your teeth? Did they hit you? Really?"
My mother waved her hands repeatedly: "That's not the case. Some of them are a little too fierce to fight me. I planted a wave of vegetables in the back mountain. When I first hoeed the ground, it was full of stones.
Hei walked unsteadily, turned around and was knocked down..."
"Well, it's not broken, is it? Are there any other injuries? It must be bad to eat without a tooth... Can someone give you medicine? You must have bled a lot and it must be in pain..."
"That kid from Wu Yuangui came over and asked me to give me a bottle of powder to stop bleeding. It stopped the pain once I applied it. But he was always busy and couldn't sit still for a few minutes before leaving. He didn't know anything about you either, so he said
I really don’t know. I guess he doesn’t want to hide it from me... It’s really tiring to handle the affairs inside and outside the sect alone.”
Mu Wan said nothing. Shanhai outside the door glanced at Xiao, who nodded slightly.
Her mother continued: "It's true that it wasn't broken. Your mother is in very good health. It's just that the weather has been cold recently. She doesn't come back from afar. I think he must be too busy. I really don't want you to come back."
I know what to do. It's too cold, it's too cold. I have to open the window when I want to light the brazier. But as soon as I open the window, the wind blows and my head buzzes... like a swarm of bees.
My head is spinning, and I'm going to have a headache soon. If I don't have a fever, I close all the doors and windows. There will be air leakage everywhere, blocking the air here and there. But I won't squeeze into the same courtyard with them, they
They are all bad, and spanking the child is definitely not good for me... Fortunately, the coldest period is almost over, right? The New Year is almost here, but there is no New Year flavor in this valley."
Shan Hai listened very unpleasantly outside the door.
"Mom often wonders if I shouldn't have let you go out to explore... But you are so stubborn and never listen to what my mother says."
"Listen, I'll listen." Mu Wan said with a trembling voice, "I won't go anywhere until the current issues are resolved..."
"No, you should go out. You shouldn't be trapped. You can listen to whatever my mother says. It's cold outside, so you can let your friends come in and sit down... But there's really nothing to entertain you. I'm old.
, my ears are still sharp, and I listen to the sounds at the door every day."
Shanhai and Xiao were a little embarrassed, and both bowed to apologize when they came in. Shanhai pulled at the hem of his clothes and looked around, feeling that he was much dirtier than in this room, and didn't know where to sit. Although it was small and shabby, it was
Keep things in order.
"It's great. I feel relieved that Wan'er is with you. You must have something important to do when you come back this time, right?"
"That's true... But first we need to ensure your safety." Shan Hai said worriedly, "You are still healthy, so we feel relieved. But there is still a girl, we have to find her... Liang Qiu can stay here.
, let’s just go find it.”
"Are you telling a rumor?"
"Yes, that's right!" Mother was holding Mu Wan's arms, but she suddenly grabbed them back, "You know she is here... Do you know how she is doing? Her sister said she went home. I originally wanted them to
I picked you up to live with you, but something went wrong. I'm sorry, you're so old, I still--I can't do anything..."
"What the hell." She scratched the bridge of Mu Wan's nose, "Yao'er often comes to see me, but..."
"only?"
"It's just that I haven't been here for a long time."
