Mornings in mountain villages are relatively quiet compared to evenings, except for the occasional coughs of old farmers passing by to work in the fields, and the shouts of shepherd boys as they herd cattle.
Ding Xilan got up very early. No, to be precise, she didn't sleep last night and couldn't sleep all night. However, fortunately, her complexion seemed to be pretty good, no different from usual. She herself was doing the laundry as usual.
After everything was ready, she came to the study and called her father to eat.
Ding Guxu put down the book in his hand, feeling a little strange. Usually, his daughter would say hello to him after cooking, bring some food, and go directly to the mountain to collect herbs.
"Lan'er, why haven't you gone out today? Haha."
Ding Xilan looked at her father's pale face. For some reason, she felt that her father was really more haggard than before, and she felt sad in her heart. Did she really feel this way after listening to Grandpa Lei's words? Or, she had never been so careful before.
Have you ever looked at your father?
However, she didn't let Ding Guxu notice anything strange, and immediately smiled and said: "Dad, I got up a little late today, I'm afraid you might be hungry, so... I'll go to work after a while."
"No rush, hehe, we will go out after dinner. Go and see if Grandpa Lei is up." Ding Guxu looked at his daughter's thin face and felt a little distressed. Fortunately, although her daughter was thin, she always looked good.
, rarely get sick or anything. As long as my daughter is healthy!
"OK."
After the meal, Ding Xilan prepared her things and planned to go up the mountain to collect herbs. Although she knew her father's physical condition, she couldn't let her father notice anything strange about her.
Lei Lie saw all this. He had to admire Ding Xilan's tenacity, but he couldn't just watch. He had to help his father and daughter.
"Xilan, you don't have to go up the mountain to collect herbs today. I have some money here. Go to the town and buy some good wine and delicious food for me." Lei Lie took out some broken silver from his wallet, about seven dollars.
Eight taels is enough for mountain people to spend for one or two months.
"This..." Ding Xilan hesitated and turned to her father, signaling him to make up her mind. Of course she understood that Grandpa Lei was trying to help her and wanted her to stay at home and spend more time with her father.
Ding Guxu is also an understanding person. He thinks Lei Lie does this because he wants to help him so that he can spend more time with his daughter in his last days. He is very grateful, but he cannot agree.
"Master Lei, you are too outspoken. How can you spend money staying at our house?"
"Brother Ding, what you said is wrong. Logically speaking, I have been eating and drinking at your house for so many days, so I should give you some money. It is precisely because I don't see anyone else that I don't pay you any money.
It’s just that I want to eat something good, and brother, you should take a good rest. If you don’t agree, then I have to go home and rest.”
"Haha, if Master Meng Lei doesn't give up, what can I say?" Ding Guxu had no choice but to agree, "Xilan, just do what Master Lei said."
"yes."
After finishing speaking, Ding Xilan bowed gratefully to Lei Lie.
In the following days, Lei Lie always found various reasons not to let Ding Xilan go up the mountain. At first, Ding Guxu
He still didn't agree, he couldn't keep spending other people's money, but when he refused, Lei Lie threatened to go home to recuperate, so he just let him go. He knew that Lei Lie had good intentions. And Ding Xilan didn't know what to do when she saw her father.
There was no objection, but he worked harder to cooperate with Lei Lie.
During that time, Lei Lie either played chess with Ding Guxu or chatted with him. The two of them chatted really well. They talked about it for days and nights without feeling tired. Ding Xilan was always with him.
They would make tea and snacks for them. Sometimes, Ding Guxu would take the time to tell her some historical allusions, and Lei Lie would also tell her some anecdotes. Of course, he would also consciously tell her some stories about his own family.
situation, such as a naughty grandson and an obedient granddaughter.
However, the good days are always so short. A dozen days later, as Ding Guxu said, his whole body began to hurt again, and this time, he looked extremely weak, his entire face was frighteningly pale, and his lips were also white.
There was no blood at all, like a mummy that had been frozen for thousands of years. When he was confused, he held his daughter's hands tightly, while Ding Xilan broke down in tears.
"Lan...Lan'er, don't...stop crying. You...you should be happy...for your father. Finally...you can...see your mother, and you don't have to suffer anymore."
…sickness…sickness and pain.”
"Dad...Dad, don't leave your daughter. You are the only relative she has left. What will you do if you leave?"
"Silly...stupid, how could this happen? After dad...is gone, there will still be...Grandpa Lei...he will treat you...as his own granddaughter..."
At this time, Lei Lie couldn't help but burst into tears. He had already passed his destiny, but there were very few people like Ding Guxu who could talk to him. In his heart, he had long forgotten Ding Guxu.
Xu regards him as his confidant. This kind of feeling is no less than the feeling between father and son.
"Lei... Mr. Lei, if I can... get to know Mr. Lei later, my life will be... worthwhile. But I hope Lei... Mr. Lei will take care of... our friendship for...
My little girl, let... let her not be bullied by others, live... peacefully... live this life, and live and die in peace... in peace..."
"Brother Ding, don't worry, I...I will take good care of Xilan. Just go with peace of mind."
"Lan...Lan'er, dad...dad has something to tell you...to tell you, you...you must do it, you know?"
"Dad, if you tell me, your daughter will do as you say." Ding Xilan replied with a choked sob.
"When dad... dies, you... remember to bury him and you... your mother together. Dad... after the first seven years, you will... go back... back to Suzhou with Grandpa Lei, do you... know?"
"Dad, if my daughter doesn't leave, she will stay with her father and mother."
"You...do you have to...want your father to die...to die in peace before you...are you willing to do it?"
Ding Guxu let go of Ding Xilan's hand, obviously very angry.
"Dad, don't be angry, as long as your daughter promises you." Ding Xilan lay on the bedside, tears pouring out like a flood.
"Okay... okay... then... that's good..." The tone became weaker and weaker, the voice became lower and lower, and it was inaudible. Ding Guxu went on like this with a smile on his face.