The sun was high in the sky, a clear, cloudless day.
But things were not so “clear” at Wan Niang’s house.
With Wan Niang’s best efforts, Feng Aoshuang’s life was saved, but it was unknown when she would wake up.
Ren Xuemeng had just given birth but still wanted to take care of her injured wife.
Wan Niang told her to rest well, but she couldn’t bring herself to, insisting on staying by Feng Aoshuang’s side.
Wan Niang was in the herbal room, brewing medicine for Feng Aoshuang.
She sat on a small stool, fanning the small stove.
Having not slept all night, her complexion was poor, and she yawned several times while fanning.
Yang Lulong sat beside her, watching her.
“You should go get some sleep.”
Wan Niang smiled at her.
“You haven’t slept either.”
“I’m used to it…”
After all, she had pulled all-nighters for projects more times than she could count.
“You go to sleep. I’ll watch this for you.”
“No, it’s almost ready… ah~”
She couldn’t help but yawn again.
Yang Lulong sighed softly and stayed with Wan Niang until the medicine was ready and delivered to Ren Xuemeng.
Only then did the two of them have a chance to get some rest.
First, she had to deliver the baby, then Feng Aoshuang.
She was exhausted and hadn’t slept at all.
Her mind felt groggy and disoriented.
She sat on the bed, weakly hitting her arm with her other hand.
“Let me massage you,” Yang Lulong said, telling her to turn around and massaging her shoulders.
Yang Lulong’s pressure was just right, and the massage was very comfortable.
Perhaps she was too tired, but the slightest comfort sent Wan Niang into a deep sleep.
She rested against Yang Lulong’s chest, breathing evenly.
There was still a bit of sweat on her forehead that she hadn’t had time to wipe off.
Yang Lulong patiently wiped the sweat off her face, undid her hair, and gently laid her down on the bed, tucking her in.
Before leaving the room, she gently kissed her cheek.
Worried that Ren Xuemeng might be hungry, Yang Lulong went to the kitchen to make her a meal.
She didn’t expect to find her already busy in there.
“Do you need help?” Yang Lulong watched her walk back and forth in the kitchen.
It seemed she wasn’t very skilled at cooking alone.
“No, you haven’t rested all night. Go rest first. I can do it myself.”
“Okay… be careful,” Yang Lulong said, worriedly looking at the smoky room.
In truth, she was also exhausted.
Since Ren Xuemeng didn’t want her help, she would just leave.
As she turned to go, she suddenly remembered something.
She took out the item Feng Aoshuang had asked her to make and handed it to Ren Xuemeng.
“Feng Aoshuang asked me to make this. She didn’t say who it was for, but I’m guessing it’s for you.”
Ren Xuemeng took the item from Yang Lulong… a seashell carved from jade.
She held it in her hand, rubbing it and staring blankly, as if lost in thought.
Yang Lulong returned to the room and smiled at Wan Niang’s adorable sleeping face.
After getting herself ready, she also lay down in the bed.
She pulled Wan Niang into her arms, closed her eyes, and slowly fell asleep.
••••
Li Cui’er frowned sadly as she looked at the pale, bloodless old man lying in the coffin.
Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
He looked so peaceful, as if he were just sleeping.
She had never thought or even noticed that her grandpa would one day leave her.
Looking at his gray hair and beard, he was old, but when she made a mistake, he would still scold her severely and chase her everywhere.
He ran so fast that he didn’t look like an old man at all.
Whether it was when she was a child or now, he was always like this, running after her.
She had even thought that it would always be this way.
It was a strange feeling to see a loved one lying in a coffin.
He had just been talking to her, and she had just eaten his food not long ago, but now she was watching him in a state from which he would never wake up.
At that moment, a hand rested on Li Cui’er’s shoulder.
She turned to look.
It was the woman who had escaped with her.
She had been staying at her house for the past few days and had helped a lot with her grandpa’s funeral.
Besides telling her that her name was Nian Xi, she rarely spoke to her.
Perhaps she wasn’t used to being looked at.
Nian Xi quickly looked away after only a few seconds of eye contact with Li Cui’er.
She took her hand back and looked away, shyly using her hand to cover the scarred side of her face.
Li Cui’er didn’t say anything to her either and waited for the coffin to be lowered into the ground.
Old Man Li was a kind person, and everyone in the village had a good relationship with him.
Almost the entire village came to his funeral.
They were all dressed in white funeral clothes, forming a long procession.
She watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground and buried.
A person’s final destination was a gravestone with their life carved on it.
When the ceremony was over, everyone went home, but Wan Niang stood still, looking at a gravestone higher up on the mountain.
Yang Lulong stood beside her, also looking in the direction she was looking.
“Do you want to go see her?”
Wan Niang, who was lost in thought, was startled by her sudden question.
She looked at Yang Lulong, her mouth open, but she couldn’t say a word.
“…………Okay.”
The two of them left the group and followed a small mountain path up to the middle of the cemetery mountain.
They stood in front of the grave.
Wan Niang stared at the gravestone without saying a word.
Yang Lulong stood beside her, also silent.
They stood there for a long time.
“Let’s go,” Wan Niang said.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to mother?”
“I’ve already said it…”
She took Yang Lulong’s arm, wanting to leave with her.
In her heart, she had already told her mother that she was very happy now.
••••
Ever since Old Man Li was buried, Li Cui’er had been in a daze, either sitting in the yard staring into space or lying in bed sleeping.
Only when Nian Xi called her for dinner did she realize she was starving.
For all these days, she had been hoping that when she woke up, her grandpa would still be alive, and it had all been a dream.
But every time she woke up, she only saw an empty yard.
The straw fan that no one would ever pick up on the small table and the rocking chair that was slowly collecting dust all reminded her that her grandpa was no longer here.
One day, she woke up as usual, casually tidied her hair, and left her room.
When she saw the wisps of smoke coming from the kitchen, she was overjoyed.
She rushed into the kitchen.
“Grandpa!”
But the person squatting in front of the stove was Nian Xi.
She was startled by Li Cui’er’s sudden appearance.
In all these days, she had never seen Li Cui’er wake up when she was cooking.
When she saw who it was, Li Cui’er felt very disappointed.
She was just lying to herself.
The fact that her grandpa was gone was something she couldn’t escape.
“Do you need help?” she asked disheartenedly, her tone filled with sadness.
Nian Xi timidly shook her head.
She rarely spoke.
When Li Cui’er asked her questions, she would either nod or shake her head or answer with only a few words in a voice so soft that Li Cui’er had to lean in very close to hear her.
Just like usual, the two of them sat at the table and ate in silence.
But this time, Li Cui’er couldn’t hold back.
As she ate the rice in her bowl, tears fell, dripping into her food.
For all these days, she hadn’t cried once.
She had been in a daze, like a walking corpse, but this time, she suddenly started crying.
Nian Xi, who was eating with her, was so scared that she didn’t dare to move her chopsticks and just watched her cry into her bowl.
Nian Xi looked at her with sympathy.
She reached out to comfort her, but when Li Cui’er looked up, she quickly pulled her hand back and lowered her head, not daring to make eye contact.
Li Cui’er looked at her with a sad expression.
“Can… can I hug you?”
Although Nian Xi was surprised, she didn’t refuse her.
She gently nodded in response.
Li Cui’er went to her side and hugged her, burying her face in her chest and releasing all the sadness that had accumulated over the past few days.
Nian Xi also gently stroked her back to comfort her.
She said to Li Cui’er in a very soft voice, “Thank you… for saving me…”
