Volume 1: Wind Rising From the Mountains and Lakes Chapter 29: Xiaotian'ao
A corner on the west side of the mountain village, not far behind my uncle's house.
Inside a bare courtyard wall. Most of the mud houses have collapsed, and the entire yard is dilapidated and has been abandoned for many years.
Lin Yi's uncle looked dry. Although no one noticed him in the dark, he was rubbing his hands. He felt sorry for his nephew.
Although it was because of the family's financial constraints that he was unable to repair his eldest brother's house in time, this honest man still felt guilty!
"This is so dark, go back! I'll ask a few people to clean it up tomorrow, okay?"
"Uncle! Cui'er has grown up too. It's very inconvenient to live at home. This woodshed can still accommodate people. It's enough for the little one to live in."
Lin Yi walked towards a side room. For him, night was no different from day.
Looking at his dilapidated home in front of him, Lin Yi didn't want to leave again. Several houses have collapsed and their roofs have been exposed. Only this side house is still intact.
"Nonsense! How can anyone live here!" Lin Kaiqu was a little anxious.
"Uncle! I live here." Lin Yi stood still and looked around.
"This kid! What can I say to you!" Lin Kaiqu turned around in a circle, stamped his feet, sighed and turned around to leave.
With a creak, the door was pushed open, and a damp, moldy smell hit his face. Lin Yi casually made a gesture, and a small whirlwind spiraled out of the house, sweeping away the dust and mold.
The side room is not big and the walls are empty.
This is your home! Lin Yi sighed lightly!
It's not that he's meeting his uncle, but that he has become accustomed to a person's purity over the years. Besides, this is my home!
After a while, Lin Kaiqu delivered straw mats, mattresses and other items, and his words were quite reproachful.
Lin Yi sat cross-legged on the straw mat in the hut, with the wormwood burning in the corner curling gently. This thing repels mosquitoes and is a gift from my uncle and aunt. Although he didn't need these, he still felt warm in his heart.
The night sky in the mountain village is dotted with stars...
After sitting quietly for a long time, Lin Yi couldn't get into concentration. He is very unfamiliar with the affection of his parents. He doesn't understand what it feels like to be loved by his parents, and he has never experienced it. But in this old house, my heart longs for the existence of my parents. I imagine that I am like others, calling my parents, just like Tweety, with carefree satisfaction and happiness.
Lin Yi lay down. Lying down for the first time in years.
He was very tired, very tired, and fell into a deep sleep... Dad's appearance was very vague, and his smile was very kind... Mom's arms were so warm, and she was singing soft songs...
In the dream, he smiled, but the corners of his eyes were moist...
This is sleeping at home! Makes people reluctant to wake up...
…
When a touch of blue appeared on the horizon, the mountain village that had been silent all night slowly woke up...
"...Brother, are you up..." As a crisp voice sounded, Tweety's floral clothes swayed at the door.
She saw her brother slowly opening his eyes, sitting up, and looking at herself with a smile.
Cui'er smiled happily and walked closer.
"Brother, did you sleep well? Aren't you afraid of sleeping here alone?" Cui Er stared at her brother curiously with her big eyes.
Lin Yi sat up in a daze and rubbed his eyes subconsciously, as if the dry tears were still there. He slowly came back to his senses, looked at the lovely Tweety in front of him, and said softly: "Don't be afraid! Tweety got up early!"
"I'm going to town today, are you going?" Cui'er asked eagerly.
"What are you going to do in town? Is Cui'er going too?" Lin Yi asked curiously.
"I'm going to sell herbal medicine. Dad said he could save some money so that he could build a house for my brother. He also said he would take me with him!" Cui'er said proudly, with a hint of expectation in her expression.
"Herbal medicines are collected from the mountains. After they are dried, they can be exchanged for money in the town. Cui'er also collected a lot of them!"
As soon as Lin walked out of the hut, Cui'er jumped beside him, and the sound like silver bells kept ringing.
…
Lin Yi and Cui'er came to the front yard and saw their uncle and aunt filling their baskets with herbs. The latter was inevitably blamed again.
He smiled and said that he slept very soundly, and went up to help him get up.
"Xiao Yi, I'm going to town. You just came home yesterday. Now you have a good rest at home and talk to your aunt. You can also walk around and see around the village as you like." Lin Kaiqu ordered.
"Uncle! I'm not tired, so I'll go with you!" Cui'er cheered when she heard what Lin Yi said.
As soon as Lin stopped, he took out a small package from his arms, handed it to his uncle, and said, "Uncle, put these away and keep them for your family."
Lin Kaiqu felt comfortable that his nephew was also going to town together, so he took the package and said, "That's fine! Is this...?" His honest expression showed confusion, and he stretched out his hand to open the package. Mrs. Zhang also came over curiously.
Not long after, the couple exclaimed and pushed the package back together.
"Mom! Come on! I have never seen so much money in my life! Where did you get this?" Mrs. Zhang covered her chest with one hand and exclaimed.
"Child! Where did this come from? Don't...!" Lin Kaiqu looked surprised. He carefully looked around and asked in a low tone.
"Uncle! Auntie! The money is clean, don't worry." Guessing the other party's worries, Lin stuffed the package into his uncle's arms again.
"These taels of silver come from the offerings received from the Taoist temple over the years." Seeing that his uncle and aunt were still full of horror, he had no choice but to comfort them again. It’s hard to elaborate on the details at the moment, as I’m afraid they won’t be clear.
The two saw Lin Yi smiling and looking calm, and said doubtfully: "Even so, this money is just for you to build a house and marry a wife. What will you do for us in the future?"
Not knowing how to persuade the other party, Lin Yi said helplessly: "Uncle! Aunt! This money is for my nephew to honor the elders."
"That's too much, buy this Xiaotianao too!" Lin Kaiqu was still a little frightened and talked to himself. Zhang was also nervous.
But Lin Yi put on an attitude that would not allow any discussion. Obviously, as he said, this was a sincere intention.
"How about this, leave some money for uncle, enough to repair your house. Xiaoyi should keep the rest!" The honest Lin Kaiqu said earnestly.
"All these are for uncle to keep for household expenses. I don't lack money." Lin Yi stretched out his hand and spread out his palm, revealing a piece of silver in his palm, and said with a smile.
Lin Kaiqu looked at the silver in Lin Yi's hand with a puzzled look on his face. He was a little confused about the silver that suddenly appeared.
He stamped his feet, as if he had made up his mind, and said to Zhang: "Take all these into the house and hide them well. Don't let anyone see them, otherwise it will arouse jealousy and cause death!"
Zhang knew the seriousness of it, and hurriedly responded and took the package back to the house. Seeing this, Lin Yi secretly said that it would be better not to bring disaster to his uncle's family because of money. It was also because he didn't think it through.
Lin Kaiqu was still reminding Cui'er on the side, asking Cui'er not to talk nonsense to others.
Cui'er nodded continuously, looking very obedient.
After a while, Zhang came out and took a stool to sit in front of the door. It seemed that she would not leave the door. She waved her hand to let the three of them set off quickly so that they could go early and come back early.
Lin Yi carried the backpack and walked in front. Cui'er pulled his clothes and didn't let go, chattering non-stop. Lin Kaiqu turned back every few steps, his honest face showing alternating excitement and anxiety.
The three stopped at the big tree at the entrance of the village.
Under the big tree, an old man in a Confucian robe stood alone with a book in his hand, looking into the distance.
The blue sky gradually turned white, and a long stretch of red clouds vaguely appeared in the sky.
"Good morning, Grandpa Su!" Cui'er waved and shouted.
"Hello, Mr. Su!" Lin Kaiqu also leaned over and greeted politely.
Lin Yi recognized that this was the old man who showed him the way last night, so he nodded to him as a greeting.
The old man turned around, holding his long beard with his hand, and showed a kind smile. When he saw Lin Yi, his turbid eyes lit up, and then he looked at Cui'er and said gently: "Cui'er, are you going to town?"
"Cui'er and my brother are going together!" He said happily, shaking Lin Yi's collar.
The old man laughed and said nothing, watching the three people walk out of the village, but his eyes fell on Lin Yi's back, thinking.
Cui'er said that the old man was about fifty or sixty years old, his surname was Su, and no one in the village knew his specific name. The old man came here alone from another place a few years ago. When he had nothing to do on weekdays, he taught the children in the village to read and write, and was loved by the old and young in the village. He was knowledgeable and talented, with a mild temper, and the villagers respected him as a gentleman.
The village was not big, surrounded by mountains on three sides. What was on the mountain, how many families were there in the village, etc., Lin Yi didn't need to ask, Cui'er would tell them one by one.
... The black dog of the east family gave birth to puppies, the hens of the west neighbor didn't lay eggs, the wild fruits behind the mountain were delicious, and the mountain spring at the west end of the village was sweet...
Cui'er kept talking on the road, and the journey of more than 20 miles passed unknowingly.
When the three arrived at Tianping Town, the sun was bright, and the streets of the town were bustling with people.
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