In the twelfth year of Tianbao, fourteen-year-old Liu Xu dragged his sick body to his cousin Liu Yi in Wuquan Village. His cousin Liu Yi is also a hard-working person, although he is a famous family, but when he was born, his family was in decline, and he had to put his livelihood first. Therefore, although Liu Yi also studied since he was a child, he had to give up studying and enter the office, and finally became a merchant who sold goods and traveled from house to house to support his family. However, despite the hardships, this Liu Yi did not forget his duty as a scholar, and he was also quite knowledgeable and courteous, not only took in Liu Xu, who came to him, but also tried everything to find medical advice for him who was seriously ill, and it took more than a year to save his life.

Liu Xu is also grateful for his kindness, and since then he has regarded his cousin Liu Yi as his own father and has been fostered and honored. At the age of nineteen, he accepted Liu Yi's wishes and married Ruan. After marriage, Liu Xu and this Ruan family were also harmonious and affectionate, and the couple sent away the old Liu Yi together the following year. I thought that Liu Xu and Ruan had only been dependent on each other in Wuquan Village for a lifetime, but in June of the seventh year of Shaoping, a plague suddenly broke out in the village, and the epidemic was so fierce that Langzhong from other villages did not dare to enter the village at all. Liu Xu has loved to read since he was a child, reading books, so he also knows a little about medicine, he thinks that he can't stand by the danger in the village, so he went up to the danger and took dozens of villagers who were infected with the epidemic to hide in the mountains. Nearly 100 days later, most of the villagers recovered and returned, but Liu Xu contracted the epidemic because of his thin body and excessive fatigue, so he left the Ruan family in the village. The villagers thanked Liu Xu for his kindness and righteousness, and treated Ruan's very well, this Ruan couldn't give up Liu Xu, and he also took his will, so he only guarded in Wuquan Village, until Liu Qi looked for it, and then followed him, to hand over the painting entrusted by Liu Xu to Qin Nanxi in person.

In Ruan's mouth, he only said that Liu Xu confessed that he had a distant sister in Chang'an, and her age characteristics were very detailed, but he did not mention who her surname was. He only told that if anyone found it, it must be this sister, and it would be good to give her the painting, and if she didn't find it, she would give up.

Ruan Shi said eloquently, the ins and outs were clear, and she knew all about Liu Xu's temperament and preferences before her death, so she couldn't find any mistakes, Qin Nanxi had to admit that the beautiful woman with red and swollen eyes in front of her was really the widow of Brother Xu. Thinking of this, she clenched her hands holding the scroll tightly, and secretly bit her lip, so that she could refrain from crying in public.

The situation when Brother Xu was exiled to Yunze was unimaginable, but Qin Nanxi knew that with Su Xu's temperament, he would definitely respect his cousin Liu Yi, who was kind to him. Liu Yi asked him to marry Ruan, he naturally would not object, and he would do his best to be good to her. It's just that he knows in his heart that Qin Nanxi, who is far away in Chang'an, may not have forgotten their childhood jokes, and maybe they will definitely come to him as she said at the beginning. He was secretly waiting for the day when they would meet again. It's a pity that providence made people, and he couldn't wait for her. On his deathbed, he attached all his thoughts and instructions to her to this painting that Mr. Su had treasured all his life and gave it to her. He was telling her that the past had gone with the wind, and that she would forget about their childhood friendship. Just like the mysterious An'er back then, she sent this self-portrait to Mr. Su and asked him to forget the past.

It's not that he didn't wait for her, and it's not that she didn't look for him. They all kept their promises, but they still can't avoid missing them. This, perhaps, is the will of heaven.

In the next few days, Qin Nanxi was only in a trance, and he no longer had the strength to entertain Ruan. The Nguyen Thi stayed in the General's Mansion for two days and then resigned. Situ Yizhou thoughtfully gave her some money and property, and sent someone to send her back to Wuquan Village in Tianfengling.

Situ Yi is not worried about Qin Nanxi, and always finds all kinds of reasons and excuses to stay by her side, quietly looking for some appropriate anecdotes to distract her mind.

Liu Qi was as cold as ever, he was just entrusted by Situ Yi to find someone. Since the person he was looking for recognized his whereabouts, he naturally retreated. As for Qin Nanxi's sadness, he was unconscious, and even there was some resentment in his eyes when he occasionally looked at Qin Nanxi. He couldn't get used to seeing Situ Yi always by her side. He didn't want Situ Yi, the confidant who was shouldering his pursuits, to get in the way of a woman.

Only Ah Luo, even if she doesn't understand the friendship between Qin Nanxi and Su Xu, maybe because of the girl's heart-to-heart, she seems to be able to understand her sadness, and comes to accompany her from time to time, but every time she comes, she just silently serves on the side and does her best. I don't know if this is because Ah Luo is so smart that she knows that persuasion is useless at this time, or if she is really not good at words and doesn't know how to speak. In short, Qin Nanxi is very grateful to A Luo in his heart.

When Ruan left, Qin Nanxi proposed to go to Su Xu's tomb in Tianfeng Ridge to worship, but Liu Qi flatly refused on the grounds that the border was unstable. Qin Nanxi saw that Situ Yi was in a dilemma, so he no longer insisted on it.

Brother Xu can't find it anymore, although she still has no intention of thinking about the future, she also knows that she can't just live in Situ Yi's mansion like this. After a few days, she decided to stay after the New Year, and returned to Chang'an with her brother who came on business. Situ Yi couldn't find a position to stay, so he had to agree.

In a flash, it was the end of the month, and the whole general's mansion was full of joy of the New Year's Festival. Qin Nanxi couldn't stand the joy in front of her, and often hid alone. Situ Yi and Ah Luo are also busy with their own affairs and rarely come to accompany her.

Until the morning of the 29th, Qin Nanxi was hiding in the west wing to copy the scriptures silently and meditate, when she heard a light button on the door, she recognized Situ Yi's footsteps, and invited him in.

Seeing Situ Yi's tired face, he sat down opposite her with a careful expression, and after thinking about it for a long time, he prepared a sacrifice for her and told him about the sacrifice to Liu Xu. He always blamed himself for not being able to send her to Liu Xu's tomb to pay respects.

After hearing this, Qin Nanxi put down the pen in his hand, got up and saluted and thanked him. She had the intention to go to Su Xu's tomb to worship in person, but she couldn't make the trip, so she had to hide this thought in her heart, just waiting to return to her home in Chang'an and then sacrifice from afar. Since Situ Yi is so caring, she has prepared it for her, so she naturally doesn't need to push it back. After all, Yunze is not far from Tianfeng Ridge, and it is always better than Chang'an to pay tribute to Brother Xu here. Just as Nguyen Thi Te came to deliver his paintings to her, she also had some words and some tokens to be burned and returned to him.

When Situ Yi saw that she should respond, he didn't say much, got up and retreated outside the room, and only waited for her to change into plain clothes and come out dignified and neat, and then silently led her to the east courtyard.

The East Cross Courtyard has always been taken care of by Liu Qi himself, although it is only a small and compact cross courtyard, but it is very carefully arranged. There is a flower stand under the root of the north wall, next to a pair of stone tables and chairs, and the piano stand under the dormant flower gallery on the east wall. To the south are a few small pear trees, all of which are only wrist-thick and thin, and must have been transplanted not long ago. The altar was set up in front of the pear tree, and the direction was just opposite Tianfeng Ridge. Liu Qi was on crutches and looked coldly at Qin Nanxi who went forward with Situ Yi, and Ah Luo was behind him, looking at her gently and considerately.

Qin Nan leaned down, thanked Liu Qi, and walked to the altar alone. I saw that the incense burner, fire candles were all on the altar, and there were four plates of delicate and lovely fresh snacks. When I took a closer look, I found that those dim sum were all Su Xu's favorite foods when he was a child.

She had never mentioned Su Xu's preferences to Situ Yi, and she had never mentioned such a trivial matter when she was in the mansion. How did he know that Brother Xu loved to eat these? It's not bad, and there is no chef in his house who is good at cooking, where did such exquisite and fresh Jiangnan dim sum come from?

Qin Nanxi looked back at Situ Yi suspiciously, but saw that he was only standing quietly aside, as if he didn't understand anything wrong.

Ah Luo, who was behind Liu Qi, quietly came up, lit incense and candles for Qin Nanxi, held them to her hand, and whispered timidly: "Miss Su, Ah Luo has never prepared a sacrifice, I don't know what is appropriate." I only think that I am a close family member, and it is important to be sincere. On the way back from Tianfengling, Mrs. Liu once told Ah Luo about some things about Mr. Liu, and Ah Luo was good at advocating and picked out a few of Mr. Liu's favorite snacks before his death, I don't know if it was offended? ”

Looking at the sincerity and kindness in Ah Luo's eyes, Qin Nanxi only squeezed her hand and shook her head with emotion. It turned out that it was Ah Luo's careful and considerate thinking that fulfilled her last thoughts about Su Xu.

After the salute, Qin Nanxi still knelt straight on the plain brocade cotton cushion in front of the altar and refused to get up, her eyes teary-eyed staring at the jumping candlelight. I saw that in the candlelight, Su Xu's bright and delicate face was faintly reflected, but in an instant, it turned into a pale black back after the tears, getting smaller and lighter.

Su Xu, the little brother who used to hold her hand and pick wildflowers all over the mountains, once solemnly said to her: "Nanxi will marry me when she grows up!" The little brother, just like the back in the candlelight, has since faded out of her life. Ten years of worry, waiting, and full of doubts are destined to fade away with that back, Qin Nanxi's tears are like broken threads, and her heart hurts like a knife.

After weeping bitterly for a while, she took out the dance sheet that she had carefully wrapped in her arms and held it above the brazier. Mr. Su's entrustment, she could only complete it like this, and she silently read the nursery rhyme to him in her heart.

The full pot of fire tongues licked the dry and burnt old silk, and in an instant, it was half a day, and the dance scores that had been treasured over the years were instantly curled in the firelight, jumping and turning. The humanoid figure on the score dances or dances or raises its body to the sound of the fire, as if it is alive, and the humanoid dance is strange and full of heartfelt joy, as if it is celebrating the rebirth of the fire.

Liu Qi on the side stepped forward, stared at the dance score that gradually turned gray in the brazier suspiciously, and asked, "What is this?" His cold voice suddenly asked, as abrupt as the sudden thunder of the clear sky.

Situ Yi behind him only stared quietly at the fire dance score, and a bitter smile faintly appeared on the corner of his lips, which had been solemn. She had said that the book was very important to her, and she had said that it was a gift that her mother had left her, but she had burned it to him.