A few days passed, and Qu Yingjiao came unexpectedly on New Year's Day.

Zhuang Yuncheng saw that her face was not good, and he knew that something was wrong.

"Sister Ying, what's wrong?" Zhuang Yuncheng asked.

"Dad's health is not good, his spirit is declining greatly, my mother and I also went to persuade it, the eldest brother and the second brother have also been there, but it doesn't work, my father insists on refusing to come back to recuperate, and he also said that he will die outside to be clean, even if he dies, he will be buried in the mountain col, Yun Cheng, you should go and talk about it, see if you can persuade you to come home."

"The old gentleman has lived in the mountains for so many years, and his roots have been rooted in the mountains, and it may not work if I go, but I still have to give it a try, don't get your hopes up."

"I know." Qu Yingjiao asked, "Then when will you leave?" I'll go with you. ”

Zhuang Yuncheng thought about it, the day after tomorrow is New Year's Day, tomorrow there will be Bai Chenxuan and Li Yuanying's family invited as guests, the day after tomorrow at noon invited Beiyan, the day after tomorrow at Liu Zhen's banquet, the day after tomorrow may still have something to do, and only today is free, and the illness is like a mountain, people may fall down, the old man is not waiting for anyone, so he said: "It's best today." ”

"That's best, I'll go home and change my clothes, and we'll go early."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the intersection later."

Qu Yingjiao agreed, Zhuang Yuncheng and her sisters explained and left, went to the intersection to wait for Qu Yingjiao, she changed into a blue and white dress after a while, and went with Zhuang Yuncheng, hired a carriage to go to the side of the mountain, crossed the mountain from a shortcut, and arrived in the morning.

The surroundings have not changed much from when I came to see him more than a month ago, except that it is colder, and it is even colder in the mountains, but fortunately there is no wind in this ravine surrounded by trees. Due to the lack of rain, the leaves of the trees accumulated a little more, so the stream in front of the door was cut off, and if you wanted to drink water, you only got the water that flowed down from the cliff in front of you to the top of the mountain.

Since the last time I knew that Qu Tianlin was not in good health, I asked an old family member to accompany and take care of him here. When Qu Yingjiao saw the old man chopping wood in front of the door, she asked, "Uncle Zhang, how is my father?" ”

Uncle Zhang got up, patted his dusty hands, and said, "Nothing has changed, it's the same as a few days ago." ”

Qu Yingjiao took Zhuang Yuncheng into the house, at this time Qu Tianlin was writing something in front of the table in his cabin, Zhuang Yuncheng looked over, this thin figure was smaller than when he came before, Zhuang Yuncheng didn't dare to take a breath, didn't dare to make a sound, for fear of blowing him down and frightening him.

"Daddy." Qu Yingjiao shouted.

Qu Tianlin turned his head and saw his daughter and Zhuang Yuncheng smiling like a child, Zhuang Yuncheng was shocked, this smile made his thin face look even thinner, but it was extremely distressing.

"You're here." Qu Tianlin put down his pen, squirmed his mouth, and made a hoarse and low voice, he tried to get up, Qu Yingjiao went over to help him, telling him to still sit, don't get up, Qu Yingjiao also understood what her father meant, and immediately moved a rough bench for Zhuang Yuncheng to sit.

Zhuang Yuncheng moved the stool to Qu Tianlin's side, sat next to him, and held his hand like the dead bark of a tree in this cold winter, "How do you feel?" Zhuang Yuncheng tried to smile as much as possible, so as not to make him sad.

"It's not as good as before, but it's still able to move around and eat a little bit." Qu Tianlin smiled lightly, "I guess I can live for a while, I know my body, it's all called Jiao'er, and her mother, her brother don't worry, it's useless." ”

Qu Yingjiao saw that he was still smiling, her heart was sad, the tip of her nose was sore, and she was about to cry.

"By the way, is your mother's illness better?" Qu Tianlin asked.

"It's still like that, the doctors say it's an old disease, and it's going to be fine after winter. Mother wants to take care of you, but we won't let you. ”

"I can't let her come, it's a long way, it's cold here, I'm used to it, she's not used to it, she must lick the disease when she comes, let alone be sick."

"But my mother just wants to see my father, why doesn't my father agree, go back."

"No, no......" Qu Tianlin shook his head and said with a smile: "This ravine has long been my home, my grave, you have seen that person enter the grave and still get out, unless he becomes an immortal after death, then he will go to heaven, and he can go out of this grave." ”

Hearing this, Qu Yingjiao was desperate, Zhuang Yuncheng knew that no matter what he said, it would be in vain. He looked up at Qu Yingjiao's soaked hazy star eyes, and shook his head slightly, Qu Yingjiao also knew that no matter what, his father would not turn back, and it would be useless to say more.

"Yun Cheng," Qu Tianlin looked at him, took a piece of paper with thick words written on it, and said: "This is my chronicle manuscript, it has not yet been completed, my wrist strength is becoming more and more vain, I can't hold the pen anymore, you have to complete it for me, tidy it up, and pass it on." ”

Zhuang Yuncheng knew that this was the "Notes on Linxian" that he had been writing all along, recording his life experience, mental journey, thought process, and some treacherous and illusory fantasies about the ethereal Taoist Buddha.

"I will." Zhuang Yuncheng said.

"This is my only wish, my life is complete, even if I die, I have no regrets and regrets, so I don't need to be sad, Jiao'er, Yun Cheng, you know me better than others, you will understand what I mean."

"Dad, I see."

"Don't worry, old man, Yun Cheng understands."

"Well......" Qu Tianlin said for a long time, he was tired, and said that he wanted to rest, Qu Yingjiao helped him to bed.

Zhuang Yuncheng and Qu Yingjiao walked outside the house, "It's actually us who are not relieved, and the old gentleman doesn't need me to persuade him." Zhuang Yuncheng said.

"yes, I see." Qu Yingjiao asked, "Why did Dad give you the manuscript he worked so hard for?" ”

"Perhaps, the old gentleman thinks I have a resemblance to him." Zhuang Yuncheng turned around and said, "Sister Ying, I'm sorry I couldn't help you." ”

"No, you've helped more than anyone else, more than my two older brothers."

Zhuang Yuncheng was just speechless, and by noon, today's weather was better than before, the sun poked its head out of the clouds, the sun was shining, through the dense woods, and the white light was like a shining sword crisscrossing the mountain.

"Sister Ying, what are you going to do?"

"Everything is arranged according to my father's wishes, and if he does not go back, he will not go back; If you don't want us to accompany us, we'll leave, as you said, Dad is a liberated person, once he sees everything, nothing matters. ”

In the afternoon, Qu Tianlin insisted that the two of them leave, leaving only Uncle Zhang, he took a small hoe to dredge the stream, Qu Yingjiao only told Uncle Zhang a few words and left with Zhuang Yuncheng.

Along the way, Qu Yingjiao's mood was relatively heavy, so Zhuang Yuncheng made a little joke with her.

Zhuang Yuncheng asked: "Sister Ying, you and Yanxi have been separated for several months, and now you are alone, there is no shortage of suitors during this time, right?" ”

Qu Yingjiao smiled shyly, blushed slightly, and said: "Hey, you said the opposite, the feudal era is over, the system has collapsed, but the thinking is deep-rooted, I am a person who was abandoned by the Zhang family, not everyone is like you, they think I am not clean." ”

"But anyone who thinks like this is a remnant of feudalism and a scum of today, don't be bothered by those words."

"I just ignore those gossip," Qu Yingjiao said, "I lost the person I once loved the most, cut off my marriage for ten years, and I have experienced the most painful things, and now I am not so easily hurt." ”

Zhuang Yuncheng felt that her mentality had returned to a calm state, at the age of twenty-nine, she looked like a nineteen-year-old, more chic, and was really happy for her.

When he got home in the evening, Zhuang Yuncheng didn't see the two sisters in front and behind, so he felt strange, and his intuition drove him to the backyard, although he didn't see anyone, he heard some noises from the kitchen, he passed through a small door, came to the gravel road connecting the kitchen, and saw that they were all by the small flower bed next to the kitchen.

"Miss, stay away, beware of chicken blood splashing on you." Aunt Qin said.

Yun Yun took two steps back, her eyes staring straight at the big in Aunt Qin's hand, she didn't know that she was going to die, hanging on the fat blood-red cockscomb, and her pea-sized eyes looked left and right.

When Aunt Qin raised the knife, Yun Yun watched the shiny blade approaching the neck of the big, Yun Yun grinned and clenched her fists, as if she was sweating for the rooster, "Huh......" She groaned, turned around to dodge, and suddenly a figure appeared in front of her, she was startled, "Why don't you walk without making a sound?" She complained and slapped Zhuang Yuncheng on the arm.

"It's because you're too focused."

Yun Yun frowned and was silent, hearing the sound of the big flapping its wings, and turned around to see that it was dripping blood, and she suddenly felt less terrible. It was boring to look here, so Yun Yun urged Zhuang Yuncheng to walk to the front yard, and asked as she walked, "How is that old fairy?" ”

"I have already attained the Tao, I have seen through life and death, and I have cut off my thoughts of dust, and there is no point in talking about life and death."

"Stain, I really admire this old man, if I have half of his understanding, I won't easily worry about a little thing."

"The little head melon thinks a lot." Zhuang Yuncheng joked.

"You've got a big head!" Yun Yun was angry and ridiculous, and said nonsense: "Your big head, bigger than a big pumpkin!" Bigger than a pig's head! ”

Zhuang Yuncheng was stunned by the scolding, Yun Yun remembered his words, looked at his overwhelmed expression, and laughed silly. Just as she was at the door, Fluttershy walked in through the door and heard laughter, "Why are you so funny?" She asked.

Yun Yun helped her, still happy, "You ask my brother to go." She gasped.

Fluttershy walks up and asks, "What is she laughing at?" ”

"I don't know," Zhuang Yuncheng asked, "where have you been?" ”

"Zhang Yanxi went to Shanghai, Yin Hong was bored alone, and asked me to play for a long time."

"Why didn't she come along?"

"Zhang Yanxi can't go for a few days, and Yin Hong doesn't like to take the train, so why bother."

"Oh."

Lotus brought a pot of boiling water, Aunt Qin threw the big into it and rolled it hot, and when the water was cold, she began to pluck her feathers.

Fluttershy likes to do chores, so she asks Zhuang Yuncheng to help her roll up her sleeves and pull them out, and in a few moments, the majestic rooster is bare.