Tomorrow is Xiao Lianshan's birthday banquet, Gu Anqi has been busy for several days, the invitations and arrangements that should be sent out have been arranged, and we must go home at night, we can smell the familiar aroma of dishes from afar, and you can guess that this is Gu Anqi cooking in person.

Every year on Xiao Lianshan's birthday, our family will have a lively meal, Gu Anqi does not let anyone help make this meal herself, and over time it has formed a habit, when we go back, we met Nangong Yi at the door, I wanted to ask her about the investigation of the case, she said that it is rare to rest today Don't talk about the case and disappoint the fun.

Han Yu and the crown prince accompanied Xiao Lianshan to chat in the study, Xiao Lianshan's hearty laughter came from inside, Gu Xiaoxiao and Gu Liancheng sat on the side and interjected from time to time to dismantle Xiao Lianshan's platform, a long-lost cordial and familiar feeling.

Gu Anqi was busy with the dishes on the table, and when she saw us go in to greet her, you can start the banquet after a while, and there are two tables of banquets at home, Nangong Yi counted back and forth, and several people asked me in surprise.

"Anyone else else is coming?"

"No, only the family didn't invite anything else to this meal." I replied.

"Then why are there two tables?" Yun Duruo also looked back and forth suspiciously. "We can sit down at a table."

"I've been asking this question for more than 10 years, and I still haven't asked it with any results." I said with a wry smile helplessly. "Actually, I want to know more than you, so I might as well ask later."

This habit seems to have been around for as long as I can remember, but every Chinese New Year's holiday, whenever there is a family banquet, there will always be two tables at home, one table is our family seat, and the other table is also full of dishes and wine, but no one has ever come.

At the beginning of the lanterns, a clear moon hung in the sky, and the bright moonlight penetrated into the courtyard, Gu Anqi saw that everything was ready, and beckoned us all to sit down, Xiao Lianshan's birthday is a big day, but in front of Gu Liancheng, he is still loyal and filial, and only after Gu Liancheng sat down did Xiao Lianshan pull Gu Anqi to sit beside him.

"It's been another hard day, I've told you for many years, it's just a quick meal, it's good to be together as a family, look at how busy you are with so many dishes." Xiao Lianshan said to Gu Anqi very softly.

The relationship between the two of them has always been very good, and they have respected each other for decades, and sometimes I am a little envious of the kind of relationship between them that gets mellower and mellower as it goes on.

"It's been decades, and every time I give you a life, I remember when I first met you." Gu Anqi smiled enviously at others, and her eyes were full of tenderness. "Nothing has changed, it's just that your mouth is sweeter than you."

Gu Xiaoxiao and I have long been accustomed to it, their relationship seems to have been tempered and tested, and it will not waver and decrease at any time, Yun Duruo and Nangong Yi next to them looked envious to death.

Xiao Lianshan waited for all of us to sit down, the smile on his face slowly put away, silently walked to the other table next to the empty banquet, walked around without saying a word with the wine on the table, calmly poured wine into each wine glass, his expression was melancholy and lonely, and I seemed to have seen that look somewhere.

We all turned our heads to look at Xiao Lianshan, after he poured the wine, he sat there slowly, looking at the empty banquet with a distraction, the Adam's apple squirmed, sighed heavily, and picked up the wine glass in front of him.

"Lianshan and Angel Gou have survived so far, all by relying on your life to fight each other, Lianshan respects heroes all his life, but unfortunately he can't be in the end, this life can live and die with all the heroes who are dominant, Lianshan has no regrets in this life, this glass of wine Lianshan respects everyone."

After Xiao Lianshan finished speaking in a low voice, he poured the wine firmly on the ground.

Han Yu wanted to ask me who Xiao Lianshan was saluting, but I waved my hand and motioned him not to speak, in fact, I didn't know who this empty banquet was for.

Xiao Lianshan's hands were a little shaky when he poured the second glass of wine, his emotions were a little excited, Gu Anqi walked over and patted him lightly on the shoulder, just like Xiao Lianshan, Gu Anqi's face was also full of faint sadness.

Xiao Lianshan picked up the second glass of wine, his voice was a little choked, and he didn't say it several times.

"Brother Qianlingting, Uncle Gu, Brother Liu......"

I have never heard the names of Xiao Lianshan mention them, but every time he mentions these people, his eyes are always full of supreme respect and admiration, as well as deep affection.

"Although Lianshan lives alone, he can count the days with his fingers every day, and wait for the day when he swallows his breath if he doesn't wait for anything else, Lianshan is not greedy for life, just wait for the early passage of Lechuan, if you don't give up, Lianshan and Anqi are willing to follow each other all the way in the next life."

Xiao Lianshan's voice was intermittent at the end, he seemed to be paying tribute to someone, every sentence was not pretentious, presumably the empty table was left for people who had passed away, and he had never heard Xiao Lianshan mention his past, and he had never even seen him have friends, maybe his friends are now sitting on the empty banquet.

Gu Anqi's eyes turned red, turned his head and pressed Xiao Lianshan's shoulder tightly, Xiao Lianshan took a deep breath and poured the second glass of wine on the ground.

Xiao Lianshan's trembling hands could no longer pour the third glass of wine, Gu Anqi's hand slowly stretched over, supported Xiao Lianshan's hand, and the two worked together to pour the third glass of wine.

"Back then, I was in the same boat with you through thick and thin, and every time I think of it, it happened yesterday vividly, even the mountains are not only fortunate to meet you in this life, and now the demons and the troubled times are even the mountains and then embark on the journey, and the future is more than Erlian Mountain, and the mountains will fight to the death without retreating."

After Xiao Lianshan finished speaking, he raised his wine glass and said loudly.

"Come on! This cup of wine will accompany you to drink, even if you are broken and the mountains will follow your example to save the people and achieve righteousness. ”

Xiao Lianshan raised his head and drank it all, I know that Xiao Lianshan is bold, but I have never seen him like this now, he is full of pride in seeing death as home, looking at him, my heart is surging, how can an old man be so heroic.

Gu Anqi accompanied Xiao Lianshan back to our table and sat down slowly, Gu Liancheng silently patted him on the shoulder and cast an approving look, although it was Xiao Lianshan's birthday, Gu Liancheng was the old man here, but he did not sit on the main seat, and there was still an empty seat between him and Xiao Lianshan.

This position is the main seat, and it seems that this position is always empty at any time in my memory, but there are still dishes and chopsticks on the table, and it seems that they are specially reserved for someone.

But no matter who this person is, this seat has been empty for at least twenty years, and I have never seen anyone come, and what makes me even more curious is that an old man with high moral standing like Gu Liancheng seems to be respectful of this empty seat.

Xiao Lianshan poured the wine glass on the seat full of wine, and looked at the empty seat for a long time, he wanted to say something, but the corners of his wriggling mouth could see that he was more excited than before, and it was not until Gu Anqi held his hand that Xiao Lianshan slowly calmed down.

"Brother...... Lianshan is a year older, if you don't come to see Lianshan again, I'm afraid I won't be able to wait for you. ”

Xiao Lianshan's words were extremely sad and helpless, it turned out that this vacant seat was reserved for his brother, but I had never heard Xiao Lianshan mention the existence of this person, what made me even more curious was that since he was Xiao Lianshan's brother, why Gu Liancheng was so respectful, what kind of person should have been sitting in the vacant seat.

We all looked at Xiao Lianshan silently, it was rare to see him so sad, Gu Anqi next to him turned his head and wiped the corners of his eyes, Gu Liancheng silently lowered his head and said nothing, there was no festive atmosphere in the room at all.

It took Gu Anqi a long time to calm down, and when she saw that the dishes on the table were almost cold, she packed up her emotions and smiled softly at Xiao Lianshan.

"It's your birthday today, so many children are watching, be happy."

Xiao Lianshan took a deep breath and nodded silently, saying to us apologetically.

"Don't be restrained at a family banquet, just go to your own house and order casually, and come to taste your Aunt Gu's craftsmanship."

"Uncle Xiao, you are rich in the world, I guess you have everything, looking at your face, I don't have anything to give you." Han Yu should have felt that the atmosphere was too depressing, so he took out a folded peace charm and sent it to Xiao Lianshan. "I will send you a peace charm to avoid evil, and I hope Uncle Xiao will smile and accept it."

"Uncle Xiao...... Hahaha, you don't have to say anything, it's enough for you to call me Uncle Xiao, hahaha, you also have today. Xiao Lianshan suddenly raised his head and laughed, weighing the peace charm in his hand, cherishing it. You are a blessed man and a girl, but your face is too handsome, and your peach blossom face is so romantic, it is better for you to find a woman to offend in your life. ”

I was stunned, this family is proficient in metaphysics, but Xiao Lianshan can't, but he can show Han Yu a look, I asked in surprise.

"Dad, you...... How do you know that? ”

"Yes, Uncle Xiao, why do you look at my face?" Han Yu also asked suspiciously.

"How could I possibly be physiognomy." Xiao Lianshan smiled meaningfully and looked at Gu Anqi next to him.

"Your face has been seen a long time ago." Gu Anqi also said with a faint smile.

"Someone showed me? Who? Han Yu asked with great interest.

Gu Anqi and Xiao Lianshan laughed without saying a word, and the prince took out a delicate scripture with the Heart Sutra written on it.

"Du Heng sent a copy of the Buddhist scriptures, and saw that the five aggregates were empty, and all the sufferings were overcome." The prince said calmly.

Xiao Lianshan nodded and thanked him for accepting it with all his heart, the gift given by Nangong Yi was a landscape painting, the picture scroll was unfolded on the high mountains and flowing water, the pines and cypresses were evergreen, one person raised a glass to invite the moon to drink, and a pair of birds flew with wings in the distance, and the two lines of beautiful poems on the right side of the painting.

The golden bottle is drinking Nanshan Weng, and the twilight mountain flounder is not empty.

"The golden bottle is wealth and pleasure, Nanshan Weng is longevity, the plaice generally refers to husband and wife, the twilight mountain refers to the twilight of life is the old age, and if it is not empty, it is not separated, and together it is, I wish Uncle Xiao a blessing and longevity, and Aunt Gu is more than Jin Jian and flies together."

"Good!" Xiao Lianshan shouted, looked at Gu Anqi and couldn't close his mouth with a smile.

Yun Duruo sent the Qin Sword he bought in the ghost market to Xiao Lianshan, Xiao Lianshan couldn't put it down after just looking at it, and his gaze fell on it for a long time.

"Du Ruo has a heart."

Gu Xiaoxiao gave Xiao Lianshan a safety buckle, and then looked at me and asked curiously.

"Brother, what are you sending Dad?"

I took out the box that had been prepared and respectfully sent it to Xiao Lianshan, and Yun Duruo next to him said happily.

"The gift he prepared must be liked by Uncle Xiao."

Xiao Lianshan smiled lovingly at me, took the box and opened it for a look, he was stunned for a moment, and an inexplicable smile slowly appeared on his face, and he said with emotion.

"Time has changed...... Goodbye to this thing is like a world away, okay, I like this gift. ”

"Uncle Xiao, take it out for everyone to see, this ......"

Yun Duruo couldn't wait for Xiao Lianshan to take out the gift I gave to others, and when Xiao Lianshan took out the contents of the box, Yun Duruo looked at Xiao Lianshan's hand in surprise.

It is a carefully fired terracotta warriors, although only the palm is the size of the real terracotta warriors and horses, Xiao Lianshan likes the cultural relics of the Qin Dynasty, I think about it, there may be nothing more representative than the terracotta warriors, Yun Duruo should not have expected that I didn't give the horn to Xiao Lianshan, and I don't know why the ghost city said that the horn is the dragon horn, although I didn't question it, but I always felt a little surprised when I came back and thought about it for a long time.

What's more, it is still shabby and old, how to say that it is also Xiao Lianshan's birthday, it seems too casual to give such a gift, and the man said that the horn is used to lead the army and fight, but I have known Xiao Lianshan for so long, I really can't see that he seems to be a person who can be a marshal, so I re-selected the terracotta warriors, at least it is much more meaningful than the horn.

Yun Duruo originally wanted to ask me something, but I waved my hand at her lightly under the table, signaling that I would wait until the family banquet to explain to her, and don't tell Xiao Lianshan about the horn.