After a day of rough mountain roads, the team finally walked on the smooth road, and we finally got off the horses and changed to a few wagons.

Although the speed is slow, people are more comfortable.

But this kind of comfort is only relative, Yan Qinghan sat in the carriage behind us, listening to the wheels bumping on the stone road along the way, and the sound of his constant coughing was always mixed in the middle, and even at night he would often hear the movements of his attendants, boiling medicine for him.

I know that he has been weak since he was a child, and that a doctor once asserted that he would not live to be twenty years old, and that he can still stand in front of us alive, riding and walking, and I can only say that there are some accidents, and I can imagine how he survived all these years.

Pei Yuanfeng and the others were like arrows, but they also walked for several days before they finally entered Chengdu City.

We also walked out of the barren mountains and mountains, we didn't see people for a long time, and suddenly the surroundings were lively, not only us, but even Li'er was in good spirits, leaning on the window and lifting the curtains, watching the people coming and going on the street, the traffic was busy, and there were many small shops and small stalls on both sides of the street, and the vendors were full of energy and shouted loudly to solicit business, and the strange accent was very curious, constantly learning, laughing.

My spirit was also a little better, and I sat there with Pei Yuanxiu, and I also looked at the scenery outside through the curtain.

Suddenly, the carriage drove past a shop on the side of the street, and I saw a banner waving in the wind in front of me, with a huge word "iron" on it.

I couldn't help but choke on my breath.

Tiejia Money?

Iron Family!

Pei Yuanxiu, who was holding me in his arms, immediately felt my strangeness and looked down at me: "What's wrong?" ”

I paused, almost subconsciously reached out to cover my chest, and after a while I looked up at him and shook my head gently: "It's okay." ”

He smiled and didn't say much, the word "iron" flashed outside the window, and when he looked up again, it had changed to other scenery.

After the carriage entered the main city of Chengdu, the speed became faster and faster, and the people on the avenue seemed to know that it was the Yan family's people and horses who came back, and they all retreated to both sides to get out of the way.

When we stepped out of the carriage, we realized that it was already brightly lit.

The whole main house of the Yan family is the same as the previous Tianmu Temple, all the red pillars, the eaves of the red corridor are wrapped with black and white tulle, and the white flags are hung on both sides of the long steps, which are blown by the wind, and the white flags hunt and fly in the wind, dazzling, as if the snow is falling all over the sky.

The Yan family has also become a landscape with only black and white colors for a while.

I turned around and glanced at Yan Qingchen, who was carried down from the carriage, he also looked up and saw this scene, and simply said: "I have sent a message back, so that they can prepare the second uncle's offering." ”

Yan Qinghan also got off the carriage.

Although the weather was hot now, his tightly wrapped white clothes still looked a little thin, and he staggered a little before he stood firm, and then he also raised his head and looked ahead.

The white flags fluttered in the wind, and they also flew in his eyes.

At that moment, the scene in front of him was reflected in his pale pupils, as if the snow was falling one after another, making a chill rise on his face and eyes.

After being silent for a while, he held Yan Yizhi's spiritual position and slowly walked upward.

Entering the main hall, the mourning hall here has been built, almost the same as the worship of Tianmu Temple, but the mourning hall is larger, more offerings are placed on the table, and countless white flags hang down from the beams of the house, constantly flying in front of us, for a while, also lost our eyes.

And in this white shadow, a figure stood in front of the mourning hall.

It's Xue Qian.

Her hair was still very clean, she was wearing a plain robe, and she was holding a dragon staff in her hand, and when she heard our footsteps, she slowly turned to look at us.

When I saw her front, I subconsciously gasped.

She was much haggard than when we left Chengdu before, her cheeks were deeply sunken, the corners of her eyes were also black, and what surprised me the most was that her temples were dyed with frost!

Yan Qingchen said that she was sick before, but I just knew about it, but I didn't expect that her illness would make her age so badly all of a sudden.

For a while, I stood at the door of the mourning hall, looking at her gray temples, and I was speechless.

And she, after scanning everyone, still fell on me, only glanced at me, her eyebrows immediately wrinkled deeply, and her disgust was undisguised.

As before, at all times.

I accepted her gaze with kindness, and out of the corner of my eye, I also saw her side, with Li Guo and Aunt Hong standing on both sides, and when they saw us coming back, they all immediately brought people up to greet us.

Aunt Hong's eyes were still the same as before, as soon as she saw me, it seemed to be glued to my body, and there was a trace of eagerness in her concerned eyes, as if she wanted to urgently know how I was doing these days and whether I had been hurt in any way. I stood there and only nodded gently at her, signaling that I was okay.

Yan Qingchen's wheelchair had already arrived in front of Xue Qian, and he said softly, "Mother, we're back." ”

Only then did Xue Qian withdraw her gaze from me and look at her son: "Where is your second uncle's spiritual position?" ”

Yan Qingchen glanced back, and at this time, Yan Qinghan slowly walked up from behind with the spiritual position of Zhengjue, walked in front of Xue Qian, and gently bowed to her: "Big lady." ”

As soon as Xue Qian saw him, his face slowly became solemn.

In fact, I have always known that Xue Qian's personality is relatively simple, and like her scheming personality, all her love and hate are not concealed, and they can't be concealed, so even at such an age, sometimes she is still impulsive and willful like a child.

But at this moment, when she saw Yan Qinghan, her expression became complicated.

"Qinghan?"

"Big lady, it's me."

“……”

After saying that, she didn't seem to know what she should say, and she was silent for a while, and her eyes slowly looked at the spiritual position in Yan Qinghan's hand.

Yan Yizhi.

The three words on the spiritual seat, like the temperature of a charcoal fire, burned her eyes at once, and her eyes immediately turned red.

Yan Qingchen said softly: "Mother? ”

Xue Qian raised her head again and looked at Yan Qinghan: "How did Yizhi go?" ”

"I heard from the people in the temple that he passed away during meditation."

"That's ......"

She paused again and looked at the spiritual position: "He's younger than me. But I didn't expect ......"

At this point, she seemed to choke up a little.

I suddenly understood why when I saw her this time, she had suddenly aged so much.

Among her contemporaries, only this little uncle remained, although he had been a monk in Tianmu Temple before, but at least, he was the only person who witnessed her marriage and understood her infatuation with her father all these years.

And now, he's gone, too.

This feeling of loneliness may only be understood by people of their generation, such a person.

Xue Qian choked up again, then lowered her head, hid her eyes that were already full of tears, and gently raised her hand: "Worship your father." ”

"Yes."

After speaking, Li Guo and Aunt Hong also walked in front of him.

The two of them have been in charge of the affairs of the Yan family for many years, and according to their age, I think they also have some understanding of the events of the year, and when Aunt Hong saw Yan Qinghan at this moment, her face was also a little gloomy, and when she saluted him, she was also a little sad: "Young Master Qinghan." ”

Yan Qinghan nodded at her very calmly.

Li Guo also stepped forward, obviously calmer than Aunt Hong, and after bowing his hand, he said, "Young Master Qinghan, please come with me." ”

Waiting for that group of people to serve Yan Qinghan into the mourning hall, Xue Qian looked up, but saw the tall figure behind me, and was stunned: "Fearless? ”

I glanced back, only to see the fearless monk fold his arms and snort coldly.

"What are you doing here?"

It seems that the two of them are a little bit uneasy, fearless and rude to her, and Mrs. Yan's face is quite ugly when she sees him. However, the fearless monk glanced at me, and then he reluctantly snorted coldly and said, "You don't have to be afraid, the Sprinkle family will not beat people this time." The Sprinkle family just followed the eldest lady to avoid being bullied. ”

Old Madam Yan's face was pale, but she didn't have a seizure, she only gritted her teeth and glared at him. Yan Qingchen didn't seem to know much about this matter, but he didn't say much, and after Yan Qinghan finished placing the spiritual position and ashes, and made a big salute, he took us to the side hall on the other side, where a banquet was really ready for us to receive the wind and wash the dust, but because the family was mourning, the dishes on the table were all vegetarian dishes, and they were all colorful, fragrant, but there was no wine.

After a few pleasantries, everyone sat down. As I walked to my seat, I whispered, "Uncle Fearless, who have you beaten?" ”

"Hmph. When that cripple was one year old, I came to beat your father! ”

When Yan Qingchen was one year old......

That's when my mother and I left here and went to live at the foot of the West Mountain.

I didn't say anything more and sat down peacefully. As soon as they sat down, a group of young and beautiful maids came up to prepare food for everyone, and the faint fragrance diffused in the hall and lingered on the nose.

We can be regarded as eating and sleeping on the road on this way, even if we are rich and noble, we can't talk about enjoyment, so this meal is fragrant, and the atmosphere is not warm, but it is also harmonious.

Li'er sat next to me, biting her chopsticks, and saw that there was a vegetarian duck she liked on the table, so she pulled Liu Qinghan's sleeve beside her and whispered, "Third uncle, I want to eat that-"

Before she finished her words, Xue Qian, who was sitting on the main seat, suddenly said in a deep voice: "Eat well." If you don't have hands, someone will serve you and let you pick up some dishes! ”

I was about to open my mouth to reprimand Li'er, but I didn't expect to be preempted by her, and I was stunned.

Li'er couldn't react a little, and looked at her stupidly.

Xue Qian glanced at the two of us again and snorted coldly.

Liu Qinghan was also a little overwhelmed in such an atmosphere, and he didn't move for a while holding the chopsticks. I was silent, reached out and grabbed a piece of vegetarian duck and put it on Li'er's plate, and then said softly: "Grandmother is right, eat well, don't stagger." ”

It was probably the first time that Li'er had been reprimanded in such a large public, and everyone was a little wilted, burying his head in the bowl to eat, and he didn't raise his head.

Xue Qian also glanced at me and didn't say anything more.

The meal was finished in silence.

The sound of the monks chanting and striking the bell had already sounded in the mourning hall, Xue Qian stood up and said to Yan Qinghan: "I know that your father is a monk, and he will definitely not like these false ceremonies and lively, but his business is the business of the Yan family, and naturally many people here in Chengdu will come to mourn, you have to do a good job." ”

Yan Qinghan said softly: "Yes, eldest lady." ”

"And—"

Xue Qian glanced at him, his eyes showed a little embarrassment, he was silent for a while, and said, "You should also remember that you can't enter the inner house." ”

“……”

I turned my head and looked at them in amazement.

Yan Qinghan can't enter the inner house?

Why?!

Seeing her say this, Yan Qinghan didn't seem to be surprised at all, and only nodded calmly: "Qinghan remembers." ”

"Well, so, I won't prepare a guest room for you, you just have to stand guard on the mourning hall."

"Yes, thank you, lady."

After speaking, he covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice, then turned around and walked towards the mourning hall over there.

I stood in place, still a little unable to recover for a while, watching his emaciated back slowly walk towards the mourning hall, although surrounded by his attendants, but the loneliness seemed to emanate from his body, and for a moment I was a little speechless.

Lowering her head and looking at the corner of my skirt, Li'er stood stupidly and looked at the scene in front of her, as if even she felt something, and her little face was full of blank expressions: "Mother, why?" ”

“……”

I also looked at her wordlessly, and then looked at Yan Qinghan's back.

Oh, yes.

Why?

The rest of the time, we were in a bit of a trance.

Although it was already evening when he returned to Chengdu, with the status of the Yan family in Xichuan, the death of the second master of the Yan family, even if he was a monk, would still cause a shock on the side of Xichuan.

As soon as the time passed, a large number of mourners were ushered in on the side of the main house.

I haven't been back for many years, and although Yan Qingchen arranged for me to meet with the patriarchs of several big families before, it was only a small number of people.

And this time, almost all of them came to Chengdu, and even all of Xichuan.

ushered in the send-off, the matter of raising mourning and burning incense was naturally taken care of by Li Guo and Aunt Hong, Yan Qinghan was also very quiet, kneeling alone in front of the spirit to guard filial piety and worship, and did not communicate much with other people, and most people's attention was also on me.

After a few socializing, I was also a little out of strength.

As soon as I turned my head, I saw Xue Qian sitting in a chair next to me, looking at me quietly, and suddenly, I looked back at her, the two of them looked at each other, she immediately frowned, got up and walked back.

I thought about it, explained Aunt Hong's two words, and hurriedly followed.

Out of the brightly lit mourning hall, the inner house behind is very dark, only far away, there are a few lanterns lit under the eaves of the island in the middle of the lake, reflected in the lake, sparkling, it seems a little dreamy, and a little distant.

Xue Qian took a few steps forward in such a dim light.

But soon, with her sensitivity, she also sensed my following, stopped, looked back at me, and said coldly: "What are you doing sneakily?" ”

I was standing on the porch, and I was naturally a little nowhere to hide at the moment.

After thinking about it, he stepped forward gently: "Big lady." ”

Her brow furrowed closer, and she looked at me with unconcealed disgust: "What are you doing?" ”

"I have something I want to ask the eldest lady."

“……”

"I don't have anything to tell you."

With that, she had already turned and left.

I was in a hurry, so I hurriedly walked a few steps to catch up with her, and said, "Why don't you let Yan Qinghan enter the inner house?" ”

“……！”

Xue Qian's footsteps suddenly stagnated.

I stood behind her, looked at her high, perfect bun, the mottled silver threads that could no longer be concealed, gritted my teeth, and said, "Why don't you let him into the house?" ”