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墨書 Inktalez
As he turned back, Xia Muxin happened to run over from the other side. Suddenly, several tall figures strode forward, blocking her petite frame, and just like that, the two brushed past each other.
Xia Muxin reached a stall filled with various seeds and began to examine them closely. Passersby came and went, but none stopped to linger by the stall.
"Child, are you going to buy something?"
The stall owner was a tall, thin old man with a head full of silver hair, dressed in tattered clothes. His hands resembled dry bones, and beside him lay an elderly woman of similar age, who seemed to be struggling for breath.
The old man looked kindly at Xia Muxin, and when he saw her face, there was a fleeting moment of surprise that quickly vanished.
Xia Muxin did not notice the brief change in his expression; instead, she looked up at him earnestly and said, "Grandpa, I don't have any money."
After speaking, she quietly watched the old man, expecting him to show regret or shoo her away. However, his expression remained kind, though his gaze held a hint of deeper meaning.
"But... perhaps I can help cure Grandma's illness."
Seeing this, Xia Muxin felt a sense of relief. Although she wasn't entirely confident, she whispered her offer.
Having followed Shen Muhan for some time now, during her mother's pregnancy, there was a period when he would give her mother injections every day and use various herbs. She had asked many questions during that time and learned a bit. The symptoms Shen Muhan had mentioned before were quite similar to those of the elderly woman. She knew the specific herbs needed; she just wasn't sure if the old man would believe her.
"Haha, child, don’t tease this old man. Countless doctors have come and gone but couldn’t cure her. My wife refuses to stay at home; she says she wants to die in my arms. Our first meeting was marked by such stubbornness. I was just a poor boy running a stall while she was a wealthy young lady. Yet with just one glance, we decided on each other for life... Haha... cough cough cough..."
The old man coughed up a mouthful of blood as he spoke, while the old woman had a faint smile on her lips, yet tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Child, we are bound by fate. May I ask you for a small favor?"
Seeing the blood in his palm, Xia Muxin felt an inexplicable pain in her heart. The blood had a strange odor and was dark in color, clearly indicating poison to anyone with keen eyes. Suddenly, the frail hand slowly reached out and tightly grasped his bloodied hand. Xia Muxin's eyes turned red, and she nodded in response.
"Grandpa, please tell me."
She had witnessed the death of Small's grandparents; their bodies were pulled up hand in hand, never separating even in death. At that time, she had buried them together in one grave.
"Child, gather these things up. Don't underestimate them; they are treasures."
The old man struggled to rise unsteadily. It was then that Xia Muxin noticed the thick straw mat beneath the old woman. She quickly tidied up the items on the ground and slung a small bag over her shoulder. When she saw the old man trying to pull the Grass Rope extending from under the mat to drag the old woman away, she hurried over. Just as she reached out, the old man refused her help.
"Our first encounter was at my hometown. I made this mat for her to sit on. I pulled her from home to the mountain and back again."
The old man walked with great difficulty, each step heavy and labored. Even as veins bulged on his forehead, he still did not allow Xia Muxin to assist him. They walked slowly for nearly an hour until they arrived at a remote mountain area. Looking at the low houses, Xia Muxin felt a surge of emotions.
"Child... this... is... my... hometown."
The old man gasped for breath, too weak to speak further. His bony finger pointed at a desolate area, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Soon... we will be... buried here."
Pointing to a spot not far from their feet, Xia Muxin followed the direction of his finger and saw a vast graveyard through a patch of grass, with the name "Jiang Clan" faintly inscribed on the tombstones.
Her eyes widened suddenly, and she hurriedly said, "Grandpa, you won't die. We will definitely find a way to save you."
At that moment, however, the old man crouched down and sat on the ground, slowly helping the old lady lean against his shoulder while tightly holding her hand.
"Wife's illness is not beyond cure," he said softly. "But I am poisoned, and today is my last day. She has refused treatment all along, holding on just to die with me."
As he spoke, he gently brushed aside the strands of hair that the northern wind had disheveled and patted her hand. Xia Muxin could no longer hold back her tears and covered her mouth as she cried.
"Child, come here..."
After a moment, the old man waved his hand at Xia Muxin again. She quickly wiped her tears and sat down on the ground.
"Remember to carry on the Jiang Clan's legacy and bring honor to our ancestors..."
Suddenly, she felt a chill in her palm as a jade pendant fell into her hand. But this pendant was only half intact. The old man lowered his head, falling silent, while the old lady smiled faintly, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth. In less than a moment, she too had ceased to breathe.
"No, no, Grandpa, Grandma..."
Xia Muxin didn't have time to examine the jade pendant closely before she burst into loud sobs. She couldn't understand why her heart hurt so much—so much that it felt unbearable. The old lady's smile before passing away seemed familiar to her; it was as if she had seen it in a dream before.
Without a coffin, Xia Muxin went to borrow one from the nearby villagers, but no one was willing to help. Everyone seemed numb at the news of death, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. In the end, with no other choice, she began to dig with her hands. Halfway through, heavy rain started pouring down, yet she did not give up. It was only when dawn broke on the third day that she numbly carved the tombstone and used all her strength to move the two bodies into the large pit before finally covering it with soil.
Having gone nearly three days without food, she was utterly exhausted. As she inserted the tombstone into the earth, darkness suddenly enveloped her, and she lost consciousness completely.
“Ah... Lan'er, no! Hurry, run away...”
In her dreams, a large group of people surrounded two young women. One of them held a four or five-year-old girl by the hand. Blood flowed like a river on the ground, and scattered limbs were everywhere. A sorrowful female voice suddenly echoed through the chaos. Xia Muxin wanted to see the woman's face but found herself surrounded by darkness. Slowly, mist began to rise again, and through the haze, two staggering figures approached her. They wore gentle smiles as they looked at Xia Muxin and spoke softly:
“Child, we have searched for most of our lives and have finally found you. Remember to carry on our Jiang Family...” Suddenly, darkness engulfed her once more as the two figures walked away together. Xia Muxin wanted to call them back, to not let them go, but she couldn't make a sound. In an instant, her eyes flew open, and she found herself drenched in sweat.
Before her was an extremely ordinary ceiling.
“Look, it seems like that troublesome fox.”
Suddenly, a bucket of cold water was dumped over her head, soaking Xia Muxin completely. Above her stood an elderly figure with white hair who glared at her coldly while leaning on a cane.
She tried to prop herself up but found herself too weak to do so. Having already been drenched in rain and feeling utterly limp from hunger over the past few days, she felt as if she could barely move.
“Where am I? Who are you?”
She attempted to speak but was startled by how hoarse her voice sounded. It was almost unrecognizable.
"Fortunately, that cunning fox gave birth to a daughter back then; otherwise, with your appearance, you would have been torn to shreds long ago."
The sharp and hostile voice of the old man sent a chill down Xia Muxin's spine. She instinctively reached for her clothing, relieved that her identity as a girl had not been discovered. Quickly, she hid the jade pendant she had been holding; it was clear that these people were targeting her grandfather and grandmother.
"This elder, one's appearance is determined by fate and given by one's parents. If everyone were to be born with a pleasing appearance, would there still be a distinction between beauty and ugliness in this world?"
She blinked a few times, recalling the eerie dream that had raised the hairs on her neck, and spoke softly.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman entered with some food. Although her attire was very ordinary, she exuded an air of nobility. Even the old grandmother seemed no exception. Given the woman's age, she should be about the same as Xia Muxin's mother.
"Hmph, sharp-tongued! Hurry up and eat. Once you're done, leave this place; our village does not welcome outsiders."
The old man shot Xia Muxin a cold glance, tapping his cane and speaking sternly.
Xia Muxin paid little mind to his words. Despite feeling sore all over, her stomach was growling with hunger, as if it were gnawing at her insides. She could have eaten two cows at that moment.
Without hesitation, she threw off the blanket, slipped on her socks, and lunged at the table to devour the food voraciously.
Initially, the old man had doubts about her gender. However, seeing how she ate now convinced him that she was just a boy—and indeed still a child.
- End of Chapter -
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