Chapter 35

By the time they returned from the snowfield, it was already late at night.

Horsemane Ridge was within the borders of Northern Qi, so it was impossible for them to stay there openly after causing a ruckus. After Xu Buling and Chen Sining returned to the town, the group left Horsemane Ridge.

Before he left, Xu Buring even went out of his way to find the village elders and gave them a sum of money to compensate the families of the commoners whose houses had been smashed.

This was just a small detail that was superfluous, but it could not be overlooked, because this was the difference between heroes and bandits.

Whether it was the Way of the King or the Way of the Chivalrous, one should not build one's revenge on the pain of unrelated people.

If he remembered this, he would be in World of Martial Arts, but if he forgot this, then it would be a completely chaotic world.

After leaving Horsemane Ridge, they headed south, concealing their tracks along the way. They arrived at Fufeng Hill in the wee hours of the morning and found a small restaurant in the town.

Xu Buling made an irresistible offer and bought the courtyard in the backyard. The group of seven stayed there and found a doctor in the town.

After a bitter battle in Horsemane Ridge, Li Hansheng and Zhu Liu were seriously injured and did not even have the strength to speak. They dismounted and went into the room to let the doctor stitch up their wounds. Chen Chong of the Northern Borderline did not contribute much and was only responsible for keeping watch outside.

Although Xu Buling was not injured, he was exhausted. After bidding farewell to Zhu Liu and the others, he walked out of the room.

The backyard of the small restaurant was simple, but it was very clean since it was Lunar New Year's Eve. Smoked meat, sausages, and other New Year goods were hung under the eaves. A slaughtered pig was hung in the kitchen, and a brazier was burning in the yard. Stools and simple food were placed beside it.

Cui Xiaowan was weak and fell asleep halfway through the journey. She had been sent back to her room. Chen Sining and Zhu Manzhi were definitely not in the mood to sleep. They were sitting by the bonfire in the backyard, watching the lights in the side room.

The two little snakes had been freezing for the past few days and could not hibernate, so they curled up beside the brazier to keep warm. Chen Sining was afraid that the snakes would be roasted, so she moved away from them from time to time. The chubby little sparrow did not seem to be afraid of the cold, but it would not suffer if it could warm itself. It curled up in Chen Sining's clothes, revealing only its small head.

Zhu Manzhi was worried about her father's injury and cried all night. Her big eyes were still red. Seeing Xu Buling walking over, she whispered,

"Young Master Xu, are you alright?"

Her voice was soft, filled with grievance and lingering fear. Rather than saying that she was concerned about Xu Buling, it sounded more like she was confiding in her lover.

"Xu Buling sat down in front of Zhu Manzhi, and put his arm around her shoulders.

" Your father has suffered some internal injuries. Although it looks serious, the current Wu Kui's physique is strong, so it won't affect him much. He'll be fine after some rest. It's almost dawn, go back to your room and sleep. "

Chen Sining stayed up all night. She could not talk to the three Jianghu giants, and Man Zhi was depressed, so she could not talk nonsense. Sitting next to them, she was a little flustered.

Chen Sining stayed up with them for the whole night. It was not convenient for her to talk to the three influential figures of the pugilistic world, and Man Zhi was in low spirits, so it was not convenient for her to talk nonsense. She sat by the side and felt a little nervous. "Young Master Xu, you should also rest early. If you need anything, just call me at any time."

"Young Master Xu, you should rest early too. If there's anything you need, just let me know."

"Rest early. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Xu Buring picked up the two sleeping snakes and placed them in the incubator in the room. After saying goodnight, he closed the door from the outside.

The backyard of the restaurant was not big, and there were only three bedrooms in total. Xu Buling was indeed a little sleepy. He wanted to sit by the brazier for the night, but he was a little worried about Xiaowan's body. After thinking about it, he walked into the room on the west side.

The small room on the west side was the room of the restaurant manager's daughter. It was not big, and there was only a small bed with some things that ordinary girls liked. The door was opened, and the light had been extinguished. There was a faint fragrance in the air.

Next to the embroidery bed in the inner side, a woman's dress was neatly folded on the stool. It was square like a piece of tofu, which was very Cui Xiaowan's style. Even the fox coat was meticulously hung on the shelf.

Xu Buring quietly walked to the side of the bed and lifted the curtains to take a look.

Between the curtains, Cui Xiaowan was not asleep. She might have already woken up. Lying on her side on the pillow, she stared at Xu Buling with a bit of luster in her eyes.

"Why are you still awake?"

"I can't sleep. I'm worried about you."

Her voice was sweet, but it was not too mushy. She just said what was in her heart.

Xu Buling smiled, sat down next to the quilt, and raised his hand to touch Cui Xiaowan's forehead.

Cui Xiaowan did not dodge. She raised her hand and lifted the quilt a little, revealing the light blue undergarment below. The snow-white arc was faintly discernible, and the scenery was particularly attractive. She patted the quilt in front of her.

"I'm warm now. You can sleep here."

"..."

Xu Buling took a light breath and turned to look at the opposite side, feeling a little guilty.

After all, his two fathers-in-law were still lying across the yard. They were both masters at the supreme power level, and their six senses were not much worse than his.

Cui Xiaowan could see what Xu Buling was worried about, so she did not say anything. She just hooked her slender fingers and her eyes flashed, which obviously meant "don't make a sound".

Xu Buling hesitated for a moment. In the end, he could not resist Cui Xiaowan's seduction. He untied his outer robe and carefully lay down in the quilt.

Cui Xiaowan warmed him for half the night. The quilt was very warm, and there was a light and soft big thermos beside him. It was really enjoyable. It was so comfortable that Xu Buling even felt a little guilty.

Although Cui Xiaowan did not say anything on the way, she was worried about Xu Buling's safety. She raised her hand and went around to the other side of Xu Buling. She tucked the quilt tighter and pressed the undergarment on Xu Buling's chest.

"..."

Xu Buling blinked his eyes. He was quite sleepy just now, but for some reason, he began to be full of energy now. He felt that he could fight with Zuo Qingqiu for another three hundred rounds without being tired.

Her soft breath sprayed on his neck, and her silky hair rubbed against his cheeks. Xu Buling moved his fingers and whispered,

"Wanwan, you... don't do this."

？？

Cui Xiaowan did not deliberately seduce Xu Buling. She was just a natural beauty. She lay down again, touched Xu Buling's right hand that was holding the gauze, and whispered softly in his ear,

"What Wanwan? It's so unpleasant. You're not even as good as Little White. Does your hand still hurt? "

Xu Buling did not even know how to feel tired, not to mention pain. He gently rubbed "Little White" with the back of his hand, and his breathing was fast and slow.

"It doesn't hurt, but if it goes on like this, I will probably go crazy."

"Relax."

Cui Xiaowan held Xu Buling's arm, stared at his side profile, and thought for a moment,

"I don't like fighting and killing. People die in the blink of an eye. If you often walk by the river, how can you not get your shoes wet? I'm afraid that something will happen to you in the future. Mother, me, Hong Luan, and the others only have you in our hearts. You are hurt. You are not afraid of pain, but the pain is in our hearts, do you know? "

There was a hint of lecturing in her soft words. Maybe a wife would say this to an injured husband. But no matter how old-fashioned the words were, the thousands of feelings in them still touched people's hearts.

Xu Buling shook his head, "I don't want to fight and kill either. Sometimes I can't help sitting in this position until things are done."

As he spoke, Xu Buling's fingers moved slightly, and he sneaked in from the edge of his pants.

Cui Xiaowan narrowed her eyes slightly and let out a faint murmur, but she did not move. She just stared at the side of Xu Buling's face,

"If there's no other way, then think of a way. Anyway, you can't die..."

Her words only lasted for two sentences before she weakened. Perhaps it was because of the unprecedented discomfort in her body that Cui Xiaowan could not speak.

Xu Buling's fingers sank into the smooth and clean skin, and his heart beat faster. He tilted his head to look at her watery eyes and said softly,

"Is it very uncomfortable?"

"You still have the nerve to ask... You'd better touch my conscience and speak."

"My arms are a little sore, and it's not convenient to lift them up. That's it."

"..."

Cui Xiaowan pursed her lips and did not speak anymore. She closed her eyes and leaned on Xu Buling's shoulder.

After a moment of silence, Xu Buling did not stop. Cui Xiaowan thought for a moment, then raised her slender hand and fumbled under the quilt.

"Wanwan, what are you doing?"

"Don't call me Wanwan, it's so unpleasant. You can touch it, but I can't? "

"Touch it, touch it... Hiss... Pull out the weeds? ... "

...

After a long time, Xu Buling surrendered first.

After going back and forth for half a day, in the end, Xu Buring was the first to surrender.

Xu Buling got up after a short nap. He sat cross-legged next to the almost extinguished brazier to recuperate. The gauze on his right hand was soaked, and he even changed a new one.

Xu Buring closed his eyes for a while before getting up. He sat cross-legged beside the almost extinguished brazier to recuperate. The gauze on his right hand was completely soaked, and he even changed it into a new one.

Chen Sining and Man Zhi were not sleepy at all. When they saw him get up, they also got up and ran to the kitchen to make the reunion dinner. He could faintly hear their whispers.

"Man Zhi, what are we cooking?"

"I want to make noodles."

"Me too. We can't find river snails next to the prairie. Don't you know how to stew tortoises? I saw a few tortoises over there... "

"Don't mention tortoises. If my father hears it, he will laugh at me..."

"When we came out of seclusion last time, I saw your father. I didn't know him at that time. He must know about the tortoises you said can't fall off. "

"Ah?!"

...

They chattered. They were afraid of waking up the wounded, so they kept their voices low, but they never stopped talking.

Xu Buling's hand was injured, so he could not go to the kitchen to help. He just sat next to the brazier and listened to the two girls chatting.

After sitting in the yard for a long time, it was afternoon, and the smell of food came from the kitchen.

There was a noise in the next room, and then the door opened. Li Hansheng and Zhu Liu, who had rested for a long time, came out one after another.

As the two strongest martial artists of this era, their tolerance for pain had almost reached an exaggerated level. Li Hansheng had changed into a clean scholar's robe, and his hair was neatly combed. Apart from his slightly pale face, he looked no different from an ordinary middle-aged scholar. It was impossible to tell that he had been stabbed in the stomach last night and suffered serious internal injuries.

Zhu Liu was almost the same. He even had a gentle smile on his face, and his right hand was clamped on the bamboo board and hung it around his neck. He looked a little disheveled.

Xu Buring stood up, raised his hand, and bowed.

"Seniors, you don't have to stand up. This place is far from Horsemane Ridge, and Northern Qi won't be able to find us in a short time."

Li Hansheng's expression was gloomy, and it was hard to read his expression. He shook his head and said, "I won't die.

It doesn't matter if I rest or not. Now that the alliance between Dong Yue and Northern Qi has been ruined, and the King Wu has received the news, he will definitely not use the people of Eagle Striking Tower. I have to go back and take charge of the situation as soon as possible. "

Li Hansheng's Eagle Striking Tower had gathered a rebel army during the chaos of war. Although it was just an ordinary peasant army, and not even fully equipped with armor, it was still a force to be reckoned with.

Before coming to Northern Qi, Li Hansheng had already arranged an escape route. After the alliance between the two countries was ruined, the rebel army would rise up again and scatter into the mountains to disrupt the rear of the Four Eastern Kings.

A group of dragons could not be without a leader. As the master of Eagle Striking Tower, Li Hansheng definitely had to go back and hold the fort.

However, the battle had just ended last night, and it would be too hasty to rush back today.

Zhu Liu shook his head and glanced at his daughter, who was busy in the kitchen.

"It will take some time for the news to reach Jiangnan. It's the New Year today, so there's no need to rush."

Xu Buling also nodded. "Sharpening the axe will not delay the work of cutting firewood. It will be safer to leave after you recover."

Seeing this, Li Hansheng did not refuse.

Chen Chong of the Northern Frontier had been standing outside for the whole night. Seeing that his eldest and second brothers had woken up, he walked in with his spear.

Having worked together in Eagle Striking Tower for so long, the three of them had long become brothers. Chen Chong was also a natural chatterbox. Not only did he not say any words of concern, he even began to ridicule them from afar.

"See, last time at Bodhi Island, I already said that swordsmen are useless except for looking good. Old Li is even more infuriating when he fights bare-handed. Isn't it true now? After the fight, Little Xu and I, the two spearmen, are completely fine. You two are not good with weapons and were beaten half to death. You should have listened to me and switched to spear training. "

Li Hansheng was a man of few words and basically ignored Chen Chong.

Zhu Liu, on the other hand, was more experienced and mocked him on the spot.

"So what if Old Li and I are not good with weapons? When we are about to be beaten to death, a son-in-law will come to our rescue. You don't have such luck. When you die, you won't even have someone to burn joss paper for you. "

"Heh —"

Faced with Zhu Liu's unethical hammering technique, Chen Chong was instantly enraged.

"What do you know? This is called 'passing through a thicket of flowers without a single leaf touching me'. How can a man of the pugilistic world be called a man of the pugilistic world if he has worries? Besides, your daughter hasn't even married yet, and you're already calling him son-in-law. Don't you have any shame? Isn't that right, Manzhi? "

In the kitchen, Zhu Manzhi's face was completely red. She was about to crawl into the hole in the stove. She was too embarrassed to reply.

She could only shout in embarrassment, "Father, if you haven't recovered, go back and lie down. Don't talk so much."

"Look at how much your daughter despises you."

"It's still better than nothing."

…

After a moment of quarreling, the atmosphere gradually livened up. There was a hint of the festive atmosphere.

Due to his seniority, Xu Buling did not want to joke around with his elders. He went to the front hall and tidied up the tables and chairs. After a while, the dishes were ready.

Chen Sining and Manzhi served the sumptuous dishes. There was fish and meat all over the table. Naturally, there was no shortage of good wine.

The seven sat around the table. Be it in terms of seniority or martial arts, Li Hansheng was the eldest, so he naturally sat at the head of the table. Chen Chong sat beside him. Manzhi sat beside Zhu Liu, while Chen Sining and Cui Xiaowan sat beside Xu Buling.

The festive season of the new year was supposed to be a time for close family members to reunite. Most of the people at the table were wanderers of the pugilistic world. At this moment, everyone's reactions were different.

Xu Buling was naturally thinking about the ship. When he poured wine for the elders, he would glance to the south.

Chen Sining had not spent much time with her parents since she was young. The festive season had always been spent at various kinds of ceremonies in the Imperial City. It was probably her first time sitting together and having a festive meal like this.

Cui Xiaowan preferred Xian'er. With Xu Buling by her side, every day was like the new year to her, so she did not have any special feelings.

Zhu Manzhi displayed a never before seen obediently. After all, her fiancé was sitting with her father, and her mother was not by her side. She must be nervous and embarrassed.

Of everyone present, the loneliest was probably Li Hansheng.

The last time the whole family had celebrated the new year together was probably more than ten years ago. Li Hansheng had long forgotten that feeling and did not dare to recall it. The festive atmosphere of the New Year caused Li Hansheng to be absent-minded, which was rare for him.

Chen Chong of the Northern Frontier was an extrovert and liked to make friends. He could be considered the purest pugilistic person of the pugilistic world. Seeing that the atmosphere was not harmonious enough, he even cracked a joke.

"Old Zhu, to be honest, I am a little envious of you. With Little Xu's qualifications, if I had a daughter, I would definitely send her to his family."

Zhu Liu raised his wine cup with his left hand and took a sip.

"A pity you don't have one. Besides, with your looks, even if you have a daughter, she might not be able to catch your eye. "

Chen Chong waved his hand. He could not be bothered to argue with this swordsman who was so good at swordsmanship that he turned to look at Chen Sining.

"Miss, your surname is also Chen. We were family five hundred years ago, and I am older than you, so I can still be considered half an elder. How about this, you acknowledge me as your master, and if Xu Buling dares to mistreat you in the future, I will help you. If I can't, I have my brothers by my side. The three of us together will definitely not be a problem."

Chen Chong was a true martial prodigy of the current generation, the Spear God of the Northern Frontier. In terms of spear techniques, he would have no problem teaching Xu Buling. To be honest, accepting Chen Sining as a disciple was Chen Sining's fortune.

It was nothing much for Chen Sining to acknowledge Chen Chong as her master, but Chen Chong's words clearly did not mean that he wanted to accept her as a disciple.

What did he mean by 'if Xu Buling mistreat you in the future'?

Chen Sining's expression stiffened, and she felt slightly awkward. She sat further away from Xu Buling and smiled sheepishly.

"Senior Chen, you misunderstand. Young Master Xu and I are just friends in the pugilistic world."

"Is that so?"

Chen Chong did not believe her at all.

Xu Buling also felt a little embarrassed, so he raised his cup and interrupted.

"This is the end of the year. Allow me to offer a toast to the three seniors."

Chen Sining quickly raised her cup as well. "That's right, let's drink."

"Hehe …"

The three heroes of the pugilistic world had seen all kinds of situations, and they knew each other well. Without saying anything, they raised their cups and drained them in one gulp. Then, they began talking about auspicious words for the new year …

…

On the eve of the new year, the north and the south were filled with joy.

On the shore of Dongting Lake, lanterns were hung on a ship. The maids were watching the lantern show from the deck, and the sound of laughter filled the entire ship.

The reunion dinner had just ended. Xu Buling was not there, and the girls were not in the mood to go shopping. They set up tables in the hall and divided themselves into two groups to play mahjong.

Xiao Xiang'er was wearing a bright red dress. She rested her face on her hand and looked a little absent-minded. She obviously missed her stinky brother. She looked to the north from time to time, and even played mahjong in a mess.

Xiao Qi was sitting next to her sister, and she felt very uncomfortable because of her sister's random beating. She could not help but frown, took out a golden quail egg, and put it in Xiao Xiang'er's hand.

"Xiang'er, if you can't hold it anymore, go back to your room and sleep. Come out when you're done. Don't mess with me here."

Xiao Xiang'er came back to her senses and looked down at the object in her hand. Her apricot-like eyes showed a little embarrassment, and she threw it back.

"Who can't hold it anymore? Do you think I'm Hongluan? "

？？

Lu Hongluan, who was sitting across from her, was happily collecting money. When she heard this, she immediately became unhappy.

"Damn you, Xiang'er. How can you speak so carelessly? Everyone on the ship knows that you miss Ling'er the most. You almost sneak out to look for him. "

Xiao Xiang'er did miss Xu Buling, but in front of her sisters, she would be laughed at if she showed it too obviously. She still snorted.

"I'm worried about Xiaowan. Xu Buling is so careless. What if he can't take good care of you?"

Ning Yuhe sat on the left. Because Xiaowan had helped her before, he was actually quite worried about her. She thought for a moment and said,

"Although Ling'er is a man, he treats women very carefully. He should be able to take good care of them."

"That's right. My husband treats all women meticulously, even his own master. He takes good care of them from the beginning to the end."

"Damn you, what's wrong with you?"

"What? You dare to do it, but you don't dare to let others talk about it? We are all sisters here. What's there to be embarrassed about? "

Zhong Li Jiujiu sat at the next table with the three girls. At this time, she was still angry that Ning Yuhe had driven her here, and her words were full of sarcasm.

Zhongli Chuchu understood these dirty words. Her master was so careless that she, as his disciple, felt a little embarrassed. She frowned and said,

"Master, don't talk so much. How can you say such things in public?"

Ning Qing Ye's expression was cold. She was still upset about Chu Chu's bad idea that she was "forced to participate". At this time, she said,

"Don't criticize each other. You are all the same."

Song Yufu sat next to Qing Ye. Seeing that they were about to quarrel again, she quickly changed the topic.

"Oh, that's right. Did you bring back another girl this time?"

As soon as she said this, the hall instantly became quiet.

Therefore, the girls looked at each other with strange expressions. Obviously, they were a little doubtful about Xu Buling's promise.

Xiao Qi thought for a moment and said, "I don't think so. If he brings another girl back, I won't let him sleep with Xiang Er."

？？

Xiao Xiang Er was a little doubtful at first. Hearing this, she was instantly annoyed.

"Why? You are my sister. How can you say something like that? "

The other girls wanted to laugh but dared not. It was very uncomfortable to hold it in.

Lu Hongluan shook her head. She wanted to say something else, but for some reason, she frowned and suddenly covered her mouth with her hand.

Ning Yuhe felt that something was wrong. He quickly sat a little closer and asked softly,

"Sister Hongluan, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well? "

Lu Hongluan blinked and blushed. She was a little at a loss.

Zhong Li Jiujiu felt that something was wrong. She stood up and held Lu Hongluan's wrist. After a careful examination, she suddenly looked surprised.

"Hey! I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant... "

As soon as the words came out, the girls in the hall suddenly became noisy. They were no longer in the mood to play mahjong. They all ran to the front and formed a circle, chattering and asking questions.

Xiao Xiang Er was the most excited. She stood up and ran to hold Lu Hongluan's wrist. After confirming that there was no mistake, she said in surprise,

"Hongluan, how did you... get hit by it?"

Xiao Qi raised her hand and pinched Xiang Er's waist. "What hit by it? Don't talk nonsense. "

But Xiao Qi was not surprised by Xiang Er's words. In the past, when Xiang Er was the Empress Dowager in the palace, she had to consider the pregnancy when she detoxified the poison for Xu Buling. If she was hit by it, the pregnant Empress Dowager would definitely be torn into pieces.

To ensure safety, when Xiang Er detoxified the poison, she used the secret method passed down by the Xiao family as a precaution. Later, even after they got married, they didn't have children so early in order to enjoy the time when they were in love. The main reason was that Xiang Er was afraid of pain and didn't dare to be the first to do it without someone taking the lead.

Lu Hongluan was obviously a little confused. She touched her belly and said weakly,

"Well... the last time Ling'er came back, I was with him... I said I was thirty years old and wanted to give it a try, but... I didn't expect..."

"Okay, okay, this is a happy event. There's no need to explain. Go and lie down. Someone!"

Seeing that the girls surrounded Lu Hongluan, Xiao Qi was also a little confused. She raised her hand and called for a nurse to send Lu Hongluan back to her room.

Then, the ship was in an uproar. So when the girls gathered together, the topic changed rapidly.

"Hongluan took the lead. Sister, should you..."

"We have to die together … No, we have to be conceived together …"

"Let Yu Fu go first. She's the most obedient."

"Ah?"

...

"What should I call the child? Xu Xian? Xu Caichen? "

"What a mess..."

...

"If it's a girl, there's no one in this world who matches her family background. It's a little troublesome..."

"If it's a boy, all the five families have been married by Xu Buling. Only the Wang and Li families are left. Hurry up and tell Xu Buling not to bring the daughters of the Wang and Li families back..."

...

...

Where there is joy, there is sorrow. Where there is life, there is death.

Under the sky, happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, and the cycle of life and death are playing out all the time.

While people on the ship were looking forward to a new life, in Autumn Wind Town thousands of miles away, the wind and snow outside the Great Wall became more desolate.

There were no caravans at the end of the year. There were fewer people in Autumn Wind Town. Most of the shops were closed, leaving only frost and snow on the streets.

The small teahouse in the middle of the street was still open. The white-haired old woman was still sitting by the stove, looking at the flying snow outside aimlessly.

She was still opening the teahouse on New Year's Eve, not to earn more money for tea, nor to wait for someone. She simply wanted to sit here until the day she died of old age.

Everyone had a time when they were young, a time that belonged to them, a time that belonged to them.

No matter how old an old woman was, she was still a girl in her prime. She would also love passionately, be heartbroken, hate irreconcilable, and miss others.

After experiencing the vanity of the world, tasting all kinds of joys and sorrows, seeing through all of this, calming down and becoming calm, this life would be over.

And Autumn Wind Town was the place where all of this began.

That year, the old woman walked here and met the team that came to welcome her.

The leader of the team was a gentle young man. He was incomparably cold and serious, but he gave people an incomparable sense of security, better than any man on the grassland.

At that time, she lifted the curtain and peeked at him, and he also turned his head.

It was this look that changed everything.

The old woman had also regretted lifting the curtain to take a look at that scene.

But after watching people for a long time, she realized that the world was like this. If she was destined to lift the curtain, then even if she had to do it a hundred times, she would still lift the curtain, and that person would also turn his head. No matter how she thought about it, it could not be changed.

Everything began here, and it should also end here.

The old woman sat in the teahouse for twenty years, waiting for the day she closed her eyes. But for some reason, this day did not come.

Perhaps there was still something in her heart.

Tap — — Tap — —

The footsteps came closer and closer until they stopped outside the teahouse.

Snow swirled on the street. A shepherd wearing a sheepskin coat stood outside with his hands clasped behind his back. His figure was still tall and straight, but his face was so old that it could not be seen.

The old woman was the same.

But this did not prevent them from recognizing each other at first glance.

For decades, the two of them had imagined the scene of their reunion. Some were hysterical, some were speechless. But when they were about to die, they found that their reunion was just a sentence:

"You're here?"

"Yes."

The old woman stood up, picked up the teapot, and poured two bowls of tea.

The shepherd stood outside the teahouse and looked around, then slowly walked into the teahouse. He sat down at the table, picked up the hot tea, and took a sip. Then, he looked at the reflection in the tea, a little lost in thought.

The old woman put down the teapot, sat opposite him, and carefully looked at him.

"Why are you so old? Have you eaten?"

"No, I can't eat anymore."

The shepherd put down the teacup, looked up, and their eyes met.

People might grow old, but their eyes would not.

"It's too late to say anything. It's my fault. I let you down, and I can only repay you in my next life. "

"It's just that our lives are not good. It's not your fault. If there's a next life, let's be two horses on the grassland. That way, we'll have more freedom."

"Haha …"

The shepherd picked up the hot tea and took a sip. It tasted bitter, but who knew how many years he had been thinking about it.

Outside the window, the wind and snow were blowing, and the world was silent.

The two old men in their twilight years sat facing each other at the table, no longer speaking, only looking at each other.

Then, one of them could not take it anymore. He laid down on the tea table and fell asleep first.

The other also laid down on the table, held the other's hand, and closed his eyes, which no longer had any worries.

The cycle of life and death was unavoidable, but if one understood the word 'love', it could not be considered as living in vain, even if one only understood it before death.

But if one had the chance, cherishing the person in front of them was far more valuable than gaining enlightenment before death …