Every time Yan He went to war, Xia Chengxiu would be waiting for him in the mansion. From one person to two people waiting, what they got in the end was bad news.
In the first year after Yan He left, everyone thought that Xia Chengxiu would wash her face with tears and be sad all day long. However, what she showed was a shocking calmness.
Muxia was well taken care of by her. Lin Shuanghe often came to visit. Xia Chengxiu would still smile and do what she was doing in an orderly manner. Sometimes, when she woke up in the middle of the night, she would subconsciously try to touch the person beside her. It was only when her hand touched the cold mattress that she seemed to realize that the person who had warmed her was no longer there. Eventually, she would slowly fall silent.
In the fifth year after Yan He left, Commander Yan and Madam Yan took the initiative to persuade Xia Chengxiu to remarry. Xia Chengxiu was not old. It was not like there were no widows who remarried in the capital. She was gentle and gentle, and she was also the daughter of Lord Xia. She might have a good family. However, Xia Chengxiu politely declined.
Xia Chengxiu said, "I have Muxia. That is enough."
A new "Singing Jade Hall" was opened in the capital. Xia Chengxiu often went to help. She arranged her life to the fullest and calmly continued her life without Yan He. He Yan often came to talk to her. Xia Chengxiu knew that she was worried about him. However, ever since she was young, she had a personality that did not make people worry. Just like the first time Yan He saw her, she would never let herself be taken advantage of.
Ten years after Yan He left, Mu Xia already had the appearance of a young man. His facial features were similar to Yan He's, but he was more delicate than Yan He. His spear skills were already very good. He Yan and Xiao Jue would come to teach him swordsmanship when they were free. He often provoked Xiao Jue. With a high ponytail and a silver spear in his hand, he said, "Military Governor Xiao, in a few years, you will be defeated by me."
Of course, he ended up being thrown onto a tree by Xiao Jue. However, even though he couldn't beat Xiao Jue, he was able to use the competition as an excuse to get back at Xiao Yao. As the saying goes, "A father's debt must be paid by a daughter."
In the fifteenth year after Yan He left, Muxia found a girl he liked.
The young man was staring blankly at the thing in his hand. When he saw his mother come in, he hurriedly hid the sachet that his sweetheart had given him. Xia Chengxiu smiled and sat down beside him.
"You like this girl very much?" she asked.
Yan Muxia subconsciously retorted, "Who likes her?" His ears quietly turned red.
Xia Chengxiu patted his head and said, "Then remember to treat her better."
The young man pretended to be calm and looked away. With a red face, he said without much confidence, "Hmph."
In the twentieth year after Yan He left, Yan Muxia married the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. It was the girl that he liked when he was fifteen. They gave birth to a daughter named Niao Niao.
Yan Muxia treated Niao Niao and her mother very well. In the past, there was a rumor in the capital that Guide Zhonglang, Yan Nanguang, was a henpecked husband. Now that she saw how Yan Muxia treated his wife and daughter, she realized that he had inherited his father's business.
Niao Niao looked like her mother and was closest to her grandmother, Xia Chengxiu. Her personality was not as arrogant as Yan Muxia's, nor was she as lively as her mother's. Everyone said that she was very similar to Xia Chengxiu in the past. She was gentle, quiet, soft, and strong.
In the twenty-fifth year after Yan He left, Niao Niao, who was five years old, was playing in the fu when she found a cloth bag under her grandfather's old bed.
Yan He's study room had not been touched in all these years. It maintained its original appearance. Xia Chengxiu personally cleaned it every day for more than twenty years. Niao Niao slipped in when she was not paying attention. Niao Niao was small, so she went to the innermost part of the study room and found a treasure wrapped in a red cloth. Niao Niao thought about it and handed the cloth bag to Xia Chengxiu as if it was a treasure.
After so many years, Xia Chengxiu's hand that was holding the red cloth trembled when she saw what Yan He had left behind. She opened the cloth bag. Sunlight came in through the window and made her squint her eyes. After so many years, she was old and her eyes were not as clear as before. She looked at it for a while before she could see clearly that it was a book with the words "Happy Travels" written on it.
The book had been stored for a long time. The pages were all yellowed. Because it was kept in the dark all day long, there was a sense of decay. Niao Niao had already been attracted by the larks outside the courtyard and ran out. Xia Chengxiu's gaze fell on the page for a long time. She finally remembered a certain spring day when she followed her cousin to the Sishui Shoreline to enjoy the flowers and the book was left behind.
At that time, she was only sixteen years old, the best years of her life. It was at that time, in the spring, the kites by the Sishui Shoreline were entangled. The young man cut off the love of the girl opposite him with a knife. He was decisive like an emotionless villain. He turned around and picked up the book she had left behind and treasured it for so many years.
She slowly flipped open the book and was stunned.
Unknowingly, a line of small words had been secretly written on the title page of the book.
"The flowers are deep, the willows are dark. Passing through the willows and flowers, I search for the message. The husband betrays the wife. "
The handwriting was firm and frivolous. It was obvious that it was written by a man. She was not unfamiliar with it. It was Yan He's handwriting.
Time passed quickly. In an instant, she seemed to be able to travel through many years. She saw the frivolous young man in a silver robe with a ponytail sitting in front of the table. He was biting the pen in agitation. He was almost gnashing his teeth as he wrote such a poem full of grievances and complaints on the title page. It was like a resentful woman scolding a heartless man whose heart was as hard as iron.
Who would have thought that Yan He would do such a thing?
Xia Chengxiu was stunned for a moment. Then, she laughed.
The sunlight gently fell on her hair, blurring her white hair. Her smile was like a flower. She was like a sixteen year old girl who was moved for the first time. It was sweet and happy.
That night, she saw Yan He.
He was wearing a new silver robe like many years ago. He stood in front of her with an arrogant and arrogant attitude. She was wearing a light yellow dress. Niao Niao stood in front of him and asked calmly, "Why did you take my book?"
The young man's arrogant expression quickly changed. He panicked. However, he tried his best to maintain his composure. He coughed lightly and said, "I picked it up. It's mine."
"You even scribbled on it." She gently pointed out his bad behavior.
Yan He's face turned even redder. He defended himself, "That's not scribbling …"
"If it's not scribbling, then what is it?"
"It's …" He fidgeted with his ponytail. His tone was a little fierce. However, there was a hint of grievance at the end of his words. "It's what you think it means!"
Xia Chengxiu stared at him without saying a word.
He was like a paper tiger. He asked, "You … Why are you looking at me?"
Xia Chengxiu couldn't help but laugh. Yan He looked at her, not knowing what to do. After a while, he seemed to be touched by Xia Chengxiu's laughter and laughed as well. He hesitantly reached out his hand, wanting to hold Xia Chengxiu's hand …
"Pa —"
The wind blew the window loudly. Xia Chengxiu opened her eyes. Yan He wasn't there. The mattress beside her was empty. She looked at the canopy silently for a while. Then, she slowly sat up and got off the bed barefoot.
It was late at night. The floor was cold.
It was the 25th spring day after Yan He left. She woke up from her dream. She was so sad that she couldn't sleep. She slowly sat on the floor and buried her head in her knees. It was the first time in so many years that she cried silently.
Time passed slowly. A day was also long. However, it passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, a lifetime had passed.
On the 30th year after Yan He left, Xia Chengxiu passed away due to illness.
Her children and grandchildren stayed by her side. This woman was quiet and gentle all her life. She was always calm and gentle. Before she died, she only handed a book to Yan Muxia and asked him to bury her with Yan He.
When the coffin was buried, it was a sunny day. The kites by the Sishui River were all over the sky, and the peonies were in full bloom. It was like a day many years ago when he walked over from the long embankment full of new willows and bent down to pick up the travel notes. But inadvertently, he left behind the joyful thoughts of a young man.
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