20demayo Chapter 196
Chapter 196
The scene rotates again, this time showing the woman kneeling upright with her head bowed, a gentle breeze lifting the empty hem of her dress.
The middle-aged couple sat in high positions, the man's face filled with grief, unable to bear looking at the woman kneeling below.
"After I die, I wish to be buried on the top of Qiwu Mountain. I beg my parents to grant my request."
The middle-aged woman looked at her, her fingers trembling slightly, her breathing unsteady.
Do you know... what you're saying?
The woman bent down, her expression solemn, and kowtowed deeply.
"Please grant my request, Father and Mother."
These aristocratic families believed in returning to one's roots; they had to be buried in the clan's ancestral home, otherwise they would be considered wandering ghosts, with no one to worship them.
The middle-aged woman asked in a trembling voice, "Why?"
The woman straightened up, looked up at them, and spoke calmly.
“I have been confined to my house all my life. When I was young, I went to school and studied with the teacher. As I grew up, my health deteriorated and I was forced to stay in my room to recuperate. I never went out to see the world. So I have a wish in my heart that after I die, I will be buried on the top of Qiwu Mountain to see the plants and trees of the world.”
She lived her life methodically, striving to make a name for herself, all for the sake of her mother's praise. But as her health deteriorated, all her previous efforts were in vain. For a long time, she couldn't find meaning in life and wanted to die.
But perhaps heaven took pity on her and let her meet Liu Qishan. He suddenly barged into her world, without any preparation, and fell right in front of her.
She thought, there is such a beautiful and pure person in the world. After they met, he always came to her, begging her to teach him to read and write poetry. He was never like those other people who treated her with utmost respect. It was really boring.
He treated her as a friend, enjoyed chatting with her, telling her what happened that day, what grievances he had suffered, and she listened very attentively to even the most ordinary little things.
She thought that perhaps she was truly unaware of her good fortune, and even longed for the life of ordinary people.
Men face many inconveniences in this world. If she were healthy, she would definitely marry Liu Qishan, even if everyone objected. She would overcome all opposition and marry him, taking good care of him and preventing him from suffering any more grievances, endless chores, or living in fear of being sold to some stranger.
But fate was cruel; she was dying. She couldn't let him become a widow as soon as he entered the family, so she deliberately ignored his affectionate eyes and turned a blind eye to his feelings. She could only do her best to teach him to read and write, to teach him about the dangers of the world, and to teach him as much as she could so that he could live more easily and for longer in this cannibalistic world and not be easily bullied.
She promised him that she would accompany him to Qiwu Mountain to see the maple leaves, and she would bury herself on the top of Qiwu Mountain so that no matter where he went, she could see him and be by his side.
It can also be considered as fulfilling my wish to see all the plants and trees in the world.
However, she was truly unfilial and broke her parents' hearts.
"Wen'er, are you blaming your parents?"
The woman gently shook her head, revealing a faint smile, calm and gentle.
"I only feel ashamed of my parents for raising me, and I have never blamed them."
The middle-aged man walked down the stairs shakily, hugged his daughter, and choked up, saying, "Our Wen'er has been sensible since she was little. It's all your parents' fault for giving birth to you but not giving you a healthy body."
The woman's eyes trembled with tears, "Father..."
"Is it because of the man who secretly took you out a few days ago?"
The woman looked up at her mother without saying a word. As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her mother; with just a glance, her mother knew what her daughter was thinking.
"If you like him, then marry him as your concubine."
"No!"
How could she bear to let him remain a widow for her for the rest of his life, facing that cold, lifeless memorial tablet?
"It was all my wishful thinking. Qishan has no feelings for me. Please, Mother, let him go!"
"I only wish to be buried on the top of Qiwu Mountain, that's all."
The middle-aged man turned to look at his wife, choking back tears as he accused her: "Wen'er has always been the most obedient to you since she was little. She would do whatever you said, wanting only a word of praise from you. But what have you done? You've never even glanced at her. For the past twenty years, she has lived in your shadow, never lived for herself, and never asked anything of us. Now that she's our only child, you won't even grant her her wish?!"
The woman trembled, on the verge of collapse, but she still managed to hold her father's hand and gently shake her head.
The middle-aged woman didn't reply. She just looked at them, her lips pressed tightly together, and finally got up and left, her back view resolute.
Nalan Jingwen clearly saw the glistening tears that silently slid down her cheeks the moment she turned around.
“Your mother has agreed, stop kneeling and get up.”
The woman struggled to her feet, but swayed as soon as she stood up and then fainted.
Nalan Jingwen stood there, watching the scenes flash before his eyes like a fleeting glimpse, his heart aching as if he had personally experienced them.
The scene suddenly shifts, and she is standing outside the courtyard. The sky is painted fiery red by the sunset, and leaves are falling from the trees in the courtyard, covering the ground with a thick layer of withered yellow leaves. The windows are gently blowing in the wind, making a creaking sound, which is particularly abrupt in the silence.
Nalan Jingwen raised his hand, and drops of rain fell into his palm. Although it was not winter, the rain felt bitterly desolate.
The cicadas chirped mournfully, and the wind blew sadly and desolately.
She wondered absently, "Is it autumn already?"
Suddenly, cries erupted from inside the room. A large number of people poured into the courtyard, including familiar faces, all with solemn and sorrowful expressions. They seemed not to see her, passing right through her. She did not dodge, but staggered a few steps, feeling as if a huge hole had been torn in her heart, leaving her feeling empty.
The cries from inside the room grew louder, filled with despair and pain. Even she could feel the sorrow and pain. As if she had already anticipated something, she slowly walked into the room, where a group of people were gathered around the bed.
She couldn't see what was happening inside, but she felt a chill run through her body, and an indescribable emotion spread from her heart to every part of her body.
"Wen'er, wake up! Look at your father!"
"Wen'er! How could you be so heartless, abandoning your parents and leaving them behind! How am I supposed to live with this!"
Nalan Jingwen saw a pale, limp hand fall to the ground. She felt a ringing in her ears, a splitting headache, and her vision began to blur. Countless people passed through her body, all in a hurry. The atmosphere was heavy, and sorrow spread.
A lonely lamp illuminates the long night, a sorrowful emptiness fills the air.
All she could see was vast expanses of white. She seemed oblivious to everything around her as she walked into the mourning hall.
Inside the mourning hall was a coffin, and lying quietly inside was herself.
She didn't know what was happening. Suddenly, a flood of memories rushed into her mind, each scene incredibly familiar. She couldn't explain it, but a voice kept telling her that it was her.
Her mother now kneels before the mourning hall, expressionless, but with red and swollen eyes.
She looked at the dark coffin in front of her, then suddenly smiled gently and reached out to touch it.
"Go to sleep. If you're really tired, then go to sleep. I don't blame you. I know you've done your best."