Chapter 46#

The Flower Blooms, but the Year is Not Remembered, Ending Two: Comedy Version#

Ending Two: Comedy Ending

In the following days, Hua Qianjue had asked the young man if he wanted to return to Mount Wanxiang. Hua Jinian thought for a long time before saying softly, “What’s the point of going back? Every blade of grass, every tree, every tile, and every stone there is carved into my heart. I can see them at any time. What I want to do most right now is to make up for the mistakes I’ve made.”

Hua Qianjue smiled dismissively; he knew what Hua Jinian was talking about. At the edge of the silvery-white reed field outside the post station, there were two small grave mounds. Because that fool had insisted on digging the graves with his own hands, they looked somewhat unsatisfactory. Moreover, the two people buried there had too many grievances in life, so their names could not even be left on the tombstones, making it look extremely bleak. However, the two graves were nestled closely together, which barely made up for the desolation.

The bare land next to the graves was also planted with seeds of silver ragwort. It was expected that this place would become a splendid silvery-white expanse in the future. Hua Jinian’s energy was always quickly depleted. He would often stop in a daze to wipe the sweat that was about to fall into his eyes. Whenever this happened, Hua Qianjue would pat the young man’s head lightly but would not stop him. Only after Hua Jinian had finished everything, and the graves were filled with offerings of fruits, tributes, and incense, did Hua Qianjue embrace the exhausted person.

Hua Qianjue had originally intended to take him to see all the beautiful scenery, but seeing him insist on being trapped here, he accompanied him without comment. Hua Jinian did not dare to close his eyes, greedily admiring the man’s handsome and perfect features. After a long time, he said, “I want to offer incense to them alone. Can you go back and wait for me?”

Hua Qianjue raised his eyebrows and smiled, pulling the silk ribbon that tied Hua Jinian’s hair. He gave it a light kiss and said in a low voice, “Don’t make me wait too long.”

Hua Jinian snorted and pulled the hair ribbon back from his palm. The two of them looked at each other amidst laughter and scolding, and both felt a suffocating discomfort. Hua Jinian clenched his fists tightly to suppress the desire to throw himself into the man’s arms and cry, and slowly turned around.

Hua Jinian waited for a while and found that the man had really gone far away. Then he lit three tall incense sticks with a flint, knelt before the graves, and kowtowed three times, carefully inserting them into the incense burner. He was stunned for a long time before saying, “Uncle Wu, Sister Su, Jinian has thought about many things these past few days. My whole life has been a muddle. I’ve been a perfectionist with myself and always demanding of others. I always wanted to distinguish between kindness and hatred, trying hard to repay kindness and desperately seeking revenge, but I ended up making enemies everywhere. I did things according to my own likes and dislikes, and after working so hard for so long, I found that the truth was so far away from me. The path I walked was all wrong.”

“Only at this time, when I quietly think about everything, do I realize that everyone has been so good to Jinian. If there really is a Yellow Spring, Jinian will definitely apologize to uncle and sister in the underworld.” As Hua Jinian spoke, he kowtowed to the graves a few more times. The world before his eyes gradually began to shake. He wanted to stand up, but he swayed and knelt down again. Hua Jinian remembered the gentle smile on that person’s lips and gasped for breath with difficulty. After a long time, he squeezed out a few words from his throat: “But not now…” He wanted to hold on to something to stand up straight, but he couldn’t find anything, so he fell to the ground in a sorry state. The beautiful reeds rippled like waves.

He tried his best to open his eyes, but he could only see a patch of unshaded azure. But after closing his eyes, there were many gentle shadows. In his blurred vision, he saw Tianxiang holding a warm palace lantern in the night, standing under the eaves with a smile, waiting for him to come back. He saw that group of people, seeking peace and quiet, occupying his Zhaohua Pavilion again. Su Meiniang, in a big red dress, was half-lying on his bed, playing drinking games with Wu Qiuping. His master was next to them, frowning and calculating with his usual small abacus. On the floor was the forty-first jar of Nu’er Hong he had collected, which had been broken. The group of young girls outside the window were still clapping their hands and singing. The leaves were rustling in the wind. He was still wearing the jade pendant on his chest. The young man in green still had that calculating smile on his lips. It was not until he got closer that they each extended a hand and high-fived. The abbot was also playing a solo game of Go in the mountain pavilion, holding black in one hand and white in the other. It was the five hundred and eighty-first draw game, and his face was serene. Six or seven sparrows were chirping at his feet.

──“Don’t make me wait too long.”

Even in such a happy dream, he didn’t dare to fall asleep. He wanted to live. Hua Jinian struggled with his last bit of strength, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to live until they were both old and tired of each other, and could still watch the flowers bloom and fade together. His hand reached out to the air, and someone held it. He saw the gentle curve of that person’s lips.

“Fortunately, I was worried after all,” Hua Qianjue thought. “I knew this rebellious son likes to break promises the most.” He picked up the person in his arms. He said in Hua Jinian’s ear, “You are not allowed to die. We are not allowed to give up. I have already decided. If I can’t even give you this life, how can I make you willingly accompany me for a longer time.”

Halfway up the mountain.

Pushing aside the vines, a natural cave was revealed. The colorful crystals reflected the light, making the whole cave look like a dream. Geng Yong was carrying an eight or nine-year-old boy on his shoulders, who was chewing on a string of candied haws and constantly calling out to Geng Yong, “Dad, Dad, why did we have to come here as soon as we met? Why don’t we go see Mom? Ah Qing just came out of that damn manor and misses Mom.”

Geng Yong carried his son on his back and said with a wry smile, “Qing’er, don’t be naughty. Do you still remember the big brother who always played hide-and-seek with you? We have to find him now.” As he spoke, he fumbled on the stone wall for a long time, as if he had found something. He took out the mountain-opening axe from his waist and struck it down, revealing countless jars and pots stacked behind the stone wall.

Geng Yong was relieved to see that these jars were intact. Fortunately, he had thought of swapping these ridiculously expensive things, otherwise, not only would he not have been able to exchange them for his son’s safety, but he would also have harmed the young master… Fortunately, there was still a chance to apologize. The boy seemed to have remembered playing with the big brother in his childhood and became more and more excited and noisy, waving his arms and urging Geng Yong to hurry up. Geng Yong reluctantly moved out two jars of Ninghua Dew, carrying his son on one shoulder and the medicine jar on the other, and strode down the mountain.

The mountain was full of blooming flowers.

END