Three Springs

This fish soup was simmered for a long time; Yang Yanzhen put a lot of care into it.

Xingda and Simucheng sat together on the threshold of the gate, their chins propped up in the same way. Xingda was full of curiosity: "Big brother, why did you lie to Mom?"

Si Mucheng felt no remorse for leading the children in telling lies. He pointed out, "How can you call it 'deceiving'? It's called being flexible, a strategy. Besides, this is indeed helping your mother. Don't worry, your mother will feel much better after today."

The tall, thin ghostly figure behind them also looked at the kitchen. Hearing Si Mucheng's words, "he" was somewhat moved, and his lips moved slightly: "...Big brother, thank you."

Si Mucheng didn't turn around, but raised his hand and made an "OK" sign behind him.

Wen Ya stood in the front yard gazing at the distant scenery. Wen Xiaofeng strolled leisurely beside her. Si Mucheng turned his head slightly, and upon seeing Wen Ya's back, the smile on his face faded. Since arriving here, Wen Ya had been spacing out more and more often. Si Mucheng knew she was worried, but there was really no other way now. The only thing he could do was to put her mind at ease.

Si Mucheng approached Wen Ya: "What are you looking at?"

Wen Ya snapped out of her daze: "Is it done?"

"What, fish soup? We don't have any yet." Si Mucheng laughed. "What do you think of my idea?"

Wen Ya uttered a single word: "Stale."

Si Mucheng was overjoyed: "But as it turns out, the bad idea was still useful!"

Wen Ya turned to look at Xing Wang, and after a moment said, "His obsession has dissipated. In fact, he... didn't necessarily want that bowl of fish soup."

Si Mucheng looked over and saw Xingwang's prosperous appearance, and felt a little sorry for him.

He was simply trying to confirm his mother's love for him.

The fish soup was served, and everyone sat down at the table.

Yang Yanzhen's eyes were still red, but she still smiled and greeted Si Mucheng and Wen Ya: "Hurry up and eat. Lunch is a little late today, please don't mind."

When Xingda's grandmother saw the bowl of fish soup, her sickly face scrunched up: "Why did you make fish soup today?"

Yang Yanzhen's eyes welled up with tears: "Mom, Xingwang appeared in Xingda's dream and said he wanted to drink fish soup. That child still holds a grudge against me..."

Hearing this, Xingda's grandmother looked at him suspiciously. Xingda, following Si Mucheng's instructions, nodded firmly. His grandmother then fell silent.

Xingda looked at his mother again and said seriously, "Mom, my brother told me that he has never blamed you."

Yang Yanzhen's hand holding the chopsticks paused, and suddenly, tears rolled down her cheeks. With trembling hands, she scooped up a bowl of fish soup and placed it in front of Xingwang's portrait on the altar.

The black-and-white photo shows Xingwang with a gloomy expression and little smile. Xingwang didn't leave behind many images; he didn't like having his picture taken after Xingda was born. This photo was cropped from a family portrait. The family portrait was taken the year Xingda was born; Xingwang refused to have a solo photo taken, so even then, there wasn't a single picture of him.

Yang Yanzhen stared blankly at the photo and said softly, "Xingwang, look, Mom made fish soup especially for you."

She wanted to say something more, but the words wouldn't come out.

The mother and son said so much, but it was all angry attacks. They hadn't been able to have a proper conversation for a very long time.

Yang Yanzhen always remembered Xingwang as a child, small, talkative, and always calling out "Mommy, Mommy." She once thought she could hold his hand and walk with him for a very, very long time. But that day never came, and it never will.

The meal was extremely dull.

It seemed that apart from Xingda, who was finally eating fish again after a year, no one had much of an appetite. Perhaps because there were guests present, Yang Yanzhen forced herself to stay awake until everything was cleaned up, and then she forced a smile and said to Si Muchengwenya, "Please make yourselves at home... I'm going inside to rest..." After saying that, she fled into the house, and after a while, the sound of sobbing, which was deliberately suppressed, could be heard from inside.

Si Mucheng felt a pang of discomfort at the noise. His idea was indeed terrible—scheming against a mother who had lost her child. Looking back, he felt utterly inhuman. But some knots in the heart are like festering sores; if they aren't untied, they'll never heal.

He glanced back one last time; the bowl of fish soup, unique to Xingwang, was still on the altar, long since cold.

Light leaked in from outside, and dust motes floated in. Si Mucheng turned his head and stepped out of the threshold.

Five-year-old Xingda was still a child who needed to take a nap. Si Mucheng, who had been pestered all morning, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't a good thing that the child had too much energy; he couldn't keep up.

Xingwang obediently followed Wenya, but seemed to have something on his mind—his obsession had dissipated, yet he still had something on his mind, which was quite rare.

Wen Ya was completely oblivious to her current state, but Si Mucheng saw it clearly. He raised his chin and asked, "What's wrong?"

Wen Ya also looked over.

Xingwang hesitated before speaking, "Can I... stay until tomorrow? I want to stay with Mom for one more night."

He probably knew that his obsession had been eliminated and that it was time for him to leave.

Si Mucheng couldn't make the decision on this matter, so he looked at Wen Ya.

Wen Ya answered almost without hesitation: "Okay."

Si Mucheng blinked and said, "You..."

She was just one step away from activating the Resurrection Lamp and would soon be able to find her grandfather, so why wasn't Wen Ya in a hurry?

Wen Ya remained expressionless and simply said, "There's no rush for tonight."

That night, Xingwang was very silent, but he was actually very quiet all the time. Just like he had done every day during the year he had been dead, he stayed by his mother's window, gazing intently at his sleeping mother.

Those internal struggles and awkward growing pains were forgiven the moment "he" died.

Xingda wasn't wrong; he hadn't actually blamed his mother.

After one night, Xingwang left. He chose a place for himself, a small hill not far from his home, where he could see his house in the distance.

Just before leaving, Xingda grabbed Si Mucheng's leg again. He was both amused and exasperated. He patted Xingda's little head and said gently, "I have something to do today, so I can't take you with me."

Xingda didn't press the matter much, and nodded very sensibly: "Oh, okay then. Then come back soon, brother."

Si Mucheng pinched his chubby cheek, and Xingda suddenly asked, "Big brother, do you know my brother?"

Si Mucheng paused his hand on Xingda's face, his tone normal: "Huh? Didn't your brother pass away? How would I know him?"

"But why are you helping him?" Xingda looked up, his expression serious.

Si Mucheng's heart trembled. He tapped Xingda's nose and said, "I'm helping your mother. I feel sorry for her because she's sad."

Xingda said "Oh," and then laughed: "Then you're a really good person, big brother."

Si Mucheng couldn't help but chuckle: "So this makes you a good person?"

"Yes!"

Si Mucheng sometimes finds children's thinking quite peculiar. He doesn't know if Xingda has figured something out or if he just stumbled upon something by accident, but undeniably, he also wants his mother to come out of her shell.

After leaving Yang Yanzhen's house, the two people and the ghost headed towards the mountain.

Upon arriving at the destination, Xingwang said calmly, "Sister, I'm ready."

Wen Ya took out the Soul-Returning Lamp, but after taking it out, she didn't move for a while. After a moment, she exhaled and said, "Wait... a little longer."

Si Mucheng keenly noticed the hesitation on her face, and he suddenly realized that she was afraid.

In Si Mucheng's heart, Wen Ya was a fearless and extraordinary woman, but only at this moment did he realize that she also had moments of fear.

Si Mucheng stepped forward and took Wen Ya's hand: "It's okay, I'll be there for you no matter what happens."

Wen Ya's heart stirred slightly. Si Mucheng's eyes were still moist and smiling. Even though he himself was incredibly timid, he was still thinking of comforting her. However, looking into his eyes, there really was a sense of reliability in them.

Wen Ya calmed down.

A moment later, she lifted the Soul-Returning Lamp again. The lamp glowed with a pale yellow light, and upon closer inspection, one could see that one of the petals was dark. However, Wen Ya and Si Mucheng both knew that after exorcising Xingwang's soul, the last petal could also be lit.

Wen Ya held a lamp in one hand and a talisman between her fingers in the other. She looked at Xingwang and parted her lips slightly: "All things return to dust, and all delusions dissipate."

As the talisman burned out, Xingwang transformed into starlight, drifting like stars, circling in place before rushing towards the Soul-Returning Lamp.

The last petal on the Resurrection Lamp lit up, rose from Wen Ya's hand, and then, as if receiving a summons, flew off in a certain direction.

Wen Ya frowned and said in a deep voice, "Follow them." After saying that, she took a step and walked away. Si Mucheng followed closely behind, while Wen Xiaofeng cooed and spread her wings, flying away and taking the lead.

They walked for a while when Wen Ya suddenly said, "It's on the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Si Mucheng looked around. Indeed, this direction led to the mountain with the bewitching array that they had initially followed Wen Yongjie to.

"That's it." Si Mucheng was somewhat excited; that place was indeed full of wonders.

Wen Ya focused her mind, stopped talking, and continued to follow the Soul-Returning Lamp.

Before long, they crossed the mountain path and arrived at the mountain peak. They entered the formation, but the Soul-Returning Lamp continued to fly. The mountain path was winding and twisting, and because of the formation, the trees were scattered and disorderly. Wen Ya and Si Mucheng had difficulty keeping up, but whenever they felt they were about to lose them, they would hear a cooing sound—Wen Xiaofeng was doing her job well.

After passing through another grove of trees, the view suddenly opened up, and Wen Ya paused, then saw the Resurrection Lamp in the center of the valley.

Si Mucheng, who was two steps behind her, also emerged from the woods at this moment. Upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but exclaim, "How ironic!"

Surrounded by mountains, the area in the center resembles the bottom of a bowl, with a large, flat meadow. From a high vantage point, the unusual feature is immediately apparent. Wen Ya recognized it as a massive array drawn there. At that moment, the Soul-Returning Lamp floated in the center of the array, its light flickering on and off.

And one can easily see the people next to the formation.

Wen Ya's eyes welled up with tears: "...Grandpa."