Childhood Memories

She said, "You've been poisoned, and I can't cure it. There's a medicinal herb that's not available in the Central Plains."

He Jing smiled gently, withdrew his hand, and said, "I understand the situation. Thank you."

Li Yin picked up a teacup and tapped it lightly with her fingers. Some white powder fell from her fingertips. The powder turned transparent when it touched water and disappeared into the fine particles. The tea in the teacup remained still without any ripples, as if everything that had just happened had never existed.

He Jing lowered his eyes and reached out to touch the arm of the hand hidden deep in the sleeve, looking at the wrist where Li Yin had taken his pulse.

He slightly bent his knuckles, finally overcoming his patience, and clenched his fingers into a tight fist.

Li Yin took it all in; this man was filled with resentment…

What is it that he is unwilling to accept, whether it's because they are strangers or... the Li family has not been completely eliminated.

Li Yin was deep in thought, but showed no sign of it on her face. She reached out and handed the cup of tea to He Jing, saying, "This cup of tea is for you."

Upon hearing this, He Jing's slightly pale face flushed slightly. This scene felt incredibly familiar to Li Yin: a smiling face like a peach blossom, a jade cup left for whom...

Memories in my mind loosened again, and scenes of self-rescue, like falling into the sea, rose and fell.

...

"Day and night, I am your kin." An old woman murmured to herself as she prayed in a temple. She kowtowed devoutly to the Buddha statue, raised the incense sticks above her head, and paid homage to the deity.

The maidservant stood respectfully to the side, her eyes lowered, waiting for the old woman to get up. After the incense was offered, the woman gently lifted her skirt, and the maidservant, understanding, quickly stepped forward to help her. The woman then casually asked, "Huanci, where has Biezhi gone to play again?"

The maid named Huanci said, "Young Master came with Madam today. I just saw the Li family. I guess Young Master is with the Li family girl again right now."

The woman frowned slightly upon hearing this. She said, "Biezhi started learning at five, entered a private school at six, and is now seven. It's time for her to learn to write poetry and essays."

As the two walked, they looked up and saw a huge tree with lush branches and leaves, green with pink hues, vibrant and beautiful.

The tree was not far from the temple; it was a huge peach tree, and around it, a yellow figure and a green figure were leisurely circling the tree.

The peach blossoms are in full bloom on the tree, and falling petals are falling beneath it, landing on the tips of hair, the tip of nose... brushing against the hem of clothes, kissing lips.

Li Yin stood under the tree, gazing at the peach blossom that had just brushed against her lips. She smiled sweetly, and the person beside her smiled along with her. But after a short while, the person tugged at her sleeve, and Li Yin immediately understood that he was telling her to follow.

Lifting her skirt, she walked slowly, a faint fragrance lingering in the air. Li Yin, dressed in a pale yellow dress, followed the person in front of her. Just as she climbed the tree, she slipped and almost fell. The person looked flustered and quickly helped her up.

"Brother Jing..." Li Yin said weakly.

The man gripped her hand tightly, pulled her along, and said as they walked, "I will protect you."

Li Yin followed along, walking slowly, and together with He Jing, they climbed up the tree. They sat together, their young hands clasped together.

As the sun sets in the west, the evening glow paints the sky a vibrant, almost red, stretching endlessly like clusters of dyed cotton, a sight that evokes a sense of warmth.

As the sun sets, the clouds disperse with each passing moment, part of them separating and parting, like a person restrained yet tender.

He Jing pointed to the scenery in front of him and said, "Ah Yin, I told you this view would be beautiful from the trees, especially from this angle."

Li Yin stared blankly at what lay before him. The red sun was about to set, heading towards the western mountains. As dusk fell, a magnificent scene gradually came into view.

A breeze blew, fluttering the hem of the girl's dress, and the little bells in her hair jingled crisply.

"Ding-dong..." Along with the sound came soft sunlight, which shone on Li Yin with a slight bias, warm and gentle, like a lover's gentle caress.

The girl was exceptionally beautiful. Though she had not yet fully matured, her features were already beginning to take shape. Her eyes and brows possessed a captivating charm, exuding both warmth and resilience. Her features were graceful and elegant, like a painting, with perfect proportions, exquisitely crafted as if by nature itself.

Li Yin stared blankly at the scene before him, and He Jing also stared blankly at the scene before him. However, this scene was also the scene in his heart, Li Yin under the setting sun, receiving the glow of the setting sun.

At the temple gate, an even more magnificent carriage arrived, carrying a young man dressed in finery, adorned with pearl hairpins, walking with a steady gait and a graceful smile.

Accompanying the lady was a handsome young man dressed in white.

He was small in stature, but his eyes were deep and profound, like those of an adult. He wore three strings of Buddhist prayer beads on his hands, one white, one yellow, and one red. They looked a little cumbersome, but whether it was due to his face or his hands, they suited him perfectly and gave him a noble air.

He stood at the doorway, and with a slight glance up, he saw Li Yin, who was completely absorbed in the beautiful scenery. He looked at him expressionlessly, without saying a word or smiling, but when he saw He Jing, he looked back at him.

Li Yin also noticed the gaze and looked over. Looking at each other across the wall, she saw that person again, the one who made her feel slightly afraid. She couldn't help but frown slightly, but that person just smiled faintly.

He Jing sensed something was wrong, but when he looked in his direction, he couldn't see the person at all. Just as he was about to ask carefully, a voice interrupted his unspoken words.

The woman frowned slightly, looking at He Jing in the tree. She pointed directly at Li Yin and then back at He Jing. She said, "Trees are synonymous with loss. Climbing a tree means losing, losing good fortune, and being unable to achieve academic success."

When He Jing saw the person, he was stunned for a moment. Then he let go of Li Yin's hand, hurriedly climbed down the tree, and ran over. But when he was only a few steps away from the person, he stopped and started walking slowly.

He Jing took the last few steps very lightly and shallowly, as if testing the waters, or as if he was afraid and trying to escape.

Just a step away, not far away, the monk was about to ring the bell, but before the bell rang, a loud slap sounded, and a bright red handprint appeared on He Jing's face.

He knelt down abruptly, his eyes lowered. The woman said angrily, "Are you proficient in poetry, books, etiquette, and music?"

He Jing remained silent, which only fueled the woman's anger. Just as she raised her hand, about to deliver another slap, a pair of beautiful hands adorned with pearls and jade stopped her. She said softly, "The child is still young, so please don't be too strict. After all, it's a child's nature to love to play, and suppressing him too much is not good."

The woman then stopped and said, "Madam Wen, you do understand children, but I don't know why there have been rumors about your son and the Wen family lately."

Ding Zishan froze on the spot, but Huan Ci came to his rescue, saying, "The Wen family is in a high position, and the infighting in the court may affect the family. Madam, it would be best if you did not blindly trust others."

The woman's face stiffened upon hearing this. She glanced at Huanci with a forced smile, then slightly curled her fingers and gripped the handkerchief in her hand.

Everyone in the Qing family was superior to her in every way. Even a maid dared to speak up for her, while she couldn't even refute them.

Why... just because she doesn't have the surname Qing?

She was unwilling, so unwilling. Her father had given everything for the Qing family, but what did he get in return?

A marriage certificate, a case, an old case reopened, he was convicted, and it was said that he was spared the ruthlessness of killing her as well, out of consideration for their past relationship as husband and wife.

How ridiculous, how utterly ridiculous! The joke has turned into a laughing stock. She hates it... The Qing family still treats her like a thief, not letting her into the ancestral hall or the study. How hateful, how pathetic.

She had no choice but to place all her hopes on her son, hoping he would bring down the Qing family for her.

Whenever she thought of this, she would take a deep breath, calm herself down, and smile. And now, facing this situation, she felt the same way.

Taking a deep breath and smiling gently, she took the flowers and said, "Huanci is right. Sometimes I just chat idly and take jokes seriously. Please don't blame me, sister."

Madam Wen smiled faintly, a bitter smile. She gripped the prayer beads in her hand and said, "Sister is sensible. I know that what I said just now was just a joke."

As they spoke, they each yielded to the other, each allowing the other to descend a step.

With that done, the matter was considered over. Madam Qing left, and Madam Wen, watching the figure disappear, still frowned slightly.

Qingjiao's words had really provoked her, but Ding Zishan also knew in her heart that the rumors that Wen Jiazi was a madman were not just rumors, but the truth. Apart from her husband, all the Wen Jiazi were madmen, bloodthirsty, capricious, and had strange tastes.

Moreover, this is something that is innate, regardless of age, and cannot be interfered with later in life. She and her husband had already thought of many ways to deal with it, but all of them were ineffective, like a stone falling into the sea, without any waves or ripples.

She sighed and saw her son walking towards a huge peach tree. She hesitated, wondering whether to stop him. After much deliberation, she sighed softly. If he really wanted to cut down this tree in the temple that was associated with karma, then let him cut it down.

But what happened next surprised her greatly. She saw Wen Youqing walk closer to the tree, look up, and see a little girl in a pale yellow dress. The little girl had a pretty face, but she didn't know whose family she was. Her features resembled those of an acquaintance.

Li Yin walked slowly, and when she reached the spot where she had slipped earlier, her heart started pounding with anxiety. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Wen Youqing instead. She was taken aback at first, but then chose to ignore her.

But staying up there all the time wasn't a solution, so Wen Youqing finally spoke up. He said, "How about we make a deal? You marry me, and I'll bring you down."

Li Yin remained silent, then tried to take a few more steps before stopping. She thought marriage was something for the future and couldn't be done now, so she agreed.