Weary birds return to their nests

While the others were still stunned, Meng Yan had already reached her aunt. She squatted down, pulled out her knife, and casually tucked it into her sleeve. She frowned, took her aunt's arm, and helped her up. Her brows and lips were furrowed as she exerted force, as if she wanted to bite her teeth to atone for her sins.

Seeing this, everyone rushed over to lend a hand and finally helped to steady the aunt and hand her over to the uncle.

Seeing Meng Yan's anxious and disappointed expression, and thinking of the money she had just received, no one dared to criticize her. Even her uncle, who was trembling beside her, could only comfort her and tell her not to hurt herself.

The unexpected turn of events was resolved peacefully. However, only the aunt, whose eyes were unfocused, knew that getting up wasn't as difficult as it seemed; she had been completely supported by Meng Yan. The man appeared thin and frail, yet with just a little effort, she was pulled up from the ground. Through her clothes, his hand brushed against her forearm. If she hadn't deliberately held back, she probably wouldn't be standing there unharmed.

But she couldn't speak, whether it was the knife that flew out of nowhere, the hand that stopped short of striking, or the voice she lost due to excessive shock.

Lin Yun's marriage was never mentioned again. No one imagined that this unlucky aunt would have such a bad experience—the money was barely in her hands before she was gone.

This also convinced them of one thing: Meng Jian's status in her husband's family was not as she portrayed it. On the contrary, she was restricted in many ways and had to survive in the cracks. She must have learned a lot from past mistakes and was worried that her husband would take a fancy to Lin Yun after meeting her and kick her out. That's why she seemed so agitated when she mentioned these things.

Meng Yan herself was unaware of the further thoughts of this group of demons and monsters. Just by looking at their eyes, she could guess that it wasn't anything good. She wasn't curious or wanted to know, but she was quite satisfied with the change that the nonsense around her was no longer pouring into her ears.

.

After seeing off the relatives who each had their own thoughts, Lin Yu urged Lin Yun to go to the woodshed to cook, while he and his mother stayed behind to keep Meng Yan company.

Smoke curls from the chimneys of the old houses, and in front of them stand parents with graying hair and deepening wrinkles. Between them is their daughter, a beautiful, elegantly dressed, and dignified young woman. The three of them chat in the courtyard as the sun sets, a scene that every family dreams of.

Unable to bear the sight of this harmony, Meng Yan pulled his mother to the backyard, glancing back at Lin Yu who was following behind, before turning him back into the house.

"Jian'er, is there anything else?"

The mother held Meng Yan's hand tightly, as if she would disappear if she loosened her grip even slightly.

Meng Yan tapped on the wooden box on the stone table. What she wanted to ask about was the letter inside, or more precisely, she wanted to know her mother's answer.

A flock of birds chirped and flew across the sky, a few of them falling behind and resting on the mottled, crooked courtyard wall, gazing at her from afar.

"Jian'er, your mother is also reluctant to part with you, but your mother still has many things to do, and there are so many people here."

“My mother has lived in the Lin family for many years and is now used to it. I think I have no plans to move out again.”

Meng Yan faced the little bird, not turning around to look at her.

“But you are different. They always say that you have found a good husband, but I don’t believe it. I know that everything you have brought today is something you have earned with your own hands.”

"You've always had skillful hands since you were little. Now you have calluses on them, which must be from being busy all the time."

"You look great, you must have met a lot of friends. I don't have to worry about your food and drink, everything is fine, especially fine."

Meng Yan tilted his head slightly, but only listened, still refusing to turn around and look at her.

"Sometimes I really wish you would forget your mother. Your mother can't give you anything, and you still have to worry about your mother from so far away. When your mother thinks about this at night, she can't sleep."

"Luckily, I've kept everything you sent. It's not very useful, but it makes me feel at ease and happy."

Meng Yan moved his fingers, mimicking his mother's gesture, and gently stroked the back of her hand.

"I know you're doing well. I'm afraid you'll have to go back empty-handed this time."

"This is a choice your mother has made after a long time. Don't be too sad. In life, we all have to make choices. Your mother wants to stay, but your mother wants you to go."

"Go as far away as possible, leave us behind, live the life you want, be happy every day with your new friends and family, live beautifully, that's enough, that's what your mother wants to see you be like."

The flock of birds flew back from the opposite direction, greeting a few on the wall. Hearing the noise, they flapped their wings and bid farewell to the white wall where they had stopped along the way.

Meng Yan turned around, her eyes red and tear stains not yet completely gone.

Her mother, with red eyes, looked at her and reached out to wipe away her hot tears.

The moon had climbed up the cliff at some point. Tonight is the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon is already very round.

In the end, he didn't stay for a reunion dinner. Meng Yan left the Lin family under the last rays of red light on the horizon, hurrying back to Ping An Valley, his body covered in white and shrouded in the night.

.

When people are in a very bad mood, they can't help but want to find something to do to put down their feelings of distress. If they bring it up again after a while, it may not feel so bad anymore.

After returning, Meng Yan went straight to the government compound. Along the way, everyone invited her to play, but she forgot how she declined. She only remembered that everyone advised her not to work too late and to meet again the next day to enjoy the moon together.

I hadn't noticed before that the autumn wind was so cold. It was so cold that the courtyard, filled with government offices and miscellaneous items, felt unfamiliar. The traces of everyone leaving not long ago were still there, but all I felt was the cold.

Mid-Autumn Festival is here, and winter is just around the corner. The sweltering heat of the fireplace is gradually fading, and it's time to put the heater on the agenda.

Almost subconsciously, she remembered the campfire in the cave that night. At the time, the warmth of the fire was not obvious, but now that it appeared in her memory, it felt somewhat warm, even after the passage of time.

The room was furnished exactly as it had been before she left. After carefully going through the bedside table, Meng Yan finally found the talisman paper that Yue Lang had given her under the chest.

Her understanding of this thing was limited to the fact that it could be used after being pasted on. Just like that talisman that made people cry, she might not be any less skilled at using it than Yue Lang, but did she have to stick it on something first to start a fire? Wasn't she afraid that it would be impossible to put out once it caught fire?

She quickly realized that her worries were unnecessary. The talismans in her hand were all different, and she couldn't guess their purpose from the runes drawn on them. If she happened to use a tear-inducing talisman and there was no antidote among them, then this Mid-Autumn Festival would probably be very difficult.

The idea was reasonable and in line with future plans, but Meng Yan decided to put it off for now.

.

The joy of reunion permeated every corner of the valley. At first glance, it was as lively as the Chinese New Year. All that was missing was a few couplets to paste on the door, and then they could start beating drums and gongs to welcome the New Year.

Everyone had a smile on their face. Those who had some free time drank and chatted with fellow disciples they hadn't seen for months, joking around, or helped out in the kitchen. Before long, their senior brothers and sisters would shoo them out with spatulas, complaining that they hadn't made as much food as they had made. Some who couldn't stay still grabbed a few junior brothers and sisters who were joining in the fun, brought them a thick stack of paper and several bundles of wood, and immediately started teaching them how to make lanterns.

Meng Yan was completely enveloped by the atmosphere. Before he knew it, a handful of candy was stuffed into his arms. He turned around and saw several junior sisters carrying baskets that were half his height. The baskets were filled with this year's newly made osmanthus candy. They were handing out a handful to everyone they met as they went on a large patrol of the mountain.

The child was indeed very dedicated in this regard. She smiled and thought, tore open the candy wrapper, squeezed out the candy inside, and tossed it into her mouth. The fragrance of osmanthus and the sweetness of rock sugar spread in her mouth, and the rich sweetness spread from her mouth to her whole body, which made her feel better.

She was going to help someone out, but not in the kitchen, or rather, she was too afraid to go to the kitchen.

A few days ago, she delivered mooncakes to the door of Guai Zi Li. She heard the story behind it from Chu Ming. It was said that her master wiped away tears and sighed that his child had grown up. Without any precautions, he put the mooncake in his mouth. He circled the house three times but couldn't find water. He went to his senior brother's house next door and gestured for a while before he finally got some water. He didn't believe in evil spirits or that his senior brothers and sisters would harm him, so he frowned and ate the rest of the mooncake.

That night, Sister Zhang's house was brightly lit, and all the disciples who made mooncakes knelt on the ground, and only then was the matter considered closed.

At that moment, Meng Yan thought to herself that it was fortunate she wasn't as carefree as her master, otherwise she would be the one lying on the ground. Today was an auspicious day for making mooncakes, and she didn't want to become another lucky person, so she simply decided not to participate in the poison test.

From Chu Ming to Senior Sister Zhang, and even the junior brother who herds cattle and sheep on the back mountain, they all managed to steal a moment of leisure today. In the vast valley, it was impossible to find anywhere that needed manpower, except for the kitchen.

Thinking that no one would hold a grudge, Meng Yan mingled into the crowd and went to the kitchen to do odd jobs, only to be caught red-handed.

"Hey, look who's here!"

"What a rare guest! Isn't this our Meng Yan? How did you like the mooncakes last time?"

Seeing the steamers piled high up halfway up the wall, the senior students were busy and overwhelmed. Their arms, which were busy adding ingredients, left afterimages as they moved. Even though they didn't turn their heads, they still knew that someone had arrived.

"It's okay if you can't taste it, we've made plenty, enough for you, junior sister!"

Whether it was because they hadn't tasted it or hadn't tasted it, everyone knew perfectly well. As soon as these words were spoken, the already bustling kitchen became even noisier, like fledglings at dawn, with people chatting about this and that, and Meng Yan was pulled to the front of the stove.

"Just eat whichever basket you like. We're family, don't be shy."

Dozens of steamers, covered by bamboo lids, billowed with steam and smoke, right in front of Meng Yan. What kind of sacred creature was trapped inside? It seemed even his senior brothers and sisters weren't sure, and Meng Yan's eyes were tightly shut.

Well then, everyone must die eventually. Consider this as preparing medicine for everyone in the valley in advance.

She took a deep breath and chose the mooncake closest to her hand and with the lightest mist. From the outside, it looked normal, similar to the ones she usually ate. A small round cake with a blessing printed in the middle and various patterns arranged around it, with a pleasant fragrance. It was small and exquisite, but this time it had a hidden mystery.

The taste of mooncakes without aging is quite different. They are warm when you bite into them, and you might even get burned when you bite into the filling. But they taste just like regular mooncakes, with the dough wrapped around a sweet and savory flavor.

It tastes great; once you finish one piece, you can't help but want to grab the next.

"Don't just eat one flavor. If you get tired of it, you won't enjoy eating at night. There are other flavors in the other steamers."

After being reminded by her senior, Meng Yan suddenly realized that she had already picked up a second mooncake. The strange taste she had imagined did not come, which made her quite surprised when she continued to taste it.

"Look how scared you've made your junior sister."

"How could it be us? You were acting just now, just like you were really going to poison someone."

"How can a chef asking someone to taste his dishes be considered acting?"

Amidst laughter, everyone busied themselves preparing for the evening's reunion dinner.