Her voice was soft, yet it carried a sense of relief that came with the passage of time. Sunlight streamed down her face through the gaps in the grape trellis, gilding the white hair at her temples. Those white hairs had grown in over the past two years; Jiang Yan always said they looked beautiful, like a ray of moonlight.
Su Heng looked at his sister's calm face, and the words on his lips suddenly stopped coming out. He opened his mouth and wanted to say, "Sister, have you forgotten the suffering you endured in the Wang family?" But when he saw the deep pool of calm in his sister's eyes, he swallowed the words back.
Yes, it's all over.
The sister who needed him to carry a big knife to protect her back then no longer needed anyone's protection. She could live like the sharpest knife, splitting all thorns, or like the warmest fire, living a prosperous life.
"But sister..." Su Heng was still a little unwilling.
"Let's go," Su Jinli patted his arm, her tone returning to her usual casualness. "Come with me to the front yard to check out your brother-in-law's new jar of Rain-Previous Longjing tea. If we're any later, your nephews will steal it all."
As she spoke, she took the lead and walked towards the Moon Gate. Jiang Yan immediately followed, naturally took her arm, and asked in a low voice: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Su Jinli shook her head and glanced at him sideways: "It's okay. I just feel like... time flies by so fast."
Jiang Yan held her hand tightly, the warmth of his palm radiating through the fabric, a warmth and comfort. He didn't ask any further questions, simply walking slowly with her. Some past events didn't need to be revisited; just knowing that the person beside you was still there was enough.
Su Yue looked at her grandmother, then at her grandfather, and suddenly grabbed Su Jinli's clothes: "Grandma, that old man is so pitiful... Can we send him some food? And some freshly made osmanthus cakes. I saw the kitchen made a lot yesterday."
Nian Li squatted down and straightened her daughter's bangs that were messed up by the wind. She said softly, "Be good, Yue'er. Grandma knows what I'm doing. But from now on, if you meet strangers on the street, don't talk to them casually, okay?"
"I know, mother!" Su Yue nodded vigorously, then looked up at Su Jinli with sparkling eyes, "Grandma, that sugar painting..."
Su Jinli was amused by her and bent down to pinch her little face: "Want to eat candy paintings? Ask your grandfather to take you to buy some." She looked up at Jiang Yan, a hint of mischief flashing in her eyes, "Are you asking your grandfather to draw you a dragon that's even more beautiful than the one grandma drew back then, okay?"
"Okay!" Su Yue cheered and immediately hugged Jiang Yan's legs. "Grandpa, let's go to the West Street intersection to find Grandpa Zhang now!"
Jiang Yan glanced at Su Jinli helplessly, his eyes filled with doting indulgence. He bent down and picked up Su Yue. The little girl giggled and hugged his neck, "Grandpa, hurry up! I want to see a flying dragon!"
"Okay, okay," Jiang Yan held his granddaughter in his arms and walked out of the house with a steady gait, a smile in his voice, "But Yue'er, you have to promise Grandpa that when you see Grandpa Zhang, you must call him and you can't say that his sugar paintings are better than Grandma's, understand?"
"Why?"
"Because..." Jiang Yan turned around and glanced at Su Jinli under the grape trellis. The sun was shining on her. She was smiling at him with her head tilted slightly. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were filled with tenderness. "Because the dragon your grandma draws is the most special dragon in the world."
Su Jinli watched the grandfather and grandson's backs gradually recede, listening to Xiaoyue'er's clear laughter disappear outside the hanging flower gate. The wind picked up again, swirling a few willow catkins onto the honeydew melon dish on the stone table. She walked over, picked up a piece of honeydew melon, and slowly took a bite.
Sweet, still so sweet.
Somehow, a faint chill still lingered on the tip of her tongue. She looked up toward West Street, her gaze traversing the layers of eaves and resting on the distant horizon.
Are you a descendant of the Wang family?
Okay.
Let them see how glorious and comfortable the life of the daughter of the prime minister, who was almost trampled into the mud by them, is now.
And those past events that once tried to crush her have long been trampled under her feet, turning into the spring mud that nourishes the honey-filled garden today.
She, Su Jinli, finally turned all the grievances in her life into sweetness.
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