Gu Youran glanced around, "Have Grandpa Feng and the others left?"
Xu Bo nodded gravely. "For twenty-two years... a dozen of them have guarded these ruins, just waiting for the day you return."
The old man wiped his face with his rough hands, and water gleamed between his fingers.
Gu Youran looked towards the back mountain and said, "I want to go see them."
Shi Heng looked at her pale profile, his chest feeling as if being clenched by an invisible hand.
How he wished he could bear this pain for her.
The path on the back mountain was overgrown with weeds, and it was obvious that few people had ever walked on it.
The moment they turned the ridge, everyone stopped.
The setting sun gradually sank behind the mountains, and dusk enveloped the cemetery.
Hundreds of tombstones stood quietly, each one wiped clean.
Fresh wild flowers were placed in front of the tombstones in the front row.
Grandpa Feng and his family have never forgotten to take care of this resting place over the years.
"One hundred and seventy-three members of the Gu family and eighty-nine members of the Lei family are buried here."
Xu Bo's voice was low and sorrowful. "That day... they could have escaped alive, but they chose to stay and fight..."
Shi Heng felt that Gu Youran's whole body was shaking.
He calmly held her in his arms.
The two tombstones side by side in the front row look particularly lonely in the twilight.
The moment Gu Youran knelt down, Shi Heng also knelt down.
Her fingertips brushed over the simple inscriptions of "Tomb of the Gu Family Couple," not even her parents' full names.
"Your mother 22 years ago..."
Xu Bo's voice grew softer and softer. "Your father pursued the case for twelve years, and returned ten years ago covered in wounds. In the end, he only asked to be buried with your mother..."
Gu Youran's tears rolled down silently.
Shi Heng didn't say those useless words of comfort, but simply wrapped her hand completely, using his body temperature to gradually dispel the coldness from her fingertips.
"Bang--"
A muffled sound.
Renault knelt heavily in front of the tombstone next to him.
This man, who always stood straight, now had his forehead resting against the cold stone tablet.
The person buried there is not only the previous head of the Lei family, but also his biological mother.
His Adam's apple rolled several times before he squeezed out a hoarse sound: "Mom..."
His fists were clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned white.
Lei Shuangcheng knelt silently behind him, his eyes red.
Mark silently lit three incense sticks and respectfully inserted them into the incense burner in front of the tomb.
The smoke rose straight up into the darkening sky.
About half an hour later, everyone followed Xu Bo to a simple farmyard.
Pushing open the creaking wooden fence, warm yellow light immediately poured out.
Grandpa Feng and a dozen or so elderly people had been waiting in the yard for a long time. As soon as they saw them, they came towards them tremblingly.
"The lady is finally back!"
Grandpa Feng walked very fast with his cane, and the wrinkles on his face were all transformed into flowers by his smile.
Other elderly people also gathered around, and some of them were already secretly wiping away tears.
There were several old wooden tables in the yard, piled high with steaming home-cooked meals.
Stir-fried vegetables, braised pork, old hen soup... the aroma goes straight into one's nose.
"Hurry up and sit down to eat. You've come such a long way."
Grandpa Feng pulled Gu Youran towards the main table, his skinny hands were exceptionally strong.
Shi Heng stood quietly behind Gu Youran, his eyes sweeping across the courtyard.
Herbs were hung on the clothesline, repaired hoes and shovels were placed against the wall, and a dozen pairs of half-finished straw sandals were piled under the eaves.
These details silently tell the story of this group of elderly people's perseverance day after day for twenty-two years.
As Gu Youran picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into her mouth, the familiar taste instantly bloomed on her tongue.
She was suddenly stunned.
The taste is exactly the same as I remember.
More than 20 years ago, in front of the old stove, my mother would always pick out the most flavorful pieces of meat and put them into her small bowl.
"Eat slowly, be careful of the heat." The gentle voice is still in my ears.
"What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?" Grandpa Feng asked with concern.
He added another piece of fat and lean meat to her bowl.
"Your father loves this the most. He used to eat three big bowls of it in one meal..."
Gu Youran hurriedly shook her head, but her eyes were burning uncontrollably.
She lowered her head and took a bite of rice, afraid that others would see the redness in her eyes.
On the other side, Renault and Lei Shuangcheng were busy serving rice and adding dishes to the elderly.
Shi Heng noticed a detail.
The largest piece of meat was quietly placed in each elderly person's bowl.
After dinner, everyone sat around the campfire and chatted.
As the night deepened, the elderly people returned to their rooms to rest.
In the end, only Shi Heng, Gu Youran, Lei Nuo, Lei Shuangcheng and Xu Bo were left.
Gu Youran took a deep breath and slowly opened the blood-stained notebook.
The first page only has a simple line of words: To my beloved little moon.
Her fingertips trembled slightly as she turned to the second page.
My father's handwriting was heavier than usual, almost tearing the paper.
I never thought that my stubbornness would bring disaster to Gujia Village.
Just a few days before your third birthday, I stumbled upon the horrible secret that the Gu family carries...
Your mother, on the surface, is a respected witch, but in reality...
The handwriting here becomes shaky and the ink spreads out.
A large amount of blood is drawn from her every year.
It turns out that the blood soaked in the ginseng soup was meant to replenish her lost vitality.
Gu Youran's throat tightened, and he remembered what his mother always said when she was alive: "The ginseng used for making soup is a wild product from the mountains."
It turns out that such a cruel truth is hidden in the bitter medicinal fragrance.
When I questioned her, she just cried and shook her head, saying that it was the fate of the Gu family witch doctor and that the man's spies were everywhere.
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