Before going to sleep, Ruan Meng and her sister-in-law tidied up the things in the house, tied up several bundles of mugwort, lit them, and used the smoke to fumigate every corner of the house to reduce insect bites.
Ruan Meng received mugwort from the county magistrate and did so that very night, so that her family wouldn't be woken up by mosquitoes.
Having grown accustomed to the time for beachcombing, Ruan Meng woke up without the villagers calling her that day.
Unexpectedly, Ruan Meng noticed a crack in the door. She looked to the side and realized her older brother was gone!
She tiptoed out and, just as her third brother had said, saw her eldest brother standing alone by the sea, seemingly burning something.
Sensing someone behind him, the older brother turned around, saw Ruan Meng, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
Ruan Meng lowered her head, deliberately avoiding looking at her elder brother, and asked with concern, "Brother, can't you sleep?"
Looking down, I realized that what was burning on the ground were the leaves of Sichuan pepper and litsea cubeba that I had picked during the day.
The older brother gave a soft "hmm," his voice somewhat hoarse.
"Does my older brother miss our parents?"
There's a younger sister too?
Ruan Meng always felt that her older brother's gaze and unintentional words suggested that he had noticed something.
The eldest brother is undoubtedly the smartest person in the family.
He obtained the title of Juren at the age of fourteen. If it weren't for the original owner's father being convicted, he would have a bright future now.
The original owner remembered that there were exiled criminals on the road who felt sorry for their elder brother, but the elder brother said that he did not feel that way at all, but was proud of their father.
It is precisely because everyone is weighing the pros and cons that those who sacrifice their blood and lives to relieve the country's suffering are so precious.
Surprisingly, the eldest brother didn't try to hide it for the first time.
There was no denial.
Just like that, I quietly gazed at the sea.
Ruan Meng suddenly asked, "Big brother, do you think Father and Mother will meet again?"
The elder brother moved slightly, as if he had made a connection to something.
After your sister passes away, will she also meet your parents?
Ruan Meng noticed that the burden on her elder brother seemed to have lightened a bit.
Ruan Meng began to speak to herself, “Big brother, when I fell into the water, besides feeling the light shining down, it was as if I was in the void, and I saw many different versions of myself.”
"They wear different clothes and have different hairstyles, but they all have the same face and the same name."
"Brother, do you think some of them might be my reincarnation? Or perhaps my past life?"
Ruan Meng also subtly hinted to her elder brother that perhaps she and the original owner of this body were not entirely unrelated.
Perhaps, she was the elder brother's sister's past life or her deceased incarnation...
The eldest brother suddenly turned his head and looked intently at Ruan Meng.
Suddenly, a smile appeared on his lips. He brushed aside the stray hairs of Ruan Meng that had been tousled by the sea breeze and said gently:
"Don't be afraid!"
Ruan Meng felt a jolt in her heart.
Secretly, because she had come to this strange new world, she carefully hid her true nature to avoid revealing anything unusual, all in order to get closer to the original owner of this body...
My minor emotions were greatly comforted by my older brother's words.
Ruan Meng raised her head, her expression focused and earnest, "Big brother, you are my family."
"I will take care of you, just as you have taken care of me."
"forever."
Seemingly influenced by Ruan Meng's expression, Ruan Qian's eyes turned bloodshot.
This was the first time Ruan Meng had ever seen her older brother so genuinely express his feelings.
Ruan Qian nodded, choking back tears as he repeated only twice, "Okay, okay!"
Ruan Meng's nose tingled slightly, and she asked, "Big brother, can you not be sad in the future?"
"It's bad for your health."
Ruan Qian took a deep breath, swallowed all his emotions, and after calming down, focused on saying:
From now on, just be yourself!
"No matter what you become, you'll always be my sister!"
"Big brother will always protect you, just like before. Thank you for what you said to big brother; it lets me know that Meng'er lives on forever, perhaps only beyond my comprehension..."
"Anyway, you've already said that Mazu has given you a lot of inspiration. If your temperament changes, what can others say?"
The older brother winked at her, a knowing look on his face.
Ruan Meng was overjoyed. She could finally be herself with dignity!
Looking down at the nearly burned leaves, she smiled and asked her older brother, "Are you saying goodbye to her, brother?"
Before her elder brother could answer, Ruan Meng continued, "If she goes to the place I used to live, don't worry, she'll be much happier there than here!"
"Where do men and women receive equal pay for equal work, and the government pays our salaries? Because my job is good..."
"She was surrounded by tall, handsome young men, but they were like soldiers, with strict discipline. They wouldn't dare to do anything to her, wouldn't dare to bully her, and would even help and protect her!"
Ruan Qian had already guessed that Ruan Meng had once worked in a similar profession to a military doctor, which was why she knew so much.
Hearing Ruan Meng's dejected tone, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Ruan Meng muttered, "Big brother is biased..."
"Hahaha!"
Ruan Qian smiled even more broadly, as if the sun had just broken through the rain.
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