Xu Jiang sat on the donkey, with a straight street in front of her, the noisy city sounds in her ears, but a thick fog in her mind.
Xu Shierdao's past seemed to be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, yet also seemed to be lurking silently in her blood.
Every day and every moment she had spent with Xu Yuan in the old house and the bookstore flashed before her eyes, and at this moment, she was enveloped in another kind of brilliance.
Father.
She silently called out this name, but her heart felt as if pierced by a sharp sword, and the pain made her bend over and lie on the donkey's back.
Her father is dead.
Suddenly, Lou Jing’s words that night sounded like a warning bell.
Whether he was a master or a father, Xu Yuan was just Xu Yuan. He was already dead. One could not be resurrected, nor could one die again.
She recalled the peaceful look on her master's face when he passed away, and how he asked her to bake him his favorite pancakes. They had a quiet and peaceful meal together as usual.
They have long been master and apprentice, and father and daughter.
In the suicide note Xu Yuan left for her, he said: Life and death are the result of the transformation of qi, just follow the natural course.
He knew that she was his daughter, but so what? His time was running out, and having another identity would only be another layer of shackles for her, deepening her pain.
She was only fourteen, just a young seedling. How could she withstand such a heavy blow?
At least give her some time off until she grows up, then even if she knows the truth one day, although she will be sad, she will still be able to bear it.
Death brings an end to all things. His death was a relief, but the living had to continue struggling in suffering. He was ultimately reluctant to part with the daughter he had given birth to before his death, a daughter he had raised since childhood. He was heartbroken and left these two words of advice to her.
No one knows a daughter better than her father, and no one knows a father better than his daughter.
At this moment, Xu Jiang truly understood the meaning of his two sentences, and truly saw and faced his love that was as deep as the abyss and as silent as a mountain.
She lay on the donkey's back and cried silently. The donkey slowed down its pace, letting her tears soak its fur, and quietly carried her back to the bookstore, back to their nest.
After passing the square gate, it is not far away to reach Huailiu Lane. When they reach the lane entrance, the guard lands and goes to lead Xu Jiang's donkey.
On the way, he saw Xu Jiang lying on the back of a donkey and thought she was not feeling well, but when he got closer to check, he heard suppressed sobbing.
He didn't know how to ask or persuade her, so he just stood beside her and silently sent her back.
"Boss, we're here." He called out softly, but Xu Jiang didn't respond.
"Boss?" He called out twice again, but Xu Jiang still didn't move. He was startled and patted her shoulder.
This slap knocked Xu Jiang off the donkey's back.
"Master!" He hurriedly pushed the donkey aside and went to help Xu Jiang, but saw that her face was pale and her eyes were closed. "Master! Master! Wake up!"
Seeing Xu Jiang didn't respond, he hurriedly called out to the clerk in the nearby rice shop, who rushed over to help. Another guard under the tree heard the commotion and hurried over, calling out to Liang Mo as he ran towards the bookstore.
Liang Mo and Yin Yin came out when they heard the shouting. When they saw Xu Jiang lying on the ground, they were horrified and rushed over.
Yinyin rushed to Xu Jiang's side, and was frightened by her pale face and burst into tears. She cried out, "Sister Xu, what's wrong with you?"
Xu Jiang was unconscious.
Liang Mo quickly asked everyone to help Xu Jiang into the bookstore, and after instructing Yin Yin to feed her water and fan her, he ran towards Qianjinfang.
On the way, he met Manager Wang who was returning from delivering grain. When he heard that Xu Jiang had fainted, he hurriedly drove back to Qianjinfang. Together with Liang Mo, he robbed Doctor Chen and rushed to Huailiu Lane.
Poor Doctor Chen was almost killed by the shaking.
They returned to the bookstore, and Shopkeeper Wang and Liang Mo held Doctor Chen's arms, practically lifting him into the house. Doctor Chen saw Xu Jiang lying pale on the wooden couch, and without a moment's hesitation, he rushed forward to treat her.
Doctor Chen pulled out the needle and inserted it into Xu Jiang's philtrum and tiger's mouth. After half a cup of tea, Xu Jiang finally recovered his breath and opened his eyes.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly asked, "Doctor Chen, how is my sister?"
"Irritability and heatstroke." Doctor Chen's hair was all messed up. He angrily dismissed the crowd, "Spread out a little, let her breathe, don't suffocate her."
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