Chapter 176 Goodbye Apricot Tree
After noon, most of the people had dispersed. After dinner, Yu Anmin had nothing to do, so he suggested taking a walk in Dagunzi Mountain to see the nunnery where Fubao had lived. Ning Huiyue naturally agreed. She also wanted to see the nunnery where her daughter had lived. After all, that nunnery was the place that saved her daughter's life.
She thought about it and suggested, "We should find some time to go visit the two people who took care of Fubao, Huixin and Huiru, and thank them for taking care of our Fubao."
Old Man Yu and Yu Anmin naturally agreed, and Yu Jingyue also joined in the clamor to go. Ning Huiyue glared at Yu Jingyue and said, "You're so impatient, don't go. Your Uncle Huo is getting married tomorrow, so you can help with the housework. Shengtian, take Jingyue with you. Whatever you want to do, make him work with you. If he doesn't obey, let his dad beat him up when you get home."
Seeing his mother's fierce look, Yu Jingyue had no choice but to not go. But then he thought it would be nice to hang out with Gu Shengtian, so he quickly agreed.
After he went to the countryside, Gu Shengtian told him a lot about the mountains and said he would take him to the mountains to catch rabbits or something. He was quite looking forward to it.
Several people from the Yu family discussed the matter with Gu Weidong. Gu Weidong thought that it was too cold in the mountains in winter and was afraid that it would be dangerous for them to go up. However, Yu Anmin was a soldier and had been stationed in the mountains before, so it should be no problem. At this time, Xiao Dingkun said that he also wanted to go with them.
Gu Weidong immediately felt relieved. With Xiao Dingkun, his future son-in-law, by his side, he was not afraid of anything.
Who is Xiao Dingkun? He was much more successful in the mountains than even a local like him.
So Yu Anmin and his wife took Old Man Yu, followed by Xiao Dingkun and Fubao, and everyone took dry food and water bottles and headed into the mountains. As soon as Yu Anmin and his wife left, Yu Jingyue followed Gu Shengtian and took a shortcut to go to the mountains to hunt wild game, but we won't talk about that for now.
Stepping onto Big Rolling Mountain again, Fubao felt at ease and happy.
The earliest memory she had of this life was of Dagunzi Mountain. The chirping of insects and birds, every stone and tree, were all intimate to her. Fubao supported Old Man Yu, his steps brisk: "Grandpa, come this way, be careful where you step."
He pointed here and there and said to everyone: "Dad and Mom, look, over the hill is the nunnery where I used to live. There is an apricot tree there. It was planted in the yard by the nunnery owner after she brought me down from the mountain."
When she thought about this, she naturally remembered that she went up the mountain to pick apricots and encountered a storm. Xiao Dingkun went to find her and was so angry about this that he almost spanked her.
She couldn't help but glance at Xiao Dingkun who was silently following behind her.
Just at this moment, Xiao Dingkun also looked at her. When their eyes met, both of them naturally understood what the other meant.
There was a slight smile in Xiao Dingkun's black eyes, which was quite meaningful. Fubao blushed suddenly, withdrew his gaze, and clenched his fists.
Old Master Yu was in high spirits and asked Fubao about the nunnery. Although Fubao had some memories of the nunnery, she could not say much, so she told him about the time when Xiao Dingkun took her up the mountain.
Speaking of this, Old Man Yu naturally praised Xiao Dingkun highly: "Dingkun has loved our Fubao since he was a child, all thanks to Dingkun!"
Now Mr. Yu is very satisfied with his son-in-law, and he never mentions his previous opposition to Xiao Dingkun and Fubao being together.
Yu Anmin also agreed with this. The whole family was naturally very satisfied with Xiao Dingkun at this time. They asked about Xiao Dingkun's family. Xiao Dingkun told them one by one. Ning Huiyue felt more at ease and thought about going back after the New Year to meet the families of both sides.
Of course, I definitely cannot take the initiative. I have to let the other party take the initiative and speak first. Only in this way can Fubao have a status after marrying her.
The family was talking when the old man got tired. Xiao Dingkun supported him and they rested two or three times before they finally climbed over the hill and arrived at the top.
Fubao had been here several times, so he was naturally familiar with it. He saw that the mountain road was still the same one as before, but it was overgrown with weeds, and the bluestone slabs of the past had long been buried in the dry grass.
Xiao Dingkun used a stick to push aside the weeds and led everyone over. They saw, amidst the ruins of bricks and tiles, an old apricot tree with jagged branches, some of its lush leaves nearly prostrate on the ground. On the ground, mottled, wind-dried apricots lay densely scattered beneath the old tree. Flocks of sparrows chirped nearby, pecking at the dried apricots, leaving them covered in pockmarks, some with only the kernels left. The sparrows weren't afraid of people either, and they tilted their heads to watch Fubao and the others.
Fubao excitedly rushed over, stroking the branches of the old apricot tree, and said to Xiao Dingkun excitedly: "Brother Dingkun, this apricot tree is still alive! It's still alive!"
The former nunnery has been buried in ruins with the passing of time, but the apricot tree planted by the old nunnery owner is still alive, reminding people of the short but peaceful time in Fubao Nunnery.
Xiao Dingkun smiled: "Apricot trees are inherently very tenacious."
The Yu family members circled the nunnery, looking back and forth. Then, standing on a high point, they looked down at the mountains below. Yu Anmin recalled his time stationed at Dagunzi Mountain and pointed to a distant spot, saying, "That's where I was stationed."
Looking at the mountains and ravines, he suddenly realized that when the traitor escaped, he should have walked north from the base, and he was also chasing him along that road, but for some unknown reason, he got lost.
He even once chased her into the deep mountains where the nunnery was located.
In other words, he was probably walking by the place where his daughter was lost.
It’s just a pity that their troops were stationed there with a confidential mission, so nothing was publicized to the outside world. The common people only knew that it was a troop, and no one knew what it did.
At that time, Fubao was taken away by the traitor, and they followed him all the way. Because of what the train station staff said, they always thought that the man was carrying Fubao all the way south, so they never thought that Fubao might have been abandoned in the mountains by that man.
Yu Anmin sighed when he thought of this. This might be a trick of fate, or it might be Fubao's chance.
The pain of parting with family for more than ten years was heartbreaking, but fortunately, God had mercy on them and Fubao finally returned to them.
Ning Huiyue looked at the pile of rubble and was already thinking back to how her little Fubao was brought back and how she was raised here. She also thought about the feelings of the nunnery abbot when she planted the apricot tree. As she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes. "I used to think that God was too cruel to me, separating mother and daughter and worrying about her for over a decade. But now I think about it, I should be content. My little Fubao has always met good people along the way."
Fubao held Ning Huiyue's hand and said, "Mom, you're right. I'm actually quite lucky. I like Dagunzi Mountain. I love this place. I grew up here and worked hard to get to the capital. I think this is also a kind of life experience."
She didn't know what it would be like if she had stayed in the capital and lived in the Yu family, but she vaguely felt that she was destined to grow up in Dagunzi Mountain.
Everything is destined.
In the winter sunshine, Ning Huiyue looked at her daughter and saw the warm light gently sprinkled on the mountain and on her daughter, making her daughter seem to be inlaid with a layer of light golden halo. The sparrows next to her were pecking at dried apricots and jumping around on the apricot tree. Suddenly, they fluttered and disappeared, as if they had melted into the vast mountains.
The air in the mountains was fresh and charming. Ning Huiyue suddenly felt the jade hanging around her neck emitting a warm breath, which made her feel comfortable all over. She couldn't help but raise her hand and hold the jade. The feeling of comfort became even stronger.
She couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment. She smelled the fragrance of the mountain spring, the sweet aroma of dried apricots, and heard the chirping of birds. This was Dagunzi Mountain, the place where her daughter was rescued and raised.
Ning Huiyue opened her eyes and suddenly smiled: "Fubao, I think so too. This is good."
——
When we were going down the mountain, everyone quieted down. For some reason, after climbing the Big Rolling Mountain, we felt refreshed, as if our souls had been cleansed like never before.
Xiao Dingkun didn't say much when he went up the mountain, and he was even more silent when he went down the mountain.
He just stayed quietly beside Old Man Yu and supported him.
Even when they reached some ravines and difficult places, he would just carry Old Man Yu on his back.
Fubao hurriedly followed him and supported the old man to prevent him from falling.
Ning Huiyue and Yu Anmin followed behind, watching this scene, naturally feeling a lot of emotion, the two even discussed privately, saying that Yu Jingyue was not very sensible, and Yu Jingfei was a soldier, and he might not be able to take care of the elderly for the sake of the country in the future. Xiao Dingkun was a good person, and after marrying Fubao, they might have to rely more on Xiao Dingkun.
Ning Huiyue was thinking in her heart that Xiao Dingkun and her daughter seemed to be a perfect match the more she looked at them. She didn't want to think about whether she could have any hope in the future or not. As long as her daughter was well, anything was fine. As long as her daughter was happy, she would be willing to do anything.
They talked and discussed in low voices as they walked back slowly. As they walked, they occasionally came across some wild mushrooms or something, and Ning Huiyue lowered her head to pick them and gather wild mushrooms and wild vegetables.
It was a coincidence that there were many plump and tender wild mushrooms along the way, and he even encountered wild pheasants, wild deer, wild rabbits and so on. At first, Yu Anmin didn't pay much attention to them, so he just caught them casually. As a result, the pheasants seemed to be bored and were caught by him in a few strokes.
When he stuffed a flapping pheasant into Ning Huiyue's hand and Ning Huiyue said that she could make pheasant soup for everyone, Yu Anmin also became energetic and went to catch wild rabbits again.
Wild rabbits are also easy to catch. You can catch them by chasing them for a few steps.
Yu Anmin sighed: "The wild game in these mountains is not afraid of people!"
Every time you catch one, you’re sure to catch it.
Later, even Mr. Yu caught a wild rabbit.
But the old man was very happy: "I am still strong even though I am old. I can even run faster than a wild rabbit, hahaha!"
So when they walked down the Big Rolling Mountain, the family was holding two pheasants, three wild rabbits, and a wild musk deer, enough for everyone to have a big meal!
Fubao couldn't help laughing when he saw how happy they were. Only Xiao Dingkun looked at Fubao with amusement.
Fubao pursed his lips and winked at him playfully.
Xiao Dingkun raised his eyebrows helplessly but said nothing.
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