"That should be your brother, right?"
Xiao Ning asked Qing Ge, and at this moment, the man who was worshiping seemed to have heard Xiao Ning's voice. He subconsciously turned his head and glanced behind him, but did not find any figure.
The man frowned slightly, a little puzzled, but soon turned his head back and continued to burn paper money silently. Pieces of white paper were placed in the brazier and quickly turned into ashes in an instant.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the man finally stood up after all the paper money in his hand had been burned. He knelt on the ground with the woman holding the child beside him and kowtowed three times in front of the grave. Then they extinguished the fire basin, packed up and left.
Not long after they left, Xiao Ning and Qing Ge carefully walked out from behind the mound. They slowly walked to the grave, where they saw some offerings and a brazier that was still warm, as if someone had just worshipped here.
Xiao Ning stared at Qing Ge and asked softly, "Why don't you meet with your brother?" His voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of concern.
Qing Ge's face was somewhat gloomy, her hand was tightly held by Xiao Ning, and Xiao Ning could clearly feel Qing Ge's hand trembling slightly. After a few seconds of silence, Qing Ge finally opened her mouth and slowly said:
"I don't know how to face him. After all, we haven't seen each other for seven years. I don't know what to say when we meet again."
Xiao Ning listened to Qing Ge's voice quietly, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes. He did not say some suggestions or comforting words like going to see his brother like others did, but silently took out the tributes he brought one by one and carefully placed them in front of the grave.
In Xiao Ning's view, Qingge has her own thoughts and feelings, and everyone has their own way of dealing with things. Only when Qingge wants to do something herself, that is the best thing for her. So, he chose to support Qingge with actions instead of forcing her with words.
After the tributes were neatly arranged, Xiao Ning took a deep breath, slowly squatted down, and gently lit the paper money in his hand. The flames jumped, licking the yellowed papers and swallowing them in an instant.
Xiao Ning carefully threw the burning paper money into the brazier and watched them gradually turn into ashes in the fire, as if he saw his deceased relatives smiling in the fire.
He stood up silently and handed the remaining pile of paper money to Qing Ge who was standing beside him. Qing Ge took the paper money, squatted down, and gently put the paper money into the brazier one by one. Her eyes were focused and gentle, as if she was having a conversation with her parents across time and space.
During this process, Xiao Ning was not idle. He turned around and took out a bottle of aged wine from his backpack. This bottle of wine was quite old, and the red paper on the bottle had faded a little.
He gently unscrewed the bottle cap, and a strong aroma of wine wafted into his nose. Xiao Ning poured the sake into a small wine glass, then placed the wine glass in front of the grave and poured himself another glass.
He raised his wine glass and said softly to the grave: "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, your son-in-law Xiao Ning is here to pay his respects to you two elders!"
He drank it all in one gulp before he finished speaking. The spicy and bitter taste spread in his throat, causing him to sigh.
At this moment, Qing Ge picked up the bottle of wine beside her and poured herself a glass. She drank it without hesitation, her movements were quick and decisive. Seeing this, Xiao Ning quickly reminded her.
"Drink slowly, this wine is quite strong."
However, Qing Ge didn't care. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile: "I haven't lost all my cultivation, how could I be drunk?"
Xiao Ning looked at the scene in front of him and didn't say much. He slowly put the remaining paper money in his hand into the brazier, watching the flames lick the paper and gradually devour it.
After the paper money was completely burned, Xiao Ning stood up and turned to look at Qing Ge who was standing beside him. He gently took Qing Ge's hand and walked to the graves of the two deceased people together, and kowtowed respectfully.
After finishing the worship, Xiao Ning and Qing Ge slowly stood up and turned to leave. However, after walking a few steps, Qing Ge suddenly stopped, and her eyes involuntarily turned to the hills behind her, as if attracted by an invisible force.
On the hill, the breeze rustled the grass. Qing Ge stared at the familiar land quietly, her thoughts gradually drifting back to the time when she was with her parents when she was a child. Those warm pictures kept flashing in her mind, causing an indescribable wave of emotion in her heart.
Nostalgia always makes people feel so emotional, whether it is beautiful memories or painful past events, it will stir up ripples in the heart. Qingge's heart is no exception, her emotions fluctuate with the surge of memories.
Xiao Ning seemed to notice something was wrong with Qing Ge. He stopped and stood quietly beside Qing Ge. He didn't say anything, but just silently held Qing Ge's hand, using his warmth to comfort her. Qing Ge felt Xiao Ning's care, and the uneasiness in her heart was gradually soothed. After a while, Xiao Ning said softly:
"Go back."
His voice was gentle and firm, like a spring breeze that blew away the haze in Qingge's heart. Qingge slowly came back to her senses, she took a deep breath, and tried to calm her inner emotions. Her eyes fell on Xiao Ning's face, and she saw the concern and tenderness in his eyes.
Qing Ge nodded gently, indicating that Xiao Ning could continue to move forward. Memories are important, but life must go on, and now, she wants to create beautiful memories that belong only to them with the most important person in her life.
The two held hands and walked slowly on the road leading to the distance. Qingge's steps were light and cheerful, as if every step was on the clouds of happiness. Her mood also gradually became brighter like a flower blooming in spring.
After walking a few steps, Qing Ge turned around again and looked at Xiao Ning beside him. A mischievous smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she asked curiously:
"I haven't even married you yet, why are you calling my parents father-in-law and mother-in-law? You even call yourself your son-in-law, how affectionate you are!"
"What? You don't want me to call you that? If you really don't like it, then I'll go back and change my name and call you uncle and aunt..."
Before Xiao Ning finished speaking, Qing Ge quickly reached out her hand, covered his mouth, and said angrily: "That won't do! You've already said it, how can you regret it!"
Xiao Ning was startled by Qing Ge's sudden action, but then he felt the warmth of Qing Ge's palm and her slightly shy gaze. A warm current surged in his heart and he couldn't help laughing.
The two looked at each other, their hands tightly held, as if time had stopped flowing at this moment. The sunlight shone on them, as if covering them with a layer of golden light, making their figures particularly warm and beautiful.
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