Chapter 2: Listening to the sound of rain, the lonely cloud relieves his mind and thinks of his deceased mother. Xiangyue emits a sad voice.
Growing up in Alsophila Valley, Xiao Xiangyue had rarely seen outsiders, let alone playmates his own age. The arrival of Luo Guyun, Yishui, and Yihan delighted him greatly, and he spent his days humming little songs and skipping around the yard.
He called Luo Guyun "Brother," but Yi Shui "Uncle," and Yi Han "Little Uncle." He called Imperial Physician Sun "Grandpa," but Sun Mu "Big Brother." In short, he didn't follow generational rules or regulations, just did what he wanted. The adults also let him do what he wanted.
Luo Guyun was very weak in the first few days after waking up, mostly dozing off. Every day, Xiao Xiangyue would tiptoe to his bedside, peering in. If Luo Guyun was awake, he'd put on a broad, inviting smile and offer him a small gift—sometimes an apple, sometimes a stone. It was a clumsy way to express his subtle kindness and concern. If Luo Guyun was asleep, he'd tiptoe out again to play with his uncles, Yishui and Yihan.
A few days later, it was Double Ninth Festival, and the weather was getting colder. The temperature dropped sharply that day, and it started to rain lightly.
The foothills of Mount Zhongnan are prone to rainfall. The eaves of local houses are built with extra wide roofs, allowing people to dry things under the eaves when it rains, and for people to move around under the eaves.
Luo Guoyun was able to get out of bed and move around. He was half-lying on a rattan chair under the eaves, reading Zuo Zhuan, a copy of which he had taken from Imperial Physician Sun's study.
"Daddy, Daddy, you put too many clothes on Yue'er. She can't even move..."
Luo Guyun looked up at the direction of the sound. The door of the opposite room was half open. He saw Xiao Pingzhou holding his son on his lap and putting a thick cotton robe on Xiao Xiangyue.
"Good boy, Yue'er, it's raining today. If you don't wear something thicker, you'll start coughing again." Xiao Pingzhou ignored his son's protests and swiftly buttoned his shirt. Then he sat him down on the bed, squatted down, and pulled a pair of thick cotton socks over him. His movements were gentle, his expression full of doting.
Luo Guyun felt jealous. Whose child needs such care from his father at such an old age?
During the days of recuperation, Luo Guyun gradually realized a fact, that is, before he and the brothers Yi Shui and Yi Han came, the only focus of the lives of the four adults in this theater, or their attention, was on the child Xiao Xiangyue.
"Yue'er, how much did you eat today? Do you have a good appetite?"
"Yue'er, have you slept well these days? Do you still have a headache?"
"Yue'er, I'm going to town tomorrow. If you need anything, I'll bring it to you."
This was a daily conversation between Sun Mu, the son of Imperial Physician Sun, and Xiao Xiangyue. A twenty-year-old youth, nagging like a loving mother to a child.
Doctor Sun even took Xiao Xiangyue's pulse almost every day. Xiao Pingzhou and his son cooked separately and did not eat with the others. This was because Xiao Xiangyue's three meals a day were all medicated meals prescribed by Doctor Sun after taking her pulse, and they had to be prepared separately.
Xiao Xiangyue raised a mynah bird. One day, the child wanted to hang the bird on the beam under the eaves. It was a bit out of reach, so he moved a stool to climb up and dangled to hang the birdcage. Aunt Song, the wife of Imperial Physician Sun, was cooking in the kitchen. When she saw this, she rushed out and grabbed the child, saying in shock, "Ouch! Why are you climbing so high? What if you fall?"
Luo Guoyun was standing in front of the window at the time, glancing at the stool. It was only about fifty or sixty centimeters high, so even if it fell, it probably wouldn't even get a scratch on its skin...
Xiao Pingzhou, needless to say, was incredibly attentive to his son. Eating and sleeping with him, carrying him around, and feeding him medicine and food were common occurrences. He would panic for a long time if Xiao Xiangyue sneezed. He was truly afraid of melting the child if he held it in his mouth, and afraid of dropping it if he held it in his hands.
Luo Guyun was really puzzled.
He was an only child, and his parents doted on him. Although he had always been strong, he'd occasionally sustained injuries in the military, and his parents never made a fuss. His father, in particular, was very strict with him, insisting on him even minor injuries on the battlefield. "How could he ever be so spoiled?" Luo Guyun muttered to himself. "Does a boy need such excessive care?"
Xiao Xiangyue's mother, Xiao Yuegui, was a renowned beauty, and her father, Xiao Pingzhou, was also strikingly handsome. Xiao Xiangyue's appearance was a perfect blend of both parents' strengths. Her features were exquisite, her skin flawless and delicate, her eyes clear and bright, her nose straight, and her eyelashes long and slender. Even men like Luo Guoyun and the Yi brothers, accustomed to the roughness of military life and slow to appreciate beauty, couldn't help but exclaim: "This child is truly beautiful!"
It’s just that Xiao Xiangyue is thin and has been ill for many years, and her face always looks a little sickly pale.
Xiao Xiangyue, raised in meticulous care, was pure-hearted and knew nothing of sorrow. He would always smile, humming little songs as he played and skipped around the yard. Whenever Luo Guyun felt better, he would often come over, calling him "Brother Yun," hoping he would play with him.
Luo Guyun had been through a drastic change, and was feeling down. Furthermore, facing this delicate doll that looked like it would fall over with a gust of wind and break if squeezed, he felt helpless and ignored him.
Xiao Pingzhou had just put cotton shoes on Xiao Xiangyue when he saw Luo Guyun sitting under the eaves reading a book and ran over happily.
"Brother Yun, it's raining! Aren't you cold sitting outside?" a crisp voice asked.
"Not cold." Luo Guoyun replied. He glanced at him and continued reading.
Xiao Xiangyue was not annoyed and went to play by herself.
Luo Guoyun read for a while. After all, his injuries had not yet fully healed, and he felt a little tired. He half-closed his eyes to rest. Then he saw Xiao Xiangyue's small figure busy under the eaves opposite. Sometimes she moved a bench, sometimes ran to the kitchen to fetch a few rough bowls, and sometimes found two wooden sticks.
Fine, dense raindrops drizzled across the green tiles, casting a thin layer of smoke over the roof. Then, they gathered in the gutter, condensing into thick and thin streams of raindrops that dripped down into the courtyard. Xiao Xiangyue held the bowl in both hands, placed it under the gathering raindrops, tilted her face upward, and carefully collected the water. She did this for seven or eight bowls, then lined them up on the bench. She brought in a chair and sat down in front of the bench filled with bowls. She picked up a wooden stick and tapped each bowl one by one. Listening to the sound, she poured some of the water out of the bowl, then refilled it.
After doing this for a long time, he finally felt satisfied and started to knock on the sticks with each hand.
Luo Guyun found it interesting and wanted to tease him, so he asked, "Yue'er, what are you doing?"
Xiao Xiangyue was very happy to see Luo Guyun take the initiative to talk to him. He looked at Luo Guyun with clear eyes, grinned, and said, "Brother Yun, I'm knocking on the rain! Close your eyes and listen carefully!"
After saying that, he put down the stick, ran over happily, covered Luo Guyun's eyes with his two little hands, and said softly: "Brother Yun, close your eyes and don't open them. Listen to the sound of the moon knocking on the rain for you! Daddy and Big Brother Sun said it sounds very nice!"
He happily ran back to the stool, sat down, and started playing with great concentration.
Luo Guyun closed his eyes and listened. At first, he thought the sound of the wooden stick hitting the bowl was crisp and pleasant, very pleasant to the ear. Gradually, he began to hear some rhythm.
It turned out that Xiao Xiangyue treated each bowl as a musical note. Bowls with more water produced a low, resonant note, while bowls with less water produced a clear, melodious one. Seven or eight bowls represented seven or eight musical scales. He would strike the rough bowls with a wooden stick, simulating the sound of rain.
He tapped the instruments with his hands, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes high, sometimes low. The sounds were sometimes soothing, sometimes urgent: "Ding ding... Dong dong dong... Ta ta ta... Tick-tick... Tick-tick... Tick-tick... Tick-tick-tick..." The sounds of the tapping and the sound of the rain outside combined to form a harmonious percussion music.
The notes fell one by one, like circles drawn by raindrops on the water, or like pearls that had broken off their strings and fallen to the ground, splashing water... The sound was ethereal and clear, as if it was far away at the horizon and yet seemed to be right next to the ear, and it was indescribably sweet and pure.
Luo Guyun had been consumed by sorrow, the deep hatred for his parents gnawing at his heart constantly. But now, it was as if his mind had emptied itself, the dark, gloomy emotions slowly fading. The clamor and bustle of the world was cut off from him, leaving only a warm, comfortable, and tranquil soul...
The rain gradually subsided and the sound of beating gradually stopped.
"Does it sound good? Brother Yun." Xiao Xiangyue's crisp voice came.
Luo Guyun came back to his senses, opened his eyes, and said sincerely, "It sounds so beautiful!" After a pause, he praised, "Yue'er is amazing! Did Daddy teach you this?"
Xiao Xiangyue became even more excited after receiving the praise. She pouted and said, "This wasn't taught by Daddy. This is something I came up with on my own and played with it myself."
Xiao Pingzhou was proficient in music. The other two rooms in the west wing were used as his music room. They were filled with ancient and modern music theory books, music scores, and piano scores. There were also dozens of musical instruments such as qin, xiao, zheng, flute, drum, and se. Xiao Pingzhou liked to compose his own music and was good at various instruments. Different styles of music were expressed with different instruments. Xiao Xiangyue followed his father to learn music since he could walk. Xiao Pingzhou wanted to pass on all his life's learning to his son. Perhaps he inherited the musical talent of his ancestors, Xiao Xiangyue was extremely talented in music. The ten-year-old child could already play various instruments and compose some songs by himself, humming them all day long.
"Yue'er recently learned a song that Daddy composed. Yue'er pestered me for a long time, but Daddy said it was too difficult and refused to teach me. But Yue'er secretly learned it, and it's not difficult at all."
"Yue'er wants to go to my mother's grave and play the music for her tomorrow. Brother Yun, can you accompany me?" Seeing that Luo Guyun was willing to talk to him, Xiao Xiangyue chattered a lot, opened her eyes wide, and looked at Luo Guyun expectantly.
Of the adults in the theater, Xiao Xiangyue favored Luo Guyun. Firstly, Yishui, Yihan, and Sun Mu were both in their twenties, and in the eyes of the children, they were uncles, making them unlikely to play together. Luo Guyun, despite his stature, was only sixteen, and his face still held a touch of youthful innocence. With handsome features and an upright posture, he exuded a sunny and handsome demeanor. Furthermore, Luo Guyun, raised in a strict family, was calm and polite in his dealings with others, and his every move exuded a calm demeanor. This naturally endeared him to the children.
Seeing Xiao Xiangyue's expectant eyes, Luo Guyun couldn't bear to refuse him: "...Okay, if it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll go with Yue'er."
The next day, the rain stopped and the wind died down, and it was a nice day.
In a rush to purchase medicinal herbs before winter, Yi Shui, Yi Han, and Sun Mu rode their horses early in the morning to the market town, more than a dozen miles away. Imperial Physician Sun was still tinkering with his prescriptions in the pharmacy. It resembled a small laboratory, stocked with precious Chinese medicinal herbs, alchemy furnaces of all sizes, scales, mortars of varying sizes, and a dazzling array of instruments. Imperial Physician Sun's sole hobby was extracting and distilling the various herbs, formulating them into pills according to their recipes. In another room, rows of floor-to-ceiling drawers held various finished pills, each labeled with its own name: Xiao Er Jing Feng Wan, Fu Ke Qian Jin Dan, Bao Ying San, Jingu Bu Shen Wan, and so on. There were at least a hundred different kinds. In his spare time, Imperial Physician Sun personally taught his son, passing on his entire medical skills to Sun Mu.
After noon, Xiao Pingzhou practiced playing a new piece on his pipa inside his house. Xiao Xiangyue retrieved a guqin from her father's music room and gave it to Luo Guyun to hold. The two of them then set out for Xiao Yuegui's grave in the back hills.
"Wait...change your shoes before going!"
As the sun was shining brightly, Aunt Song was drying medicinal herbs in the yard. Seeing Xiao Xiangyue wearing a pair of cotton shoes, she quickly stopped the two people who were about to leave. She took out a pair of sheepskin boots from the house and muttered, "The grass on the mountain is deep and the fallen leaves are thick. It rained yesterday and there was a lot of dew... These cotton shoes are not waterproof. If they get wet, your feet will feel cold..." As she spoke, her hands did not stop, and she quickly changed Xiao Xiangyue's shoes and tied her shoelaces.
"Thank you, auntie." Xiao Xiangyue was obviously used to such care and waited obediently for Aunt Song to change his shoes.
"Mr. Luo, the road is slippery, be careful not to let Yue'er fall!" Aunt Song loudly reminded Luo Guyun who was standing at the door, and then she continued with the work in her hands.
Alsophila Valley is nestled in the foothills of Mount Zhongnan, where lush vegetation and towering trees abound. Behind the hill lies a relatively flat forest. Freshly rained, the woods are filled with the delicate fragrance of pine resin, eucalyptus, and other plants. Perhaps due to frequent foot traffic, a path has been carved through the once pathless forest, leading deeper into the woods.
Luo Guyun held the zither in his right hand, his left arm still injured, so he couldn't free his hand to hold Xiao Xiangyue's hand. Seeing Xiao Xiangyue skipping and swaying in front of him, he thought of Aunt Song's advice. He said, "Yue'er, come here and hold my sleeve. Be careful not to fall."
"Yue'er won't fall." Xiao Xiangyue turned around, facing Luo Guyun, and took a few steps backward playfully, grinning, "I'm very familiar with this road. I can even walk it with my eyes closed."
After about half an hour, they turned a slope and saw a lonely grave beside a sturdy cypress tree. The tombstone in front of the grave read: "Tomb of my beloved wife Liu Yuegui." The brushstrokes were vigorous, likely written by Xiao Pingzhou himself.
Luo Guoyun lamented, a woman from Jiangnan, a renowned actress, buried in this desolate mountain. Judging from Yue'er's appearance, her mother must have been incredibly beautiful. Such a tragic fate, truly a pity. He bowed solemnly. Then he thought of his own mother, who had fled in such a hurry that her body was hastily buried, without even a tombstone erected. It would have been better for this woman to have her husband and son by her side. A wave of sadness washed over him.
Beneath the cypress tree stood a slab of bluestone, with a wooden stake serving as a stool. The slab was very smooth, evidently due to Xiao Pingzhou's frequent visits and long periods of sitting.
Xiao Xiangyue placed the zither on the stone table. Since she was too short to reach the strings if she sat down, she stood in front of the table, calmed her breath, and began to play.
After a gentle, melodious prelude, Xiao Xiangyue slowly followed the rhythm and sang the chorus. The dense forest was hushed and silent, while the clear, jade-like zither music and Xiao Xiangyue's slightly childish voice echoed across the empty mountain. Luo Guyun listened carefully and realized that Xiao Xiangyue was singing Nalan's "Golden Threads Song."
Longing for his deceased wife, Xiao Pingzhou composed a melody for this poem, often playing the qin and reciting it to ease his inner sorrow. The tune is mournful and melancholy, the words profoundly enchanting. It's truly unsuitable for a child to sing. No wonder Xiao Pingzhou refused to teach him, Luo Guyun sighed.
I only heard Xiao Xiangyue's tender voice singing softly:
When will this hatred end?
The rain drops on the empty steps, the cold night has stopped.
Flower burial weather.
Three years of wandering soul and dream,
It's been a long dream, it's time to wake up.
I feel that life is boring.
Not as good as the dust on the night stage,
It's a deserted place, a place full of sorrow.
The promise of hairpins and ornaments was abandoned!
If there are two fish in the deep spring,
I want to know his joys and sorrows over the years.
Who can I rely on?
I have been tossing and turning all night long,
Can you bear to listen to the Xiangxian string being tuned again?
Waiting to find a true friend in his life,
I'm afraid they'll both have bad luck.
No more fate, only the moon and the wind remain.
The coldness is gone, and the paper ashes rise.
By the last line, the melody was so mournful and desolate that it seemed to pierce the air. Xiao Xiangyue, after all, had a child's voice, and it was already exhausting her to sing any further. Angrily, she placed her hands on the strings, making a heavy "bang" sound, and the music abruptly stopped. She was stunned and burst into tears.
Luo Guyun hurried forward, embracing the child in his arms, gently stroking his back, offering silent comfort. The music Xiao Pingzhou composed was truly mournful, bringing tears to the ears. He had felt melancholy and sorrowful just listening to it. Needless to say, Xiao Xiangyue, thinking of her deceased mother, was even more overcome with grief.
"Yue'er misses mother." Xiao Xiangyue hung her hands on Luo Guyun's neck, buried her head in his chest, and choked with sobs; "Yue'er misses mother so much... Mother was killed by Yue'er... Daddy said that mother was seriously ill before Yue'er was born. But mother refused to take medicine for treatment because... the medicine would hurt Yue'er, so... as soon as Yue'er was born, mother passed away..." Xiao Xiangyue sobbed and spoke intermittently.
Luo Guyun felt sad and didn't know how to comfort him. He just sat him on his lap, held him close to his chest, and patted his back gently. He was silent for a long time.
After a long while, Xiao Xiangyue finally raised her head. Luo Guyun wiped the tears still hanging on his cheeks with his sleeve and said slowly, "It's getting late. We should go back."
The two of them walked back in silence. After walking for a while, Xiao Xiangyue suddenly said, "Yue'er just cried, and her eyes are still red and swollen. If we go back and show them to Daddy and the others, they'll be worried again." Then, she suddenly remembered something and said, "Brother Yun, why don't we go back later? I'll take you to see a special tree and a strange tree hole. It's really interesting." As she spoke, she took Luo Guoyun's sleeve and climbed up a slope. Luo Guoyun thought to himself, this child is very thoughtful. At such a young age, he knows how to not let adults worry.
Children's minds always change quickly. Climbing up the slope, Xiao Xiangyue pointed to a large tree not far away and shouted excitedly, "Brother Yun, look, the tree hole is right up ahead."
Luo Guyun looked up and saw a towering tree about ten feet away. It had luxuriant branches and leaves, and the trunk was seven or eight feet thick. Going around the back of the tree, he saw that one side of the trunk was concave and hollow, forming a natural tree hole. The tree hole was spacious and could accommodate two or three people. It was really strange.
"Brother Sun said this is a Davidia involucrata tree, a very precious species, and it must be thousands of years old." Xiao Xiangyue pulled Luo Guyun and quickly went into the tree hole, saying, "This tree blooms every year on the moon's birthday. The flowers are like white doves, so beautiful! Last year, I ran out to play and fell asleep in the tree hole. Brother Sun and daddy looked for me for a long time before they found me. They were so worried!" Xiao Xiangyue chattered and giggled.
When we returned to Washe, it was already dinner time.
As it was getting dark, Sun Mu and the other two returned. Sun Mu, carrying two paper bags, called out as he entered the yard, "Yue'er, Yue'er, big brother bought you some leaf cakes and mung bean cakes, both of which you love... Come and try them!" Xiao Xiangyue heard him and ran out from the inner room, happily taking the bags and about to open them...
Doctor Sun poked his head out from the pharmacy and said, "You might get indigestion if you eat it tonight. Take it tomorrow." He then raised his voice to Aunt Song in the kitchen, "Is the medicine ready? Give it to Yue'er first." Xiao Xiangyue put down the paper bag a little disappointed. Xiao Pingzhou took the medicine from Aunt Song, held Xiao Xiangyue in his arms, and began to feed her the medicine.
"So bitter..." Xiao Xiangyue frowned after taking a spoonful.
"Today's medicine has an additional ingredient, neem bark, which makes it taste bitter. It can expel parasites and eliminate dampness. Yue'er, be good and drink the medicine. I'll give you a piece of mung bean cake." Doctor Sun coaxed.
Xiao Xiangyue was delighted to hear that she could eat mung bean cakes. She took the medicine bowl and drank it in big gulps. She drank it too hastily and choked on it. She coughed and her face flushed red. Several adults quickly gathered around her, their faces full of concern. Some patted her back, some patted her chest, and there was a chaotic scene.
After taking a breath, Xiao Xiangyue waved her hands and reassured everyone, "Yue'er is fine...it's fine." She picked up the medicine bowl and was about to drink it again. Doctor Sun hurriedly stopped her, "It's cold. Heat it up before drinking."
Luo Guyun and the other two were watching from the side and were not surprised.
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