Chapter 125 Returning a Gift to an Old Friend

The winter day was slightly chilly, and the sky and earth were pure white.

At first glance, it was all white, with only an ancient road left with footprints of many people.

It snowed yesterday, and when you stepped on the ground, a rustling sound was heard.

Today is the "Spirit Worship Festival" in Dayue. Legend has it that when this day comes, the souls of the deceased will return to the human world to accept offerings and prayers, and welcome relatives and friends to pay homage to them. The vast majority of people will choose to worship their deceased ancestors, parents and even friends on this day.

On this day, Gu Dan will also follow the trend and burn more incense and paper for his biological parents, whom he has never met but whom he loves deeply.

As for meeting, there is no need for that. There is really no need.

This ancient road in front of us, which has been walked by many people, is not a refined place. On the contrary, if we call it by its most well-known name, if we keep walking along this path, we will eventually reach a place called "mass grave".

The so-called mass grave is certainly not a good place to go.

The people buried there were either those who committed crimes and were captured and executed by the government and thrown there, or they were victims who froze to death or starved to death in the imperial capital during the winter. The yamen runners didn't want to waste too much time on this, so they just threw them all here.

But later on, for some reason, some people said that this place had a heavier negative energy and was most suitable for burying those poor people who did not die of old age and could not be buried in their ancestral land for various reasons.

Anyway, those buried here are all poor people, so everyone can at least have a companion on the road to the underworld.

Later, this saying spread and became a tradition in the imperial capital for nearly a hundred years.

Of course, if you ask Gu Dan, it's probably because the family who committed a crime couldn't bury their deceased in the ancestral tomb, so they used this place and put it in a more pleasant way.

But there is no need to take everything seriously. This world is already not a good place, so it would be more heartwarming to simply view it from the perspective of the latter's grief and wishes for the deceased.

It was still early in the morning, and the snow and water in most places on this ancient road had almost turned into mud, leaving behind dim water, but it was difficult to see any human figures.

"It seems like everyone is here quite early."

Carrying a large package of paper money, Gu Dan still had the mood to tell a not-so-funny joke.

Naturally, no one answered.

He also walked towards a certain place with great purpose.

The mass grave was soon reached. There were still some black embers in the air from paper money that had burned but not completely disintegrated. They were very conspicuous in the vast expanse of white.

Gu Dan walked to a grave mound, reached out his hand and wiped off the snowflakes on the tombstone.

The snowflakes were icy cold, and when they touched my warm palms, they melted a little, making an area wet, like water stains, or like the tears of a crying person.

There are six words written on the tombstone.

Tomb of Ding Ji's family.

Six words buried six people.

Only a year has passed and the tombstone is still new.

Gu Dan didn't know what to say, he just swept the snow for Ding Ji, put paper money in front of the grave, and said softly: "I came to see you."

The flint flew out sparks, igniting the paper money.

The burning fire blurred the surrounding snow, and the gray smoke rose up, perhaps it could really lead directly to the unknown place that the man could not see.

Gu Dan didn't say anything else, but just waited quietly for the paper money to burn out.

There was some movement behind me.

"I told you not to drink last night. You insisted on making me drink. Didn't you see what time it was today?"

"You're still blaming me. You were the one who drank the most yesterday! If I hadn't woken up early today, you would have slept until noon!"

"That's enough, you two! Can't you see there are only a few people around now? Get down to business!"

A group of three people, each holding some paper money, walked towards this side. They were arguing and making a lot of noise on the way, which did not blend in well with the quiet and somewhat deserted atmosphere of this place.

Gu Dan did not look at it, but stared at the rising flames. The light and fire were reflected in his eyes, and it was unknown what he was thinking.

But those three people were walking towards this place.

"Master Gu?"

Among the three, the fat man who was wrapped like a rice dumpling spoke in surprise.

"Um?"

Gu Dan woke up from his daze and turned to look.

"It's really you!"

The fat man's eyes showed surprise, "You are here to visit Ding Ji as well?"

"Who are you?" Gu Dan asked.

"We are Ding Ji's friends. We used to drink together a lot! It's a pity that this kid is unlucky and has a villain in his family. The brothers decided to come and see him so that no one would burn paper for him."

"Yes, yes, yes! I didn't expect that you, Master Gu, would be here too. If Ding Ji knew about this, he would jump for joy! You don't know, but every time he drinks, he likes to brag about knowing you the most! He also said that without you, he wouldn't exist! What do you call this? A gift of rebirth, right?"

It was clearly a kind voice, but Gu Dan found it a little harsh. His lips moved but he didn't say anything.

The fat man said in a very familiar manner: "You two, get out of the way! Lord Gu is thinking about important matters, do you understand? He can't have a conversation with you two peasants!"

Pushing the two men aside, the fat man unceremoniously poured the paper money in his hand onto the fire lit by Gu Dan, and shouted, "Come on, come on, all of you, rub against Master Gu's fire. I want to see if that old guy can tell the difference in the underworld."

A handful of paper money fell into the burning fire, and immediately the flames spread out, half a person's height, making the people's faces become rosy, dispelling the winter chill.

Soon after, two more handfuls of paper money fell in. The flames suddenly looked like a prairie fire, rising into the sky and bringing some warmth and red to this white world.

The three new friends of Ding Ji sat by the fire in a completely ungraceful manner, and took out a few pots of undried wine, half of which was poured on the ground and the other half was poured into their mouths.

"Let's have a drink with you again!" they said.

The fat man also handed Gu Dan a pot of wine and said, "This wine is low-quality farm wine. Lord Gu may not be used to it. Please don't despise it."

"Why would you dislike it?"

Taking the wine jug, Gu Dan imitated them and poured half of it in front of the grave, swallowing the cold wine in big gulps.

When the bad wine goes down my throat, it feels icy cold with a hint of spiciness, stinging my throat, warming my stomach, and even causing a little heartburn.

After so many years, when he thought about it carefully, this was indeed the first time he drank with Ding Ji, but it was in front of a grave.

The three of them chatted for a while in front of the grave mound, and then left together.

Even in winter, there is still work to be done. Before the coldest time, going out to collect some firewood is a good thing. Of course, one will not stay too long, and will feel satisfied after burning the paper.

When even the black embers were no longer glowing red, Gu Dan threw some snow on top, patted the tombstone, and said, "I've avenged you, but it's a little late."

When I stood up and was about to leave, I saw a familiar figure walking ahead.

Gu Dan had excellent eyesight, and it was almost impossible for a martial arts master to mistake someone for someone else. In an instant, he was certain that he was not mistaken.

They hurried over, and the voices sounded with a hint of surprise.

"Brother Gu?"

"Xiaoyi?"

That person was Lin Xiaoyi.

She was wearing a thick robe, which seemed a little out of place for her status as the queen, the mother of the country. It was rough and loose, with traces of patching on the sleeves and shoulders with fine stitches. It did not look like the clothes of a noble in the palace at all, but rather like the thicker winter clothes that people were reluctant to throw away.

Even wearing this somewhat shabby and even tight winter coat, Lin Xiaoyi still looked very good, with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, delicate features, and well-maintained skin that was even whiter and tenderer than snow. It was just that the heavy and loose winter coat concealed her slim figure, making her look a little bloated.

At first glance, Lin Xiaoyi looked like a lady from a noble family who had escaped from somewhere and was casually wearing a winter coat.

"Why are you here?"

Gu Dan asked first.

This place is a "famous" mass grave in the imperial capital. It is really not a good place to go. It is only chosen by people who have no one at home and no extra money.

No matter which one it is, it doesn't quite fit Lin Xiaoyi's situation.

"I'm here to pay respect to my parents."

Lin Xiaoyi's eyes were red, and there was a little moisture in her eyes at this moment. It was obvious that she had just cried. Her voice was a little hoarse, different from usual, and she sounded like a lonely and poor little thing.

"Imperial Physician Lin and the others?"

Gu Dan frowned slightly, "Why is he buried here? Where is the ancestral land?"

People are different, even when they suffer the same irresistible disaster.

In this era, people value being buried in peace. If one can be buried in the ancestral land, it is naturally the best, so that future generations will have a place to worship.

Besides, although Imperial Physician Lin and Lin Xiaoyi's mother are no longer with us, Lin Xiaoyi is still alive. What's more, there are a group of imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau. If such a matter is brought up, they will at least lend a hand. She should not be buried here.

Lin Xiaoyi bit her red lips with her pearly teeth, and forced a pale smile, saying: "When my father was alive, he didn't have a very good relationship with the people in the clan. They all said that the clan had spent so much effort to finally find an imperial physician, but didn't think about the family members. Some people even came to the Imperial Hospital to make trouble a few times, and then gradually stopped contacting.

Later, when my father died, my family members did not agree to bury him in the ancestral land. They said that since he had offended the prince and disregarded the family, how could he have the nerve to defile the ancestral land again? I did not want to see their faces, so I buried him here. "

"this"

Gu Dan was stunned. This kind of family affair was really hard to describe.

It is difficult for an honest judge to settle family disputes. In this era, what matters is that if one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit.

Similarly, no matter who is in office, if he does not give convenience to his own people, he will inevitably be criticized, and his reputation in the officialdom will never be good.

After all, if you don't care about your blood relatives, what else can you care about? Who would dare to trust you? The position of imperial physician is not high, but the connections are quite wide. It is not difficult to find a place for people to spend their days. It is already a position that ordinary people can look up to.

But the people in the clan obviously resented Imperial Physician Lin for not taking care of them, and even refused to let them bury them in their ancestral land. You can imagine how resentful they were.

“It’s nothing, actually.”

Lin Xiaoyi sniffed, and a little white air came out of her nose as she spoke. She still smiled and pretended to be relaxed as she said, "Anyway, my parents only have a cenotaph. A cenotaph can't be considered a burial, so what difference does it make where they are buried? Just remember to come and pay your respects!"

Gu Dan remained silent.

At that time, the third prince rode his horse to chase a farmer who broke into the royal palace to collect firewood. As a result, he fell off the horse and was crushed under the horse. He summoned the imperial physician Helin.

After Imperial Physician Lin examined the patient, he said that paralysis was inevitable due to the injury, so the angry Third Prince ordered his men to chop him to pieces. Even the Imperial Physician who pleaded for mercy did not escape.

Seven days later, Lin Xiaoyi's biological mother could not bear to see her husband die in peace, so she secretly ran to the Third Prince's residence alone, begging for the collection of Lin Imperial Physician's body, but was beaten to death by servants.

When the third prince heard the news, he had the beast chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs.

Of course there are no corpses.

Later on, the extremely vicious and increasingly violent Third Prince was strangled to death with a white silk by the maids.

Even though Lin Xiaoyi was the queen at this time, this hatred could not be eliminated.

If a person is dead, what does it matter if he is dragged out and whipped? It cannot relieve the pain of the living, but only adds to the regrets.

Gu Dan still remembers that Lin Xiaoyi, who was still young and unmarried at that time, asked him with tears in her eyes.

"Brother Gu, my mother and father are both good people, and they have never made mistakes in treating patients. Why is this happening?"

Fifteen years passed in a flash, and Lin Xiaoyi stood at the pinnacle of women's rights, but what happened in the past could not be undone after all.

Just like the previous two times, Gu Dan still couldn't think of what to say to comfort Lin Xiaoyi. The heart-wrenching pain was so unbearable that even bystanders felt it was painful. What kind of words could heal it?

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I'm afraid it can't be cured, and the more I talk about it, the more hurt I'll feel, and the more sorrow I'll suffer.

Instead, it was Lin Xiaoyi who took the initiative to comfort Gu Dan and said, "Brother Gu, don't be sad. In fact, it's been so long and I've almost forgotten it! Occasionally I think of this incident and I try hard to think about it, but one day, I suddenly found that I couldn't remember my father and mother's faces clearly!"

She was clearly smiling, but the expression on her face was so cold that it seemed like snow falling from the sky.

"Brother Gu, do you still remember what Daddy looked like? All I remember now is that he had a bad temper and rarely got together with the people in the Imperial Hospital. He studied medicine all the time and wanted to write a medical book all his life. In the end, he was killed because he didn't treat the wound well."

Lin Xiaoyi said with a hint of complaint, "I burned all the medical books that Daddy collected for him. He likes medical books so much, and he has so much time down there, so he finally has time to read more. Maybe he likes them so much that he can't catch up. Why should I feel bad for him?

But my mother suffered a lot with him. She never had a chance to enjoy life. My father didn’t even take care of the family. It’s normal that people in the clan don’t like him. I didn’t like him when I was little either.”

A line of clear tears slid down.

Gu Dan sighed, reached out his hand and wiped away her tears.

He reached into his arms again, took out a warm book, handed it to Lin Xiaoyi, and said, "I actually wanted to give this book to you yesterday, but Xiaoying was still here, so I kept it until today."

The misfortunes of the previous generation should not be borne by the next generation. Lin Xiaoyi obviously thought so too. When she came to worship her parents, she did not bring her children with her.

Fifteen years later, today, the old books are returned to old friends.

"Book?"

Lin Xiaoyi was a little surprised and reached out to take it.

On the cover of the book, there were four large, ugly characters written on it.

Summary of Jinchuang.

Familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting suddenly caught her eyes, and Lin Xiaoyi froze there.

The torrent of memories comes flooding in!

"Daddy, Daddy! I saw someone flying a kite today. Can we go too?"

In some dilapidated houses, little girls who were not even as tall as a man's thighs would cling to the man pounding medicine, and would pull his beard with their tender little hands.

"Xiaoyi, stop making trouble, stop making trouble! Daddy is pounding medicine and doesn't have time to go. How about asking your mother to go with you?" The man raised his head, trying hard to avoid the little guy's clutches, and spoke softly.

"I don't want to! Others have their fathers to accompany them! I want one too!" She got angry, and pulled his beard even harder, rubbing her whole body against him.

"But Daddy still has to go treat people. It's been agreed."

The man had an embarrassed and somewhat painful expression on his face, and he spoke with a grin, not forgetting to put out his hand to protect the medicine jar, not giving the little guy a chance to mess up.

"I won't listen. You said the same thing last time! I don't care. I want Daddy to take me to fly a kite!"

Seeing that pulling the beard didn't work, Lin Xiaoyi burst into tears, stretched out her legs to leave small shoe prints on the man's body, and waved her little fists around.

"Xiaoyi."

The man looked helpless, but he didn't hide. He just kept pounding the medicine jar in silence.

Hearing Lin Xiaoyi's cry, a woman came over quickly, holding the winter clothes she was sewing in her hands, and said quickly: "Oh, my little ancestor, who made you angry again?"

After inserting the needle and thread into the winter coat, the woman kindly held Lin Xiaoyi in her arms and freed one hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"Daddy only knows how to cure illnesses all day long and never plays with me! Isn't Uncle Xu also an imperial physician? Uncle Xu brings everyone out to play, why doesn't Daddy take me to play!" young Lin Xiaoyi cried.

The woman hugged her and comforted her, "Didn't mother tell you? Your father was sick and almost died. It was a kind doctor who passed by and cured him without asking for money. Now that your father has the ability, of course he has to help others! Xiaoyi, don't you agree?"

"wrong!"

Lin Xiaoyi pouted in grievance, "Daddy has helped so many people? The rice jar at home is almost empty!"

"Oh, that's not the way to think about it. We can stay in the Imperial Hospital and never starve. Those people will starve to death if they have no food." The woman wiped the tears from her face and comforted her.

Speaking of this, Lin Xiaoyi said even more aggrievedly: "Others who enter the Imperial Hospital have big houses to live in! They can eat meat every day! Why is our family getting poorer and poorer? Even this winter coat has been patched several times! A while ago, my uncle came over and scolded my father for being stupid! Xiaoyi greeted him and was scolded!"

"We don't want to play with them, we don't want to play with them." The woman also lowered her head, smiled awkwardly, and could only hold Xiaoyi aside.

The man sat there in silence. After a pause, the sound of pounding medicine continued unwaveringly, occasionally with the sound of Lin Xiaoyi crying.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xiaoyi grew a little bigger and now reached waist height.

"Will you learn it?"

The man had a cold look on his face, no longer showing any kindness, and was staring at her and roaring.

"I won't learn!"

Lin Xiaoyi raised her neck and glared at those eyes, gritting her teeth and refusing to retreat.

"Why not learn? If not medicine, what else do you want to learn? Needlework?!"

The man's expression was grim, with anger that he could barely suppress.

"What's the point of studying medicine? You'll end up like you, with no family to support you, living in the Imperial Hospital all day! There are so many imperial doctors, but who is like you? I don't want to study medicine! When I grow up, I'll marry into a rich family and never come back!"

Lin Xiaoyi was extremely angry and yelled back without any fear.

"Oh, that's for the future. Now, come here and read the medical books!" The man sneered and picked her up and put her in front of the desk.

"Let me go! I don't want to learn!"

Lin Xiaoyi struggled hard, but she couldn't get rid of him and could only be pressed in front of the desk.

A medical book was thrown in front of him.

"Before dinner, I'll check the first ten pages. If you can't remember them, you'll go hungry!"

The man said mercilessly.

"If you're hungry, you're hungry!"

She raised her head and roared in extreme anger.

The man ignored her and locked the door, not giving her a chance to slip out.

Staring at the medical book in front of her, Lin Xiaoyi became more and more angry and tore it up directly.

She then stayed in bed for several days.

In a trance, Lin Xiaoyi grew to the height of a man's shoulder. Although still a little immature, she had grown into a graceful and elegant lady.

It’s just that my relationship with my dad is so bad that he doesn’t even want to talk to me when they meet.

She was strolling around the Imperial Medical Bureau. She was very familiar with this place, perhaps even more familiar with it than the imperial doctors who had worked here for decades.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyi saw a familiar figure under the thousand-year-old pine tree. He was sitting cross-legged there, staring at the pine tree in a daze.

She came over and greeted him with a smile: "Brother Gu, are you practicing inner breathing again?"

The figure sitting cross-legged nodded, looking quite helpless.

"I asked my father, and he said that inner energy cannot be forced."

Then Gu Dan gave him a few big coins.

Money is a good thing, it can be exchanged for candied haws.

But her father didn't give her any money. Only her mother would secretly give her some occasionally. It was said that girls should be raised in wealth, but she could hardly even afford to eat a string of candied haws.

"How can this be so embarrassing."

She smiled and two dimples appeared on her face. She reached out and took it decisively.

The memories are connected.

The slender white fingers trembled as they turned the pages of the book, and more tiny handwriting suddenly caught people's eyes.

Lin Xiaoyi was flipping through the medical book stupidly, with a little sparkle in her eyes. She didn't close her eyes, but just kept flipping through the book.

When you turn to a certain page, new and different handwriting appears on the book.

From then on, the handwriting was different from before.

Gu Dan said softly, "This book was not finished when Imperial Physician Lin gave it to me. I completed it later and now I am giving it to you."

Lin Xiaoyi didn't say anything.

Only tears flowed down like beads from a broken string.

Half of this book is the result of a man's life-long hard work.

But in the end, it can only be completed by others.

Lin Xiaoyi held the medical book in her arms, as if she was holding a treasure from the world. Although she couldn't stop crying, she still managed to smile. She said, "This medical book is excellent!"

(End of this chapter)