Chapter 182 It's Night
When I woke up the next day, the glutinous rice balls in my arms were gone.
Pipa rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.
If it weren't for the few strands of cat hair stuck to his clothes and the dagger thrown under the bed, one might have thought that everything that happened last night was just a dream that was too real to be true and had a touch of absurdity.
The strangest thing was the injury on his hand. In just one night, it was completely invisible. The burning pain he felt yesterday was genuine, and he had really bled.
Could it be...?
Pipa recalled the cool, wet touch of the cat's tongue licking her palm last night, and felt a little uncertain.
If it really healed so quickly after just one lick, that would be too amazing, wouldn't it?
—The effect is even better than that of medicated plasters.
Otherwise, how could one explain the fact that his skin was so smooth that not a single scratch could be seen... After all, it wasn't the first time he had cut his palm.
I have a general idea of how bad the injury is and how long it will take to heal.
Given his constitution, it would be impossible for him to fully recover from bleeding like last night in less than four or five days.
Therefore, the crux of the matter once again points to the Lantern Festival.
After she had basically decided on the answer in her mind, the first thought that came to Pipa's mind was, "Cats are truly amazing animals."
Then we have to address another question in Pipa's mind.
Since cats are so wonderful, so cute, and so valuable, why can't the people in the village live together peacefully?
For example, feeding a domestic cat like a pet dog...
This question was quickly answered.
Because cats are such elusive and unpredictable animals, unlike dogs which can stay in one house and guard the property with peace of mind.
Take Yuanxiao as an example. Before opening the door, Pipa will never know whether there is a cat in the house.
Before checking the rice bowl, Pipa also wouldn't know whether Yuanxiao had returned during the day.
The only thing that is certain, and also what makes Pipa very comforted, is that Yuanxiao will definitely be home before it gets completely dark.
This has been true without exception since the day they met.
So, on the night of the worship ceremony, when a person stayed at home waiting and waiting but the small white figure did not appear, Pipa finally couldn't help but push open the door and go out.
Normally, by this time, the village would already be fast asleep in the dark.
Apart from the two night watchmen on duty, the stray dogs outside the village would occasionally let out a few barks that were hard to describe as either mournful or lonely.
But tonight is different.
Today is the annual worship ceremony in Nancun, and the villagers value it even more than Lunar New Year's Eve.
According to village custom, all villagers are expected to participate that night.
Of course, rules are rules, but people are flexible.
As long as you're willing to pay a small price—in the village chief's words, by giving some "tribute" to the higher-ups—they'll naturally be more understanding of any inconveniences your family might experience.
That being said, this act of filial piety is not something that can be given casually or simply by saying you want to.
Looking across the entire village, and specifically their family, this kind of convenience has been offered once a year ever since Pipa's mother married into the family.
This is also an important reason why the old women and aunties in the village unanimously believe that Pipa's father dotes on his wife.
After all, having something or being able to afford it is one thing, but being willing to take it out of one's pocket is another.
Moreover, if it was only like this at the beginning, it could be considered as a temporary novelty, coaxing the girl to have a baby.
But then the child was born.
Later, seeing that the boy had grown to eight or nine years old, and it was still the same every year, one couldn't help but praise his unwavering affection.
As for whether it's genuine praise or a veiled criticism mocking a man's stubbornness, it's possible that both are true, and it's impossible to generalize.
One thing is certain: all these years, Pipa has never witnessed a real worship ceremony.
Logically speaking, at his age, he should be full of curiosity about the world and shouldn't have no curiosity at all.
He did indeed ask his mother about matters related to the worship ceremony.
What god do they worship? How do they worship? And why do they worship?
But my mother has never liked the village, and naturally she doesn't like to talk about it, especially showing an unusual aversion to this so-called worship ceremony, as if it were something dirty, sinful, and taboo that should not be mentioned.
Pipa didn't understand, but he always took his mother's preferences as his guiding principle.
Since Mother has this attitude, it is naturally not a good one.
Since it wasn't a good one, he stopped thinking about it.
Moreover, even if he doesn't participate in that ridiculous worship ceremony, with his mother by his side, even if the outside is brightly lit and noisy all night, Pipa can still fall asleep peacefully in his mother's arms.
Gods and ghosts, they're all irrelevant to me.
But this year is an exception.
Not long ago, my mother suddenly and unusually suggested at the dinner table that she wanted to attend a worship ceremony.
Regardless of how surprised Pipa was by these words.
Even the man sitting in the main seat frowned upon hearing this.
It's not like you can't afford it. If you don't like it, don't force yourself.
She paused, then added in a low voice, "【So many years have passed…】"
When Pipa heard his father say that, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
He thought to himself, there are so many things that Mother doesn't like. She doesn't like this village, she doesn't like life here, and she doesn't even like you and me.
Whether or not to force someone is ultimately up to the husband.
Of course, these thoughts about loquats were just in my mind; I couldn't actually say them out loud.
But his expression might have been somewhat disdainful, because Pipa clearly felt his father glare at him, so he quickly lowered his head and pretended to eat seriously, while listening intently to what his mother would say next.
Then I heard the latter chuckle softly.
Yes, it's been so many years.
The woman softly agreed, then suddenly looked up at her husband seriously: "So it's time to make some changes, isn't it?"
The man seemed taken aback by the gaze, remaining silent for a moment before replying in a low, ambiguous voice: "Whatever makes you happy."
The woman smiled slightly, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. She said softly, "Of course I'm happy. Now, all I want is to live a good life and watch our son grow up well."
The word "we" in the last sentence clearly touched a chord deep within the man's heart. He paused, holding the wine bowl, and looked deeply at his wife sitting opposite him, his gaze complex, as if he wanted to etch her face into his mind.
The woman continued to smile slightly, seemingly oblivious to the scrutiny she was receiving.
Then, with a natural expression, she lowered her gaze to Pipa beside her and said calmly, "That money wasn't wasted; Pipa is still at home. Given his current situation... it's not good for him to join in the fun."
The woman didn't speak very clearly, but everything was understood without words.
The current situation of the loquat is, to put it bluntly, that it has injured its leg and can neither walk far nor run... As for the cause of this, everyone present knows the answer.
The man had clearly anticipated this as well; his usually expressionless face paled slightly, a rare occurrence. He glanced at his son, who seemed engrossed in his meal, his Adam's apple bobbing, but ultimately said nothing, simply lowering his head to finish the wine in his bowl.
And that's how the matter was settled.
Everything seemed so natural, except for the loquat... As the days passed and a certain day drew closer, she became increasingly uneasy.
Until the night truly arrived.
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