Prologue, a thousand autumns

Bloodline is not a reason for humility

Behind him stood a thin man, yet the two bearers outside showed no signs of exertion from carrying an additional person

How charming that little rascal was back in the day, yet who would have thought that upon growing up, he would turn out to be such a scoundrel

This blue cloth sedan chair has been coming here intermittently for several years now. Over time, they gradually learned that the elderly man in the chair is an old tutor invited by a certain family in the city. However, due to the mischief of the students and the constant obstacles posed by his peers, he often feels displeased and thus has the bearers carry him around with a servant for a leisurely stroll.

Indeed, when he spoke of the old man's instructions, everyone on that side immediately praised in unison. The man was even quicker to grab the silver that Yan Er had handed over, clutching it tightly in his hand, with a beaming smile on his face, saying: "With such kindness from the old gentleman, we must certainly assist in this matter and properly take care of the deceased. That child is fortunate to be taken in by such a good family as the old gentleman's."

He wanted to think, but the old man gradually began to doze off. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard a commotion from outside, followed by the sound of the sedan chair coming to a stop. He furrowed his brow, and in the next moment, a cacophony of footsteps, shouts, and the clattering of various utensils filled the air. All these sounds converged into a chaotic melody

The elderly man in the sedan chair vaguely heard these discussions, and he did not know what impulse drove him, but suddenly he spoke up and commanded: "Yan Er, bring that child to me so I can take a look."

Yan Er responded with a sound, pushing and shoving to clear the crowd and squeeze to the front. He then saw someone covering a straight-backed woman on the ground with a piece of reed mat.

He can be considered a frequent presence on this small street, and the man is not unfamiliar with him. He had already felt troubled because the child looked weak and difficult to care for, and at this moment, he hurriedly handed the child over.

As if startled by the middle-aged man's stern face, the child suddenly reached out and fiercely grabbed the old man's beard

"The woman who saved you does not even know if she is your mother. I heard her surname is Ding. Where did you and she come from, and what is her name? I will have someone investigate, but it is likely there will be no results. I will give you another name. Today, you live while she dies, yet you encountered me; this is quite extraordinary. Therefore, you shall be called Qianqiu."

Yan Er, at the back of the sedan chair, responded cheerfully to the chattering greetings, yet felt quite helpless about his own duties

He has also been poor, so how could he not know what it feels like when the house and belongings are burned down

When Yan Er finally woke from her dream and ran away, the old man signaled for the sedan chair to stop and wait. As many constables gradually arrived, they, along with the neighbors, hurriedly used water carts to extinguish the fire. The flames were gradually brought under control, and he finally let out a gentle sigh of relief

And today is the worst he has felt since he began taking these breaks.

Then let's go

The old man was already in a bad mood, and now encountering a flooded house on the way, the servants' first reaction was actually to take a detour. He could not help but angrily shout: "Stop the sedan chair, you go to the yamen to call for help, quickly get the water cart, what if it catches fire and spreads?"

This woman actually risked her last breath to protect her child and escaped from the fire scene

The middle-aged man behind the elderly man moved his lips slightly and said, "Yes."

The little child seemed to become angry because someone said he looked like a monkey, and suddenly kicked his legs, forcefully striking the curtain of the carriage.

As the sedan chair was lifted once more and began to sway gently, the old man looked at the child who had quieted in his arms and smiled faintly

Just at that moment, he, with his keen eyes, heard someone shouting loudly over there, and soon after, a loud cry of a baby carried over with the wind. He felt a stir in his heart, and when Yan Er, drenched in sweat, hurried back, he immediately commanded: "It looks like a child has been rescued from a fire scene? Quickly, go take a look!"

It is all his fault for being single-mindedly devoted to his official duties over the years. After the death of his elderly wife, he arranged marriages for his first three sons and then neglected family matters entirely. The few scoundrels at home, driven by their own selfish interests, would not have let such a significant issue as running away from home escalate to this point of no return.

Go and fetch some silver for them, and say that I have taken this child home to raise. Let them buy a coffin, and then you can come back again to properly bury this woman

The old man immediately opened his eyes and parted the door curtain slightly. Upon seeing this, he widened his eyes in shock, for not far away, a house was ablaze with flickering flames, unmistakably indicating that there was a water leak!

To seek some leisure, there are plenty of places in the capital, yet this person insists on taking a blue cloth sedan chair for a stroll

Recalling the master's instructions, Yan Er immediately stepped forward and cleared his throat before speaking: "My master, Mr. Weng, heard that there was a flood here and that someone risked their life to rescue a child. He wishes to see this child."

"Is it easy to raise a child? Look at his face, it's only the size of a palm, and he is not even as long as my elbow. At first glance, he clearly has congenital deficiencies. Even if he gets past this hurdle, who knows how long he can survive"

Both bearers of the sedan chair are robust men in their thirties, walking at a steady pace, followed by a middle-aged servant with a humble demeanor.

In that fleeting moment, a rare expression of warmth appeared on the old man's face.

The person is from another place, having rented a house here for only a few days, and even the landlord only knows that the woman’s surname is Ding

In order to prevent others from making a big deal out of his habits, he never disembarks from the carriage on the street. The bearers and attendants are all unfamiliar faces selected from home who rarely go out. After all, he is merely taking a leisurely outing, not conducting a covert visit in disguise

Yan Er felt distressed, but he was well aware of the old man's stubborn temperament, so he could only instruct the two bearers to lift the sedan chair and proceed. As they gradually approached the noisy crowd ahead, he finally heard the discussions clearly.

Yan Er has caught up with the front and hurriedly said: "Sir, the situation ahead is chaotic with everyone engaged in rescue efforts. Shall we take a different route?"

Is the old gentleman not joking?

The gradually setting sun painted the horizon with a layer of bright gold. On the small street, a blue cloth sedan chair, carried by two people, swayed gently as it turned the corner.

His bright black eyes unexpectedly met the old man's gaze, and then he turned to look at the man behind the old man

In a slightly more spacious elevated sedan chair than the usual two-person carried sedan, an elderly man dressed in a blue cloth robe was sulking.

As the bearers outside moved in rhythm, the sedan chair rose and fell, yet the old man rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

To be precise, he is simply daydreaming

Yan Er arranged everything and then hurried back. He did not dare to casually lift the curtain of the sedan chair, but respectfully replied in a low voice: "Master, everything has been arranged."

The capricious younger son unexpectedly expressed dissatisfaction with the impending marriage arrangement and ran away from home, insisting that he would show his abilities. Those colleagues who take advantage of the situation seized upon this point to criticize him for his poor parenting, claiming he had raised a rebellious child

This child certainly cries quite loudly; whoever does a good deed by adopting him and providing him with food will not have wasted the efforts of that woman who risked her life to save him

Yan Er almost thought he was hearing things, but upon seeing the old man awkwardly change his position while holding the child, he swallowed hard and ultimately forced a smile, responding with a "yes." He then hurriedly lowered the curtain of the sedan chair and turned to leave.

Not even having held his own child before, Yan Er, in a moment of distraction, hurriedly took the child into his arms, muttering a quick thank you before turning around and hastily making his way back, completely unaware that the child, who had just been wailing, was now gradually falling silent. Upon reaching the side of the sedan chair, he instructed the bearers to open a small gap in the curtain, cradling the child's head with one hand while carefully supporting the child's bottom with the other, gently bringing the child closer.

Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, but I have never believed in such Buddhist nonsense. If it were any other time, I would have done my duty by offering a few taels of silver, but who told you to run into me today? My rebellious son has run away from home, abandoning even his father. I consider it as having lost a son, and I can just pick up a grandson to raise at home, which would also provide someone to offer sacrifices at the grave for that wretched boy in the future. Xiaoying, don't you think so?

Seeing the child in his arms frown as if he understood, the old man couldn't help but smile and gently tapped the child's brow with his finger

Upon witnessing this scene, the accustomed passersby on the street all made way, and some even greeted warmly

Seeing this, Yan Er quickly embraced the child and attempted to step back, but the elderly man in the sedan chair suddenly reached out to take the child, directly holding him in his arms

The woman's complexion was so charred by smoke and fire that her original color was unrecognizable, and her clothing was almost completely burned away, revealing skin that was scorched black, a sight too tragic to behold. He hurriedly averted his gaze, only to discover a soaked cotton-padded jacket lying on the ground, while the infant, who was emitting loud cries, was currently lying in the hands of a burly man.

Old man, it is this child, so small that he resembles a monkey, which is why no one in the neighborhood is willing to adopt him

As that man said, the child's head lay in his palm, the feet barely reaching his elbow, appearing to weigh no more than four or five pounds, extremely frail, and it was unclear how long it had been since the child was born

The old man gently shook the child's finger, a hint of bewilderment appearing on his face: "These are two words that my teacher often mentioned in the past, a term with multiple interpretations. Life lasts for a thousand autumns, and death also lasts for a thousand autumns; longevity too lasts for a thousand autumns. It is a pity that in this world, life and death are common, but longevity is not often seen"