Chapter 10, I will wait for your return

I spoke to her, but she completely ignored me. I wanted to pull her up to go back, but she just broke free from me, remaining silent, only squatting at the door with a smile on her face. No one knows what she is thinking in her heart

As I stepped outside, feeling the evening breeze and gazing at the tranquil village, I suddenly felt that everything I had just experienced was so unreal.

Mother, why are you sitting here all alone? Hurry back, I said to her

Recently, too many events have altered my previous habits and perceptions. Just based on this particular incident, it is the first time I have seen my mother step out of our front door.

He turned to look at me, the brilliance in his eyes gradually fading. He nodded at me and said, "I have reasons that are inconvenient to share with others"

"Nothing will happen." My second uncle said to me with a smile

I will keep this secret for you, I said to him

This is a girl who is as kind and understanding as her mother

Because I just lied to my father, I truly feel a bit unsure about how to face him now. Just as I had the opportunity to return home, I had just stepped out of the ancestral hall when my second uncle came up to me and patted me on the shoulder

That little girl is Lin Xiaoyao, the daughter of the village chief Lin Sanshui. Rest assured, she has assured me that she will not mention what she saw today to anyone. I recalled my second uncle's cold gaze and said.

I smiled at him, unsure of how to respond.

My eyes are a bit moist; at this moment, what my father and grandmother need most is comfort from me. Perhaps in their eyes, I will always be a child

I did not force my mother any longer, but instead went to get a blanket to cover her. After returning home, my grandmother was still awake. Her health had deteriorated significantly due to a series of setbacks. Upon seeing me and my second uncle return, she made each of us a bowl of egg tea.

At this moment, I realized that I was holding onto these two, each with one hand on the * picture * book, and at this moment, both of their faces were equally flushed.

Growing up in this family, I cannot say I felt inferior, but the lack of maternal love indeed left me with a sense of discomfort in my childhood. Even now, as I analyze my inexplicable feelings towards Wu Miaoke, I realize that it is still due to my lack of maternal love

"This is a resurrection, and the rooster's blood must be multicolored; only multicolored blood can symbolize the phoenix. The blood of the phoenix is of the utmost yang, capable of burning away all the filth in the world," he said to me

I have come to know his secret, yet I increasingly find it difficult to see this person clearly

I am now eager to meet the Yin-Yang master, as my father is unaware of what happened to my third uncle last night. However, I personally experienced that terrifying scene.

My father is a strict and hardworking person. One thing he has always told me since I was young is that when you make a mistake, you must admit it yourself

I pulled up Lin Xiaoyao and walked to the door, just in time to run into Wu Miaoke, who had just gotten dressed. I couldn't tell whether she was curious about why I was looking for a colorful rooster late at night or if she was looking for Lin Xiaoyao, who had come with me.

After I saw her, without waiting for her to speak, I directly took her hand and walked out of the ancestral hall

As I walked back to the ancestral hall, lost in my thoughts, my father had already awakened. He was burning paper money in front of Granduncle San's coffin, and the flickering flames seemed to silently tell me that everything I had just experienced was real, not a dream

"If you are not feeling well, just go back and rest for a while." He smiled at me and added, "Things have indeed been hectic lately. Uncle San Shui has already gone to invite the geomancer. Once the master arrives, everything will be taken care of. Don't feel pressured."

Where is my uncle San Shui? I asked her

Then I ran over and pulled Lin Xiaoyao along. Tonight, I caught a glimpse of a corner hidden behind my second uncle's iceberg, along with * pictures * and * books *, but just from that glance, I knew that my second uncle was definitely someone capable of doing anything.

A person who is not afraid of ghosts and monsters, I truly cannot think of anything else that he would be afraid to do

Wu Miaoke entered the room. Perhaps due to nervousness, I, a young man, stood at the entrance without daring to turn on the light. As soon as she entered, I heard her exclaim.

"Do not worry, Xiaofan, it will all pass," my grandmother said, patting my hand.

"It's nothing." She is still very shy, and this shyness gives me the impression that she is not a woman of this age.

Lin Xiaoyao's eyes were somewhat red, and she pointed towards the inner room, indicating that Lin Sanshui was at home

Before going to bed, I took a glance at my second uncle; in my eyes, he is now the only one who can change the situation, yet he shows no intention of taking action

What is going on? I asked her.

In my grandmother's words, she didn't even breastfeed me; I survived entirely thanks to the flock of sheep that my grandfather raised at that time

Lin Sanshui went to invite the master, representing our family. The Yin-Yang master is a commitment and guarantee that our family is making to the villagers

I can hardly distinguish whether everything that just happened was real or merely a dream. Perhaps when I suddenly open my eyes, my grandfather will still be bickering with my grandmother, and all that has transpired recently would have been just a dream. How wonderful would that be?

I arrived at the ancestral hall, and my father asked me, "Have you had diarrhea? Why did you take so long in the restroom?"

I walked straight to Lin Xiaoyao's house, and only after stepping through the front door did I feel a sense of relief

I will punish you for lying, but I will not penalize your proactive admission of mistakes

Moreover, at this moment, Lin Xiaoyao was still present.

I held onto my second uncle's hand and said, "Second Uncle, please don't."

"My dad hit my mom," Lin Xiaoyao said, and in an instant, tears streamed down her face.

Not being in harmony with my mother is my unfilial act, but I have merely spoken the truth. For me, the word "mother" often represents just a medium that brought me into this world. There is a blood bond between us, yet beyond that, there is nothing else.

"Xiao Fan, let her sit down; she is waiting for your father to return," said Uncle Er.

She looked at me, her gaze intense, her face flushed

I understand. I slammed the coffin lid shut with force

My father is there alone, is everything alright? I turned back to glance at the ancestral hall with concern

Having said this, I had already arrived at my doorstep

Just now, without turning on the light, she bumped into a stool, resulting in a noticeable bruise on her calf

If I were to follow the content of the fantasy novels I read during my university days, at this moment, I should lift her up and, disregarding her objections, confidently place her on the bed. After a few attempts, I would be able to successfully win her over

She is a typical feudal woman, blushing and unsure of where to place her hands, even forgetting to invite me inside. She awkwardly said, "You continue chatting with the little demon, I will go to sleep."

When I knocked on the door of Lin Sanshui's house, it was Lin Xiaoyao who opened the door

However, this "demented" person actually knows that his father, who is usually at home at this time every day, is not at home today

I clenched my fist tightly, then relaxed it. What right do I have to meddle in other people's household matters

You need not feel too much pressure; what you just saw may not all be true. Rest assured, if anything happens, there is still Xiao Fan to rely on. I smiled at her and left her home

He seemed to see through my thoughts and said: "Xiao Fan, there are some things I cannot say, just as you mentioned earlier, I will not harm you. Perhaps one day, you will understand my difficulties."

Lin Sanshui has returned, but he did not bring back the Yin-Yang master. This was the news I received when I woke up the next day, and the villagers were all discussing it.

"Well, my stomach does feel a bit uncomfortable." This is the first time in my life that I have lied to my father

I went to the convenience store and bought two bottles of Niulanshan, which I took to Lin Sanshui's home. Whether it is the village chief's duty or a pretext for private meetings with a lover, after all, he has genuinely helped my family a lot. Two bottles of Niulanshan are nothing; at least it is a gesture of appreciation

Suddenly, as I looked at her face full of dark moles, it didn't seem so terrifying anymore

She squats at the door, waiting for her to return

"Who exactly are you, and how do you know this?" I swallowed hard, but ultimately did not voice the question. After all, I was still not very familiar with my suddenly arrived second uncle.

I picked up a piece of brick from the ground and walked closer to the door of my house. As I got nearer, I could finally see clearly that the person sitting at the entrance was, unexpectedly, my mother

I am a child who grew up on goat's milk

By the light of the moon, I saw a shadow sitting on the stone steps at my doorstep. I must admit that I have been overly sensitive lately, interpreting almost anything uncertain I see as a ghost or a monster.

This feeling is akin to when I was in university, immersed in novels, fantasizing that I was a very powerful person, only to close the book and be immediately pulled back into reality, realizing that a loser is still a loser. The sensation I have at this moment is so similar to that.

Gradually, I grew up, and at times I even overlooked my mother's presence

In the end, it was Lin Xiaoyao who helped her into the bedroom. After coming out, I had not yet spoken when Lin Xiaoyao took the initiative to say: "Xiao Fan, if you are busy, just go ahead and take care of your matters. Don't worry, I didn't see anything tonight, and I won't tell anyone, not even my mother."

I hurriedly pushed open the door with Lin Xiaoyao, who turned on the light, and I saw Wu Miaoke squatting on the ground after knocking over a stool

I approached and said to Wu Miaoke: "Aunt, it is not appropriate to discuss the book."

"I will definitely take care of it," the father said to the person who asked him.

After a while, I asked again: "Uncle Er, since you don't want to say, I won't ask who you really are. I believe you won't harm us. I'm just curious about what happened today. What happened to Grandfather San? And what is the matter with the rooster's blood?"

However, I do not have it. Firstly, I cannot distinguish what kind of feelings I have for Wu Miaoke. The glory of that year when I was eleven, although it often makes me dream, I feel more pity for her family's unhappiness.

"Aunt, are you alright?" I asked

"It is good that you say so, Xiaofan. You are a person who is confident and steady in your work." Uncle Er actually praised me a bit

Uncle Er can tolerate a Lin Xiaoyao, but I do not know if he can accept Wu Miaoke, who might also know his secret

I suddenly do not know what to say

His words reminded me that when I was on my way to Lin Sanshui's house earlier, I did not see him. He might have taken the opportunity of going to invite the geomancer to head to town and meet his old flame. I am even more curious about what kind of girl could make Lin Sanshui give up his beautiful wife, Wu Miaoke.

She lowered her head and did not dare to look at me

Indeed, for over twenty years, since my father brought her home, she has hardly stepped out of that room, and as for the front door, she has never taken a single step outside.

I glanced at my second uncle, who winked at me. I looked down at the ground and noticed that the bloodstains from earlier had already been cleaned up by him. It seemed that he had also concealed everything that had happened here from my father

"Xiao Fan, go to your Uncle San Shui's house and ask him what is going on," my father said while smoking his pipe. Today, Lin San Shui returned alone, and someone came to ask my father, "Old Lin, are you going to handle your father's matter or not? If not, in the blink of an eye, it will be the 47th, and we will have to go and burn him."