Originated from mountains and seas, life never ends

Chapter 159 After All, Not a Passerby

Old Qi was stunned and instinctively caught the unconscious woman.

Thinking of something, Lao Qi suddenly looked at the man next to him, but found that he didn't seem nervous at all. Instead, he looked at him calmly.

But suddenly, the man glanced at the unconscious woman, pulled the corner of his mouth, and turned his face away in an indescribable manner, as if he felt a little disgusted and helpless.

"Who... are you?" Old Qi looked at the woman in his arms, surprised and confused.

Looking at the man's cold eyes and brows in the moonlight, Lao Qi felt a bolt of lightning strike his mind. In an instant, this face overlapped with the face on that night more than 20 years ago. The strange feeling of incongruity finally had an answer.

"You are... Xiao? That man?" Old Qi asked in surprise, glancing at the girl in his arms, "Meng Yun?"

"How come you haven't changed at all? Are you a cultivator too?" Old Qi frowned.

"Not really."

……

Meng Liyun woke up and found herself lying in soft bedding - although it was much worse than before, it was still very good for her who had often used the sky as a blanket and the ground as a mattress over the years.

Meng Liyun stretched slowly, her memory gradually returned, and she suddenly sat up from the bed, fully awake.

Looking around, I saw a strange and ordinary farmer's style, with a shabby wooden table and a ceramic bowl filled with water.

Based on the lesson learned last night, Meng Liyun did not touch the bowl of water and walked out barefoot.

The moment she pushed open the door, Meng Liyun thought she was still dreaming.

Xiao and Lao Qi were sitting together and talking about something. Lao Qi tilted his head slightly, his face seemed a little serious. Xiao was as calm as ever, and he felt something and looked over here.

"What are you guys...talking about?" Meng Liyun saw that Lao Qi was also looking over. She didn't try to hide and walked up to him and asked openly, "By the way, where's my mother?"

"Your mother is still sleeping." Old Qi said, glancing at Xiao.

"Oh oh..." Meng Liyun nodded thoughtfully, moved a small stool and sat next to him, "How have you been these years?"

"It's good, you don't know..."

Lao Qi told her about his experiences over the years - there was actually not much to say, they were just like ordinary people. They were self-sufficient in the mountains before the war, and when the war came, they fled for their lives with others. There were no bizarre or new adventures, nor any thrilling encounters. They lived a very ordinary life.

They were lucky enough to have left that land before the war came. Although there were many bumps along the way, they were not affected by the war and just narrowly avoided it.

Meng Liyun listened to his narration and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then I'll go see mother." Meng Liyun said, and just as she was about to get up, she was stopped by Lao Qi.

"No hurry, eat breakfast first."

……

"By the way, Dad, why do you have muscle softening powder and incense at home? You even put the incense in water and stir it to make the dough?" Meng Liyun asked puzzledly while chewing on a steamed bun and picking up the loofah in the bowl.

"Is it what was left over from before..." Old Qi felt a little uncomfortable talking about this, "I saw you standing on the roadside before, not saying anything, and then you followed me home. Now is a time of recession, there are so many thieves and robbers, so of course we have to be on guard..."

Meng Liyun thought about it and agreed, so she stopped worrying about it. She wolfed down the food and ran to find her adoptive mother.

Just as the adoptive father said, the adoptive mother was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, and seemed to be really asleep.

"Mom, Mom?" Meng Liyun called her several times before she saw her eyes slightly open.

"...Liyun?" The foster mother narrowed her eyes and spoke. Meng Liyun looked at her like this and always felt that she was frighteningly thin.

"Mom, why are you so thin?" Meng Liyun held her adoptive mother's wrist and gestured twice, "Has it been a hard time in the past few years?"

Meng Liyun said, feeling somewhat guilty: "I'm so sorry... I haven't been back for so many years."

"I don't blame you..." The foster mother seemed a little weak. She propped up her hand and touched her cheek, comforting her, "I heard that many places are very dangerous during the wars in recent years. There are even people who eat people. You didn't encounter any, did you?"

Meng Liyun recalled the group of refugees she had followed, and how some of them were so hungry that they wanted to attack her, but were killed in return. She smiled without hesitation and said, "Of course not. Don't you know me? I can run so fast..."

"I know you're smart..." The foster mother smiled, feeling relieved, and stroked her head, "That's good... I heard from Lao Qi that you came back with that man?"

"Yes." Meng Liyun nodded.

"For so many years, you..."

"...Nothing happened." Meng Liyun faced her adoptive mother's gaze, knew what she wanted to ask, and answered helplessly with a curl of her lips.

"Why? Does he have someone he likes?"

"Maybe..." Meng Liyun was lost in thought when she mentioned this. "Anyway, he didn't mean it, so I didn't mention it."

"You girl, you have been shameless since childhood, why are you so shy about this? It's been so many years, even if there is no result, why don't you know to find another one?"

"Well, it's not something that can be changed just like that..." Meng Liyun scratched her head, "But to be honest, if I meet someone better or someone who treats me well, I can fall in love with him, but isn't that impossible?"

Meng Liyun also sounded innocent when talking about this.

"If you follow him, who would dare to have any idea about you?" The adoptive mother nodded her head, a little disappointed, "It's impossible, it's impossible, you didn't even say it."

"Then... you don't think it's necessary." Meng Liyun pouted, then held her mother's hand in a flattering manner and smiled at her, "Oh, don't worry, I'm doing well."

"You are already in your twenties, almost thirty, and you are still not married. You..." The adoptive mother was really worried and couldn't help sighing.

"That's not what it means. Then you see, Xiao didn't succeed either, right?" Meng Liyun was dissatisfied.

"He is a monk with a long life span. He is not in a hurry to find the one who gave him the gift. What about you?"

"Then...then I can wait for more than ten years and just find an old man who is caring." Meng Liyun crossed her arms, "I don't have to worry about him bullying me if I find an old man, and he can give me money to spend when he dies - Ouch!"

"Who taught you all this nonsense?" The foster mother slapped her on the head and said unhappily, "Go away, don't you just want me to urge you? I won't care, okay?"

"Hehehe...don't be angry, I was just joking." Meng Liyun giggled.

"...Go out and talk to your father. He has missed you a lot these years. Let mother sleep a little longer." The adoptive mother waved her hand, signaling her to go out.

"Oh oh." Meng Liyun heard that and got up and left without staying any longer for fear of disturbing her rest.

Lao Qi was going to weed the fields. Meng Liyun followed him.

"Just sit by the side. You've been running around for so long. Take a break." Lao Qi couldn't bear to let her work. Meng Liyun waved her hand, took out her machete, and worked with Lao Qi.

The owl sat in the field next to them, watching them quietly, as if thinking about something.

"When are you leaving this time?" Old Qi couldn't persuade her, so he gave up and bent down while cutting the grass while asking.

"Not necessarily." Meng Liyun lowered her head and didn't look at him.

In fact, she was hesitant.

Seeing such adoptive parents, she didn't want to leave.

She worried about them.

But Meng Liyun didn't say this to Lao Qi. She lowered her head and continued cutting grass, occasionally looking up at him.

More people came one after another. Several people who were familiar with Lao Qi greeted Lao Qi, looked at her, and asked her who she was enthusiastically and proactively.

"My daughter."

When Lao Qi talked about her, he always felt a hint of pride. His bent back would straighten for a moment, and he would talk to the villagers with a smile on his face.

Facing the curious gazes of the villagers, Meng Liyun smiled at them and greeted them.

During the lunch break, the people sat around Lao Qi. Meng Liyun ran to Xiao's side, looking at the endless plain, wondering what she was thinking.

"Would you like some water?" Xiao handed her a pot of water, which he should have taken when he left.

"Thank you." Meng Liyun thanked him and took it. After looking at Lao Qi who was chatting with others for a while, she suddenly said, "I think they are hiding something from me."

Hearing this, Xiao's fingers paused and he looked at her.

"I saw my mother today, and she was not in good condition." Meng Liyun said, a little worried, "Is she sick?"

"Yes." Xiao gave her a positive answer. "Your father told me that your mother was injured while they were traveling, and now she is sick again... She went to the doctor, and he said she doesn't have much time left."

"how is this possible?"

Meng Liyun was stunned when she heard this, and suddenly looked at Lao Qi: "Then he——"

"They don't want to tell you." Xiao said, glancing at her, "Your adoptive father wanted me to take you away in two days, saying he didn't want you to worry."

"Then my mother——"

"I checked her pulse, and it's true." Xiao said this, as if he was aware of her emotions, and his voice became much lighter. "Her meridians are fragile, there is internal bleeding, she has been overworked and has been ill for a long time, and her heart is failing... She doesn't have much time left."

After hearing this, Meng Liyun was silent for a long time.

"I will leave tomorrow and want to go back to Mangshan." Xiao looked at the field, thought of something, and took out a small piece of jade. "If you are in danger, crush it."

Meng Liyun took the jade piece and still said nothing.

"I can sense your location and will come as soon as I can." Xiao said, and slowly stood up.

Meng Liyun understood what he meant. He also knew what she would choose.

"Thank you." Meng Liyun looked up and smiled at him.

Xiao lowered his eyes and looked at her, then touched the top of her head.

"Take good care of yourself."

……

"What? He's leaving tomorrow?" At night, Lao Qi looked at Meng Liyun across from him and said in astonishment, "Then you're not——"

"No." Meng Liyun glanced at him and knew what he wanted to say. Thinking of what they had hidden from her, she couldn't help but feel a little indignant and closed her eyes. "I won't go with him."

"Why?" Lao Qi looked at her, "It's not like we can't take care of ourselves—"

"Really?" Meng Liyun suddenly turned her head and looked at him straight.

Old Qi met her sharp eyes and was suddenly speechless. Her sharp eyes forced him to avoid her: "...He told you?"

Xiao said he wanted to go for a walk, but no one knew where he went. At this time, there were only the two of them in the yard.

"I have smelled the smell of medicine in my mother's room for a long time." Meng Liyun turned her head and was still a little annoyed when she said this. "Why didn't you tell me? I haven't been back for so many years, and you haven't sent any news... I know it's hard to contact you during the war, but now that I'm back, you are hiding things from me. Why don't you tell me anything? I'm not a child anymore."

Lao Qi was silent for a moment, then smiled stiffly: "It's not that I don't want you to worry--"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Meng Liyun couldn't help but swore, "If you don't say it, I won't worry about it? Or do you plan to die while I'm out, so that I will feel guilty and sad when I come back?"

"We haven't thought about it that way. We just feel that this matter cannot be changed... There is no need to tell you. It will only make you sad if you tell you." Lao Qi hesitated and said softly, "Don't cry..."

Meng Liyun then felt a little cool on her cheeks. She wiped her face a few times, but the coolness became more and more severe. Finally, she turned her head away and didn't want to look at him.

Meng Liyun pouted, thinking about what happened before, she felt wronged and uncomfortable, her heart ached and tears started to fall.

"Don't... don't cry." Lao Qi didn't know how to comfort her. He had been like this when she had conflicts with them as a child. He just stood by her helplessly, not knowing how to comfort her.

Meng Liyun sniffed, glanced at him, and continued to cry with her head down.

Old Qi hesitated for a moment and hugged her gently.

"You see, I wanted to hide it from you because I was afraid that you would do this..." Old Qi patted her back gently.

Meng Liyun buried her head in his chest, sobbing without saying a word.

The next morning, Xiao said goodbye to her. Meng Liyun stood at the door and waved at him.

Xiao turned around and took a few steps, then thought of something, turned back and walked over, admonishing: "If you encounter danger, you must crush it."

Meng Liyun knew he was talking about the jade piece, so she nodded and smiled at him: "Don't worry, don't you know me? I will definitely tell you if you encounter any danger."

Xiao looked at her worriedly and patted her head.

"I'm leaving."

"Uh-huh."

Meng Liyun looked at his departing back and suddenly felt a little melancholy.

"You're reluctant to let go, right?" Old Qi, who was standing behind her, suddenly spoke.

"...How could that be?" Meng Liyun turned her head and smiled, her smile revealing a bit of complexity, "After all, we are not on the same path."

Old Qi didn't say anything and looked at her with complicated expression.

Meng Liyun was melancholy for only a moment, then she regained her spirits and became active again.

"Then I'll stay at home and cook for you. My mother may not be able to do that. You can go to work in the fields first. I'll bring you lunch when it's ready. It will help you share the burden." Meng Liyun said, rolling up her sleeves to discuss with him.

"……it is good."

After parting with Xiao, Meng Liyun said goodbye to Lao Qi after breakfast, and then helped her adoptive mother massage her shoulders and legs to relax her body, chatting with her until the morning. She prepared the meal and brought it to her adoptive mother, packed a portion for her adoptive father and took it to the field, and helped him water the vegetables and plant the fields, working until the sun was about to set in the afternoon, then took the lunch box back, washed it, and started to prepare dinner.

When her adoptive mother learned that she chose to stay, she felt a little guilty.

"If it weren't for us..."

"What are you talking about?" Meng Liyun interrupted her and wiped her body. "If it weren't for you, how could I have these abilities?"

Meng Liyun comforted her and smiled at her.

"...Liyun has grown up." The adoptive mother was silent for a moment, then gave her a complicated smile.

After Meng Liyun came back, she often took her adoptive mother out to bask in the sun. Although her adoptive father had tried to persuade her before, he was too busy to pay attention to whether her adoptive mother listened to him. Now that Meng Liyun is back, he can force her to go out to bask in the sun.

"Come on, let's go out and bask in the sun. Don't stay here bored." Meng Liyun always smiled and acted coquettishly to her adoptive mother, holding her hand.

She knew her adoptive mother would always be soft-hearted.