EBE Chapter 101 Farewell to the Old Man
Chapter 101 Farewell to the Old Man
The passing of the two elderly people was a huge blow to Lin Yue. If it weren't for his wife Xiaoxue's pregnancy, which brought him some joy, the atmosphere of sadness would have remained pervasive in their home.
Seven days passed quickly, the seventh day after their parents' passing. Lin Yue stood before her parents' graves, placing their favorite fruits and snacks on the ground. After offering incense and burning paper money, she sat there, talking incessantly to her parents, as if she could talk for a day or two without finishing. Gong Yong, on the other hand, simply sat quietly beside them, waiting for Lin Yue to finish speaking before the couple went back inside.
After returning home, Lin Yue hadn't rested well for many days. Tonight, she took a sleeping-inducing medicine and fell asleep. Gong Yong, meanwhile, slipped out of the room again and went to Lin Yue's parents' graves. The moon was bright and the stars were few. Gong Yong went to the old couple's graves, brought them some food, lit incense, burned some paper money, and lit a bonfire nearby. Gong Yong remained silent for an hour, then opened his mouth and began to speak at length to the old couple. That night, he sat by the grave, warming himself by the bonfire, telling his story.
The next day, Lin Yue arranged the household affairs in an orderly manner. When she saw Gong Yong return from outside, covered in heavy dew, she didn't say much, just glanced at him and started preparing breakfast.
After breakfast, Lin Yue said she was going out, while Gong Yong quietly finished his meal, returned to his bedroom to wash up, and went to sleep. Lin Yue drove to town to buy many children's supplies for her daughter-in-law, as well as many toys for her two grandchildren, which she put in the trunk before returning home happily.
Because Xiaoxue suffered from severe morning sickness after becoming pregnant, Lin Yue took care of the two little ones. While Xiaobao was at work, Lin Yue would take the children into her ring space, teaching them to identify spiritual flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables, letting them dig and play in the soil to their hearts' content. Xiaoxue knew her mother-in-law had taken the children out to play, but didn't know their exact destination. She only knew that every night the children would return with beautiful spiritual flowers and herbs for flower arranging, as well as delicious spiritual fruits. This was her mother-in-law's deep love for her and the children.
That evening, Lin Yue meticulously prepared dinner, ensuring Xiao Bao and Xiao Xue ate to their hearts' content. Xiao Xue had been married into Xiao Bao's family for many years, but because her mother-in-law was in seclusion, she had never tasted a meal cooked by her in-laws. Now that her mother-in-law had emerged from seclusion, this was the first time she had tasted her mother-in-law's soup, which was incredibly delicious. Xiao Bao ate three large bowls of rice that night, and all the dishes on the table were devoured. After dinner, Xiao Bao, his belly protruding, held his wife's hand. Lin Yue took her two grandchildren for a walk in the valley. Lin Yue said, "You're not a child anymore; you need to be reminded to eat less. You're an adult." Xiao Bao replied, "Mom, I haven't had your cooking for years, and I missed it. I ate a little too much today." Xiao Xue, standing nearby, smiled and said, "Mom, your cooking is so delicious." Lin Yue continued, "I'll cook for you every day for now, until our grandchild is born." This was Lin Yue's promise.
Gong Yong walked at the back, one of his grandsons riding on his head, grinning. Time flowed by slowly, step by step. The second seven-day mourning period arrived, and Lin Yue, as always, arranged the old couple's favorite foods in various ways before the grave, lit incense, burned paper money, and then sat before the grave, murmuring incessantly. Gong Yong silently kept her company. After Lin Yue took her medicine and fell asleep, Gong Yong returned to the grave and repeated the same things.
Time flew by, faster than anyone could imagine for Lin Yue. Forty-nine days later, Lin Yue returned to the grave, repeating her previous actions. This time, Xiao Bao brought Xiao Xue and their two grandchildren with him. During the visit, Xiao Bao sat by the grave, murmuring to himself. Xiao Xue's belly was growing larger and larger, like an inflating balloon; sitting was inconvenient, and standing for too long was tiring, so after a while, Xiao Bao took his wife's hand and went home.
Instead, Lin Yue played with her two grandchildren at the grave for a long time, chatting away. Gong Yong remained by Lin Yue's side. That night, Gong Yong didn't go to the grave to chatter with the elderly couple. Gong Yong and Lin Yue diligently helped take care of their two grandchildren, making their childhood full of fun, whether playing in Lin Yue's space, in the valley, or in the valley within the valley. In short, the elderly couple were very happy taking care of their grandchildren, and also took good care of their daughter-in-law's diet.
After the first three months, Xiaoxue ate a lot, but instead of gaining weight, her belly swelled up like a balloon. Time flew by, and Xiaoxue was nearing her due date. Lin Yue was witnessing the birth of her grandchildren for the first time; she hadn't been there when her two children were born. Lin Yue and Gong Yong were a little worried about this pregnancy, but Xiaoxue kept reassuring Lin Yue not to worry, saying she would be fine and the two children were healthy. No one expected that the two children would stay in Xiaoxue's womb until full term before being delivered naturally. They were twins, a boy and a girl, the boy born first, the girl later. Because the two little ones grew up eating Lin Yue's spiritual flowers, herbs, fruits, rice, and noodles, they were much prettier than their older siblings—not red and wrinkled, but fair-skinned, round, and adorable.
At this moment, Lin Yue was overwhelmed with emotions, recalling Gong Yong's anxiety and fear when she gave birth to her eldest daughter, as well as the various mistakes they made while raising the child. She also thought about the births of her second and third children. In the blink of an eye, all three children had grown up, started their own families, and even Xiao Bao had become a father of four.
To celebrate the birth of her two little ones, Lin Yue plans to host a company-wide full-moon celebration on their 100th day, free of charge, to thank her colleagues for their dedicated service to her family. The baby nodded in agreement.
Newborn babies grow rapidly, changing every day. One hundred days later, three months had passed, and the little ones had grown into adorable little darlings, as beautiful as dolls in traditional Chinese paintings. Relatives and friends flocked to the 100-day celebrations for the second and third sons. Many old acquaintances, whom they hadn't seen for years, missed Lin Yue dearly. Among them were Xiao Hui, Lao Xiao, Ouyang, and others; seeing their old friend filled everyone with joy.
It was another evening, and Xiaohui and Lin Yue started chatting again, sitting by the campfire, enjoying the tranquility of the night. Xiaohui hadn't seen Lin Yue for many years; her face was now covered in wrinkles like dried folds, and she was over 80 years old, while Lin Yue still looked like she was 40.
Xiao Hui asked incredulously, "Lin Yue, is that you?"
Lin Yue replied, "It's me."
Xiao Hui said, "You haven't gotten old."
Lin Yue said, "Yes, I haven't grown old because I've been practicing spiritual cultivation."
Xiao Hui continued, "I've missed you so much, it's been five years."
Lin Yue responded: "It's been five years since I last saw you. I feel like it's been many years, even hundreds of years, since I last saw you, Xiao Hui. I miss you so much too."
Xiao Hui sighed, "Because you haven't been around for the past few years, I don't even have anyone to talk to."
Lin Yue said, "I'm sorry, I've been in seclusion for five years."
Xiao Hui asked, "Are you going into seclusion again?"
Lin Yue replied, "Yes, I plan to go into seclusion again once the child is a little older."
Xiao Hui said, "Old Xiao and I were planning to retire here with you, but you're going into seclusion."
Lin Yue said, "It's great that you're coming here to retire. This place will help you live a long and healthy life. There's another room next to the one my parents live in, or upstairs. You can choose one. You and Lao Xiao can come here to retire."
Xiao Hui said, "This place wouldn't be where I wanted to be without you."
Lin Yue said, "I've always been here, I'm just in seclusion in the valley within a valley, and I occasionally wake up and come out."
As Xiao Hui spoke, tears streamed down her face, and no matter how Lin Yue tried to wipe them away, she couldn't get them all out. Old Xiao, who was standing next to her, also had tears streaming down his face.
Lin Yue said, "Don't worry, you can all feel at home here. Jingjing, Baifa Ge, Xiaobao and Xiaoxue treat you like their own parents."
Xiao Hui said, "My precious daughter," but didn't finish her sentence. Xiao Xue and Lin Yue also knew that Xiao Hui's daughter might not be living as well as they imagined, and that even their retirement was becoming a problem, despite their wealth.
Seeing that Xiaoxue didn't mention Xiaohui's daughter and son-in-law again, Lin Yue didn't press the matter further. Lin Yue thought that since Xiaohui didn't want to talk about it, she must be too heartbroken. Why reopen old wounds? So she stopped asking and simply said that they could take care of the food and lodging here and that the elderly couple were welcome to come anytime.
The elderly couple only brought two suitcases with them this time, nothing else, and they actually settled down in Lin Yue's valley. There was a caregiver and a security guard there, and the couple lived a carefree life. They knew that relying on their children was not as good as retiring here, after all, there were people here who genuinely cared about them. They never mentioned their daughter and son-in-law to anyone, simply enjoying their twilight years in peace.
Lin Yue repeatedly instructed Xiao Bao and Xiao Xue to visit them often and to treat Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui with the same respect they would show to their grandparents. She also asked Jing Jing and Bai Fa Ge to look after the two elderly people in case of any emergency.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Xiaoxue's two babies can already walk while holding onto the wall. Many things happened during this time, but Lin Yue didn't remember them all; she only felt that the children were adorable and needed careful care. Six months after giving birth, Xiaoxue returned to her job in finance. The children were cared for by Lin Yue and Gong Yong, making a total of four children, including the two older ones. Gong Yong was responsible for taking the two older children to and from school every day, while Lin Yue looked after the two younger ones. They had also hired two nannies, but the children's boundless energy was becoming a challenge for the elderly couple.
When Xiaoxue encountered difficulties in her cultivation, she would consult her grandmother, Lin Yue. Once, when Xiaoxue was struggling, Lin Yue directly took her into her own space. Standing there, Xiaoxue was utterly astonished, her mouth agape. She had never imagined that her grandmother, the creator of this space, could possess such a flawless and beautiful environment. Here, one could cultivate countless spiritual flowers, herbs, and fruits.
She sighed deeply, wondering to herself what incredible luck she had had to marry into this family. Her mother-in-law never criticized her or interfered in her life; instead, she helped take care of the children and cared about what she wanted to eat and do. Xiaoxue was deeply moved by this.
Time flew by, and Lin Yue raised Xiao Xue's third child to the age of three. After emerging from her seclusion, she stayed away for nearly four or five years. Once the child was grown, and Xiao Xue and her husband were able to take the child to and from school with a nanny and bodyguard, and everything was in order, Lin Yue and Gong Yong returned to the room where they had previously secluded themselves. Soon, Lin Yue resumed her seclusion, while Gong Yong, just like before, slowly entered a meditative state.
Xiao Hui, who lived outside, said to Lao Xiao, "I wonder how long Lin Yue will be in seclusion this time, and whether we can wait for her." Lao Xiao replied, "Since Lin Yue said she would come out in a few years, she definitely will. Let's live the rest of our lives well." Seeing that Xiao Hui and Lao Xiao were in poor health, the ginseng spirit would occasionally pluck some immature, undeveloped ginseng roots from the soil and add them to chicken soup for the old couple. Gradually, Xiao Hui and Lao Xiao gained the approval of the spirits in the valley. Everyone knew that two old people had come to the valley and liked them very much. They would chat and boast with them, and occasionally play with them, because the old couple were too lonely. When they had free time, they would help hold and care for Xiao Xue's four grandchildren. This was their favorite thing to do. They didn't take care of their own grandchildren, but instead cherished Lin Yue's four grandchildren more than their own lives.
Old Xiao's parents passed away long ago, and he and Xiao Hui only had one daughter because they didn't want to have more children at the time. However, as they grew older, they realized that Lin Yue was right; they should have had two more children, which became their biggest regret. Now, they are relying on Lin Yue's children for their old age, and they feel extremely ashamed.
But while they were in the mountains and valleys, their personalities changed; they became more cheerful and talkative. The things they said to the plant spirits, rat spirits, and willow spirits were hilarious, and occasionally the rats would even imitate Old Xiao's way of speaking.
Another ten years passed, this time the seclusion was much longer. Lin Yue suddenly opened her eyes, a faint light shooting from them, and her aura changed drastically. This time Lin Yue woke up, and the white-haired brother said to Jingjing, "Mom's awake." Jingjing drove the car quickly into the valley.
They entered the room and saw Lin Yue getting out of bed to stretch her body. She then went into the bathroom, took a hot shower, and then went to a place of contrasting temperatures, soaking in special water. Her previously dry skin gradually became plump, and Lin Yue regained her 40-year-old appearance. However, Gong Yong failed to wake up this time and remained in seclusion.
Lin Yue quietly left the valley within a valley to visit Old Xiao and Xiao Hui. The old couple were much healthier and more active than when they first arrived in the valley. They were busy bickering with the rat spirit and playing cards with the willow tree spirit. At one card table were the rat spirit, the willow tree spirit, the ginseng spirit, and Xiao Hui, while at another table were Old Xiao, two snow wolf spirits, and an eagle spirit, all speaking human language as they played. Old Xiao shouted, "Brother Eagle, don't stand so high! If you're too high, you'll see our cards, and then you'll cheat!" The two snow wolves chimed in, "That's right, Brother Eagle, you can't do that! Stand shorter!" The eagle replied, "I'm not! Hurry, hurry, let's go!" This was the scene Lin Yue saw when she woke up in the ancient cave.