How many times rose flowers

Chapter 15 Remembrance of the Past

Jixue's head was still groggy, and that dusty memory gradually unfolded in her mind.It was like a long opera, after waiting for a long time, Hua Dan finally appeared on the stage.

Yes, she is Anian, and she is also Jixue.She is Yuxu Jun, a female general of the human race, and also the Lord Fengshen of Penglai.

"A Nian?" It was a girl who was only a few years older than her.The girl has a handsome appearance, but she is not weak. She hugged the five-year-old girl without any effort at all.

"Sister?" Xiao Jixue blinked and looked at her.The girl smiled, "Ah Nian, miss you sister after a day's absence?"

Xiao Yuxue nodded vigorously.

"Yuzhen, Anian, come to eat." Mother Rong Nianqing waved to them holding two white flour steamed buns tightly in her hands.

"Mother, where did the steamed buns come from?" Yuzhen frowned.

"The nobles in the building couldn't eat it. I saw that no one wanted it, so I brought it back. The shopkeeper will only give you some gruel for three meals a day. You and Anian are still growing up..." Rong Nianqing said Then, handed the steamed bun to her.

Rong Nianqing worked as a handyman in a restaurant, and the salary she could get every month was not much. Fortunately, food and housing were included, and the mother and daughter barely had a place to live.

"I won't eat it, you and Ah Nian eat it." Yuzhen shook her head.Growing up here since she was a child, she is much smarter than children of the same age, and has already understood the difficulties and hardships of life.

Xiao Jixue took a steamed bun, broke it in half, and handed half to Yuzhen: "Sister and I each have half, and the other one is for mother."

"A Nian is really sensible." Yuzhen smiled, took the half steamed bun from Xiao Jixue, and rubbed her hair.

The afterglow of the setting sun pours on the small courtyard, which is timeless and beautiful.Later, Yuzhen thought of this poor but fairy-tale life, and often hoped that time would freeze at this moment forever.

……

In winter, there is a lot of light snow, sprinkled all over the branches.

Xiao Jixue walked on the street, shrinking her neck.The clothes on her body were thin and the cold wind was raging. She shivered and rubbed her palms vigorously to gain some warmth.

As she walked, she bumped into a tall figure.Xiao Jixue quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, uncle, I didn't mean it."

It was a middle-aged man in fancy clothes.He looks very young, but with a 40-year-old appearance, his face does not appear arrogant, but rather kind.

The man was not angry, he squatted down and patted her head, and said with a smile, "Uncle is fine. Little girl, what's your name?"

Xu Shi saw that he was kind and friendly, Xiao Jixue, who was always vigilant, thought for a while and said her name: "My name is Anian. Missing Nian."

"Ah Nian, it's a good name." The man seemed to have thought of something, and the expression on his face froze for a moment, as if he was thinking about something.

"A Nian, if you have any difficulties in the future, you can come to my uncle. My uncle lives in the mansion at the end of Zhuque Street. You take this as a token." The man said, and handed her something.It was a pure white jade pendant, engraved with patterns of magnolia flowers, and adorned with blue tassels.

Ah Nian didn't speak, just nodded slightly.

Clutching the magnolia flower jade pendant tightly in her hand, she seemed to gain strength, and went back to the small courtyard with a bouncing bouncing.

"Sister?" Xiao Jixue looked around, but she didn't see her elder sister Yuzhen, guessing that she had gone out, so she walked into the room, ready to ask her mother where her elder sister went.

Rong Nianqing was lying on the bed with a pale face, coughing uncontrollably.Blood had been coughed up on the handkerchief.Xiao Jixue turned pale with fright, ran forward quickly, and grabbed her mother's hand.

"Mother, mother, what's the matter with you. Mother is sick, so Ah Nian will go buy medicine for you, okay?" Xiao Jixue wanted to comfort her, but she was too young, so she shed tears first.

"Mother is fine. Your elder sister has already gone to fetch medicine for me. After taking the medicine, mother will be fine soon." Rong Nianqing shook her head and forced a smile on her face.

"Really?" Xiao Jixue's voice choked up.

"Really. Ah Nian, look, it's snowing outside, let's go out and play." Rong Nianqing said.

"Ah Nian won't leave, I will stay here and guard my mother." Xiao Jixue turned her head stubbornly.Turning the corner of the clothes to one side, the jade pendant was exposed.

Seeing that jade pendant, Rong Nianqing turned even paler.Not because of illness, but because of anger: "Where did this jade pendant come from?"

Rong Nianqing snatched the jade pendant, and the jade pendant was smashed to the ground.

"Mother, why are you angry? Did Ah Nian do something wrong, please don't be angry..." Xiao Jixue said weeping.My mother has always been good-tempered, and never got angry with her since she was a child, why today...

"Where did the jade pendant come from?" Rong Nianqing asked desperately, and Ah Nian had no choice but to tell the whole story about what happened on the street today.At the end, she asked cautiously: "Mother, is Daddy still alive?"

She has seen a portrait of her father, and the reason why she is familiar with that luxuriously dressed man is also because she thinks he looks like her father.Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Rong Nianqing shouted angrily: "Go back to your room, when will you figure out what you did wrong, and when will you come out."

……

Yuzhen was holding the medicine bag, and as soon as she came back, she saw her mother looking weak, and hurried forward to help her.Rong Nianqing could see that she had something to say, but she didn't say anything, and looked at her calmly.

"Mother, Yuzhen has joined the Xiuyuan Sect. As an outer disciple, she can get some food every month. Don't worry." Yuzhen was silent for a while, and said.

At that time, Xiuyuanmen was just a not well-known sect, established on the mountains outside Yingzhou.Yuzhen's entry into Xiuyuanmen was nothing more than a helpless move due to livelihood.

"Yuzhen, how old are you this year?" Rong Nianqing suddenly asked seriously.

"11 years old." Yuzhen replied honestly.

"If mother entrusts Anian to you, can you take good care of her?" Rong Nianqing asked again.

"What did you say, mother? After taking the medicine, mother will definitely recover." Yuzhen shook her head.

Rong Nianqing didn't mean to be joking at all, and remained silent.

"Yes." Yuzhen firmly said.she heard herself reply.Just one word, neither heavy nor light, just hit my heart.This is her most solemn promise.

No one spoke again.The jade mat had cooked the medicine, and when the medicine had cooled down, she picked up the medicine bowl to feed Rong Nianqing, but she heard her say:

"Ah Nian is still thinking about it in the room, you go and see her."

There are only two huts in the small yard.One room belonged to Rong Nianqing, and the other room was crowded with Yumao and A Nian.Yuzhen tucked the quilt for mother, and returned to the hut, it was already late at night.

"A Nian." When Yumai came, Xiao Jixue was looking at the bright moon outside the window in a trance.Yuzhen stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder, she turned her head and asked stupidly:

"Sister, are there really gods in this world?"

"If you think there is, then there should be." Yuzhen followed her gaze, the night was dark, and the moon was as bright as yesterday.

"Then why didn't they come to save us?" Xiao Jixue said.

Yuu was silent.She didn't know about this question either.Yes, maybe Anian is right, if there are really gods in the world, why don't they come to save them, save all beings who are suffering like them?

"A Nian, don't think too much, mother is not angry anymore, you just admit your mistake tomorrow, and everything will be fine, okay?" Yuzhen hugged Xiao Jixue, gently stroking her back , seems to appease.

"Yeah." Xiao Jixue responded, unable to hold back her exhaustion any longer, she fell into a deep sleep in sister's arms.

Waking up the next day, Yuzhen hurried to Xiuyuanmen.Every morning, the disciples of the outer sect would go to the sect to listen to the morning class.As for the morning class, it was nothing more than poetry and rough swordsmanship—the outer disciples were only preparators, and they were not qualified to learn the Liuyun Fourteen Styles of Xiuyuanmen.

After returning from morning class, Xiao Jixue had already woken up.She obediently admitted her mistake to her mother, even though she didn't know why her mother got angry.In short, my mother is not in good health, so I just can't make her angry anymore.Xiao Jixue thought so in her heart.

Recently, her mother's illness has improved, and Xiao Jixue felt much more at ease.Not long after, I happily went to the street to buy candy to eat.After all, she was just a five-year-old child.

Holding the copper coins that her mother saved from frugality, Jixue quickly walked to a candy shop in the south of the city.She doesn't like to eat too sweet things, but she only likes the sweetness of sweet-scented osmanthus candy.Every time I see it, I get hungry.

There were quite a few people queuing up in front of the shop. She was short, and she was at the back of the queue. She waited for a while.Xiao Jixue ate a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus candy, the sweetness of sweet-scented osmanthus candy filled her mouth, and there was also a faint fragrance.

Behind her was the man who gave her the jade pendant that day.She has a good memory and still remembers it, but she is embarrassed to tell people that the jade pendant was broken, so she has to pretend not to know her.It's just that it's actually not very familiar.

The man also bought sweet-scented osmanthus.But he bought a lot, Xiao Jixue could only buy a small piece with the money saved by his mother, but he was different.

Seeing Xiao Jixue, he froze for a moment, picked up a piece of osmanthus candy and handed it to her.Xiao Jixue didn't want it.

"It's okay. I don't like to eat anyway." The man said.

"I... I don't like to eat either." Jixue was ruthlessly exposed as soon as she finished speaking - because there was still a little bit of sugar residue in the corner of her mouth.She silently wiped off the sugar residue and put it in her mouth cherishingly, not wanting to waste any of it.Of course, that person was not seen.

The man directly put a box of sweet-scented osmanthus candies into her hands, and shook his head, "My wife used to love sweet-scented osmanthus candies, and this box of sweet-scented osmanthus candies was bought for her in the past... Forget it, you love sweet-scented osmanthus candies, so I can give it to you." It's not a waste."

"Your wife also likes sweet-scented osmanthus? She..." Xiao Jixue blinked.

"A few years ago, she left me." The man said, "I always thought she was still there. Every year at this time, I couldn't help but come here to buy osmanthus candy. I wanted to give it to her, but I didn't know where she was."

Xiao Jixue didn't speak any more.After a long time, she picked up a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus candy, wrapped it in paper, thanked the man, and trotted back to the small courtyard.

She remembered that her elder sister said that her mother also loved sweet-scented osmanthus when she was young.That being the case, after eating candy, mother should be happy, right?Will my mother's illness be cured in that way?

Rong Nianqing curled up on the sickbed, her face was as pale as ever, and it was even more serious today.She was obviously getting better, Xiao Jixue shook her head, feeling that she was thinking too much.

"Mother, here you are." She carefully opened the paper wrapping the candy and handed the candy to Rong Nianqing.

Seeing this candy, Rong Nianqing's eyes suddenly brightened up, as if seeing hope.But only for a moment, calm was restored.

"Mother doesn't want to eat it, Ah Nian eats it." She finally shook her head.

Xiao Jixue stood on tiptoe and stuffed the sugar into Rong Nianqing's mouth.The sugar melted in his mouth, Rong Nianqing rarely showed a smile after his illness.

"Thank you, Anian." She said.

……

Xiuyuanmen, Houshan.

The back mountain is the place where outer disciples practice. Yuzhen sat on a stone, thinking about the content of today's morning class.She has always been a studious person.Now, she took a reed from nowhere and swung it like a sword.

The shot is quick, but not out of order.

After practicing for a while, some sweat faintly oozes from her forehead.

"A reed in your hand, a sword in your heart. Good, good!"

According to the reputation, it is a middle-aged man.Although the person is old, it can be seen that the charm of the year still exists.Yuzhen recognized him, he was Qin Feiyu, the head of Xiuyuanmen, the person who created Liuyun Fourteen Styles.

"Take it." Qin Feiyu threw her a long sword.

Yuzhen picked up the long sword and swung the move just now again.

"Do you want to be my disciple?" Qin Feiyu asked.

"I don't want to." Yuzhen said.

"Why?" Qin Feiyu was puzzled.Isn't everyone vying to be the disciple of the head of the sect?

"I came here only because of the food and salary of the outer disciples every month."

"Don't you think you'll be kicked out by me?"

"Just tell the truth."

Just when Yuzhen thought that Qin Feiyu had given up on taking her as his apprentice, Qin Feiyu suddenly clapped his hands.

"Well, very well! Girl, you are as strange as I am."

Yuzhen had already left without looking back.

Qin Feiyu caught up a few steps forward, and said: "At the time of tomorrow, Fenglin in the back mountain, come to receive the food salary of the head disciple, and we will not wait until it expires."

Yuzhen's heart moved, but her face remained unchanged, and she quickened her steps.

When she got home, Xiao Jixue was already waiting at the door.

"Sister, you are right, mother really likes sweet-scented osmanthus."

Yuzhen was taken aback by her sudden words.She continued to say: "Sister, do you think that if mother had sweet-scented osmanthus candy every day, would she get better sooner?"

Yuzhen was amused by her childish thoughts.She hasn't smiled for a long time, and this smile actually lasted for a long time.

Xiao Jixue looked at her sister and couldn't help laughing, blinking her eyes in doubt.

"No. If you are sick, you can only get better if you take medicine. Did Ah Nian remember?" Yuzhen led her to the yard and shook her head.

At night, Xiao Jixue tossed and turned, and finally expressed her doubts to her sister:

"Sister, I met someone these days."

"That person looks like the portrait of my father in the house, but when I asked my mother, my mother suddenly became angry."

Yuu was silent.She actually knows something about mother and father.But she didn't know whether she should tell Ah Nian.

"A Nian, do you want to know the truth?"

"I think so." Anian nodded without thinking.

Yuzhen began to talk about the story of mother and father.Later, Jixue thought that this might be the only story she had ever heard that wasn't even a story.

"Many, many years ago, when my mother was a young lady..."

At that time Rong Nianqing was still the young lady of the Rong family, and a poor and white young man came to the Rong family, and he said that he would become a student of the Rong family.

Of course the master ordered someone to drive him out without hesitation, but at this moment, Miss Rong said, "If you pass my exam, the Rong family can accept you."

Therefore, the Rong family held an examination.As a result, the young man became a student of the Rong family with excellent grades, and Miss Rong also caught him in the first sight.

Unexpectedly, this student suddenly said to the master one day: "I want to marry Miss Rong."

The master was very angry, and the wife did not agree.So the young man took Miss Rong and ran away to a small place with no relatives, and never went back.

"What happened next?" Anian asked.

"Later, the young man and young lady got married..." Yuzhen continued.

Later, the young man and the young lady became relatives.Miss Rong was so affectionate that she changed her name to "Nian Qing".

The young lady treated me very well.Miss likes magnolias, so he planted magnolias in the small yard where they live; Miss likes osmanthus candies, so he buys osmanthus candies for her every day until she gets tired of eating them.

But suddenly one day, the young man disappeared.Rong Nianqing searched for a long time, but couldn't find him.

At that time they already had two children, one was named Yuzhen, and the other was still in the womb and had not yet been named, which was later Anian.

Rong Nianqing wanted to go back to the Rong Mansion, but her parents had passed away.Helpless, she worked as a handyman in a restaurant to support her two children.

She named her second child "A Nian". "Nian" means "missing", and she always hoped that the youth could come back.

Yes, that year, the youth came back.He became the prince's son-in-law and the magistrate here.Rong Nianqing was finally disheartened.

Since then, she has told the two children that Daddy passed away a long time ago.