A few people either ran away or pretended not to hear her, leaving her frustrated.
In the end, she could only lead her horse around the village, and then dejectedly leave.
She walked along a path towards a small hill and noticed a dilapidated low wooden house not far away, with an Old Man sunbathing outside.
This small house was quite far from the village, standing alone in the wilderness, which was rather strange.
Xi Fuhong decided to give it another try.
She approached the Old Man and called out, “Excuse me, do you know someone named Gui Po?”
The Old Man opened one eye upon hearing her, yawned a few times after seeing her.
“I’m her servant.
Granny sent me to Miaojiang to meet her,” Xi Fuhong hesitated for a moment before adding.
After hearing Xi Fuhong’s words, the Old Man squinted his eyes and mumbled, “Wait.” With that, he struggled to get up from the rattan chair and wobbled into the low wooden house.
Seeing this, Xi Fuhong was overjoyed.
It turned out that Granny didn’t live in the village but outside it.
She looked around at the surroundings, with birds singing and flowers blooming, peaceful and pleasant, indeed a good place to live.
She waited for quite a while before finally seeing the wooden door open again, but besides the Old Man, there was no sign of Gui Po.
Xi Fuhong couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
Just as she was about to ask, the Old Man handed her a letter and a silk handkerchief.
She immediately recognized the handkerchief as Granny’s favorite, confirming that the letter was left by Granny.
“Thank you,” Xi Fuhong said as she took the letter and handkerchief.
The Old Man, still sleepy, walked back into the wooden house.
Left alone in the courtyard, Xi Fuhong nervously opened the letter, only to see four large characters: “Do not miss, do not worry.” She was stunned.
What did this mean? Not to miss? Not to worry? But Granny didn’t say that before.
She said that after the Tiger Dragon Cave treasure was over, they would live together, just like ten years in Fog Valley, never leaving each other…
“How… how could Granny…” Leave me? Her eyes were wet, but she couldn’t cry out loud.
She stood there in a daze, and suddenly a gust of wind swept away the letter in her hand, taking with it the words Granny left for her.
Clutching the silk handkerchief that Granny loved most, Xi Fuhong collapsed to her knees, her lower lip trembling uncontrollably.
Now she truly had nowhere to go, not even a glimmer of hope left.
“Can’t go back.” She remembered asking Granny when they could return to Wu Feng Valley, and Granny had answered her like this.
It’s impossible to go back.
Those beautiful days of the past are truly gone… The last time she saw Granny, that sorrowful look became their final meeting.
For the sake of past memories, trapped in hatred and sorrow, now abandoning the promise with herself, where should she go alone? Xi Fuhong sniffed a few times, feeling the cold wind make her heart even colder.
She realized that fate could be very entangled, but it could also be severed just like that.
She didn’t know how long she sat there, but when she came to her senses, it was already dark.
Xi Fuhong stood up in a sorry state, released the horse Qin Ke Yun had given her, and walked alone in the night.
With each step she took, her unease grew.
She could endure all hardships for Granny, as long as she knew there was hope for her future, then the pain was nothing, just something to get through.
But now, what was the point of such sacrifice? What was the point?
Xi Fuhong’s eyes flickered as she caught sight of a broken temple in the woods.
She remembered that when she was young, Granny had saved her from a broken temple too.
Now that she was abandoned, was she back here again? Thinking of this, Xi Fuhong wanted to laugh bitterly.
After ten years, she was back to square one.
Without hesitation, she walked into the temple, only to find that the main hall was already occupied by an old beggar eating a biscuit.
Xi Fuhong exchanged a glance with him, but she was too tired to talk, so she casually found a pillar to sit against, curling up to fend off the winter night.
The old beggar, seeing this, finished his biscuit with a smile and took out another one from his pocket to continue satisfying his hunger.
“Miss, that spot isn’t good.
The wind comes in through the door crack.
If you want to sleep, why not sleep on the east side?” The old beggar’s hoarse voice echoed in the temple, and Xi Fuhong looked up at him.
“Looking at you, you must be inexperienced.
What? Just became a little beggar?” The old beggar chuckled a few times.
Xi Fuhong slowly walked to the east side and sat down, nodding in frustration.
“Hey, don’t be so down.
A beggar is a beggar, making the world your home, what’s wrong with that?” The old beggar swallowed the last bite of his biscuit and suddenly waved at Xi Fuhong, “Miss, do you have any water? This biscuit is really dry.”
Xi Fuhong took out the water bag from the cloth bag Fang Qi Er had given her and handed it to the old beggar.
“Making the world your home…” Xi Fuhong muttered, repeating the words.
She had never thought of making the world her home.
“Yes, making the world your home, going wherever you please, carefree and at ease.” The old beggar hummed a tune, and Xi Fuhong frowned at his nonchalant demeanor.
Is such a life really better? In the cold winter, without a warm bed, begging for food every day, sometimes having a meal, sometimes not, is such a life really more carefree and at ease?
“But… isn’t it very… lonely?” In the vast sea of people, yet alone with no one to rely on.
The old beggar suddenly snorted, “Lonely? Some things are better when you’re alone.
Look, how many sincere people are there in this world? How many good people? Let me tell you, you can count them on ten fingers.
The streets are full of evil people, so being alone is just right.
As long as you fill your stomach, what else is there to fear?”
Xi Fuhong was stunned.
Although the old beggar spoke nonsense, his words resonated with her.
How many people are truly kind-hearted? None.
The journey had been difficult and painful, why did she deserve to suffer? From beginning to end, there was only deception and exploitation, each hurt hidden in her heart, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist.
Her nose tingled, and tears began to fall.
Xi Fuhong wiped away the tears forcefully, but cried even harder.
The old beggar, seeing this, suddenly burst into laughter.
He didn’t comfort her gently, but instead applauded.
“Good! Crying is good! If it hurts, if it’s bitter, you should cry it out! Don’t hold it in your heart!” The old beggar slapped his thigh vigorously, encouragingly, “In this world, if you always let others have their way, you’re living in vain.
Remember, now that you’ve ended up like this, don’t be easily fooled in the future.
Don’t believe in anything, just walk your own path.”
Xi Fuhong cried uncontrollably, while the old beggar hummed a song beside her.
He had been through it, so how could he not understand? But after the pain, remember the lesson, don’t fall for it again.
Memories of the past kept flashing in her mind, and Xi Fuhong suddenly realized that her only remaining memories were so unbearable.
Besides betrayal and deception, what else did she have? It seemed that the ten years of stability were just a dream, and those bitter days were her real life.
So she shouldn’t hope for peace? Shouldn’t enjoy good days? It shouldn’t be like this.
“…I’m so stupid… really so stupid…” Xi Fuhong bit her lower lip, crying and complaining.
“Stupid is stupid, isn’t there a saying? … Foolish people have foolish blessings? Yes! Even if you’re stupid, naturally, heaven will protect you, otherwise, how could you still be alive?” The old beggar laughed a few times, found a comfortable position, and fell asleep.
In the dark temple, only the sobbing Xi Fuhong remained awake.
Foolish people… naturally protected by heaven…? So is she the same?
Xi Fuhong couldn’t figure it out, and eventually drifted into a dreamless sleep.
