The Three-Life Stone

In the winter, the snow was falling and only the trunks of the peach trees in Taohuajian were left. It looked quiet and lonely. After a night of snow, the trunks and the ground were covered with white.

Hua Xiaoyao picked up the snowflakes with her fingers, looking for a complete one.

A few days later, on New Year's Eve, Hua Xiaoyao gave the girl a day off and gave her red envelopes, asking them to celebrate on their own. She just sat there blankly, not knowing where to look. When she was about to fall asleep, a sonorous and powerful voice rang out: "One dozen, smooth sailing."

Hua Xiaoyao opened her eyes and saw only tiny stars flashing by.

"Two against two, the dragon soars."

It turned out that it was not a dream. Hua Xiaoyao walked out. A group of shirtless men gathered around the peach tree. They waved their wooden sticks in an orderly manner and hit the peach tree hard. The molten iron scattered and turned into flying iron flowers, like flowers blooming in the night sky. The dead tree seemed to come alive and full of vitality.

"Three hits bring good luck, four hits bring peace in all seasons, five hits bring five fortunes, six hits bring good luck, seven hits bring good fortune, eight hits bring wealth from all directions, nine hits bring all hearts, and ten hits bring everything to perfection."

As the sound began, Hua Xiaoyao's eyes blurred unconsciously.

Lin Yue and Zhu An walked over hand in hand and called out, "Mother."

Hua Xiaoyao blinked her eyes to adjust, and slowly saw the woman walking out of the night: "If you are not in the palace, what are you doing here with me?"

Lin Yue didn't care about Hua Xiaoyao's indifference. She knew that her mother felt it was deserted here. Her mother must think that she should celebrate the festival with her husband, children, relatives and sisters. However, she could accompany them many times during those festivals, but she could not accompany her mother many times. So she invited folk iron flower craftsmen to celebrate with her mother.

Zhu An guessed Hua Xiaoyao's identity and was willing to accompany her. He called out brightly, "Mother!"

Hua Xiaoyao took their hands and said, "Good kids. You came so suddenly that I didn't prepare anything. It's cold outside. Come inside and sit for a while."

When they arrived at the house, Hua Xiaoyao first went into the inner room to bring out tea, and then the two of them discovered that there was no one to serve them.

Hua Xiaoyao noticed the two people's scrutiny and said: "It's a lively festival, I don't need anyone to serve me, I'll give them all a day off."

Lin Yue wanted to say that this was dangerous, irrational, and too lonely. Zhu An frowned as she looked at her, but she didn't say anything in the end. She stood up and took the hot water from Hua Xiaoyao's hand to make tea. Hua Xiaoyao turned around and went back to the inner room to get some peanuts, beef jerky, and dried fruit to fill her mouth.

Lin Yue finally pouted and started crying: "Mother, please come with me into the palace. Even if you are called my savior, the servants won't say anything bad about you. I really can't bear to see you like this."

Hua Xiaoyao stretched out her hand, and when she saw the roughness on her hand and took it back to grab the handkerchief, Lin Yue grabbed her hand and said, "Mother, your daughter doesn't mind. Please don't do this."

Hua Xiaoyao wiped Lin Yue's tears with her hands: "Good boy, mother is used to freedom. Even if I sit here and look at something, mother doesn't feel lonely. As long as you live well, mother will be relieved. Mother has had enough of this life and will soon go to find your father..."

"Mother, I won't let you say that. You haven't spent much time with me, and I haven't had enough. You can't leave."

"Okay, okay, mother won't leave. Don't cry. Don't cry like a child on this important festival. I don't have much food here, but you should have eaten. Let's drink some tea and eat some peanuts, and I'll tell you stories."

Lin Yue sat down and listened quietly to Hua Xiaoyao's narration.

The iron flower making was originally a ritual to worship ghosts and exorcise evil spirits. However, it later developed into different forms, from the original ritual and sacrifice to the later festival celebration.

Hua Xiaoyao once saw the iron flower sacrifice with Lin Mo in other countries. The sacrifice was unusual. Building a two-story flower shed has the meaning of one yuan giving birth to two symbols, two symbols giving birth to four images, four images giving birth to eight trigrams, eight trigrams giving birth to five elements, and five elements giving birth to all things.

Some people played musical instruments such as sheng, flute, guan, dizi, stringed instruments, gongs and drums, accompanied by fireworks and firecrackers. Some people also danced with dragon lanterns and dragons flying through flowers. The scene was spectacular and thrilling.

Lin Mo refused to admit his age, so he decided to give it a try afterwards. Even after getting two small blisters, he was still full of pride. The scene was so spectacular that he shed tears.

To make iron flowers, you must hit them accurately to have enough strength; hit them high to give the molten iron enough time to cool; hit them loosely to cool faster like a drizzle; and hit them so that the molten iron will not remain on your body when you sweat. Although the folk performances are also spectacular, the construction of the platform is even more shocking.

Hua Xiaoyao will never forget that scene, and another scene that left a deep impression on her was the one that took place in the military camp.

Hua Xiaoyao listened to Lin Mo shouting in the tent: "Promote our military prestige, forge our military spirit, and rather die one step forward than live one step back."

The soldiers behind shouted in unison: "With our lives committed to our country, there is nothing we cannot do."

The scene was inspiring and made people's blood boil. At that time, Hua Xiaoyao wondered why she was not a man. She wanted to practice martial arts bravely and then serve her country with her life on the battlefield.

Before setting off, Lin Mo turned around and glanced at Hua Xiaoyao. That look revealed ferocity and determination, and combined with the young man's face, his handsomeness looked even more heroic. Even though the murderous aura made Hua Xiaoyao feel a little scared, she was not afraid. She silently prayed for Lin Mo's victory in her heart.

Inside the tent, Hua Xiaoyao listened to the sound of the cavalry outside and the shouts of the soldiers. Hua Xiaoyao thought that if she succeeded, she would definitely pay tribute to these thousands of soldiers. If she failed... she would take out her sword and wait for the person who came to her, to exchange her life for theirs and let her blood be mixed with the blood of these thousands of soldiers.

Lin Mo stopped his horse and reined in at some point, his armor was soaked with blood. Amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he was majestic and elegant, like a god of war. Hua Xiaoyao saw An Jing and plucked up the courage to look through the gap. When she didn't see the enemy's clothes, she walked out and looked at Lin Mo. The murderous aura in Lin Mo's eyes had not yet disappeared. Hua Xiaoyao looked at him from afar and felt that this man was inviolable.

Lin Yue and Zhu An were deeply touched. They did not expect that their mother, who had pursued ordinary life all her life, had such a side to her. Zhu An was even more deeply touched. She had never seen Hua Xiaoyao when she was younger, nor had she seen how Hua Xiaoyao got along with Lin Mo. She didn't even know why Lin Mo would do so much for Hua Xiaoyao. This might be something that everyone except An Nan, Lin Yue, Lin Xuan and Qin Yunhuai would be curious about, but no one would pursue it anymore.

Another two years passed, and the flowers in Taohuajian were in bloom. Hua Xiaoyao fell asleep in a rocking chair under a tree. A little girl who had just learned to walk walked up to Hua Xiaoyao and called out, "Great-grandmother."

Hua Xiaoyao opened her eyes and looked at the child, not really recognizing him. She looked at the girl and laughed, "Is that Yueyue? Yueyue has grown so big and can even walk. Grandma will hold him."

Hua Xiaoyao wanted to pick up the child, but an older woman picked her up and put her in a rocking chair. The child and Hua Xiaoyao rocked in the rocking chair, and the girl turned around and looked at the woman: "Mother, grandma treats her daughter as you."

Lin Yue nodded: "That's it, my mother is old and a little confused."

Hua Xiaoyao rocked back to sleep. Lin Yue and the others sat for a while, gave instructions to the maid, and then went back.

Two days later, Hua Xiaoyao was wearing plain clothes and was particularly sober that day. She asked people to move the piano to the peach blossom forest and asked everyone to stay away from it.

Hua Xiaoyao's eyes were filled with tears as she played the piano.

Lin Mo, didn't you say you would accompany me? Didn't you say you would protect me? Why did you let me live alone for so many years? If I come to find you now, can I still find you?

Hua Xiaoyao wanted to drink, so she opened the peach blossom wine she had buried a few years ago without hesitation, and the aroma of the wine filled the air.

The soul of flowers brews peach blossom wine, and you are destined to appreciate the fragrance of flowers.

Good wine can dispel sorrow, and lying drunkenly under the flowers brings peace of mind.

The flowers do not know how short the days and months are, but they never expected that a thousand years have passed in the world.