A ragged cub at the beginning

When Du Yun was found, he was in the pavilion, chatting with a Taoist priest.

Just as Tang Xu was about to call him, he turned around with a gentle smile on his face: "Finished the painting? This is Taoist Ming Qing, Taoist Ming Qing, and this is Miss Tang."

"Master Mingqing." Tang Xu greeted the Taoist priest.

"May you be blessed with infinite happiness and may Miss Tang live long and healthy." Taoist Priest Ming Qing held the salute with one hand and bowed slightly. "Mr. Du, I will take my leave first."

"Thank you, Taoist Priest." Tang Xu imitated him and bowed.

"I'll come and have tea with you next time." Du Yun bowed and waited for him to leave before saying to Tang Xu, "Come, sit down and have tea."

"Why don't you ask me why I suddenly started painting?" Tang Xu said as he sat down.

"Miss Zhu often comes here. I guess you felt pity for her and gave her a painting as a gift." Du Yun said with a smile.

"Do you know her?" Tang Xu asked curiously.

"Miss Zhu was born with congenital deficiencies, and the Zhu family sought out many famous doctors but to no avail. She heard that Feiyun Temple had excellent medical skills, so when she was young she would come here from time to time to stay for short periods of time for treatment. But the abbot said that there is no cure for this disease, it can only prolong her life." Du Yun knew everything.

"Congenital diseases are the most difficult to cure." Tang Xu sighed, "Beauty is short-lived. Miss Zhu is so beautiful, but it's a pity..."

Du Yun chuckled, "Is it not a pity if one is born in a bad way?"

"That's not the case. Every life is precious." Tang Xu said, "But people like Zhu Tou don't need to live long."

Du Yun smiled and shook his head, then changed the subject and said, "I'll take you to the back mountain to have a look."

"Okay." Tang Xu stood up, and Du Yun carried the basket and teapot and took her to the back mountain.

The back mountain is behind Feiyun Temple. There are steep stairs leading up, and there are chains as thick as arms on the outside. Du Yun said to be careful and asked her to walk in front. If there is an accident, he will have time to react in the back.

Tang Xu grabbed the chain and climbed up. Fortunately, it was not very high. There was a sturdy welcoming pine tree on the top, and there were stone tables and chairs under the tree for rest. The surroundings were shrouded in clouds and mist, and the cold wind was biting, but when people looked out, they felt as if they were on a fairy mountain, which made them feel open-minded.

"Sit for a while and then go down. The mountain wind here is very strong and I'm afraid you'll catch a cold." Du Yun put down the teapot, which had already warmed up. "Have a cup of hot tea."

The tea soup was emerald green, slightly bitter at first, and then began to taste sweet after sliding across the tip of the tongue. Tang Xu took two more sips, "It tastes good, much better than the coarse tea leaves in my shop."

"I'll send you some tomorrow." Du Yun said with a smile, "It's not bad here."

"It's open everywhere, surrounded by clouds and mist. If it weren't too cold, it would be a good place to meditate." Tang Xu commented.

"The Taoist priests in the temple practice swordplay here every day, rain or shine." Du Yun said.

"You know him well?" Tang Xu raised his eyebrows.

Du Yun looked at her for a while, then turned his eyes to the clouds in the distance, and slowly said, "Five years ago, when I took the examination, my father and brother were framed and involved in cheating in the imperial examination. Someone threatened them with my mother and me to take the blame. They had no choice but to compromise. My eldest sister-in-law was shocked by the bad news and died of dystocia. At first, I didn't know that they were coerced. I just thought they really participated in the cheating. I was struck by lightning and never recovered. My mother fought alone and took the newborn Jiarui and me back to my ancestral home. At that time, I could never accept this. My mother had to take care of Jiarui and me at the same time, and she couldn't take care of both. So she sent me to Feiyun Temple. The abbot didn't ask the reason and just treated me as an ordinary disciple. I was a disciple of the Taoist temple for half a year. I ate and lived with them every day, and practiced martial arts together. At that time, I was often here. As you said, this place is a great place to calm down and concentrate."

"Aunt, you are amazing." She lost her husband and son, her daughter-in-law, and only her grandson was left in her cradle. Her youngest son was depressed again. Just thinking about it made her feel like the sky was falling. Mrs. Du usually looked slow and leisurely, but she was so strong in her heart. How did she get through it?

Du Yun nodded. "When my father was still alive, my mother...always played with us and got along with my eldest sister-in-law like sisters. When I was young, I always felt like I had an extra sister. Now that I think about it, my mother's pain is far greater than mine. I am so unfilial."

"Five years ago, you were just a young man, so it's normal that you couldn't bear it. Don't blame me too much. What happened later?" Five years ago, he was less than 20 years old. He was also the champion of the provincial examination, so he must have been full of energy and vigor. It's normal that he couldn't bear it.

"Later, my mother brought me a letter from an old friend of my father. The letter explained what happened to my father and brother, but the matter involved party disputes and it might be difficult to overturn the verdict. By then, I had recovered and said goodbye to the abbot and left the mountain. It happened that the mountain master was looking for talents, so I became a teacher. I was discouraged about the imperial examination." He turned to look at Tang Xu, "I'm afraid this will be my life."

Tang Xu raised his eyes and said, "Isn't it good to be a teacher? All the students in the town are your students, and they have to greet you when they meet. You are a teacher, do you still look down on yourself?"

Du Yun was amused by her righteous expression, "That's not the case."

"It's so cold, let's go downstairs." Tang Xu rubbed his arms, the teacup was almost frozen.

"Okay." Du Yun put away his things and said angrily, "I forgot to bring a cloak."

"Bring it next time." Tang Xu saw him stand up and opened his arms to hug him. "The past is over, and those who left will not come back. As long as we don't forget, they will always be there. Cherish the people who are still around, and let's be together."

Du Yun's eyes became hot, he closed his eyes and hugged her tightly, "Okay, let's do it together."

The host went on a journey, so the two did not stay long. They had a vegetarian meal and then returned.

On the return journey, Tang Xu sat in the carriage drowsy and felt his head heavy.

She got off the car first when passing by the shop. Qi Qing said that there was an order to be delivered the day after tomorrow. She nodded and went back.

Her head felt a little dizzy, and she wondered if she had caught a cold from the mountain breeze.

When she got home, she found some gifts piled on the table in the living room, such as cloth and jewelry. "Sister, where did this come from?"

"It was sent by the Du family. Madam Du said she had already asked about it. You and Du Yun are very compatible in terms of horoscopes. You are a perfect match made in heaven." Tang Ling glanced at her and said, "We will continue with the rest of the process."

"Oh, okay." Tang Xu patted her face and slumped down on the table. A hand reached out and touched her forehead, "You have a fever."

"Ah? What's the fever? Who?" Tang Xu asked. She thought her voice was normal, but it sounded weak and thin like a mosquito's whisper in Tang Ling's ears.

Tang Ling dragged her up and put her on the bed. Just as he was about to go find a doctor, Tang Yao stopped him, "Where are you going? I'm going too."

Tang Ling glanced at him and said, "Go get a doctor. Tang Xu has a fever." Then he got a basin of water and went into the room to take care of Tang Xu.

"I'm going, I'm going. How come Xiaoxu suddenly got sick?" After listening to the conversation between the two, Yu Xiaotao quickly put down her things and went out.

The doctor examined the patient and said that he had caught a cold, but the patient seemed to have some hidden injuries in his body, and his body was so weak that it was so serious. He didn't know what the injury was, and he couldn't cure it. He asked someone to go back with him to get some cold medicine to drink first.

Du Yun was immediately upset when he heard the news, blaming himself for not bringing a cloak and letting people follow him on the top of the mountain in the wind. Old Madam Du scolded him, saying that he was so old but he didn't know how to take care of others. He got sick after being out for a while.

While teaching her son a lesson, she packed up some herbs and took them to the Tang family. It was the Little New Year's Day, but she made someone sick after taking them out. Old Madam Du angrily slapped Du Yun on the back twice, making a dull sound, and Du Yun did not dare to hide.

Tang Xu was fast asleep on the bed, his face flushed red, and he was mumbling something in a daze.

Tang Ling leaned over but didn't hear what was said clearly. Madam Du brought Du Yun to visit. "Oh, look at you, you're burned like this, and you don't even wear a cloak! It's a big festival... why are you going to Feiyun Temple!" She said, and slapped Du Yun again.

Du Yun frowned, feeling extremely guilty that he shouldn't have taken her to the top of the mountain to feel the cold wind.

"Just caught a cold." Tang Ling said calmly, but she had hidden injuries in her body, probably from training and being chased. She secretly planned when to go to Yaowang Valley to ask a doctor to come and see Tang Xu.

"Then let her have a good rest. We'll go back first and come to visit again tomorrow." Old Madam Du took her son out and took her grandson away as well.

Yu Xiaotao was worried and didn't go back until it was dark. Tang Ling also asked Tang Yao to accompany her home to prevent the orphan and widow from encountering any trouble on the way.

Tang Ling stayed by the bed and asked Tang Qing to take the crying July away. If someone didn't know, they would have thought that his mother was dying.

She imitated Tang Xu's actions last time and wrung out a wet handkerchief to apply to her forehead.

In the middle of the night, Tang Xu was sweating all over and her fever finally subsided. Tang Ling wiped her body and changed her into dry clothes.

Tang Xu was awakened by the torment. Her throat was hoarse from burning. "Sister, am I sick? My head hurts."

"Well, you have a cold. Would you like some water?" Tang Ling went to the kitchen and scooped a pot of water. He placed it outside the house and let it warm up before bringing it in.

Tang Xu drank a teapot of water in one breath to calm her throat that was about to smoke. After she felt better, she squinted her eyes and smiled at Tang Ling: "It would be great if you were really my sister. I want a sister."

Tang Ling was silent, and before Tang Xu's smile faded, he said, "I am your sister."

Hearing this, Tang Xu smiled and rolled over in his arms, "Is it dark outside? It's so quiet."

Tang Ling watched her twitching as usual, picked up the wet towel that fell on the pillow, and said calmly, "It's past midnight."

"It's so late, you should go to bed. I'm much better now." Tang Xu said with concern.

"It's nothing. I'll go after you fall asleep." Seeing that she stopped moving, Tang Ling tidied the quilt for her.

"Then I'll go to sleep quickly." Tang Xu thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but perhaps because she was weak and sleepy due to her illness, she fell asleep in less than a quarter of an hour.

After making sure she was asleep, Tang Ling gently held her hand and touched the bone on the back of her hand that connected to her middle finger. He felt a little uneven. There had been a crack there, and after healing, it was no longer as smooth as before.

Why? Is it true that the dead can be reborn? She once heard someone say that there was a madman who always felt that there were two of them in his body. Their personalities were completely different during the day and at night. If it weren't for the fact that their faces and bodies were exactly the same, they would not be able to tell that they were the same person.

Is it the same for her sister?

Tang Ling did not wait until Tang Xu fell asleep as she said. She stayed until the sky was slightly bright before turning back to her room.

The next day, Tang Xu opened his eyes and felt extremely hungry. His stomach tightened as if it was going to eat him at any time.

Her limbs were sore and weak, and she propped herself up to put on her clothes. Just as she was about to get out of bed, Tang Ling opened the door and walked in. "What are you getting up for?"

"I'm hungry." Tang Xu held his stomach, "I want to go to the toilet."

Tang Ling silently helped her to the toilet. Just as he finished, he heard a knock on the door. "Tang Qing, open the door."

"Here it comes." Tang Qing's voice came from above his head, scaring Tang Xu so much that he shivered.

Tang Ling sighed. He was so timid and not vigilant enough that he didn't even notice that the man had been hanging from the beam early in the morning.

Tang Qing was hanging on the beam with her legs hooked behind her back. When she heard Tang Ling's instruction, she jumped down, somersaulted flexibly in the air, and then went to open the door.

Yu Xiaotao was standing outside the door, holding An An on her back and holding Zhao Yunniang's hand. When the door opened, she hurried in, "I cooked chicken soup early in the morning, and I was afraid that Xiao Xu couldn't drink greasy food, so I cooked porridge with chicken soup and chicken. Xiao Xu is up, is she feeling better? Drink some porridge to nourish her body." She didn't even have time to put An An down, and she kept muttering while serving the porridge, "I've never seen her get sick, but she usually doesn't get sick, but when she does, it's very serious. The disease goes away quickly, let's eat something good to nourish ourselves, so as not to hurt ourselves. It's still hot, try it quickly. She didn't eat yesterday afternoon, so she must be starving."

Tang Ling helped Tang Xu to the kitchen to wash up, and then Yu Xiaotao untied An An and put her in the cradle.

"It's so comfortable." After taking a mouthful of porridge, the whole body warmed up. Tang Xu squinted his eyes and quickly finished a bowl. Although it was made with chicken soup, the oil was skimmed off and it tasted fresh and fragrant. The chicken was shredded into small pieces, which didn't get stuck in the teeth and was not dry. "Thank you, Sister Xiaotao, I'm alive again."

"What nonsense are you talking about so early in the morning? Would you like another bowl? This is easy to digest and it won't be a problem if you eat more." Yu Xiaotao asked while quickly filling a bowl in her hands.

July woke up at this time and ran out in her middle clothes.

"Oh! Little ancestor! Why aren't you wearing any clothes!" Yu Xiaotao picked him up and stuffed him back into the quilt, rubbing his arms and legs, which had already become cold in a short while. "You need to wear clothes! Otherwise, you'll get sick like your mother and have to drink bitter medicine!"

Qiyue pursed her lips and said, "I heard mother talking."

"Put on your clothes first, she's much better today." Yu Xiaotao helped him put on his clothes.

But after not seeing each other for one night, Qiyue acted as if she hadn't seen Tang Xu for a year, hugging Tang Xu's waist and acting like a spoiled child. She said she was scared yesterday, that brother Tang Qing thought he was noisy, and that she cried herself to sleep.

Tang Xu felt distressed after hearing this and hugged him to comfort him.

Tang Ling couldn't bear to see the two of them being so sticky, so he turned around with the bowl in his hand and expressed his disgust with his back to them.

"I'll go and boil some medicine for Aunt Xu! I boiled it very well." Zhao Yunniang went to the kitchen and skillfully lit the small stove. The medicine pot had been used yesterday, so she just filled it with water and started boiling.

Qiyue ate the porridge and came over to help. Zhao Yunniang did not mind his clumsiness and patiently taught him how to light a fire, add water, and fan the pot with a small fan. However, children were not allowed to open the lid, and adults had to do it.

She spoke very logically, and July listened attentively with a stern face.

After a while, Fang Zijun and his family of three also arrived. Dong Wanwan brought a chicken and a basket of eggs. "Why do you look thinner after not seeing you overnight? Kill this chicken and make soup. I found an old hen specially to nourish you."

This was exactly what Yu Xiaotao was thinking, and Tang Xu thanked her repeatedly.

Soon, Mrs. Du came with her son and grandson. She brought a food box and said it was stewed bird's nest. Bird's nest is good for health, so Tang Xu was asked to eat it while it was hot.

Tang Xu was a little full after eating two bowls of porridge, but she didn't want to refuse her kindness. Fortunately, there was only a small bowl, and red dates were added to it, which looked like Tremella soup. It was her first time to eat this, and she tasted it and found that it had no taste. It tasted more gelatinous than Tremella, so it was hard to say whether it was delicious or not.

When Grandma Hu brought Hu Xinting to visit, she also brought a basket of eggs.

After a morning of welcoming and seeing off guests, Tang Xu yawned a little exhausted. She asked Qi Qing to close the shop and take a rest today, without making a reservation, just being willful.