Chapter 252: Response
Great Marshal Zi loved the bustle while he was alive, so he was buried in a lively place after his death.
Many people came to Yanshan to sightsee, but it was now evening.
The sky was filled with sunset clouds, and the weather had turned cold.
The sightseers were all packing up to head back, and the place was gradually becoming quiet and cold.
His tomb was built to look like a small house.
It had an arched facade and a platform where offerings could be placed.
Behind the platform was the tomb chamber itself, which looked like a door, as if inviting people to come in and sit for a while.
Jiang Changtian looked at the tomb, speechless for a moment.
The last person whose death had left a deep impression on him was his Father, Grand Tutor Jiang.
At that time, he felt as if the sky had collapsed, and it was unbearable.
He was young.
It felt as if a part of his very internal organs had been buried along with him.
The sadness was beyond words.
He thought that from then on, he would only be able to walk the path ahead with his elder brother and mother.
But after Father passed, his world truly collapsed, and he was truly left all alone, struggling to survive.
He wondered countless times: if he hadn’t experienced the happy life he had when Father was around, he would surely have believed that he was meant to be so miserable, meant to be humble, meant to be pathetic.
But he had once lived a happy life, which was why he felt such painful conflict.
The Great Marshal Zi before his eyes was the second elder he had ever known.
Great Marshal Zi was a very charismatic man, but he didn’t have a strong “fatherly” air; he didn’t like to preach to people.
He was good at complimenting others and was always smiling.
He was very bold and heroic, yet in his presence, one felt very safe.
Initially, rebelling was just a forced necessity, but later, he had always been under the protection of Great Marshal Zi, landing safely.
Jiang Changtian felt that Great Marshal Zi knew about his little schemes.
Great Marshal Zi had sent Aunt Yin to help settle the inner household.
Great Marshal Zi was a true hero.
If anyone could ascend to the top, Jiang Changtian felt that Commander Zi could.
He knew how to use people well, and he was both bold and meticulous.
But now, he was buried in the earth, gone like smoke and clouds.
Therefore, one must live; only by living could everything be possible.
Jiang Changtian lit incense and knelt down earnestly, kowtowing three times.
Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Teacher.
He regarded him as a teacher…
Jiang Feng didn’t have a good impression of the tomb, even though it could be considered beautiful—much better than the mounds of dirt in his memory.
But it was still a tomb, a place to bury bones.
Therefore, while alive, one must work harder and do everything one wants to do.
Don’t leave regrets, don’t feel sorrow.
Perhaps death could come at any moment, so one must live freely.
He also burned incense and kowtowed—to an elder, to a predecessor.
Qin Luoxia brought Mianmian to burn incense and kowtow together.
She spoke before the tomb: “Great Marshal Zi, I know you must have been worried about the child when you passed. You called me ‘younger sister,’ and since I have no elder brothers, I am willing to acknowledge you as my elder brother. Leave the child to me; from now on, I will be his aunt. I will raise him and watch over him as he marries and has children. Rest easy in the afterlife and do not worry.”
Zi Congheng had been watching the Jiang Family burn incense and kowtow with a calm expression.
In truth, he had seen this scene so many times that he had become numb to it.
At first, he had wished he could crawl into the tomb and lie down with Father.
Later, he gradually realized that even if he entered the tomb, it would be useless.
He had spoken to Father countless times, but Father had never responded.
If there were truly spirits after death, how could he bear to leave him so lonely?
Looking at the tomb again, he felt as if it were a rope pulling at his throat, making it hard for him to breathe.
He didn’t want to speak anymore.
Actually, he didn’t really want to live either.
It felt meaningless.
He was very smart—at least in the way the world defined intelligence.
When he read articles, he had a photographic memory; he remembered them after reading them just once.
He even knew his sworn brothers had betrayed him just by looking at their clothes and shoes.
But he didn’t say a word.
He didn’t want anyone else to die because he spoke.
Father was gone.
Nothing was important anymore.
He even hoped his sworn brothers would kill him.
But perhaps he was too useless.
There had been so many opportunities, yet his sworn brothers never struck.
The sworn brothers: “…We suspect you’re fishing for a law enforcement trap.”
“That lunatic Gong Qichi has been like a madman since Foster Father passed. If we killed you, he would fight us to the death.”
“Besides, you never speak anyway, so what difference does it make whether we kill you or not?”
Of course, not all the sworn brothers were like that.
Just some of them.
Just then, after Qin Luoxia finished speaking, the incense on the platform suddenly tipped over.
It was as if the person in the tomb was responding.
Was this agreement or disagreement?
He had come to the tomb thousands of times, and Father had always remained indifferent, never responding even once.
Zi Congheng stared blankly at the fallen incense.
Suddenly, tears streamed down his face.
Qin Luoxia was a bit confused.
Was Great Marshal Zi giving a sign?
The incense had fallen—was that agreement or disagreement?
Qin Luoxia was a bit dumbfounded, but she was a flexible woman who never gave up.
She lit another bunch and repeated what she had said just before.
“Great Marshal Zi, I know you must have been worried about the child when you passed. You called me ‘younger sister,’ and since I have no elder brothers, I am willing to acknowledge you as my elder brother…”
“Pfft…” The incense tipped over right there.
Qin Luoxia nodded.
“I understand. Big Brother is nodding in agreement. Thank you for the effort of pushing the incense, Big Brother.”
Then she burned another bunch and repeated the words again.
“…Big Brother, leave the child to me; from now on, I will be his aunt. I will raise him and watch over him as he marries and has children. Rest easy in the afterlife and do not worry.”
The rows of incense stood tall.
The smoke swirled left and right without pattern, as if a ghost were blowing on it.
The smoke, which should have risen straight up, twisted into a chaotic mess.
Zi Congheng, who hadn’t cried in a long time, had tears sliding down his cheeks, but the corners of his mouth curled up.
He couldn’t help but smile.
He didn’t know what Father meant.
If Father didn’t want him to go to the Jiang Family, he would surely be rushing about in a panic right now.
Thinking this, he felt as if his Father were still alive, truly by his side.
Zi Congheng, who had been silent from the moment they met until now, suddenly knelt before Qin Luoxia and said, “Aunt.”
Qin Luoxia emotionally patted the boy’s shoulder, tears falling as well.
“Good boy, follow your aunt from now on. If I have a bite to eat, you will have a bite to eat. If I have a drink, you will have a drink. I will treat you just like the others; if you strive to improve, your aunt will be proud, and if you are mischievous, your aunt will also spank you.”
That swirling smoke finally rose straight up.
On the return trip, Zi Congheng actually followed the Jiang Family into the carriage and left.
He didn’t even go home to pack his things.
Jiang Mianmian called him “Brother” like a sycophant.
Although paying respects was a bit of a sad affair, human feelings are rarely shared, and after all, the closeness of relationships varies.
On the way back, Mianmian just thought about how she had gained an extra brother, one who clearly still needed education.
Her Father would have something to do; now he had a candidate to guide in their studies.
Although she wanted to appear sad, she couldn’t suppress her happiness.
There are three things humans cannot hide: coughing, poverty, and love.
Mianmian now had a deep sibling love for Brother Chong, the kind where they would share blessings and face hardships together.
“Brother, do you like spicy food?”
“Brother, did you bring your turtle back?”
“Brother, are you cold?”
“Brother, can you recite the analects?”
“…”
Zi Congheng’s mind was a tangled mess, wrapping up that sadness tightly, and right now, he just felt his head was buzzing.
He felt that Father pushing the incense over actually made some sense.
He wanted to get off the carriage.
“Brother, do you like practicing with a sword or a saber?”
“Brother, can you climb trees?”
“Brother, are you wearing long johns? Are you cold?”
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