「Shiqiao Village.」
In the three days since her sister left, Bai Ruxue would wake up every morning and sit on the stone bench in the courtyard, just as she had forty-eight years ago, gazing at the small path outside.
In Bai Ruxue’s heart, it felt as if everything had happened just yesterday.
The night before Xiao Qing left, neither Bai Ruxue nor Xiao Qing slept.
Xiao Qing told her sister many, many things.
Bai Ruxue knew that she had fallen into a deep slumber only after Xiao Qing fed her that Elixir.
She also knew that Daoist Master Fuchen had given Xiao Qing a mory Soul Pill to help her recover her mories.
But Xiao Qing had been hesitant and didn’t give it to her right away.
Bai Ruxue didn’t bla her sister.
From Bai Ruxue’s perspective, Xiao Qing, caught in the middle, was the one in the most difficult position. She had shouldered all the responsibility and guilt alone.
Sotis, the one who has to make the choice suffers more than the one for whom the choice is made.
From Xiao Qing, Bai Ruxue also learned that Xiao Mo had actually known all along that she and her sister were of the Demon Race, but he had always pretended not to know.
For the past forty-eight years, Xiao Mo had co to the front of the cave to see her at regular intervals.
Bai Ruxue heard from her sister that Xiao Mo had never married...
Even just listening to Xiao Qing’s account, Bai Ruxue could picture Xiao Mo all alone these years, and her heart ached with a dull pain.
This afternoon, just as Bai Ruxue’s thoughts were drifting, she sensed a slight disturbance from the woods outside the courtyard.
Turning her head, Bai Ruxue saw those two little girls and two little boys peeking at her again.
Bai Ruxue stood up, went into the kitchen, and brought out so pastries.
These were pastries Bai Ruxue had made yesterday for the four "sneaky" little children.
She had noticed the children secretly watching her the morning before last.
So yesterday, she went to the next village to buy so ingredients and made these osmanthus cakes.
’If they co again today, I’ll invite them to have so pastries and ask why they’re peeking at .’
Bai Ruxue looked at them and called out softly, "Would you like so osmanthus cakes?"
The four children were startled. They glanced at each other before shyly erging from the small woods.
"It must have been you who gave us away!"
"I did not!"
"It was definitely Huihui. Huihui just farted."
"You’re the one who farted!" the girl retorted, her face flushing red.
Bickering amongst themselves, the four children walked step by step toward the courtyard.
"Co have a bite to eat," Bai Ruxue said with a gentle smile.
Looking at the beautiful big sister, and then at the osmanthus cakes on the table, the four children shyly entered the courtyard.
At first, the four children were a little reserved, but the mont they took their first bite of osmanthus cake, their eyes instantly lit up.
"Eat slowly, don’t choke," Bai Ruxue said, pouring each of the four children a bowl of water.
"Big sister, the pastries you made are delicious," said the little boy nad Qi Ming as he looked up.
"Thank you," Bai Ruxue smiled. "But why have you all been watching ?"
"Well..." The little boy nad Qi Ming scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Huihui said there was a very pretty big sister in the village, like a Fairy, so we ca over."
"Then we saw you often sitting in the courtyard looking outside. Lily said you must be sad about sothing. Huihui said you’re an Immortal who’s ditating," said the little boy nad Hu Hui.
"And then we made a bet. Whoever guessed right would have to treat the others to candy," Lily replied.
"But we were too shy to co and ask you," Huihui said, her face red.
"Big sister, why do you always sit in the courtyard?" Qi Ming asked.
"...? I’m waiting for soone," Bai Ruxue said with a soft smile.
"Waiting for soone?" A little girl, only seven, seed to only half-understand. "But big sister, you’ve already been waiting for three days. Is he not coming?"
Bai Ruxue stroked the little girl’s hair. "He will co. And even if he doesn’t, I will keep waiting."
"Big sister, you’re so stubborn," Hu Hui said.
Bai Ruxue smiled. "This isn’t stubborn. The truly stubborn one waited for forty-eight years."
"Whoa! Forty-eight years!" the children exclaid in unison.
"Sister, why did that person wait for so long?"
"It’s a very, very long story. Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes, we want to hear it!"
"Once upon a ti, there was a scholar. One day, he went up a mountain and saved a little White Snake..."
...
As evening approached, Xiao Mo walked into Shiqiao Village, heading step by step toward his family’s courtyard.
Because Xiao Mo hadn’t returned to the village in a long ti, and even when he did, he would only visit the village head, Aunt Chen, spending most of his ti on She Mountain.
Furthermore, Xiao Mo was now dressed in a worn-out green robe.
So no one recognized him as the world-renowned Pri Minister Xiao.
The villagers, at most, only glanced at Xiao Mo, thinking, ’Who is this unfamiliar old man? Why have I never seen him before?’
"I’m telling you, a Fairy in a white dress has moved into Pri Minister Xiao’s old ho, and she’s as beautiful as they co!"
"Living in Pri Minister Xiao’s old ho? This... should we drive them out?"
"Probably not. That Fairy in white was brought back by Fairy Qing. She’s probably Fairy Qing’s friend, and Fairy Qing is rumored to be a good friend of Pri Minister Xiao’s. She even cleans the courtyard for him every so often."
"Huh? I heard a rumor that a long ti ago, Pri Minister Xiao had a childhood sweetheart who ended up joining an Immortal Sect. Could it be this Fairy?"
"I’ve heard that rumor too. They say the reason Pri Minister Xiao never married is that he’s waiting for her."
"Don’t talk nonsense. That’s all stuff from storybooks. That Fairy in the white dress must be from the sa sect as Fairy Qing, just staying for a few nights. Stop gossiping."
Just as Xiao Mo was passing the village pond, he overheard several won gossiping as they washed their clothes.
Xiao Mo’s expression froze. He walked over, bowed to the won, and said, "Ladies, could you tell this old man about that woman in the white dress?"
...
"Goodbye, Fairy Sister."
"Fairy Sister, thank you for the osmanthus cakes."
"Tomorrow I’ll bring so of my family’s cured at for you to eat, Fairy Sister."
As the sun was about to set, the children finally waved goodbye to the Fairy Sister.
"Be careful on your way."
Bai Ruxue stood at the courtyard gate, watching them leave with a smile.
After they were far in the distance, Bai Ruxue finally turned to walk back into the courtyard.
But just as Bai Ruxue had taken two steps, the woman suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Bai Ruxue’s heart began to beat faster. Her fingers clutched her sleeves tightly, and her eyes trembled.
She turned around, and a white-haired old man ca into view.
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