"Why do you want to be a crow?" Chu Xun asked.
Zhang Anxiu didn't answer imdiately. She sincerely kowtowed three tis, and then stood up with Chu Xun's support.
Only then did she say, "Because crows seem to be able to accompany you longer."
Chu Xun's body trembled.
Among the flock of crows in the village, not a single one had died of old age so far.
They were indeed very capable of living, their lifespans unexpectedly long.
So Zhang Anxiu wanted to be a crow, asking for nothing else, only to be able to accompany Chu Xun longer.
"Is it very silly?" Zhang Anxiu asked.
Looking at the wrinkles on her face, Chu Xun shook his head and supported her as they walked out.
"Not silly at all, I've never seen a woman as smart as you."
The two supported each other and walked across the stone bridge.
A crow landed on the stone stele at the head of the bridge and looked down.
A gentle breeze blew past the stone stele.
The writing of the person's na on it instantly beca deep and clear.
Caw caw——
The crow cawed twice, flapped its wings and flew up, as if nothing had happened.
Perhaps because Zhang Sanchun's passing brought imnse pressure to her spirit.
Or perhaps the round trip consud too much physical strength.
After returning from the Songliu Water God Temple, Zhang Anxiu's physical condition beca increasingly poor.
At first, she could still walk a bit with support, but later, she could only lie weakly in bed.
Lin Qiaoxi ca to visit once, but her health wasn't very good either, and riding in a horse carriage made her dizzy, so Chu Xun didn't let her co again.
Instead, the villagers, like Qi Ermao, Qiaohua, and others, ca to visit every day.
Unfortunately, Shitou still hadn't returned.
It was heard that Great General Han Shizhong was entrenched as king in the southwest and didn't allow his subordinate military officers to travel privately.
Originally, Emperor Yongji wanted to rely on attacking the southwestern barbarians to expand the territory for the Kingdom of Jing, but he didn't expect it to beco a major hidden danger for the next generation's Emperor.
Year 8 of Chongming, the end of the year had arrived.
Those who ca to the village to pay New Year's calls had already returned.
The crows, weasels, rabbits, field mice, and other birds and beasts ran over from everywhere and gave the courtyard a good tidying up.
Zhang Anxiu lay on the bed, her face like gold paper.
Her condition today was particularly bad, and she could only groggily say a word or two.
Chu Xun sat by the bed, not leaving for a mont.
After a while, Zhang Anxiu let out a weak voice, "Brother Xun..."
Chu Xun hurriedly bent down and leaned close to her ear, "I'm here, do you want to drink so ginseng tea? It's already brewed for you."
"I won't drink it." Zhang Anxiu slowly shook her head, "I want you to hold ."
A few small weasels nestled by her ear obediently shifted their bodies.
Chu Xun gently helped her up, only feeling that his wife's body was emaciated, with not much flesh left.
Being bedridden for so long, even a person with good health would deteriorate.
He sat further into the bed, allowing Zhang Anxiu to lean against his chest in a more comfortable posture, and conveniently pulled up the quilt to tuck her in warr.
"Brother Xun, I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you to eat dumplings next year."
The sudden words made Chu Xun's movents pause.
His nose instantly felt sour, his throat seed glued together, and it took a lot of effort to let out a slight sound.
"How could that be, next year we'll make dumplings together, beef ones."
"You're talking nonsense again, you're not allowed to eat the old ox."
The old water buffalo at ho was still being raised to this day.
Zhang Anxiu's body was a bit cold, but her complexion was much rosier, and her voice was clearer than before.
"I forgot to make another wish to the Songliu Water God."
"What wish?" Chu Xun asked.
"I hope that on the day I leave, it won't rain."
The hand Chu Xun used to hold her tightened slightly.
The custom of the surrounding ten miles and eight villages was that if it rained during a burial, it ant the Heavens were seeing them off.
In the next life, they would be reincarnated into a good family.
But Zhang Anxiu wanted to be a crow in her next life, so she didn't want it to rain.
"Silly girl..."
Zhang Anxiu let out a light chuckle, "Next year when the dicinal herb rchants co to collect herbs, you're not allowed to lower the price for them, rember?"
"Okay."
"Eat well, I made a wish to the Songliu Water God, you will live a long life of a hundred years."
"Okay."
"Then I'm leaving."
Chu Xun's hand tightened even more. He buried his head in Zhang Anxiu's hair, no longer able to sll the scent of her hair, only a thick aura of death.
His suppressed voice seed like a knife slicing open his heart.
"This is not good... not good at all..."
There was no response.
Only a body that was constantly growing colder, which no matter what, could not be ward up in his embrace.
The birds and beasts outside the courtyard seed to sense sothing and stopped one after another.
In the Songliu River, three giant pythons poked their heads out from under the water, flicking their tongues in the direction of the village.
The moon was covered by dark clouds, without a single trace of light.
It wasn't until the sky was dimly lit that Chu Xun put Zhang Anxiu back on the bed.
He brought a comb, combed her hair neatly strand by strand, buttoned her buttons, and covered her with the quilt.
Qi Ermao and the others ca to visit early in the morning.
After calling out a few tis without a response, they suddenly felt sothing was wrong in their hearts.
Chu Xun walked out of the house. His complexion made Qi Ermao's eye sockets turn red, "Brother Xun, where is Auntie?"
Chu Xun looked at him and said softly, "She's gone."
Qi Ermao fell to his knees with a thud, unable to hold back his crying.
Ever since they ca to play at Chu Xun's house when they were young, Zhang Anxiu had been very good to these children in the village.
She had no children, so she poured all her maternal love onto these people.
With this departure, yin and yang were separated.
More and more villagers learned the news and hurried over.
Even the white-haired County Magistrate Li Zhaoming ca to offer his condolences.
On the day of the funeral procession, Qi Ermao and Huan'er stood at the very front to carry the coffin.
The coffin was very heavy, but the person inside was very light.
The sky was densely covered with dark clouds, looking like it could rain and snow at any mont.
Qiaohua specially brought an oiled paper umbrella, but Chu Xun shook his head and didn't take it.
"It won't rain today, nor will it snow."
Qiaohua looked at the hazy sky. In such weather, it logically should.
But Chu Xun insisted, so she couldn't say much more.
The grave in the field had already been dug. The coffin was slowly lowered, and then the villagers stepped forward one by one to shovel dirt.
Chu Xun was the last to step forward, holding a whole clod of dirt and placing it on the grave mound.
Boom——
A clap of winter thunder seed to shatter the horizon.
Chu Xun looked up at the sky, his gaze calm.
Qiaohua and the others hoped it would rain quickly. For such a good person like Auntie, the Heavens ought to co see her off.
However, after waiting for a long ti, not a single drop of water fell here.
Instead, hundreds of ters away, rain mixed with snow fell continuously.
Such a strange scene left the villagers sowhat at a loss.
Qi Ermao couldn't help pointing at the sky and cursing loudly, "You thieving Heavens, why are you like this!"
Chu Xun called over the astonished Huan'er and said, "Take them back, help arrange the subsequent matters."
Huan'er asked, "Are you not going back?"
"I want to stay here and accompany her for a while," Chu Xun said.
Huan'er didn't try to persuade him, only taking off his own robe and draping it over Chu Xun.
Under his urging, the villagers finally left reluctantly, sobbing.
Voices cursing the Heavens for being blind, like Qi Ermao's, were endless.
Chu Xun sat in front of the grave as if he hadn't heard.
Looking at the stone stele in front of him, he said softly, "Rest assured, with here, it won't rain."
[End of Chapter]
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