Chapter 176: Chapter 176
Xiaojing Village is nestled beside a river embankment that cuts through wheat fields, and not far from the embankment lies a wide river.
Long ago, the people along the river’s banks depended on it for their livelihood, but as the economy gradually developed, they turned to other ways to survive. Xiaojing Village was small to begin with, housing fewer than five hundred people. When the young and able left to study or work, it became a village of the old, weak, and infirm, guarding a dilapidating home year after year.
The Zhang family’s ancestral house sat by the river embankment, with a small lotus pond and a patch of woods in front of it.
"It’s almost Xiao Yun’s death anniversary. I figured you all would come back, so I cleaned the house a few days in advance, aired out the bedding under the sun, kept the windows open every day for ventilation. You can sleep here with peace of mind—there’s not the slightest odor left."
Aunt Guihua opened the quiet iron gate. Her flashlight beam illuminated the tranquil courtyard, emerging clearly in the night.
There were hardly any weeds in the yard, a testament to how often Aunt Guihua swept and tidied.
The house was a two-story building. Turning on a slightly dim light revealed its furniture—old but still clean.
Traces of a life once lived lingered everywhere here.
Zhang Jian stood in the courtyard speaking with Aunt Guihua.
"Aunt Guihua, you’ve taken care of the old house all these years, and it must have caused you a lot of trouble. You absolutely must take this."
Zhang Jian pressed an envelope into Aunt Guihua’s hand, and her face darkened.
"Xiao Jian, what are you doing? What kind of relationship do I have with your parents? Taking care of this place for you is only right! You doing this—you’re really making Aunt mad. Are you looking down on me or something?"
As she spoke, she shoved the envelope back into Zhang Jian’s arms.
"Aunt doesn’t want anything from you folks. I’d be perfectly happy if you could just come back to visit often."
After saying that, she rubbed her hands awkwardly, as if hesitating: "But, Aunt does have one thing to ask of you... An’an is so smart, topping the rankings on her high school entrance exam! Our old Zhang family hasn’t seen talent in centuries; our ancestors must be smiling from the grave! This girl’s future is bound to be extraordinary—unlike my useless brat, who spends her days running wild. Would it be possible to have An’an tutor her?"
Tutoring would be such an easy favor, Zhang Jian thought, ready to agree immediately. But remembering that An’an herself would be the one tutoring, he replied gently, "Aunt, let me ask An’an first and get her answer for you."
"Alright, alright..."
"Auntie, Uncle, tomorrow after we finish visiting Mother’s grave with Uncle and Auntie, have your daughter bring her books over to find me," said An’an’s cool, clear voice in the refreshingly crisp autumn night.
She stood under the eaves of the veranda. In the hazy lamplight, a tall and slender figure emerged.
Aunt Guihua grabbed Zhang Jian’s arm, murmuring, "So alike—truly uncanny. For a moment, I thought it was Xiao Yun standing right in front of me."
In her youth, Zhang Yun had been hailed as the great beauty of the neighboring villages for miles around. Even after losing her senses, men fought to court her because of that face.
How could her daughter turn out any less remarkable?
Zhang Jian and Shen You’an quietly fell into silence.
Aunt Guihua seemed to realize she’d misspoken, quickly shifting gears: "Well then, Aunt will thank you in advance. You should rest early. Tomorrow, you’ll need to head to the old graves first thing. Lock the doors well—I’m off now."
Shen You’an’s room was on the second floor, furnished with a bed, a desk and chair, and a large wardrobe nearby. On top of the wardrobe sat a heavy wooden chest that looked like it had been there for ages.
The bed was laid with soft bedding, carrying the warm scent of sunshine.
This room had long ago been her mother’s chamber, holding all the memories of her journey from girlhood to adolescence.
Later, her parents had stayed in this room during a visit to the ancestral home, or so she’d heard.
After unpacking her belongings, Shen You’an walked over to the window and gently pushed it open.
Outside lay the small woods, with the wide river visible in the distance. In the dim night, faint shards of moonlight occasionally glinted off the water’s surface.
In the countryside, the air was free and pure. Amid the quiet night, the symphony of chirping insects and croaking frogs rose and fell, accentuating the serene tranquility of the evening.
Shen You’an stretched out her hand, and a dragonfly, its wings fluttering, landed on her fingertip.
In the moonlight, those thin, gossamer wings shimmered with dazzling hues, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
That night, Shen You’an dreamed of a life in which she, her parents, and her younger brother lived happily together.
When she awoke, her pillow was damp with tears.
Through the window outside, sunlight filtered through the gaps between the tree branches, falling upon Shen You’an’s now-open eyes.
She instinctively shut them against the light.