It was hard to say which autumn it was, but as the autumn leaves floated down in the wind, they curled up and danced in the air, as if they were looking for their home.
The autumn sky was cloudless and blue, looking very beautiful. In this autumn morning, there were bursts of smoke curling up into the sky. It looked like a farm that looked like a peach orchard.
This was the State of Zhao. Many of the people who lived here had never ventured far from their homes in their entire lives, much less a remote part of the State of Zhao, a small mountain village at the foot of the Lj mountain range.
As the autumn leaves danced in the morning wind, the sound of trumpets could be heard coming from the entrance of the village. There were even some naughty children running around, laughing with excitement.
A red sedan chair was surrounded by people in the village. It came to a stop outside of a courtyard house, and the noise was like a cauldron of boiling cauldrons. Clearly, this family was welcoming a bride.
According to the rumors, the ancestor of this family was a carpenter, and the current generation was a scholar. It was said that he passed the county exam, but for some reason, he didn't go to the capital. Instead, he returned to the village and lived there.
More than twenty years had passed, and the scholar was now middle-aged. He had an only son, who had gradually grown up to be a powerful man. Today was the day of his wedding for the boy named Wang Lin.
Wang Lin had grown up here, and the villagers knew him very well. He was a poor mute, and always looked off into the distance. It was impossible to tell what he was looking at.
As the noise rose up, a young woman walked out from the sedan chair. She wore a red veil, and her head was lowered. Wang Lin held her hand, and the two of them walked into the courtyard.
All the young people in the village adored her. She was the second daughter of the Liu Clan, a wealthy family in the area. When she was young, she liked to spend time with Wang Lin, and the two of them could be said to be childhood sweethearts. It was common to see the two of them sitting together, looking off into the distance.
Now that they had grown up, no one was surprised that the two of them had gotten married. However, many people were envious of them.
Weddings in the village were not as extravagant as those in the county. It was very simple. The host of the wedding would prepare a banquet, and the entire village would be invited to congratulate them. When the sun set, it would be over.
The rest of the time belonged to the newlyweds.
Inside the bridal chamber, the honest-looking Wang Lin lifted up his wife's veil, and he saw a breathtakingly beautiful face.
The woman's name was Liu Mei.
Her face was slightly red as she looked at Wang Lin and smiled.
Their gazes met as if to pierce through the passage of time. It was as if they had been through countless cycles of reincarnation.
On the second day of their wedding, Liu Mei sat in the yard with a smile on her face. He had a wood carving in his hand. He was carving the most beautiful scene of his wife.
In the blink of an eye, two years passed. They had a child, a boy. His name was Wang Ping.
The boy was very smart and eloquent. As he gradually grew up, the family of three lived a very happy and harmonious life.
Normally, Wang Lin did not follow his father to study. Instead, he chose to learn the carpentry skills that had been passed down from his ancestors. He continued to live in the peaceful village.
His wife, Liu Mei, had a deep affection for her son. She spent most of her time with him. In the morning, she would cook for him, play with him during the day, and at night, she would tell him stories and coax him to sleep.
Ten years later, when Wang Ping was fifteen, he chose to study and left the small village. He went to the outside world to participate in the county's examination.
On the day he left, he saw his mother sitting in the courtyard. His father had carved a second wooden carving of his mother. That wooden carving was very beautiful.
Wang Ping successfully passed the imperial examination, and a few years later, he went to the capital. Wang Lin and Liu Mei stayed with him in the capital.
Time passed, and before they knew it, Wang Lin and Liu Mei's hair had turned white. Wang Ping used his imperial examination to find his own path in the capital.
At that time, Wang Ping got married. His wife had a very beautiful name. She was called Qing Yi. She was a very beautiful girl, and she belonged to a rich family in the capital.
She was very filial to Wang Lin and Liu Mei. Although they were satisfied, they were also sad. That was because from now on, she represented Wang Ping's family. She was like a bird that grew up and flew high into the sky. Perhaps it would be a long time before she returned home.
Wang Lin and Liu Mei chose to leave. They left the capital and returned to the peaceful village to spend the rest of their lives.
After returning to the old house in the village, Wang Lin carved a third wooden carving for Liu Mei. The face on the wooden carving was covered with the marks of time, but it was still very beautiful.
Life was like this. It was very ordinary, and there weren't many ups and downs. Wang Lin enjoyed every day like this. He and Liu Mei were together. Even though they hadn't spoken a single word in their lives, they watched the sun rise and set, watched it rise and fall, and felt warmth. Gradually, more and more white hair appeared on their heads.
Time passed in this warmth. One year, when the autumn leaves were dancing in the air, Wang Lin and Liu Mei were completely old. Their son, Wang Ping, would occasionally come back, but he wouldn't stay for long. He would quickly leave.
The two old people sat in the courtyard. Liu Mei smiled as she looked at Wang Lin. Wang Lin had a wooden carving in his hand. He looked at Liu Mei and began to carve for her. This might be the last wooden carving in their lives.
The outline of the wooden carving gradually appeared in Wang Lin's hand. It gradually became the outline of Liu Mei's appearance. However, her hair wasn't as white as it was now. Instead, it was as beautiful as the day after they got married.
"I know that even if you haven't spoken to me in your life, you're not a mute …" Liu Mei looked at Wang Lin and the carving in his hand with a gentle gaze.
Wang Lin raised his head and looked at Liu Mei. He smiled and shook his head, but he still didn't say anything.
On the third day after he finished carving the carving, Liu Mei fell ill. She lay on the bed. Her old face still showed the beauty of her youth. She held onto Wang Lin's hand and didn't let go.
"I know that you're not a mute … Do you remember the first time we met when we were young? At that time, you were looking at the sky. I was very curious about what you were looking at, so I came to your side to look with you.
"But I didn't see anything. Before I left, you suddenly opened your mouth. The first thing you said to me … You remember, I also remember …" Liu Mei looked at Wang Lin with a gentle gaze like water. "You told me that I was your wife … and you were my husband … This was destined."
As Liu Mei murmured, the smile on her face became even more gentle. She looked at Wang Lin as if she was immersed in those memories.
Wang Lin also smiled. He held Liu Mei's hand and didn't let go.
The two of them just looked at each other. Liu Mei kept talking. She talked about her entire life. She talked about her youth, about marriage, and about having Wang Ping.
"Ping 'er is a good child, but he's grown up. He has his own path … We can't let him stay by our side forever … After I leave, you'll be the only one left. You have to take care of him." Liu Mei murmured.
Wang Lin shook his head and looked at Liu Mei with a gentle gaze.
Liu Mei continued talking until the night passed. When the morning sun shone down and the autumn wind blew the yellow leaves, Liu Mei's eyes were filled with confusion. She held onto Wang Lin's hand and suddenly gripped it tightly.
Her wrinkled face was now rosy, as if it could reflect the light. It was as if her weak body was once again injected with life.
"I see it … Wang Lin, I see it …" She struggled to sit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face. She pointed at the sky outside the window and quickly said to Wang Lin.
"I see what exactly is in the sky that we watched together when we were young. I really see it!
I see that there is a you in the sky, and there is a me … I see it … We are celestials … I … I … "As Liu Mei spoke, tears suddenly flowed down from her eyes. She saw an illusion that made her heart ache.
"I … how could this be …" Even more tears flowed down from Liu Mei's eyes.
"Everything is in the past …" Wang Lin held Liu Mei's hand and said. These were the first words they had spoken since they were married. His voice was hoarse, but it also contained a hint of gentleness.
That night, Wang Ping and his wife resigned from their official positions and returned to their hometown. They were preparing to spend the rest of their lives with his parents when he saw his parents in the room. They seemed to be sleeping, and they had passed away with smiles on their faces.
He stood in front of his parents in a daze. After a very, very long time, tears flowed down his face … His parents' faces and the events of his childhood appeared in his mind.
After sending off their parents, Wang Ping and Qing Yi lived in this old house. Time passed, they grew old, and they closed their eyes.
Inside the cave that Shi San was guarding, Wang Lin and Liu Mei were sitting there with their eyes closed. Between them was a rotating bead that emitted a ghostly light that seemed to connect the two of them together.
On this day, Wang Lin opened his limit. He looked at the woman beside him for a very, very long time.
The woman's eyelashes trembled and tears flowed down. She also opened her eyes and looked at Wang Lin. Their gazes were like in the dream dao, a gaze that seemed to last for eternity.
Mu Bingmei murmured, "Is it over …"
"It's over. Close your eyes, and when you open them again, everything will begin anew …" Wang Lin softly said. He knew that the woman before him had very complicated feelings for him. However, no matter how complicated it was, she still couldn't let go.
Mu Bingmei stared at Wang Lin. She didn't know what Wang Lin meant, but she obediently closed her eyes to stop the tears from flowing.
"Open your eyes …" A familiar voice entered her ears.
When she opened her eyes, she saw it.