[Comprehensive] Those years when I memorized the Analects of Confucius

Kong Yan showed 12 points of incomprehension about the hairband that suddenly appeared on her baby brother's body.

"What's so good about a hairband of this color? Look at this—" The young man spread his hands like offering a treasure, and a delicate and elegant red-backed gold-edged hairband appeared in his palm, and he gestured earnestly After a while, he refused to give up at all: "Look, doesn't it look much better than yours?"

Kong Yun blinked.

"Thank you, second brother!" The boy replied in a clear voice, but shook his head with a smile: "However, I think this one is very good, and it is Draco's wish after all, and I will change to second brother when I have a chance. You prepared this one."

Seeing his second brother's expression getting more and more disappointed, Kong Yun somehow always felt a subtle sense of guilt, he coughed lightly, found a reason at random, and said, "Second brother, I finally came back again, I think Go out and walk around."

Kong Yan really wanted to get together, but his busy schedule obviously didn't give him this chance.The young man who was full of disappointment had no choice but to look at his precious brother who bowed slightly, turned his head and slipped out unhappily, disappearing.

If the silver-green hairband is "accidentally" broken, will Ayun change into the one I prepared?Kong Yan thought blankly.

and also--

That one is called Draco, and who is it? !

……

The midsummer gust of wind shuttles along the layers of green shade, bringing rare refreshment among the rustling branches and leaves.Ji Yan sat on the stone bench under the tree, yawned lazily, then he stretched out his hand, and turned another page of the "Book of Changes" placed on the stone table.

At this time, I showed my foresight.he thought happily.

Although it is a cemetery where countless human souls are buried, in fact, except for a few ascetics who accidentally enlightened here, most of the time, there is not a single person here.No one cleaned it, and no one would make offensive acts like traveling and visiting in groups. It seems that in the endless years, this cemetery has always been quiet and peaceful.

It is neither too noisy nor too hot, which is the perfect place for quiet reading.

Thinking of this, Ji Yan had no choice but to feel sincerely wise for his act of voluntarily applying to be a temporary grave keeper.

Yes, temporary gravekeepers.

For a long time, this work, which cannot be called a job, has always been carried out by the family in turn.

It's work, but it's more like a leisurely vacation.No one will be bold enough to come to the cemetery to make trouble, and the cemetery guards don’t need to worry about the order and security of the cemetery—but those who come here with evil intentions don’t need the cemetery guards to take action. His awe-inspiring righteousness was enough to suppress them forever.

However, today's cemetery seems to be a little more lively than usual.

The new face who visited today flashed in Ji Yan's mind, thinking casually, while raising his face, he smiled at Fa Xiao who was walking towards him: "...Ayun? Long time no see."

"haven't seen you for a long time."

But most of the younger generation who come from aristocratic families know each other.Even if the "Tao" practiced by each family is different, it is no longer as extreme as it was a thousand years ago. Most of the same generation are friends with each other, and there are even intermarriages.

Although the generation of Kong and Ji did not get married, the friendship for thousands of years is there after all. They are the younger generation of the two families. It is not too much to say that they grew up together since childhood.

His eyes swept away from the young man, and finally stayed on the smiling face of the other party. Ji Yan looked at his friend carefully for a moment, and commented: "Your complexion is much better than before. Have you broken through the bottleneck?"

The person who was judged like this was not annoyed, the young man smiled with his clear eyes, bent his lips, walked up the stairs, and stood in front of the stone table slowly, walking briskly, the jade pendant around his waist whispered, making a pleasant and steady voice .

"Maybe." Kong Yun thought of the Dao Heart Tree that grew in his heart, although it hadn't completely escaped from the stale, but it was becoming more and more luxuriant, and he smiled slightly: "Although some places are still confused, but I do understand a little bit... about my Tao."

"It's very good." Ji Yan was quite envious: "Break through the bottleneck, and your mood will definitely improve with each passing day."

In this regard, Kong Yun could only smile, he nodded slightly with a smile, then passed the stone table under the tree, and walked to the depths of the woods.

The deeper you go, the more peaceful the woods become. The lush vegetation is like a forest-colored sea, and the waves are choppy with the wind passing through the forest.He rounded a few corners and was about to go further up when he stopped suddenly because of a familiar figure.

On the pure white and clear tombstone, the girl's clear and graceful smiling face can be vaguely seen.

Kong Sang.

His cousin by blood was also buried many years ago, the only daughter of Kong Yong.

Kong Yun lowered his eyes and looked away from the man standing silently in front of the tombstone.He was supposed to leave as if nothing had happened, to meet the person he really wanted to see, but he stopped for some reason, staring silently at the mottled tree shadows on the mud steps, speechless.

"...For her," he looked at the man with his head lowered, staring at the girl on the tombstone, with a low voice, mocking himself, "I'm probably like a stain."

The daughter who fought for her ideals and beliefs to the last moment of her life, and the father who was overwhelmed and betrayed everything.

"...Didn't you always wonder why when you mentioned your eldest brother to me that day, not only did my mood not drop, but the Dao Xin tree grew new buds instead?"

When he said this, he didn't look at the other person, but raised his head, and looked up to a corner that only he knew: "I always feel that the selfish, cowardly and irresponsible self is very I hate it. I have denied myself, and I have also denied my way. It is my "self-denial" that has caused my state of mind to stop—"

"But brother doesn't think so."

"'For me, Xiao Yun, who has become selfish and timid because of his family, is as cute as Ah Yun.'——he told me so."

"I'm not Sister Kong Sang, so I can't answer your question." Kong Yun said softly, "But if it was my father who suffered all of this, I would probably feel very distressed."

"Because...before being a person who betrayed his family and rejected his ideals—he was my family first, and my father."

"...I understand." Located in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, at this moment, the completely destroyed locket was quietly lying on the headmaster's desk, accepting the scrutiny of the owner of the office.The old man lowered his eyes, as if he was thinking about something, and after a while, he continued: "This discovery is very important to us—anyway, I still have to thank you for willing to share this information with me, Xi Reese."

"No...don't say that, sir." Being praised by the professor he has always respected, Sirius just pulled the corner of his mouth and showed a somewhat ugly smile: "Actually, I didn't do anything, at this point , I can't even do as much as a first-year Slytherin..."

"Little Mr. Malfoy is indeed different from his father." Recalling the performance of the junior Slytherin last year, Professor Dumbledore nodded slightly, but his eyes behind the lens became deeper and deeper. He said: "So , I might need you to do me a favor."

"What is it, sir? If I can do it for you—"

"If anyone asks about this in the future, I will tell them that it was you, Sirius Black, who was the first to discover the truth about Regulus Black and destroy the first Horcrux." Dumbledore looked straight at him calmly, and paused word by word: "Can it be done?"

Sirius froze.

"But sir, the one who discovered all this is obviously..."

"Even in Slytherin, there will be brave men like Mr. Regulus Black; even in Gryffindor, there will be cowards like Peter Pettigrew who betrayed his friends—" Dumbledore said gently: "I'm glad you can understand this, but Sirius, you should understand that in many cases, Slytherin and Gryffindor's ideas are indeed different."

Facing Sirius' blank look, Dumbledore sighed softly.

"I don't think Mr. Lucius Malfoy will be happy with the decision Mr. Malfoy made without authorization, will he?" Dumbledore paused before continuing: "I know this request is too much , After all, this is equivalent to transferring the danger that originally belonged to Mr. Malfoy to you, if one day, that person really comes back—"

Sirius interrupted him, the man's eye circles were slightly red, he closed his eyes, as if trying to hold back something... But he finally nodded heavily.

"I understand what you mean, sir... I mean, I'd be happy to help you." Sirius said, he let out a breath, and looked at his beloved professor seriously: "We can't put those things too heavy Let the children bear the burden, right? The adults' affairs should be resolved by the adults."

Dumbledore was silent for a while, and then he said, "You're right, that's exactly what you said."

The entire principal's office fell silent again. After a long silence, Sirius stood up: "I think it's time for me to say goodbye too, sir."

He turned around and walked slowly out of the principal's office, but just before he was about to leave this small office, Dumbledore stopped him again.He stared at the former student in silence, hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "I don't think you need to be sad about this for too long, Sirius."

"Mr. Regulus, as Mr. Malfoy said, was a true Slytherin. He had his own love and faith, and fought to the death those who would try to take it away." Dumbledore Said softly: "And this is exactly what we are doing now."

No matter how much indifference, estrangement and incomprehension there have been, what is certain is that after countless quarrels, and even endless years of cold war and indifference...

"And Voldemort didn't understand love - that's why he was doomed to fail."

"I understand, sir," Sirius said.

He didn't look back.

These two brothers, who have never faced each other, understood each other, and even cherished each other, have finally embarked on the same arduous path in terms of persistence in their own beliefs and loyalty to the love of this life——

"Even if I were given another chance, even if I were to turn back time, I would definitely make the same choice. They have something they must defend, and I have something that I have to protect until I die - the past, the present, and the future. People. I have never regretted the choice I made at the beginning, and in the days to come, I will continue to do so."

His voice became weary.

"I just feel... very sorry."

What are you sorry for?

Sirius didn't know.

On the way back to Black's old house, lying on the bed with the brass pillars of the Knight Bus, he had a very light dream.

He was 15 years old that year, and he hadn't really escaped from the home he hated.Best friend is James Potter, who got into trouble with his family because he was sorted into Gryffindor.They'd never agreed with each other's views or opinions, but no matter how much Mother babbled about him being a little bastard, it didn't make the elf less of the same when setting the table.

At that time, he and Regulus didn't talk to each other. They were brothers from the same mother, but they never said good morning or good night like real family members.

The car swayed, and he fell asleep in a trance.

The mother in the dream was still bowing her head, scolding him fiercely but energetically. He felt very annoying, but in the end he scratched his hair and listened silently.After the dinner, the two brothers walked upstairs one after the other. They both turned their heads to the other side with a straight face, and did not say anything to each other.

Sirius stopped on the last flight of stairs.

The young Slytherin passed by him without turning his eyes, and pushed open the door that said no entry without permission, and then he raised his steps unhurriedly—

"Good night, Rael."

As soon as the words were spoken, Sirius himself was taken aback. Gryffindor pursed his lips, and was about to say something else, covering everything up as if nothing had happened, but it was obviously too late.

He clearly saw that the footsteps of the young man wearing the green scarf paused invisibly, and the door slowly closed again. Just when Sirius thought that he was about to receive a cold reception or a vicious ridicule, the door followed Gradually closed, a low voice that could not be lowered slowly floated through the crack of the door:

"Good night."

He said.