smile to heart

======================

Nine years later.

In the Buddhist hall, there was a burst of clear bells echoing. After the morning class, the monks left the hall one after another, leaving a silent and heavy emptiness.In the corner, a person kneeling on a hard square stone, feeling the solitude around him, slowly opened his eyes, and the Buddha statues looking up looked back at him deeply.

The Bodhisattva's eyes were truly compassionate, yet mocking.

Mu Yun got up slowly and silently, getting used to the numbness of his legs at the moment. As usual, he supported the edge of the wall and relieved the sharp pain caused by the heavy knee in his knee for a long time. After the pain was not so severe, he moved forward again. After walking a few steps, he came to the table where the offerings were placed, and lit a long-burning lamp. The wick still burned very slowly and the flame was pitifully small, but he watched and waited patiently.

Suddenly, among the tall celadon beside him, there were a few lotus figures inserted. Perhaps it had been enshrined for a long time, and unintentionally, a few petals withered and were picked up by Mu Yun in the palm of his hand.

He lowered his brows and frowned, the disappearance of the remaining flowers shocked his heart.

After leaving the Buddhist gate, Mu Yun walked to a pool and looked at the sky in the future. In the early morning, it also looked foggy.After mental calculation, it should be spring, but there has been no spring in Tongjiang for nine years. Throughout the year, the tung flowers have never bloomed again. It seems that this kind of flower tree has no reincarnation of the four seasons. It is silent in the world and will not wither. .

The rain finally fell down thinly.Not big, dense and long, as if flowing from the dark distant sky, broken into the distant mountains, a vast expanse.

Mu Yun was still standing at the fence, looking at the sparse lotus leaves in the pool, the green water surface was rippling with drizzle, but the bottom of the pool was extremely quiet.

In a daze, a person came with an umbrella, stood beside Mu Yun, looked at his profile, and said softly: "I didn't see you in the Buddhist hall just now, and I was thinking of looking for you, but I didn't expect to meet you halfway. met……"

Mu Yun lowered his gaze, and suddenly turned nervously to Feng Mei: "What are you looking for? Is it..."

Feng Mei hurriedly stopped his worry, and said quickly: "Well, he's fine. It's just that I do have a joy and a worry, and I want to discuss it with you."

Mu Yun was a little relieved, and asked again: "Why are you happy and what are you worried about?"

Feng Mei took out the medical book from her bosom, spread it lightly with one hand, and said with a smile: "The medical book has words! The method of treatment is also clear! Your hard work these years has finally paid off."

I don't know whether it was shock or joy, Mu Yun went back to the shore, slowly swallowed the amount of information in these few words, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. After waiting for so many years, he was finally able to save that person.

"...However, this method is quite risky, let's discuss it in detail first."

Feng Mei sighed helplessly.

Mu Yun's smile faltered, and he asked, "Who is at risk?"

"To you. So I..."

"There is no need to talk about it, please come to the rescue quickly, Mr. Medical Saint."

Mu Yun calmed down and no longer had any doubts.

Feng Mei heard that his tone was so relaxed about his own safety, and she couldn't help being worried and angry: "I don't need you to decide how to save him! If you don't talk about it, then I will put this method on hold. .”

"No!" Mu Yun was startled by Feng Mei's angry words for a moment, afraid that he would go back on his word and refuse to save Qi Zhong again, then the nine years of waiting would be in vain, so he could only obey and compromise.

Feng Mei put on her umbrella and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's go, it's raining heavily, let's go back to the house and talk."

Passing a cup of hot tea to Mu Yun's desk, Feng Mei put away the medicine box, sat down calmly opposite him, and stated the details to Mu Yun as objectively as possible.

"It is recorded in medical books that his current situation is equivalent to his soul consciousness falling out of the six realms of reincarnation, and indulged in endless unknown illusions, unwilling to return to the world. The illusionary realm may be a purgatory-like existence, sinking people The will disappeared from the world, and it will no longer exist... So if someone is willing to use the soul as a guide to find him, maybe he can save a lifeline, but this person must be someone he cares about and can arouse his desire to survive, otherwise , anyone who goes there is just a life in vain.”

Hearing Fengmei's warning to him, Mu Yun's eyes sank, and he asked casually, "Then, is there any other way?"

Feng Mei supported her forehead and slowly shook her head: "This is the only way."

"If this method doesn't work, then he will never wake up again, and will always be drowned in illusions and become a part of the void. After that, I don't know whether he will suffer so much that life would be worse than death. But I can imagine it, even if No matter how bitter the cycle of life and death is, no matter how terrifying hell is, there are still so many beings you talked about in the past, so it can be seen that this world of fireworks is a place that makes people feel at ease..."

Hearing this, Mu Yun suppressed the grief in his heart, and said anxiously: "I'll go and bring him back."

Feng Mei was silent for a moment, her tiger's mouth was rubbing back and forth on the edge of the teacup, her expression hesitated: "I know you will say such things, but... I really don't want to use this method, because it has no possibility of success at all, and it will send you into an illusion. , the process has a lot of variables, if you fail, it will be tantamount to killing another life, and you will never come back!"

Mu Yun pondered for a moment, then said softly: "It's okay."

Feng Mei frowned, and said again: "Even if you go, you may still be invisible to him for life, so why take another life?"

"If there is his sister in the illusion, will my friend say the same?"

Mu Yun asked back lightly, but Feng Mei was startled, he froze for a moment, his eyes paused, as if he understood Mu Yun's intentions.

He raised his eyes, with a complicated expression, and calmed down: "Why do you insist on saving him?"

Mu Yun was silent for a moment, then said euphemistically, "Because I owe..."

Feng Mei sneered kindly: "You never owe him anything. Why bother to confuse shame with love?"

Having been pierced through his heart, Mu Yun was stunned suddenly, and gave a rare smile of relief: "Okay. I still owe him an unspoken love, and I hope you will fulfill it."

Feng Mei was dumbfounded for a moment, and sighed in compromise: "If my fulfillment can be considered a blessing to you, then I will make your wish come true."

Mu Yun nodded, knowing that Feng Mei had fully agreed to help him, he got up and bowed gratefully.

Hearing his thank you, Feng Mei was completely distracted, couldn't bear to look at him anymore, turned to the window, and said in a deep voice: "Forget it, you go back and get ready first, arrange the affairs at home, don't leave any regrets. I don't regret selling medicine here..."

Back in Fufeng, I saw the increasingly desolate courtyard, and the situation of the Mu family was getting worse day by day.

Mu Yun paused in front of the door, hesitating in thought, momentarily timid and afraid to step into the eaves.

Suddenly a lively figure emerged from the door, with a clear voice: "Master! You are finally back!"

Before Mu Yun could react, he saw the young man rushing towards him. Fortunately, he dodged in time, so he temporarily avoided it. He sighed softly, and said politely: "Yinbai, you can't hold your poise again. "

He Yinbai turned around resentfully, scratched his back hair with a smile, squinted his eyes and said with a smile: "Oh master, you just came home, why are you teaching me again..."

Mu Yun blinked, his face was calm, and he was about to reject his honorific title as usual, but suddenly remembered that this short encounter might soon become another kind of farewell, he was inexplicably startled, he no longer denied the youth's sincerity , silent.

He Yinbai knew in his heart that Mu Yun had never acknowledged the relationship between master and apprentice. He was just a collateral child of the Mu family who had defected here many years ago. Nonsense, annoying.

He lowered his eyebrows and apologized: "Master, I'm sorry... I shouldn't contradict your teaching."

Mu Yun didn't expect him to think so outrageously, so he changed his face, and smiled gently: "You are straightforward, just say what you want, at Mu's house, I won't blame you, but... in the future, if you go out of the mountain, you really have to Pay attention to restraint."

He Yinbai was slightly taken aback, and nodded happily: "Yeah. I will definitely listen to Master, and I will never do anything wrong in the future."

Gently took out the blessing knot from his sleeve, and Mu Yun handed it to He Yinbai with his own hands, and blessed him: "Yinbai, please keep this thing well, it's my kindness."

"...Isn't this the red blessing knot in the Tianguan Temple at the foot of Lanshan Mountain? Why did Master give me this?"

He Yinbai's fingers trembled slightly, holding the soft red scarf with his name written in gold on the end.In the Lanshan area, only the closest elders will order this kind of red knot for the younger generation, which means the deepest blessing and love... He thought that Mu Yun had always regarded him as a foreigner and never recognized him. It's just not expressed in such an obvious way.

"Lanshan... has always been a warm place in my heart."

Mu Yun said softly, neither like an explanation nor an answer.Just an abrupt exclamation.

……

When the night was dark, Mu Yun sat alone on the gazebo in the middle of the lake, staring at the water, and suddenly recalled the past when he was young, as if countless lotus flowers would appear in the deep and dark pool, and fireflies were like a dream.

The illusion maker may be hiding somewhere and laughing at his being fooled, if that is the case, he is willing to be fooled.

"Brother Yun."

"Second sister."

After concentrating, Mu Yun stood up respectfully, stepped aside, and lowered his eyes calmly.

Mu Yin pulled into a faint smile, looking a little tired, slowly staggered away from him, and sat down at the stone table in the gazebo.

"How long can you stay home this time?"

It's you who can, not you who want to. For Mu Yun, these questions from Mu Yin have become accustomed to him. He feels even more guilty and lowers his eyebrows even more.

The flat tone concealed the deception in his heart: "I... will leave tomorrow morning."

Mu Yin's eyes were lost for a moment, and she smiled bitterly: "Oh...be careful when you are outside."

"Yeah. I will."

Mu Yun looked at her figure sideways, couldn't bear it anymore, and said: "Second sister, I have already checked the account books of Gui Sitang, and there are no mistakes. You can also have a good time these few days."

Mu Yin turned around slowly, moved and annoyed, and scolded with a smile: "You. I'll take care of these trivial matters. It's rare for you to go home, so don't work so hard on yourself..."

"But my sister is mentally ill, and it's not suitable to work hard. As a younger brother, these are my duties."

Mu Yun explained the reason lightly, and he didn't want Mu Yin to focus too much on himself, because he was about to leave for a long time, and he didn't even know when he would return.

Hearing this, Mu Yin looked at the darkness of the pool, feeling sad, and said sadly: "It would be great if your cousin was here... If he was here, this family would not be so difficult."

When mentioning relatives, Mu Yun paused, and a surge of sadness quickly surged in his heart, which was hard to release.

Mu Xi has been away from them for nine years.

Nine years ago, Mu Yin was careful in her work, and she could manage to be independent, but she was not sloppy. At that time, Mu Xi would kindly point out to her, advise her, and give her advice.After Mu Xi left, she took care of everything on her own, without mistakes and with ease.For a while, I couldn't tell whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Thinking of these past events, Mu Yin's eyes were slightly sour, tears were shining slightly, she muttered to herself: "Cousin... when will you come back?"

Mu Yun lowered his eyes, his eyes were full of sadness, and his heart felt more guilty. He stepped forward to comfort him and said, "Second Sister... I will definitely reunite this family!"

Hearing this, a spark of hope ignited in Mu Yin's heart again, she grabbed Mu Yun's sleeve, looked up and said, "Brother Yun, we are the only ones left in this family, we can't break up anymore!"

"Hmm..." Mu Yun nodded slowly, reassuring her, but her heavy heart struggled even more.

Mu Yin pinched his soft heart, and pleaded again: "Then, can you stop meddling with that person's affairs? It's been so many years, and he can't be saved. Come home, okay?"

Mu Yun frowned, let go of his hands, backed away a little, and remained silent.

Empty hands are already the answer.Mu Yin lost her hands, leaned against the stone table, and said quietly: "That's all. Assuming I haven't said these words...it's late, you go back and rest first, I'm here, looking at the moon."

"Sister..." Seeing her haggard back, Mu Yun yelled in a low voice with shame, as if saying goodbye, "I begged for you a good medicine for your heart disease from the doctor of medicine. If you have time, remember to take it on time. This For a while, the cold spring is also deep, you have to take care..."

"Okay. I see. Why did you suddenly express so much concern tonight? It made me think that once you leave tomorrow, you won't come back..."

Mu Yin frowned in confusion, and sent him away jokingly.

"I will return."

With sour eyes, Mu Yun gave a soft promise.

After leaving the gazebo and walking to the end of the corridor, Mu Yun looked back worriedly at Mu Yin Wangyue's melancholy figure, his eyes suddenly sore, he stopped for a moment, leaned against the stone pillar, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.