12dz Chapter 462 Finale
Chapter 462 Finale
"Crack!"
Wangyue Village became lively again, with firecrackers exploding at the village entrance.
Red silk ribbons were wrapped around the walls of the Lin family's courtyard house, and even the willow tree at the entrance was adorned with a large red embroidered ball.
Zhiyan, dressed in wedding attire, rode a tall horse and was escorted into the house by an eight-bearer sedan chair.
The villagers, young and old, crowded around to watch the excitement. The sounds of congratulations, laughter, and firecrackers mingled together, bringing the joy of Wangyue Village to its peak.
After the wedding ceremony, toasting, and the neighbors who had been making a ruckus in the bridal chamber left.
The courtyard was filled with the flickering shadows of red candles, reflecting the tender eyes of the newlyweds as they spent a joyous night together.
The next day, just as dawn broke, Mu Tiantian, dressed as a newlywed, took Zhiyan's hand and served hot tea to Gao Mengli and Lin Xi.
"Father, Mother, your daughter-in-law is serving you tea."
Mu Tiantian curtsied, her voice sweet and gentle, and personally handed over a cup of hot tea.
Gao Mengli, beaming with joy, and Lin Xi, whimpering, accepted the drink and downed it in one gulp.
Gao Mengli put down her teacup, took Mu Tiantian's hand and smiled, placing the household key in Tiantian's hand: "My good daughter-in-law, get up quickly, be careful not to get tired."
Keep this safe, you'll be in charge of the household from now on!
Zhiyan also bowed and greeted them gently, "Father, Mother."
"Hey, good!"
The two answered him, but their perfunctory responses were not too obvious; their eyes were not on him, and they didn't even bother to pretend.
Zhiyan wasn't jealous at all. He chuckled, touched his nose, and stood up on his own.
"Dad, Mom, I've prepared gifts for you two!" Mu Tiantian said with a smile, pulling the two of them into the courtyard.
There were servants waiting in the courtyard. When they saw the group arrive, they all stepped forward and lifted the red silk covering the items. When the two items were revealed, Gao Mengli and Lin Xi's eyes lit up instantly.
Lin Xi, her heart pounding and her hands trembling, pointed at the solid, all-gold bunk bed in the courtyard, speechless with excitement!
The bed railings are carved with lotus scrolls and the character "福" (fortune), and the edges are inlaid with tiny gold beads, shimmering with light.
It was practically his dream bed!
A whole pearl curtain hangs on the wooden frame next to it.
Each pearl is round and lustrous white, strung together in the shape of flowing clouds.
A small, reddish-gold bell hangs from its bottom, swaying gently in the wind and tinkling softly.
Good heavens, this is what he used to tell Mengli: that he would sleep on a golden bed and use pearls as curtains.
Unexpectedly, his daughter-in-law was so wealthy and generous that she satisfied his wish in one fell swoop!
Lin Xi couldn't hide her excitement, and her tone was full of emotion: "Goodness, I've almost forgotten what I said casually back then."
My daughter-in-law, on the other hand, is very wealthy and generous; she made my dream of riches come true in one fell swoop!
This golden bed, these pearl curtains—they're even more exquisite than I imagined back then!
Gao Mengli smiled and came over, touching the pearl curtain, and said to Mu Tiantian, "You child, you are too thoughtful. You even remember your father's old wishes."
Mu Tiantian blinked; it seemed her gift had hit the mark!
With a "squeak".
The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
Travel-worn Dou Xiaoxiao staggered backward upon seeing the woman in the courtyard with her hair styled in a sweet bun.
He was too late after all...
If it weren't for his mother bringing Shi Sheng as a witness, he would still be completely deceived by Su Wan.
In the end, it was he who wronged Tian Tian.
The laughter and chatter in the courtyard came to an abrupt halt, and everyone's eyes fell on Dou Xiaoxiao standing at the courtyard gate.
Mu Tiantian's smile remained unchanged as she waved to him, "Crown Prince, you've arrived!"
Dou Xiaoxiao's face was pale, but he still managed a forced smile: "Sweetie, congratulations..."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Forty years later.
Lin Xi, with his white hair, helped Gao Mengli slowly walk to the entrance of the courtyard house and stood on tiptoe to look out.
"Xixi, send someone to the village entrance to see if Zhiyan and Tiantian have returned yet."
Gao Mengli held Lin Xi's hand, her voice slow and deliberate, her eyes full of anticipation, "There are many people coming back from the capital at the end of the year, so don't delay them."
Lin Xi smiled and patted Gao Mengli's hand. Just as he was about to call for the servant in the courtyard, he suddenly caught sight of a carriage on the village road out of the corner of his eye.
Immediately afterwards, a carriage decorated with pearl curtains slowly approached, the copper bells hanging from the eaves tinkling softly, their sound mingling with the clatter of the horses' hooves, creating a particularly crisp sound.
"No need to shout, they're here! Look at that car, isn't it from Zhiyan's family?"
Lin Xi held Gao Mengli's arm, her voice filled with joy, and pointed her finger toward the village road.
Gao Mengli squinted and looked, and sure enough, she saw the lead carriage getting closer and closer.
Immediately afterwards, one, two, three... a total of five horse-drawn carriages lined up and entered the village.
The wheels of the carriages creaked as they rolled over the thin snow on the village road, accompanied by the ringing of copper bells, and five carriages stopped one after another at the entrance of the courtyard house.
Zhiyan jumped down first, her temples were white but her back was straight, and she turned around to help Mutian down steadily.
Sweetie has wrinkles around her eyes, but her smile is still as sweet as ever.
Upon seeing the two elders at the door, he quickly stepped forward and took Gao Mengli's hand, "Dad, Mom, we've brought the whole family back for the New Year!"
"Okay, I'm glad you're back!"
Gao Mengli grinned, her toothless mouth creased with wrinkles, but her eyes were filled with bright joy as she laughed freely!
The curtains of the following carriages were gradually lifted, revealing Tian Tian and Zhi Yan's five children.
They've all started their own families and are bringing their entire extended families back home for the New Year!
"Grandma, Grandpa, we're back for the New Year!"
"Great-grandmother, great-grandfather!!"
Everyone brought their children and gathered around, chattering and making quite a scene!
The courtyard house, which once housed only three people, is now bustling with four generations living together.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the whole family gathered in the courtyard to set off fireworks.
As Gao Mengli gazed at the blooming fireworks, she felt that her life was complete and she had no regrets.
My eyelids also felt heavy.
"Mengli, look, these fireworks were developed by your grandson after taking over the Divine Machine Battalion. They're really beautiful!"
Lin Xi pointed to the largest firework and whispered to Meng Li.
Gao Mengli leaned against Lin Xi's chest, wrapped in a thick fox fur coat, her dim eyes gazing at the fireworks exploding in the sky.
Golden red, silver white, and pale purple blossoms bloomed like stars in the inky night sky, brightening the smiling faces of everyone in the courtyard.
She grinned, her toothless mouth agape, her voice as soft as a wisp of smoke, yet brimming with contentment: "Beautiful...so beautiful...even more beautiful than the one at the imperial palace banquet back then..."
Lin Xi reached out and brushed away the fine ash that had fallen into her temples, her palm resting on her forehead, and replied gently, "That's right, our grandson is so promising. He's developed some new gadgets in the Divine Machine Battalion, just for you to see."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip on her hand again. Her hand was thin but warm; he had held it his whole life and never let go.
Looking at Gao Mengli's droopy eyelids, Lin Xi's cloudy eyes reddened.
Gao Mengli nestled closer to Lin Xi, her fingers gently hooking around Lin Xi's palm, her voice soft and gentle: "Xi Xi... this life... has been worth it..."
Lin Xi burst into tears, but immediately swallowed them back down.
Zhiyan and Tiantian sensed something was wrong and quickly pushed aside the surrounding juniors to step forward.
Lin Zhiyan grasped Gao Mengli's withered hand, his fingertips touching its slightly cool temperature, and his voice trembled instantly: "Mother...Mother, what's wrong?"
The laughter and chatter in the courtyard suddenly stopped.
The children were gently pulled behind their parents, and the five children surrounded them, looking at Gao Mengli who was leaning against Lin Xi's chest with a smile on her lips, their voices choked and hoarse.
"grandmother……"
"Great-grandmother..."
Gao Mengli held Zhiyan's hand, her breath weak.
"Good...child..."
Father... may he be buried wherever he dies... Mother... may he wait for your uncle to come... My son... after your mother dies, go and inform your uncle.
You must kowtow with every step... and address your uncle as "Uncle" with every step, to welcome him, because he is your mother's... closest relative, and her only support..."
My brother, when you see your nephew from afar, I hope you will hurry up and help him up.
Because the person kneeling on the ground is the person my sister cares about most in her life...
The son is the one who initiates the funeral procession, and the daughter-in-law is the one who mourns.
I hope my family members will quickly help my coffin bearers and mourners up, and not let them kneel for so long, because I feel sorry for them...
"mother!"
Zhiyan looked at the lifeless hand in hers, and her heart-wrenching scream shattered into a deep sorrow.
His knees sank, and he knelt heavily on the bluestone slab, his forehead touching the ground, his back taut but trembling uncontrollably.
This is the mother he called out to his whole life, the mother who protected him and Tian Tian their whole life.
Mu Tiantian was already sobbing uncontrollably, throwing herself beside Gao Mengli, her fingers tightly gripping Gao Mengli's hand, her sobs choking in her throat as she repeatedly called out, "Mother... wake up... look at me..."
Lin Xi still held Gao Mengli in his arms, his withered hand waving, tears streaming down his face: "My son...go quickly..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhiyan turned around and staggered out of the courtyard, kneeling directly at the door of Mengze's house.
"Grandpa, why are you kneeling here? Come in quickly!"
Mengze's great-grandson, holding a candied hawthorn, saw Lin Zhiyan kneeling in front of his doorstep.
His knees were covered in snow and mud, and his face was deathly pale. He quickly threw down the candy skewers and reached out to help him up.
Lin Zhiyan remained motionless, his hands braced against the cold bluestone slab, a hoarse sob escaping his throat.
He quickly turned around and ran back to the courtyard. "Something's wrong! My great-uncle is kneeling at the door, not coming in or saying a word."
Upon hearing this, Mengze staggered backward, barely managing to stand by holding onto the door frame, his face turning deathly pale.
Ah Li was crying her eyes out at this moment, "Quick... bring the mourning cloth from the incense burner..."
Mengze staggered out of the courtyard, tears welling in her eyes, and reached out her trembling hand to cover Zhiyan's head with a mourning handkerchief.
"Uncle...my mother...she's gone..."
Mengze's hand touched the mourning cloth on Zhiyan's head, her fingertips trembling violently. With red eyes, she responded and quickly helped him up, then hurriedly ran towards the courtyard.
As soon as the two reached the door, they heard Tian Tian cry out in anguish, "Dad!"
The shouts were broken and distorted, mixed with heart-wrenching sobs, which made Mengze and Zhiyan's hearts sink and their steps falter.
The two staggered into the house.
At this moment, Lin Xi was lying on the bed, quietly beside Gao Mengli, her head gently resting on her shoulder, with a peaceful smile in her eyes.
Zhiyan's vision went black, and she almost collapsed to the ground, staggering to the bedside.
His fingertips touched that utterly cool touch, and a surge of grief welled up in his throat, "Father!"
Lin Xi's hand was still tightly holding Gao Mengli's hand, their fingers interlocked, as if they would never let go in this lifetime.
Mengli, don't be afraid, Xixi is with you.
We've been together for the rest of our lives, and we'll still be together there, never alone again.
——End of full text——