At this moment, several martial arts experts around the garden were vigilantly scanning the surroundings. They had been protecting the old madam for many years and were extremely familiar with their duties.
Occasionally, when they glanced into the garden, they saw the old madam still half-asleep with her eyes half-closed, and only then would they look away again.
'The old madam returns here every year and seems to like staying here for longer periods of time!' someone thought to himself.
They also knew that this was not the old madam's residence, but for the past ten years, she always liked to come back here for a short stay during the spring and autumn.
Li Yan stood in front of Li Yue. He could vaguely see some of Li Wei's features on Li Yue's face.
"What is your name? Why did you come here?"
Li Yan's deep gaze penetrated her mind. At this moment, Li Yue had lost her own consciousness.
"Li Yue. This is my eldest brother's residence. I came to pay respects to my parents!"
"Your eldest brother's residence? What's his name?"
"Li Wenwu..."
When the old woman Li Yue woke up from her deep sleep, she felt that she had had a very strange dream. In the dream, she had met a young man she had never seen before.
The man's attire was very strange, clearly not from the dynasty. But she felt a sense of peace and tranquility from him.
It was as if he were a great mountain that could shield her from all wind and rain.
Then, the man asked some questions about the Li family, and she had answered them all, one by one. And from the bottom of her heart, she felt no resistance at all, answering everything truthfully.
Although Li Yue herself was not in the sea of officialdom, her husband was a Grand Secretary. She was also a first-rank lady and had been in a high position for many years.
She often dealt with those in the court and had long since developed a fox-like mind, knowing what could be said and what could not even be mentioned.
But she had not expected that she would answer whatever the other person asked without any reservation, with no thought of concealing anything.
Finally, the strange young man fell into a long silence. When he looked at her again.
"The root of your illness has already penetrated deep into your lungs. You have at most five years to live. Today, I will remove this illness for you. Here is a bottle of pills. Inside are four Longevity and Sickness-Dispelling Pills. Two of them can be shared with your second brother. You can at least live for another fifty years. As for the remaining two pills, when you reach your limit, taking them can also extend your life for a while. But you are, after all, mortals. No matter how good your physical body is, your divine soul must still follow the cycle of the Heavenly Dao. Taking the pills again will have a greatly reduced effect and can only extend your life by about another ten years. This is the limit. Of course, you can also leave these pills for your husband or descendants to use. But wealth and nobility have their own destiny. Not everything can be perfect. You can consider how to make good use of these pills yourself. Finally, you must not tell anyone about such a supreme treasure except your closest relatives. Otherwise, even the current emperor of the dynasty will not let you go and will snatch this thing!"
Li Yue's eyelashes trembled slightly. She felt the noon sun shining on her body again, making her feel a comfort she hadn't felt for a long time. The silver-bell-like voices of the children in the distance entered her ears again.
"I'm really getting old. I fell asleep in a daze!"
Li Yue slowly opened her eyes, then looked around with some doubt. After seeing that everything around her was unchanged, she hesitantly withdrew her gaze.
Some images from the dream just now still lingered in her mind, until the young man suddenly disappeared at the end, which startled her awake from the dream.
And at this moment, a maidservant tiptoed over from behind. Just as she saw Li Yue trying to sit up by herself, she quickened her steps and said quickly.
"Old Madam, Old Madam, wait, wait a moment, I'll help you up!"
As she spoke, she had already quickened her pace and rushed to Li Yue's side. Then, with a familiar gesture, she put one hand under Li Yue's armpit and gently helped her sit up straight.
"Huai Xiang, is it time for lunch again?"
Li Yue, now sitting upright, spoke slowly. Huai Xiang had been with her for many years and was very clear about her habits.
"Old Madam, you've had enough of the autumn sun. You can't just have a little soup for lunch. You have to eat a little more, otherwise the old master will definitely punish this servant when we go back!"
Huai Xiang deftly knelt down and gently put the embroidered shoes on the ground onto Li Yue's feet.
"Hehehe, he wouldn't dare. Otherwise, if you get angry and marry out, our residence will be missing a 'Tofu Knife'!" Li Yue joked.
Although this Huai Xiang was not the steward of the residence, all the stewards, big and small, had been scolded by her and were quite afraid of her.
The main reason was that some stewards always bullied the servants and errand boys, which was actually the most common thing in any official's residence.
But Huai Xiang had been adopted into the residence by the old madam when she was in her teens. She knew how humble her own parents were and how hard life was for the poor.
So, whenever she saw those stewards acting or speaking maliciously, she would open her mouth and scold them.
Therefore, she had earned the nickname "Tofu Knife" from the servants and errand boys.
Those stewards also often complained to the old madam. Li Yue would always smile and shake her head, sending them away. Thus, she also knew Huai Xiang's nickname.
"Old Madam, you should stop teasing me. Today it really is fish head and tofu soup... Old Madam, Old Madam, what's wrong?"
At this time, Huai Xiang had already put on Li Yue's shoes. As she chattered on, she was about to help Li Yue stand up. Unexpectedly, as soon as she stood up, she saw Li Yue staring blankly at her hand.
"Eh, Old Madam, this small porcelain bottle is so beautiful. Where did it come from?"
At this time, in Li Yue's palm was a jade-green porcelain bottle slightly larger than a thumb. It was crystal clear, like a high-grade jadeite of the highest quality, so exquisite that one couldn't bear to put it down.
Huai Xiang had never seen Li Yue take out such a treasure before and asked curiously.
"Oh, oh oh... I found it in the ancestral home this time. It's an old thing! Right, let's go eat. I'm really hungry today."
Li Yue came to her senses from her trance. She calmly put the jade-green porcelain bottle in her sleeve, then stood up and immediately walked forward.
"Old Madam, slow down. You'll start coughing again in a moment. Ai, I told you to slow down..."
Huai Xiang hurriedly followed, but after a few steps, a look of astonishment appeared on her face.
The old madam, who usually started coughing and gasping for breath after walking a few quick steps, was today as if wind had been born under her feet. She had to hurry for a few steps and still couldn't keep up.
And at this moment, a storm was raging in Li Yue's heart.
'That wasn't a dream. It really wasn't a dream. My illness is completely gone, and there's this bottle of pills!'
She was old and shrewd. Although her heart was like a series of huge waves crashing on the shore, her face maintained its usual kindness and serenity.
But no one noticed that her hands, crossed at her lower abdomen, one hand was tightly gripping the other long sleeve, the knuckles already white!
And in the high sky, where no one could see, Li Yan was looking down faintly. Suddenly, two more illusory figures appeared beside him.
"Why don't you show yourself and truly meet her?"
Zhao Min's pleasant voice, like the clinking of ice cubes, sounded. She had just seen Li Yan use an art to make Li Yue enter an unconscious state.
"There's no need. Should I have her pay her respects to me, her fifth uncle whom she has never met? Mom, Dad, and Third Brother are no longer here. Even the only nephew I ever met has already stepped onto the Way of Reincarnation. Li Yue was not yet born when I left. Apart from sensing the same bloodline aura from them, I know nothing of their past. What could we say if we met? Talk about our deceased parents and Third Brother? What's the point of that? It would only add to the sorrow!"
Li Yan shook his head and answered softly.
At this moment, he felt an invisible force rising from the small mountain village below, pushing him away, pushing him farther and farther. And the only thing that could hold his gaze as he was pushed away was that dilapidated old house.
But when his gaze touched the scenery around that house, he found it so jarring, so out of place.
It made the memories that had been left in the depths of his heart become more and more unreal. Li Yan understood that the force pushing him away from the small mountain village was called "strangeness"!
He had learned everything he wanted to know from Li Yue.
His father had passed away twenty-three years ago. At that time, Li Yan was still in seclusion on the Forsaken Continent, dreaming of how to return.
And then, his mother also passed away half a year later due to excessive longing for Li Yan and Li Chang.
They both lived to be about one hundred and forty years old, which was already an extremely long life for mortals, "old immortals" of legend. But in the end, they could not wait for the return of their "Fifth Brother."
After his parents passed away, his third brother Li Wei often sat in that small house, muttering to himself all day long.
What others heard most was "Fifth Brother, you asked me to take care of Mom and Dad. Now they're both gone. I want to take care of them, but there's no one left..."
And "Fifth Brother, even if you died outside, your soul should return to your homeland!" and other such words.
Only those familiar with the Li family knew who the Fifth Brother Li Wei was talking about.
And a few years later, Li Wei's eldest son, Li Wenwu, exhausted his lifespan and entered the Heavenly Dao's cycle of reincarnation.
This time, the white-haired sending off the black-haired, Li Wei could no longer hold on. He finally fell ill and was bedridden.
And one night, he suddenly sat up. Under the horrified gazes of his family, he ignored their dissuasion, put on his clothes, and staggered out the door...
His children were so scared that they hurriedly followed behind. In the end, they saw Li Wei come to a graveyard a few li away. There were the graves of Li Chang and his wife, and their son Li Wenwu.
Li Wei first trembled as he caressed the tombstone of Li Wenwu with both hands, his head pressed against the tombstone, tears streaming down his old face.
After a while, he came to the grave of Li Chang and his wife, knelt down, and prostrated himself, crying uncontrollably. His children knew that Li Wei's character was dull, but very stubborn.
They could only persuade him from the side but did not dare to go against his will and help him up.
"I have no parents to take care of anymore, none. Fifth Brother, on the Double Ninth Festival, will your soul return... will it come... will it come!"
But Li Wei's crying grew softer and softer. Finally, in the midst of his prostration, he pressed his head to the ground and stopped crying.
When his second son, Li Jie, felt that something was wrong and went up to help him, he found that Li Wei had already passed away!
That day was the Double Ninth Festival!!
A year later, Li Wei's wife, Yu, passed away. Another five years later, the wife of his eldest son, Li Wenwu, passed away. These were the details Li Yan received about the deaths of these few people.
Li Wei had two sons and one daughter: the eldest son Li Wenwu, the second son Li Jie, and the youngest daughter Li Yue.
Li Yue had fallen in love at first sight with the important court official Fang Wende in Green Mountain Pass city and became his official wife. By the time Fang Wende was ranked as a Duke, his family was even more illustrious. Li Yue was also enfeoffed by the dynasty as a first-rank lady.
Li Jie also entered the court as an official due to Li Yue's connections and was now a second-rank provincial governor, also holding a respected position.
Li Yue had originally planned to bring her eldest brother Li Wenwu into the dynasty as well. Li Wenwu was skilled in martial arts and would have had an easier time entering officialdom than Li Jie.
But Li Wenwu had flatly refused to become an official, only wishing to stay in the small mountain village to take care of Li Wei and his aging grandparents.
In the end, the Li family's ancestral home was renovated again and again by Li Yue, becoming what it was today.
And Li Jie and Li Yue would also come back to stay for a period of time every year to serve Li Wei and their grandparents for a while.
Even after Li Wei and his wife passed away, they would still come back to pay their respects and stay for a short period of time.
They also followed Li Wei's countless instructions and moved all the spirit tablets to that dilapidated old house.
"I still have many pills that can increase longevity!"
Zhao Min looked at the hastily departing Li Yue and spoke again.
Li Yan, however, slowly shook his head.