It wasnât until the laundry was ready to hang out that it occurred to Liu Wuyi and Zixiu that they had made things too complicated. âNo one will ever wear these clothes again, so why donât we just destroy them?â
âHow stupid I was!â Zixiu pulled out a large pair of scissors at once and cut these gorgeous clothes to pieces!
From the way his son acted and the furious look on his face, Liu Wuyi was certain that vicious Prince Mu must have done something unforgivable, or Zixiu, a careless kid who born no grudges, wouldnât have been so rageful. It was said that Nangong Du was notorious for his insolence, lasciviousness, and cruelty, so it was a miracle that Zixiu was still safe and sound after being tortured by him for a month!
Shaking his head slightly, Liu Wuyi remained calm though he was a little worried. Like all fathers, he loved his son dearly and didnât want him hurt anymore. However, he knew well that if they left the mountains and entered into the world in turmoil outside, he couldnât ensure his sonâs safety. Zixiu was young and as simple as a blank sheet of paper on which nothing had been written, but Liu Wuyi would rather he was inexperienced and lived his life in peace. He hoped Zixiu would take this experience as a lesson and stop thinking about going out. If his son stayed in the mountains and learned to pick herbs from him, though he couldnât make a fortune, he would lead a simple and happy life at least.
Making up his mind, Liu Wuyi rose to his feet and walked to the window, as if nothing was on his mind. It seemed the rain had abated a little outside.
âZixiu, donât forget to pick up the rags on the floor and wrap them up!â
âHuh?â Zixiu was venting his anger when he suddenly heard that. Wondering what his father meant, he looked down and saw rags all over the floor. As Liu Wuyi was facing away from him, Zixiu couldnât see his expression. âHow come dad is so calm? Doesnât he feel offended that his son was⦠Er⦠Dad doesnât seem to know what that jerk has done to me!â
âIt wonât work even if you cut them into pieces. If you donât want to be found by Nangong Du, you mustnât leave any clue to him!â Liu Wuyi turned and took away the scissors from his son calmly. âIt takes the least effort to burn them with fire!â
âYouâre right, dad!â Zixiu nodded with a smile. âIf dad had told me earlier, I wouldnât have wasted my efforts!â Zixiu complained inwardly. He then squatted down and picked up the bits of clothes swiftly.
Liu Wuyi placed the scissors back on the table and continued after hesitating for a while, âI have to remind you that the more you hate someone, itâs harder to forget him. Itâs not worth living in agony for such a person!â
â!!â Zixiu trembled, which made the rags he had picked up slip out of his hands again.
Liu Wuyi added with a frown, âWhatever Nangong Du did to you, I donât want you to punish yourself with the mistakes of others! So I hope you can put everything that happened there behind.â
âNothing⦠He did nothingâ¦â
âYouâre still irritated, arenât you?â Merely from the look on his sonâs face, Liu Wuyi could tell that Zixiu was unwilling to let it go. However, he still interrupted him in a resolute voice. âThe law of jungle is the law of nature. Given our current competence, we are no match for Nangong Du at all! Otherwise, I wouldnât have to go through so much trouble to bring you back!â
ââ¦â¦â Zixiu couldnât find a reason to retort. He agreed with his father and as it had never occurred to him to fight Nangong Du to the death, heâd better hide in the mountains before he was capable enough to take on that asshole!
âI wonât force you to give up the idea of revenge. There will be ample time, so take it easy. Clear up these rags and go with me to visit your mom this afternoon.â
âMom?â
With the drizzle, the bleak mountain village was shrouded in a white mist.
Holding an oiled-paper umbrella, Liu Wuyi and Zixiu walked to the tomb miles away slowly.
Zixiuâs mother died lonely in the accident three years ago when her son was still in a coma. By then, her husband was still in the mountains and it wasnât until half a month later when Liu Wuyi went down to the town that he learned this piece of grievous news. As some warm-hearted villagers had paid for the burial of his wife, and his sonâs illness remained serious, Liu Wuyi couldnât find time to carry his wifeâs coffin back to the Cirrus Valley. It was half a year later when Zixiu recovered, and to avoid disturbing his wifeâs soul, he gave up the idea of moving her grave.
The last time they had visited Zixiuâs motherâs tomb was on Tomb-Sweeping Day, and now, just a summer later, it was bursting with weeds again!
Liu Wuyi crouched down and started pulling up the weeds one by one in earnest. Instead of asking his son to help him with the work, he only had him to rest under the tree nearby.
Zixiu was really tired, so he didnât protest. Hammering his lower back slightly, he felt more like a pregnant woman.