The weather was bitter cold and the ground was frozen. The cold wind was like a knife cutting through.
Because Grandfather Song Gudu did not like the noise of the city, he had moved to the Song familyâs Deer Park with a few old servants.
The Deer park was spacious and empty, and there were no buildings around that sheltered off the wind and rain, so they were in a very cold place, and a chill was pouring in from all directions.
The grandfather and grandson crouched under the veranda, like two old peasant farmers waiting for fat rabbits to knock into a tree stump.
Song Tao looked at the plum blossom tree under the cold moon and said: âItâs so dark, we wonât know when it blooms. Why donât Grandfather goes to bed first, and wake up early tomorrow to see the tree blooms, wouldnât that be a greater surprise?â
âItâs not the same.â The old man said stubbornly.
Song Tao smiled and said, âWhy is it not the same? You just want to admire plum blossoms, right? Plum blossom likes the cold, and its flowering period is long, it wouldnât wither so soon. Didnât you say there would be a heavy snow tomorrow? Among the forest of snow and ice, there are different peaches and plums mixed with dust. Suddenly overnight an aroma scatters, bringing a sweet scent across thousands of miles of the universe. This charm, this mood, is it not what Grandpa wants?â
âI want to hear the sound of flowers blooming.â Song Gudu stated.
Song Tao smiled lightly, âGrandfather, how will there be a sound when flowers bloom?â
âSee, you do not understand? You call yourself an art enthusiast, you only see its shape and do not know about its sound, how can you break the ten realms of painting?â
Having been criticised by Grandfather, Song Tao did not feel unhappy or unable to accept it, instead there was a strong sentimental attachment and reluctance to part with him.
He was sure what had happened when he was praying for his grandfather, and he knew exactly what that omen meant.
He hoped it was a coincidence, he wanted it to be a nightmare.
He did not want to see such an omen, or he would rather that he had not accompanied Cui Xiaoxin to Thousand Buddha Temple today.
This was the pain of knowing.
You know of the impending sadness, so it is difficult to enjoy the peace in front of you.
âIn that case, Iâll stay with Grandpa here today. I would like to see whether the flower really makes a sound when it blooms.â Song Tao looked at the delicate skin of his Grandfatherâs neck and said aloud.
Song Gudu was not old at all, and even looked quite young.
He had reached the WIthering Glory realm when he was 51 years old, and it took him 19 years to break through the three stages from the lower stages of Withering Glory into the Starry Sky state.
The 70-Year-old Starry sky cultivator was already one of the most powerful people in West wind kingdom.
And because the Song family was extremely knowledgeable, they were named the Kingdomâs library. The Song family was in charge of the compiling of the ancient records and the revision of the calendar system. So, Song Gudu had the nickname âThe eye of the starry skyâ.
Song Gudu was like a pair of eyes on the starry sky, silently watching the rise and fall and the changes of this vast kingdom, as well as the vicious or gentle tactics of killing.
Some people say that there is nothing in this city that Song Gudu does not know.
Some people say that there is nothing in the kingdom that Song Gudu cannot solve.
Lu Xingkong was a towering figure, the god of the army. At his peak period, he controlled over one million powerful soldiers of the West wind kingdom.
It was also under the pushing of this old man, that Lu Xingkongâs military powers were repeatedly taken back, and eventually only occupied a post with a high salary but no military powers.
It was also under this old manâs obstruction that Lu Xingkongâs plan to occupy the position of left minister was incredibly difficult, and could even be said as an impossible matter.
âMoves like tiger, the heart of a fox, harmful to the country.â This was Song Guduâs evaluation of Lu Xingkong.
Because of this sentence, Lu Xingkong was almost pressed into a quagmire for the rest of the life.
If it was not for the Lu familyâs thousands years of contribution, and the Lu familyâs generations of generals, then the Lu family would have long vanished from the face of earth because of this sentence, swallowed by people including their bones.
This mighty old man was going to die.
âIf you want to see then stay, but donât utter a word.â Song Gudu again made a silencing gesture as he said: âEach blade of grass and every tree have a spiritual nature. If a hen is disturbed when she lays her eggs, the eggs will be pull back in. If this plum blossom hears a voice, what if it hides it buds back in?â
âGrandfather, can a blooming plum blossom be able to unblossom?â
âOf course it can.â
âWell, then. Iâll listen to my Grandfather, from now on, I wonât say a word. However, if the plum blossom does not bloom, you cannot blame me.â
âItâs certainly going to be bloom.â Song Gudu looked up at the sky, where the cold moon had disappeared. The sky was like an ink plate, the dark wind was like a wolf howling. âItâs going to snow.â
âIt is going to snow.â Song Tao glanced up the darkness of the sky and knew that the cold winter was about to arrive. The former Song Tao feared nothing in heaven or earth; he felt that there is nothing in this world that he cannot solve by himself. But having witnessed blood gushing out from the eyes of Bodhisattva, Song Tao began to feel afraid.
He was afraid of the old man in front him leaving, afraid the pillar of the Song family would collapse.
The old man stopped talking and Song Tao no longer spoke.
The two people crouched quietly under the veranda, unblinkingly staring at the nearest plum blossom.
The night was getting darker and the wind was getting stronger.
Then the wind blew and the temperature plummeted.
In the howling cold wind, there was a white feather hovering in front of their eyes.
Swaying and fluttering.
Song Taoâs playful nature surfaced, he reached out to grab hold of the feather.
The old man suddenly jumped up, eyes flickering a strange brilliance.
Song Tao put back down his stretched out hand, his eyes fixed on this scene with look of astonishment on his face.
That ordinary plum tree was emitting a circle of silver luster.
On top of that dark, rugged branch, two or three tiny buds were coming out, as if there were countless black peas on the branch.
Under the watchful gaze of the Grandfather and Grandson, the little peas that blossomed one after another, were producing a delicate but crisp and melodious sound.
It was the sound of flowers blooming, the sound of winter snow.
It was the joy of the deepest part of the heart.
Song Taoâs eyes widened, exclaiming: âHeard it, I really heard itâââ
Song Gudu was also overjoyed, his pale face become dizzy red, like he had drank 2 or 3 cups of plum wine.
âFlowers bloom to see Buddha, have you seen Buddha?â Song Guduâs line of sight was still on the blooming plum blossom when he asked indifferently.
Song Taoâs expression stiffened, then he said with a smile, âGrandfather, I did see Buddha. I saw so many Buddhas. I recited âThe Sutra of the Medicine Buddhaâ before Buddha and prayed to bless you with peace and joy.â
Song Gudu had a smiling expression as he asked, âBuddha agreed?â
âAgreed.â Song Tao smiled.
âIf Buddha agreed, would you have hurried back to see me?â
âGrandfatherâââ