A piece of Japanese incense

It was already late at night, Yu Tuan was guarding the bed, the courtyard outside the window was painted in ink, the candlelight in the room flickered, emitting a quiet, warm yellow light.

If it were modern times, on my birthday, my grandmother would walk towards me slowly with a cake in hand, singing Happy Birthday, and then watch me make a wish, blow out the candles, and cut the cake...

I felt melancholy, blew out a candle, and went to bed.

Maybe it would be nice to enter the palace. There must be more books in the palace than in the common people. There must be many out-of-print books. Maybe I can find the raw materials for making incense. Maybe if I please the noble lady, she can reward me with rare treasures. Then I will be rich! ~

I felt much better when I thought about the fact that I had made the incense and returned to my grandmother.

Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Fuguier barking in the yard. Yuyi knocked on the door and asked softly, "Yutuan, the lady sent someone to deliver something. Is the girl asleep?"

I got out of bed immediately: "No, no, bring it in quickly!"

Yu Tuan hurriedly put a cape on me, complaining, "Oh, please put it on. The wind is blowing and you're complaining about a headache again."

Yuyi opened the door gently, brought in two large food boxes, closed the door, and lit a few candles.

I opened the small box first. The air was filled with the aroma of spicy food and the rich flavor of sesame paste. The bowl was filled with my favorite foods: enoki mushrooms, mutton, thousand-layer tripe, duck blood, vermicelli, and coriander were placed one by one in the spicy and fragrant soup. Yuyi stirred the ingredients in the bowl with chopsticks in one hand and fanned the bowl with the other hand and said, "Girl, the lady said this is the sticky 'spicy hot pot' you have always wanted to eat? You should try it quickly!"

I picked up a piece of noodles with a piece of mutton in the middle, and slurped it into my mouth. The noodles were chewy and refreshing. Wow! I was so touched. It was a long-lost taste! I saw the soup and oil splashed on the pure white pajamas I had just put on. I smiled at Yutuan embarrassedly. Yutuan was not angry. She stared at the bowl eagerly and said, "Girl, girl, let me have a taste!"

I handed the bowl to Yutuan and said, "Mmm, it's delicious. It would be even better if there was more vinegar and sugar!"

Yuyi handed a pair of chopsticks to Yutuan and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go to the kitchen and get you some vinegar and sugar!"

Yuyi went out of the door, and Yutuan took a bite. It was so spicy that he looked for tea everywhere.

I silently opened another lunch box.

Thirteen candles are inserted on a three-layer colorful cake, and the top layer is inscribed with the six words "Yi" and "Shengchen Jile".

I suddenly remembered that on my birthday last year, my grandmother asked me if I wanted to eat anything. I ate the jujube flower crisp and said, "It would be great if there was a birthday cake. I want a big one with two layers! No! Three layers! One layer is all cream chocolate, one layer is all fruit, and one layer is all cake base. On the top, it should say: Happy Birthday! Then put candles on it, make a wish and blow out the candles, then my wish will come true!"

The whole audience laughed at me at that time, not knowing what nonsense I was saying.

I looked at the so-called "cake" which was still steaming. I took it out of the food box and broke off a small piece of the second layer. The pulpy fruit soup flowed out of it. I tasted the soft dough, which was sour and sweet. My throat choked and the corners of my mouth twitched involuntarily a few times. My lips finally couldn't help but tremble. The tears in my eyes flowed down my cheeks like a flood that broke through the dam.

How could the mother know what "cake" is? She just remembered that her daughter wanted to eat it, so she made it according to her daughter's idea. She just tried her best to give me everything I thought was good. Love in daily life is extraordinary.

My modern mother is a love-brained person. She only cares about being with her husband and her boyfriend. She never cared about me, thinking that I was a burden to her soul, so she threw me to my grandparents as soon as I was born.

My regrets were made up by my mother. Her love has always shone on me and I was secure in her love.

I am so close to her, but I miss her so much that I want to cry.

"Yutuan Yuyi, I'm going to sleep in my mother's room tonight!"

Without waiting for them to reply, I had already put on a small jacket and ran to my mother's yard.

It was already dark in Muyun Garden. I knocked on the door. Nanxing opened the door with an impatient complaint: "Miss? Why are you here? Is there something wrong?"

Before she could finish, I had already run into my mother's room, lay on her bed and shivered.

"You damned bastard! It's not even spring yet, and you're already running here in your pajamas! Do you want to freeze yourself to death?"

"Hey hey hey! I missed you~ I want to sleep with you today!"

"You naughty girl!" Mother hugged me, tucked in the four corners of the quilt, and asked Zhuli to get a foot warmer and put it next to my feet.

"Mom, the spicy hot pot and cake you made are so delicious! I will definitely eat them all tomorrow!"

"It wasn't me who did it. It was Granny Li who did it. I said, she did it."

"Ah?" The small flame was half extinguished. "Thank you for remembering what He'er said, I'm very touched~"

"He'er, your grandfather and I can't stop you from entering the palace. Everyone in the palace is half human and half ghost. Don't have any expectations of anyone. Everyone in the world is responsible for their own business. Doing nothing is your duty, but if you do too much, it turns from a favor to an obligation. A bowl of rice brings gratitude, but carrying rice brings hatred~"

The moonlight was like water, gently sprinkled on my mother's face, and her fair skin looked even more dazzling under the moonlight. I hugged her and nodded silently. She smiled slightly, gently smoothed my hair that was nestled around my neck and said:

"But, where there is darkness, there must be light. You can have low expectations of others, but you must be sincere and have good intentions. Don't be afraid that your sincerity is wrong, sincerity is always right, and all luck is the accumulation of kindness. We just need to be ourselves."

"I know, mother. I will take good care of myself. When I grow up, I will become very strong and protect you, grandma, grandpa, and Aunt Hong!"

"He'er, you can't think like that. At your age, you can't live a boring life! Just be yourself, in any way, in any form! Our family doesn't need you to make a living, just keep all your emotions under control and live a good life."

A contented sigh escaped from my throat and I fell asleep in my mother's arms.

I really overestimated my physical fitness. I was just caught in a little breeze and have had a fever for two days.

This morning, I was sick and received the imperial edict to enter the palace, and then I fell down. When I woke up, it was already February 19th.

It was not yet morning, but Yutuan Yuyi had already helped me get up and wash. I still felt weak and dizzy.

When I arrived at the front hall, my father was already waiting for me. Aunt Hong and my grandmother were standing in the corridor, each holding a bowl.

"He'er, eat something first and then take the medicine. Aunt Hong has blown it, so it's not hot anymore." Aunt Hong said as she scooped out a wonton and fed me.

I raised my head and took a bite. The morning light reflected from the eaves hurt my eyes. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. A pungent smell made me feel sick.

"He'er Bao'er, drink the medicine while it's hot."

I took the hot Chinese medicine from my grandmother's hand, held my breath, and took a big gulp, trying to let the rising heat dispel the coldness in my body, but the feeling of physical fatigue was difficult to dissipate.

"He'er, you are too careless. You knew you were going to enter the palace today, so you should take care of your health." The father warned coldly.

My grandfather immediately complained: "If you have the ability, you should ask His Majesty for permission. It won't be too late to enter the palace after He'er recovers!"

My father ignored my grandfather and turned around and said, "It's getting late, let's get going quickly."

After saying that, he took my wrist and stepped out of the door.

"He'er! Take your medicine before you leave!"

I turned my head to look at my grandmother. Several guards bowed and stopped my grandmother and grandfather in the house. Fuguier also barked...