A piece of Japanese incense

The carriage they were riding in moved slowly forward with the rhythmic hitting of horses' hooves, and the body of the carriage swayed slightly. Zhi Yihe was still deeply immersed in thinking about how to stop his father, but he did not expect that the carriage had stopped steadily.

The bell sound stopped abruptly. Zhi Yihe had an expectant smile on his face, but he did not hear his grandfather's greeting.

Zhi Yihe stepped out of the carriage with a hint of confusion, only to see Yuzhu running out in a hurry to greet him.

"The girl is back! Are you thirsty?"

"Where are grandpa and grandma? Why don't mom and Aunt Hong come?"

"The master got the news and asked us all to prepare early in the morning, but who knew..."

"What happened?" Zhi Yihe couldn't help but become suspicious when he saw Yuzhu speaking hesitantly. He hurriedly ran into the mansion and questioned Yuzhu.

"Don't worry, young lady! The master is fine! He was just too excited when he knew you were going back home today. He fainted when he stood up! Madam said there's nothing serious. Young lady, run slower!" Yuzhu followed behind, gasping for breath as he ran.

Grandfather lay in bed, the quilt covering him, rising and falling with his breathing. The air around him was filled with the faint smell of medicine and old books. Everyone stopped at the sound and their eyes focused on Zhi Yihe.

"He Baoer is back!" Grandmother grabbed her crutches and wanted to stand up to hold Zhi Yihe's hand. Zhi Yihe took two quick steps, lay down in front of the bed, and couldn't wait to reach out to feel grandfather's pulse.

"Why did you come home late?" asked the mother.

"Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and there will be a lot of people walking on the streets. It's normal for you to come back slowly." Grandfather waved his hand.

Grandfather's pulse was beating steadily and slowly. Although not as vigorous and powerful as that of a young man, it seemed calm and delicate, and Zhi Yihe breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at her grandfather on the bed, Nanyin thought of her own grandfather. The last time Nanyin saw her grandfather, his body was so thin that only a skeleton and a thin layer of skin remained, and every rib was clearly visible under the loose skin.

Grandpa's arms were thin and weak, his fingers bent like dead branches, hanging quietly on the edge of the bed. White hair covered his head sparsely, his face was calm, and wrinkles crisscrossed...

"Don't worry about me! You and Baoer must be hungry! Go and eat something with your grandma." Grandfather stroked Zhi Yihe's beautiful hair with his loving hands.

Zhi Yihe felt a layer of mist quietly covering her eyes. A sour feeling spread from the bottom of her heart, climbing along the fine nerve filaments all the way to the bridge of her nose, and finally gathered at the tip of her nose, forming an indescribable pressure.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging emotions, but it was no use. Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to burst out at any moment.

She buried her face in her grandmother's arms, not wanting her grandfather and the others to see it.

"What's wrong, Baoer? Look, grandma! Ouch! It's all your fault! You made Baoer cry!" Grandmother slapped the edge of the bed, pretending to blame.

With her grandmother's comfort, Zhi Yihe was about to get up and go to the dining hall for dinner when she heard her grandfather calling her mother.

Zhi Yihe felt more and more that something was going to happen as she walked on the road. She quietly pulled Yuyi's sleeve. Yuyi looked back at Zhi Yihe, but before she could say anything, Yutuan seemed to have noticed something in advance. She gave Zhi Yihe a suggestive look and hurried away.

After dinner, Zhiyi and Ben wanted to visit their grandfather again, but were dissuaded by their grandmother, who told them to go back to their room and rest. Seeing that both their grandmother and Aunt Hong looked unhappy, as if they were hiding something, she left the dining hall tactfully.

Zhi Yihe did not return to her own yard obediently, but wandered around the dining hall with Yuyi. Seeing that her grandmother and Aunt Hong did not come out, they quietly approached the window and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"You are confused! If you hadn't been discovered by chance today, how long would you have kept it a secret from us old couple!?"

"Godmother, I...I really feel sorry for He He..."

"If you really care about her, you should have told me when you knew they were secretly communicating! Do you really think I'm old and blind? I'm useless!"

"Godmother! Don't say that, it's all my fault, it's all my fault..." Sobbing sounds were heard from inside the house.

Zhi Yihe squatted down, pursed his lips, and began to peel off the dead skin on his mouth.

"They must not have any relationship anymore! You don't have to go to the shop, I will send someone to watch over it, you keep an eye on her! Yihe is about to reach the age of marriage, her father will inevitably make a big fuss about this. Ah Hong, don't be confused! Nian'er, you have to remind him too, don't let him get involved in these disputes!"

"I know, godmother."

……

"Miss, it seems something big happened in our house." Yu Yi walked in front of Zhi Yihe, holding a lantern, and looked back at Zhi Yihe.

"I noticed it too." Zhi Yihe kicked some loose pebbles on the ground.

"Who do you think the young lady could be secretly communicating with? Why did the lady get so angry? Is the master's sudden fainting related to this?"

Zhi Yihe said nothing and curled up the fingers hanging at his sides.

Outside the fence of Ainiangyuan, Yu Nian stood quietly, looking through the tilted boxwood branches, seeing the branches and the worried face. She seemed to be worried and strolling on the gravel path.

"Ah He!" Yu Nian called softly, waved, and walked towards them slowly.

"Why did you go home today?" Zhi Yihe was a little surprised and showed a little joy.

Yu Nian paused for a moment, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over Yu Yi who was standing beside him. Yu Yi understood, turned around and returned to the courtyard with the lantern in hand.

"Brother Nian, did you rush back because you heard that grandpa was unwell?" Zhi Yihe asked.

Yu Nian stared down at her and answered softly, "Well, I received a letter from my mother and immediately set out to come back. But I am slow, and when I got home, the lights in my grandfather's yard were off."

"Auntie Hong...did she tell you what happened at home?" Zhi Yihe asked tentatively.

"Yeah." Yu Nian nodded, his eyes deep, "It seems that you know it too?"

"Just overheard it."

"They didn't tell you because they were afraid you wouldn't be as happy as you are now."

"The more you don't tell me, the more I will think about it. Hey! What do you think my mother is thinking? She can't live without that man? Even if she changes a man, it's okay!" Zhi Yihe became more and more angry as he spoke.

"It's fine if you just tell me this, but I don't know how sad Aunt He is. I just saw her crying so sadly."

"Is it that unforgettable? You are already old, but you are still involved in these love affairs."

"The love between childhood sweethearts and the memories of growing up together are not something that can be forgotten just like that."

"We haven't been in touch for so many years, why is it so hard to let go?"