New ink fragrance in old times

After dinner, the Lin family courtyard gradually returned to tranquility, and everyone dispersed and returned to their daily busy lives.

Lin Sixuan patted Lin Mo's shoulder gently, motioning him to follow.

Lin Mo followed Lin Sixuan's footsteps and walked through the spacious and bright main room, taking each step with a steady rhythm, and finally stopped in front of an ancient door.

Lin Mo's gaze followed Lin Sixuan's movements. When he pushed open the door, what came into his sight was the room that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him.

Lin Mo looked at the furnishings in the room, and fragments of memory quickly pieced together in his mind. Lin Mo realized that this was the room he was in when he first woke up. Lin Mo tried to enter this room when the Lin family was not paying attention these days, but the door was always locked and Lin Mo could not get in.

Lin Sixuan turned around, his eyes gentle and profound, and he slowly said, "This room was originally my father's study. When I was four years old, my sister Hua'er was born, and my father let me move in here. Three years later, when Erlang was five, my grandparents let Erlang and I live in this room together. On weekdays, when my father came home, he would teach us how to read and write."

He said with some nostalgia: "Later, when I was eight years old, I went to the community school. My grandparents asked my second and third uncles to separate the house. I lived in the outer room, and Erlang lived in the small room inside."

After saying this, Lin Sixuan led Lin Mo to an antique desk with a clean and tidy surface.

Lin Sixuan gently picked up a brush, touched the tip of the brush to the wet ink cup, and then wrote freely on the straw paper. A vigorous and powerful "木" character appeared on the paper, occupying the entire palm-sized space.

Lin Mo looked at the word "木" on the paper, wondering why he wrote this word.

Lin Sixuan looked at Lin Mo gently and said, "Sanlang, you are old enough to learn to read now. Originally, the elders in the family should teach you, but we have been busy with many things at home recently, so I will teach you."

"This is the character for wood. It's made up of a horizontal stroke, a vertical stroke, a left-falling stroke, and a right-falling stroke. The horizontal stroke represents the ground, the vertical stroke symbolizes the trunk, and the left-falling stroke and the right-falling stroke are extensions of the branches. The whole character looks like a tree."

As he spoke, he picked up the brush and slowly wrote the word "Lin" on the paper in a vigorous and powerful stroke. "Sanlang, this is the second word I'm teaching you. It's also our surname - 'Lin'."

Lin Mo's heart suddenly shook: What a coincidence, they all have the surname Lin.

Lin Mo had heard Old Mrs. Lin and Old Mr. Lin mentioned it more than once before, but Lin Mo didn't know which Lin they were talking about.

"Look at this word 'Lin'. It is made up of two 'Mu' characters placed side by side. Do you know what the deep meaning is?" Lin Sixuan asked in a persuasive tone.

Lin Mo pretended not to understand, looked at the word carefully, thought about it, then shook his head, with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Lin Sixuan continued, "A single tree cannot support itself. Do you understand this principle? A tree, no matter how tall and straight it is, cannot withstand the wind and rain if it is isolated and helpless. But look at the word 'Lin'. Two trees lean on each other, supporting each other and jointly resisting the invasion of the outside world. This creates a dense forest, full of vitality and limitless potential."

Lin Mo nodded when he heard this, thinking: So he was just giving me some spiritual chicken soup.

Lin Sixuan put down his pen and touched Lin Mo's head.

"Sanlang, when I returned home this time, I found that you were much quieter than before. I wonder if you encountered something unhappy."

"No, no, brother, I'm happy every day and there's nothing to make me unhappy." Lin Mo said unnaturally.

"Sanlang." Lin Sixuan's voice was soft and magnetic, as if it could penetrate people's hearts. "I am much older than you. You can tell me anything you have. I will try to help you solve it. Don't be afraid. I won't tell anyone else."

"Brother, I'm really fine, nothing's wrong." Lin Mo said to Lin Sixuan.

Lin Sixuan heard this and said, "Sanlang, life is like a journey, and I am just a traveler. We all have secrets hidden in our hearts, but no matter what happens, your family will always be your support."

Lin Mo looked up and met Lin Sixuan's eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything, and ripples appeared in his heart.

Lin Sixuan continued, "Don't be afraid, Sanlang. No matter what happens, I will always support you."

Lin Sixuan looked at Lin Mo, his eyes focused and serious, with a hint of expectation in them, as if no matter what Lin Mo did, he would always protect him.

Lin Mo may appear childish on the outside, but he's actually a twenty-year-old soul traveler. Since arriving in this world, he's carefully concealed his secrets, fearing that if they were revealed, they would lead to endless trouble and confusion.

Lin Mo looked up at Lin Sixuan. His eyes were as sharp as a torch, like a deep ocean, containing endless tenderness and strength.

His eyes not only showed unconditional protection and commitment to Lin Mo, but also a deep understanding and resonance.

Lin Sixuan's eyes seemed to say: No matter how rough the road ahead is, I will be by your side and face it with you.

This kind of determination and affection made Lin Mo involuntarily attracted and felt unprecedented security and warmth.

Lin Sixuan smiled faintly, a smile that contained both understanding and encouragement. "Sanlang, we have a deep brotherly bond, so why shouldn't we express it? I know you're intelligent and often feel things, but you always bear them alone. But remember, your family will always be your strongest support."

Lin Sixuan's eyes were full of sincerity and expectation.

At that moment, Lin Mo was almost melted by this warmth, and the secret about time travel deep in his heart seemed to be about to come out.

However, just as the words were about to burst out of his throat, he suddenly realized that this world was completely different from his own. The rules, ethics, and even the emotions between people here were so strange and complicated.

He took a deep breath and swallowed back the words he was about to say. A complex expression appeared on his face, a mixture of relief and helplessness. "Brother, don't worry. I will definitely tell you if there is anything."

Seeing that Lin Mo kept avoiding the main issue and saying that he was fine with a smile, Lin Sixuan felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

He wanted to ask Lin Mo again, but was afraid that pushing too hard would backfire, so he said softly to Lin Mo, "Okay, Sanlang, learn these two words today. In the afternoon, everyone will go back to light lanterns. When we come back, I'll test you to see if you've forgotten them."

As the sun sets, a gentle orange-red hangs on the horizon. The sunlight shines through the gauze-like clouds, becoming soft and deep, like honey slowly flowing in an ancient scroll, gently brushing across the earth, giving everything a layer of dreamy gold.

A breeze blew by, and layers of delicate ripples appeared on the surface of the river, as if they were the most delicate brushstrokes of nature, adding a few vivid strokes to this dusk painting.

At about 3 p.m., all the Lin family members set out.

Xing'er, Lin Sixuan, Lin Siyuan, Hua'er, Lin Mo and other younger members of the Lin family were led by their elders to start the unique activities of this day.

Holding river lanterns, paper money and paper clothes made in advance, they followed their elders to the riverside to perform the rituals of "releasing river lanterns" and "burning paper money".

The air is filled with the faint smell of burning incense and paper money, which interweaves with the freshness of the river water, creating a unique festive atmosphere.