Chapter 241

Chapter 241

Five in the morning.

We waited all the way until then. During that time, none of us went over to disturb those two brothers.

Just before dawn, Rat brought Xiao Xuan back to us.

“Go on…”

He let go of Xiao Xuan’s hand and gently nudged him forward.

Xiao Xuan obediently walked toward us. The tears he had been holding back finally broke free. He looked up at Rat, his two little hands clutching the hem of his shirt for dear life.

Even then, he still didn’t make a sound.

He already knew Rat was dead. He was heartbroken too. He was only eight years old. Even if he had cried and screamed and rolled around on the ground, we would have understood.

I couldn’t imagine how an eight-year-old could have such a strong heart.

I was twenty-six this year, and whenever someone around me passed away, not once had I been able to keep my composure the way Xiao Xuan did.

“Study hard. Only when you make something of yourself in the future will you be able to go find your mom.”

Rat looked at Xiao Xuan as well, giving him his final instructions. “Don’t steal, no matter what. Don’t let people look down on you. No matter what kind of hardship you run into, keep looking forward.”

Xiao Xuan nodded and waved at Rat, saying a silent goodbye.

Seventh Master took two steps forward, formed a Taoist hand seal with his fingers, and slowly raised his right hand.

He had always been quick and decisive, but this time, he actually hesitated.

His raised hand lowered, then rose again, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to recite the scriptures for the Exorcism.

These two brothers, with no blood relation between them, were parting forever tonight. This goodbye didn’t mean they would meet again someday. It meant… they would never see each other again.

“Child, I’m sending you on your way now. Go in peace.”

“The living are but travelers passing through; the dead are those returning home. May your journey be smooth…”

Rat was sent on his way.

Before he left, his gaze remained on the little brother he cared about most.

Xiao Xuan still didn’t cry out loud. I really couldn’t bear to watch anymore, so I went over, crouched down in front of him, and wiped his tears as I said, “If you want to cry, then cry. That’s your right. Every one of us will face this day. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are unavoidable parts of life.”

“But death isn’t the end. Your brother hasn’t disappeared. He’s only become someone else and gone to begin a new life.”

Saying this to a child didn’t necessarily mean he would understand.

But I believed Xiao Xuan did.

He knew Rat was already dead. He knew he had to leave the Blind Old Man. Yet he could still swallow his grief and keep the Blind Old Man and Rat from worrying about him. That really wasn’t the kind of maturity a child should have.

Even adults might not be as sensible as he was.

He nodded, but still made no sound and said nothing.

I sighed, picked him up, and prepared to take him back to the hotel to pack his things.

Death sometimes might not be a frightening thing, but it was always sad.

Just like those lines from a final poem:

Born in the living world, all gatherings must end,

Returned in death to the Underworld, what harm is there?

The living world and Underworld are much the same,

Nothing more than drifting through a foreign land.

…

After daybreak, we took Director Chen and Xiao Xuan to the station.

Seventh Master gave him a Peace Talisman, patted his head, and said, “There are still many people in this world who care about you. Live well, and keep looking forward.”

Xiao Xuan nodded. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

Then he looked at us, took a bag of potato chips out of his pocket, and handed it to me. “When I make something of myself, I’ll buy you all lots and lots of potato chips.”

I didn’t refuse. After all, it was the child’s heartfelt gesture.

Then he pulled me aside and stuffed five hundred yuan into my hand.

I was startled. I thought to myself that this kid was way too polite, even giving me a red envelope.

I was just about to turn him down when he said, “Brother Mo, take this back and give it to my grandpa. Grandpa gave it to me, but he needs the money more than I do. I won’t need to spend money once I go to Director Chen’s place. Tell Grandpa to buy more meat to eat. His health isn’t good.”
I held the five hundred yuan in my hand, my feelings complicated. “Since Grandpa gave it to you, you should keep it. It’s his way of showing he cares.”

Xiao Xuan wouldn’t take it. He pushed it back to me and said very seriously, “I know that by the time I make something of myself, Grandpa will already be gone. I won’t be able to be filial to him. And I can’t keep troubling Director Chen to take me home to visit Grandpa, either. I don’t know when Grandpa might die, just like my brother did.”

I stared at him blankly. My cheeks started to ache again, and for a long while, I couldn’t say anything.

I tucked the five hundred yuan into my pocket. “I’ll take it back to Grandpa for you. From now on, if you want to go back and see him but don’t want to trouble Director Chen, just call me. I’ll come pick you up and take you home to visit Grandpa.”

Yesterday, we’d bought him a phone for exactly that reason-to make it easier for him to contact us.

There was still an hour before the bus arrived. While Anning and the others were talking to Xiao Xuan, I pulled Director Chen aside.

I was going to donate fifty thousand yuan to their welfare home.

I wanted to build up some merit…

Seventh Master had said that if you donated money to do good, then aside from not publicizing it, the money also had to be put to real use. It had to truly help people before Hidden Virtue could accumulate.

If the donated money was embezzled, then in reality, no virtue would be gained.

It was because I trusted Director Chen that I decided to donate the money to their welfare home.

I’d heard him say that their welfare home had more than eighty children.

After Director Chen received my transfer, he shook my hand in gratitude. “On behalf of all the children at the welfare home, thank you. I guarantee every cent of this money will be spent on the children. If I pocket even one cent, may I be struck by lightning and hit by a car the moment I step outside.”

I thought to myself, Why does he love making such vicious oaths so much? He really didn’t have to. I believed him anyway, because Seventh Master believed him.

“Young man, good people are rewarded. Later, I’ll put your name up on the notice board at our welfare home so the children will know what their benefactor is called.”

Hearing that, I quickly waved my hands. “No, please don’t. You absolutely must not put it up, and don’t let anyone know my name. That’s my only request.”

He froze for a moment, then said with emotion, “You people really are good souls. Even when you do good deeds, you don’t like leaving your names behind.”

“You people?” I froze too. “Besides me, who else transferred money to you? Seventh Master?”

Director Chen said, “Seventh Master has donated quite a lot to our welfare home. I meant those two friends of yours.”

I was a little surprised. Not that Song Xiaotian had donated money-I was surprised Anning had donated, too.

She didn’t have much money to begin with. The money she had was from last time, when we went to perform the Exorcism for Liu Jing and Liu Jing’s husband paid her for it.

“Director Chen, how much did they donate?” I asked, feeling a bit nosy.

Director Chen looked troubled. “They… told me not to reveal it to anyone. They reminded me over and over again. I don’t know why either…”

I understood. Seventh Master must have told them before how to accumulate Hidden Virtue.

“Oh, all right then. I won’t ask.”

Before long, we saw Director Chen and Xiao Xuan onto the bus.

That child, Xiao Xuan, would definitely make something of himself in the future. But there was a cruel reality: he wholeheartedly wanted to become a firefighter. He wanted to put out fires and save people, and he hoped his mother could see him on television.

But… his father was in prison.

A crime affected three generations. So in this lifetime, he would never be able to become a firefighter.

Seventh Master was right. Some people’s fates couldn’t be changed. There was simply no power to change them.