Chapter 124

"It's slippery after the rain, watch your step~"

Grandpa walked at the front alone, occasionally turning back to call them.

Although he was old, his actions were still agile, no different from young people.

Grandma's grave was halfway up the mountain, and this narrow mountain road was the only way to visit the grave.

Walking along the mountain road, when you lower your head, you can see the pear blossoms in the mountains.

It is already the season when pear blossoms bloom.

The white flowers cover the mountains unintentionally.

"..."

Raina Nan turned her face to the side, her gaze looking into the distance, slowing her pace.

...

Suddenly, something tapped her head.

She turned around.

"Little One, watch your step."

Samson Nan stood in front of her, reaching out to pick up the fallen flower petals on her head.

"..."

She looked up at him.

"Why...?"

Stared at by her, he instinctively looked away.

"..."

She didn't say anything.

After a moment of silence, she walked past him.

"..."

He was speechless, scratched his head, and followed her.

...

After a while, they arrived at Grandma's grave.

Although few people would come to this place, there were no weeds around, and the gravestone was clean.

There were traces of cleaning.

Grandpa probably had come to clean it in advance.

"Samson Nan, help out."

"Oh, okay."

Dad and Samson Nan took out the fruits they brought and placed them neatly, then inserted the incense sticks.

Grandma's name was clearly engraved on the tombstone, with the names of other descendants of the Nan family engraved in the lower right corner.

Looking closely, one could find Samson Nan and Raina Nan's names on the second to last row at the very bottom.

"Raina, it's your turn."

In order of seniority.

After Samson Nan kowtowed, it was Raina Nan's turn.

"Oh..."

Raina Nan paced forward, walked to the grave, bent down, and gently knelt on the stone slab in front of the grave.

"Say something~"

Her mom watched her nearby and whispered.

"What to say..."

"Ask Grandma to bless you to get into a good university~"

Her mom always believed in such things.

She remembered when Samson Nan was taking the college entrance examination and came to visit the grave, her mom also told him to do the same.

"I said it in my heart..."

"Really?"

"She definitely didn't hear it~"

Samson Nan laughed and whispered to her mom.

"..."

She gritted her teeth and gave him a fierce stare.

"Cough, what I meant was, Raina doesn't need Grandma's blessing to get into a good university. No problem at all."

He quickly added.

"Haha, Raina will definitely do well~"

Grandpa also laughed.

"..."

Raina Nan remained silent.

Everyone around her seemed to be optimistic about her future.

Whether it was her teacher, classmates, or family...

Not for herself, but just to respond to their expectations...

Perhaps only with such a reason, she could push herself a little harder.

...

"It's almost done, let's go down the mountain~"

Dad stood up after lighting the last stack of paper money.

Time was limited, this time's grave sweeping was a bit rushed, they still had to go down the mountain before it got dark.

...

The damp wind after the rain, mixed with the fragrance of pear blossoms, blew through the mountains.

She stood there, and as far as her eyes could see, there were stretches of pear blossoms.

For children who grew up in the city, this was not a scenery they could see every day.

"Little One, let's go~"

Samson Nan turned around and shouted at her.

"..."

She was stunned for a moment before coming back to her senses.

"Oh, coming..."She looked a bit reluctant, but after taking one last glance, she ran over.

"Samson Nan, what are you two dawdling for?"

There came the voice of my mom from ahead.

"..."

He thought for a moment, then shouted ahead:

"Mom, you guys go ahead. Raina and I will come back later."

"Don't play for too long, it's unsafe when it gets dark on the mountain! Go straight back to Grandpa's later!"

"I know."

He finished speaking and turned to look at Raina Nan.

"Let's go, enjoy the flowers."

She was taken aback for a moment, looking slightly to the side.

"I didn't say I want to..."

"I thought you're okay with seeing pear blossoms? Will you accompany me? I beg you."

He interrupted her and walked up to her.

He flicked her nose with his hand.

"Well then..."

Her face was slightly flushed, muttering to herself.

"I'll accompany you... for a while."

"You tsundere."

"Mind your own business... get out of the way."

This time, she didn't retort. She pushed him aside and walked ahead on her own.

"..."

He sighed lightly, walked slowly, and followed her.

...

The two of them walked along another path all the way.

Unknowingly, they had already entered the pear blossom forest.

...

"We'll stop here, don't go too far."

Samson Nan said, sat down on a stone under a tree.

This place is nice.

Looking up, one could see countless snow-white pear blossoms hanging from branches.

"Little One, sit here."

"Oh..."

She looked around, seemingly looking for a cleaner rock.

"Do you have to? You can wash it if your butt gets dirty."

He smiled and patted his thigh.

"I really can't do anything about you, come, sit here."

"Go away."

She glanced at him, hesitated, and sat down beside him.

Shoulder to shoulder, she looked up and watched the petals falling like snowflakes from above.

He turned his head and looked at her.

"Little One, have you grown taller?"

"Really?"

"Seems like you've grown a little taller than before."

He said, putting his hand on top of her head to measure.

"..."

17 is the age for growing taller.

Boys are like this, but it's not easy to say for girls...

"My Little One has finally grown up."

He narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"What a tone..."

She found it funny, sat beside him with her knees hugged, and turned her head to glance at him.

"Well... I've grown where I should, I've developed quite well."

"You!"

Being told like this, her ears blushed in an instant, and she hurriedly covered her chest.

"Hahaha."

But he just laughed without realizing.

"Are you my brother or a hooligan..."

She was speechless, burying her face in her knees, and softly said with a hint of crying.

...

"I say, Little One."

After a moment of silence, his voice came to her ear again.

"What?"

"Are you nervous about the exam?"

"..."

She still kept her face buried in her knees and didn't look up at him.

After a moment of contemplation, she spoke softly again.

"Not nervous..."

"Is that so?"

"..."

She thought she might feel a bit nervous as the college entrance examination approached.

But until now, she didn't feel anything...

"It's only two or three months left..."

He propped his chin and thought.

"It'll be gone in the blink of an eye."

Indeed.

Two or three months is really not that long.

"..."

She didn't say anything.

For her...

These two or three months were the time before the final exam, maybe...

It was also the countdown to her departure.

Perhaps the sorrow of parting was only temporary.

Everything will be more naturally than she imagined..."Brother."

"Yeah?"

After a moment's hesitation, she spoke again in a soft voice.

"...Will you stay with me?"

She still didn't look up at him, burying her head, waiting for his answer.

"..."

He remained silent, turned his face aside, unable to see her expression.

"Not staying."

He hesitated, looking to the side.

"Why should I stay with you? Continue tutoring for another year?"

"..."

"..."

This was not a question that needed to be pondered; the answer was obvious.

But the next moment, he hesitated again.

"If I stay with you, will you stay?"

He couldn't bring himself to ask that question.

Because...

What kind of answer from her would satisfy him?

He felt as though there was none...

"..."

She seemed a little down.

No longer appreciating the flowers, she kept her head down, sulking by herself.

"Rain, Rain."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Lift your head up."

"No..."

"I have something for you."

"..."

She hesitated for a moment, then quietly revealed one eye.

"...What is it?"

She saw that he had opened his palm, and on it was a white pear blossom.

Unlike ordinary pear blossoms, the stem beneath the flower was twisted into a circle, resembling a ring at first glance.

"Give me your hand."

"..."

She looked at him, inexplicably, and swallowed in her throat.

Her heart beat harder and harder, but she dared not speak...

Carefully, he placed the pear blossom ring on her left ring finger.

"Oh, fits perfectly."

He pinched his chin and nodded.

"...Did you make this?"

She glanced at him skeptically.

"Ah."

"It's quite pretty..."

"Hehe, your big brother is quite talented. Come on, praise me."

He said, his nose held high.

"If I say it's kind of disgusting, don't get mad, okay..."

"Can you at least say it?!"

"..."

She finally realized something, pressed her lips with her fingers, and pretended to pout innocently.

"You, you..."

He sighed in resignation, poked her forehead with his finger.

"You'll absolutely never get married in the future."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, with a mouth as venomous as yours, who would marry you, idiot?"

"But I just got proposed to earlier..."

Her face was tinged with a faint blush, looking at her twisting toes.

Speaking softly.

"Huh?"

"Brother."

She stretched out her left hand and moved her delicate fingers.

"Do you know what it means to wear a ring on a girl's left ring finger?"

"..."

He was stunned for a moment, and then fell silent again.

"Idiot~"

She lowered her eyelids, glancing at him.

Then she stood up and walked ahead.

"I'm going back..."

"Oh, okay..."

He snapped back to reality, stood up as well, and followed behind.

"..."

"So... um..."

"I won't give it back, you know."

"Who wants you to give it back..."

...

...