The words rang out.
Old Master Qiu could no longer suppress it. Ninety years of waiting, he had never told anyone. Only today, he met a 'stranger'. Thinking that it was a stranger, it wouldn't matter to tell him, he poured out the waiting and longing buried deep in his heart.
Tears dripped onto the lunchbox, soaking the white rice.
The old master seemed oblivious, as if his Alzheimer's had struck again, forgetting that someone was beside him, but always remembering the past, his shoulders trembling as he murmured again and again:
"Master, when will you return?"
"Third Senior Brother, I ate your braised pork, but you haven't returned."
"Senior Brothers, Master, I miss you all so much. Will I still have the chance to practice martial arts and calligraphy with you?"
He poured out his heart again and again.
The old master's eyes were already red, tears soaking his face.
But he did not know.
At this very moment...
Seven figures stood behind him, their eyes also red and tearful, looking at the old master with heartache.
The figure in the lead shed tears:
"Zhi Xing, we are here, we are here."
A figure with one eye missing also wiped away tears:
"Seventh Junior Brother, we have returned, we have always been by your side... I'm sorry."
Their voices echoed in his ears.
Zhang Wei fell silent.
Even without asking, he knew who the seven figures behind Grandpa Qiu were. They were his master and six senior brothers, his father and brothers.
They would not return. They had died in that age of gunfire.
And at the same time.
Zhang Wei also understood.
Why Grandpa Qiu didn't like to go out, why Li Junfei had never seen Grandpa Qiu.
It was because Grandpa Qiu was afraid. He was afraid that if he went out, he wouldn't be able to find his master and senior brothers if they returned. He guarded the small martial arts hall alone for more than 90 years.
Just to be able to see his master and senior brothers walk towards him bathed in light one day, still smiling, and his senior brothers still as bright and sunny as ever...
"Grandpa Qiu."
Zhang Wei called out to Old Master Qiu. This time, he no longer concealed it, focusing on the seven figures behind Grandpa Qiu.
His actions.
Were noticed by the seven figures behind him.
They were stunned.
"You can see us?" Master Qiu Qingshan asked in astonishment.
Zhang Wei nodded slightly.
But there was no time to explain to them now. The important thing was to let Grandpa Qiu meet them, to use his system points to allow Grandpa Qiu to see them, and to end Grandpa Qiu's ninety-year wait.
However, just as Zhang Wei called out to Grandpa Qiu.
Perhaps due to excessive longing.
Or for some other reason.
Before Grandpa Qiu could look up, his face suddenly showed pain. Before he could respond to Zhang Wei, he fainted.
"Grandpa Qiu!!"
"Zhi Xing!"
"Junior Brother!"
Zhang Wei's pupils contracted, and he quickly supported Grandpa Qiu, who was falling from the stone chair.
His cry was loud, and the nearby caregivers noticed.
Soon, some caregivers rushed over, and together with Zhang Wei, they carried Grandpa Qiu into the nursing home's medical room.
Not long after.
The siren of an ambulance sounded.
Grandpa Qiu was put into the ambulance and sent to the hospital for treatment.
Zhang Wei did not hesitate. He called Qiu Xiaolin and her parents, who were rushing to celebrate the old man's birthday. He was not a fool. He knew that Alzheimer's would not cause someone to suddenly faint. There must be other causes.
Now that he knew Grandpa Qiu's past, he did not intend to let Qiu Xiaolin and Grandpa Qiu be separated and unable to see each other. Anyway, with the blessing of his system points, Qiu Xiaolin's family should not be in any danger.
...
Xiamen City Hospital, in front of the operating room.
At this time.
Grandpa Qiu was being rescued in the hospital.
Outside the operating room, Zhang Wei, with the consent of his master and others, told Qiu Xiaolin's family about Grandpa Qiu's past.
Qiu Xiaolin's family cried, especially Qiu Xiaolin, who was already in tears.
Afterward, with Zhang Wei's help, Qiu Xiaolin and her family met the master and others. After more than 90 years, the ancestors met. The master and others blamed themselves for not keeping their promise and thanked them for accompanying Grandpa Qiu.
For a moment.
Outside the operating room, Grandpa Qiu's family, who had become ghosts, and Grandpa Qiu's descendants, waited together for Grandpa Qiu's surgery.
"I never knew Dad went through all this, sigh."
While waiting, Qiu Xiaolin's father spoke, his face filled with sadness. In his memory, his father always had a kind face and often told him stories of his time as a soldier fighting in wars. He never mentioned waiting in front of him.
Qiu Xiaolin wiped away her tears and comforted her father beside her:
"Dad, it's okay. When Grandpa comes out, Grandpa can see his ancestors."
In her words.
Qiu Xiaolin pursed her lips and said:
"And even if... even if Grandpa leaves... he can reunite with his ancestors. No matter what, Grandpa doesn't have to wait anymore, right, Great-Grandfather, Zhang Wei, huh? What's wrong with you? Why the expressions?"
Qiu Xiaolin found that facing her question, Zhang Wei and the master and senior brothers did not have the expected expressions.
"I'll say it."
Seeing the master and senior brothers hesitating to speak, Zhang Wei understood their meaning. They didn't know how to express it, fearing that what they were about to say would be difficult for them to accept.
Afterward.
Zhang Wei looked at Qiu Xiaolin's family:
"Xiao Mantou, do you remember what I told you before? The separation between yin and yang, the path of humans and ghosts is different."
Qiu Xiaolin nodded:
"I remember. Xiao Weizi, you said that humans and ghosts are one yin and one yang, so under normal circumstances, humans and ghosts cannot stay together for long. Humans will be harmed by the ghost's yin energy, and ghosts will also lose virtue, which is detrimental to both humans and ghosts."
At this point, suddenly, as if realizing something, Qiu Xiaolin looked at the master and others.
Before, she had learned that the master and others had always been by Grandpa Qiu's side. She thought that her illness from staying with Grandpa for too long was precisely because of the master and others.
After all, the master and others were ghosts, possessing yin energy. She was still a child then, her body not fully developed, and most vulnerable to yin energy. Her yang energy was damaged, causing her to fall ill.
But now, it seemed the situation was not like that.
If her illness was caused by the master and others, then why was Grandpa Qiu completely fine? After all, Grandpa Qiu had been with the master and others for 80-90 years, but Grandpa had always been healthy.
"Is it because... Grandpa is blessed with merit?"
Qiu Xiaolin asked doubtfully.
Besides telling her about the separation between humans and ghosts, Zhang Wei had also mentioned being blessed with merit. Grandpa Qiu was a soldier in the War of Resistance. Soldiers like Grandpa Qiu, firefighters, nurses, and others who served the people were blessed with merit and were not afraid of ordinary ghosts.
Regarding this.
Zhang Wei nodded and shook his head:
"Grandpa Qiu is indeed blessed with merit, so he is not afraid of ordinary yin energy. But actually, Xiao Mantou, Grandpa Qiu making you sick was not because of Master Qingshan and the others, but for another reason."
"Grandpa Qiu's fate has problems. Do you remember what I said? Before Master Qingshan called Grandpa Qiu back to the martial arts hall, he had prayed to heaven, hoping for Master Qingshan and the others' safety."
"I remember." Qiu Xiaolin said, and her body suddenly froze, having already realized something.
And Zhang Wei's next words confirmed the answer she least wanted to hear.
Zhang Wei nodded and slowly said:
"Actually, that was more than just a prayer. Grandpa Qiu unintentionally changed fate for Master Qingshan and the others. He used his own life to allow Master Qingshan and the others to pass through that danger, but only that one time."
"Since ancient times, there has been talk of defying fate, including in physiognomy and fortune-telling, such as 'offending Tai Sui this year' and needing to wear a red string to pass Tai Sui, etc."
"But unlike offending Tai Sui, defying fate is going against heaven... there is a price."
"Grandpa Qiu's price was his life, and our lives are not just this life, but also future lives."
"Because Grandpa Qiu used his life to exchange for Master Qingshan and the others, being with people like him who have no future life would cause harm. It violated taboos, and even being blessed with merit would not help."
Speaking to this point.
Zhang Wei fell silent, feeling as if his throat was stuck with carbon and it was uncomfortable, but he still spoke with difficulty:
"Grandpa Qiu has no life left. His life was gone long ago, so he doesn't have much time left. If he dies, he will not enter the cycle of reincarnation and will completely... vanish into thin air."