The town under the mountain was shrouded in the sound of firecrackers again. Shen Jue opened his eyes, and after a brief period of confusion, he remembered that it was another New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve, this is the third New Year's Eve after Dad left.

Shen Jue went down the mountain and returned to the Shen residence. The house is still majestic, with pavilions and pavilions, carved railings and raised eaves, beautiful gardens, lotus ponds... but the residual lotus in the pond has already withered, the water is covered with a thin layer of ice, and occasionally a gust of wind blows, with some dead branches and leaves. Sprinkle on ice. But after three years, the house looked a lot lonely. Before Shen Qingxuan was there, he urged his servants to take care of it. Now that Shen Qingxuan passed away, and the second year old housekeeper also passed away, the house became lonely.

Master Shen also left.

But it was only three years, and three people were sent away in a row. Shen Jue went to the Buddhist hall, but Mrs. Shen didn't see him or anyone else. After Shen Qingxuan left, Madam Shen locked herself in the Buddhist hall, and as soon as Master Shen followed, Old Madam Shen never left the Buddhist hall.

Standing in the south courtyard for a while, Shen Jue looked at the place where she grew up, and hardly dared to recall. Memories are so beautiful, but painful. The sly daddy with a sly smile, the daddy who was lying drunk in the pavilion of the beauty in his father's arms, the daddy who held the ruler and beat his palm, and the daddy who painted Danqing in the courtyard, are all gone. That person's voice, face, and smile can only be found in memory. If one day, he also died, besides his father, who else in this world would remember him?

Shen Jue thought that no one would remember him.

The snow stopped and fell. Snowflakes fluttered in the sky, Shen Jue closed his cloak tightly.

Shen Zhen came back a few years ago, and Xu was the family's funeral that happened again and again. He fell ill and was allowed to return to his hometown to recuperate. This is his first big year at home after many years away from home. The wine on the table is hot, the food is warm, but the air is cold. It was a reunion night where loved ones were gone. Shen Zhen waved his servants back and poured himself a drink.

Shen Jue pushed the door open, and the uncle and nephew glanced at each other, surprised. They had only met twice. Shen Zhen was not familiar with this nephew, even better than Yimo, at least Yimo had spoken to him. He didn't expect Shen Jue to come back tonight, and Shen Jue didn't know that his uncle was back. After the accident between the two, Shen Zhen beckoned him to sit down beside him.

Shen Zhen looked at the children left by his brother. Although they were not parents, their expressions were somewhat similar. Just as peaceful.

After a moment of silence, Shen Zhen said, "If I remember correctly, it's time for you to salute."

Shen Jue said, "Yes."

"How about Guanli going to the Shen family's ancestral hall?"

"Okay." Shen Jue said.

The two were speechless.

After a while, Shen Zhen said, "Recover from your illness, I'm going back to the south, and you're an adult after the crown ceremony. Have you ever thought about it in the future?"

Shen Jue did not speak.

Shen Zhen said again: "Although you are not of the blood of the Shen family, you are also of the Shen family. I hope you stay in the Shen family to take care of the affairs... I went to the south, and I can't take care of it here."

"Does uncle want to hand over the family business to me?" Shen Jue asked quietly.

"The children raised by my brother will not be bad. I have nothing to worry about when I give it to you."

"Daddy raised me, not for me to inherit the family business." Shen Jue glanced at him and smiled slightly, "Besides, I'm not my father's parent after all, my uncle will go to the south in the future, and my nephew is young, where would anyone be willing to have a nephew? How about being a patriarch?"

"Are you afraid they will bully you?" Shen Zhen asked.

"Don't be afraid." Shen Jue replied, "Daddy said back then that you can do whatever you want in the future, that is, don't be the patriarch."

Shen Zhen was curious and asked, "Why?"

"Dad said it's not his son's job to waste his time in those worldly affairs and human relationships." Shen Jue said with a chuckle, his eyebrows full of nostalgia. That is the emotion that comes out involuntarily when talking about a loved one.

Shen Zhen saw it, was silent for a moment, and said, "Then what do you want to do?"

"...I haven't made up my mind yet," Shen Jue said, then paused and said, "Maybe I will practice with my father."

"Cultivation?" Shen Zhen said, "Why? Is your family not good? Is it bad to be a human being?"

"No, my family is very good, neither my grandparents nor others have ever seen me as an outsider," Shen Jue paused, "but... I still want to cultivate, and I don't want to live too short."

"At your age, what are you talking about about your longevity," Shen Zhen said.

"If you live a little longer, you can accompany your father." Shen Jue said, speaking very calmly and melancholy, "He no longer has a father, and if he doesn't have me in a few decades, he will not know the years to come. How to get over." A little bit, he said: "So I don't want to take over the family business, I want to accompany my father."

Speaking of this, Shen Zhen also felt sad. Although he was away all year, someone at home had told him that he couldn't understand his brother's choice, and even resented it. After all, the Shen family had a decent family style and was a famous local family. He has always been respected, and his brother's actions undoubtedly smeared the family. He complained and wrote angrily. But over time, the resentment faded away. He is very clear about his brother, even if he is a demon, it will not be too bad. Until the day of Shen Qingxuan's burial, he saw that person in front of the tomb, and he could see the five characters on the tombstone clearly and keep it in his heart. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is unforgettable. It even gave birth to a strange feeling that it was my brother who dragged "people" into the water.

After drinking a glass of wine, Shen Zhen said with a sigh of relief: "How is your father now? It's New Year's Eve, you should call him up."

"My father is indifferent, and when my father is gone, he won't go anywhere." Shen Jue said.

Shen Zhen heard the words and nodded, "It's okay."

"Daddy often talked to me about you during the years when my uncle was away." Seeing the gloomy atmosphere, Shen Jue changed the subject and said with a smile, "Dad said that uncle won glory for the Shen family."

"Then why don't you also make a name for yourself?" Speaking of himself, Shen Zhen laughed, "You don't even think about it. It can be seen that your father is just talking about it, and he is disdainful in his heart."

"No," Shen Jue quickly defended, "Daddy thinks that uncle is loyal to the country, and he will handle the family affairs, so you won't be distracted."

"What about you? You don't seek fame, and it seems that you don't like money..." Shen Zhen asked with great interest, "What do you want?"

Shen Jue was silent for a moment, "I want to be like Daddy."

"Huh?" Shen Zhen sat up straight.

"...for my father and me, my grandmother never forgave him, my grandfather didn't say anything but kept him away, the clan looked down on him, everyone in the business circle discriminated against him, and the girls were unwilling to serve him, walking on the street , everyone avoided him, but Daddy... never gave in."

"No matter how others laughed at him, humiliated him, squeezed him out of business, hoarded his goods, destroyed shops, or even set fire to Shen's grain store... Daddy never gave in, and he didn't even mention it in front of us."

"I want to be like Daddy, willing to sacrifice everything to achieve my goals, regardless of life or death."

"But he has always stood tall and worthy of his heart."

Shen Jue lowered his head and took out the clay puppy, playing with it in his palm, his voice weakened: "Daddy died, only then did someone say that his life is unrestrained and romantic. In fact, they were wrong. Daddy has never lived in his life. I haven't been dashing, not even a day."

Shen Zhen was speechless.

The uncle and nephew sat for a while, and Shen Zhen said, "What about you? Your story has spread long ago? Have you ever been bullied when you are so old?"

Shen Jue shook his head: "Daddy takes good care of me, no one dares to bully me."

Shen Zhen sighed: "Brother is very protective of his relatives." He couldn't help but think of his childhood, and laughed himself, "Your father always bullied me when he was a child."

"I know. Daddy said it." Shen Jue also smiled.

"Then did he say that when he was young, he only let himself bully me, and never let others bully me?" Shen Zhen picked up the wine cup, "He must not have said it. But I always remember that when I was six years old, my uncle My child beat me for a handful of candy, was tied up by my brother, beat me for an hour, and didn't stay at home for half a year." As he spoke, Shen Zhen raised his eyebrows, "Although he hated me at that time."

Shen Jue didn't know about these past events. When Shen Qingxuan was alive, he only told Yimo, no one other than Yimo knew about it.

Shen Jue did not take the initiative to answer. For no other reason, his uncle used "hate". This word will be surprising in any occasion, and it is even more awe-inspiring when used at this time. Shen Jue is not a reckless child, and Shen Qingxuan will not raise a reckless child, so he just nodded and smiled without saying a word.

Shen Zhen observed him with deep meaning. He deliberately said such words, thinking that he would get some response, but in the end, he was unexpected. The young man in front of him was calm, his eyes were calm, and it seemed that he had not heard anything. Shen Zhen was sure that he heard it, but he didn't want to say anything. Shen Zhen didn't know whether he didn't want to say it because he didn't know history, or because he didn't think it was important at all, and he couldn't tell Shen Jue's mind. Even if he is twenty years older than him. Shen Zhen remembered his brother, and that person went to earth with that secret, and he didn't say anything for the rest of his life. How big of a tolerance does he have to be able to do this. Looking at the handsome features in front of him, Shen Zhen sighed: "Your father raised a good son."

Shen Jue smiled, with some shyness, "Uncle won the prize."

"Stay vigil with me, and go back after the New Year at home."

"Probably not," Shen Jue politely refused. "My father is still in the mountains. If I don't go back, he will lie down on his father's tombstone and sleep all night."

Those words appeared in front of Shen Zhen's eyes again, how affectionate does the widow have to be, so a thousand-year-old demon is willing to call himself a widow?

With a wave of his hand, Shen Zhen said: "After drinking this cup, you can go. I don't treat you as a child, let alone an outsider. When I think about it in the future, come sit with me and have a drink."

Shen Jue drank wine and got up to leave. When the wooden door opened, Ye Feng swirled in with snowflakes wrapped in it, and Shen Zhen whispered from behind: "Death is up to your life, tell your father, don't be too sad. My brother, please be kind."

Shen Jue paused, closed the door and left.

Walking back to the courtyard in the mountains on the snow, there was no one in the house, Shen Jue lit the brazier, went to warm some wine and set it up, and then closed the door to find his father.

On New Year's Eve, the snow was white, Yimo turned into a snake, and fell asleep on the tombstone of Shen Qingxuan. When Shen Jue found him, the snow had completely covered him, and the white mass wrapped around the tombstone was silent. Not even the sound of footsteps woke him. Every winter three years ago, Shen Qingxuan would hold the snake-shaped Yimo in his arms, keeping him warm and covering him, as if he was afraid that he would freeze. Now that Shen Qingxuan has passed away, and the person who held him in the extreme cold is no longer there, Yimo will not be able to warm up even if he wraps his head around the tombstone. It will only get colder and colder.

Shen Jue turned into a wolf shape, with black and shiny hair all over his body, and a majestic appearance, but he leaned over cautiously, his forelimbs flexed and shrunk beside Yimo, his head rested on the big snow-covered snake, and he closed his eyes.

When he woke up, he was already lying on the bed in the house, the charcoal fire was burning warmly, and he was covered with a quilt. Shen Jue jumped out of bed, Yimo was sitting at the front of the table, drinking the warm wine alone.

There are three sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table.

"Father," Shen Jue respectfully stepped forward and saluted, and sat aside, there was an empty seat beside him, but no one came to sit.

"I'll go down the mountain after you have done the crown ceremony." Yimo said lightly, "Do you want to stay in the mountain to cultivate, or go home?"

Shen Jue was stunned: "I was brought up by my father and my father. My father is gone. Where is my father, my home is."

"You can't go where I'm going," said Imo.

"Where is father going?" Shen Jue looked at him and thought about it, "Could it be that you are going to find father?"

Emo said nothing.

Shen Jue got up and walked to the side, suddenly knelt down, knelt at his feet, and said solemnly: "Daddy once instructed that if his father wants to find him after his death, let the child stop him. Daddy said that he will not recognize him in the next life. You don't plan to recognize you either, he will change his way of life in the next life."

Yimo lowered his eyes and looked at the top of his head, "Can you stop me?"

The expression on Shen Jue's face changed slightly: "I can't stop it." Then: "If the father insists on going, the child will follow."

"I don't know where he is either. Has he been reincarnated or not? It may take hundreds of years to find him. How do you follow him?"

"The child was born of a wolf mother. There was a demon pill. As long as you practice diligently, you will have no problem living for hundreds of years. Although I can't stop my father, my father can't get rid of the child." Shen Jue spoke loudly, Firmly said: "If you can find your father, it will be considered a reunion. If there is an emergency on the way, the child will still be able to contribute." After saying that, Shen Jue squatted on the ground and kowtowed: "I beg father to do it."

Yimo didn't say a word, just drank silently, and when the drink reached the bottom, he nodded and said, "The crown ceremony is done, let's go."

"Yes." Shen Jue smiled, got up and sat back on the chair. After the matter was settled, the atmosphere seemed to have relaxed a little. Looking around, Shen Jue asked, "Dad met Daddy here?"

Yimo pointed his finger at the wooden railing outside the window, but he couldn't see anything in his expression, and said lightly, "There, he poured me a cup of tea."

So he turned around and bit him, and the toxin quickly swept away, spreading in the weak body, from the texture to the blood, from the blood to the internal organs, the poison finally penetrated into the bones.

And he was devoured.

The poison named Shen Qingxuan also penetrated into his bones.

From now on forever.

Shen Jue looked at the wooden fence covered with snow under the moonlight, and said with a chuckle, "Daddy once said that he never thought that a bowl of tea would be spilled and he would meet a beautiful snake."

Putting down the empty jug, Yimo said, "Go to sleep."

That night, the firecrackers under the mountain stayed up all night, but they had nothing to do with them anymore.