The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

For several days in a row, Xu Nian stayed at home, being cared for by Xu Xi without leaving her side.

She was waited on hand and foot, and every night Xu Xi would comfortably wipe her back with a damp towel.

Even when Xu Nian was a child, she never experienced this kind of treatment from her mother.

He even felt like he had gained a few pounds.

However, this good time didn't last long, because Xu Xi seemed to have caught a cold from him and also fell ill.

Moreover, because Xu Xi was physically weak, her symptoms were much more severe than Xu Nian's. She had almost lost all her strength and even speaking was very difficult.

Next, the two switched roles. Xu Xi became the one lying on the bed groaning, while Xu Nian took care of her in the same way Xu Xi had taken care of her a few days ago.

Xu Niancai realized that taking care of a patient was such an exhausting thing.

Preparing and feeding them three meals a day takes up six hours.

There's also the task of wiping bodies, washing clothes, and cleaning, which is even more tiring than delivering meals all day.

Of course, he only wiped Xu Xi's back and limbs; the rest of the area was done by Xu Xi herself with great effort.

Xu Nian couldn't help but sigh, how difficult it must have been for the little guy to take care of himself during those days.

During this period, Xu Nian didn't go to work, and Xu Xi didn't go to school either. The two of them were helping each other fight against the disease.

Qi Yu was also exhausted to the point of collapse. In order to keep Xu Nian's perfect attendance award, he had been working from early morning to late at night for half a month, working two shifts a day.

It took half a month for the two of them to finally recover their health.

However, due to not attending school for half a month, Xu Xi's academic performance has declined significantly.

In the first monthly exam of the new semester, her grades dropped to third in the class and fourth in the grade.

When she brought up this painful incident with Wen Yao and Zhao Lin, they expressed their anger and strongly condemned her Versailles-like behavior.

Stacking, why is there such injustice in the world?

I studied hard for half a month, but I still couldn't catch up with the genius who stayed at home for half a month.

On Friday, Yang Jidong lectured on the Analects of Confucius as usual during moral education class.

"By being mindful of the end of life and remembering our ancestors, the people's virtue will return to its original purity."

"Wen Yao, could you translate this sentence?"

"By carefully handling the funerals of one's parents and remembering one's distant ancestors, the people's customs will become pure and simple."

Yang Jidong nodded, gesturing for Wen Yao to sit down.

"Children, this holiday will be combined with the Qingming Festival, for a total of three days."

"Everyone must have a sense of reverence when paying respects to their ancestors."

Then, Yang Jidong talked about some safety knowledge and told the students to be more careful on the road.

Xu Xi lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.

......

"Hmm? Go see your mother?"

During dinner, Xu Nian noticed that Xu Xi was in low spirits. After repeatedly asking him, he finally found out what the little guy was thinking.

It turned out that the Qingming Festival was approaching, and Xu Xi wanted to take advantage of this festival to visit her mother's grave.

Xu Xi nodded gently, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes.

I haven't seen my mother for two years, and she hardly appears in my dreams anymore.

She felt that her mother must be angry with her, which was why she didn't appear in her dreams.

"Sure, I happen to have tomorrow off, I'll take you."

Xu Nian pinched her cheek and said comfortingly.

"Mmm, thank you, brother..."

The next morning, Xu Nian left the house before the little guy woke up.

He bought the necessary supplies for tomb sweeping and also bought a whole smoked chicken.

According to Xu Xi, her family was very poor when she was a child. Every time she passed by a smoked chicken stall, she would envy the children who could happily gnaw on chicken legs.

Her mother would occasionally bring home a smoked chicken leg and secretly give it to her behind her father's back.

If their father finds out, the mother and daughter will get a beating.

Whenever she tried to save half for her mother, her mother would wave her hand and say that she didn't like these foods because they were too greasy.

But she would always find her mother gnawing on the chicken bones she had left behind late at night.

When I got home, Xu Xi was already up and busy in the kitchen.

She prepared a table full of dishes, some of which were for their breakfast and others were for her mother.

After everything was packed and ready, they set off together for Yuncheng Cemetery.

Yuncheng Cemetery is far from the city center, but it is nestled against the mountains and by the water, boasting beautiful scenery.

Based on humanitarian principles, the Yuncheng City government covered the funeral expenses of all deceased individuals who could not afford cemetery fees.

Therefore, even Xu Xi's impoverished mother could find a place here.

However, the location is a bit off, in the most remote corner.

A good location, of course, requires money to purchase.

A simple tombstone with a line of somewhat blurry small characters engraved on it.

The Tomb of Li Yu.

The woman in the photo has a radiant smile, and you can see a resemblance to Xu Xi in her features.

She was beautiful, but also very thin.

Compared to her, Xu Xi was quite chubby.

The grave was overgrown with weeds, some of which were almost up to Xu Nian's waist.

Xu Nian took out the lawnmower tools she had bought, and she and Xu Xi squatted down to carefully clean up every weed that was sprouting from the cracks.

Their vitality is so tenacious that their roots are deeply embedded in the earth. Even if the exposed parts of the plant are cut off, they will probably sprout again next year.

Wild fire, in spring.

It took the two of them a whole morning to clear the weeds from just a small grave.

"Finally finished."

Xu Nian took out a tissue and wiped the sweat from her head, then took out another tissue and wiped the little guy's head with it.

However, the more the little guy wiped the sweat from his face, the more sweat seemed to accumulate.

Upon closer inspection, I realized those weren't beads of sweat, but tears.

Upon seeing her mother's photo, Xu Xi could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.

She knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Mom...Xiaoxi has come to see you..."

Xu Nian took out the dishes she had brought, along with the roast chicken, and neatly arranged them in front of the tombstone.

And on the way, the little guy carefully selected a bouquet of flowers.

"Mommy, Xiaoxi misses you so much..."

"Didn't you say you'd become a star and watch me grow up from the sky...?"

As she spoke, she cried until she lost her voice completely, choking and unable to utter a complete sentence.

Xu Nian squatted down beside her and gently patted her shoulder.

During this time, he learned a lot about Xu Xi's mother from her.

She came from a rural background and, through her own hard work and diligence, managed to leave the mountains and became the only person in the entire village to be admitted to university.

But on her way to register at school, she was abducted by human traffickers and ended up in the hands of Mr. Xu.

At first, she kept trying to escape, but after Xu Xi came into her life, she gave up the struggle and did her best to protect her little daughter amidst the endless domestic violence.

Her wounds never truly healed; new wounds would appear before old ones had healed.

"Xiaoxi, go over there and wipe your tears. Your mother will be upset if she sees you crying so sadly."

Xu Nian gently ruffled the little guy's hair and said softly.

Xu Xi nodded gently, stood up tremblingly, and left her mother's grave.