nashuaworldcup Chapter 102 Awakening After the Years
Chapter 102 Awakening After the Years
Upon waking this time, Lin Yue's entire aura underwent a significant change. The first time she woke, she was sharp and aggressive, surrounded by a murderous aura. But this time, she seemed much gentler; all the murderous intent seemed to have subsided, and she became much calmer, even appearing younger. That indescribable feeling was like sunshine, making one feel incredibly comfortable.
When the eagle spirit looked up and saw Lin Yue wake up, it let out a sharp eagle cry: "Master is awake! Master is awake!" At this moment, the white-haired brother, thousands of miles away, also told Jingjing, "Your mother is awake." The two quickly bought plane tickets thousands of miles away, wanting to rush back as soon as possible.
All the spirits rejoiced in the canyon because their valley master, Lin Yue, had awakened. They glanced behind Lin Yue but didn't see Gong Yong awake. They just glanced at him, without disappointment or despair, without any complicated expressions to describe whether the man who should have been behind Lin Yue was there or not. They just felt that he was always there in previous years, but not this year.
At this moment, Xiao Hui and Lao Xiao, nearing 90 years old, clasped Lin Yue's hands with their blurred eyes and trembling hands. Xiao Hui hugged Lin Yue and sobbed, "How could you be so heartless? Ten years! I thought I wouldn't make it. Ten years, Xiao Hui, how many decades are there in a lifetime!"
Lin Yue said, "I'm sorry, I'm the one who delayed you this time."
Xiao Hui asked, "Where did you go? Lin Yue, didn't you say you were in seclusion?"
Lin Yue replied, "Yes, I did go into seclusion, but I experienced a different life. Every time I went into seclusion, I felt like I was living a new life. Whether it was just a fleeting experience or I fully enjoyed the role, in short, I feel that I have grown and seen through a lot of things. The thorn that I couldn't erase from my heart, the emotional barriers I couldn't overcome, and the cage I couldn't step out of have all been stepped out."
Xiao Hui said, "Lin Yue, I'm so happy for you. You're finally making great progress in your spiritual practice."
Old Xiao said, "It's been so many years since I've seen you. We've grown old and our hair has turned gray, but looking at you, it seems like time hasn't left any marks on your face."
Lin Yue said, "Old Xiao, life is only so many days. It's better to enjoy the present moment. For someone who cultivates spirituality, those ten years I spent with my eyes closed may just be a fleeting moment. Do you understand what I mean?"
Old Xiao said, "I understand. Time is just a blink of an eye in your eyes. Many people and many things, some people struggle with them their whole lives, but in your eyes..." Old Xiao sighed and didn't continue.
Xiao Hui continued, "Thank you for taking us in for ten years."
Lin Yue said, "Of course, we're best friends."
A Heartwarming Reunion
Lin Yue chatted with Xiao Hui and Lao Xiao for a while, and then the ginseng spirit quickly ran over to Lin Yue and said, "Little chubby baby, I feel like you've grown up."
The ginseng spirit said, "Yes, yes, I'm a big child now, not a little child anymore."
Lin Yue said, "My cultivation has improved a lot."
The little ginseng spirit said, "That's right, Lin Yue, you've improved a lot too."
A willow tree spirit suddenly appeared: "Master, Master, I miss you so much."
Lin Yue smiled and said, "You've grown taller and stronger, and you're starting to resemble a human. Congratulations on your further advancement in cultivation."
The willow tree spirit chuckled and said, "Yes, yes."
The rat spirit climbed onto the willow tree branch and said, "Master, Master, I miss you too." The rat spirit's head had even more golden hair, and its tail had even more. Lin Yue raised her hand and gently tapped the little rat's forehead, saying, "You still need to work harder."
The little mouse spirit said, "Master, I have tried my best."
Lin Yue said, "Your efforts were all built on snacks; you need to fix it yourself." The little mouse scratched its face with its paw in embarrassment.
Two snow wolves walked over and said, "Master, after all these years, my wife and I have discussed it, and now I can have one or two cubs with her."
Lin Yue said, "Won't your wife's cultivation be affected by your pregnancy and having a baby?"
The two snow wolf spirits said, "Yes."
Lin Yue said, "Since it will affect our cultivation, let's not consider it for now."
The snow wolf spirit said, "I want my offspring to protect your offspring."
Lin Yue said, "There's no need. You just need to improve your cultivation. As for my descendants, their fate is up to them." The two wolf spirits agreed and withdrew from Lin Yue's vicinity.
The eagle spirit flew over and landed on Lin Yue's shoulder. Lin Yue said, "Eagle spirit, you've gotten fatter again. If you get any fatter, you might not be able to fly anymore."
The eagle spirit said, "Master, because you were not here, I didn't exercise much and couldn't fly very far. I'm sure I'll degenerate, but my cultivation is improving."
Lin Yue said, "You should also get some exercise. For example, go see my eldest daughter, see my second daughter, go for a walk, and fly around. This way, your cultivation will improve, your flying ability won't deteriorate, and you won't gain any more weight."
The eagle spirit said, "Understood, Master." Although it seemed a little embarrassed at being caught by its master, it chirped a couple of times, flew around a couple of times, and then came back to show its joy.
Lin Yue greeted each of the little sprites, then led Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui to the courtyard to bask in the sun. Xiao Hui had a lot to say to Lin Yue, and Lao Xiao also had a lot to complain about.
Lin Yue said, "I'll go make you something delicious."
Xiao Hui said, "Okay, we'll wait here."
Lin Yue helped Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui into the sun, then went back to the kitchen to prepare a soup for them, as they were quite old.
Lin Yue wanted to use the essence of this soup to make Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui more comfortable in the last few years of their lives, so they could leave this world painlessly and without suffering. Therefore, Lin Yue made this soup with great care; she used some spiritual fruits she found in her spatial storage.
While Lin Yue was busy in the kitchen, Xiao Bao, Xiao Xue, their eldest grandson, second granddaughter, third grandson, and fourth granddaughter had all received a call informing them that their grandmother had woken up and emerged from seclusion. Xiao Xue's eldest grandson and second granddaughter were both 16 years old, and her youngest grandson and granddaughter were both 11. At this point in time, the children were still in school. After receiving the call upon returning home from school, Xiao Bao and Xiao Xue quickly led the children towards the valley, while Coco and Snow Wolf also rushed there with their son and daughter.
While Lin Yue was preparing dinner, several nannies continued to work in the kitchen. Lin Yue carefully prepared two or three dishes and then sat there chatting with Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui.
Lin Yue asked, "Xiao Hui, hasn't your precious daughter come back?" Xiao Hui replied, "She came back once in between." Lin Yue asked, "Is she doing well?" Xiao Hui said, "She's alright, I guess." Lin Yue said, "Who told you to raise such an outstanding child?" Xiao Hui said, "If I had known that raising her to be so outstanding would mean she rarely comes home after going abroad, I would have preferred not to have raised her properly and instead had her stay by my side." Lin Yue said, "What are you thinking? Isn't it better that your child is capable, can go abroad, and can live a good life outside?" Xiao Hui said, "But it's only me who suffers. Lao Xiao and I only have her as our daughter, but even out of 360 days a year, we only get to see her for a few days. It's not as enjoyable as having you here." Lin Yue was too embarrassed to ask any further questions, and the conversation ended there.
Lin Yue asked again, "Have you been doing well here these past few years?" Xiao Hui said, "Very well, thank you, Lin Yue, thank you for giving us an old couple a place to go." Lin Yue said, "Don't talk nonsense, we're all good friends. Actually, whether you go to a nursing home or hire a caregiver at home, it's not as comfortable as being here with me." Xiao Hui said, "Yes, you're very comfortable here. When we first came, these little devils wouldn't come out, and my husband and I were so bored. But after we got to know them, they slowly started coming out, even playing cards with us, chatting with us occasionally, and taking walks. Every day there's someone to keep us company with laughter and joy, it's actually quite pleasant." Lin Yue asked again, "Is this kind of comfort different from having your niece around?" Xiao Hui said, "The difference is quite big. Before things settled down, it felt like there was laughter and joy everywhere, but when Lao Xiao and I went home to sleep, it felt especially quiet. That environment made us think a lot, but Lin Yue said not to think so much, just live here peacefully."
When it was time for dinner, Xiao Bao had already brought his wife and children to the valley. The children ran up to Lin Yue and hugged her, calling out, "Grandma, Grandma, I missed you so much! Grandma, Grandma, why did it take you so long to come out?" These were the words of the two older children as they cuddled Lin Yue. The two little ones, however, didn't seem as affectionate towards Lin Yue, probably because Lin Yue had only been with them for a year and had likely already forgotten the happy times they shared.
Lin Yue, holding the hands of the two older children and the two younger ones, said, "Grandma didn't mean to. Something came up and I was delayed. But Grandma has gifts for you." This time, Grandma took two small gourds and hung them around the necks of the younger children; they were also white. The two older children asked, "Grandma, where are our gifts?" Grandma chuckled and said, "You have gifts." Grandma then took two strings of beads to wear on the wrists and gave one to each of the older children. The younger children were also happy to receive the two gourds, but the little sister said, "Grandma, I want a beaded necklace." Lin Yue simply took out two more strings—two black ones for the boys and two purple ones for the girls. Inside were amulets Lin Yue had made for the children, a total of 18 beads, small enough to ward off 18 dangers. Throughout their growth, Lin Yue had considered the possibility of danger many times.
After spending time with her four grandchildren, Lin Yue began to check Xiao Bao's and Xiao Xue's cultivation levels. When Lin Yue checked Xiao Xue's cultivation level, she sighed deeply. Giving birth twice, not too far apart, had still taken a toll on Xiao Xue.
Lin Yue said to Xiao Xue, "You need to work hard. You should spend more time cultivating yourself instead of continuing to manage the company. You can hire someone to manage the company. The two or four children have been in school for so many years. Don't focus too much on their studies. Let them be on their own."
Lin Yue sighed. She thought about how she cared about her three children's studies and how she took care of them in their daily lives. Then she looked at Xiaoxue and realized that she was following in her footsteps. She just felt sorry for her wife and thought her wife had worked so hard.
When Lin Yue said, "Daughter-in-law, you've worked so hard," all the grievances, all the resentment, all the conflicts vanished the moment her mother-in-law said those words to Xiao Xue. Because Xiao Xue knew that this mother-in-law was truly good to her, the kind of good that goes straight to the heart.
In truth, no one knew what was inside Xiaoxue's gourd, not even Xiaobao. Lin Yue left Xiaoxue a letter, a testament to her confidence. If one day her son made the mistake all men make, Xiaoxue's secret—the gourd—had the power to kick Xiaobao out and raise her three children alone, without any external assistance. She could stand independently in society, economically, personally, and spiritually independent. This confidence came from her mother-in-law, not from her own family, not from herself, but from a mother-in-law she hadn't known for long. This was something Xiaobao didn't know, something no one else in the family knew.
This was a gift from her grandmother to Xiaoxue before her first seclusion. Xiaoxue didn't discover these things for a long time. Because when she opened it, her cultivation level was insufficient, and the area she could explore was very small. After Xiaoxue's cultivation level increased, she discovered the enormous wealth her grandmother had left her, and only then did she realize how much her grandmother loved her, how protective she was of her grandchildren, and how much she had even left her some things from the valley.
In truth, Lin Yue felt utterly helpless when she was raising three children alone. Without financial stability, even with her independent spirit, she couldn't support three children without economic means. She endured all the grievances and resentment, only by constantly improving herself, increasing her knowledge and self-cultivation, and becoming valuable and financially secure, that she managed to maintain her precarious marriage. It was through enduring resentment, grievances, and tears that Lin Yue managed to maintain the marriage. She didn't want her future daughter-in-law to suffer under her husband's thumb and endure everything her son brought her, even while raising her grandchildren. Although Xiao Bao was doing well, Lin Yue still gave her future daughter-in-law confidence.
When Xiaoxue finally discovered the gift left to her by her mother-in-law Lin Yue, a look of doubt first appeared on her face. As she explored the gift more closely, her eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
Her hands trembled slightly, her breathing became rapid, her lips quivered, and she murmured to herself, "This...how could this be? My mother-in-law actually..."
After the initial shock, Xiaoxue's eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up. A complex mix of emotions surged within her: deep gratitude towards her mother-in-law, and profound emotion at the sentiment conveyed by this generous gift.
She clutched the gifts tightly, as if holding her mother-in-law's boundless love and expectations. At that moment, she secretly vowed to herself that she would never let her mother-in-law down and would face life with even greater strength and courage.
After her mother-in-law came out of seclusion, Xiaoxue's inner monologue kept emerging when her mother-in-law showed her warmth and care again: "My mother-in-law knows the bitterness in her heart, my mother-in-law understands her, my mother-in-law can feel everything she feels."
This understanding, like the warm spring sun, gradually dispelled the gloom deep in Xiaoxue's heart. She knew that in this complex world, having such a caring mother-in-law was a rare and precious blessing.
At this moment, her mother-in-law was holding her hand, examining some hidden ailments in her body. Since her mother-in-law went into seclusion, Xiaoxue's cultivation had encountered setbacks after giving birth. Coupled with occasional arguments with Xiaobao and the frustration of taking care of the child, Xiaoxue's cultivation had not only failed to progress but had even stagnated.
Xiaoxue sometimes felt lost, confused, and uneasy about this marriage, which was considered mismatched in terms of social standing. These feelings were particularly strong over the past ten years. She noticed that Xiaobao, due to his profound spiritual cultivation, hadn't changed in physique or appearance at all, while she herself, having raised four children for so long, had become overweight, her skin rough, and she looked as if she had aged 20 years. Therefore, standing next to Xiaobao, Xiaoxue felt somewhat unworthy.