The next day, Mo Jingchun got up very late. If it weren't for having to make milk for his sister, Candy, Mo Jingchun thought he could sleep until noon.

Probably everyone who's physically exhausted, if they could, would want to stay put and sleep until noon.

Mo Jingchun leaned against the bed, watching the little one beside him happily drinking milk, and he reached out to gently tousle the little one's head.

Candy, who was drinking milk, felt the warm hand, hesitated a bit, and handed the bottle with milk left in it to Mo Jingchun, wanting him to have a sip as well.

"Haha, no need, big brother doesn't drink stuff meant for little kids."

Without any hesitation, Candy quickly put the nipple back into her mouth.

A few minutes later, Mo Jingchun looked at the bottle nipple Candy had finished with, and his mouth twitched.

They needed to replace the nipple again; Candy had bitten several holes in it. How many nipples had they gone through? He couldn't even remember.

The big and small one quietly leaned against each other, undisturbed, enjoying the morning hours in peace.

In the afternoon, Mo Jingchun carried his sister, Candy, on his back, held a bamboo-woven basket, grabbed a hoe, and after locking the main door, headed to the back mountain.

In the light yellow basket, there were many sheets of yellow paper, a small firework, and an incense stick, and nothing else.

Some people said that burning paper is superstitious and totally meaningless, as the deceased couldn't possibly receive it.

But only those who burn paper and offer sacrifices to their deceased loved ones understand deep down that it's not superstition but rather the only time adults can truly be like children.

In those moments, whatever grievances, hopes, or future plans you have, you can express them openly, freeing the long-suppressed heart.

Even though it was winter and the small path was covered with a thick layer of leaves, upon entering the mountain, you'd find that in winter the mountain isn't just barren trees; there are many evergreen trees and flowers.

The orchid flowers, seen everywhere, remain the same regardless of when you visit the mountain. In spring, some of them even bloom, giving off a fragrant scent.

The mountain remained the same mountain, the land the same land, and the grave the same grave.

The difference was that the grave was now overgrown with withered weeds, and rainwater had filled the grave ditch with sand.

Without anyone tending to it, it ended up this way. If neglected, after a decade or two, only those passing by the mountain would know there was a grave here.

Mo Jingchun looked at the scene before him, put down the basket, and started clearing out the soil from the grave ditch.

After removing the soil to the mound, Mo Jingchun finally put down the hoe, took the little one off his back, and held her in his arms.

The sound of fireworks resonated in the vast mountains, while Mo Jingchun held his sister Candy and knelt to burn paper, muttering constantly.

"Dad, Mom, I brought Candy to see you."

"Time flies, and it's almost the end of the year again."

"Dad, Mom, look, I've taken good care of my sister, and she's very obedient."

"You don't have to worry about us anymore. I can earn money now and support her."

"Hehe, your son is capable now, earning enough with one collaboration to get 660,000 yuan."

"To give my sister a better life, I even started a company not long ago, though I'm not sure if it might fail."

"I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, really. Even if the company fails, I have the ability to start a new one. If it doesn't work the first time, I'll try a second time, and if not the second time, a third. There will always be a time for success."

"In two months, my sister will be a year old. According to our traditions, there's a 'grab test' ceremony. Even though you're not here with us, I won't let her miss out on what others have."

"Dad, Mom, what do you think she'll grab first? If it's a pine tree, that would be great; she can grow up strong like one."

"In a little over ten days, it'll be the New Year. It's the first year without you both. I wonder if Uncle and Second Uncle's families will celebrate together like before. I'll ask Uncle in a few days. If not, at least I'll have my sister for New Year's Eve dinner."

As he spoke, tears choked Mo Jingchun's words.

The little one sensed Mo Jingchun's sadness and looked at him with big, innocent eyes.

"No, I'm not crying. It's Candy who's the crybaby."

The ashes from the burned paper sheets drifted skyward in the breeze, disappearing into the unknown before eventually returning to the earth.

"Oh, right. I bought an air conditioner yesterday; it cost over 5,000 yuan. You won't blame me, will you? Dad, you wouldn't, but Mom, I bet you'd say I spent money carelessly."

"Mom, as for money, you can't take it with you when you die, right? If you have it, spend a little more. If not, spend less. Your son still has some cash; he didn't even hesitate to buy an air conditioner."

"What? Save the money for a marriage?"

"I'm not even thirty yet. No rush, no rush."

Feeling tired of talking, Mo Jingchun sat with Candy in his embrace, gazing into the distance.

Mo Jingchun sat on the ground for over an hour, neither speaking nor doing anything, quietly holding his sister, Candy.

"Dad, Mom, I'll come back every year for New Year's. That's my promise to you, and I'll keep it."

"Candy and I will head back first. We'll come visit again in a while."

After securely fastening Candy to his back, Mo Jingchun picked up the basket with one hand and the hoe with the other, leaving the mountain without looking back.

Back home, Mo Jingchun let Candy play with her toys in the stroller while he sorted through vegetables given by neighbors, especially emptying all the pickled vegetables into a ceramic basin.

"Xiaochun, you're back."

"Eh?" Mo Jingchun ran to the door to find Mr. Zhang carrying a large, long dead tree.

"Oh, it's Mr. Zhang. I haven't been back long. Please come in, have a seat, and sip some hot water." Mo Jingchun beamed with a smile.

Zhang Jiaming wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaned the firewood against the water tank, and sat on a stool in the yard.

"Here's some water, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Jiaming blew the steam off the hot cup, then asked Mo Jingchun, "Where's your sister? Still asleep?"

"No, she's playing in the kitchen in her stroller."

Speaking of which, Mo Jingchun went to the kitchen and brought out his sister, who was playing in the stroller.

"Wow, everyone said she wasn't easy to take care of, but she's looking good under your care."

"Look at her, fair and tender, with eyes just like your dad's."

Mo Jingchun laughed and replied, "It's mainly because she's obedient. She's easy to take care of."

PS: Thanks to you, Wandering Wind, for the reward. ´･ᴗ･`

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