Novelas PaiPai - Capítulo 135
Yuan Yuan woke up at this moment, reached out and gently wiped away his tears, and said with a light smile, "Jing, take me out for a walk."
He suggested waiting until she felt a little better before going out, but she insisted on leaving now, so he asked, "Where do you want to go?"
She said, "Anywhere is fine as long as there are mountains and water."
He took her to the Yellow Crane Tower, carried her to the top floor, and showed her the clear river reflecting the trees of Hanyang and the lush grass of Parrot Island.
She half-reclined, half-sitting, nestled against him, a smile on her face, watching the lone sail in the distance, the twilight mist on the water, occasionally looking up to tell him the differences between the scenery before her and her hometown, until dusk settled and the moonlight filled the river.
She fell silent, gazing at the moon, her eyes devoid of life, her limp body incredibly weak, as if the vitality she carried was being blown away by the night wind.
Feng Jing felt a pang of sadness. He held her close with one arm and pulled the cloak around her with the other, smiling as he whispered in her ear, "Yuan Yuan, it is said that on a moonlit night, you can see immortals from the Yellow Crane Tower. The moon is beautiful tonight, so look around carefully; you might see immortals too."
Yuan Yuan turned her head to look at him blankly: "Really?"
He nodded and said, "It's true. It's said that an old gatekeeper saw it. The moonlight was just as beautiful that night, illuminating the scene in front of the Yellow Crane Tower with a clear glow. The old man was hungry in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep. As he tossed and turned, he suddenly heard people talking and laughing outside. He got up to investigate and found three people outside, wearing feathered robes and wooden clogs, walking on the stone path. The crisp sound of their clogs echoed through the surrounding mountains..."
Yuan Yuan blinked and asked, "Who are they?"
Feng Jing replied, "They are neither human nor ghost; they are immortals."
"And then what happened?" Yuan Yuan asked again.
Feng Jing said, "Later, they walked to the edge of the mountain, faced the stone wall, and knocked three times. Then the stone wall opened up like a door, and they flew into the door like a wisp of smoke and disappeared into the mountain."
Yuan Yuan looked around at the green mountains in front of her and asked, "Which cliff is it?"
Feng Jing laughed and said, "I don't know... You should keep an eye out, maybe the immortal will appear in front of the building again."
Yuan Yuan asked, bewildered, "What should I do if I see an immortal?"
Feng Jing suggested, "Why don't you ask them to grant you one of your wishes?"
"Great idea!" Yuan Yuan's eyes lit up, then she revealed her ambition: "But one wish isn't enough... how about three?"
Feng Jing pretended to ponder for a moment, then smiled and said, "It should be possible. There are three of them, and it shouldn't be too difficult for each of them to help you fulfill one wish."
“And you,” Yuan Yuan also laughed, “you should also make three wishes and ask them to grant them for you.”
Feng Jing raised his eyebrows and said, "Hmm... Of course I have no objection, but I don't know if the immortal would find it troublesome."
"No trouble at all!" Yuan Yuan said immediately, turning her face outwards as if speaking to a hermit hidden in the mountains, "Of course, a hermit treats everyone the same, helping people fulfill their wishes without favoritism, and everyone who sees it gets a share!"
Feng Jing couldn't help but laugh: "So what do you want to wish for?"
Yuan Yuan countered, "Isn't it only possible to say this after seeing an immortal?"
Feng Jing said, "With you talking so much, the immortals are definitely too scared to show themselves. However, they are definitely hiding in the mountains watching you. As long as you make a wish here, they will know."
Yuan Yuan seemed to believe him too. She took his hand and said earnestly, "Then let's close our eyes together now and each make three wishes, and ask the immortal to grant them for us."
Seeing her so interested, Feng Jing naturally wouldn't refuse her wish, so he nodded in agreement. Then the two of them closed their eyes and made a wish at the same time. After a while, Feng Jing opened his eyes and saw that Yuan Yuan was also turning to look at him, so they smiled at each other.
"Among the wishes you made, are any related to me?" Yuan Yuan asked with concern.
“Yes,” Feng Jing replied, “the first one is for you… I hope you get better soon and live a healthy and happy life, and live to be a hundred years old.”
Yuan Yuan smiled serenely, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, as if wanting to shorten the distance between them further, and then whispered to him: "My first wish is: to live with you in life; to be buried with you in death; and to be with you for all eternity."
Feng Jing was deeply moved. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Alright, the immortal heard you."
"What is your second wish?" Yuan Yuan asked again.
Feng Jing hesitated for a moment, but still told her, "I think that if I have the opportunity in the future, I will do something for the country and the people."
“Then my second wish should come in handy.” Yuan Yuan said with a smile, “I hope you will become the top scholar in the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official… that way, you can do great things for the country and the people, right?”
Feng Jing's eyes welled up with tears. After the soreness in her nose subsided, she said, "Thank you, Yuan Yuan."
Yuan Yuan then asked her final question: "And what's your third wish?"
This time, Feng Jing gazed at the shimmering water under the moonlight, remaining silent for a long time.
Yuan Yuan didn't press further, and said with a smile, "Then let's keep our third wish to ourselves for now. I'm sure the immortal already knows and will grant it for us."
Then, she buried her face in Feng Jing's arms and closed her eyes wearily.
Her good spirits when she made the wish were a final burst of energy before death. After returning home, her illness deteriorated rapidly, and the next day the doctor announced that there was no cure and asked Feng Jing to prepare for her passing.
On her deathbed, Yuan Yuan gazed at her husband who was by her side and said in a weak voice, "When I made my wish, I forgot to tell the immortals that when we meet again in the next life, I will not let me be your mistake."
So she had heard it. Feng Jing suddenly realized that this was the root cause of her unwillingness to live.
He silently gripped the blankets beside her, his heart aching beyond measure.
"Don't cry, Jing..." She reached out weakly, wanting to wipe his tears, but she couldn't touch him no matter what she did.
Feng Jing wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes and grasped Yuan Yuan's hand tightly.
Her fingers twitched slightly, touching the skin on the back of his hand, her smile still on her face. She said again, "You might be better off without me... We prayed to the gods..."
She stopped, looked at him tenderly, and suddenly asked, "Can you guess what my third wish is?"
Before he could answer, she smiled smugly and said haltingly, "You'll never guess... I wanted to make your third wish on your behalf, but I didn't know what else you wanted besides becoming the top scholar... Then I thought of a way... I told the immortal that my third wish was for Jing to fulfill all his wishes."
Feng Jing was overcome with grief and couldn't speak for a moment. He guided her hand to his lips and kissed it, tears streaming down his face again.
"Am I smart?" Yuan Yuan said softly.