After returning home, Qin Huai once again opened the illustrated book and clicked on the dreamscape in Chen Huixi’s entry.
Dreamscape: 0/0 (Click to view the text version)
When he opened it, it was a text version that was so long it couldn’t be scrolled to the bottom. Qin Huai briefly glanced at the first part and found it was indeed the text version of the dreamscape he had seen. It lacked images, but it was very thoughtfully explained in words.
It might be because Chen Huiniang had already completely failed her tribulation and was entirely gone, so Qin Huai couldn’t even see her memories.
The Luan bird, also known as the mysterious bird and blue bird, has five-colored patterns and is a harbinger of peace in the world. It is the messenger of the God of Spring, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity.
It is also the traditional understanding of the phoenix by the general populace.
Similarly, as a Divine Bird, in some sense, the reputation of the Luan bird is much more pleasant than that of the Bi fang.
Unfortunately, Chen Huiniang wasn’t lucky. During her first tribulation, the feudal dynasty hadn’t ended. As a beautiful woman traveling alone, she often attracted unwelcome attention.
Ample grain makes one aware of propriety, and sufficient food and clothing makes one aware of honor and disgrace.
The naive Luan bird bestowed her blessings on those in suffering, but what she received was not kindness in return.
Her savior reported her divine nature to local wealthy households in exchange for a reward. The wealthy caught her and locked her in a cage, presenting her as a precious gift to local officials.
The officials passed her up the chain, and ultimately, the gift, symbolizing auspiciousness, was presented to nobility in the capital.
The nobles didn’t want her blessings; they wanted immortality.
The Luan bird might have been a powerful Divine Bird, but she was the messenger of the God of Spring, the embodiment of kindness and peace. Her Divine Power was used in giving and helping, unlike the Bi fang, who could breathe fire and kill.
The nobles skinned her, cut her flesh, drained her blood, turned her into exquisite dishes, refined her into precious elixirs, all amidst clouds of smoke, laughter, and dreams of immortality, consuming the Luan bird entirely.
Chen Huiniang’s Heart Demon was simple; her obsession stemmed from hate.
She hated herself for kindly helping others yet receiving only endless pain and suffering in return.
After that, the Luan bird began reincarnating repeatedly.
She was still kind, still weak, still beautiful, but never received the kindness she desired in return.
She experienced natural disasters, man-made calamities, wealth, poverty; she was a high official’s daughter, a poor farmer’s daughter, a merchant’s only daughter, and even a rebel’s daughter.
She went through five lives of reincarnation and finally became Chen Huiniang in her last life.
In this life, she was no longer beautiful, but she still did not live well.
She was still kind but carefully wrapped her kindness.
She was still smart but made her intelligence not so obvious.
Perhaps after forgetting everything, she had learned how to be human, but her essence remained that of a Luan bird.
As the messenger of the God of Spring, the darling of the heavens, she encountered the last straw heaven handed to her.
On the brink of starvation, she met Chen Huihong, who was really unaccustomed to being human for the first time, confused and muddled, but still somewhat lucky.
The muddled Chen Huihong didn’t recognize Hui Niang as a spirit either. The two fled the famine together; one secretly learned, and the other remained cautious. Eventually, they became roommates, living a peaceful life.
In Beiping City, during those six months, it wasn’t the most prosperous time since Hui Niang’s six lifetimes, but it was the happiest time.
Perhaps the times had indeed changed. In the same place, those once high and mighty nobles who consumed Hui Niang had long become bones. The long-forgotten Hui Niang worked diligently in a girls’ school.
She still encountered malice, disdain, neglect, and scheming from others, but she also received the kindness, care, and help she had never gotten before.
Sometimes, the girls at the school would see her small and thin, and give her a cornbread they didn’t like.
The shopkeeper at the Second Meat Shop remembered she’d always wanted to buy pig’s head meat to try. He specifically reminded her when it was cheap so she wouldn’t miss the chance.
The attendant at the drug store remembered she was the maid of the crazy lady and remembered her name, greeting her when she came with a basket to buy groceries.
Every day before going out, Chen Huihong insisted on asking her what she wanted to eat. Although Hui Niang always replied with black steamed bun, Chen Huihong often returned with candied haws, sugar figures, and jujube cake—sweet things she considered delicious.
The obsession gradually faded, and her Divine Power slowly restored.
However, Hui Niang did not notice.
Her true awakening came the moment before death, when Chen Huihong held her hand.
She had reached out for help countless times before, cried for help many times, asked innumerable "whys," but never received a response, never received a shred of kindness when she needed help the most.
The moment Chen Huihong held her hand, she felt Chen Huihong’s guilt.
The intense guilt almost enveloped her.
She wanted to tell Chen Huihong: Sister, don’t be sad. You’re the best person to me, even if you’re not human; you’re the best.
Her consciousness began to scatter, her gaze grew dazed, her brain couldn’t control her limbs, yet some things started to become clear.
As she became clear and confused at the same time, she called out "Mom" to Chen Huihong.
When she still had lingering memories, she always tried to please her mother because a mother would always selflessly love her children.
Maybe she was unlucky, never encountering such selfless love, but the more she lacked it, the more she longed for it. In her last moments, in her most scattered consciousness, Hui Niang genuinely hoped Chen Huihong was her mother.
If so, she would tell herself, "No matter how unfortunate life is, a mother still loves you."
Hui Niang’s life was about to end.
She murmured, speaking the delirium of truly realizing her mother never loved her.
Chen Huiniang died, but the Luan bird awakened.
The Luan bird, having successfully passed her tribulation, saw Chen Huihong staring dumbfounded at Hui Niang’s body, quietly closing the window, laying Hui Niang flat, wiping off the blood on her face, and dressing her in her own cotton clothes that had no padding but looked very nice.
She saw Chen Huihong sitting quietly in a chair, not snacking on sunflower seeds, waiting for the attendant to come by to deliver medicine and inquire about Hui Niang, and then casually tell him she had already died.
The Luan bird knew Chen Huihong had failed her tribulation.
She awakened, but the cost was Chen Huihong’s failure.
The Luan bird couldn’t accept all this.
She gave up the success within her grasp, using all her Divine Power to bless Chen Huihong.
She would meet her again, truly without memory, in the life where Chen Huihong had the greatest chance of awakening, with no next life.
She didn’t know if she could be the straw to save Chen Huihong, but she hoped she could be.
At the end of the writing was the self-confession of the Luan bird.
[Before passing the tribulation, the elders always told me, Luan birds harm themselves because of their excessive kindness and advised me not to follow in the footsteps of those who failed.
I didn’t believe it, but perhaps the elders weren’t wrong.
But neither is kindness wrong.
I can’t use her disappearance as the price for my successful tribulation.
More than being her younger sister or her maid, I wish to be her daughter.
Perhaps I am not her straw, but a single straw is too inconspicuous. Sister is so muddled, two would be more noticeable.
I am Chen Huiniang, and also Chen Huixi.
Perhaps Mother will never know.
But I hope she can be happy.]
Qin Huai silently finished reading all the words, sniffing through his nose.
Checking the time, he called Huang Xi, asking if the canteen still had fresh chicken suitable for making chicken soup.
What’s a chicken soup? Just make it!
What’s Fire Control? Practice it!
He refused to believe he couldn’t make A-level Chicken Soup Noodles.
After all, he had the blessing of the Luan bird.