WangXian Forever 6

Chapter 143 Mother Tree

Breakfast time in the Jingshi was a quiet affair. Wei Ying knew Lan Zhan never enforced the no speaking rule, but Li XiWang had been brought up learning the Lan Sect Way, and Rumi was naturally quiet. His big amber eyes would simply observe everything, taking notes.

Wei Ying found that these days, he could wait. So when everyone finished eating, he asked his questions.

"Little Rabbit...what were you going to ask us? And why did Zai Shu Xia say you had to?"

Li XiWang blushed and took a deep breath.

"I asked her if I could call her mother."

There was a few seconds of silence before Wei Ying gathered her into his arms, holding her tight.

"You can!! You really can! I don't mind at all, Lan Zhan? Do you mind?" He spoke so that the tears would subside.

"Mn. It is fine." Lan Zhan stroked her hair.

"I thought...I thought you wouldn't mind." Li XiWang admitted, smiling in relief. "But then mother said I should ask you both first."

"I'm glad you did." Wei Ying told her. "Then now you know we're okay with it."

"Today is the tree planting ceremony. For Grandmother." Li XiWang's eyes were shining with excitement.

"When is the most auspicious time?" Wei Ying asked.

"In two hours." Lan Zhan answered.

"Is it very far away?" Li XiWang asked, just vibrating with joy.

"Maybe just an incense stick of time." Wei Ying knew where the new site was, where the Elders had decided to plant the Mother Tree. "We should get a move on then."

The nut had been returned to Wei Ying for safe keeping, after Zai Shu Xia had asked for it to be kept at Cloud Recesses. He made sure he had the box and that the children were ready, before they left.

"Wait here." Lan Zhan told Li XiWang and Rumi, who were holding hands outside the Jingshi.

"Oh? Have you forgotten something?" Wei Ying was saying when he was pulled back inside with a jerk.

His lips were caught in the hottest kiss of his life as Lan Zhan showed him exactly what he had forgotten.

"At least you didn't do that in front of the children." Wei Ying beamed at him as they straightened their robes and walked outside.

"It was important." Lan Zhan replied, stubbornly.

"Yes, it was." But Wei Ying couldn't stop smiling.

It was a pleasant day outside, warm in the sunshine, a little chilly when the breeze got the better of them.

Li XiWang was pointing out the different plants and flowers to Rumi, who was doing his best to pronounce all the different names.

Wei Ying was proudly smiling until his face hurt, happy that the children were getting along, and more than that, Li XiWang was looking after Rumi as a big sister should.

He once had a big sister too, and that thought brought tears to his eyes.

"Wei Ying!"

He was taken out of his thoughts by a warm hand upon his face, wiping away his tears. The children were a short distance away, looking at daisies.

Lan Zhan brought him into the safety of his arms, his white robes billowing out around them.

"Why is Wei Ying sad?"

His mouth was right next to Wei Ying's ear, the warm breath making him shiver. Wei Ying burrowed closer, holding onto his waist.

"I'm not sad...at least, I don't think I am. I was remembering my Shijie. That's all... because I saw Li XiWang really trying, you know? Trying to be a really great sister."

"Jiang YanLi best big sister."

"She really was. Do you know, Lan Zhan? I think she knew about the two of us, waaay before I did." Wei Ying was smiling now.

They resumed walking.

"Mn?"

"Well, I remember asking her how it was, to like someone a lot. She kind of guessed..." Wei Ying sighed happily. "I only really knew at the GuanYin Temple. And only because of XiChen-Ge."

"Mn. XiongZhang always knew." Lan Zhan admitted.

"That's amazing. Do you think he and Jin GuanYao talked about us? I really think they did, you know."

Lan Zhan squeezed his hand and Wei Ying looked at him in surprise. His lips were a tight stretch across his face, as though he wanted to say something but was stopping himself from doing so. There was a hardness in his eyes, never present whenever he was looking at Wei Ying.

"What is it, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying whispered, watching that the children didn't stray too far ahead.

"XiongZhang took it hard. Jiang WanYin is good for him." Lan Zhan bit out, clearly with difficulty.

"That's possibly the nicest thing you've ever said about him." Wei Ying hugged his arm.

Lan Zhan remained tactfully silent now.

Whatever he privately thought about his brother in bond would forever remain in his private thoughts, and even if Wei Ying could guess what his opinion was, there was no way Lan Zhan was going to voice them.

They reached the clearing now, where a small hole had been dug already.

Daden De Long and Daden Yaonu were waiting next to Tiaopi De Long and Zai Shu Xia. Uncle Qiren, XiChen and Jiang Cheng were already there.

Li XiWang ran up to her mother and hugged her, and since Rumi was attached to her hand, he got hugs and kisses too.

Wei Ying handed the nut to Zai Shu Xia.

Zai Shu Xia bowed to the nut and the ground, but before she could plant it, Wei Ying put some of the brownish dust into Li XiWang's palm.

"You should have a part in this too." He told her.

She beamed at him before sprinkling some into the hole. Zai Shu Xia added the nut and Li XiWang put the rest of the dust on top.

Yezi and Zhitiao came running up to them then.

"Sorry we're late!" They were both panting.

"Not late at all." Wei Ying beamed at them. "You can give the first water."

Both sisters took turns giving the life nourishing water.

Then it was done.

Zai Shu Xia hugged Li XiWang, kissing the top of her head.

"From tomorrow, come and meet me here every day until we leave. I have a gift for you that can only be given in person." She sighed deeply, watching the nut give forth tendrils of the first shoot to rise above the earth.

"I feel so much better knowing that you can come here whenever you like. If you have any troubles at all, you may share them with our mother, and she will show you the way. She is also your grandmother."

"It is fitting then, that you were all present in planting her here." Wei Ying said, as Li XiWang rejoined them.

They all watched as the green limbs of the Tree reached up towards the sky, seeking the light.

In many ways, trees were like humans, looking for the right path, Wei Ying thought. With the right amount of care and love, they would grow tall and strong like this Mother Tree.