Butterfly 1
I hope fish can embrace the sea, birds can kiss the blue sky. I also hope she can be treated gently by the world.
——《There are birds in the deep sea and fish in heaven》
In fact, for me, the book "Birds in the Deep Sea, Fish in Heaven" is the one that touched me the most.
Maybe because I just finished writing this book not long ago, I feel it more deeply.
Xin Haifeng was not afraid of anything in the world, just to protect and guard Meng Yu. His power was weak, but he never really gave up. In the end, the person he had been protecting finally found himself, and he himself gradually found the light in his life.
Stories about "protection" always move me easily.
As I finish writing this collection of stories, I want to try a style that I have always liked, which is also a story about protection.
The story of a teacher protecting his student, who is a little princess of the Manchu noble family in the late Qing Dynasty. The teacher is her teacher, but he is more than just her teacher.
When I first conceived this story, a butterfly flew in from the window.
Therefore, the name of this story is called "Butterfly Attraction".
It was 1900 when Emperor Guangxu fled west.
That year, Butterfly was only five years old. Butterfly's full name was Guaerjia Minyi, and Butterfly was just her nickname. On the day when Beijing was in chaos, the five-year-old Butterfly was picked up by Mr. Lang from the crowd fleeing in panic. She kept calling "mother, mother" on his shoulder.
At that time, the sky was filled with smoke and people were displaced.
Mr. Lang was holding Butterfly and walking on the road to migration south. They were dressed very low-key, just like ordinary people.
"Mr. Lang." Butterfly cried in Mr. Lang's arms, "Where are we going?"
Mr. Lang had been protecting Butterfly's little head with his big hands, saying, "Little Princess, let's go to a place where no one can find us."
"Then we don't want mother and father anymore? Mr. Lang, I want mother and father..." Butterfly sobbed again.
Mr. Lang's face was covered with dirt, but it still couldn't hide his young face of seventeen years old. He frowned slightly and said, "Little Princess, your mother and father will be here soon, very soon..." No, they couldn't come.
That day, Fu Jin stumbled into the prince's mansion from outside, grabbed Mr. Lang's hand and begged, "The prince is in danger, Mr. Lang, please take the little princess away as soon as possible, the farther the better!" "Fu Jin, what about you?" Mr. Lang supported her.
Fu Jin looked at him with a wry smile: "I will follow the prince, Mr. Lang, and I will leave the little princess to you. Mr. Lang..."
Mr. Lang has lived in the Prince's Mansion since he was a child. He doesn't know who his parents are. The Prince and his wife raised him, and he regards them as his benefactors. Since the birth of the little princess, they treated her as the apple of their eye. Mr. Lang taught her to read and write, because the Prince and his wife only trusted Mr. Lang.
It is also because of this that Mr. Lang and Xiao Gege became the most important people in each other's lives.
"Mr. Lang, I'm hungry... I'm thirsty." Butterfly murmured, feeling sleepy in his arms.
"Little princess, wait a moment, let's go to the front to eat something delicious." Mr. Lang saw a place to stay not far ahead. It seemed to be a shed set up by businessmen at the intersection to make a living.
He ran over quickly with Butterfly in his arms, took a seat, and then touched Butterfly's head: "Be good and wait for me here." After that, he ran to the store to buy two bowls of tofu pudding. Butterfly was so happy when she saw Mr. Lang holding the tofu pudding that she stopped dozing off and opened her arms to receive it: "I want to eat it!"
Mr. Lang gently handed her the butterfly tofu pudding, sat down beside her, and looked at her lovingly.
"Butterfly." Mr. Lang called her softly.
"Hmm?" Five-year-old Butterfly ate tofu pudding in big mouthfuls without even raising her head.
Mr. Lang whispered, "From now on, when someone asks you what your name is, just say it's Butterfly. Don't tell others that you are a princess, and don't tell others who your parents are. Can you do it?" After that, Mr. Lang rubbed Butterfly's hair.
The butterfly raised its head and asked innocently, "Why?"
"Because Mr. Lang is afraid that bad people will bully you."
Butterfly licked the tofu pudding on her lips and asked, "Doesn't Mr. Lang want to be with Butterfly? If there are bad guys, won't Mr. Lang help Butterfly drive them away?"
Mr. Lang's eyes darkened and he said, "Mr. Lang will definitely protect the butterfly, but Mr. Lang is afraid of the unexpected. What if he fails to protect the butterfly?"
"It's okay." Butterfly pushed another bowl of tofu pudding in front of Mr. Lang, with a firm smile on her small and tender face. "If Mr. Lang fails to protect Butterfly, Butterfly will protect herself! Also, Butterfly will not leave Mr. Lang, we still have to wait together for our mother and father to come find us."
Mr. Lang smiled gently when he heard that: "Well! Mr. Lang will not leave Butterfly. Never." Butterfly giggled when she heard that, just like a pretty butterfly.
They agreed that they would not leave each other, but in such a chaotic world, they had no choice.
Mr. Lang held Butterfly's hand and walked towards Yunnan together.
On the seventh day after leaving Beijing, Butterfly could not stand the long journey and fell ill on the roadside. The August weather was scorching, and Mr. Lang carried the sick Butterfly on his back and walked step by step with difficulty. The further south they went, the hotter it was, but they could not turn back because the north had already fallen.
"I feel so uncomfortable... I feel so uncomfortable..." Butterfly lay on Mr. Lang's back, breathing weakly.
Mr. Lang found a thatched shed and took Butterfly to rest under it. He took off his coat and spread it on the ground, letting Butterfly lie flat on it. Butterfly's face was pale, her brows were furrowed, and she murmured, "I feel so uncomfortable... I want to drink water... Mother..."
Mr. Lang gave the last drop of water in the kettle to Butterfly, and then took Butterfly's pulse.
The road ahead is long, and Mr. Lang doesn't know how long it will take to see the person. Butterfly's condition is getting worse, and she must be treated quickly.
"Butterfly, Butterfly, can you hear me?" Mr. Lang knelt in front of Butterfly and leaned over to speak in her ear.
Butterfly opened her eyes slightly and said weakly: "Mr. Lang..."
Mr. Lang stroked her forehead and said, "Butterfly, I will go find some herbs, food and drink for you. Butterfly is very brave, you can definitely wait for me to come back, right?"
Butterfly smiled weakly: "Butterfly is very brave, Butterfly is waiting for Mr. Lang."
Mr. Lang nodded, picked up the butterfly, hid it deeper in the hut, and then piled up the opening of the hut to avoid being discovered by others.
"Butterfly, you must wait for me." Mr. Lang stood up and repeated this sentence anxiously.
Mr. Lang didn't know that this departure would mean he would be separated from Butterfly for fifteen years.
If he had known that he would be separated from the butterfly for fifteen years, he would never have left.
At that time, Mr. Lang gave everything he had to Butterfly. He didn't eat or drink, and he was struggling to support his increasingly heavy body. In order to pick herbs for Butterfly to cure her, he dragged his tired body up the mountain, but finally slipped and fell down the hillside.
Before he fell, scenes about butterflies kept flashing through his mind.
He seemed to know that something unexpected would happen to him, so he didn't have too many emotions. At the moment he fell, he was just worried whether his little butterfly could support him until he got back.
The setting sun was dimly setting over the mountain.
A white, tender hand stretched out from the pile of dry grass, struggling to support the body and climb up.
"Mr. Lang..." She finally stood up, but stumbled and fell to the ground again.
"Mr. Lang..." She cried softly, but her voice could not be heard.
It's getting dark, why hasn't he come back yet?
Mr. Lang, where are you?
The five-year-old little butterfly coughed violently a few times, looked up at the faint red on the top of the mountain, and finally became afraid. When the red disappeared, the world would be swallowed by darkness, right?
No, Mr. Lang hasn't come back yet.
The butterfly stood up tremblingly and walked towards the red on the top of the mountain.
"Mr. Lang, Mr. Lang..." she muttered, and before she took a few steps, she fell headfirst to the side of the road.
His head was always heavy and his steps were erratic.
She couldn't get to him.
Mr. Lang, will you come back? Come back to me. When Butterfly fainted, she was still thinking about what Mr. Lang said before he left.
But Mr. Lang did not come back.
Butterfly fainted all night, and the next morning, a man passed by this road in a carriage. The coachman saw a little girl lying in front of him, so he stopped the horse.
"What's wrong?" the man in the car asked curiously.
"Master, there is a fainted girl in front."
Hearing this, the man lifted the curtain. He looked at Butterfly from a distance and frowned: "Get off the car and take a look." "Yes."
The man got off the carriage with the coachman and walked to Butterfly. The coachman turned Butterfly over. The man checked Butterfly's breath and touched her forehead.
"Oh! This girl is sick! She has a severe burn!" the man exclaimed.
The groom looked around and said, "I don't know whose child this is. Master, what should we do?" The man picked up Butterfly without saying anything and said, "If we don't take care of her, she will die here. You should hurry up and let's get to Zhengzhou as soon as possible to see a doctor for this child."
"Yes, sir." The coachman hurriedly followed the man into the carriage and hurried on.
This man was in the spice business in Sichuan. His surname was He and he was a wealthy family. Last year, his wife accidentally miscarried a child and ended up being infertile. Therefore, he loved children very much.
This time he went to Shijiazhuang for business, and it happened that there was unrest in the north, so he did not dare to stay. He rushed back after finishing the business. Unexpectedly, he picked up a baby girl on the way.
After arriving in Zhengzhou, Mr. He first called a doctor for Butterfly. The doctor prescribed medicine for Butterfly, but Butterfly never woke up.
So, Mr. He took Butterfly to Sichuan and took care of her all the way.
One day later, the butterfly finally woke up.
When Mr. He saw that Butterfly finally opened her eyes, he slowly felt relieved.
"Little girl." Master He called her softly.
Butterfly woke up, still weak. When a strange man's face came into her sight, she was a little nervous, but she had no strength to avoid it, so her eyes, wide open, filled with tears, quickly fell.
"Why are you crying? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Mr. He said as he tried to check Butterfly's temperature. Butterfly hid and cried, "Mr. Lang..."
"Mr. Lang?" asked Mr. He.
Butterfly cried even harder: "Mr. Lang...Mr. Lang..."
Mr. He didn't know what to do, so he hurriedly said, "Don't be afraid, little girl. You fainted on the side of the road. I saved you and found a doctor for you. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. When you get better, tell me who Mr. Lang is and I'll help you find him."
Butterfly huddled in a corner of the car. Master He sighed slightly, pointed outside the car, and said, "I'm outside. Call me if you're hungry, thirsty, or feeling uncomfortable."
Butterfly didn't say anything, and Mr. He got out of the carriage.
Butterfly curled up in the corner of the car, tears glistening on her face. Where's Mr. Lang?
She kept thinking of Mr. Lang in her heart, but the heaviness in her body made her feel helpless.
She was only five years old at the time, but it was as if she had a 25-year-old girl living in her heart. She clearly realized that Mr. Lang had not come back that day, and something must have happened. If she rashly went to look for him, she would definitely die before she found him.
"Isn't Mr. Lang going to be with Butterfly? If there are bad guys, shouldn't Mr. Lang help Butterfly fight them off?"
"Mr. Lang will definitely protect the butterfly, but Mr. Lang is afraid of the unexpected. What if he fails to protect the butterfly?"
"It doesn't matter! If Mr. Lang fails to protect Butterfly, Butterfly will protect itself! Also, Butterfly will not leave Mr. Lang. We still have to wait together for Mother and Ama to come find us."
Butterfly recalled the conversation with Mr. Lang and felt a pain in her heart.
After a while, the butterfly began to chirp. Mr. He opened the curtain with concern and asked, "What's wrong, little girl?"
The butterfly said pitifully, "I'm hungry."
Mr. He entered the carriage and took out his bag, which contained dry food and water. He handed them all to Butterfly, who snatched them and ate them ravenously.
Mr. He looked at her with a smile and said, "Eat slowly. If it's not enough, we can stop at the town ahead and have something delicious."
Butterfly swallowed his food and asked carefully, "Are there many pedestrians on that road? The road where you met me."
Mr. He thought for a moment and said, "I don't know on weekdays, but there are many people migrating south during this period. I think there are people walking on that road every day."
Butterfly lowered her eyes, feeling a little relieved.
Mr. He looked at Butterfly and asked, "Little girl, what's your name? Why did you faint on the side of the road? Where are your family members?"
Butterfly's face was filled with sadness. She said, "My name is Butterfly. There was chaos in Beijing, my parents died, and my brother took me to escape. In order to save me, my brother went to pick medicinal herbs for me, and I never saw him again after that..."
Mr. He was shocked. Thinking back, it had been nearly two days since he met Butterfly. It was not realistic to rush back now. So he said to Butterfly, "Girl, your illness has not been cured yet. I saved you, so I will take you back to my house first. I have a wife who will take good care of you. Then, I will send someone to find your brother, okay?"
Butterfly looked at Mr. He. She was too young to tell the good guys from the bad guys, but Mr. He had saved her after all and promised to help her find Mr. Lang, so she decided to trust him.
So, a day later, Butterfly was brought back to Wulong by Mr. He.
Mr. He's house is really big, and you can smell all kinds of wonderful fragrances as soon as you enter the house. His wife is a gentle and beautiful woman. She received Mr. He's letter early and has been waiting for butterflies.
After Butterfly entered the He family, the He family couple treated her as their own daughter. Mrs. He also taught her how to grow flowers and make perfume. Butterfly was very smart and learned it quickly. Mrs. He often sighed that the name Butterfly Butterfly was very suitable for fragrance. Butterfly seemed to be born for fragrance. If she had such a daughter, she would never regret it in her life.
Butterfly stayed at the He family, waiting for news from the people sent by the He family.
A month later, Butterfly finally heard news from Mr. Lang.
The man who came back said that he had been inquiring there for a month before he heard about a man like Mr. Lang from a woodcutter. When the woodcutter came back from chopping wood, he saw a girl saving a man and heading southwest.
Just this one piece of news made Butterfly feel a lot more at ease.
"It went to the southwest, and might not be far from us. Butterfly, don't worry, we will keep sending people to look for it." Mrs. He comforted Butterfly. She would never forget the great kindness the He family had shown her, and could only work harder to refine incense to repay their kindness.
Later, everyone in Wulong and even within a hundred miles knew that the He family had an expert in making incense. The incense made by that girl had a unique scent of a girl, and was also called girl's incense.
The incense refined by Butterfly was quite popular among the young ladies and wives of officials, and the He family's business prospered.
But Butterfly never found Mr. Lang.
It has been thirteen years since Butterfly and Mr. Lang separated. That year, Mrs. He fell seriously ill and was bedridden.
Butterfly was busy taking care of Mrs. He, while Mr. He was busy with business outside and had not been able to come back for a long time.
In front of the bed, Mrs. He held Butterfly's hand, tears streaming from her eyes: "Butterfly, am I going to die?"
Butterfly knelt in front of the couch and held Madam He's hand tightly: "Madam will not die. Madam is so kind, she will definitely live a hundred years."
Mrs. He looked at Butterfly lovingly. She was already eighteen years old and looked so pretty. Mrs. He said regretfully, "What a pity! I am afraid that we won't be able to see Butterfly get married... Butterfly, for so many years, I have always regarded you as my own daughter, but now I am leaving..."
"Madam won't leave." Butterfly smiled with tears in her eyes, "In Butterfly's heart, Madam is like her own mother. If it weren't for Madam and Master, Butterfly would have died long ago..." "Silly child." The woman on the couch was breathing weakly, but she used some force to hold Butterfly's finger, "He Lang and I have no children. If we are gone in the future, we will give this He family to you. In this world, we only believe in you, and we can't let you go..."
Butterfly didn't say anything else, but stayed by Mrs. He's side tenderly. In her heart, Mrs. He was already her closest person. As she grew up, she knew that the Qing Dynasty was no longer in existence, and that her mother and father might have died in the turmoil of that year.
Otherwise, why would they let Mr. Lang take her away?
In this world, Butterfly's only relatives left are the He couple.
However, Mrs. He still could not survive the illness.
Amid the wailing of the He family, Butterfly walked silently behind the coffin in mourning clothes. Her eyes were red, but she didn't shed a single tear.
After Mrs. He died, Mr. He's spirit was not as good as before. Butterfly was helping to manage the He family's business.
Mr. He missed Madam He day and night, and his health was getting worse day by day. One night, Mr. He called Butterfly to the mourning hall and asked Butterfly to worship Madam He's spirit tablet.
Then, Master He pointed at Madam He's spirit tablet, looked at Butterfly, and said in a hoarse voice: "Butterfly, call her mother."
Butterfly was stunned for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she bowed to Madam He's spirit tablet again: "In Butterfly's heart, Madam He is Butterfly's mother."
A smile appeared on Mr. He's old face. He pointed at himself and said expectantly, "Butterfly, can you call me dad?"
Butterfly had a bad premonition in her heart. Her eyes quickly became wet and she spoke nervously, "Daddy..."
"Oh." Mr. He responded, and the tears in his eyes slid into his wrinkles.
Then he started coughing, and when he covered his mouth with his hand, blood fell on his palm.
"I...I don't have much time left." Mr. He's body was trembling.
Butterfly knelt on the mat and finally shed tears.
"Butterfly, you are our daughter and will inherit the He family in the future. This family is now handed over to you. Your mother and I will rest in peace in our graves if we hand it over to you." Mr. He was seriously ill and had lost the strength to speak. "Can you promise me, Butterfly?"
Butterfly wiped her tears silently, turned around, knelt down in front of Mr. He, and kowtowed three times: "Butterfly...Butterfly promises you."
Mr. He smiled and looked leisurely at Mrs. He's name on the tablet.
In this way, he will be relieved, and she should be relieved too.
Half a month later, Mr. He passed away.
Butterfly buried Mr. He and Mrs. He together, built a cemetery for them, and changed her name to He Die.
Then, Butterfly said in front of all the servants: "The He family passed away and handed the He family to me. I made a promise to let the He family return to the position of the boss of Wulong spices. I don't ask you to trust me too much, so I will give you a chance today. You can stay or leave as you like. If you leave, I will give you some silver as compensation. If you stay, you can help me revive the He family business! Think about it carefully!"
That day, half of the He family left and half stayed.
This seemed to be within Butterfly's expectations. Fortunately, half of them were retained, so there was enough manpower. When the He family's business was on the rise, there would be no shortage of manpower.
So, Butterfly quickly got over her grief and started her spice business.
Butterfly is smart and young, and she understands women's interests, so the fragrance she refines is very suitable for women's preferences. She also developed male fragrances for rich young men to use.
Butterfly spent two years developing a new type of perfume. Just one drop of this perfume can make your heart fragrant. The wind wrapped around this fragrance can attract butterflies ten miles away. Therefore, Butterfly named this perfume "Butterfly Attraction".
The Butterfly Attraction brought the He family's business to an unprecedented peak. Many prominent families came here to buy the incense and to meet the woman who made such a great incense.
It was under such circumstances that Butterfly met again the person she hadn't seen for fifteen years.
The person she thought she would never see again in this life.
One day, a servant came to report to Butterfly that Mrs. Liu from Yunnan, who had come with a letter a few days ago, had arrived at the He residence and wanted to meet Butterfly.
Butterfly responded and prepared to meet the guest.
In the He family's courtyard, the elegantly dressed Madam Liu saw the beautiful scenery in the courtyard and couldn't help but sigh: "I heard that this Miss He Die is only 20 years old, but she can be on her own in the He family. It's really amazing. What do you think, Master?"
The handsome man came back to his senses from the furnishings in the He family courtyard and replied, "It's amazing."
The furnishings in this courtyard seem somewhat familiar.
Is that girl's name He Die? Their names are so similar, what a coincidence.
"Mrs. Liu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time. You've come all the way here. Thank you for your hard work." Butterfly walked slowly out of the hall and bowed slightly.
She raised her head slowly, and the man behind Mrs. Liu also glanced at her at the same time. Their eyes met and the man was stunned.
He was just stunned for a moment, but the butterfly felt as if it was hit by a bronze bell, and it felt as if it was trapped in a cloud and mist, and a little dizzy.
"Miss He." Mrs. Liu supported her steadily and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Butterfly gently pushed her away, but her eyes seemed to be glued to the man, unable to move away for a long time. The man looked more and more distressed, and his heart was beating like a drum.
Why does that woman look so familiar?
"Miss He?" Mrs. Liu called her and turned to look at the man suspiciously.
Butterfly calmly came back to her senses, smiled at Mrs. Liu, and said, "Just now I was dazzled and thought I met an old friend. Mrs. Liu, won't you introduce me to her?"
Mrs. Liu reacted, smiled and pulled the man over, saying, "Miss He, I'm sorry. This is our master, you can call him Mr. Lang."
Ding——It was as if a sharp weapon cruelly cut through a certain place in her heart, stabbing out the past without any defense. Butterfly stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Mrs. Liu stretched out her hand to help her, but she stood firmly and stared at the man who was also called Mr. Lang, with tears in her eyes: "Mr. Lang..."
"But...but Mr. Lang from Guarjia Minyi? But Mr. Lang from Butterfly..."
Mrs. Liu didn't understand why the young woman in front of her suddenly burst into tears. When she turned around, she saw that the man's face changed and his pupils were wet and red.
I understand. I understand.
Is she the one he is looking for?
Is this the person he kept calling when I rescued him fifteen years ago?
After not seeing each other for fifteen years, the former Mr. Lang has become someone else's master.
The breeze blew gently through the hall, but the butterfly felt sad.
In the reception room, three people sat in silence.
Mr. Lang had many things to ask Butterfly, but he didn't know where to start. The same thing happened to Butterfly. Things have changed, and people have changed. Whoever speaks first will lose.
On the round rosewood table were three cups of morning dew tea that had just been brewed by the servants. The tea smoke was now rising slightly and the temperature was gradually cooling down.
"So, it turns out that Miss He Die is an old acquaintance of Mr. Lang." Mrs. Liu took the lead in breaking the awkward situation. She smiled with emotion on the surface, but she was nervous in her heart.
After she rescued Mr. Lang, she lived with him for fifteen years. She knew how important the woman named Butterfly was in his heart.
He had been looking for her for fifteen years, and Mrs. Liu was about to give up, but he still didn't give up.
Now, we finally meet.
