On the way back, I kept thinking about what Wan Ying had said to me, my heart practically soaring. Every time I accidentally made eye contact with Shen Jianqing, I tried my best to act as if nothing was amiss.
Wan Ying had leaned into my ear, very softly and quietly, but with a captivating allure, she asked me, “Do you want to leave here?”
Do I want to leave? The answer to that question was undeniable. I hadn’t spent a single moment here without wanting to leave. Perhaps the scenery here was pleasant and the landscapes picturesque, but appreciating all of it was based on freedom. When a person loses their freedom, they lose all desire to care about the outside world.
As for Shen Jianqing… he was never in my plans for the future. He should have a more suitable partner. No matter who it was, it wouldn’t be me.
But how to leave? No one had ever offered to help me before, but now there was Wan Ying. Should I trust her? After all, my current predicament was precisely because I was too naive, too easily trusting of others.
But what reason would she have to lie to me? What could she gain from me? Deceiving me shouldn’t benefit her in any way. And… I had no other path left to choose. I could only trust her, believing she could help me leave this place.
With that thought, an answer quietly formed in my heart. Regardless of whether she was deceiving me, I had to take the gamble.
“What are you thinking about? Your gaze is so distant.”
Shen Jianqing’s voice suddenly broke through my thoughts, making my heart jump. My mind snapped back to the present.
“Nothing.” I calmly met his gaze, doing my best not to waver.
Shen Jianqing raised an eyebrow, and the words he uttered sent a chill down my spine: “You’re not thinking about how to leave me, are you?”
He!
I felt as if struck by lightning, my hair standing on end with a hollow feeling in my chest. Had I revealed something that made him suspicious? Were his words a joke, or had he truly sensed something?
Just as I didn’t know how to respond, Shen Jianqing suddenly burst out laughing, his previously clouded expression instantly clearing: “Just kidding!”
I breathed a sigh of relief but couldn’t bring myself to smile. At this point, anything I said would be wrong, so I simply remained silent. The distant mountains, like a stroke of green-black ink, made me curious about what lay beyond them.
We soon arrived at the rice paddies. The scorching sun hung high, its rays pouring onto the ground, dispelling the long-accumulated stagnant air in the village. A few people dressed in Miao attire were laboring in the fields. Their backs were bent as they harvested crops, and small mountains of their yield were already piled up along the edges of the paddies.
I suddenly saw two very familiar figures among them: Lu Qi and Ah Song.
Lu Qi was over fifty years old, his face covered in wrinkles, his dark skin bearing the marks of time. At this age, many people outside would be nearing retirement or already enjoying a life of leisure, but he was still busy. Ah Song, who was tall and burly, followed behind him, looking utterly bewildered. His eyes were as clear as a child’s, without a trace of impurity, a stark contrast to the resolute and determined look I had seen on him at the judgment ground.
Lu Qi pulled a fruit from the ground, wiped it clean on his clothes, and handed it to Ah Song. Ah Song grinned foolishly, took it, and bit into it, saying nothing, just following closely behind Lu Qi. Lu Qi reached out and lovingly stroked Ah Song’s head, the expression in his eyes a mix of joy and bitterness.
“Is this the consequence of a Gu poison attack?” I asked, pointing to Ah Song, who was oblivious to the outside world, feeling a pang of sadness.
Shen Jianqing replied, “The Gu insect devoured his brain, but I guess Lu Qi must have used some method to control the Gu insect, preventing Ah Song from becoming a complete vessel for it.”
But is it truly good for him to be like this now, like a helpless child, only capable of basic physiological activities?
I haven’t become a father, nor can I truly understand a father’s love for his children. Yet, seeing Lu Qi’s aged but content expression, I imagine that for him, he would rather his son remain like this forever, rather care for him for a lifetime, than have him die. It’s just that for an old man in his twilight years to once again shoulder the responsibility of caring for a child, it’s truly heartbreaking.
Lu Qi must have been tired; he slowly straightened his back, rubbing it, and his gaze met mine from afar. He didn’t seem to feel embarrassed or ashamed; he even offered a pleasant smile. Ah Song, who was by his side, looked around blankly and also laughed and jumped up. But being so tall and burly, he immediately stepped on the fruits in the field, causing a commotion.
I couldn’t bear to watch any longer and continued walking forward with Shen Jianqing. I thought for a long time before finally asking, “Will Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong also become like this?”
Shen Jianqing didn’t even pause. “If nothing unexpected happens, they will only become shells for the Gu insect, not even as good as Ah Song.”
My breath hitched, and a dull ache spread through my chest. After all these events, I had long since considered them very good friends. When we had stubbornly insisted on coming down to the Miao village, our eyes were blinded by the immense profit, and we hadn’t considered the hidden dangers. If only we hadn’t come to the Miao village in the first place.
“I actually know you’ve always blamed me,” Shen Jianqing suddenly said, his voice devoid of emotion. “But Li Yuze, the rules of the village have always been unshakeable, not even by the chief. I’ve already exerted a great deal of effort to protect you.”
I felt very tired and didn’t want to dwell on the topic anymore. Whether I blamed him or not now, what had happened was a fixed fact, and no amount of talking would change anything. I said, “Let’s go back.”
There was no conversation along the way.
It wasn’t until evening that a strong wind suddenly began to blow through the forest.
The stilt house was nestled within the trees, and the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard clearly inside. I could close my eyes and imagine how the strong wind caressed thousands of layers of forest, reaching the other side of the mountain.
I was about to rest, but Shen Jianqing suddenly burst into my room. He had completely shed his usual refined image, covered in dirt and leaves from who knows where. His pant legs were still rolled up, and his fair, slender calves were speckled with mud, as were his clothes, yet he didn’t look disheveled. His medium-length hair was tied back, likely for convenience during his activities.
“You went to work?” I was surprised.
“I went to help Uncle Lu Qi harvest fruits, and he even gave me a basket!” Shen Jianqing had clearly run all the way back; his chest was still heaving violently, and his breathing was uneven. This was the first time I had seen him do farm work, but judging by his dirty appearance, he probably wasn’t very skilled. Shen Jianqing then explained, “You looked very sad when you saw him this morning. If I go and help him, will you be a little happier?”
I was stunned: “You did it for me?” A very strange yet familiar feeling rose in my chest again.
“Let’s not talk about that.” Shen Jianqing stepped forward, took my hand, and led me outside. “It’s getting very windy out there!” He seemed to have forgotten that my foot was still in a splint, and he walked incredibly fast, as if something invisible was urging him on. I myself also forgot, and to keep up with his pace, I couldn’t help but quicken my steps.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
He held my hand in a death grip; I couldn’t break free at all. Shen Jianqing’s eyes sparkled like two obsidian stones as he said, “It’s getting very windy outside!”
I couldn’t understand what the wind had to do with going out. Didn’t the wind mean it was going to rain? Then we should stay indoors even more.
Shen Jianqing led me through the long corridor and stopped at the stairs. However, he didn’t choose to go down but went upstairs instead. The stilt house had three floors. The first floor was Shen Jianqing’s living quarters, and the second floor was the guest room where we had temporarily stayed. We had never been to the third floor because, upon our arrival, Shen Jianqing had specifically instructed us not to go up to the third floor. I found it mysterious at the time, but it was someone else’s privacy, so I didn’t secretly pry. I didn’t expect to have a legitimate chance to see it now.
Following the stairs up, there was only one small room, its door facing the stairs…
“When my Ah-ma died, she said she would choose a windy day she liked and ride the strong wind to come see me and my father. Since her death, every year on this day has been sunny, but only tonight has a strong wind picked up,” Shen Jianqing said as he pushed open the door to the small room, his voice filled with unconcealed joy and excitement. “Li Yuze, my mother must have heard what I said. She likes you very much, that’s why she chose to come back today.”
I listened, silent for a long time, not knowing how to respond. Such words were merely a mother’s comfort to her child in her dying moments; how could they be taken seriously? But then again, Shen Jianqing lost his parents when he was fourteen or fifteen, and he was alone at a young age, always needing something to cling to. If I were to shatter this illusion and hope, it would be too cruel.
We entered the room. The small room had windows on both sides, allowing air to circulate. The ceiling, following the shape of the stilt house’s roof, was triangular, and looking up, I could vaguely see the green tiles laid on it. Shen Jianqing quickly pushed open the windows on both sides. The wind blowing through the forest immediately rushed in, making one feel refreshed. The “whooshing” sound of the wind filled my ears, and the stuffy, stale air in the room was instantly swept away.
The furnishings in the room were simple. There was only a table resembling an altar against the front wall, and on it was a square wooden box. Beside the wooden box was the Gu container of Shen Jianqing’s that I had seen before. These things placed here were truly eerie. I couldn’t understand why Shen Jianqing brought me here, so I couldn’t help but ask, “What is this place for?”
Shen Jianqing leaned against the window and looked back at me. The blowing wind made his hair constantly flutter like light butterflies, and his dirt-stained face was radiant. He smiled brightly, his beauty possessing a captivating power that made my heart tremble slightly. Regardless of anything else, if this scene could be painted, it would surely be passed down for generations.
In the beautiful scene, Shen Jianqing said, “My Ah-ba [mfn]Father[/mfn] is in that box.”
