This rain, marking the transition into deep summer, fell intermittently for four or five days, a continuous drizzle.
The green of the forest, washed by the heavy rain, had deepened into a rich, dark emerald, every leaf saturated with water. The air was wonderfully crisp, each breath gently calming my lungs, and it felt as though every pore on my body had opened. I was even beginning to grow accustomed to this carefree life, where no thoughts weighed me down.
Shen Jianqing kept his promise; he didn’t lock me in anymore. These past few days, I often sat under the eaves of the stilt house, idly and aimlessly watching the forest.
Shen Jianqing, however, had become busy lately, always staying in the small room on the third floor, the one where Shen Siyuan’s ashes were placed, busying himself with who knows what. He always emerged looking exhausted. A few days ago, I even saw him carrying a bamboo basket upstairs, and from it, I heard the hissing of snakes. I didn’t ask what he was doing; I was just content with my freedom.
The only downside was my ankle. Although it had healed, perhaps due to the inherent dampness of the stilt house and the recent rain, the place where I had previously injured it always felt a dull, persistent ache.
Right then, as I leaned against the long corridor of the stilt house, listening to the soft patter of rain and the droplets striking the leaves, a poem by Li Shangyin suddenly came to mind.
“Autumn gloom lingers as frost falls late; withered lotuses remain to hear the sound of rain.” I recited softly, only to hear Shen Jianqing’s voice behind me.
“Yuze Ah-ge, what are you saying?”
I turned to see Shen Jianqing standing at the other end of the corridor, tall and graceful. His hands hung naturally, but I immediately noticed the insect named “Honghong” stuck to the back of his right hand. I couldn’t tell if it was just my imagination, but it seemed redder than before, it was a faintly glowing crimson, and the patterns on its back appeared sharper, stranger, and even more captivating.
“I heard the rain and suddenly thought of a poem I really like.” I said, immediately feeling like I’d said too much.
Shen Jianqing walked closer, and Honghong crawled along the back of his hand, quickly disappearing beneath his sleeve.
“Poetry? What’s poetry?” Shen Jianqing’s eyes were as bright and clear as the moon, as if washed by the summer rain.
How could I explain it in just a few words? I reluctantly explained, “It’s like your Miao love songs. The outside world also has many similar ballad-like things that have been passed down.”
Shen Jianqing became interested, pulled a stool, and sat beside me, saying eagerly, “Say it again.”
His face quickly became damp with the outdoor moisture, and tiny raindrops hung on his long eyelashes. I didn’t know if he would understand, but I repeated it anyway.
“Autumn gloom lingers as frost falls late; withered lotuses remain to hear the sound of rain.”
Shen Jianqing’s lips moved silently as he asked, “What does that mean? It doesn’t sound like a love song… I don’t understand it at all. Are all your outside songs this hard to understand? You won’t find a wife that way. Our love songs are very direct and passionate.”
“Haha.” I inexplicably laughed, amused by his troubled expression. Shen Jianqing looked just like a first-grader right now. Oh, in terms of education level, he really wasn’t much better than an elementary school student. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself again.
But despite my teasing, Shen Jianqing didn’t get angry. Instead, he tilted his head and whispered, “You’re laughing. Yuze Ah-ge, I haven’t seen you laugh in a long time.”
I abruptly stopped laughing. This was, surprisingly, the most pleasant day we had spent together in a while.
“Cough, cough…” I cleared my throat, changing the subject. “This poem means that in autumn, the overcast sky lingers, and the lotus flowers in the pond wither, which is perfect for listening to the sound of rain hitting their leaves.”
“Lotus flowers…” Shen Jianqing’s eyes held a blank look. “I’ve never seen a lotus flower. Is it beautiful?”
Resources in the mountains were limited. Many people in the village would never see certain things in their entire lives. They would also never see what the rest of the world looked like. I suddenly felt a bit sorry for him, but the moment that thought arose, I stifled it in my heart.
If Shen Jianqing was pitiful, then how was I, kept here by him, any less pitiful?
I immediately lost interest, only lazily muttering, “It’s very beautiful; there are many beautiful things outside.”
The moment I mentioned “outside,” Shen Jianqing’s brows furrowed, and he said nothing more. We sat in silence, side by side, watching the rain drip from the eaves, the rustling leaves, and the misty distant mountains.
Suddenly, Shen Jianqing asked, “Is your foot hurting?”
My heart skipped a beat; I hadn’t expected him to notice.
Shen Jianqing explained, “You keep unconsciously covering it with your palm. I remember many people in the village used to say that bone injuries are sensitive to cold and easily ache.”
I shook my head. “It’s not uncomfortable.” Lying in that room, which felt like a cage, was worse than simply zoning out here.
Shen Jianqing said, “I remember there’s a kind of herb that can treat…” Before he could finish, a rapid “dadada” sound of footsteps splashing through water suddenly came from the forest ahead.
We both looked over to see a white umbrella emerge from the trees, and beneath it was a beautiful but startled face. As the girl drew closer and saw me, a flicker of disgust crossed her eyes before she looked away, speaking in Miao to Shen Jianqing with a very flustered expression. It was that girl, the first young girl we saw when we first entered the village, and the one who went to find people in the village, which was why I remembered her so clearly.
After she finished speaking, Shen Jianqing was already standing. The hem of his dark blue clothes brushed past my face, causing a tingling sensation. The young girl then stepped forward as if to pull Shen Jianqing, but he dodged her. He turned back to me and said, “Something has happened in the mountains; I need to go check it out. Wait for me here at home—don’t run off.” His last three words were spoken very softly, half concern, half threat, his gaze fixed on my face as if trying to see right through me.
Infected by the sudden tension in the air, I didn’t want to dwell on the implications of his words and said helplessly, “Go quickly; I won’t run off.”
With my assurance, Shen Jianqing’s expression immediately changed, showing a reluctant, fragile look, as if he wasn’t the one who had just threatened me. He took his umbrella and left with the little girl, looking back at me every few steps. Their figures were quickly swallowed by the forest. Thinking of the girl’s panicked expression just now and the worried frown on Shen Jianqing’s face, my heart couldn’t stop racing.
Strange, was I worried about Shen Jianqing? What was there to worry about him? If he died…
I sighed, no longer wanting to delve deeper into the thought. Just then, a gust of wind swept through the dense layers of the forest and hit me. I instinctively pulled my clothes tighter to ward off the damp chill. As I turned, my peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a slender figure walking from another direction in the dense woods.
I stopped to watch her. It was Wan Ying.
