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墨書 Inktalez
In the following days, Wen Sheng remained gloomy. He often thought about Wen Xin and their conversations, sometimes staring blankly at a leaf blown down by the wind. When he returned home at night, he saw the toy that Wang Lijuan had given him lying on the neatly made bed that Wen Xin had left behind. Looking at the toy's cheerful smile, Wen Xin's image unconsciously resurfaced in his mind.
Wen Sheng sat dazed by Wen Xin's bedside. He gazed at the black-and-white photograph she had left behind, looking at her genuine face, and felt a deep sense of melancholy and sorrow.
"Wen Xin! Are you doing well over there? I miss you so much. Is anyone bullying you..." As he looked at the smiling photo of Wen Xin, a wave of bitterness washed over him.
He remembered when Wen Xin was six years old during the New Year, when their mother had bought three yards of floral fabric for her and asked the village tailor to make her a coat. Wen Xin was so happy, running around in her new clothes. A photographer had come to the village.
Many adults in the village brought their children for photos. Wen Xin saw this and wanted to take a picture in her new outfit, even though their father opposed it, saying it was useless! But their mother still took Wen Xin to have her picture taken. She carefully dressed Wen Xin up for a while, and the girl looked very beautiful. When their mother carried her outside, many people praised how lovely Wen Xin looked.
Their mother took a picture of her, and then the photographer remarked, "This girl is really beautiful! Let me take another one just for her as a gift."
The photographer designed a pose for Wen Xin and took another picture for free. That photo turned out to be quite artistic; after all these years, it had yellowed slightly, but Wen Xin never wanted to part with it. She tucked it into her notebook and kept it under her pillow, always sneaking it out to look at.
After that day, Wen Xin never had another photo taken. She had left in such a hurry that she forgot to bring her own picture. Seeing it brought back deep feelings of longing for Wen Sheng. Worried that the photo might get lost, he carefully put it away in his drawer and locked it up. Many years later, he would still take that photo out to reminisce about those sealed memories. Of course, all of this was yet to come.
Wen Sheng sat motionless on the bed, as if he could hear Wen Xin calling out to him again. Those days felt like years passing slowly. With Wen Xin gone, he often found himself lost in thought.
Time passed like this for quite a while; summer remained hot, and Wen Sheng felt increasingly heavy-hearted. By the weekend, after finishing his work in the fields, he once again made his way to the riverbank.
At the riverbank, he felt much cooler as he watched the clear water flow by and saw frogs cooling off on the shore while kingfishers darted across the surface of the water. The wind swayed through the dense reeds, producing a cacophony of sounds amidst them as Lan Lan reflected in the clear water.
"This place is so refreshing! What are you doing? I've been watching you stand there for quite some time; I came up behind you without you noticing!" Lin Lin said cheerfully.
"Oh! It's so hot! I'm just enjoying this coolness; how is it already afternoon?" Wen Sheng replied with a smile as he turned around.
"Yes, it's too hot! Has Wen Xin written to you?" Lin Lin asked with a grin.
"Not yet! She hasn't even called! I miss her so much; I wonder if she hates me!" Wen Sheng sighed as he gazed at the distant clouds drifting by.
"How could Wen Xin hate you? Did you pressure her? It's just that she went so far away for work; how could your mother rest easy?" Lin Lin also expressed her feelings.
“Mom is worried, but Dad made the decision, and there’s nothing she can do about it!” Wen Sheng said with a hint of helplessness.
“Your dad really doesn’t think things through. Why does he want her to work at such a young age? What child doesn’t play at home?” Lin Lin replied, her tone filled with complaint.
“It’s all Aunt’s fault for recommending that factory! What kind of work can Wen Xin even do?” Wen Sheng said angrily.
“Seeing how poor your family is, they should lend you some money instead of making things worse! I’m already this old, and my mom still can’t bear to let me work! Your dad is really ruthless!” Lin Lin shook her head and sighed, her long hair flowing gently in the breeze.
“I really don’t understand what Dad is thinking,” Wen Sheng turned to Lin Lin. “He always wants me to help lighten his stress and burdens, but I don’t see how much Wen Xin can actually help him with that! Does he expect a child to support him?”
“Yeah! I think your dad is a bit selfish and shortsighted. Don’t take it the wrong way!” Lin Lin said tactfully.
“How could I be angry? I not only think he’s selfish and shortsighted, but I also feel he’s a bit outdated,” Wen Sheng pondered.
“I think so too. If you treat Wen Xin like this now, will she be good to him in the future? She might even end up resenting him,” Lin Lin paused for a moment.
“That’s not certain, but no one knows what will happen in the future. At least I feel a bit resentful towards my father!” Wen Sheng admitted candidly.
“So you mean you won’t be filial to him in the future?” Lin Lin smiled slightly.
“Not necessarily. As children, it’s our duty to support our parents in the future. But if there’s a shadow in my heart, I’m afraid I won’t be able to care for him as well,” Wen Sheng expressed his viewpoint.
“I really miss Wen Xin. She’s such a good child! She knows how to help at home, doesn’t argue with others, and doesn’t fuss about food or clothing. So obedient! Is it true that obedient children have to endure more grievances?” Lin Lin tilted her head in thought. “When my dad coaxed me into not going to school back then, I regretted it so much now. I often complain about him too, ha ha!”
“No, now I miss her again. I’m really worried about her,” Wen Sheng said gloomily.
“Did Changqing really get possessed that night?” Lin Lin asked about Changqing.
“It couldn’t be wrong; otherwise, he wouldn’t have acted like that. Changqing is actually a decent person!” Wen Sheng smiled slightly.
“You really scared me! Thankfully you arrived just in time; otherwise, I would have been in trouble!” Lin Lin blushed slightly.
"At night, it's not good! There's also a graveyard across the river. There is indeed a sinister energy," Wen Sheng said lightly.
"Have you ever been possessed?" Lin Lin asked with a playful smile.
"I haven't, how could someone as innocent as me be possessed!" Wen Sheng replied, suppressing his emotions and smiling.
"But what if it’s at night?" Lin Lin rolled her eyes and teased him with a grin.
"It won't happen at night either. I've never experienced it; generally, ghosts are afraid of the poor, ha ha!" Wen Sheng joked self-deprecatingly.
"Yeah right! I don't believe that! How could ghosts be afraid of you?" Lin Lin tossed her long hair and adjusted her short shirt, feeling slightly embarrassed as she thought Wen Sheng was looking at the delicate skin exposed at her waist. She instinctively pulled down her shirt to cover that area. However, pulling it tighter only accentuated her figure, and the neckline became even more revealing. Wen Sheng couldn't help but smile as he glanced at her.
In truth, Wen Sheng hadn't been staring at her earlier, but her adjustment caught his attention perfectly. He began to scrutinize her from head to toe, his eyes moving back and forth. Lin Lin felt uneasy under his gaze; she fiddled with her hair, crossed her legs, turned around, and checked herself for any flaws. But why was Wen Sheng looking at her like that? His expression seemed normal!
Looking at the sun, Lin Lin felt a wave of anxiety wash over her; it was just around noon.
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