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墨書 Inktalez
Was she seeing things? She clearly saw the baby girl open her eyes just a moment ago.
Grandma reached out to check the baby's breath and said, "She is already dead."
Dead?
Su Jin'er felt a buzzing in her head. A dead baby couldn't possibly open its eyes; it must have been her imagination. But was the malice she saw in those eyes also just an illusion?
"This baby boy looks very healthy. I think we should get him to a big hospital as soon as possible; maybe we can save his life," Chu Feifan said, looking at the crying baby whose face was flushed red.
"Yes, I agree with this young man's suggestion. After all, we are in a scientific era, and there are many things we can no longer keep up with," Grandma said with a smile.
Although Grandma said this, Jin'er knew very well that while some things might be within Grandma's power, science might not be able to provide what was needed: peace of mind for those deeply rooted in superstitious beliefs.
"Aunt, the black dog blood is ready."
Su Jin'er glanced at the bowl held by the person, filled with nearly black blood that made her feel nauseous. The strong smell of blood assaulted her nostrils, reminding her of Linyuan, covered in blood.
Her stomach churned, and she suddenly ran outside, leaning against a large tree trunk to vomit.
"What happened?" When Chu Feifan came out, Su Jin'er already had tears streaming down her face.
"I'm fine; I just feel sorry for that child." She lied; in truth, she simply didn't want Chu Feifan to worry about her anymore.
Chu Feifan said nothing, only quietly patted her back. He understood perfectly well but chose not to say anything.
Su Jin'er straightened up and forced a weak smile. "It's okay now; let's go back inside! Otherwise, Grandma will worry."
When they entered, Grandma had already drawn the talisman with dog blood. It was the first time she had seen her perform magic, so she watched intently, but she couldn't understand what Grandma had drawn on the paper.
However, upon seeing her come in, Grandma said, "Yaner, you two should go outside! This place is not suitable for you."
Su Jin'er looked at Grandma in confusion and then glanced at the baby. Although she felt a bit reluctant, she still went outside with Chu Feifan.
The two of them stood in the yard, gazing at the pitch-black sky.
"Why doesn't Grandma want us to watch?" Su Jin'er whispered.
"Maybe she's afraid it will influence our thoughts!" Chu Feifan replied with a smile.
Su Jin'er thought about it and realized he was right. When she asked about such matters as a child, Grandma would always be vague and reluctant to say much; that must be the reason!
About twenty minutes later, Grandma came out looking very tired, her face covered in fine beads of sweat, which made Su Jin'er feel a pang of heartache.
"Let's go home!"
Su Jin'er and Chu Feifan supported Grandma on either side as they walked home, while behind them, Niu Er kept expressing his gratitude.
The next morning, when they woke up, they saw that Grandma had already prepared breakfast. Chu Feifan had also gotten up early to help; it seemed she was the last one to wake up.
Grandma brought over a plate of oil cakes and affectionately said to Su Jin'er, "Grandma knows you love the oil cakes I make the most, so I made extra today."
Su Jin'er looked at Grandma happily. Every time she visited before, Grandma would make her these oil cakes, which were also her favorite.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Su Jin'er happily ate the fried dough and drank millet porridge, while Chu Feifan seemed to have never tried it before. However, after taking a bite, he also grew fond of it and ended up eating several pieces!
Grandma kept laughing heartily; it had been a long time since Su Jin'er had seen her smile like that.
Breakfast ended amidst laughter, during which Chu Feifan continuously told jokes to amuse Grandma. Su Jin'er suddenly felt very happy because she knew that Chu Feifan was different from other boys who only liked her for her appearance.
After breakfast, Grandma told her the location of Qiangzi's grave. Initially, she wanted to go alone, but Chu Feifan insisted on accompanying her, so they both went up the mountain together.
On the way, Su Jin'er shared many stories about Qiangzi with Chu Feifan. He listened quietly, absorbing every detail of her emotional changes. Now he finally understood that Qiangzi was just a childhood playmate of Jin'er, and that a careless promise made long ago had led to an irretrievable situation today. This must be the reason for her long-standing melancholy.
Qiangzi's grave stood lonely at the top of the mountain, surrounded by wild grass that had nearly buried it. If one did not look closely, it would be impossible to notice.
Why was he buried here all alone?
This was Su Jin'er's first thought upon seeing his grave.
Looking at the grass-covered tombstone, she felt a pang of sadness. Had no one come to visit him? Had no one cleared away the weeds? The image of Qiangzi's shy smile appeared in her mind as if he were saying: Come over and fish with me.
Su Jin'er staggered over and then crouched down, slowly clearing the surrounding weeds. Chu Feifan also crouched down beside her. They both remained silent, quietly pulling out the tangled grass and tossing it away.
After about an hour, the grass around the grave was finally cleared. She sat down beside it, took out a bottle of liquor, twisted off the cap, and poured a cup saying, "Qiangzi, you've grown up too! I wonder what you look like now that you're grown; you must be very handsome! Haha, maybe you've learned to drink or clumsily shave off your youthful stubble with a razor. Perhaps you've even dated a beautiful girlfriend."
Listening to her words brought a hint of sadness to Chu Feifan. This boy would forever be a wound in her heart—one that he could never replace. For a moment, he wished that the person lying there was himself; at least then he would still have a place in her heart. But now, standing right in front of her, it felt as if she couldn’t see him at all.
For some time afterward, he didn’t know what Su Jin'er was saying; he only knew that his emotions were in turmoil. He felt inexplicably jealous of someone who had already passed away. Realizing this drove him a bit crazy. To avoid embarrassing himself in front of Jin'er, he stood up and walked away.
As Su Jin'er continued speaking, tears began to flow down her cheeks. All of this was because of her; if she hadn’t carelessly made promises or broken them, Qiangzi wouldn’t have died and none of this would have happened.
Su Jin'er tilted her head back and finished the drink in her cup, then poured the remaining wine on the ground, saying, "Qiangzi, I’m sorry. This drink is for you."
The fiery liquor rushed into her lungs, bringing a wave of heat, yet it could not warm her cold heart.
Chu Feifan was startled to see Su Jin'er gulping down the alcohol, but he hesitated only for a moment before not stopping her. He understood the sadness in her heart; perhaps this would help her feel a little better.
At some point, the wind picked up, brushing against them with a sensation akin to being caressed. Su Jin'er suddenly jolted upright but, having drunk too much, she fell back down, fortunately caught by Chu Feifan.
She managed a weak smile at Chu Feifan and then pushed away from his embrace, saying, "Do you feel like someone is watching us?"
Chu Feifan was taken aback by her words but quickly thought she might just be rambling due to her drunkenness and dismissed it.
"No, not at all! You’ve had too much to drink."
"No, I’m very clear-headed. Someone is indeed watching us. No, wait, they’re watching me. I think that person is Qiangzi."
Su Jin'er’s words sent a shiver down Chu Feifan’s spine. However, looking around in broad daylight, how could there possibly be ghosts? He smiled at the drunken Su Jin'er in his arms; if she believed it, then so be it!
"Heh heh, I know you don’t believe me. That’s fine; I’ll prove it to you."
With that, she pushed away from Chu Feifan and stumbled toward the east. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted loudly, "Qiangzi, I know you’re here. Please come out!"
The wind howled more fiercely, and the grass on the ground rolled like waves, yet only their two figures remained visible.
"I know you’re here! Why won’t you come out to see me?" Su Jin'er cried as she crouched down on the ground, almost disappearing into the tall grass.
Chu Feifan rushed over but found that Su Jin'er had vanished.
"Jin'er, where are you?"
Su Jin'er's cries still echoed in the wind, but he could not find her. He frantically searched the entire mountain but did not see Su Jin'er anywhere; her faint cries seemed to linger in his ears.
Unable to find Su Jin'er, Chu Feifan weakly returned to Qiangzi's grave, only to be astonished to discover that even Qiangzi's tomb was missing. However, the items he and Su Jin'er had brought were still on the ground, proving that he had not mistaken the location.
"Qiangzi, is it you? Did you take Jin'er away? It can't be; her death is not her fault. She was just a child back then and didn't understand anything. Please, let her come back."
Chu Feifan spoke to the empty space where the grave used to be and suddenly knelt down. They say a man should only kneel before his parents, but here he was, kneeling before a boy's grave whom he had never met, all for the girl he had always loved.
The wind showed no signs of stopping; it continued to blow fiercely as the sky darkened, seemingly about to rain. Yet, Su Jin'er still did not appear; it was as if she had never come to the mountaintop at all.
Tears blurred Chu Feifan's vision, and soon the sky began to rain. At first, it was just a light drizzle, but quickly it turned into a torrential downpour.
His vision became increasingly unclear until he saw a boy carrying a girl approaching him. The girl was Su Jin'er, and he knew that the boy must be Qiangzi. He strained to open his eyes wider to see clearly, but the boy's face remained indistinct. Perhaps it was the rain obscuring his sight. When he rubbed his eyes to look again, he found that the boy had vanished, leaving only Su Jin'er peacefully lying in his arms, her pale face and closed eyes—this was his familiar Su Jin'er.
When his gaze fell upon the grave on the ground, he was stunned; the grave was still there.
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