Chapter 12: All Things Must Pass
Time slowed down, so much so that Lu Li could clearly see the cobwebs in the corner being lifted by the wind. It was as if the world had undergone a tremendous change, or maybe it was just his imagination. The shuffling sound from deep within the old Mei residence disappeared completely, never to be heard again. The wooden handle of the hammer in his hand began to decay and crumble, like a melting biscuit. The curse that had plagued this village seemed to have been broken the moment Lu Li swung the hammer, severed silently and completely.
He didn’t know why he and An Baili were reborn.
He didn’t know what the consequences would be if he, as a reborn person, smashed the pendant.
He didn’t even know how Mei Jinliu obtained the pendant in the first place.
There were still too many unknowns in this world, mysteries so numerous that they formed a vast and boundless ocean, and humans were merely travelers adrift on a lone boat. If he were to cower in fear of the unknown and choose self-preservation, what would be the difference between him and Mei Jinliu? He had a stronger mentality than Baili, was more decisive, and had more information. It was best for him to bear the price.
Lu Li picked up the scattered crystal fragments from the ground. They were cold to the touch, their texture ordinary. If you threw them into a toy market, no one would notice anything special about them. According to Mei Jinliu, the pendant would restore itself the next day. So Lu Li gathered the fragments, found a shovel behind the old house, and buried them next to Mei Jinliu’s grave. Let it remain buried forever in this forgotten village.
After doing all this, Lu Li received a message from Chu Jingyi. She said that Baili had woken up and was clamoring for a video call with him. Silly Goose, being soft-hearted, agreed.
Lu Li instinctively wanted to fix his hair, to present his best self to An Baili. But he noticed that his hands were covered in dirt from digging. He suddenly remembered what the old village head had said: when facing Mei Jinliu, the young men would always nervously fix their hair with their muddy hands… Everything seemed to be a cycle, comedy and tragedy alternating. Lu Li couldn’t help but wonder if, in the distant past, there was someone like Mei Jinliu who had also used the Rebirth Crystal.
“Dear…” An Baili’s pretty face appeared on the phone screen. She subconsciously wanted to call him “honey,” but noticing Silly Goose sitting cross-legged beside her with a silly grin, she changed her words. “Lu Li, Lu Li, let me tell you, I just had the strangest dream!”
The desire to share was an expression of love. The more you loved someone, the more eager you were to share your feelings with them, from the random thoughts triggered by a fallen leaf on the road to the confusion and helplessness caused by life’s unexpected turns.
“What did you dream about?”
“I dreamed, I dreamed that I had met you a long, long, long time ago!” An Baili’s eyes sparkled with happiness. “It must be fate! I dreamed that I met you when I was little, but it didn’t feel like a dream… Anyway, anyway…”
An Baili’s words caught in her throat, turning into a soft and sweet whisper. “Anyway, come back soon, I… Jingyi and I miss you.”
What was happiness? Happiness was cats eating fish, dogs eating meat, Ultraman fighting monsters. Happiness was spending every day peacefully with them.
“Yes, I’ll be back today.” Lu Li didn’t even realize how bright his smile was.
The matter was resolved… for now. There was no need to stay in Shanzhu Village any longer. Lu Li planned to thank the old village head before leaving. He had a feeling that this village was full of danger before the pendant was destroyed, and it was probably Village Head Gong and Zhaocai who had been protecting him. On his way back, the village seemed to have changed again. The waist-high weeds had grown even taller and wilder, swallowing the paths. Small animals appeared among the once-silent weeds, adding a touch of desolation and vitality.
When he reached Village Head Gong’s courtyard, Lu Li felt that the old house seemed much dimmer. Less than half of the tiles on the roof remained, and the courtyard was covered with fallen leaves, as if no one had lived there for years. He saw Zhaocai lying in front of the closed door, but it no longer seemed like the lively young dog from before. Its fur was messy and unkempt, its eyes cloudy, its age showing. It was an old dog now.
Seeing Lu Li, a faint light flickered in Zhaocai’s eyes. It slowly stood up and limped towards him, licking his shoes as it had done before.
“…Village Head Gong…” Lu Li called out, but there was no response.
A rusty padlock hung on the door, a clear sign that the house had been abandoned for a long time, perhaps five years, perhaps ten?
Was this the price?
Lu Li was silent for a long time.
“Zhaocai, how many years have you been waiting here?”
The clever old dog didn’t bark in response this time, because its voice was gone. It could only circle around Lu Li weakly, like a human reminiscing about an old friend. Perhaps it would soon return to its fate as well. Lu Li sadly patted Zhaocai’s head. It was this yellow dog that had scared away those children who were chasing him when they first met. It was also this dog that guarded the house at night, allowing Lu Li to hear its barking in that “dream”…
“Zhaocai, want to come with me?”
The old dog walked towards the gate, then lay down with difficulty, its head resting on the ground, its dim and cloudy eyes staring at the earth.
Just this morning, it was still chasing a piece of meat excitedly… Lu Li saw not only Zhaocai, but also the relentless passage of time, the tragic fate.
“Village Head Gong, sir, I’m leaving, thank you!” Lu Li called out. It was clear that he wouldn’t receive any response. The path back was peaceful. Sparrows flew among the trees by the roadside. The trees that had been blown down by the wind had somehow returned to their original positions, as if everything before had been an illusion.
During that short day and night in Shanzhu Village, Lu Li felt like he had experienced a long dream, a bizarre and absurd encounter that was both long and fleeting. He looked back at the quiet, deserted village of Shanzhu. Once upon a time, tanned men worked in the fields, women sifted soybeans with sieves, the old village head strolled around with Zhaocai, a hand-rolled cigarette dangling from his lips, and innocent young boys and girls chased after the bus, exchanging jokes. Now? What was left? Countless graves, rows of empty houses, and a homeless old dog.
Compared to time and fate, Mei Jinliu was actually merciful. The good times were gone, the years passed like storms.
Truly, time was the most merciless of razors, wielded alternately by the sun and the moon, scraping across the uneven earth, layer after layer, harvesting the sick, the elderly, even those taken by early death. Leaving behind only barren longing and a lonely, lingering sorrow.
Lu Li finally sighed and turned to leave, leaving behind a thousand emotions in this bitter land.
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