In the early morning of the first day of the New Year, Jiang Fengmian picked up Wei Ying by car and went to a cemetery in the outskirts of the city.
Last night Wei Ying told him that he wanted to sweep Cangse Sanren’s grave.
The cemetery was amidst the mountains and rivers.
It was still early, white fog caged the silent and unoccupied cemetery, Wei Ying followed Jiang Fengmian for a long time before arriving at Cangse Sanren’s grave.
This was the first time Wei Ying saw his mother, separated by a tomb.
After seeing Cangse Sanren, Jiang Fengmian walked a short distance away, leaving Wei Ying alone to speak with Cangse Sanren.
Wei Ying placed a bouquet of white roses in front of the tombstone; the snow-white petals were still covered with dew.
He squatted down and looked at the tombstone, reaching out to touch the engraved words on the cold stone tablet.
The photo of Cangse Sanren on the tombstone was replaced shortly after, a pair of beautiful eyes gazing tenderly at everyone who came to see her.
Those who came to see her grew older and older each year, but the person in the picture stopped forever at that flowery age.
Wei Ying looked quietly for a long time, as if he was looking at his mother in the photo, and he said softly, “Mom, I’ve come to see you, can you see me?”
Only the sound of wind and birdsong could be heard faintly among the graveyard, and after another long time, he continued to say to the tombstone:
“Mom, I’m home.”
“Grandpa and Grandma are very nice to me, I had dinner with them last night and Grandma cooked a lot of food for me.”
“Grandma said I like the rice wine she made as much as you do, so I drank an extra bowl, if only you could have it too.”
“I’m doing well now, I have someone I like very much, and he likes me very much, and I came here for him, and he took me home.”
“I’m learning painting with Grandpa Zhou. He always said that he has a very good female student. I know that it is you. In the future, I will make him as proud of me as you.”
“Mom, thank you for always blessing me from heaven.”
“I miss you so much and wish you happiness and joy in heaven.”
The fog gradually dispersed, and the light golden sunlight passed through the thin white fog.
Wei Ying stood up in front of the tombstone, and finally slowly bent down towards the tombstone.
On the way back, both father and son were a little silent.
Jiang Fengmian drove the car and did not turn on the music this time.
Wei Ying kept looking out the window and after a long time without talking, he suddenly asked Jiang Fengmian:
“Why Lotus Pillar Bay?”
On the way here, he already knew through Jiang Fengmian the reason why Cangse Sanren had left his family in the first place.
A long-lost past, it couldn’t be told with just a few words.
He could only know that many years ago, Jiang Fengmian was still Baoshan Sanren’s proud disciple, and because his parents died early, he was taken care of by the teacher.
He and the teacher’s daughter secretly developed an affection, this could be a happy story for all, but ended up like this.
There was no hatred, no betrayal, everything was just a tear in the name of love, driving Cangse Sanren in the center of the whirlpool to desperation.
She was pregnant with her lover’s child, bent on giving him life but was not allowed by his parents.
Even her best friend turned her away when she asked for help and finally her lover chose to retreat and run away.
But why Lotus Pillar Bay?
Wei Ying asked Jiang Fengmian this question, and the car gradually stopped at the side of the road.
He saw Jiang Fengmian hanging his head, fingers clenched tightly on the steering wheel, and the tendons and veins on the back of his hand were livid, as if he was enduring great pain and remorse.
After a long time, he spoke, and his voice became hoarse: “I used to like photography, and I took pictures of scenery in many places. She… She liked the peach blossoms in Lotus Pillar Bay the most, and I promised to accompany her to sketch there in the future.”
Those photographic works had also attracted the attention of Lotus Pillar Bay for a short time, they were the thing he was most proud of.
Later, when they were anxiously looking around for Cangse Sanren, they searched all the places Cangse Sanren might go, but he never thought of this place.
He forgot the look in Cangse Sanren’s longing eyes and his perfunctory promises at that time.
Wei Ying remained silent after listening.
He thought of his mother who was in Lotus Pillar Bay back then, she must have been expecting Jiang Fengmian to go there, but until the end of her life, she couldn’t see the person she waited to take her home..
“I’m sorry.”
Jiang Fengmian suddenly said, his eyes were red as he looked at Wei Ying, “I didn’t go to Lotus Pillar Bay to look for her, and then I didn’t go to Lotus Pillar Bay to look for you later.”
Wei Ying did not respond to Jiang Fengmian.
He pressed the car window down to look out the window, the cold breeze from the mountains came in, but his chest seemed to be blocked by something, making him stuffy and uncomfortable.
He had heard too many apologies, but no amount of apologies could bring back his mother or the seventeen years he had missed out on.
And Wei Ying, the name taken by Yu Ziyuan at will, seemed to be a prophecy, and also seemed to be the branding of his life by a joke of fate.
On the way back later, the father and son did not say a word.
Wei Ying returned home alone and saw Lan Zhan standing by the living room sofa looking at him, wearing a gray-blue sweater and holding a book in his hand.
Obviously, he had been reading a book here before waiting for him to return.
Wei Ying changed his shoes and slowly walked to Lan Zhan, not saying anything and Lan Zhan also did not ask anything, just reached out and hugged him into his arms.
He buried his face in the soft warm sweater on Lan Zhan’s shoulder and his whole body weight was leaning on Lan Zhan’s arms.
He took a deep breath, like the returning bird that finally hid in the nest after the wind and rain, feeling the dullness in his chest was relieved a little.
“Do you want to go out for a bike ride this afternoon?” Lan Zhan asked.
Wei Ying nodded his head, he really did not want to stay at home.
It was a beautiful day, a rare winter sun, they rode their bikes to many places in Gusu City.
Lan Zhan took him to the elementary school and junior high school he had attended, and even to the kindergarten.
When they arrived at the kindergarten, it was just in time for the children to be dismissed.
Wei Ying and Lan Zhan stood abruptly at the entrance, and a lot of parents who came to pick up their children stood beside them, frequently looking at these two eye-catching teenagers.
A grandma stood beside Wei Ying and asked him, “Are you here to pick up your younger brother or younger sister?”
He blurted out, “I’m here to pick up my younger brother, kindergarten older class.”
The grandmother got excited and said that her granddaughter was also in the older class, the name was Lele, and said that Wei Ying was so good-looking, so his younger brother must be good-looking too.
She asked Wei Ying what his brother’s name was, and maybe he knew her little granddaughter.
Wei Ying thought about it, smiled a little and said, “It’s Lan Zhan, did your granddaughter mention it when she came home?”
Lan Zhan, who was sitting on the bicycle by the side, turned his head and glanced at Wei Ying.
“Oh, the name is so good, but I have never heard my granddaughter talk about such a child, ah.”
The grandmother lamented with great regret and asked Lan Zhan beside Wei Ying, “This handsome boy, are you also here to pick up your younger sibling?”
Lan Zhan nodded his head with little expression and said, “Pick up my younger brother.”
After saying that, he did not wait for the grandmother to continue to question, and continued seriously, “in the kindergarten older class, called Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying was so happy that he smiled at the grandmother and said, “Our brothers are in the same class.”
“It’s great, ah. The elder brothers have such a good relationship, and the younger brothers can also grow up together and have each other as companions.”
After the grandmother sighing enviously, she suddenly heard her granddaughter call herself and rushed to pick her up.
The two hurriedly took the opportunity to ride away.
On the way, Wei Ying still could not help laughing, so much that Lan Zhan looked at him several times.
He didn’t know where his mind jumped at once and suddenly asked Lan Zhan.
“Hey, you’re so smart, why don’t you skip a grade?”
He thought that with Lan Zhan’s IQ, it would not be a problem to jump four or five grades.
Lan Zhan didn’t keep up with Wei Ying’s jumpy thinking and said, “A teacher suggested it in elementary school, but my mother didn’t agree.”
“Fortunately, you didn’t skip the grade.” Wei Ying tsked and looked into Lan Zhan’s eyes with a bright smile. “Otherwise, how can I go to the kindergarten class with you?”
Lan Zhan smiled when he heard the words, thinking that fortunately, Wei Ying didn’t continue to ask why Gu Yihan didn’t agree with him skipping grades.
In the next second, Wei Ying suddenly looked serious and said to Lan Zhan, “After a while, when your mother is better, I’ll go visit her.”
He knew that Gu Yihan was in a sanatorium for treatment and recuperation, he knew that she probably had relapsed because of learning about his birth.
Lan Zhan’s fingers holding the handlebars of his bicycle curled up, he didn’t expect Wei Ying would take the initiative to ask to see Gu Yihan.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally said, “Okay, she also wants to see you.”
It was only at dusk that the two men slowly rode their bikes along the riverside greenway toward home.
Wei Ying could not ride any longer, his two feet were pedaling very hard, but he saw that Lan Zhan was still riding smoothly and easily.
He was a little unconvinced, pedaling a few feet harder to catch up, slightly panting and said to Lan Zhan:
“I will take you to Lotus Pillar Bay to climb the mountain in the future, you will definitely not be as good as I am.”
Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying’s face that was a little red from sweat, the corners of his lips lifted slightly and said, “Physical strength doesn’t change because of different places.”
Wei Ying stopped his bike, one leg propped up on the spot, always feeling that Lan Zhan meant something when he said this, but for a while he couldn’t figure out what Lan Zhan was referring to.
At this point, Lan Zhan, who had already ridden some distance away, stopped and turned his bike to look over, waiting for him with his back facing a river of glistening twilight.
Wei Ying looked at that image for a few seconds before pedaling a few times harder and riding up next to Lan Zhan.
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