Long Waited For

The aged Zhao Lan.

For some reason.

Her clouded eyes grew clearer and clearer.

As if the thick fog that had lingered within them for years had suddenly dispersed.

Inch by inch, she shifted her gaze toward the man sitting sideways beside her, putting embroidered shoes on her feet.

Her tear ducts suddenly came back to life as well.

A clear tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Her voice was very soft as she gently said, "Changhe, these past few years, holding on has been so hard."

"Ah."

"You know, I don't know what happened either."

"I even managed to get lost while flying a plane."

"Xiao Lan, you've waited a long time."

Qin Changhe sat sideways, his voice sounding joking, though tears streamed down his face.

After massaging one foot, he slowly slipped the embroidered shoe onto it.

"Take one look."

"It was worth it."

Zhao Lan slowly closed her eyes.

Ding.

An alarm sounded in the room. Zhao Lan's heart-rate monitor and life-detection device both showed zero.

"Grandma!"

Hearing the sound, Qin Guang rushed into the room. He cried out in overwhelming grief, dropped to his knees beside the bed, and clutched his head as he wept.

Quite a few doctors and nurses rushed over after hearing the commotion.

One attending physician hurriedly examined Zhao Lan.

In the end, he quietly said, "She's gone. Very peacefully."

Liu Di's eyes suddenly welled up too, and he turned away.

Qin Changhe was still sitting beside the bed, silent and expressionless.

His eyes remained fixed tightly on the other embroidered shoe.

Drip.

A tear fell onto its surface.

Qin Changhe wiped away his tears, raised his head toward the ceiling, and tilted it slightly.

Memories flashed through his mind of climbing the persimmon tree at the village entrance to pick winter