Shi Dazhuang ultimately failed to persuade Yu Meiren to return to Wuzhong. The little girl was just as stubborn as her father had been back then; once she made a decision, not even eight oxen could pull her back.
When the news reached Wuzhong, the most intense reaction came from Xia Tian. The little boy who used to speak in a childish voice and was afraid of his younger brother's revenge had grown into a man and immediately packed his bags to go south to persuade the girl to come back.
Stepmother Zhang Juan saw him leave but dared not object, or even ask a question. After what happened three years ago, her status in the Xia Family plummeted, and even the servants no longer treated her with respect. The servants were busy every day, while she was idle and ignored, spending her days alone in her empty room, dressing in front of the mirror, flipping through books she would never turn the pages of, like a walking corpse. The reason she didn't get a divorce was twofold: firstly, it wasn't something she could do at will, and secondly, staying here at least saved face for her family. Her brothers were still in business, and given the Xia Family's reputation, they wouldn't make things difficult for them.
She still decided to call Xia Changzheng to tell him that Xia Tian was going on a long trip. After receiving the news, Xia Changzheng rushed to the airport, but he was still too late; the flight carrying Xia Tian to Spring City had already taken off. He wondered how a minor could buy a ticket and board the plane on her own, cursing the person who helped Xia Tian board and the airline in his heart. When he checked the surveillance footage, he saw Hu Xing and Xia Tian together, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he hurriedly bought a ticket for the next flight and rushed to Spring City.
Xia Tian couldn't persuade Yu Meiren to come back, but she was captivated by the beautiful scenery of Mangdian and Kuaziba and decided to stay there as well.
"This place is just as beautiful as the places my great-grandfather visited when he was young!" he said.
Xia Changzheng asked, puzzled, "How do you know what the places your great-grandfather visited were like when he was young?"
"I saw it in his dream."
"Then you can't stay here because of this!"
"I'm going to stay here!"
"Impossible!" Xia Changzheng shouted impatiently.
Xia Tian stopped speaking, using a silence he had often displayed since childhood to resist his father's domineering attitude. Xia Changzheng sighed, his heart softening as he recalled his past neglect of his son and the harm it had caused. But he couldn't understand how a child, even if he hadn't traveled far and seen much of the world, could possibly abandon his home after just one glance at the mountains of Southern Yunnan.
Hu Xing laughed and said, "My true intention isn't in the wine; what I like about Tiantian is probably more than just the beautiful scenery in the mountains."
Xia Changzheng, recalling the Yu Meiren he had just met, asked in astonishment, "How old is he?"
Hu Xing said, "This might just be because she inherited your genes."
Xia Changzheng remained silent, his heart feeling a mixture of mud, lees, and honey—a bittersweet mix. He glanced at Xia Tian and unexpectedly said, "If you want to stay, then stay."
Xia Tian and Hu Xing were both surprised that he agreed so easily. Hu Xing said, "I only brought Tiantian along to persuade Beauty to go back; I don't approve of him staying here."
Xia Changzheng said, "The scenery here is indeed beautiful, and the people are nice too."
Hu Xing said, "But there aren't any good schools here, and we still have to go to school Tiantian!"
Xia Changzheng said, "The school can be built."
Hu Xing asked in surprise, "You donated money?"
Xia Changzheng said, "I've made up my mind. I'll invest in Mangdian, establish a tourism group, develop hotels and real estate, and build a school along the way. That Tiantian, everyone will have a place to stay and a place to study. I can also come and stay with him, and our family can still be together."
Hu Xing said, "That's no small sum of money."
Xia Changzheng said, "Over the years I've saved up some money. This investment is entirely my personal money; it won't require using any of the Xia Family's resources. Of course, I'll let my uncle know first."
Xia Tian said, "You don't need to do this for me."
Xia Changzheng said, "Don't be too happy yet. You might not be able to get past your great-grandfather and Grandma Xia. If they don't agree, you'll still have to obediently go back to Wuzhong."
As soon as her great-grandfather and Grandma Xia were mentioned, Xia Tian's stubbornness vanished instantly. She grabbed Hu Xing's hand and said, " Sister Xing, you have to speak up for me."
Hu Xing said, "I'm not helping you with this."
Xia Tian had no choice but to go see Yu Meiren. The two young men sat together on a large blue stone at the entrance of Kuaziba, watching the stars.
"If my great-grandfather doesn't agree, I'll have to go back," Xia Tian said.
Yu Meiren looked at the starry sky and hummed in agreement.
The night suddenly became quiet, with cicadas chirping incessantly, as did crickets and frogs.
Xia Tian waited a while before saying, "If that's the case, will you come back with me?"
"No," said Yu Meiren.
Xia Tian's heart is like a stone falling into water, sinking and sinking until it reaches the bottom of a cold sea.
The cicadas, crickets, and frogs suddenly stopped chirping as if by prior arrangement, but the night became restless instead, with mosquitoes buzzing around in front of my eyes, impossible to shoo away.
"Then I'll stay. Even if Grandpa tells me to go back, I won't care!" Xia Tian said firmly, head down, as if making a vow.
"No, I don't want you to stay," Yu Meiren said, still gazing at the starry sky.
The heart that had just been pulled out of the icy water fell back in. Xia Tian opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. It was as if her blood had frozen, and even her lungs were frozen so she couldn't breathe.
Yu Meiren suddenly turned to him and said, "You should go back; that's your home. If you miss the beautiful scenery of Kuaziba, you can come and visit anytime."
"What if I think about it all the time?" Xia Tian said.
"Then think about it!" said Yu Meiren, "She will become even more beautiful because of your longing!"
"Will she save her beauty for me? I'll come see her!"
"Yes. When the Manglietia yunnanensis grows taller than the mountain, the Meconopsis will bloom for it. My mother says that the Meconopsis grows on the highest mountain and only blooms once in its life. Only the Manglietia yunnanensis, which grows taller than the mountain, can see it bloom."
In Xia Tian, I imagine what Manglietia and Meconopsis look like.
"I understand." He turned to look at the Beauty, their faces so close that even in the darkness, they could see the light in each other's eyes.
The buzzing mosquitoes flew away, and the cicadas, crickets, and frogs began their incessant chirping again. The glittering starlight shone on the faces of the young men and women, creating a serene and peaceful scene, as if they were coated with a layer of shimmering white powder.
"You can wear this when you miss me." Yu Meiren produced Space Box as if by magic, and smiled slyly.
Xia Tian finally followed Xia Changzheng back to Wuzhong.
Xia Wenyuan and Wu Lixia indeed disagreed with his decision to live in a remote border town, but Xia Wenyuan approved of Xia Changzheng's investment plan. He said:
"Since you have this intention, it means you have completely repented. So do as you wish. Don't use your hidden savings; consider it an investment in the Xia Family's assets. Establish a tourism group in Southern Yunnan. You are already familiar with the real estate and hotel industries, so I believe you can do a good job. The key is to put more effort into running the school and not be perfunctory."
So Xia Tian continued his studies in Wuzhong in the summer, while Xia Changzheng went to Ruihekou to take charge of investment matters there. With the Xia Family's funds, tourism development in Ruihekou became increasingly rapid, and within a few years, Mangdian had become one of the most well-known tourist towns in Southern Yunnan.
A few years later, I traveled to Southern Yunnan in the Xia Tian. On a scree slope at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, I saw for the first time the towering Manglietia indicum and the graceful Meconopsis.