The snow stopped in the latter half of New Year's Eve, and the Mulberry Garden was covered in a blanket of white on the first day of the Lunar New Year. A few sparrows flew down to the snow, stuck their heads into the snow to look for food, then pulled their necks back as if they were cold, shook off the snowflakes from their heads, and chirped.
Qingmu and Bi Shenghua strolled side by side in the garden. The warm sunshine felt comforting on them.
Standing on the winding bridge in the middle of the lake, Bi Shenghua pointed to the willow tree not far away and said, "This tree is less than a year old. Generally, willows that are three to five years old don't grow this big."
Qingmu walked over with a clattering sound, came to the tree, and gently touched the drooping willow branches, causing the snow clinging to them to fall with a rustling sound. He casually broke off a section, brushed off the remaining snow, and discovered that it even had green buds, very similar to the one he had brought to Ramla.
"It's actually been growing for five years." Qingmu gently tucked the willow twig in his hand into the pocket of Bi Shenghua's down jacket. "It's been growing in my arms the whole time, and it's never withered."
Although Bi Shenghua didn't quite understand, she didn't ask any further questions. Her understanding of "in her arms" was simply "in her heart," and that was enough for her.
"You went to a very far place, didn't you?"
"Yes, it's very far."
Qingmu looked up at the sky. The sky was a clear, deep blue, and it was hard to imagine that there was a magical space Ramla in a faraway place, which had countless connections with Earth.
After leaving Liuxia and returning to the Nine-Bend Bridge, Bi Shenghua hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Has Professor Su... Professor Su returned as well?"
Qingmu's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and he shook his head, saying, "Not yet."
The events that had happened in Ramla flashed through his mind again. He wondered if Situ had activated the Altar of Stone, whether anyone else had found the Altar of Ice, or if they had discovered the way home...
He knew he bore a certain mission, a mission that was not yet complete. Those who, like him, were lost and confused, were still in the distant outer space, worrying and fighting for the fate of humanity.
"So... are you still going?" Bi Shenghua asked seemingly casually.
Qingmu remained silent, not uttering a sound.
Bi Shenghua sensed the subtle changes in his body and the struggle within him, and said, "You don't need to worry about me... Anyway, I'll always be here. If you want to go, then go ahead, business is more important."
Qingmu thought for a moment and said, "I'll probably have to go again eventually, but before I go, I need to figure out some things before I can decide what to do when I get there. Fortunately, the time is different on both sides, so I'll still have time..." He thought of his and Bi Shenghua's different experiences and felt a lot of emotion.
Bi Shenghua didn't understand what "different times" meant, and only said, "Then you need to be careful. What do you need? I'll prepare it."
"I'll go take a look at a few places." Qingmu recalled the Five Great Sacred Lands Situ had analyzed, then tapped his head and said, "My memory seems to be returning a bit; many old scenes are flashing through my mind, but they're very jumbled. I think if I go to those places, maybe I can piece together my past."
Bi Shenghua said, "That's good news. When do we set off?"
Qingmu laughed, "No rush. I said I'd spend these next few days with you, and that's all I'll do. I won't care if the sky falls. You don't need to prepare anything, just stay with me and keep an eye on the Boss Coal's mouth."
The two men suddenly burst into laughter when the Crow was mentioned. The bird had eaten most of a braised pork knuckle last night, stuffing its belly until it was round and bulging like a ball, saying it was making up for its recent hardships and poverty. It had also drunk too much and was talking nonsense; it was still fast asleep on the sofa.
They laughed as they crossed the winding bridge and arrived at the front garden of the Mulberry Garden. The branches of the large mulberry tree were covered with snow, and they wore straw mats around their waists, which they had tied on together the day before.
Standing under the mulberry tree, Qingmu thought of Liuying Lane from the past. Although Bi Shenghua had told him about the events of the past years and the changes in Liuying Lane last night, he still found it difficult to connect what he saw before him with the Liuying Lane of the past.
"Is this really the old willow tree from before?" he asked.
Bi Shenghua said, "Yes, it was fine last year, but after that new willow grew by the lake this year, it suddenly seemed to age and started cracking its bark and losing branches. Later, it turned into a mulberry tree. It's probably because the original mulberry root didn't die, and it lived inside the willow's heartwood when it was grafted."
He then pointed to a straight path through the mulberry grove ahead and said, "This is the old street we used to live on."
Qingmu saw the original street again, lined with shops of all sizes and many open-air food stalls, which were especially lively at dusk.
He took out a cigarette from his pocket, put one in his mouth, then took out a match and skillfully struck it. The flame hovered in front of the cigarette, about to ignite, but he didn't move.
He realized that if calculated in Earth time, he hadn't smoked for five years. Even if calculated in the actual time he spent in Ramla, the despair of the Spacetime Stasis Zone had long since worn away his nicotine addiction.
Lighting a cigarette was an unconscious action, though he didn't really want to smoke. Only then did he realize that in the past, he often smoked just to light a cigarette, as if that flame was something he was very close to.
The flickering light of the match made him feel a little dazed.
He saw that the mulberry tree in front of him had suddenly become lush and strong, with dense branches and leaves that completely blocked out the sky. The branches were full of plump mulberries, green, red and purple, and some red wild silkworms could be vaguely seen crawling on the mulberry leaves.
He saw himself dressed in an old-fashioned youth outfit, with a long scarf draped over his shoulders, standing there full of vigor. Beside him, Bi Shenghua was wearing a cheongsam, a shawl, and a floral scarf, looking every bit the gentle, feminine woman, though her short hair still gave her a touch of spirit.
He saw the photographer hiding in a thick blackout cloth, then with a bang, smoke billowed from the top of the camera, and the flash shone blindingly.
Then, the flame of the match intensified, engulfing him in a roaring fire. He saw the flames of war raging ahead, with shells and bullets whistling across the Huangpu River. Behind him was the burning manor, with houses and trees ablaze.
Many figures flashed through the flames: a kind elder, a bewildered child, a blood-soaked man, a weeping woman, a soldier with a broken leg, an arrogant enemy...
The match burned all the way to his fingers. His hand trembled, and the match fell to the ground, hissing and going out, melting a small pit in the snow. A wisp of smoke rose up, then quickly dissipated into the cold air.
After the fire was extinguished, only ruins and rubble remained, with only a willow tree standing in the overgrown old garden, highlighting the former glory of this place.
The memory ends here, breaking into countless fragments.
Qingmu put the cigarette away, returned it to his pocket, and trudged along the old street of Liuying Lane, which Bi Shenghua had pointed out. Bi Shenghua quietly accompanied him, only mentioning the place's former appearance when Qingmu occasionally paused: this was Old Li's supermarket, this was Boss Wu's noodle shop, this was Old Master Qian's house where he raised mynah birds...
Qingmu suddenly stopped, pointed to the open space ahead, and said, "Is this the old supply and marketing cooperative?"
Bi Shenghua said, "Yes, downstairs is the old vegetable market, and across the street is an internet cafe. Madman Liu jumped from the old supply and marketing cooperative building."
Qingmu seemed to see the Madman Liu Huaian standing on the rooftop scattering flyers, leaping amidst the swirling papers, landing with a thud at his feet, suddenly grabbing his ankle tightly, raising his head, and opening his bloodied mouth to say:
"Are the children... all well...?"
Qingmu nodded and said, "The money has already been transferred. Whether it goes well or not is up to them. Just go in peace."
Liu Huaian then released his grip, flipped his hand over, and grinned, saying, "I recognize you... you're from over there..."
Qingmu was startled, and in a daze, he saw a mysterious and heavily guarded metal gate with a sign standing at the entrance that read:
LBNL 19