For some reason, Yu Meiren felt a sense of trustworthiness about this man, and although the Crow on his head was funny and talkative, it felt friendly, like a friend. Even though Beauty had never had a true friend before.
They say Dad is a good person. But why, for so many years before, did everyone except Mom say Dad was a bad person? Even Grandpa Enkun never denied it.
The Beauty once asked Grandpa Enkun, because Enkun was the most respected person in Kuaziba. Everyone had to listen to what Enkun said.
She asked, "Grandpa, is my dad really a Poison Scorpion? Is he a bad person?"
Old Enkun would always puff on his cigarette and say, "God knows!"
She had also heard other people in the village ask Grandpa Enkun about his father, Yu Gang.
Old Enkun would always puff on his cigarette and say, "Don't mention him, don't mention him."
Beauty felt that her father must be someone that Grandpa Enkun disliked, which was why he didn't want to mention it.
The clear pool water reflects the sky, with some white clouds floating on it.
Suddenly, the water surface rippled, and a woman's figure appeared in the light and shadow.
She was a beautiful woman, wearing a black and red embroidered overcoat, her hair tied up at the back of her head, and a pretty headscarf on her head. She walked leisurely out of the water, like a girl who had just returned home from picking mulberries.
"Mom!" Yu Meiren exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the woman.
The Beauty wanted to rush forward and into her mother's arms, but she found that she couldn't move her body at all. She struggled desperately, but it was no use; she couldn't even move a finger.
She looked pleadingly at Qingmu head was perched with Crow.
She heard Qingmu say, "Relax, regulate your breathing, relax, don't think about jumping."
She started taking deep breaths, trying to relax.
Sure enough, the feeling of being weighed down disappeared. My body felt lighter than ever before, like a cloud floating away.
She floated gently to her mother's side, wanting to reach out and touch her mother's face.
But she discovered she had no hands. She was a cloud.
"Mommy, where did you go? I can't find you, I'm so scared!" she said.
Her mother smiled at her, "Mommy and Daddy are together! Don't be afraid, my Beauty! Beauty 're the bravest girl in the world!"
The Beauty nodded vigorously. "But they all say Daddy is a bad person, Mommy, why are you with a bad person?"
"Dad isn't a bad person, Dad is a hero!" Mom said.
Then, a man appeared next to the mother.
The man was wearing a police uniform, standing tall and straight, like a majestic mountain.
"Dad!" It took Yu Meiren a while to recognize him. Wasn't this her "bad dad"?
Both Dad and Mom were smiling at the Beauty.
"Is Dad a policeman?" the Beauty asked.
"Of course!" Dad's expression was both serious and kind. He placed his hand beside his hat in a salute, looking very imposing. "Not only is Dad a policeman, but the uncle who came today is also a policeman."
The Beauty nodded, then pointed to the man next to her with a tangled mess of hair and a Crow on his head, and asked, "Is this Qingmu Yeye also a policeman?"
Before Qingmu could answer, the Crow Guagua loudly, as if it had heard a funny joke, "She called you grandpa? Wow--she called you grandpa! Guagua..."
Qingmu didn't understand why the little girl called him "Grandpa Qingmu ".
The little girl pouted and said, "It's not Grandpa, it's Yeye! Yeye means... uncle."
"What?" The Crow closed its wide beak and complained, "Dialects are such a hassle!"
Seeing the Crow's dejected look, Yu Meiren smiled happily. Her father and mother also burst into laughter. Seeing her parents' joy made her even happier.
Dad said, "My Beauty, go with your uncle."
The Beauty asked, "Why? Don't you want me anymore?"
Mom said, "Your uncle will take you to the city. There are tall houses, big schools, and lots of friends there."
"I don't want to go to the city! I don't want to go to school!" the Beauty sobbed. "You don't want me anymore!"
Her tears turned into raindrops from the clouds, splashing into the pool and creating many small puddles on the surface. The shadows of her father and mother became blurred.
She cried even harder.
Mom said, "Don't cry, my Beauty. Mom and Dad will never abandon you."
The Beauty asked, "Really? Then why do you want me to go with my father? I don't want to go with my father, I want to stay with you."
Mom said, "Mom and Dad are very happy together. We'll wait for you here. Grow up quickly, learn lots and lots of knowledge, and go to university. When you get to university, you'll know where we are."
"Really?" The Beauty asked, still somewhat doubtful.
"Really," Mom said, "But if you don't go with Uncle, and you don't get into university, even if you come, we won't see you."
Her mother's expression was very serious. It was the first time the Beauty had ever seen her mother speak so seriously.
She nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Mom, don't worry, I will definitely get into university."
The rain grew heavier, the water became increasingly blurry, the sky disappeared, and so did Dad and Mom.
A thick fog of rain filled the air, obscuring everything except for Qingmu Yeye and the black Crow on his head.
She was extremely annoyed!
Why am I crying? If I don't cry, it won't rain. If it doesn't rain, the lake won't be blurry, and Mom and Dad won't disappear.
My mom says I'm a brave girl, but why can't I stop crying?
She began to desperately try to hold back her tears.
The rain did indeed lessen.
The sky gradually cleared, and the water in the pool became clear again.
However, the water level in the pool was gradually dropping, and slowly, the bottom of the pool became visible.
She heard Crow cawing. "Wow, is it over already? Won't it continue a little longer?"
Then, the Crow turned into a faint shadow and disappeared.
The water converged towards the center along the ground, then flowed back up along the four sides of the table, making the tabletop resemble a rosewood plank soaked in water.
The water on the table flowed back onto the diary. The words on the page were like a group of little fish, swimming leisurely in the water.
After a while, the paper gradually dried, leaving only a large yellow stain on the book.
Everything returned to how it was when she first opened the diary.
A single, glistening tear fell onto the paper with a soft plop, making the tear stain appear even larger.
Yu Meiren turned her head and saw Qingmu sitting next to her on a long bench. His hair was a mess, really looking like it had been scratched by bird claws.
She looked at Qingmu's head, and remembering what the Crow had said about its claws having athlete's foot, she couldn't help but chuckle.
A number of people had already gathered in Old Enkun's yard, all waiting for dinner to begin.
As Shi Dazhuang handed out cigarettes to everyone, he chatted and laughed, making small talk. Just then, he saw Qingmu walking out of the inner room, holding Yu Meiren's hand.
Yu Meiren walked to Shi Dazhuang's side, bit her lip, and called out, "Uncle!"
Shi Dazhuang's hand, which was scattering cigarette smoke, froze in mid-air. After a long pause, he excitedly replied, "Yes!"
Although it was only one word, it was the softest sentence that Qingmu had ever heard from Shi Dazhuang, this tough man. At that moment, Shi Dazhuang was just like a father reuniting with his daughter after many years of separation.