Relatives all said her mother left her because she couldn't endure hardship. At first, she hated her mother, hated her for being so cold and heartless. Independent and strong, she lived alone in her old house, unfazed by poverty, hunger, and the contempt of others. She studied diligently and constantly strived for self-improvement, wanting only to prove to her mother that she could do it, that she could create a happy future for herself. But later, she slowly forgave her mother. She only wished her mother would return to her side, so that they could stand proudly together and face life's ups and downs hand in hand.
The bus arrived.
Fang Yuan was still lost in thought.
Su Ya pulled her, pulling her out of her reverie.
Her vision was blurry; she had actually shed tears.
Afraid Su Ya would see her tears and misinterpret her as weak, Fang Yuan deliberately turned away and silently wiped away the tears.
The bus puffed its way toward the city.
The scenery outside flew by in a flash, the closer it got, the faster it passed. Fang Yuan suddenly felt a surge of emotion. The passing scenery reminded her of her own upbringing. The life experiences she had personally experienced, like the scenery outside the window, had once been so real, but now only a hazy memory remained. Even these memories, preserved only vaguely in her mind, faded with the passage of time, and would eventually become blank.
The one who hurts you most is often the one you love most. The deeper the love, the deeper the pain.
After her father's death, she had cherished her mother as her most beloved, yet she became her most hated. She hated her mother's heartlessness, her cowardice, and her leaving her without a word.
But now, she wished her mother would come back, come back to see her, come back to hug her, come back to call her. She would forget all her hatred and throw herself into her arms with the same affection she once had.
But would such a scene ever happen again in her life? The bus finally arrived in the city. It was rush hour, and the crowds were surging, the roads were congested, and traffic jams were everywhere.
Fang Yuan stumbled upon the Rope Gold Pagoda. Its ancient charm stood in the rain and fog, like a wise old man, a distinguished figure.
She suddenly wanted to find Blind Man Shen, the man who had interpreted their dreams.
Blind Man Shen had accurately divined her past and inner world. Qin Yanping had been gloomy after his dream interpretation that day, as if Blind Man Shen had also divined her thoughts. As for Tao Bing'er and Xu Zhaodi, they had also been delighted by his coaxing.
Blind Man Shen had once said that although he was blind, his heart was not. Indeed, he possessed a wisdom unmatched by ordinary people, allowing him to see through many things. Perhaps, he could also help her see through this situation.
Fang Yuan told Su Ya that she had something to do and got off the bus midway. Relying on her memory, she went to the house below the Rope Gold Pagoda to search for Blind Man Shen.
She was lucky. Half an hour later, she found Blind Man Shen's house. It was a courtyard house in a small alley, still decorated with green bricks and tiles, and with low eaves.
The door was open. Fang Yuan knocked and called a few times, but no one answered. She waited a while, called a few more times, but still no one came out. She waited impatiently and wandered inside.
The rain gradually subsided.
The house was damp, the floor seeping. The house was old and poorly constructed, and the light inside was poor.
Fang Yuan slowly walked to the courtyard. At that moment, she suddenly recalled the time at the beginning of the school year when she, Qin Yanping, Tao Bing'er, and Xu Zhaodi had come to Blind Man Shen to have their dreams interpreted.
Qin Yanping was delicate, Tao Bing'er was playful, and Xu Zhaodi was simple. The three girls seemed to still be by her side, angry, noisy, and laughing in their own different ways.
Fang Yuan saw their smiles, heard their laughter, smelled their scent.
It felt so real.
Her heart began to tighten.
Qin Yanping was dead, Tao Bing'er was dead, and Xu Zhaodi lay unconscious in the hospital. Perhaps she would never wake up again.
The three girls she had seen were all hallucinations.
This feeling was similar to the medical term "phantom limb pain." 90% of amputees experience the sensation that their amputated limb is still intact, accompanied by intense pain.
Fang Yuan stood in the rain with her eyes closed, letting the cold water lash her face. When she opened her eyes again, the girls had indeed vanished.
Then she heard a gentle sound of water behind her, the sound of someone walking in the water.
The sound had a brisk rhythm, as if walking quickly. It couldn't be Blind Shen's footsteps!
Because Blind Shen was blind, he wouldn't walk so quickly, nor so violently.
Fang Yuan shrugged, turned, and backed away like a startled rabbit, completing the series of movements in an instant.
As expected, it wasn't Blind Man Shen who came, but a middle-aged man with a square face, a stocky build, and a rather honest demeanor.
The middle-aged man paused, sized Fang Yuan up, and asked, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Fang Yuan, seeing the middle-aged man meant no harm, calmed herself and quietly explained, "I'm here to see Grandpa Shen."
"Grandpa Shen?" The middle-aged man frowned, sized Fang Yuan up again, and said, "You're here to see him? It's a shame you're late."
"What's wrong? Grandpa Shen moved away? Where did he go?" Fang Yuan asked anxiously.
"Moved away?" the middle-aged man smiled bitterly. "He did leave, but he didn't move away. He went to the Western Paradise."
Fang Yuan was stunned. "You mean, Grandpa Shen, he died?"
"Yes."
Fang Yuan seemed a little unconvinced. "When I came to see him the other day, he was fine and in such good health. How could he be dead?"
"Don't say you don't believe it. We younger generations don't believe it either. He was healthy and well. Who could have guessed he would die so soon? Strangely enough, he seemed to know his own fate. Not much. He informed his children a few days in advance to see him one last time and arranged his funeral. I don't know if he anticipated this or if Master Yi told him.
"Master Yi?"
"Master Yi from the Shengjin Pagoda, who often comes here to play chess with Uncle Shen."
"Oh, it's him." Fang Yuan remembered Tao Bing'er once saying that the most famous monk in Nanjiang City was Master Yi. The four of them had originally wanted to see him for fortune-telling and dream interpretation, but it turned out that not only Master Yi, but even his disciple, Master Shiming, was hard to come by.
Blind Shen is dead!
The last glimmer of hope was ruthlessly shattered.
Fang Yuan was filled with grief. She gazed resentfully at the drizzling sky, cursing the blindness of heaven. The raindrops drifted down, carrying the chill of late autumn, and fell on Fang Yuan's face. She wiped the rain from her face, thanked the middle-aged man, and slowly left. After leaving the house, the middle-aged man seemed to recall something and suddenly chased after him, asking, "Is your last name Fang?"
Fang Yuan was surprised. "How did you know?"
The middle-aged man patted his forehead. "Look at my memory. Uncle Shen once asked me for something. He said a young girl named Fang came to see him and asked me to take you to a place."
Fang Yuan was stunned. "Didn't you say Grandpa Shen was dead?"
"Didn't I tell you that he seemed to know he wouldn't live long, so he specifically asked me for this before he died? He was afraid you wouldn't believe me, so he told me that you're here because something must have happened to the girl who came with you to ask him for a dream interpretation last time."
It was like a thunderclap exploding in Fang Yuan's mind, shocking her to her core. How did Blind Shen know that Qin Yanping and the others were in danger? Could he really have foresight? If he knew Qin Yanping and the others were in danger, why didn't he try to help them resolve it?
"Are you going or not?" The middle-aged man saw Fang Yuan's hesitation, thinking she didn't trust him, and he felt a little resentful. "I only promised Uncle Shen I'd take you. If you don't want to go, you don't have to go, and I won't be breaking my promise."
"Go!" Fang Yuan gave the middle-aged man an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I was distracted just now. Please don't be offended. Since Uncle Shen asked you to take me, of course I will."
"Then, let's go."
The middle-aged man led Fang Yuan through small alleys, getting more and more secluded. As darkness gradually darkened, lights came on in the houses along the roadside. From time to time, the aroma of cooking and the sounds of children playing drifted into the air.
How wonderful it would be to have a home, Fang Yuan thought.
After turning a few corners, the middle-aged man stopped in front of a dilapidated hut. If it weren't for him leading the way, Fang Yuan would never have found this place.
"This is it!" the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Go in! I won't stay with you. I have to go back for dinner."
With that, he left Fang Yuan behind and returned alone.
Night fell, and the area was deserted. Fang Yuan stood alone in front of the hut, hesitant.
Why had Blind Shen come here alone? What secrets lay within the hut?
The rain picked up again, the drops hitting her face like pebbles, painfully painful. The hut trembled in the wind and rain, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment.