Sequel: A Serendipitous Encounter - Drunkenly Celebrating Spring 3

...I can't remember how I got back to my room, how I saw my senior brothers and sisters, all with serious expressions and carrying bundles with not much stuff, walking out one after another under the cover of night, and I can't remember exactly when a jar full of copper coins was placed in my hand.

My senior brother—this perpetually maverick—while everyone else chose to walk at night, he openly left during the day.

"Why do I have to go? Why do you all have to go?" I shook my head, tears welling in my eyes. My heart felt like it was being ripped open by a sharp knife, the pain making me gasp for breath. "What will happen to Brother Haoxia if you leave?! What will happen to me?!"

“Your older brother isn’t a child anymore. I still need him to take care of you. Consider this money as payment for troubling him. You’re not allowed to keep it for yourself. …Take it and buy some candy first.”

It had been raining in Kaifeng for a week straight, the air was damp and cold, as if even a sigh could condense into white mist. But that day was an unprecedented sunny day, the sunlight was as fierce as a quenched knife, cutting through the continuous haze, and also gilding my senior brother's figure with an almost illusory golden edge.

"Don't worry, when have I ever lied to you? I'll be back soon."

He smiled, revealing two sharp canine teeth. His smile was unrestrained and dazzling, more blinding than the sunlight, making people almost cry.

It was March, and the pear blossoms were in full bloom. When the wind blew, they fell like snowflakes, landing on my senior brother's head. It seemed like only the blink of an eye, and my senior brother had drifted away with those pear blossoms to another place, disappearing without a trace.

"Senior brother!" I staggered after him, but I couldn't see the familiar figure, not even a single footprint. When I turned around, I met the gaze of the chivalrous elder brother standing under the tree, holding a long sword.

My vision was blurry with tears, but the reluctance and pain in his eyes when he looked at me pierced my heart, as if someone were pouring vinegar into the reopened wound.

I hugged Brother Haoxia and cried my heart out, getting his fur collar all dirty from my rubbing.

An indescribable sadness welled up from the depths of my body. I screamed and howled, shouting, for so many unanswered questions and so many unanswered questions.

Icy, huge water droplets kept hitting my scalp, and I could feel Brother Haoxia's body trembling.

I was startled and looked up to see him clenching his teeth, his jawline taut like a fully drawn bow, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying, but the tears were locked deep inside, with only one or two heavy, uncontrolled drops falling.

His large, calloused hand patted my back heavily, one stroke at a time, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground by sand and gravel: "He will do what he says. We'll wait for him to come back."

I cried hysterically, sobbing so hard I almost passed out, and every word I spoke turned into violent coughing.

From then on, my chivalrous older brother would come to see me every day. Sometimes, when I was holding that thick journal, he would sit down and sit with me, turning the pages one by one, recounting the chaotic yet sunny days before my senior brother met him. As we read, blurry water stains would appear on the pages.

He apologized to me in a hoarse voice, saying he was sorry for soiling my notebook.

But clearly, wasn't I the one who was crying?

...

The day the pear blossoms all fell, my senior brother's letter did not arrive.

The day the pears first formed green fruit, my senior brother's letter did not arrive.

The day the pears were all picked, leaving the branches bare... I stared blankly at my journal, unable to recall the image or voice of "Senior Brother." My chivalrous older brother silently pushed the notebook towards me, his fingertip forcefully tracing the name, and then I remembered. But alas, he still hadn't come.

The day the first winter snow bent the pear tree's bare branches, the chivalrous elder brother arrived. He stood in the courtyard, his posture still upright, yet like a stone sculpture long eroded by wind and snow, exuding a cold weariness. "He sent a letter," he said, his voice calm and even, his eyes filled with tenderness, "and asked me to meet him in Hexi."

Damn you, senior brother! A sharp surge of anger erupted, burning through my very being. I only write to my elder brother! I only remember my elder brother! Even though I miss you so much too!

“When I get there,” he walked over, pressing his large hand firmly on my shoulder, “I’ll make him make sure he sends you all the letters he owes you, every single one. I’ll write to you too.” My anger vanished instantly, leaving only resentment and a sliver of hope. I hugged him tightly. “Big brother is the best!”

Before leaving, I took out a pear branch that I had broken off in the spring and handed it to Brother Tianquan. "I don't want to drink Fenghechun anymore. They say pear blossom wine is delicious and doesn't make you drunk easily. Brother, when you come back from Hexi, let's make pear blossom wine together!"

"..." His large, calloused hand roughly ruffled my hair, making it messy. The next second, he placed the branch against his chest, promising that our next meeting would be a reunion of the three of us.

The chivalrous elder brother smiled and waved goodbye to me, and I smiled back. Then he turned around, and I turned around too, but I was a step faster than him. Just as I turned around, I heard a very slight but not negligible "smack" behind my ear, and a little bit of cool, wetness splashed onto my earlobe.

I stopped abruptly and raised my hand to wipe it. On my fingertip was a drop of water that was about to freeze.

strangeness.

I looked up blankly; the gray sky hung low, dry and cold. It wasn't snowing.

...

I squatted on the wall, writing page after page in my journal. The trees in Kaifeng sprouted new buds, the birds in Kaifeng paired off, and people came and went. There was so much I wanted to tell them; how could I possibly write it all on a letter? I'd better write it all in my diary, so they can read it all at once when they return. And if they still haven't come back by the time this notebook is finished… then I'll just mail it to them!

Not only that, I also made a point of remembering what my senior brother said about buying me two years' worth of pine nut candy—since he promised, I had to make him buy it for me personally! ...This could be considered a bit of stubbornness on my part, alongside my respect for my senior brother. And also, my chivalrous older brother said he would take my senior brother and me to Jiangnan!

Ah, the water towns of Jiangnan… I rested my chin on my hand, imagining the three of us's experiences along the way, and how we would eat so many delicious foods when we arrived in Jiangnan… Senior brothers, please come back soon.

I hadn't finished writing my journal entry when the letter from Hexi arrived.

"Mine! It's mine!" I practically snatched the letter from the messenger's hand, my fingers trembling as I tore open the envelope.

There was only one thin sheet of paper inside.

Unfolding it, there were only a few lines of ink. I didn't believe it, so I shook the envelope again and again, even bringing it close to my eyes to examine every corner of the seal, but there was nothing there. The messenger swore to God that nothing was missing.

Autumn in my heart, autumn in my heart, beneath the pear blossoms, a sorrowful departer. A sound arises, like a knot of grass, begging for reconciliation. The moon shatters, the wind blows fiercely, whispering softly, unable to express the unspoken words… Do not ask if it will return.

Those two words were repeatedly smeared with thick ink, like two desperate and brutal periods, pressed firmly there.

This handwriting… I searched my remaining memories. Every stroke, every line, was written by my senior brother. But this ink had lost its usual free and easy style, revealing a stiffness, a deathly stillness after struggle.

“…Liar.” My voice choked with tears, carrying a metallic, bloody stench. My eyes burned as if they were about to burst. A wave of panic and betrayal gripped me instantly.

"Where's Brother Tianquan's letter?!"

"Where's my senior brother's letter from so long ago?!"

"Where's the letter I wrote to...my letter?!"

I clutched that thin yet incredibly heavy sheet of paper, and rushed back to the camp, crying and screaming, locking myself inside. For three days and three nights, all was silent outside, except for my suppressed sobs and roars echoing between the beams, even irritating the moon, which then withheld even a sliver of light.

...

Later, I continued to walk around Kaifeng. I listened to the people in teahouses and taverns excitedly talking about the great victory from Hexi, describing what a thrilling and exhilarating battle it was, but I couldn't bring myself to smile.

It's still spring.

When the snow-white pear petals drifted gently across my palm, I was surprised to realize how quickly time had passed.

But……

I closed my eyes.

After my senior brother left, I never had another spring.

＊

I was terrified.

I'm afraid to forget that smile that shines brighter than the sun, afraid to forget that silent, unwavering protection, afraid to forget those unfulfilled promises.

I dug out the prescriptions that my senior brother and the chivalrous elder brother had somehow acquired before they left, and took all the medicines mentioned on them.

The broth I made tasted indescribable—a pungent, spicy flavor mixed with extreme bitterness. The moment I swallowed it, it felt like my throat and stomach were being plowed by a red-hot iron plow. I knelt on the ground, retching uncontrollably, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Finally, everything went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke up, it was still dark outside the window. I didn't notice anything unusual.

I thought I had failed, that the medication hadn't worked, so I continued writing in my diary. Only this time, there were many more people I wanted to send it to.

But when half a year had passed, I realized that I had not forgotten my fellow disciples and Brother Tianquan, and I was overjoyed—I had succeeded!

Overwhelmed with joy! I jumped up, grabbed my money bag, and tried to rush out. I wanted to go to the best restaurant, I wanted to tell everyone I remembered! I remembered everything!

The innkeeper handed over the register with a friendly smile: "Sir, please leave your name."

I smiled as I took the brush, dipped it in ink, and held my wrist in mid-air—

He froze, his smile frozen on his face.

The pen trembled, ink dripped, staining the paper.

who I am? "

...

As the small boat passed Kaifeng, you were dazzled by the magnificent fireworks in the sky. He said he finally remembered who the other person was—the "hero" mentioned in the story, a man from Tianquan.

This story begins when you board the boat and leave Qinghe, and continues until your feet sink into the flowing yellow sand of Hexi.

The man pulled a crumpled envelope from his pocket. He bit his lower lip and walked slowly.

You silently follow behind, wondering if you could use your healing potion to help him, only to find to your despair that you are completely helpless.

Yellow sand filled the sky, obscuring the road ahead. You inquired with the residents of Kanerzi about the Hexi Campaign, asking if they had seen a group of people dressed in green, but they all shook their heads, saying no.

Left with no other choice, you had to continue on your way.

As you approach the White-Headed City, a monk calls out to you.

"Are you two here looking for someone?"

Judging from his attire, he seemed like a respectable monk. Since you really couldn't think of any other way, you might as well try anything and ask, "Old man, have you seen a group of people wearing green clothes in Hexi?"

"..." The monk remained silent for a long time, and you felt even more hopeless. Just as you were about to thank him and say, "No need to trouble yourself, we'll look again," you heard the monk say, "I've seen it."

"Really?" The man squeezed between you and the monk, grabbing the monk's shoulders and shaking him. "Where are they!"

The old monk squinted, one hand on his chest, the other turning a Bodhi seed, "Under this land."

You and the man stared at each other, speechless.

“Many people are buried here.” As he spoke, he pulled out something.

Upon seeing it, the man immediately burst into tears. His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, trembling as he took the gift from the old monk's hands.

It was a grass ring with a luminous pearl on it.

He still remembered how, after the junior disciples in the sect learned to read, they insisted on asking their senior brother to deliver all sorts of things they had made to their great benefactor. The senior brother accepted them all with a smile, but at night he was so worried that he couldn't sleep—they had all been given gifts, what should he give?

He tossed and turned, struggling to find the perfect straw ring, but it seemed too plain and unworthy of Tianquan's hand. So, his senior brother used all his savings to buy a luminous pearl from a traveling merchant in Hexi, polished it repeatedly, and then attached it to the straw ring. Finally, on that snowy day of the Beginning of Winter, he gave it away.

The monk also said that they always collected the remains along their journey to obtain the scriptures, but two sets of remains were very strange. One was lying on the ground, clutching a letter tightly in its hand, while its head was being held in the arms of another set of remains kneeling in front of it.

Despite the seemingly effortless movements, even with the combined efforts of three or four monks, they were unable to separate the two skeletons.

"...And then..." the man asked, his lips trembling.

The old monk said, "They're all here." Their belongings are all here.

"..."

Hearing this, you felt saddened and turned to comfort the man, only to see him conjure a wine flask from nowhere. He raised his hand and waved it, spilling the clear wine onto the sand, and you smelled the fragrance of Fenghe Spring.

*

The moon over Hexi is so big! Standing on the tallest poplar tree, it feels like you could reach out and touch it.

You and the man sit side by side on the thick branches of a poplar tree, with nothing beneath your feet.

The man broke the silence and said, "...My senior brother is really good at lying. No, I should say I'm too stupid." He shook his head with a wry smile, "He clearly told me before, 'Only yourself is the most reliable, don't believe others 100%,' but I never thought that 'others' included him and Brother Tianquan."

"So, why did you end up in that cave?"

“Once, my senior brother got drunk and said he found a child in a cave in the bamboo forest north of Qinghe. Because he was in a hurry to catch someone, he abandoned the child to a passing elder and then forgot about it.” He turned to look at you, his eyes shining brightly in the night. He smiled in a silly way, revealing a sharp canine tooth. “My senior brother has a pretty bad memory, doesn’t he?”

you:"……"

"So I thought, what if he forgets that the child has grown up? What if he goes back to pick up the child again..."

You pursed your lips, unable to speak.

Just then, he suddenly jumped down from the tree and landed steadily on the sand.

"Haha ...

You followed him down and saw him running forward with his arms outstretched, laughing as he ran. The laughter was like a rusty door hinge being forcibly pushed open—dry, sharp, and with a teeth-grinding friction. He ran and then suddenly stopped. He stood there, the moonlight falling on his head, making him look like a giant wine glass.

The man turned his head and looked at you, who seemed at a loss.

Her eyes were moist, glistening in the night. Only at this moment did you realize that this person who had forgotten and betrayed you, once they were certain that their so-called "memories" were truly shattered, no longer had the courage to persist.

He smiled and said, "Young hero, thank you."

It's such a pity... we'll never see the pear blossoms bloom again.

"Hey—" It all happened in an instant. You reached out your hand, but before you could even touch him, his body vanished into the Hexi Corridor along with the yellow sand, never to be found again.

Never again... can be found.

"!" You open your eyes and find yourself in a temple in Hexi.

"Am I... dreaming?" You sat up groggily, about to get out of bed, when you felt something strange coming from your palm.

Upon opening his palm, he discovered a grass ring adorned with a luminous pearl.

You open your backpack and find a crumpled piece of paper, a thick journal, and a jar full of money.

In addition, there is an extra section of pear blossom branch, on which the flowers are blooming delicately.

"Autumn in my heart, autumn in my heart, sorrow for those parting beneath the pear blossoms..." Yes, the last two characters of the last line are illegible, smeared as two ink dots. But there seem to be other words at the end of the crumpled paper?

You took the letter outside, held it up to the sunlight, and read it clearly—"Live on, Li Sheng."

Li Sheng... that man's name.

Whether it was a dream or not, you still erected a tombstone for the three people and poured a jar of the finest Fenghechun wine in front of the grave—it was quite expensive, and the money in the earthenware jar was all gone.

As for that branch... you thought for a moment and then placed it next to the tombstone.

At that time, it was springtime in Qin Chuan, and a gentle breeze carried the aroma of wine into the distance.

By listening to the wind and determining its location, you can see the direction it points to—Kaifeng.

＊

Back in the Song Dynasty, Du Gantang lamented that it had been a long time since they last met, wondering if the young hero had any new leisurely writings to offer to the First Branch of the East.

"I haven't gathered any interesting stories, but there's a fascinating anecdote from around the world that might interest you, sister."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

You omitted parts of the process and concisely described...a dream? Perhaps—telling Du Gantang what she saw and heard in her dream. Upon hearing this, her expression changed slightly, she pondered for a moment, and then agreed.

He picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and solemnly wrote down the great achievements of the Kuanglan disciples and Jiuliumen disciples who sacrificed their lives in the Hexi Campaign.

As the last period was placed, I looked up again and it was already March. Du Gantang stood under the pear tree, smiling as he asked, "Have you named this manuscript?"

After thinking it over, you nodded.

"How about we call it... 'Drunkenly Celebrating Spring'?"

A Serendipitous Encounter: Springtime in a Drunken State

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