Chapter 82

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Han Shuo belatedly asked Meng Yuxiu, "Is it already February 1st?"

Meng Yuxiu nodded with a very slight curve.

Han Shuo couldn't describe how he felt. He had imagined that his emotions would get out of control, become intense, or even break down.

However, when the day actually arrived, he was unusually calm.

Perhaps it was because he had mentally rehearsed the possibility of parting countless times long before, and had struggled and agonized over it. So when the moment actually arrived, he was surprisingly calm.

He stood quietly, expressionless.

Yet the gentle breeze was so noticeable; he could feel the subtle airflow brushing against his cheeks, and he could smell the dry, earthy scent carried on the breeze. Looking out, he saw verdant mountains and fields against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.

Everything he saw and smelled told him that he was still in this era, in this world, and on this land.

People always seem to have such clarity about everything when they are about to lose it.

"Han Shuo," Meng Yuxiu called softly.

Han Shuo's briefly calm and bewildered mind finally stirred slightly.

He asked Meng Yuxiu, "When are you leaving?"

“Evening,” Meng Yuxiu said.

Han Shuo suddenly felt empty inside. After a moment, he said to Meng Yuxiu, "Meng Yuxiu, I have to go find my brother and the others."

In his dream, Han Shuo knew that Meng Yuxiu could understand his meaning, so when he saw Meng Yuxiu remain silent, he simply nodded slightly.

Han Shuo looked at Meng Yuxiu's face and saw the suppressed sadness flowing through the other's eyes.

He sighed softly and said, "Meng Yuxiu, you should go home too."

"Go back and visit your parents."

Meng Yuxiu lowered his eyes, and after a few seconds he said, "Okay, I'll pick you up this evening."

"Um."

Xiqiao Village and Xiaoshi Village are in opposite directions. Han Shuo stood still and watched Meng Yuxiu slowly walk into the distance before turning around and walking towards Xiaoshi Village.

It felt like he was back in high school. On Fridays, when he was walking home from school, he saw a small, thin child sitting on a stool by the door.

A vegetable basket and a bowl were placed in front of Han Ting. He did not notice Han Shuo; the little boy was carefully peeling broad beans.

Han Shuo thought he would be calm in his dream, but when he saw Han Ting, the emotions hidden in his heart spread incessantly.

"Wow—Uncle!" Han Ting exclaimed in surprise when she spotted Han Shuo.

Han Shuo strode over and caught his nephew who rushed into his arms.

Where is Dad?

Han Ting said, "Dad went fishing. He said he'd cook fish for you when you get home from school today."

Han Shuo hugged Han Ting tightly, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and deeply inhaled the scent of Han Ting's soft hair.

Han Ting felt uncomfortable being strangled. He struggled out of Han Shuo's arms, tilted his head back, and called out, "Uncle."

"Um."

"Uncle, Dad told me to finish shelling the broad beans."

Han Shuo nuzzled Han Ting's cheek with his chin, suppressing the soreness that welled up in his nose. "Good boy, don't peel them anymore. Your uncle will peel them later. Your uncle will cook for you today."

Han Ting exclaimed happily, "Mmm!"

When Han Shuo first came into this world, he felt that everything in this rural house was inconvenient and he was not used to it. He didn't even pay much attention to this home.

It wasn't until he was about to leave that he realized how precious it was.

He held Han Ting tightly, unwilling to let go for even a moment. He walked up the creaking stairs, taking in the tables, chairs, and beds on the second floor.

Han Shuo placed Han Ting on the bed at the bottom of the stairs, then took off his shoes and lay down himself. He lay there stiffly, closing his eyes, savoring the feeling of lying on this bed, in this home, for the last time.

From now on, there will never again be little Han Ting carrying a bowl, climbing the stairs step by step to deliver it to his bedside, calling to his son who was still in bed, "Uncle, get up and eat."

Han Hong wouldn't laugh and scold him, saying, "How old are you? You're still so lazy. You need your nephew to bring you food."

Han Shuo helped Han Ting lie down for a while, then went downstairs to prepare a meal.

When Han Hong returned carrying the fish and saw it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, has the sun risen in the west? Our Xiao Shuo cooked it himself!"

"Brother." Han Shuo forced a smile and called to Han Hong to come and eat.

"Okay!" Han Hong said happily, "I'll go kill the fish."

Since coming into this world, Han Shuo's only solace has been going home every week to have a lively meal with his brother and nephew.

If there were no parting, they would have countless more lively meals together.

For a long time, Han Shuo struggled between being honest and keeping it a secret.

He wasn't sure whether the world would continue to function as before after he and Meng Yuxiu returned, or whether it would disappear with their departure.

Sometimes he really wished this world could disappear, so that at least he and Meng Yuxiu would have the deepest memories of this world, and even if they couldn't sleep all night after returning, it would only be the two of them.

If this world could disappear, then at least Han Hong and Han Ting would still have parents and wouldn't suffer the pain of losing their loved ones.

However, only in his dreams did he truly understand his own thoughts.

He wanted to be honest; he wanted his brother and nephew to know. He feared the continuation of the world's suffering. He wanted his brother and nephew to know where he had gone and why he had left. He didn't want them to live forever in the pain of losing a loved one for no reason.

After Han Hong and Han Ting finished their meal, Han Shuo paused for a moment before speaking.

"Brother, I have something to tell you."

In fact, this was Han Shuo's dream, and his brother and nephew in the dream seemed to have a premonition.

Han Ting didn't make a fuss; she just pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.

Han Hong was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'm listening."

Han Shuo frowned, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Brother, actually... I'm not your brother."

Han Hong was not surprised, but remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I don't know what to say either."

"All I know is that you look like Xiao Shuo, you have Xiao Shuo's voice, and you have Xiao Shuo's personality."

He gave a soft, wry smile. "I've heard a lot of superstitions, but for me, you're Xiao Shuo, and that's enough."

Han Shuo's eyes stung, and his throat tightened, making it difficult to speak. He nodded forcefully and continued in a heavy nasal voice, "Brother, but I have to go."

Han Hong asked, "Where are you going? Back to your old place?"

Han Shuo said with difficulty, "Yes, Meng Yuxiu and I are doing a mission. The mission says that I will leave after I give birth."

Han Hong felt a mix of emotions. He looked at Han Shuo, who was hanging his head, and then at Han Ting, who was standing next to him with a red nose but trying to hold back her sobs.

"No wonder I thought you'd been acting strangely lately. Now that you've said this, I understand everything." He sighed deeply and asked Han Shuo, "Did you have parents and relatives in your original world?"

Han Shuo nodded.

Han Hong looked at his stomach and asked again, "What about the baby?"

Han Shuo said, "After the baby is born, the child will come over with us."

"Okay." Han Hong nodded, somewhat wistfully, "This is for the best..."

The food on the table had gone cold, and Han Hong remained silent for a long time. In his dream, he knew that Han Shuo's time to leave was approaching, and he sighed as he gripped his younger brother's hand tightly.

"You and Xiaoxiu must live a good life over there."

Han Shuo raised his eyes, finally unable to hold back the overwhelming tears. His heart ached so much that he couldn't breathe. He choked up and couldn't say a word. He could only see his brother's tender smile through his tears.

"Xiao Shuo, don't cry." Han Hong tenderly wiped away Han Shuo's tears that kept rolling down his face.

Tears welled up in Han Shuo's nose, and he mumbled with difficulty, "What about you and Tingting?"

Han Hong forced a smile: "Don't worry about me and Tingting. As long as you take good care of yourself and Xiaoxiu, we'll be at ease."

"Brother..." Han Shuo hugged his brother tightly.

Han Hong patted his back gently, comforting him: "You're pregnant now, don't be sad. It's nothing, just think of it as you going to study in another city again, only this time for a longer period of time."

Han Shuo finally broke down in tears.

Meng Yuxiu came to pick him up, and Han Hong carried Han Ting to the intersection. Just like before, it was a normal return to school; the car came and went, and they would meet again.

This time, however, Han Shuo and Meng Yuxiu had to leave the intersection and keep walking forward.

"Go ahead." Han Hong waved to Han Shuo while holding Han Ting.

Han Ting stretched out her little hand and waved as well.

"We should go, Han Shuo." Meng Yuxiu took Han Shuo's hand.

Han Shuo gazed at the father and son one last time with almost greedy eyes before turning away with difficulty, forcing himself not to look back.

He and Meng Yuxiu walked slowly.

Han Shuo pretended to relax and asked Meng Yuxiu as they walked, "How do we get back?"

Meng Yuxiu pointed ahead and said, "We need to go to that triangular intersection to catch the bus."

Han Shuo laughed, "That's outrageous! This is the first time I've heard of traveling back in time by bus, hahaha!"

It was nearly dusk, and the setting sun painted the sky with a layer of evening glow, while the distant hillsides and fields were also gilded with beautiful colors.

Han Shuo looked at the people in the nearby fields who had finished their farm work and were preparing to go home, and listened to the children's joyful cheers as their parents finished work.

Walking along the dirt road and through the village, Han Shuo saw a big boy in the village leading a little boy into a small shop in the village.

For a moment, he felt dazed.

"Boss, how much is the sugar popsicle?" The big boy put the little boy on his back down and pointed to the freezer to ask the boss.

"penny."

The older boy pulled a penny from his crumpled pocket and handed it over. After receiving the sugar popsicle, he led the younger boy out of the shop.

Before the older boy could even tear open the popsicle wrapper, the three-year-old boy was already stomping his feet and yelling in frustration.

"Cheers! Brother's popsicle!"

"Right away." The older boy freed his arm from the little boy's clinging to him like a monkey, and started tearing the popsicle wrapper. "Hey, what's the rush?"

He tore it open and handed the popsicle to the little boy.

"Hold the stick tight, or you won't get any food."

The little boy couldn't wait to stuff the popsicle into his mouth, and he nodded.

It was very hot, and the boy's face was covered in sweat. He pursed his lips and looked at his younger brother who was eating happily.

The little boy was enjoying his popsicle, the juice dripping from his chin and soaking the collar of his vest.

The boy smiled when he saw this, and ruffled his younger brother's hair. "You were just feeling sick, but now that you've eaten the popsicle, you're all better, right?"

The little boy's eyes immediately lit up when he heard his brother's words, and he grinned.

"Brother, eat!" After eating for a while, he held the popsicle up to the boy.

The boy pushed it back, saying, "Xiao Shuo, you can eat it yourself. I don't want to eat it."

However, the little boy couldn't finish the whole popsicle. He waited until it melted beyond recognition before taking the remaining popsicle and eating it. He even licked the stick with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

Time seemed to have passed for a long time.

A tall, thin boy with bright eyes grabbed his schoolbag, jumped off the bus at the intersection, and ran towards the village.

Along the way, people kept greeting him.

"Xiao Shuo, you're out of school?"

"Yes! School's out!"

Why are you running in such a hurry?

The boy ran and waved excitedly, shouting, "I'm going back to see my little nephew!!!"

He ran all the way home. When he got home, he rushed upstairs without even putting down his schoolbag.

The tall, muscular man by the bed saw him and immediately waved to him, saying, "Xiao Shuo, come quick."

The boy walked over quietly and saw the baby in the blanket when he reached the bedside.

It was very small, unlike any of the chubby, fair-skinned babies he had ever seen before.

But his eyes were already open, and like a boy's, they were full of energy, staring intently.

"Brother." The boy poked the baby's soft cheek with his finger, leaving a small dent. "He's so cute, what's his name?"

The man said to him, "Tingting."

“Tingting, Han Ting…”

Han Shuo froze, unable to take another step.

He looked up at the gradually dissipating clouds, letting the breeze brush against his dry, aching eyes.

"Han Shuo..."

He could no longer hear Meng Yuxiu's voice, nor the birdsong or the rustling of leaves; the world seemed to have been paused.

Only one voice remained in his head.

The voice told him in utter desolation that once he reached the crossroads, he would leave this world forever.

In this era, in this world, in this small mountain village, only Han Hong and Han Ting will remain forever.

In the countless days that followed, only the two of them remained in that little house.

Perhaps a five-year-old child will occasionally pester his father, asking, "Why isn't Uncle home yet?"

Han Hong might comfort him by saying that his uncle is studying in another city and won't be able to come home for a very long time.

Han Shuo was so heartbroken he could hardly breathe. He even wanted to scream at the sky, but he could only shout silently as tears streamed down his face.

The final outburst happened at this moment.

He struggled painfully, torn between his 21st-century family and friends and the world he had lived in for over twenty years.

On the other hand, the thought of never being able to touch Han Hong and Han Ting plunged him into endless panic and despair, and he was so heartbroken that he could not stand up.

He turned his head and looked at the intersection that was already far away.

The two people were still standing there.

In the past, every time he went to school, Han Ting would cry and fuss, not wanting him to leave. But this time, he waved his little hand. Perhaps at such a young age, he understood his father's feelings.

Because Han Hong always respected his younger brother.

He respected every path his brother chose to take.

And his life.

"Han Shuo?" Meng Yuxiu gripped his hand tightly.

Han Shuo moved; he walked forward somewhat numbly.

As the two figures at the distant intersection grew smaller and smaller, his chest heaved, and his breathing became increasingly rapid. He closed his eyes tightly, clenched his fists, and tried desperately to control his will.

Meng Yuxiu noticed that Han Shuo had stopped, so he stopped as well.

He saw Han Shuo struggle painfully for a moment before suddenly opening his eyes. Meng Yuxiu understood, and he released Han Shuo's hand.

"Meng Yuxiu, I want to go back and find them."

"good."

Han Shuo stopped struggling, stopped suffering. He turned around and ran back the way he came, tears streaming down his face, his heart screaming: He had to go back to find them!

We have to go back and find them!

He doesn't want to leave!

"Han Shuo!"

Han Shuo's shoulder was shaken.

"Han Shuo! You had a nightmare."

The moment Han Shuo opened his eyes, there seemed to be lingering moisture in his eyes.

He saw Meng Yuxiu's tense expression, but before he could speak, he frowned, and then, as if he had just emerged from a nightmare, he clutched his stomach, feeling weak.

"Uh..." he gasped and said to Meng Yuxiu, "Hurry... something's wrong with me."

Meng Yuxiu was startled for a moment, then asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Your stomach?"

Han Shuo nodded, gritting his teeth as he tried to pull back the covers.

Meng Yuxiu lifted the quilt before him, and when he saw it clearly, his eyes widened in surprise.

Because the red bedding was already wet, and there were water stains on Han Shuo's long underwear.