The Secrets of Time in the Sailing Box

Amidst the hustle and bustle and transformation of the city, the wave of demolition swept across, old buildings collapsed one after another, and on the ruins, waste materials bearing countless memories of the past were transported in and piled up like mountains. Zhong Hua moved through this pile of waste, as if searching for untold stories in the remnants of time.

Suddenly, with a clang, Zhong Hua kicked something hard. Looking down, he saw a nautical chart with a brass lock half-buried under the rubble. The lock was heavily rusted, the years having left deep marks on it; the verdigris on the clasp resembled tiny patches of moss, telling tales of time's passage. The wooden surface of the charter was uneven, the grain of the planks like an ancient map, recording an unknown journey.

A surge of intense curiosity welled up within Zhong Hua, and he laboriously dragged the nautical box out of the rubble. The box was heavy, as if it were filled with the weight of time. He found a sharp stone and smashed it against the rusty lock. With a few "cracks," the copper lock finally gave way and fell to the ground.

The lid of the box slowly opened, and a strong, salty smell wafted out—the unique scent of the sea, mixed with the decay of time, as if instantly transporting Zhong Hua to a turbulent seashore. He couldn't help but squint, adjusting to the smell, while peering into the box.

Inside the box, neatly arranged, was a nautical logbook. The pages were yellowed and the edges were slightly torn, like a weathered old man waiting to have his story told. Zhong Hua carefully picked up the logbook and turned to the first page, where the words "1992 Nautical Logbook" were written in blue ink.

He continued flipping through the pages, and saw a flight route from Qingdao to Sanya meticulously drawn in blue ink on the yellowed paper. Although the lines had faded somewhat with time, they were still clearly discernible. Wave patterns undulated around the route, and upon closer inspection, he discovered patterns from seashells that Ayu had found on Weizhou Island. Those seashell patterns were delicate and unique, as if telling him of the surprise and joy Ayu felt when she bent down to pick up seashells on that beach on Weizhou Island.

Zhong Hua was immersed in this wonderful discovery when suddenly, he heard a slight rolling sound coming from the hidden bottom of the box. His heart tightened, and he gently placed the nautical log aside, reaching into the hidden bottom of the box. A moment later, an anchor-shaped pocket watch rolled into his hand.

The pocket watch's case was also covered in rust, but its exquisite craftsmanship was still evident. Zhong Hua gently wiped the surface of the pocket watch, trying to see the details clearly. When he finally wiped away some of the rust, he was surprised to find that the watch's hands were stopped at four in the morning.

This time held special significance for Zhong Hua and A Yu. It was the moment when the lake at Namtso froze over as they watched the Milky Way. At that moment, heaven and earth seemed to stand still. They gazed up at the vast starry sky, the Milky Way flowing like a glittering river across the night, while the lake beneath their feet slowly froze in the low temperature, making soft "crackling" sounds, as if nature were playing background music for this magnificent starry sky.

Zhong Hua clutched the pocket watch tightly, his heart filled with emotion. This seemingly ordinary nautical logbook was like a time capsule, miraculously connecting his and Ayu's memories with an unknown sea voyage. He imagined who, in 1992, carried this logbook, navigating the seas along this route? And why would they hide this pocket watch, recording such a special moment, in the hidden compartment of this logbook?

He decided to tell Ayu about his discovery, believing she would also be amazed by this wonderful coincidence. So, Zhong Hua, carrying the nautical trunk and pocket watch, hurried home. Along the way, his mind was filled with memories of their travels to various places, those beautiful memories twinkling like stars in his heart.

When Zhong Hua returned home, A Yu was in the living room organizing photos from their trip. Seeing Zhong Hua return with a worn-out nautical trunk and a pocket watch, a flicker of surprise and curiosity crossed A Yu's eyes.

"Ayu, look what I found!" Zhong Hua said excitedly, placing the nautical box and pocket watch on the table and eagerly telling Ayu about his discovery in the junkyard.

Ayu listened quietly, her eyes gradually brightening. She picked up the nautical logbook, carefully examining the routes and seashell patterns, then picked up her pocket watch, gazing at the hands that were stopped at four in the morning.

“This is truly incredible,” Ayu said softly. “It’s as if fate has brought us to this nautical box full of secrets.”

The two sat on the sofa and began to carefully examine the nautical box and its contents. They tried to find clues between the lines of the logbook to find out who the navigator was and what his story was.

Zhong Hua pointed to some entries in the logbook and said, "Look, this mentions some weather conditions and encounters during the voyage. It seems the journey wasn't easy."

Ayu nodded in agreement, and then said, "Moreover, this route, from Qingdao to Sanya, crosses most of China's coastline, and must have many unknown experiences."

As they discussed, they imagined the lives of seafarers of yesteryear. On the vast ocean, ships rose and fell with the waves, and seafarers, with courage and wisdom, journeyed towards their destinations. But why did this pocket watch stop at four in the morning, that special moment when they were watching the Milky Way over Namtso Lake? The connection seemed like a mysterious puzzle, waiting for them to unravel.

As their research deepened, they discovered that the last few pages of the logbook appeared to have been deliberately torn out. This fueled their curiosity: what secrets did those torn pages hold?

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