Chapter 27 Don't cry, don't cry, you are not...

When Li Sheng checked out, he accidentally saw the hotel's price. The number shocked him. He then realized that the hotel had an entire building to itself, and the staff were polite and courteous. All of these things were very expensive.

A north wind picked up outside, and the sun was setting earlier and earlier. As soon as they stepped out of the hotel, the cold wind pierced their clothes. Seeing that he was dressed lightly, Li Jiacong assumed he didn't have enough clothes and took off his windbreaker and gave it to him.

Li Jiacong said, "I have one more."

Li Sheng pushed it back: "It's cold, you wear it."

Li Jiacong draped the cloak over him and said, "I'm taking a taxi now. You won't be cold. You should go back too." After saying that, he hailed a taxi that was parked in front of him and waved goodbye to Li Sheng.

Li Sheng could only hold onto his clothes, watch him leave, and then wrap himself in the coat.

At the end of November in the provincial capital, withered branches stretched out massively across the city, like a emaciated patient who had shed his flesh, leaving only his bony ribs.

Yunji was very busy at noon. They ate at staggered times. Around 2 p.m., it was finally Li Sheng's turn to rest. He had just sat down and finished getting his food when his phone suddenly rang.

The number was unfamiliar, and when he answered it, he received news that was both unexpected and shocking—Huang Yin's grandmother had passed away.

Before this, Huang Yin had contacted her family several times using his phone, and they had taken notes. They asked Li Sheng to relay the message, so Li Sheng went to the front hall to find Huang Yin without even eating.

Sunlight streaming through the glass window shone on Huang Yin, making her look as beautiful as someone from a painting. She was chatting and laughing with her colleagues when she saw him coming and waved.

Li Sheng walked over, called Huang Yin aside, and gently told her the news. But as expected, Huang Yin immediately burst into tears, her radiance vanished, and even the sunshine around her seemed to dissipate.

Li Sheng had lost a loved one, so he knew what it felt like, and his heart ached. Huang Yin had asked for leave, and the manager was lenient in this situation. Huang Yin took off her pretty work clothes, ran to the hotel entrance, looked around, and suddenly saw something, running in that direction.

Cao Teng was parking a car for a customer when Huang Yin came over, crying and wailing, startling him: "Holy crap, what happened? She was fine at noon!"

Huang Yin hugged him and cried for a while, then told him what had happened and hoped that Cao Teng could go back with her.

Cao Teng looked troubled: "I just took an extra day off last week, so it's not easy to ask for leave this week."

"Just this once, please keep me company." She felt utterly lost and helpless, her heart pounding with anxiety. "If all else fails, I'll beg the manager!"

Cao Teng clicked his tongue, wiped her tears, and said, "Baby, you should go back by yourself. It might take you several days to get back. I'll stay here and make money for us."

"Can't you really stay with me?"

"This is too much trouble..."

Huang Yin was stunned, utter disappointment piercing her heart, her mind blank. She wasn't an outspoken or fierce girl; she wouldn't hit or curse. She simply walked away with her head down. She sobbed as she returned to Yunji, a familiar voice ringing in her ears.

“I’ll go back with you. Your house isn’t far from mine, so I can go home and seal up the windows.”

At that moment, the tears in her eyes stopped, and she turned to look at Li Sheng: "Thank you. Really... thank you."

Li Sheng accompanied Huang Yin back to her hometown. The road was dilapidated, the house was run-down, and an old woman with white hair, lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) inside, covered with a white cloth, had her eyes closed as if she were asleep.

As soon as Huang Yin entered, she hugged her mother and wept bitterly until her voice became hoarse. Li Sheng went to inquire with the villagers and helped arrange the funeral. Soon, a tent was set up and a coffin was brought in.

Huang Yin changed into mourning clothes and knelt before the coffin. She had few family members and relatives, so she knelt alone. Before long, no one came to offer condolences in the courtyard, leaving it empty and desolate.

Li Sheng was very familiar with this scene. Back then, he would keep watch by himself, and sometimes he felt that it was better if no one came to pay their respects, so that he could spend some time quietly with his grandfather and talk to him.

Li Sheng stayed with Huang Yin without saying a word, keeping vigil for her all night. It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Huang Yin's father heard about it and rushed back. He cried a few times, then busied himself with preparing a feast and collecting the money back.

Huang Yin had stayed up for two days and one night, and cried non-stop. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and she looked very haggard. She forced a warm smile at Li Sheng and said, "Aren't you going home?"

Li Sheng: "No rush."

Huang Yin shook her head: "My dad's back, so I don't need to take care of things anymore. You don't need to stay with me either, let's go."

Li Sheng glanced at his father, who looked like a drunkard, reeking of alcohol as soon as he came in. He was a little worried: "It's okay, I can..."

"No need," Huang Yin suddenly stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you for your hard work, Li Sheng. I've already thanked you many times."

Li Sheng gently patted her back, and Huang Yin wiped away her tears: "I'll go back after tomorrow's event. We'll see each other when we get back."

Li Sheng didn't insist on keeping him any longer. He took a small three-wheeled vehicle from Huang Yin's house, a half-hour drive to Shiqiao. This time, he had been gone for almost two months, and returning felt somewhat unfamiliar.

He pushed open the door; the air was slightly musty, and dust particles drifted in the thin sunlight. Li Sheng tossed in a rag and wiped the house down. He then sealed the windows with plastic sheeting.

He hadn't been inside long when the neighbor noticed he'd returned and stood on the wall looking in his direction. Li Sheng went out to greet him, and the neighbor quickly said, "Someone came looking for you a couple of days ago!"

Li Sheng was stunned. The neighbor continued, "An old man. I don't know where you went, but he left you his phone number. Give him a call!"

The neighbor brought over a piece of paper with a number written on it. He recognized the number; someone from that side had come again. Li Sheng went back inside and sat for a while before taking out his phone and dialing the number. An elderly male voice answered, "Hello, who is this?"

Li Sheng swallowed hard, his throat dry, and said, "Li Sheng."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and then the person introduced themselves, even though they believed Li Sheng already knew who they were.

The man arranged to meet at the other party's house, a place Li Sheng had once secretly visited.

After agreeing, Li Sheng finished tidying up the house and boarded the bus. Just before getting off, Li Sheng began to question why he had come. This was something he was afraid of, something he couldn't face. He probably didn't even realize how much he longed to see that person again.

As he entered the village and turned into the alley, he saw the man standing at the door. He was about the same age as his grandfather, equally thin and with sunken cheeks. Li Sheng quickly took two steps and stood in front of him.

The other person scrutinized him with a deep gaze; his eyes were cloudy, reflecting the sorrow of years gone by. He ushered Li Sheng inside, and the two remained silent.

This courtyard was better than the one he and his grandfather lived in. The outer walls were tiled with some beautiful patterns. Inside, the floor was flat and the ceiling was high, making it feel like a temple. There was a strong smell of incense in the room, and unexpectedly, a piece of paper with calligraphy on it was hanging there. However, the room was completely empty, with only a small table, a cold stove, and a bare, thin kang (a heated brick bed).

He sat down at the table, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a head peeking out from the inner room next door, secretly watching him. He didn't turn his head, keeping his gaze fixed on the table.

The man—I should call him Grandpa—poured him a glass of water. He had bad legs and walked very slowly. When he opened his mouth to speak, he only had a few teeth left: “I knew your grandpa’s side of the family had passed away. I thought you had no one to take care of you. I’d forgotten that you’re all grown up now and working?”

Li Sheng hummed in agreement, but it was meaningless.

"Have you been to school?"

"Read it."

The man handed him an apple, a shriveled, withered apple, as if it had been saved for winter. Now, he offered it to a guest, but the man no longer cared about him, saying to himself, "I'm a man with my neck buried in the ground, I've never felt comfortable in my life, my daughter..."

He glanced at the bedroom, and the person inside quickly shrank back inside.

Li Sheng felt breathless, sensing that he was finally about to uncover the root of his inner pain.

"I don't know if your grandfather told you about these things, but I have to tell you everything, whether you want to know or not. My daughter was about your age back then. She was timid and didn't dare to say anything when something happened. She didn't even know she was pregnant, let alone tell anyone. By the time she found out, it was too late to have an abortion. Medical care wasn't good back then, so she had to give birth. That man had more than just one or two criminal records on his record. Anyway, he was definitely going to be executed. The police caught him, and they caught him very quickly."

Li Sheng buried his head even deeper; he knew about these things.

“Her mental state hasn’t been good since you were born. I can’t take care of you. With you around, she’ll only go a little crazier. Anyone would be in a difficult situation after this happened. You’ve never met that person, and neither have I, but he’s committed a lot of sins. I don’t have much time left. I can’t take care of her for the rest of her life. I’m worried about leaving her all alone. I’ll send her to a nursing home. I don’t have much to leave you, and I don’t expect you to take care of her, but you have to remember her. When she’s gone, take care of her body. That way, we can say we were family for life, okay?”

His tone was extremely cold, but Li Sheng's eyes suddenly stung. He didn't know why, but when he heard the words "family," he couldn't hold back his tears. He wiped the tip of his nose with his finger and said, "Okay, I promise you."

At this moment, the woman hiding in the room came out, tilted her head to look at him, and saw his embarrassing appearance of trying to hold back tears. The more Li Sheng turned his head, the more she bent down and leaned closer to look.

She asked, "What's wrong?"

The man said, "Ting, do you know who he is?"

"have no idea."

"Doesn't it look like you?"

"Somewhat similar, yet not quite." She reached out and turned Li Sheng's face, and Li Sheng looked at her in astonishment, his eyes filled with tears.

The old man said to Li Sheng, "She doesn't hit people, she just gets confused at certain times. She's much better now."

A pair of hands slowly stroked her face, as if tracing her features. Suddenly, she said earnestly, "He looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Don't cry, don't cry. Are you that child who can't find their way home? Tell me who you're looking for, and I'll help you."

In that instant, tears welled up in Li Sheng's eyes, wetting his soft hands. He stood up, took all his money from his pocket—paper bills and coins—and clattered them onto the table.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

A note from the author:

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