Go to sea

The wooden door swung wide open before them, revealing a room that resembled a storeroom, piled high from the walls to the corners, filled with various fishing gear and other tools. Though the sun was out, the room lacked the chill often associated with sharp tools, and there was no sticky dampness. Sharp knives and axes sat comfortably in baskets, covered in a thick layer of dust along with the other items.

In stark contrast to the tidiness of the other two rooms, this place seemed like a long-abandoned place. Yet, traces of the old man's life remained here: the polished wood, the carved stone table, the shallow net that had been taken down and not yet hung up again...

He lived his own life, while also taking care of the homes of other people who were not there, managing everything beautifully and efficiently, except for his own room.

"Take whichever net you like."

Meng Yan withdrew his gaze from the wooden block, nodded his thanks, and followed the old man to the fishing wall, looking up at such a vast array of nets for the first time.

As she expected, each net was made by the same person, and the knotting techniques were preserved on the entire wall. The ropes used were also a mixture of various silk and hemp. When compared with the single fine nets commonly used by other fishermen, the difference in quality was immediately apparent.

There must be more than just a few of these nets. Reaching out and twisting the rope, I realized they'd been there for at least five years, and the rumors about the old man had been going on for much longer.

"Miss Yan, you've observed quite closely. Have you done your research on this?"

Yue Lang walked around to her side and stopped, mimicking her rummaging through the fishing net a few times, getting his hands covered in dust. He looked down, then smiled and walked towards Meng Yan.

Meng Yan knew exactly what he was up to. He tilted his head, bent down, and slipped under his arm. He then grabbed the handkerchief from the man's waist, quickly wiped his hands, and tossed it into the man's hand.

After seeing the pattern and color of the handkerchief clearly, both of them fell silent.

"Well, that's why I couldn't find it. Turns out it was hiding on me." Yue Lang looked at the black handprints on the cleaned handkerchief, closed his eyes, rubbed his black hands, folded it up, and stuffed it back in. "In that case, I'll just have to return it next time."

The handkerchief seemed to have been left behind when the two of them were gathering herbs in the deep forest. Meng Yan assumed it had been snagged by a tree branch or blown away by the strong wind on the way back to the valley, forgetting that he had casually given it to someone that day.

"Perfect timing, I also have some things to wash, call me when the time comes."

"Okay!"

.

Watching the young people chasing each other from afar, unable to even touch each other in the small corner, the old man turned his eyes away, refusing to look at the amusing scene that had nothing to do with him and would affect his mood.

He stared at the long-idle, moldy block of wood on the ground for a moment, then squatted down, picked it up, and gently placed it next to the sharpening knife.

There are many more identical pieces and strips of wood in the basket, all carefully polished but not yet oiled or colored, and have remained in the house for years, not yet in their proper place.

.

"Which net has caught the eye of our Miss Yan? The deep one, the shallow one, the hanging one, the lying one?"

Meng Yan glanced at him helplessly and stopped the noise. "If I remember correctly, we're all from the mountains, right? Have you ever been to the sea or fished?"

"Does eating it count?" Yue Lang asked jokingly.

Meng Yan's eyebrows twitched, and he turned back to the net, lost in thought, ignoring him.

"Don't be so cold, Miss Yan. As the saying goes, one is never too old to learn. If you don't understand, just ask."

Before Yue Lang could concentrate on his studies, Meng Yan tiptoed down a net, slowly pulling it to both sides with both hands, scrutinizing the details while ensuring the quality.

She handed the net to Yue Lang, saying, "This thing is quite old, but I didn't expect it to be so sturdy. I wonder if I can take some back with me later."

Hearing her tone, Yue Lang felt a chill run down his spine. He tried hard to recall and suddenly remembered that many days ago, she seemed to have asked him for something in the same way. What was it again?

Even though he hadn't repaid any of his own intangible debts, he didn't forget to spare others from suffering. While coiling his fishing net, he sincerely advised, "Don't make things difficult for the old man. He's already so old; let him rest."

Why aren't you going to greet them now? Meng Yan thought to himself, but then turned to his wrist. "The older folks in my sect are at the prime of their lives, full of vigor and ready to face any challenge."

.

Halfway through his afternoon nap, Li the cripple jolted awake, opened his eyes blankly in bed, stared intently at the roof beam for a long while, then closed his eyes again and muttered, "Which little brat is this? Still thinking about me even when he's away from home."

.

The old man carefully put away his memories and past, stood up from beside the bamboo basket, and seeing that they had chosen their nets, he took a section of rope from the doorway and handed it to Yue Lang. "Go to the west side of the dock, find a tripod like this rope, and the boats connected to it will be at your disposal."

After saying that, he left the two of them in the house and stepped out of the wooden door.

“Sir,” Yue Lang called out from behind him, “Thank you. May I ask your name? I’ll call out your name when I pray for blessings next time.”

“…My surname is Weng.” The old man moved away from the doorway, and sunlight suddenly flooded in, making Yue Lang close his eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, Meng Yan was already standing in the corner, holding some tools in her hand, which she had gathered together in a small net.

"Leave?" She pointed towards the door.

"Let's go!" Yue Lang took her hand, which she hadn't yet let go of, and strode into the sunlight.

The fishing boats were surprisingly easy to find; not far west of the dock, similar ropes appeared one after another.

But Mr. Weng didn't mention that there was more than one ship!

Meng Yan and Yue Lang looked around at all the boats, but they were still completely baffled.

"With such a big house and so many boats, he would have been such a happy old man if it weren't for that shipwreck."

Meng Yan responded silently. If it weren't for the sudden change, all the doors and windows in the village, and the fishing nets of every household, would have been made by the old man, and wouldn't have been eroded by wind and rain into their current dilapidated state, nor would they have to feel heartbroken and guilty for the broken net.

"What are you thinking about so intently?" Yue Lang jumped onto a fishing boat in the middle, leaving space next to him for two people to stand.

He found a stable plank, laid down the fishing net and other odds and ends, and turned to reach out to Meng Yan on the shore, letting her use it to get up.

After clenching his fists and applying slight pressure, Meng Yan jumped down to Yue Lang's side. Once he was steady, he answered Yue Lang's question: "Old Master Weng's craftsmanship is superb. We still use the scraps of wood he abandoned in his early years. His strangely shaped tools may seem like jokes, but you only understand their exquisite nature when you use them."

“You really should call him an old gentleman.” Yue Lang saw that she had stopped and knew that she had finished speaking, so he went back to the beach to untie the ropes. “These treasures that you can’t bear to miss, in my opinion, he will give them to you.”

"You're helping the villagers repair doors and windows, and you're just missing a set of suitable tools, aren't you?"

The lack was one thing, but the old man's thoughts were another. Meng Yan couldn't figure out how he connected the two, and thought he was joking again, so he stopped thinking about it and started pondering the purpose of the things on the ship.

Perhaps it was a combination of talent and good fortune, but the two people who had never been to the sea before managed to sail smoothly away from the dock in a small boat, heading towards the boundless, dark blue expanse.

"Miss Yan, I have some unfortunate news, and it's also a question I'd like to ask you."

The last tree in sight disappeared, leaving only a lone fishing boat on the empty ocean, passively tossed about by the rising and falling waves.

Meng Yan put down the fishing net he was about to use and waited patiently for Yue Lang's question.

He meticulously walked from the bow to the stern, looked around, then circled back, closed his eyes, and said sadly, "I can't tell east from west anymore."

It's no longer a matter of being unfamiliar with the place; let alone people, there are hardly any common animals to be found. Looking up, there is a clear blue sky, and looking down, there is a silent sea. The only bright spot among all things is Meng Yan.

The reckless Taoist priest secretly regretted that he had embarked on a path of no return without making adequate preparations. Although he had companions with whom he had an excellent relationship, they could only add to his sorrow under these circumstances.

Are we to sing and dance on this ship to celebrate your journey to the underworld together?

Thinking of pleading with the King of Hell, Yue Lang began to look for reasons for Meng Yan. Anything would do; he couldn't really have drowned because of greed and love of playing. If the situation became critical, he could take all the blame and say that he was coerced and was actually innocent, so that he could be reborn into a better place in his next life...

The commotion around him grew louder and louder. Yue Lang emerged from his imagination, which was broader than the sea, and took the small item that Meng Yanqiang had stuffed into his hands. It was a compass.

He was familiar with the things, but he knew their origins very well!

If I had known this thing existed, why would I have been so heartbroken?

Meng Yan sat on the side of the boat, swinging her legs. Her body was secured to the boat by ropes and mechanisms. In this situation, her only regret was that she hadn't been able to bring some melon seeds with her when she boarded the boat.

“I found it in the cabin. Mr. Weng took one from his home.” She shook another compass in her hand.

The two compasses are different in shape and markings. Meng Yan's compass has several scratches and looks very old. Fortunately, its basic pointing function is still intact. When the orientation is changed, the pointers of both compasses will change accordingly.

Before Yue Lang burst into tears of joy, Meng Yan took out the mechanical kite and shook it again, saying, "It doesn't matter if you get lost, I can take you back safely."

Already a head shorter than herself, she looked even smaller sitting on the edge of the boat. Even just sitting there, a glance from her could bring her immense peace of mind.

“Miss Yan, you are the most special person I have ever met in my life.” He said this out of the blue.

Once he calmed down, Yue Lang couldn't stop talking. He sat down next to Meng Yan and stared intently at the calm, flowing light, saying seriously, "Because neither of us has memories of our past lives, and no one knows whether they even exist, I'm more inclined to believe they don't. Otherwise, we should have recognized each other when we first met at the teahouse. Why did it take us three times to get to know each other? What do you think?"

"I can't quite place it." Meng Yan shook his head, his head bobbing against the buoyancy of the fishing boat. "If I knew it, it would be quite unforgettable."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Yue Lang felt relieved and unconsciously shook his head along with the boat and Meng Yan. The two of them sailed against the wind and waves, heading deeper into the sea.

“Learn from me?” Meng Yan stopped and turned to look at him.

"No," Yue Lang replied immediately, but tilted his head to look at her.

Meng Yan's lips curled up, and in an instant, he grabbed a large net from behind. Yue Lang was caught off guard and, worried that it would fall in, hurriedly dragged and pulled it away.

"Then let's get to work."