Chapter 80. Flowers smother the boat, I miss you so much. ...
Xia Chan pleaded with Jing Zixi for help.
It's impossible for them to return to Qingshui now, carrying Siyi with them. And even if they did return, Shanfeng Lane would no longer exist. They can only plead with those around them to find a place similar to Shanfeng Lane near Shanghai.
Jing Zixi readily agreed and immediately mobilized her WeChat Moments to search for him.
Believe it or not, I actually found one. It was an old alleyway with a northern flavor, about 30% similar to Shanfeng Alley.
There is a small courtyard, which, after being decorated, can be restored to about 60% of its original state, but that would be enough.
Jing Zixi rented the courtyard at a high price and spent three days decorating it.
When Siyi was pushed into that alley in her wheelchair, she was extremely surprised. Her eyes were wide open, staring at her surroundings without blinking.
When she was pushed into the small courtyard with the word "Crossing" written on it, she laughed heartily but suddenly her eyes reddened.
Her pale, frail hands gripped the ends of the wheelchair tightly, insisting on standing up and walking around the yard.
Xia Chan helped her walk around the courtyard, pointing things out happily as they went, "There should be two lotus plants here..."
It's a lotus from the north, not a water lily from the south; the large, round lotus leaves can also be used to make fragrant steamed rice with lotus leaves.
"There should be a wicker chair here..."
"And here, we should plant snow willow flowers. Grandma planted them. When they bloom in the summer, it looks like snow, so beautiful..."
Huang Mao and Lala Pang Hu watched her happily walking around in the yard, their eyes reddening, feeling both bittersweet and comforted.
Siyi turned back with a happy smile, "But this is already very good... Sister Xiaochan, how did you find this place? This place is so wonderful... I love it here so much..."
Yes, it's already very good...
That's already very good.
Xia Chan smiled at her, her eyes also red. They went home.
That evening, the group of them had a barbecue, chatted, and sang in the courtyard... as if they had truly returned to the time when they were "Du".
Xia Chan only asked for one night's leave for Si Yi. At first, Si Yi's attending physician firmly refused. In the end, it was Jing Zixi who stepped in and guaranteed that Si Yi would be accompanied by a private doctor at all times, and that she would be sent back to the hospital immediately if there were any problems. Only then did the doctor reluctantly agree.
The yard was filled with smoke and fire, and Huang Mao was grilling meat with his arms rolled up, while La La kept complaining.
"Oh my god, I told you to stop baking! What have you baked?! The dough is burnt and the other side isn't even cooked yet!"
"Hey, I told you not to give such bad instructions! With your directions, how can anyone possibly understand how to bake it?"
The two of them kept bickering, and Siyi and the others couldn't help but laugh along.
After a miserable barbecue, the five of them sat side by side on the steps under the eaves to look at the stars.
There are very few stars in Shanghai; even late at night, there are only a handful.
Wrapped in blankets, they simply swayed from side to side and sang together. The songs were off-key, breathless... but still very tragic.
Siyi couldn't help but sigh, "If only Brother Zhoudu were here too..."
Xia Chan remained silent and simply smiled.
Chenzhoudu has recently made a gradual comeback, participating in a few small events, but still causing quite a stir.
He refused all interviews and became much quieter at events. His noticeably thinner appearance led netizens to speculate that he and Xia Chan had broken up.
But Jing Zixi said that Shen Jinghai still keeps a very strict eye on him, monitoring his personal freedom and cell phone, so she has rarely been able to contact him recently.
She's still waiting...
That night, Siyi snuggled in her fragrant blankets, unable to fall asleep. Xia Chan came into her room to check on her and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I can't bear to part with it," Siyi said. "I'm afraid that when I open my eyes tomorrow morning, I'll find that it was all a dream, the house is gone, and I'm back in the hospital..."
Xia Chan couldn't help but laugh and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Then I'll sleep with you?"
Siyi immediately and happily moved the covers away, and Xiachan crawled into the covers and lay down next to her. In the night, the two girls' bodies were warmly pressed together. Siyi pressed her head against Xiachan's chest, hugged her tightly, and gently inhaled the delicate fragrance of orchids on her body.
"Sister, actually I'm not afraid of death." The two were chatting about some jokes when Siyi suddenly said.
Xia Chan stiffened slightly and gently flicked her head, "What are you talking about, dying or not? We're all alive and well, don't talk nonsense."
Siyi pouted, "Sis, you always tell me not to talk about this, but it's a real and pressing issue right now! We have to talk about it. Look at you... you're not as open and brave as me! Isn't life and death something we all have to face?"
Xia Chan's eyes reddened slightly, and she pursed her lips, remaining silent. Si Yi hugged her tighter again, "Sister, I'm really not afraid of death."
"..."
In the darkness of night, the girl's voice was as light as the wind, weak yet joyful.
"Moreover, I feel especially happy and joyful today!"
"When the time comes... my grandma, dad, maternal grandma... they'll all come to pick me up, right? I'm just going ahead to scout things out for you. And decades from now, I'll come back to pick you up too..."
"By then, you might all be incredibly old men and women, while I'll be forever young. You'll be hunched over, and I'll come skipping and hopping to pick you up. Finally, it'll be my turn to take care of you. And in that world, I'll be your senior, right? Maybe you'll even have to respectfully call me 'sister'..."
Xia Chan's tears were about to fall, but she held them back tightly and gently tapped her forehead again. "Alright, alright, you're the senior, you're the older sister, Sister Siyi! Is that alright?"
Siyi giggled and tried to dodge, but after a while she gently put her arm around her waist and said, "Sister, you and Brother Zhoudu must stay together..."
"..."
She said, "I know you accepted the 600,000 yuan to pay for my and my grandmother's medical treatment... but my grandmother and I really feel very sad."
"But since...fate has given you a chance to make up for your regrets, don't miss it again. Sister, I really want to see each of you doing well, I really want...to never be separated from you..."
Her voice grew softer and softer as she gradually fell asleep in Xia Chan's arms.
After Siyi fell asleep, Xia Chan gently slipped out of her bed and went outside, sitting on the steps of the courtyard in a daze.
Suddenly she lowered her head, and large tears fell silently.
The autumn night was quiet; even the wind had stopped.
There were no stars in the sky, and no cicadas chirping in the grass and trees.
The pale moonlight reflected her falling tears, making them look like a pool of flowing stars. She clenched her teeth and held her hands tightly, gazing at the pool of stars on the ground and crying silently in sorrow.
Grandma, you once said that I could get through anything;
But why do I still feel sad when I see countless partings in my life, even though I know there will be many?
At that moment, she really, really wanted to hear a voice.
Suddenly, he pulled out his phone and dialed Shenzhoudu's number with trembling hands.
The phone to Chen Zhoudu was naturally unreachable; a cold, mechanical voice kept coming from the receiver, "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."
"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."
"sorry……"
She eventually hung up the phone and switched to WeChat. Chen Zhoudu's WeChat ringtone was his song "Crossing Summer".
The melody of that summer echoed in her ears again and again, but there was never a reply from him.
She finally typed in a voice message and whispered:
"Sunken Boat Crossing, I miss you so much."
-
On November 12th, Shanghai officially entered autumn, with golden ginkgo leaves filling the sky with a warm hue.
Siyi was suddenly taken to the emergency room for treatment that day.
Her heart rate and blood oxygen levels plummeted, and her blood pressure dropped rapidly. It seemed the hourglass of life was finally running out of sand. Medical staff frantically pushed the stretcher towards the emergency room, leaving Lala terrified and in tears.
The rescue lasted for nearly an hour and forty minutes. Finally, the attending physician walked out of the emergency room, took off his mask, and shook his head.
"You should go and see her."
Tears streamed down their faces, but they forced themselves not to cry. Led by the doctor, they quickly put on their protective suits and entered the ward.
In the emergency room, Siyi was covered in tubes and looked as thin as a sheet of paper.
After more than two months of treatment, she has become so thin that she is skin and bones, and her whole body is pale and bloodless.
The electrocardiogram monitor showed a thin, weak line flowing silently.
"Remembrance".
She seemed to hear someone calling her, and she weakly opened her eyes.
Then she saw them again, and with all her might, she smiled at them and said, "Sister, I had a dream..."
"What did you dream about?" Xia Chan smiled, fighting back tears, and gently stroked her head.
"I dreamt that... one evening, the sunset was particularly beautiful, and I was out of school. You all came to pick me up and said you would take me somewhere..."
"Then, you took me to a house."
"The house was huge...and beautifully decorated. We ate hot pot there, chatted...and had a great time...we even sang songs..."
Xia Chan, knowing the day she was referring to, asked as tears welled in her eyes, "Do you want to hear a song?"
Siyi swallowed hard and nodded.
Then they exchanged a glance and, in perfect unison, began to softly sing an ancient song for her.
The singing was so gentle, like a spring breeze, that it enveloped her and led her to a certain day in her life.
That was a very happy day in her memory.
That laughter reminded me of my flowers.
Quietly blooming for me in every corner of my life
I once thought I would stay by her side forever.
Today we have departed into the vast sea of people…
Siyi's lips curved into a strained smile, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she wanted to sing along with them.
Her heartbeat gradually increased, and a slight swell appeared on the electrocardiogram.
"They're all old, aren't they?"
Where are they?
That's it...
"Beep—"
A piercing sound from the instruments suddenly rang out!
The wavy line on the electrocardiogram monitor has become a straight line!
Siyi's trembling eyelashes suddenly calmed down, but a smile remained on her lips, her expression serene, as if she had fallen asleep with a smile.
Xia Chan's tears suddenly streamed down her face! She couldn't sing another word. Huang Mao and La La Pang Hu also immediately burst into tears and sadly turned away.
The doctor came in, checked her vital signs one last time, announced the time of death, comforted them, and led them out.
Huang Mao was worried that Xia Chan would have an emotional breakdown, so he stayed by her side every step of the way after leaving the house.
Xia Chan simply waved her hand, silently shed tears for a while, then suddenly mustered up some strength, walked to a corner, and dialed a phone number.
She dialed the phone number of Jiang Cheng, the agent of Shenzhou Ferry.
It was given to her by Jing Zixi.
Jiang Cheng was surprised to hear the caller's identity. After hesitating for a moment, he still managed to avoid the bodyguards guarding the sunken boat ferry and hand the phone to him.
At that time, Chen Zhoudu was waiting backstage at a program. He was surprised and astonished when he heard who was calling.
It felt like he hadn't seen her or heard her voice for a very long time. His throat felt hoarse for a moment, and he suppressed a mix of surprise and fear as he whispered, "Hey."
"Hey, Zhoudu," Xia Chan said, "Siyi is gone."
"..." Shen Zhoudu hung up the phone in a daze.
Backstage at the recording studio in the capital, the host was already urging the audience to warm up, saying, "Today, we have a mystery guest, someone you've all been waiting for for a very, very long time! From the height of summer until this autumn! So who is he—?"
The audience erupted in cheers and applause, all chanting the same name. The host announced, "Now, please welcome—Chen Zhoudu—with 'Crossing Summer'!"
The cheers grew even louder. At the edge of the backstage area, Jiang Cheng was pressing his shoulders, desperately trying to comfort Chen Zhoudu, telling him to cheer up...don't cry! His face was ashen, and he took a deep breath before walking onto the stage.
The moment he stood in the center of the stage, the audience and fans below erupted in cheers.
This is Chen Zhoudu's first time singing on stage since her comeback after the scandals she faced some time ago.
Soft background music began to play. Suddenly, he quietly gestured to the music teacher, and the music stopped abruptly. A murmur of confusion immediately arose from the audience.
Then, he spoke into the microphone;
He then began to sing a song a cappella:
That laughter reminded me of my flowers.
Quietly blooming for me in every corner of my life
I once thought I would stay by her side forever.
Today we have departed into the vast sea of people…
The gasps of surprise from the audience grew louder, with people whispering amongst themselves and asking questions in astonishment.
"What happened?"
"Isn't it 'Crossing the Summer'?"
"I don't know..."
A faint tremor lingered in Chen Zhoudu's voice, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes, silently streaming down her face, shimmering like captivating stars under the dazzling stage lights.
The singing was ethereal, sorrowful, yet warm;
It seems as if it can be carried by the wind to a very, very far place, as far as the sky, as far as another world, as far as those lives that once warmed each other but can never be seen again.
"They're all old, aren't they?"
Where are they?
That's it.
Each went their own way
La la la la la la
Missing her
La la la la la la
Is she still operating?
La la la la la la
Go!
They have been blown away by the wind.
Scattered to the ends of the earth
..."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Sorry I'm late today, I forgot to set a timer for the drafts I put in my archive. [poor face]
Thank you to the fairy "wangggg" for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers] There are probably three more chapters until the finale!
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