Song Lili was kept at home by Zhang Qinghua, where she spent all her time reading, because of her promise that she could return to the city soon.
Aside from visiting a few elderly people, she really didn't go out much, which was incredibly frustrating.
But when Zhang Qinghua became stubborn, she had no choice but to compromise.
That day, she was studying physics, which seemed like an incomprehensible book, when Lin Mu rushed in anxiously. "Girl, hurry and go check, the guqin is probably beyond repair."
"What?" Song Lili stood up abruptly, swaying slightly. The guqin? It's not working? What does that mean?
"Go see him quickly, it's the last time you'll see him," Lin Mu said sadly.
These people have been friends for decades, have gone through hardships together, and have supported each other like family for seven or eight years.
But now, the guqin couldn't hold on any longer and was about to leave. They felt sad and a sense of desolation, like the rabbit mourning the fox's death.
They're practically half-buried in the ground; who knows, one day they might just close their eyes and be gone?
However, there are still regrets in my heart. I regret that my family cannot reunite. I regret... there are many regrets, and I don't know if they can be fulfilled.
Song Lili was stunned by the words "last time". She reached out her hand in a panic, her hands trembling wildly.
Zhang Qinghua quickly reached out her hand, and seeing Song Lili's distraught state, her heart ached slightly.
Lili had already considered those people as family, so hearing such bad news would probably break her heart.
Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, large tears rolled down her cheeks, forming a line.
"Lili, go and take a look quickly," Zhang Qinghua reminded her with concern.
Judging from Lin Mu's appearance, he is probably on his last breath. If he doesn't hurry, he might not even get to see Lin Mu one last time.
"Okay, okay, let's go." Song Lili's hand tightened again, and she stumbled and tried to run, but bumped into the threshold and fell headfirst into it.
"Watch out!" Zhang Qinghua was quick enough to grab her and prevent her from falling to the ground.
"Girl, be careful." Lin Mu was also startled and quickly added.
"Let's go, let's go," Song Lili was helped up and, after regaining her balance, hurriedly walked outside again. She was really scared.
My hands are shaking right now, I'm so afraid...
She didn't want to dwell on the worst premonition in her heart. Even though she knew that was the outcome, she just couldn't accept it.
In her panic, Song Lili didn't even try to hide her speed, and ran as fast as she could to the courtyard where the old people lived at the edge of the village.
Fortunately, Zhang Qinghua stayed with her the whole time, so the difference wasn't so obvious; otherwise, her speed would have shocked many people. However, some people still noticed.
Lin Mu was the one who felt it most deeply, but he was only shocked and didn't have time to think about it too much at the moment.
He ran quickly behind Song Lili and the other woman, wanting to see his old friends off as well.
Song Lili had already rushed to the guqin, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the person whose cheeks were sunken and who was now just skin and bones.
It was still her familiar face, but her eyes were no longer the same. The gentleness was gone, the smile that used to greet her was gone, replaced by a cloudiness.
"Grandma," Song Lili called out cautiously from the head of the kang (a heated brick bed), as if afraid of startling the guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).
Zhao Qian and the others were gathered around the kang (a heated brick bed), their eyes red and swollen, clearly heartbroken.
"Lili is here?" Guqin looked over in the direction of the voice, but her eyes were unfocused and she couldn't see where the person in front of her was at all.
She reached out her hand, as if trying to grasp something tightly, but she only grasped air.
Song Lili's heart skipped a beat, a sharp pain gripping her. Her hands trembled as she tightly grasped the guqin. "Grandma, I'm here."
"Girl, thank you." Guqin smiled weakly, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible, but her eyes still held a smile.
"Thank you for letting me live a few more years, otherwise I would have left long ago." These two sentences left her breathless.
"Grandma, please speak slowly, I'm right here." Song Lili's voice choked with sobs.
"Don't cry...don't cry..." The guqin player moved gently, as if opening her eyes to comfort Song Lili, but she didn't even have that much strength now.
"Okay, I won't cry," Song Lili agreed, but the tears just kept falling as if they were free.
"Don't be sad. My health has always been poor. I'm already very content to live a few more years."
"If it weren't for you, I would have left the year I came here. I've been content for the past few years."
"I have no regrets, I...I have no regrets." As she spoke, tears streamed down Guqin's face.
"Girl, Grandma wants to thank you." Guqin's face was always smiling, with a sense of relief.
"No need to thank me, no need to thank me, it's all what I should do, it's all what I should do." Song Lili sobbed, her body trembling.
"No...you're just kind-hearted. Where in this world is there anything that should be done?"
Guqin's speech became even more slurred, and the light in her eyes gradually faded, just like her life force, slowly slipping away.
"Old friends, I have to go first, I can't stay with you any longer." Guqin turned her face slightly to face the window, but spoke to the others.
“Let’s go, let’s go. You’ve endured these past few years. Let’s go. We’ll be catching up with you soon,” Qian Xianming said.
"Go in peace, don't worry about anything." Zhao Qian was also sobbing uncontrollably.
The others remained silent, but tears still streamed down their faces.
"Grandma, please hang in there a little longer, okay? You'll be able to go home soon, you'll be able to see your family soon, please hang in there a little longer, okay?"
Song Lili held onto the guqin tightly, refusing to let go.
At that moment, she didn't care where she was; all she wanted was to keep the guqin, to give her the courage to keep living.
As long as there is a will to live, who knows, who knows, even a miracle might happen?
"You've waited all these years, haven't you? That day is almost here, can you just hang in there a little longer?" Song Lili cried.
"Never mind, never mind, I... can't wait any longer, I don't want to wait anymore." Guqin waved her hand, a hint of bitterness in her eyes.
"I won't be able to wait this long in this lifetime." With that, he slowly closed his eyes and left this world forever.
She left the place where she had lived for several years and the friends she had spent half her life with.
I left with an indescribable sense of regret.
"Guqin..."
"grandmother……"
Everyone in the room cried out in grief, and Song Lili and Zhao Qian could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
"Why did you leave? Why didn't you wait a little longer?" Zhao Qian muttered to himself, his eyes glazed over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
