Chapter 55: Airborne
Teacher Gong and Zhao Xiaowei are the true master and apprentice, but Zhao Xiaowei calls him "Teacher Hang" in a friendly manner.
"Are you Xiaowei? Are you back for a trip?" Hang Liumei matched the man in front of her with the stubborn boy from that year, and asked the question in a kind manner.
Zhao Xiaowei pointed at the child behind him and said, "I'm here with my relative's kids. It's summer vacation, and you can see how crowded this place is. Teacher Hang, don't worry. I won't ride the camel anymore. I was just worried about the child being alone. How have you and Teacher Gong been doing these past few years?"
"Teacher Gong--" Hang Liumei finally told him that Teacher Gong was no longer around.
Zhao Xiaowei's smile slid from his face like melted wax, and the joyful flame in his eyes just now also went out.
Hang Liumei comforted him: "At our age, we have no control over our coming and going. Life is unpredictable. It's good to have no regrets." After saying that, she thought again, how can I have no regrets?
"If it weren't for the money you left in the books, I wouldn't have been able to finish my studies. But I'm a nobody, and in the end I didn't make any name for myself. I didn't expect... Alas..." Zhao Xiaowei finished telling the story in a few words. The child behind him urged him to leave, and he hurriedly said to Hang Liumei: "Teacher Hang, I really didn't expect to meet you here today. You must come to our house and visit me later!"
After that, he forcibly pulled Hang Liumei to exchange WeChat. Not yet satisfied, he left her his phone number. When he left, he repeatedly turned around and emphasized, "Teacher Hang, don't forget me!"
After he walked away, Hang Liumei called Qi Xiuchun and the others to continue walking towards Crescent Lake, feeling mixed emotions.
Wild grass and flowers swayed beside the wooden plank road, and the yellow sand made the sunset less bright. Every three or five steps, you could meet a girl dressed in ancient costume. If you met a particularly beautiful one, Hang Liumei couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The sand dunes across from Crescent Lake were densely packed with people. Pu Zhihe led Qi Xiuchun in front, Xiaomai protected Hang Liumei behind, and the four of them followed the crowd, forming a single file on the rope ladder. The group stopped and started, and Hang Liumei took advantage of a break to turn around and take pictures of the sunset. She slipped and dropped her phone. The sand here was so fine and slippery that if she were to bury it completely, she would have no chance of finding it. She cried out, "Ouch!" and bent down to pick it up.
Her sudden thrust of her butt knocked down Qi Xiuchun who was behind her. Qi Xiuchun fell and sat on the rope ladder, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, which hurt so much.
Hang Liumei was worried about her old friend, so she suddenly looked up and bumped into Xiaomai's chin again.
Pu Zhihe was in front and heard something wrong coming from behind. She took two steps down to see what was going on and stepped on Qi Xiuchun's fallen sunglasses, causing her to sprain her ankle.
The four people were badly injured and blocked the middle of the road. The people in line behind them kept urging them to leave. They could only support each other to leave the rope ladder and move to the open space next to them.
Hang Liumei's phone was doomed to be lost. She looked at the path leading up, sighed, and told everyone to rest. By the time they reached the top, the sun had already set. She didn't know if it was the shock of middle-aged Zhao Xiaowei, or the unfamiliarity of the newly renovated Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake. It was the same sky, the same sunset, but Hang Liumei felt nothing was the same.
The old dean is still the same as he was back then.
The next day they were waiting for the old director in the old dormitory area preserved outside the Mogao Grottoes. Someone showed them the way: "The entrance to the Mogao Grottoes is over there." The two pretended to be tourists and thanked the other person for his kindness. After the person left, Hang Liumei realized that they had really become "children meeting without knowing each other, and asking with a smile where the guest came from."
As they were talking and laughing, a familiar voice sounded behind them: "Xiuchun, Liumei, you're back."
Turning around, the old dean was standing with a cane, still wearing the familiar gray tweed suit and black trousers. Her short silver hair seemed to be shrouded in a faint halo in the sunlight. She smiled with her eyes narrowed and waved to them.
Before I could utter a single word, my heart, which I had thought was hardened by countless trials and tribulations, and accustomed to partings and reunions, was already leaping with excitement. As we age, there are more farewells than goodbyes, and the past is rapidly slipping away. The dean, like an ancient tree undeterred by the passage of time, felt as if nothing had changed when he saw her.
Yet it has changed.
The already frail dean, like the mountains of the Gobi Desert, had been eroded by the relentless winds of the four seasons, seeming even thinner and smaller. Standing next to her, Hang Liumei and Qi Xiuchun were both a head taller than her, yet in front of her, they were transformed into the passionate young people they had just arrived at the Mogao Grottoes.
"How is it? Can you still find the house you lived in at that time?" the dean asked, holding their hands.
Both of them smiled and lowered their heads. It was easy to find but also difficult to find. They didn't expect that their former dormitory would become a tourist attraction.
In the former director's office, Hang Liumei came across Professor Gong's old research notes. It turned out that by the time Professor Gong left, archaeological work on the new grottoes had been largely completed. Professor Gong confirmed that they were indeed Northern Wei Dynasty grottoes. Perhaps the location, the mountain conditions, or perhaps the craftsmen had found a more suitable location, so they abandoned this one. After all, the earliest date of the nearby Yulin Grottoes remains uncertain.
The mural that caught their attention was none other than "Sumati Inviting the Buddha." On the contrary, the other murals were still inconclusive because they were too severely damaged. Even with rescue efforts, only a few pieces could be preserved.
Hang Liumei closed Teacher Gong's notes and asked if anyone was still available to take over the work. The dean sighed, "There used to be one, but there were so many caves here, so they had to transfer some people back. It's currently under protection, but we don't have anyone suitable yet."
They wanted to go and see it, so the director asked a young employee to take them there. After getting off the car, the dirt road had been repaired with steps. Qi Xiuchun followed Hang Liumei up the hillside. Looking up, she saw there was still a long way to go. She stood there, took off her sun hat and waved it like a fan, panting and shouting to Hang Liumei, "At our ages, if we went to a tourist attraction that required this kind of climbing, they wouldn't sell us tickets, Xiaomei!"
Hang Liumei didn't know where she got the energy from, she was in a hurry to enter the cave, and she kept walking while turning back to shout: "Xiaomi, help Grandma Qi! Zhihe, let's keep climbing!"
She is finally back.
The murals inside were surrounded by glass like other places. Hang Liumei went closer to look at the remaining part of "The Story of Sumati Asking the Buddha for Advice". A bluish-white light shone from the side. It was the young employee who accompanied them who turned on the flashlight for her.
Hang Liumei pointed at the wall and said to Pu Zhihe, "Just imagine it as the one in Mogao Grottoes. This painting contains more than a dozen plots. Look at the blue eaves and the small building, and the movements of the figures, like Sumati lying in bed with the door closed and burning incense to pray to the Buddha..."
Pu Zhihe and Hang Liumei leaned their heads together. She had imagined entering the grottoes with Hang Liumei. Seeing the murals in person was different from viewing them through a screen. They could see the particles of solidified pigment, the changes in the pressure applied to the brush tip, the gaps between each crack. The cold air of the grottoes moved with their movements, flowing through the murals. Now they breathed in and out of the murals.
As she watched, a tear fell uncontrollably. Hang Liumei turned her head to look at Pu Zhihe: "Child, I told you that you should come to Dunhuang."
The group stayed there for most of the day. Aside from Xiaomai, who was a complete novice, the others all had some knowledge. They argued endlessly about the Thousand Buddhas, the murals, and the diseases.
Until she returned to Shazhou Night Market for dinner, Hang Liumei was still thinking that she shouldn't just let this grotto go. At least now there should be someone dedicated to take charge of it.
Even before the crowds of tourists arrived, performers wearing veils and fringed dresses were already dancing on drums in the shops at the entrance to the night market. The other three looked over to watch the fun, but Hang Liumei, preoccupied, kept moving forward without even noticing she'd fallen behind.
They had no choice but to give up the performance and quickly catch up with Hang Liumei - she didn't have her cell phone, and it would be troublesome if she got lost again.
"Grandma, there are barbecue restaurants here. If you turn around at the end, you will find night market snacks. Where do you want to eat?" Xiaomai asked.
"It's obvious that people here are eating roasted whole lamb and drinking beer. We can't eat there," Hang Liumei said softly, pulling Xiaomai close to her. "Besides, look at these restaurants, they're all empty right now. They haven't even started filling up yet, so it's hard to tell which ones are doing well. Anyone who eats in will be the one being taken advantage of."
Xiaomai nodded, taking note of her grandmother's life wisdom. They refused the shopkeepers' sales pitches and headed resolutely for the night market. As they walked, they saw a burly figure standing in front of them that looked incredibly familiar. Not only had he taken up an entire table for four, he'd also ordered a whole table full of dishes. A half-flask of beer bubbled in his hand, and he had one foot propped up on a stool, one hand tucking into a skewer, enjoying his meal with great pleasure.
"Dad?" Xiaomai stood behind him and called out to the only victim in the audience.
"Mom? Why are you here?" Dad Mai didn't realize he was asking the wrong question. He threw down his sticks and asked everyone to take their seats. Hang Liumei looked at the dishes he ordered, including the braised mutton pancakes, roasted lamb tendons, stir-fried lamb offal, lamb chop casserole, and braised lamb head, and asked, "How did you know we were coming here for dinner tonight?"
"I don't know." Dad Mai answered while pouring beer for his son.
Xiaomai asked back, "Dad, when you left, didn't you say you wanted to stay in Hong Kong with my mom?"
"We're worried about you coming to Dunhuang, so your mother and I agreed that I'd come here to take care of you."
"Why didn't you tell me in advance?" Hang Liumei didn't expect it was because of her.
"I've been messaging you since yesterday, but you haven't replied. I called you today, but you didn't answer, and neither did Xiaomai. I had dinner as soon as I got off the plane. Don't worry, Maisui knows everything."
It was all her fault for losing her phone at Mingsha Mountain. Hang Liumei slapped her thigh. Not to mention Hang Liumei, even Qi Xiuchun was anxious: "Xiao Jiang, I'm not saying anything to you. We who can walk and run don't need to be taken care of. It's more important for you to accompany your wife."
"We all know what's going on." Not wanting to dwell on this topic, Dad Mai waved to the waiter, "Give us three cups of apricot peel tea."
"You brat—" Hang Liumei was about to say something to him when a fat man suddenly jumped to their table. "Teacher Hang, I didn't expect to see you again! You said you would contact me, why didn't you call me? If you had said so earlier, we could have eaten at home tonight!"
It’s Zhao Xiaowei.
Dad Mai had just been imprisoned when a rescuer arrived from the sky. No matter who the visitor was, as long as there were outsiders present, no one would nag him about coming to Dunhuang alone. So he immediately stood up and asked the store to add more stools and tableware. He grabbed Zhao Xiaowei's arm and said, "Is he an acquaintance of ours? Sit down! Sit down! Brother, sit down and talk!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Brother, don't be polite with me. I have also ordered a table over there. Come with me. I have to treat everyone to a good meal." Zhao Xiaowei grabbed Mai's father and took the initiative.
"Look, there's already a table full of food. Why are you leaving? Sit, sit, sit right here!"
Perhaps it was because of Mai Dad's more powerful aura that Zhao Xiaowei was pressed down on his seat. Then Mai Dad remembered to ask, "What's your last name?"
"Brother, just call me Zhao Xiaowei. I used to be Teacher Hang's student. Wait! You must be Jiang Yunyi! Hahahaha, Brother Jiang, I did a lot of your homework back then! You may not even remember me, but I was able to go to college thanks to your books!"
"Of course I don't remember. It turned out to be you. I was wondering why my mom loved stealing my textbooks so much!"
After saying this, both of them laughed so hard that they raised their glasses and were ready to "go one".
With the help of these two "Heng Ha" generals, one white and one black, one fat and one strong, the atmosphere became more lively and more people sat down to eat.
Zhao Xiaowei filled another glass and offered it to Hang Liumei and Qi Xiuchun: "I'm sorry that you two seniors have come to Dunhuang. I'm sorry for not taking good care of them. Let me offer a toast to you teachers first."
Hang Liumei finished her drink, put down her cup and greeted him: "Xiaowei, why did you come back to Dunhuang? What are you busy with now?"
"Well, now I've opened a small porcelain factory and tinker with some handicrafts. I don't have any skills, but I just make a living."
When Mai's father heard this, he became interested: "This business is good. Do you know a place that can make rings?"
Zhao Xiaowei burped and said, "Rings? There are people who make handmade jewelry, but they're all sold to tourists for fun. They can't make expensive things."
"I want one I made myself," Mai's father slammed his fist on the table, shaking the food. "I want to design a ring and make it myself. The value of a gift lies in the friendship. What do you think is okay?"
"Sure! Why not? That's absolutely no problem!"
The two hit it off immediately and happily "went one".
Didn't you say you were here to take care of them? Why did you end up making jewelry? Hang Liumei asked, "Why are you still tinkering with these things?"
"Mom, I'm doing serious business." After finishing the bottom of the bottle, Dad Mai explained to Zhao Xiaowei, "I mainly want to make a gift for your sister-in-law so that I can propose to her again."
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