Ah Yu turned around and saw Lin Xiaoman standing at the other end of the paddy field, her figure outlined in the afterglow of the setting sun. She smiled and called out, "Coming!"
Then, she turned and walked towards the guesthouse. The croaking of frogs in the rice paddies had begun, and the stars in the sky were gradually brightening. She knew this was their last night in Qingyang Town; tomorrow, they would leave and return to that familiar city.
But she believes that this trip to Qingyang Town will become an unforgettable memory in their lives. The wind on the ridges of the fields, the clouds returning to their nests, the cicadas chirping and the stars, the laughter and the emotions, will forever remain in their hearts, becoming the strength for them to move forward in the bustling city.
Chapter Six: The Scent of Rice Flowers in My Pocket on the Return Trip
The mornings of parting always carry a touch of sadness. Ah Yu got up early, went to the terrace, and took one last look at the rice paddies behind the house. The morning mist had not completely dissipated, enveloping the green waves of rice like a thin veil. Several egrets foraged in the paddies, and the distant mountains appeared and disappeared, like a delicate ink painting.
In the courtyard, Aunt Wang was already busy preparing breakfast for them. The steam rising from the steamer blurred her figure, and the air was filled with the aroma of steamed buns and porridge. Lin Xiaoman and Chen Mo were packing their luggage, while Xiao Zhang squatted by the pond, reluctantly saying goodbye to the large white geese.
"Take some more dried bayberries back with you," Aunt Wang said, stuffing several bags of packaged dried bayberries into their suitcases. "Eat them on the way, and satisfy your cravings."
"Aunt Wang, thank you for taking care of us these past few days," Ah Yu said, accepting the dried bayberries with gratitude in her heart. "We've had a very happy time here."
"I'm glad you're happy," Aunt Wang said with a smile. "You're welcome to come again next time. The rice will be ripe then, a golden expanse, it'll be so beautiful."
When they left the guesthouse, Aunt Wang accompanied them all the way to the crossroads. As the tricycle bumped away from the stone-paved road, Ah Yu looked back and saw Aunt Wang still standing at the crossroads waving. Her figure grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared into the morning mist.
Sitting on the high-speed train back to the city, Ah Yu watched the fields and villages rushing past the window, her heart filled with mixed emotions. The excitement and anticipation she felt upon arrival had been replaced by a flood of memories and a deep sense of reluctance to leave. She recalled the joy of pushing the stone mill in the old mill, the laughter of catching crabs in the stream, the sweetness of picking bayberries in the bayberry grove, and the romance of watching fireflies by the rice paddies.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Mo's voice rang out from beside him.
Ah Yu turned her head and saw that he was holding a copy of Walden, but the page was stuck on the same page. "It's nothing," she smiled, "it just feels like time has flown by, it feels like we just arrived in Qingyang Town yesterday."
“Yes,” Chen Mo nodded, “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this relaxed. It’s like all my worries disappeared there.”
Lin Xiaoman took out her phone from her bag and looked through the photos she had taken over the past few days: "Look, this photo taken in the rice paddy is so beautiful, and this photo with the fireflies, I'm going to set it as my phone wallpaper."
Xiao Zhang was fiddling with his glass jar, which he had already released back into the wild. Now it contained a few rice leaves he'd gathered from the paddy field. "Ah, Sister Yu, do you think these rice leaves will be enough to feed us?" he asked.
Ah Yu smiled and said, "Silly child, how can rice leaves survive if they are taken out of the soil? But we can press them in a book as a souvenir."
The high-speed train entered the city's outskirts, and skyscrapers came into view once more. Ah Yu looked at the familiar scenery outside the window, yet it felt somewhat strange. Only three days had passed, but it felt like an eternity. She subconsciously touched her pocket, where she still found a few ears of rice she had brought back from Qingyang Town. Although they were somewhat withered, she could still faintly smell the fragrance of rice blossoms.
Back at the office, everything returned to its usual hectic pace. Discussions filled the meeting room once more, computer screens were covered in dense reports, and the air was thick with the smells of coffee and printers. But Ah Yu noticed that everyone seemed to have changed.
Chen Mo no longer always frowns at the computer; he occasionally stares out the window in a daze, his eyes filled with a sense of tranquility. Lin Xiaoman changed her phone wallpaper to a photo taken in a rice paddy, and she would take out her phone to look at it whenever she was tired from work. Xiao Zhang placed a small potted plant on his desk, saying that he wanted to learn to take care of plants like Aunt Wang.
Ah Yu was no exception. She tucked those few ears of rice into her diary, and every time she opened it, she would recall every little detail of Qingyang Town. The wind on the paddy field ridges, the crabs in the streams, and the fireflies at night all became sources of strength for her busy work.
During lunch break one day, Lin Xiaoman suddenly said, "When do you guys think we should go to Qingyang Town again? Aunt Wang said it looks even better when the rice is ripe."
Chen Mo put down his coffee cup and smiled, "Let's go again after the project is finished and help Aunt Wang harvest the rice."
Xiao Zhang immediately raised his hand: "I want to go too! I want to go to the old mill to grind tofu and catch crabs in the stream!"
Seeing everyone's excitement, Ah Yu felt a warmth in her heart. She knew that the trip to Qingyang Town was not only a team-building activity, but also a journey for the soul. It allowed them to find a peaceful haven in their busy lives, and taught them to slow down and appreciate the beauty in life.
The sunlight streaming through the window fell perfectly onto the desk. Ah Yu opened her diary, looking at the rice stalks tucked inside, and seemed to smell the faint fragrance of rice blossoms again. She knew that no matter how busy the future might be, the tranquility and beauty of Qingyang Town would forever remain in her heart, a precious memory in her life. And the scent of rice blossoms in her pockets would accompany her, guiding her through the bustling city, as she forged her own poetic path in life.
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