Zhong Hua nodded, clearly having thought of it too: "Yes, I think so too! It's incredible, how could the growth lines of a seashell form such a pattern?"
Both of them felt there was something strange about the matter, but more than that, they were curious. Zhong Hua picked up the button again and examined the edges carefully. Due to long-term use, the edges of the shell button had some natural wear marks, which were irregular, but under a magnifying glass, these wear marks seemed to follow a certain pattern.
“Look at the wear and tear along the edges,” Zhong Hua pointed to the lower edge of the button, “don’t you think the shape they form when they’re connected looks a bit like…”
Ayu leaned closer to examine them. The wear marks varied in depth, some were small chips, others were smoothed edges. Following Zhong Hua's pointing finger, she mentally sketched out the marks. Suddenly, it dawned on her: "Namtso! The ring road around the lake!"
Namtso is a sacred lake in Tibet, and she had seen the winding road around it on maps and in photos. The worn edges of the buttons before her, when pieced together, revealed a striking resemblance between the zigzagging lines and the key turning points of the road, and the shape of the road itself!
A tiny seashell button, the blue silk thread in the buttonhole is the crackle pattern of Dali tie-dye, the seashell growth lines are an aerial view of Bird Island in Qinghai Lake, and the worn edges resemble the shape of the Namtso Lake ring road. It's incredible, as if someone has condensed several famous locations in western China into this button.
"Who exactly is this old tailor Chen?" Ayu murmured to herself, her heart filled with doubt. Old tailor Chen had lived in this alley his whole life. Everyone thought he was just an ordinary old tailor, burying himself in making clothes every day, silent and taciturn. No one expected that such a mysterious button was hidden in his shop.
Zhong Hua shook his head: "I don't know. But this button is definitely not simple."
They temporarily put down the scraps of cloth they were holding and began discussing the button, trying to find some clues, but apart from these regional characteristics, they seemed to find no other information. The sunlight grew increasingly slanted, and the shop's shadow was stretched long.
"Don't think about it for now, let's get to work," Ayu sighed. "Maybe after we finish cleaning up, we can find other clues."
The two continued tidying up, but the atmosphere shifted slightly because of the button, taking on a new dimension of mystery and intrigue. They moved the neatly arranged fabric aside, gradually revealing the floor. When Ayu gathered up the scraps of fabric next to the sewing machine, she thought of wiping it down as well.
Although the old sewing machine was worn, Old Chen the tailor had maintained it quite well. Ayu picked up a rag, about to wipe the machine, when Zhong Hua suddenly said, "Wait, this sewing machine seems... a little off?"
Ayu stopped what she was doing: "What's wrong?"
Zhong Hua walked up to the sewing machine and examined it carefully: "I didn't notice when we came in, but now that I look at it, the pedals on this sewing machine seem... a little loose? And don't you think the style of this machine seems a bit... unique compared to ordinary old-fashioned sewing machines?"
Ayu also went over to take a look. She didn't know much about sewing machines, but after Zhonghua explained it, it seemed a bit different. The carvings on the machine body were more delicate, and the lines were smoother.
Just then, Zhong Hua's hand accidentally touched the flywheel of the sewing machine.
"Buzz—"
With a slight thud, the dust-covered flywheel began to turn slowly! Clearly, the machine's internal structure was not completely corroded.
The flywheel spins, causing the sewing machine's needle bar to move up and down. Although there is no fabric, the familiar mechanical sound echoes in the quiet shop.
"Wow, it can even spin!" Ayu exclaimed in surprise.
Just then, a soft "snap" sounded, as if some thin thread had broken. Immediately afterward, there was a creaking sound, very faint, yet clearly audible to both of them.
That sound...
Ayu and Zhonghua were both stunned. They looked at each other and saw shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.
That voice sounds so familiar!
That was a "creak...creak..." sound, not the sound of a sewing machine running normally, but...it was the sound of a thread breaking mixed with...
"A saddle!" Ayu exclaimed, realizing what was happening. "That sound is exactly like the creaking sound of that old saddle we heard when we were riding horses in Daocheng last year! It's exactly the same! It's on the same wavelength!"
Zhong Hua nodded vigorously: "Yes! That's the sound! How could... how could a sewing machine make the sound of a Daocheng saddle when it's turning?"
For a moment, both of them were stunned. The ice cracks in Dali, Bird Island on Qinghai Lake, the ring road around Namtso Lake, the sound of saddles in Daocheng... What secrets did this seashell button and this old sewing machine hold? Was the life of Old Tailor Chen not like the clothes he mended, seemingly ordinary on the surface, yet hiding so many untold stories and connections within?
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window onto the seashell button lying on the workbench, making its luster seem even warmer. The blue thread, the texture of the seashell, the wear on the edges—all seemed to silently tell a story that had traversed countless mountains and rivers. The old sewing machine, after a brief turn, returned to stillness, with only the lingering "creak" of its familiar sound from the Daocheng grasslands remaining in the air.
Ayu and Zhonghua watched all this, their hearts filled with questions and a desire to explore. They knew that cleaning up the old tailor shop was no longer just about tidying up old things; they seemed to have inadvertently stumbled into a long-forgotten secret garden, and that seashell button was the first key to unlock it. What else would they discover next? Were there other hidden "stars" among the piles of scraps of cloth? Would there be more clues in the old tailor's drawer?
Outside the shop, the alley gradually quieted down, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. Inside, however, an exploration of place, of time, of unknown stories was just beginning. Ayu picked up the seashell button and carefully slipped it into her pocket, as if holding a heavy secret. She and Zhonghua exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with understanding and anticipation. This afternoon was destined to be unforgettable. They decided to come back tomorrow to clean up again. This time, they would be more meticulous, leaving no detail overlooked. Perhaps the next secret was hidden beneath a scrap of cloth, or between the lines of an old ledger.
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