Awake from a drunken stupor
Filled with guilt, panic, and unease, Kim Hee-ro fled the town without a moment's hesitation. Her escape was unbelievably smoother than her journey home.
For the first few years, she lived in regret every day and had a very hard time. She applied for a year's leave of absence from school and ran away to a place where no one knew her. From that night on, she automatically cut off all contact with the town. She was not even sure if Jiang Lianyin was dead or not.
Time seemed to stand still in the far north, where there was no Deer Town, no Spring City, and certainly no Jiang Lianyin.
At that time, she thought the world was really amazing. It was only after she came out that she realized that Elk Town was really very small. There were so many towns in the world that were much bigger than it, and even countries that required a day and a night's flight to reach.
There are good people and bad people, but most of them are good people.
She felt invisible in this unfamiliar place, and whenever she saw a blade of grass or a tree that resembled the town, she missed Jiang Yilin terribly.
At the same time, Kim Hee-ro knew very well that she had done something wrong, and this matter could not be left unresolved; she had to do something to make up for her mistake.
A month before she returned to school, she went to check whether Jiang Lianyin was really dead. She even planned to secretly meet with Jiang Yilin before turning herself in.
But fate couldn't bear to see her die suddenly on the ground. Thank goodness, she didn't kill Jiang Lianyin that day. The person who gave her the news only said that Jiang Lianyin had fallen seriously ill. Everyone was saying that Jiang Yilin was dissatisfied with his father's allocation of the mine, and the father and son had a fight, which made Jiang Lianyin sick.
But afterwards, Jiang Lianyin, as the clan leader, presided over a Spring Festival that everyone was very satisfied with, which finally put her at ease, as Jiang Lianyin was not dead.
At the same time, her guilt towards Jiang Yilin deepened, as she knew he had taken the blame for her near-parricide.
After returning to school, she began to study desperately, searching for all the information about Chunlai Deer Town. Before leaving home, she had witnessed Jiang Lianyin's madness and knew about the curse on the Jiang family. She wanted to help Jiang Yilin get out of this situation, see the colorful world outside, and not follow in Jiang Lianyin's footsteps, nor be trapped in the mountains that cannot be moved for the rest of her life.
She wanted to smash the fish tank to rescue another lonely little fish and bring them ashore together!
Five years later, she stood on the land of the town again. By this time, Jiang Yilin had become the clan chief. She did not ask anyone and presumptuously assumed that Jiang Lianyin had died naturally, which was why he became the new clan chief of the town.
This was the case for previous generations; the previous clan leader would die naturally, and then a new clan leader would be appointed during a grand spring celebration in town.
After recalling everything, Jin Xilu had already wiped away her tears. She knew that now was not the time to argue or blame herself. She needed to talk to Jiang Yilin and tell him all the information she had found. She just wanted to help him break the curse.
She wanted to find Jiang Yilin, but everyone was busy as the New Year approached. She didn't know if Jiang Yilin was really busy or deliberately avoiding her. For several days in a row, Jin Xilu couldn't see Jiang Yilin.
She wanted to pass on a message to him, so she found Lai Xi. After several attempts, Lai Xi shook his head helplessly. Afraid of upsetting Jin Xilu, she explained, "It's like this, the clan leader is very busy every year as the New Year approaches."
"Are you going to see the mine?" Kim Hee-ro asked hesitantly. "If it's the mine, I can go after him. I really have something important to tell him."
"It shouldn't be. It's the Lunar New Year, and all the projects at the mine are on holiday. The workers have been on vacation for a long time, and we don't know where the clan chief went."
Although Jin Xilu hasn't seen Jiang Yilin these past few days, she's still eaten plenty of meals at the Jiang family's house. Lai Xi brings her meals every day, saying they're staff meals and urging Jin Xilu to eat more.
Since he couldn't see Jiang Yilin and hadn't assigned her any proper work, Jin Xilu was borrowed by Song Yanan to help out at a restaurant. Recently, she expanded her business to include food delivery, and with everyone back for the New Year, there was a shortage of manpower.
So, Jin Xilu spent most of her day delivering takeout and a little time looking for Xixi's grandfather. Unfortunately, Xixi said that ever since the day she came to the courtyard, her grandfather had said he was going to visit relatives for a few days, and Xixi had been staying at her neighbor's house for the past few days.
"Sister, don't worry, I had Grandpa fix the gourd before he passed away." Xixi took out the gourd, still wrapped in a silk scarf, her joy evident on her face. "Look, isn't it just like new!"
From that day on, she never saw Jiang Yilin again, nor did she have the chance to tell him about the gourd cracking. He must have found out, but now he doesn't even want to talk to her anymore.
Jin Xilu took the gourd and found that it was indeed repaired very well. You couldn't even see the repair marks unless you looked closely. She hid her low mood and didn't want Xixi to find out. After putting the gourd away, she smiled and said to Xixi, "Xixi, your grandfather's skills are really good. It's all right now."
Unexpectedly, the perceptive Xixi noticed that Jin Xilu was actually not happy. She moved closer to Jin Xilu, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat.
Just before Jin Xilu was about to leave and stand up, she suddenly felt a pair of soft little hands on the back of her hand. Then she heard Xixi say something worriedly, as if she were eating a sweet chestnut.
"Sister, what's wrong? Did something upset you? Did the clan leader blame you for the broken gourd?"
Jin Xilu swallowed the sweet chestnut, patted Xixi's head, stopped her stiff smile, and shook her head: "No, Jiang Yilin, no, the clan leader. What kind of person do you think he is?"
Xixi pondered for a moment, then her childish face became serious. Just when she thought she was going to hear something bad about Jiang Yilin, she heard Xixi say in a serious tone, "I think the clan leader is a very, very good person. My grandfather also said that although he doesn't like the clan leader, the clan leader is a good person."
"What's wrong? Is the clan leader bad? Did he bully you, sister?" Xixi was conflicted. She really liked this sister and thought that the clan leader had punished her, which was why she was unhappy.
"No, it was me who did something to wrong Jiang Yilin, and he will not forgive me." Jin Xilu was still not used to calling Jiang Yilin the clan chief, so she changed it and said that it was easier to call him by his name.
"Did you apologize, sister?" Xixi took her hand, wanting to offer her warmth.
Kim Hee-ro had a headache, but faced with such a thoughtful and kind-hearted girl like Xi-xi, she still couldn't hide her past mistakes. She bit her lip and finally confessed, "Although this happened a long time ago, I still can't forgive myself whenever I think about it."
"So you didn't apologize, right?" Xixi didn't shake off her hand after hearing this, but instead wrapped her fingers in her small hand and continued.
“Before, Kexin broke the doll my grandfather made for me. I was very angry and said I never wanted to see her again and would never forgive her. A long time has passed since that incident, and I am still a little angry. But when I saw Kexin again, she walked towards me with red eyes, and I realized that I had always hoped to make up with her.”
"Apologize, I know I should apologize to him." Kim Hee-ro bit her lip and said stubbornly. Although she said that, she was still unsure in her heart. In the end, she still felt that it was just a light "I'm sorry" that would not help in any real way and could not heal the insurmountable wound between them.
Her image, his image, swirled in each other's minds for five years, seasoned with all sorts of guesses and feelings of love and hate. Now, all of it is poured out at once, and you realize that you are not like yourself, and I am not like myself either.
"Sister, you definitely know the clan leader better than I do, right?"
“He needs an apology, but more important than an apology is that you both need to express to each other that you need each other.” Xixi blew warm air into their two overlapping palms and blinked her round eyes. “If one person’s palms are cold, putting both hands together will warm them up.”
Jin Xilu suddenly realized that her purpose in returning was not to expect Jiang Yilin to forgive her. He was avoiding her now because he was afraid that what happened back then would happen again. She hadn't said or done anything yet, so it was normal for him not to want to see her now.
Since he ran away, she chased after him; after all, she often did this kind of thing when she was in school.
"Thank you, Xixi. I think I know what to do now."
Next, I will tell Jiang Yilin how I feel.
Looking back on the people and events of this year, the train carrying memories flashes by, leaving nothing behind. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and tomorrow will be the new year.
Firecrackers went off one after another in the town. Jin Xilu sat on the threshold of her house, looking up at the newly replaced red lanterns. They were decorated with the image of "abundance year after year" and the pink and purple glittery carp scales were shiny and rich. The carp was belly up, and it was clear that it had eaten well.
She had been waiting at the door for most of the day. Many people came and went from the Jiang family's house all morning, but they left after only a short while, which showed that Jiang Yilin was still not home.
"Jiang Yilin, where did you go?"
On this joyous and heartwarming day, Jin Xilu was not in a hurry at all. She had spent the Lunar New Year's Eve alone for the past few years, and she had long since become immune to such days. This year, Song Yanan and Xixi had both invited her to spend the New Year with them, but she had declined both times.
Tonight she's going to intercept Jiang Yilin. Lai Xi came to see her yesterday, asking if she would like to have dinner at the Jiang family's house on New Year's Eve and sit at the same table with them. He also thoughtfully told Jin Xilu not to worry about feeling uncomfortable, as there weren't many people there, and the people sitting together were all aunts and uncles who worked at the Jiang family's house.
Jiang Yilin will definitely be present at the New Year's Eve banquet tonight; he will certainly be at the table.
Every household's stove starts working from the morning. Chickens are simmering in the earthen stoves, soup is stewing in the pressure cookers, and vegetables are stir-fried in small pots. Passersby can tell how long the chicken has been stewing just by smelling it as they walk by the eaves.
The Jiang family's kitchen was bustling with activity. The servants were all looking forward to the new year and their hands were busy. The washed and chopped vegetables were piled up on the whole table, and the scallions, ginger and garlic were all prepared. They were just waiting for the head chef to start cooking. The younger people were also secretly guessing how much the clan leader would give them in red envelopes this year.
More importantly, everyone's faces were filled with anticipation for the New Year. After midnight tonight, they would be on holiday until the Lantern Festival, and they wouldn't have to work. Everyone was secretly planning what to do tomorrow.
As night fell, another round of firecrackers was set off in the town. The firecracker paper scattered in the yards and hung on the trees and grass, conveying the joy and excitement of the New Year to everyone in the family.
The neighbors had almost finished setting off firecrackers, worshipping the local earth god, and setting up the incense on the stove, offering table, and door. The remaining children and adults, beaming with joy, rushed into the house, and soon the table was full of people. Under the lamp, everyone raised their glasses of fruit juice, soda, and liquor, with all sorts of drinks swirling in their glasses.
"Happy New Year!"
The excitement belongs to other people; at this moment, the Jiang family members are engrossed in their own tasks, wiping and cleaning, then stopping, looking at each other, wanting to say something but not knowing who to ask, and finally bowing their heads to repeat the same actions.
The large table in front of the hall was empty, and the bright red candles on the incense table were about to burn out. Fortunately, someone passing by noticed and lit two more candles and put them on the table. The firecrackers had long been moved out to the courtyard, but no one lit them for a long time because everyone was waiting for someone.
Jiang Yilin has not returned yet.
Jin Xilu was one of the most anxious among the many waiting people. She found herself a job: she moved a low stool to sit in front of the wood-fired stove and helped watch the fire. She was careful to add firewood when the fire was too small, but it wouldn't work if the fire was too big. So she had to specially select some storied pine branches and mix them with some dry thatch to burn together.
She stared into the stove. The firewood she had just put in was too big and was covering the fire. Worried it wouldn't start, she was about to find something to fan it when, after only five seconds of silence, she heard a faint crackling sound. Looking inside, she saw weak sparks flickering, flashing briefly before disappearing. The delicate thatch had already burned itself out when the sparks first appeared. More and more sparks gathered, and the oily pine wood quickly and eagerly ignited, its natural fragrance tinged with bitterness. The firelight made Jin Xilu's face flush red. She had worried for nothing; she had stuffed in too much wood, and the water in the pot would soon boil dry. She used the tongs to press down the fire, saying, "Let Jiang Yilin have dry-pot chicken then."
Although she said that, she immediately put down the fire tongs and ran to wash her hands. Just as she was about to add water to the big pot with the water she had fetched, an older woman walked in, turned on all the kitchen lights, and said with a happy smile, "The newcomer, you don't need to add any more firewood or water."
Before she could finish speaking, Jin Xilu put down the ladle and, beaming with excitement, answered first, "Jiang Yilin is back."
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