Chapter 19
As dusk falls over the mountain ridges, the mountains are the first to lose their color.
The mottled blue-gray brick walls were covered with uneven marks of varying depths. Dark green moss grew unchecked in the cracks and corners of the bricks. Vines climbed the walls and drooped from the eaves, their leaves seemingly hiding bundles of dark red prayer ribbons. The copper bell on the eaves was already three inches thick with green rust, yet when the wind blew, it still rang with a dull tremor.
The vermilion temple gate had gradually dimmed, and the door was closed tightly. There were still a few clear spider silk threads attached to the two copper-green door knockers.
The roots of the ancient tree in the backyard had long since coiled around the threshold, and a tranquil, serene feeling, thick with the scent of sandalwood, filled the air. In the temple's central hall, a statue of Guanyin sat upon a lotus throne. Her face, with its lowered eyes, held a compassionate expression as she calmly gazed down at the worshippers at her feet.
When the dusk light occasionally passes over the lotus pedestal, the faded gold foil flickers in this fleeting light. Suddenly, I can see countless hands clasped together here thousands of years ago, countless prayers dissolved here, and new life ushered in here.
As evening approached, the light in the temple grew dimmer. The disciples lit the lamps in the house, the murals on the walls, and the thousand-year-old sandalwood tree in the courtyard, still lush and green. Its evergreen leaves shaded the corner of the temple's left eaves. A few joyful koi fish swam back and forth in the pond, half a meter wide and over a meter long.
The disciple cleaned the floor in front of the Buddha statue and wiped away the incense ash left on the table. When he came out, he saw Yang Ye still feeding the fish in the yard. He asked, "Boss Yang, it's almost seven o'clock. Are you going to have dinner?"
Yang Ye sat by the pond and saw the golden fish that had just swam in front of him. "It's seven o'clock so soon?"
"Well, it's time for dinner, the kitchen should be ready."
She scattered the remaining fish food in her hand and patted the remaining crumbs on her hands. "It's really hard to tell the time in summer. You guys eat, I'm going to go for a walk in the mountains."
"Do I need to leave some food for you?"
Yang Ye smiled and answered him, "Your master will think about this question."
She went down from the small gate of the temple, walked up a dozen steps, turned at the fork in the road and walked to the other side of the mountain. Standing on the hillside almost as high as the temple, she found a place to sit down where she could see the sunset.
But at this moment, only the last bit of light of the sunset was left, and the mountains in the distance had already sunk into darkness, with only the golden edge on the ridgeline.
The scenery on the mountain was different from what you'd see during the day. Now, all sorts of sounds blended together, a constant flow of activity. The mountain wind was refreshing, sweeping past me, lifting the treetops and dispelling the heat that lingered in my chest.
The light gradually dimmed, and the sky seemed to be covered by a dark and opaque cloth.
"How did I get better in the first place?" Yang Ye knelt on the mat with her hands clasped together. She closed her eyes and heard the approaching footsteps. She asked softly.
In the monastery hall next door, she heard monks chanting.
Master Chu Fang stood before the Buddha statue, twisting the sandalwood beads in his hand that had been passed down for generations. He said calmly, "Opportunity..."
"What kind of opportunity is this? Is it good or bad?"
"There is no basis for good or bad, it all depends on what Donor Yang thinks."
Yang Ye opened her eyes and looked up at the Buddha statue in front of her. "I don't think this is a good thing. I was allowed to survive for nothing. I'm a coward. I don't even know what the point of surviving is. I'm hiding here and there, living a miserable life. I don't dare to do big things, and small things are not my turn."
"Everything has two sides. Good and bad can be determined at a glance. Don't jump to conclusions now, Mr. Yang. The sun rises and the moon sets, the moon waxes and wanes."
Rising from his cushion, Yang Ye walked out of the Buddhist hall through a side door. Standing in the courtyard, the chanting of sutras from the monks' hall became even clearer. A hundred miles away, the concession had already been occupied by the Japanese army, and the attack would soon reach this side. Even from the previously quiet mountain, the smell of blood wafting from across the river, the stench of gunpowder-covered shells, could be smelled.
She asked Master Chu Fang who came out of the Buddhist temple, "How did you help Xue Shangyang in the first place? Why is it that what he said can come true, but what I said can't?"
Master Chu Fang clasped his hands together and said, "As I said before, it's fate. This is an opportunity bestowed upon both you and him by the Buddha."
"You keep talking nonsense, and I don't understand what you say."
"You will understand," Master Chu Fang smiled. "It's not that you can't figure it out, but that you haven't reached the time when you should understand it yet."
"When else?" Yang Ye smiled bitterly and went over to pick up the box she had placed on the side of the Buddhist hall. "I'm leaving soon. Master, do you still want to stay here?"
Master Chu Fang worshipped the Buddha statue and said, "The Buddhist temple can temporarily accommodate us."
“You don’t worry about them coming to attack you.”
Master Chu Fang shook his head, "There's nowhere to escape from here, and there's no way out. It's useless to be afraid. Let's just stay here."
Before Yang Ye pushed open the door, she stopped and asked Master Chu Fang one last question, "Master, where do you think our future lies?"
The dilapidated courtyard gate, its rough wooden surface pressed against her palm.
They were all looking for the way, Xue Shangyang was, the gentleman she met yesterday was also, many people were looking, but unfortunately none of them had found it.
"There is no way out now," Master Chu Fang finally replied, "I will have to find my way out again in the future."
Yang Ye said, "If I can come back alive, Master, will you accept female disciples?"
Master Chu Fang looked at Yang Ye, put his hands together and said, "Amitabha."
Amid the creaking of the door hinges, a cool breeze blew all over my body.
*
The sky was foggy and the breakfast shop at the corner of the street had not yet opened. Looking in through the open window for ventilation, I could see the owner putting several trays of buns on the steaming rack.
Xu Jingzhe stood at the door of the grocery store with a lit cigarette in his hand. The flame of the lighter flickered because of the wind, and he raised his hand to protect it.
He took a puff of smoke and exhaled slowly.
The coolness of the early morning made Xu Jingzhe shiver unconsciously. He didn't smoke half of his cigarette until he reluctantly threw it away and stamped out the cigarette butt with his foot.
There was a knock on the grocery store door.
After waiting for a while, most of the smell of smoke on his body was carried away by the wind. Xiao Xiao rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened the door in a daze.
He was still wearing the same light grey jacket from two days ago. His hair was messy, his eyes were bloodshot from staying up late, and his chin was covered with newly emerged stubble. He looked a little sloppy.
The moment she saw him, Xiao Xiao instantly woke up. Seeing his tired look, she reached out to touch his face. It was cold, "You've been on duty and staying up late these days."
"Don't mention it," Xu Jingzhe said familiarly as he walked in, took off his jacket, and plopped down on the sofa. After a busy day and night, even the best of spirits couldn't handle the strain. He leaned against the sofa and spoke weakly, "Where's Yang Ye?"
Xiao Xiao went to the kitchen to get a cup of hot water and said, "I'm going to the mountain."
He took it and drank a few sips to moisten his throat, "It's time again."
"Yes, you look for her."
"I have a troublesome matter and I want to ask her for help." Xu Jingzhe sighed deeply, and the breath he exhaled from his nose was heard by Xiao Xiao even though she was some distance away from him.
Xu Jingzhe raised his eyes and asked, "Did she say when she would be back?"
"It's either today or tomorrow," Xiao Xiao said.
Every time Yang Ye went to the mountains, he would stay there for about a week, which was about the same number of days.
"I'll lie down for a while. I have to go back to the bureau to be on duty in the afternoon." Xu Jingzhe took off the boots on his feet and lay down on the sofa.
Xiao Xiao took the blanket folded on the edge of the sofa and gave it to him, "Why don't you sleep in my room?"
Xu Jingzhe waved his hands weakly, "I'll just take a nap here for a while."
An old-fashioned wooden clock hung on the wall, its hands ticking. The room's floor-to-ceiling windows were soundproofed, so the sound of cars or other noises from the street outside was rare. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the windows, and the room was as quiet as if no living thing had come into view.
Monday arrives in a hurry on time for work.
There was something wrong with the fingerprint lock. He tried several times but couldn't open it.
There was no other way, he could only call Xiao Xiao at the door.
Xiao Xiao didn't want to move any more, so she let him in through the back door.
The back door led to the alley next door. On the wall, where I entered, hung a silk painting several meters high. It looked quite old. At the bottom were a few koi fish, in the middle were soaring birds and beasts, perhaps Suzaku and Xuanwu, and at the top were vast, misty clouds.
Zhou Yiheng is frightened by this painting every time he comes in here.
"You're here?" Xiao Xiao glanced at him and walked out of the kitchen. There wasn't much work to do today, so she washed some fruit for herself. Before she sat down, she suddenly remembered something, put down the fruit plate in her hand, turned around and went back to the kitchen, where she found the cup of hot water she had just poured.
"Yeah," Zhou Yiheng responded, untied his shoulder bag as usual, walked to his seat and put it down. When he was about to go to the kitchen, he heard several snoring sounds coming from the sofa in the living room.
It's a very quiet sound, only noticeable in a quiet room.
Xiao Xiao sat down and said, "Yesterday, a watermelon truck came to the street. Three for ten yuan. I bought a bunch because they looked fresh. Some are in the refrigerator, and some are on the ground. Remember to cut half of it and eat it later."
Looking at the figure sleeping on the sofa, covered with a blanket, with his whole body leaning inwards, his face pressed against the backrest, it was difficult to see who he was, but judging from his height and exposed pants, he was probably not Yang Ye.
"Who is that?" Zhou Yiheng asked.
"My boyfriend," Xiao Xiao raised her eyes, "came here this morning. He didn't sleep all night so he came here to rest for a while."
"Don't you want to go home and sleep?"
"The way back is too far, and he has to be on duty in the afternoon."
Zhou Yiheng nodded, "Do you also work nearby?"
Xiao Xiao stuffed the imported watermelon into his mouth and said, "It's just the police station in our area, it's about ten minutes' walk away."
"so"
He went into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and placed everything he needed within easy reach. Zhou Yi sat down, turned on his computer, logged into WeChat, and looked at the chat box that didn't pop up many times. He had just started work, so no one would come to see him yet.
Xiao Xiao, sitting next to him, had already started her second TV series of the week. The air conditioning in the room was a bit high, and even a little sweat on the leather sofa and office chair would easily stick to his clothes. Zhou Yiheng found a football match broadcast and had only been watching for half an hour when he felt an itch in his mouth and wanted to eat something. He remembered Xiao Xiao mentioned there was watermelon in the refrigerator. He stood up, his eyes inadvertently falling on the person sleeping on the sofa.
He turned over again, now facing upwards. One hand rested under his head as a pillow, the other raised high above his head, resting on the edge of the sofa. The blanket that had been covering his body was nowhere to be found. He groaned twice before falling into a deeper sleep.
It was almost noon when he slowly woke up.
When Xu Jingzhe got up, he subconsciously called Xiao Xiao's name twice. Unfortunately, Xiao Xiao had just gone to the restaurant next door to pack lunch, so there were only the two of them in the room.
He touched his hair in a daze and went to the bathroom to wash his face. Although Zhou Yiheng was still looking at his computer screen, his peripheral vision followed him in and out.
Xu Jingzhe seemed to have noticed that there were other people in the room. He just walked back to the living room and looked straight over, staring at Zhou Yiheng who was sitting in his seat, looking him up and down.
I don’t know if it’s because of the special nature of his job, or because he can’t resist such an overly straightforward and seemingly inquiring gaze, but Zhou Yi automatically retracted his hand that was placed horizontally on the table. He moved his shoulders and felt a little itchy on his back, and the hairs on his body gradually stood up.
Zhou Yiheng coughed twice and moved his body in his seat, trying to avoid it.
Xu Jingzhe's brows furrowed, his gaze as if he was thinking about something, or perhaps assessing his current status. "I haven't seen you before, are you new here?"
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Zhou Yiheng stood up. He tried to look calm and nodded at Xu Jingzhe. "Yes, I just got here at the beginning of the month."
Xu Jingzhe came over and looked at him carefully. After a while, he held out his hand and said, "My name is Xu Jingzhe. I'm the police officer in this area. If you need any help, you can come to me."
She shook his hand and said, "My name is Zhou Yiheng."
The room fell silent again, the two standing face to face, neither wanting to speak first to break the awkward situation. However, the silence didn't last long, as Xiao Xiao returned with her freshly packed lunch.
Seeing Xu Jingzhe standing, Xiao Xiao walked over and said, "Get up, have you washed your face and brushed your teeth?"
Xu Jingzhe walked to the dining table and said, "Wash it."
After opening the takeaway box and taking out the contents, Xiao Xiao frowned when she saw the white foam box. "I think I didn't buy enough rice."
"This is exactly three servings," Xu Jingzhe pulled out a chair and sat down.
"My boss just sent me a message saying she's on her way back. I was thinking of bringing her some before I left. There are eggs and ham in the fridge, so I can just make her some fried rice."
Xu Jingzhe opened his chopsticks and asked, "How long will she take?"
"He said he came down from the mountain an hour ago. I guess it will take a while."
Xu Jingzhe glanced at his watch and said, "It will take at least two and a half hours for her to be back. You should order takeout for her half an hour in advance."
"Okay," Xiao Xiao sat down
Zhou Yi held the lunch box horizontally, sat on the edge, and ate the fastest.
Xiao Xiao and Xu Jingzhe were still chatting about something while they ate, but he couldn't get a word in, so he just finished his lunch in silence. Perhaps because they were talking, they ate much slower than Zhou Yiheng. By the time Zhou Yiheng finished, there was nothing left on his plate, and the other two had only just finished their noodles.
"You eat so fast?" Xiao Xiao asked when she saw him stand up.
He put away his things on the table and said, "I haven't finished watching the game this morning yet."
Xu Jingzhe watched Zhou Yi's back as he stood up and hurriedly walked away, his eyes fixed on him until Xiao Xiao couldn't bear it anymore and raised her hand to pat Xu Jingzhe, then he withdrew his gaze.
"What are you looking at?"
Xu Jingzhe lowered his head, took two bites of vegetables, and swallowed them before uttering, "Why is Yang Ye also collecting fakes?"
Xiao Xiao wondered, "What do you mean?"
"That's it, I'm really not as good looking as him"
Glancing at the person still in the kitchen, Xiao Xiao frowned and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not as good as him in this way," Xu Jingzhe retorted.
Xiao Xiao's reminder turned into a warning. She twisted the flesh on Xu Jingzhe's arm and said, "Keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone."
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