Chapter 33
The dry autumn air slowly settled in his throat. He hadn't felt any discomfort or thirst just now, but after walking this far, talking a few more words, and taking a few more gulps of air, it felt like countless tiny needles were pricking his throat. The dryness surged up his throat, his Adam's apple rolling up and down. He subconsciously licked his lips, but that only brought a brief reprieve. Once the slightest bit of moisture on the surface was dried by the wind, the ever-increasing thirst threatened to overwhelm him.
The sycamore trees were becoming increasingly sparse, allowing the sun to shine down on them without any obstruction. Zhou Yiheng raised his hand to shield his already hot forehead, squinting his eyes as he looked around.
His eyes, dazzled by the sunlight, stared blankly in front of him, and he noticed the pavilion that was looming in the parking lot on the north side of the park.
Zhou Yiheng frowned, turned to Yang Ye and said, "I think I found the shop."
Yang Ye narrowed his eyes and looked around blankly, "Where is it?"
Zhou Yi pointed across the street and said, "Well, did you see that?"
"Where?" The sunlight was too bright for Yang Ye to see clearly. "Go over and take a look."
Zhou Yiheng hurriedly crossed the path, thinking the pavilion he saw was the shop where he could buy water. But when he looked closer, he saw it was just an ordinary pavilion, and his foot got stuck there.
His gaze passed through the pavilion and stretched out across a vast lawn. The grass was a riot of yellow and green. He looked at the camping tents dotting the lawn, their colorful tent fabrics swaying gently against the pale sky.
"It's not here either." Yang Ye walked over and looked at the pavilion in front of them with him.
"Strange, we've almost visited the entire park, but why can't we find it?" Zhou Yi put his hands on his hips and wondered. He really couldn't understand why the park was not that big, and after walking around it, he couldn't find a single shop, not even a vending machine. This park couldn't possibly have everything, could it?
He tutted, scratched his head and began to recall the way he had come here, trying to remember where he might have left it.
Laughter came from the path. Zhou Yi looked sideways and saw a couple walking hand in hand, talking and laughing as they came from the parking lot. The boy was holding a bottle of Coke that was dripping with water.
His eyes suddenly lit up, as if he saw hope, and he ran over there without hesitation, staggering in his anxious steps.
"Excuse me," he gasped, stopping in front of the couple.
The two were startled by his rushing action. The boy subconsciously stood in front of the girl with a strange expression and his body on guard.
He asked cautiously, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhou Yiheng quickly waved his hands, indicating that he meant no harm, and pointed at the Coke in the boy's hand and asked, "I want to ask where you bought this drink. I have been looking for a shop for a long time but can't find it."
Zhou Yiheng smiled sheepishly. Seeing his reaction, the boy let down his guard for a moment and pointed to the road they had just come from. He said, "It's there, but you have to go through this parking lot, follow the road to the end and then turn left and you'll see it."
"Thank you," Zhou Yiheng nodded in thanks.
The girl continued, "The location of the shop is a little hidden, it's under a tree, you have to look carefully."
"Thank you"
Yang Ye followed him and saw that he was relieved. "I asked."
"Yeah, it's outside the parking lot, no wonder we couldn't find it."
"Let's go," Yang Ye said.
The parking lot was strangely quiet. Layers of tree branches intertwined high above, filtering the sunlight into tiny specks that fell sporadically on the concrete floor. Their shadows, magnified and elongated, repeatedly overlapped and shifted under the shade of the trees.
A short honking of car horns echoed in the distance. As they turned the corner, the other side of the park suddenly came alive. Although still within the park, it was noticeably busier than the area they had just come from. Colorful balloons were twisted into various shapes, and food stalls emanated enticing aromas. Sausages were sizzling in specialized machines, their rich aroma laced with the sweet notes of cumin and chili flakes. The mere smell of it made their mouths water.
Zhou Yiheng looked around and asked, "Why is there no one where we came in, but it's so lively here?"
Yang Ye's eyes fell on the stone not far away with the name of the park engraved on it. "Maybe this is the main entrance."
Zhou Yiheng took out his mobile phone and confirmed it again on the navigation. Nowadays, when going out to a strange place, people will always subconsciously look for a place with a name or signs to confirm it. Therefore, the most cars come in from this area. With more cars and people, there are naturally more stalls.
But near this stall, there is a small stall that is out of tune with the surrounding hustle and bustle.
A dark blanket was spread out neatly on the floor, upon which were neatly arranged a collection of period items: Five Emperors' copper coins, small, exquisite antiques and calligraphy and paintings, a few exquisite and novel jade animals, a jumping frog from my childhood, and a card holder.
The stall owner sat on the edge at the back with his hands on his knees. He quietly watched the pedestrians passing by his stall. Unlike several stall owners next to him, he did not use a loud speaker to play the same old calls in a loop. Only when someone was attracted by his special stall and came to inquire about the price would he slowly answer a few words.
The chain on her wrist hooked the lace edge of her waist. Yang Ye stopped and untied the chain. When she turned her head to untie it, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the stall owner's appearance. She was about to leave and stopped. She tentatively called out, "Teacher Fang."
Hearing someone calling him, Fang Zhiyang looked up in confusion. Seeing Yang Ye in front of his stall, he stood up and wiped the sweat from his hands due to the heat. "Boss Yang, are you guys here to play too?"
Yang Ye nodded, "Well, you set up a stall here"
Fang Zhiyang smiled shyly, "My son wanted to open a small shop before, and he brought back a lot of things, but he didn't succeed. I thought these things would take up a lot of space at home, so I might as well sell them."
As he spoke, he took out a wrinkled handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the heat from his face a few times.
Yang Ye looked down at the items on his stall. They were all ordinary old goods, and there was really nothing new or eye-catching. Just as she was about to look away, a hint of brown suddenly caught her eye.
It must have been a book from a long time ago. The edges of the tan cover had worn away, revealing the yellowed pages within. The title on the spine was almost unrecognizable. Yet, Yang Ye's eyes were inexplicably drawn to it. Reaching out and picking up the book, he felt its rough texture, and there was a strange sense of solidity as he rubbed it.
Seeing the book she picked up, Fang Zhiyang rubbed his hands awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed, but his eyes were filled with pride. "This is a collection of poems my wife wrote when she was young. It was seen by an editor at a publishing house and published, but it was only published once."
"I like the moon, I like the sun, I like the sun with the moon, I like to see the moon through the sun"
The first page I opened had this sentence written on it.
Her fingers gently turned the yellowed pages. The further she read, the stronger the emotions hidden in the poems became. The shyness and excitement of a young girl were hidden among the flowers in the fields, and her endless longing was reflected in the drizzling rain. Between the lines, every word seemed to be filled with deep love. Yang Ye put the book down, stood up, and looked at Fang Zhiyang across from her. His wrinkled eyes blinked rapidly, and his cloudy pupils revealed an unconcealable pride. He smiled faintly, a look of concentration unique to a person who has been wrapped in love for more than half a century, when recalling love.
"These poems should all be written for you."
"Yeah," Fang Zhiyang nodded shyly, a faint blush on his face, and rubbed his hands back and forth. "At that time, we had just met and were just beginning to talk about love. There were some things I couldn't say in person, so I could only write them down."
He took the book, his palm stroking the rough cover. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he put the book back in his bag. Yang Ye noticed the slightly lost look on his face, a stark contrast to the one he had just had. Remembering what he had said when he came over earlier, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did you find a suitable authentication agency for that matter I told you about last time?"
Fang Zhiyang lowered his head and shook his head, saying helplessly, "This is a little hard to find."
Yang Ye said: "It is indeed difficult to find it in a short time. I do know a few middlemen who can recommend institutions for you. If it is fast, the results can be obtained in about one or two months."
Fang Zhiyang scratched his head, a subtle panic flashed across his face, and his eyes began to avoid, trying to escape the topic. He only said to Yang Ye: "Boss Yang, please take a look at my stall to see if there is anything you like. I will give it to you."
Yang Ye waved his hand, a gentle yet distant smile on his face, "No, thank you."
Zhou Yiheng saw the opportunity and reminded her at the right time, "Boss, we still need to buy some water. It's getting late. Sister Xiao Xiao is still waiting for us."
"That's right," Yang Ye realized after being reminded by him, "Teacher Fang, please continue, we will leave first."
"Okay," Fang Zhiyang nodded woodenly. His blurry eyes revealed hesitation and timidity. He thought for a long time, as if finally making a decision. His gaze slowly focused, and as Yang Ye was about to leave, he asked, "Boss Yang, was that thing I showed you last time real?"
Hearing this, Yang Ye retracted his steps, which were about to leave, and leaned over, looking at Fang Zhiyang in surprise and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Fang Zhiyang forced a smile, trying to hide his uneasiness with a relaxed tone, "Nothing, I just got a little curious. Oh, the shop is over there, just go this way."
He pointed to a place not far away.
However, Yang Ye didn't follow up on his words. Instead, he stood there, motionless. He stared at Fang Zhiyang, feeling increasingly puzzled. He continued to ask, "With something passed down from your family, you should know more about his condition than we do. Who told you that it was fake?"
There was an unquestionable seriousness in her voice, as if she had to hear an answer from Fang Zhiyang.
"I heard it from others," Fang Zhiyang said, supporting his knees with his hands as he slowly sat down. He stared at the things on the stall in a daze. His face was filled with regret and he was stunned for a long time. His Adam's apple moved with difficulty before he sighed helplessly, "I was really confused at that time."
"Boss Yang, are you watching the live broadcast?" Fang Zhiyang raised his eyes and asked.
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