Mud beads

The taxi drove out of the city center and onto the outer ring road.

The morning rush hour was left behind, and the car gradually picked up speed. Low-rise factories and logistics parks lined both sides of the road, their iron-colored roller shutters standing side by side, peeling paint and years of accumulated dust filling the cracks. An elevated highway stretched across the distance, and occasionally, a section of a residential building's roof peeked out from behind a soundproof barrier. The sky was snow-white, the sunlight hidden behind the clouds, casting no shadows over the entire city.

More and more trucks were appearing on the road. Semi-trailers covered with tarpaulins slowly changed lanes, their tires rolling over the dry, cold pavement. The navigation system occasionally broadcasted road conditions ahead, and the driver changed lanes to follow the flow of traffic, while the thermos in the cup holder wobbled gently twice.

Yu Zhu and Liang Dong sat side by side in the back of the car.

The court documents and the notes sent by the lawyer last night were packed in a brown paper bag, sandwiched between the two of them, with the seal folded twice.

They reached an agreement last night.

She wouldn't trade marriage for Liang Dong's freedom. Whatever the court's final verdict, they would accept it. Liang Dong would serve his sentence, she would study, and visit him whenever she had free time. A few years wouldn't be fast, nor would it be slow. No matter how long the road, it was their own choice.

As the car rounded a bend, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror. He quickly looked again.

"Young man."

Liang Dong looked up: "Hmm?"

The driver's lips curled into a smile in the rearview mirror: "You look like a movie star."

Liang Dong and Yu Zhu exchanged a glance, their eyes crinkling at the corners, a knowing smile playing on their lips.

"Many people say that."

Yu Zhu glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. The smile was very faint, and it was quickly carried away by the bridge piers rushing past the car window.

"It really looks like you!" The driver perked up, leaning closer to the steering wheel. "What was the name of that movie again? I can't remember right now. His hair was longer than yours, but I don't think he was as handsome as you."

"Really?" Liang Dong laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly, and the brown paper bag beside his knee made a soft rustling sound.

Yu Zhu smiled and turned her head to look at Liang Dong. He was wearing a black cotton coat without any markings, and his hair had been cut back to a buzz cut, making his features appear clearer than before. Yesterday, after she shaved his head, she rubbed her fingers all over it, like caressing a still-unripe kiwi.

"Oh dear, I really can't remember his name." The driver glanced at him again in the rearview mirror, his tone tinged with regret. "My wife really likes him. We even went to see that movie together. The part where he and the female lead parted ways at the end made my wife cry buckets."

"Then he really didn't waste his time acting." Liang Dong chimed in, holding Yu Zhu's hand and interlocking their fingers.

Yu Zhu didn't speak, her gaze returning to the windshield, and she tightened her grip on her fingers.

The taxi moved forward with the traffic, when suddenly a truck appeared in its line of sight.

The blue-gray car came rushing in at an angle, its body very tall, the windshield reflecting the snow-white sunlight, filling the taxi's front window in a short moment.

The driver's thermos cup bounced off the holder, and his shoulder jerked to the left. The brown paper bag left the seat, and the white sheets of paper scattered like birds in the cramped space.

Liang Dong turned his face away.

He was so close to her that she could see the blue of his shaved chin.

ㅤ ㅤ

Yu Zhu had a very long dream.

In her dream, she and Liang Dong found Fengdu Town.

The day we set off was a bright autumn morning.

The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud. Sunlight streamed down from the train station's tall glass roof, illuminating the waiting hall. The air was cool and dry, and passengers, wearing light jackets, stood in small groups in the bright sunlight.

Yu Zhu and Liang Dong held hands as they squeezed through the crowd, each holding a thin train ticket. He walked ahead, a black backpack slung over his shoulder, shielding her from the oncoming throng. The announcement that ticket checking had begun came from the loudspeakers overhead, and the crowd moved forward.

Yu Zhu followed Liang Dong down the long steps with the flow of people.

The sky above the platform is higher.

A green train was parked beside the tracks, its body old and worn, with mottled rust around the window frames. The sunlight fell on the dark green carriages, reflecting a quiet glow.

Yu Zhu followed Liang Dong into the car.

The seats in the carriage were faded dark blue, with white cloth covers draped over the backs. The windows were wide open, and yellowed curtains fluttered in the wind, carrying the scents of rails, dust, and dried leaves.

Yu Zhu looked out the window.

People were still rushing along the platform. Uniformed staff held up signal flags, and water carts were parked beside pillars. Further away, several railway tracks crisscrossed and stretched into the distance, with pale green grass growing between the sleepers.

She looked for a while. When she turned her head again, the seat beside her was empty.

Liang Dong has disappeared.

The dark blue seats stood perfectly flat, the white cloth on the backs without a single wrinkle. A teacup sat on the small table, its lid tapping softly with the vibrations of the car.

A long, drawn-out whistle came from afar.

Yu Zhu looked around blankly.

The seats in front and behind were filled with strangers; some were peeling eggs, others were sleeping against the windows. Sunlight fell equally on every unfamiliar face, and everything in the carriage was calm and ordinary.

The train jolted slightly.

"etc......"

Yu Zhu held onto the edge of the table and peered out the window.

The platform, which was just crowded with passengers a moment ago, is now empty.

Liang Dong stood there alone.

He got off the train sometime during the journey. The clear sunlight fell on his short hair and broad shoulders, illuminating his silhouette clearly. A breeze swept across the platform, gently ruffling the hem of his clothes.

He looked at her, his smile familiar, with the shyness typical of young people.

The signal light on the platform changed from red to green.

He raised his hand and waved to her.

A heavy tremor came from deep inside the train, the connecting parts of the carriages rattled, and the pillars outside the windows began to slowly move backward.

The train started moving.

A cool breeze rushed into the carriage, and Yu Zhu leaned half her body out of the window, gripping the cold window frame with both hands.

"Liang Dong—"

She called out his name loudly.

The loud sound flew into the air above the platform, only to be swallowed up by an even louder whistle.

Liang Dong remained standing there. He didn't chase after her, but just smiled and watched her, his raised hand waving gently in the sunlight.

The train is picking up speed. The platform recedes from the window, and the figures on it gradually shrink in size.

At first, she couldn't see his eyes clearly, then she couldn't see his face clearly, and finally she couldn't even tell what color clothes he was wearing.

The wind blew all her hair back. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her temples. She wanted to lean out further, to climb out of the window, to get back onto that platform.

But the train won't stop.

It carried a train full of strangers, traveling smoothly along two railway tracks that gleamed coldly in the autumn sunlight, heading into the distance.

"Liang Dong..."

The harvested fields stretched out on both sides, the soil a pale brown. Rows of poplars swept past the window, their leaves only half-yellow, trembling gently in the clear sunlight. In the distance, the river reflected the cloudless blue sky, its surface shimmering.

Several birds rose from the open field and flew straight into the higher and farther sky.

Moth

The sound of the steam whistle lingered in my ears for a long time.

In the end, it broke into a series of short electronic beeps.

"Yu Zhu?"

Someone is calling her.

The sound seemed to come faintly from afar, as if across a distant blue sky.

"She's awake, she seems to be awake."

Suddenly, there were more voices.

The soles of her shoes scraped hurriedly across the ground, metal instruments clattering against each other. Something pressed against her chest, tugging slightly at her skin with each breath.

There was a strong smell of disinfectant in the air.

Yu Zhu opened her eyes.

Before me stretched a vast expanse of darkness into the distance.

Darkness covered everything smoothly, like a tunnel without edges, leading straight to nothingness.

She blinked.

There is still nothing.

My body is paralyzed. Yet, pain awakens one after another, slowly creeping up my entire body without restraint.

Are you still dreaming?

Isn't she on her way to court?

Someone bent down and pried open her eyelids with their fingers. A thin breeze brushed across her eyeballs, followed by a faint warmth against her face.

"Look here." The heat moved from my left eye to my right eye, then moved away. "Can you hear me?"

A faint woody scent suddenly mingled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

"Yu Zhu?"

Koshima Toru's voice suddenly appeared in his ear.

Her breath hitched.

"Yu Zhu?"

He called her name again. His voice was very close.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet, with only the instruments still beeping beside me.

"doctor."

When Echizen Toru's voice rang out again, she could actually detect an uncontrollable tremor in his voice.

"She seems...to be unable to see."

ㅤ ㅤ

Moth

The following is not part of the main text.

Having written this far, I'd like to say a few words.

There has been much controversy since I started writing about Liang Dong. Some people like him, while others feel that I have spent too much time on him.

But for me, Liang Dong was never an episode that needed to be quickly skipped.

He is not perfect; he lacks a distinguished background and an impressive resume. He is clumsy, naive, and impulsive in many things, and even has to pay the price for his choices. But he is sincere, frank, and courageous, and always willing to move forward.

I never believe that education or background is a stain on a person's character. As Yu Zhu said, education is a lifelong endeavor, and no one can choose where they are born.

I wrote a lot about their ordinary love story. Because I firmly believe that what truly sustains a person's life is often not those few dramatic moments, but the mundane routines and a tomorrow worth looking forward to.

Liang Dong was born for Yu Zhu.

His appearance gave her lonely soul a place to belong, and for the first time, she experienced the concept of "home." They understood and cherished each other.

This love will never fade, and the boy will always be young.