[Black Basket] Lonely Garden

Alone, lingering in the strange mountains.

The Buddhist bell rang eight times in the morning, and it was time for the girl to start her activities. In the past few days, he had become familiar with this rule, always getting everything in order before the silver bell-like laughter sounded, and then went out to greet her. .When luck is good, the two can meet each other at the moment of opening the door, giving him a chance to say a blunt "Hello" that he has just learned, in exchange for her sweet smile; He followed behind her slowly, with his hands tied, staring at the porcelain-white skin behind her ear in a daze.And this distance should not be too close, but also not too distant—God knows how unhappy he is, wishing that he could have the same rights as that artist and stay by her side every day.Fortunately, his luck has been good.

He and she have never had a real conversation, but they feel that they are very connected, as if they have known each other for many years.

Apart from the Moritas and his wife, I can only chat with this artist surnamed Shi.Chatting with artists in the hall, she occasionally listened, but most of the time she couldn't bear her temper, and thought of going outside within a few minutes.In the past few days after the heavy rain, the temperature gradually picked up, and pedestrians started to walk on the mountain road one after another.He heard that the personnel sent by the government had cleared the mountain road blocked by the flash flood after dredging day and night.

"It turns out that he still had such a past when he was young, hahahaha..."

When the conversation got to the exciting part, the little girl tugged on the artist's sleeve with her hands again, and glanced at the door.

"Huh? Are you going out?"

The foreign language has distinct pronunciation and wonderful tones.This sentence asked by the artist is full of tenderness.Through her body movements, Akashi was able to deduce where she wanted to go to play again.

"Stay here and stay with me."

How much he wanted to say this, but in the end he just moistened his lips and his face sank.

What is your position?he thinks.

Next, the artist said a few more words to the girl, probably meaning that he could guess three or four points, and if he went a little deeper, he didn't know.

He was curious about the content of their conversation, and it was not easy to ask, so he could only speculate endlessly on the sidelines.Suddenly, the entertainer stopped talking, turned his head and looked at him with a smile on his face.

"Mr. Akashi," he said, "would you like to do me a favor and go for a walk with me?"

Akashi couldn't ask for it, so he naturally agreed.

It is said to be for fun, but in fact it is just stepping on the stone road paved by the predecessors, looking at the scenery outside the grove one by one. He is walking in this kind of scenery with two-tooth wooden clogs and a black kimono. The back is also like a picture hook. "The moss is slippery, be careful." There are a few stone steps ahead, the artist reminded.

Akashi responded with a face, but he was still quietly paying attention to the movement over there.He saw that the girl was petite, and her pair of lotus feet were also light and tight. He grabbed the flower of her skirt with dignity, and jumped to the top like a cloud, leaving a misty veil in the wind. fluttering.

He was fascinated by it, he didn't expect his foot to slip, and he was surprised that the artist caught him quickly, so he didn't make a fool of himself.

I wandered around on the road for about a few sticks of incense, and then walked to a gazebo.The surrounding vegetation is lush, damp and cool, only the gazebo is clean and comfortable, and it seems that it is always taken care of.

"Please." The artist dusted off his robe and sat down first.After seeing him sitting on the side, he brushed the stone chair on the right with his sleeve robe and looked at the girl.He motioned her to come over with his eyes, and sat in the place he swept by.

"You two have such a good relationship." Akashi saw all this in his eyes, facing the two people who were almost cuddling, he said this in a half-envious, half-bitter tone.

"I watched her grow up. Compared with others, she has a deeper relationship." The artist said lightly.But when Akashi heard about it, he felt even more uncomfortable.He said sourly: "A little baby appeared at the entrance of the theater out of thin air, and happened to be adopted by the warm-hearted dean until now. In my opinion, this is simply a treasure given by God, and it deserves to be cherished."

"..." The artist pondered for a while, Akashi was suspicious, and he sighed after a while: "Mr. Akashi didn't know that in that era, there were many ugly habits in society, and the phenomenon of abandoning babies and girls often happened. Those A small baby, only a few were picked up, and more were frozen to death or starved to death. If you walk on the road so casually, you will definitely run into one or two. How can this conscience live."

He added: "The cruel-hearted parents left her at the theater entrance, and their purpose is obvious. But in our business, it is normal for a group of people to go out for performances on weekdays. Let alone Everyone has their own work and life, who would have the leisure to take care of an infant baby?"

"In the beginning, the baby was placed in a corner of the yard, and everyone took turns teasing it, and then scattered away. Only the wife of the dean who came to give snacks caught his eye. There is no other reason, but because she just lost her beloved son earlier, Feeling that the little girl was quite attractive, he decided to keep it as his own, and the dean took pity on his wife and let her go. After a long time, both of them developed feelings for each other, and they became more and more unable to part with each other."

"Actually, when you think about it, what Mr. Akashi said is not unreasonable. For the dean and his wife, this child is indeed a treasure bestowed by heaven. But on the other hand, the biological parents who abandoned the baby... well, don't say Whatever."

"Since you know that your daughter has been taken in by the troupe...after that, did you come to see her?" Akashi asked.

"It's a good thing I didn't come to the door, otherwise, wouldn't those martial arts students who are skilled in fighting in the courtyard break their legs? How can Sheng En be so big as raising En, let alone her wishes, let alone pulling her into the big courtyard. The eldest couple, even if it is me, or anyone else, will never agree."

"It should be like this. The moment you throw your daughter on the ground, you have to think about it. This life is no longer destined to continue-the phenomenon of abandoned babies is so serious, where are you from?"

"In the capital of my ancestral home, during the period of the Republic of China—that is, during the Taisho period in Japan, my grandfather and his family moved to Suzhou."

"Suzhou?"

"Jiangsu area. In fact, not only in Jiangsu, but also in all parts of the country. In the final analysis, it is caused by the bad habit of patriarchal patriarchy. The good news is that there are very few left in modern times."

"Aren't the ignorant people afraid that retribution will be reported to him one day?"

"Some people have no conscience at all, and some even tortured the little baby to death, just to scare the girls who come to reincarnate, hoping that the next child will give birth to a boy. It's a crime."

"Alas..." The topic was too heavy, and Akashi didn't want to talk about it anymore, so he changed his mind and said, "I heard Mr. Shi said that his ancestors were also opera actors, so he must be from an opera family."

The artist said flexibly: "My grandfather was a well-known Peking Opera actor when he was young. He even taught me a few excerpts when I was young. But my father didn't bother to inherit his father's business. Instead, he transformed into a businessman and traveled around all the year round. I have no time to take care of my family. I was raised next to my grandfather since I was a child, and I grew up listening to operas, and I have become familiar with them in my bones. Maybe this is one of the reasons for choosing this job. Hmm? Can I have siblings? Of course, as The unworthy youngest son in the family, luckily there are a few elder brothers in the top row, allowing me to mess around, otherwise, you think they would let me be a big show? Just like in Japan, opera artists have never been popular industry." At the end, even he himself laughed.

"But fortunately, since it was listed as an 'intangible cultural heritage' in 01, all aspects of Kunqu Opera have begun to flourish, and various performances have also increased year by year, which is a good sign."

"Yeah, it's not easy."

"I went to that theater when I was 11 years old. Time flies, and 17 years have passed. But she has been immersed in that kind of atmosphere since she was a child. If things go on like this, she will inevitably lose touch with society. I am really worried... ...Sheng Shuzi, come, Sheng Shuzi..." The entertainer took out the dried fruit from the Kun bag and beckoned her to eat it.

The girl happily took the dried fruit from his palm, lowered her eyebrows, and chewed the food in her mouth one by one.

"This name..."

"Her name is Shengshuzi, because there is a myrobalan tree next to the courtyard gate, and the dean is from a family with the surname Sheng, so she was named Shengshuzi."

Every time I see her, the love goes up to another level.Akashi couldn't help but said: "She is a lovely girl, I felt amiable as soon as I saw her, and I felt very happy and happy in my heart, I - can I touch her?"

Hearing such a slightly overreaching request, the artist hesitated for a moment, frowned slightly, and then turned to ask the girl beside him for her opinion.Akashi knew it was inappropriate to be rude, but he didn't want to back down for no reason.How he wanted to touch her.

Afraid that she would not want to, Akashi locked his eyes firmly on her body, nervously expecting her reaction.

They stopped whispering, and the two pairs of beautiful eyes looked over together, but the answer they gave was overwhelmed by the roar in their ears.Akashi felt dizzy, uncomfortable all over his body, and the noise in his head refused to let it go.

He staggered to his feet, step by step as if he was stepping on the top of a cloud, limp and unable to lift himself up.

Walking slowly to her side, with trembling lips and teeth, he half-kneeled on the ground like a devout believer, staining the expensive kimono with the low dust.Caressing her smooth black hair with the palm of her hand, she couldn't help saying: "Sheng Shuzi, you are fine...you are really fine."

Will she understand?

The youth's face was reflected in the depths of the girl's dark pupils.Will she remember him for that?Remember this man who lost his mind and his pride because of her?

Will he know that what he asks for is not available?

He stared blankly at her cheek, his eyes seemed to be full of sorrow, but also seemed to sparkle.He sincerely wished that it would be great if time could be frozen at this moment, even though he knew how unrealistic it was, an idea that should not exist in his mind.

☆、Chapter Eleven

"Mr. Akashi, can you help me get that little box?"

Just before returning to the room after dinner, Ms. Morita stopped him suddenly, and then pointed to the highest point of the bookcase.Seeing this, Akashi stretched out his arms and took it off with ease. "Okay, what else can I do?"

"It's nothing else. You really helped me a lot. I was writing accounts, but the pen ran out of ink." She took out the pen ink from the box, squeezed the ink tank, and the black juice filled it instantly. Ying, she said casually: "The artistes will have to leave in a few days. Now that I'm free, I'll take out the details and do a careful calculation."

It was just the beginning of September at this time, the traces left by the rainstorm had completely dissipated, the cloud had dispersed, and the outdoor sun began to become venomous, which also made the indoor temperature sultry.After listening to Morita's words, he froze in place for a long time, not knowing how to react, and when he came back to his senses, he was already covered in cold sweat.

So... leaving?He remembered something Morita had said in the early days of Advent.It is precisely during these days that artists' holidays end.After that, they will go back home, and from then on, maybe they will never see each other again.

His breath was suffocated, and the questioning words hurriedly blurted out: "Why did you leave so quickly? Didn't you just live for a few days?"

Ms. Morita was bluffed by his reaction and stopped her work. After a while, she pushed her reading glasses and explained kindly: "Mr. Akashi, it has been more than half a month since you condescended to come here, and they came here before you Well. The time is exactly one month, no more, no less. The days on the mountain are leisurely, and a day passes as soon as you open and close your eyes. It is normal for you not to notice it."

"...What you said is true." Akashi closed his eyes helplessly, deeply feeling the trick of fate.

"Sir, the news is quite well-informed."

He came here specifically to look for the entertainer in the courtyard in the afternoon, and when he saw him, he was twiddling the chin of a domestic cat nestled in his arms with his fingers. The fat yellow kitten was snoring comfortably.

"I also heard it from the store by chance last night." He dictated what he got from Ms. Morita last night, and added another question: "Mr. I don't have a chat partner anymore, and I feel a little pity in my heart. How many days will it be? How many days will it be? It's good to prepare me mentally."

It is false to lose a chat partner, but it is true that the person who has been dreaming of is leaving.

The artist raised his head slightly and looked at him with a smile on his lips and eyes.He was nearly thirty years old, but he had a pair of extremely clear eyes like a child's, as if he had never been stained with any filth, even if it was unclean, there was nothing to hide in it.When his pair of eyes looked over, Akashi instinctively wanted to avoid it.

Without the caress, the kitten in his arms suddenly opened his eyes in dissatisfaction, and rubbed his chin back and forth against his palm.

"I have business to discuss, come see me later." The artist pushed the kitten's chest.The little guy seemed to understand, he let go of his paws after two meows, and ran towards the monastery.

"Soon, on the fifth," he replied.

"Isn't that the day after tomorrow? In such a hurry?"

"Mr. Akashi, don't forget that I have been here for nearly a month, and my cartilage will be rotten if I stay idle. Although it is a job that has been done for more than ten years, I sing those familiar songs day after day. Yu Xin's lines can't help but feel boring, but in the end it's what I really love."

"Is your luggage packed?"

"No rush, it's not too late to pack up the day before we leave."

"If you leave, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay long."

"A foreigner must eventually go back to his hometown. Mr. is not a religious person, and his insistence on staying here is all based on a single figure, and there is nothing else. Besides the hotel, there is no other place for activities on the mountain. Temple, it's only natural that you're bored."

Akashi pretended not to understand what he meant, and asked, "How can I get in touch with you after I go back? Do you want to...exchange emails or something?"

He made a gesture to take out his phone, but the artist covered it with his hand, "I'm not used to these things, even if I post them, I may not get a few messages back in a year or so. If you really want to talk to me about old times, just When we come to Suzhou City, we will be waiting for you at any time—it depends on whether Mr. Akashi is willing or not."

After everyone said that, Akashi had no choice but to put down his phone angrily, and asked again: "Then can you tell me, where is Suzhou specifically?"

"In a small city not much larger than an inch, there are only a handful of Kunqu Opera troupes. If you ask an old man along the street, you will definitely know... Hey, why is she here? Didn't she go for a lunch break?"

She was naturally referring to Shokoko, and Akashi hurriedly turned his head to check, and when he saw it was her, his joy was beyond words.But when I thought that they would leave in a few days, I felt depressed again.He even had the unrealistic idea of ​​booking a plane ticket on the spot and going with them.

"Huh? You said that there was a dispute between the two people in the team? I said why did I hear the noise, okay, I'll go and find out." After hearing the intention, the artist nodded a few times to express his understanding, and then made a gesture to Akashi "Please" signaled him to go first.Akashi refused and said: "Since it is a matter within the team, the captain should take care of it first. There is no reason to let an idler occupy the front row to watch the excitement. I will follow you behind."

The artist curled his lips into a smile, then raised his wide sleeves and walked leisurely to the place where the dispute took place.

When a group of people arrived at the venue, most of the gunpowder smoke had cleared, leaving only the two people at the center of the topic still confronting each other.

The young female family member wiped away her tears quietly with the tip of her sleeve, and she couldn't stop the beads from falling. There was a large group of people around her, all with regretful expressions.Knowing that she didn't understand, the kind Ms. Morita still patted the back of her hand and comforted her in a warm voice.

In comparison, the man was not cared for by anyone, he leaned on the armchair with a dejected face, the corners of his mouth turned down.The two qualities of timidity and cowardice are vividly reflected in him.

With just a few glances, Akashi guessed the general course of the matter.

"That couple is a lover relationship." The artist sat aside and confirmed his guess: "The woman is always in the team's post, and the man is the musician. They were recruited at the same time and have been together for less than a few months. The relationship is confirmed. It stands to reason that after five or six years of wasting, it is time to get married, but the man keeps delaying the time again and again, and he doesn't know why. It's okay in the short term, but it will be sure in the long run. Something will happen, I knew that the two of them would have a falling out one day, so I am not surprised that the two of them are arguing here in public."

After explaining the general situation to Akashi, he turned around and plunged into the center of the whirlpool again, "Okay, okay, stop arguing."

The artist is well versed in the principles of dealing with people, but with just a few words, he comforted the female family member to adjust most of her mood, and was helped back to the room. Before leaving, the female family member glared at the man who had made her so sad glance.

At that last glance, I don't know whether I hope the prodigal son will return, or just break up.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Akashi, who had witnessed the whole process, asked, "What happened?"

"There's something wrong with that musician."

"something wrong?"

"Yes," the entertainer replied, "he has bad conduct, and he is also a loafer. Having a girlfriend is not enough, and he wants to provoke other women. That good friend often comes to the courtyard. Everyone has eyes and knows everything clearly Poor real girlfriend has been kept in the dark, and foolishly thinks that the relationship is just an ordinary friend, but everyone in the yard knows it well. There is a good thing that my aunt said, but she still has to be questioned . If you want me to say one word, yes."

"..."

"Emotional matters, outsiders can't say well. But he can't hang a girl's heart for no reason like this, let it sway, break it when it should be broken, and the pain is only temporary. But here he is talking about each other , There is another person who has lost all ties to another person, what is this? If you want me to say that this is greed and insufficiency, turning the boat upside down, and being cast aside by others is his own fault. Openly tearing his face, I am afraid he will go back this time If I don’t have the face to stay in the yard anymore, even if my face is still as thick as a city wall, I will go to the dean and tell the dean that our troupe must not have people with bad morals to do things, so as not to ruin our reputation.”

Akashi was sweating profusely, faintly feeling that he was insinuating against him, but how could the artist in front of him understand what happened to him, and after a while, he suppressed his mind and said with a strong face: "...Of course, loyalty is the most basic thing in love." quality."

"It's a pity that some people don't understand the truth. Sigh, Mr. Xiang is a good-looking man, so he must not be able to do such a sneaky thing. If those people have half the integrity of his gentleman, how can there be so many shameless bastards in front of us?" What a mess."

"……Yes."

"Why are you sweating, sir? But it's hot?"

"Probably..." Akashi wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said in a hurry: "The material of this kimono is very stuffy, and I hurriedly tightened my belt this morning, the stuffy weather that Mr. Shi mentioned may also be one of the reasons. "

"It's hot and stuffy in the dog days. Come on, I'll take you to find a cool place to cool off the heat." At the end, he shouted again: "Sheng Shuzi, come with us too."

Akashi wanted to answer that no, but since the little girl was going, he naturally had no reason not to go, so he quickly turned a corner in a very stiff tone, "It's okay... Mr. Shi led the way."

"Okay, okay, okay." The artist said yes three times in succession, then laughed twice, leaving behind the two people a back view.

He walked ahead unhurriedly, and after a short while, the group returned to the gazebo where they sat a few days ago.During the march, Akashi hesitated to speak to the girl beside him countless times, how much he wanted to talk to her!That delicate and tender hand was hanging by his side, making his heart itch, and he stretched out a finger almost invisible, and the artist's eyes suddenly turned around again.

"That musician, how to clean up this mess, I feel a headache for him."

Hearing it, he retracted it like lightning.

In the corner of the gazebo, the layout is the same as that day.

Several people brought some small wine with them. The wine is good wine, pure sake brewed in the Kobe region of Japan.He drank lightly with the entertainer, one small cup after another, while the girl tilted her head and looked at it, neither making a sound nor obstructing.

When the conversation was in full swing, the wine was almost finished, and the artist's cheeks were stained with pink clouds, from deep to light, and the colors were gorgeous.He stood up staggeringly, his mind not looking very clear.Akashi put down the cup in his hand and watched his every move wordlessly.

"Sir...well, have you ever heard me sing?"

"I've heard it a few times."

"Then it doesn't matter if you listen to it again. Sheng Shuzi, come...sing that one...one...yes, that's..." He patted his head and said with difficulty: "Just sing that "Southern Song" Lord Shang of Ke Ji!"

He is too strong to drink, but he is the one who can't put down the glass once he picks it up.

He is drunk.

The entertainer was so drunk that the brilliance of his eyes quietly faded away, but those eyes were still frighteningly bright.He flicked his robe, put on an expression in an instant, and began to sing: "The golden cicada in the hat. The hairpin and the phoenix. The hero cooperates with the beauty. Dye the palace robe. Cui brushes the thrush with light lines. The king ordered the sun to carry the basket. Chang'e's face is fanned tonight. Pick up the golden cup. Look at the fragrance of green ants. This is the palace courtyard of emerald locust trees."

The girl next to her didn't know what to think, but she also started messing around with her.There was a sound of warbler crowing and swallow singing like dawn, I wanted to make people prop their ears wide with hands, and I listened to them without uttering a single word. "Shame on you. He will be firm in his love. I am Yaofang and I am young. Teach people how to hang around. The courtyard repairs the instrument. Try to learn the makeup of Shouyang. The golden branch is the old spiritual root. I lean on the Yushu and connect with Qiwan."

They didn't wear strong and exaggerated stage makeup on their faces, their heads and costumes were all naked, and they didn't even have any instrumental accompaniment.But he watched it with gusto, and he was completely involved in the drama.

In this Huai'an country built in a pavilion in the mountains, he listened and listened, and unknowingly, tears filled his cheeks silently.

The voice softened, and the two of them stopped the performance at the same time, staring at the transparent wet marks on his face in a daze.He hurriedly wiped it all over to cover up, stood up and applauded, and praised repeatedly: "Don't laugh at me, you sing so beautifully that I can't help crying. Don't worry about me, just keep singing...continue Sing."

He knew that there were not many days like this, so he cherished these few days with special nostalgia, rejoicing for every breath of air he could breathe in the mountains.But no matter how unwilling and unwilling in every possible way, that day will inevitably come early after all.

☆、Chapter Twelve / Final Chapter

He sang from "For you, like a flower and a beautiful family, like a year gone by like water." to "The horoscope arrangement of husband and wife, I dare you to carry the Qixiang car with love."

???? Then from "Qi Liang Ci Fu, Chen Sui flowers and willows, the daily fragrance is amusing." to "Seeing him get up from the Zhulou, seeing him entertaining guests, seeing his building collapsed."

The foundations are rotten and crumbling.Collapse is also inevitable.

Open your eyes and look, in the darkness, all the previous scenes of this vacation trip are gathered in front of your eyes.

It had been three days since the small gathering in the gazebo, and he knew that today would be the last day for the artists here.He hasn't had a good night's sleep for two whole days. Since the day before yesterday, there has been a string in his mind that is breaking.A string, or migraine caused by a nervous headache, hurts like hell every time it bounces in the occiput region.

It was four o'clock in the morning, and he still couldn't fall asleep.

Counting sheep, counting, playing soothing piano music on the phone, I tried all the childish methods, but there was still no effect.I want to completely empty my mind and extend a void without substance, but it doesn't take long for those disturbances to come back to me again.

He'd better turn off the music on the phone, it's useless anyway, and it's too noisy to keep it on.After tossing and turning several times, he finally couldn't help reaching out to the bedside table, turning off the music app, but accidentally opened the mail interface when he slid to the background of the phone.

Looking at the name "Toyotomi Kaori" pushed to the top, and the "Good Night" in the quick message column on the right, he was in a daze.

The screen of the mobile phone emits a faint blue light, which makes his hair and eyes cold.He maintained this position of holding the phone for a long time, finally gritted his teeth, turned off the power, and then slammed into the quilt, trembling all over.

His brain was like a ball of warm paste, but his limbs were icy cold, as if frozen in an ice cave.A complication of not getting enough sleep is that the heart twitches, uncharacteristically fast.

I have to get up to see them in less than a few hours. How can I not refresh myself?He thought in a daze, urging himself to fall asleep as soon as possible, hoping that after waking up, he would look refreshed in the mirror... Then, he went to see them off.

I really can't bear it, do you want to go with them?Although it is said that it satisfied my own selfishness, where did I leave my career?How can we ensure that we will not return to Japan in despair?If the father knew, he would definitely call him a useless son.

but……

Curled up in bed in pain.This posture gave him a great sense of security.It is to stay in the warm and humid womb of the mother. A small connected umbilical cord transmits the nutrients for survival. There are no many troubles that you will face after you grow up. The only thing you need to do is to be like a seed that sprouts from the ground Just thrive.

In the small world of the embryo, there is absolutely no reality, these love affairs that troubled him so much.

Curled up, the spine curved in an oval, perfectly mimics the posture of swimming in that water.

Thinking about that person in his heart, he finally fell asleep slowly, slowly.

The time is six o'clock in the morning.

"Akashi-san... Akashi-san, are you alright?"

After the fifth knock on the door, Ms. Morita's worried voice sounded from outside.He shivered in his sleep, then jumped up straight from the bed, looked at the scenery outside the window, silent.

"……I am here."

"It's already lunch time. In the past, you always showed up there on time, but today you haven't gone downstairs for dinner. I'll come over to check on you... I hope you don't blame me."

"will not."

He took out his mobile phone from the bedside table, and looked at the string of numbers that should have driven the alarm clock to ring on time, but at this moment it appeared boldly in the input field above the calculator.Covering her head in frustration, she heard Ms. Morita say outside the door with one ear leaking:

"The food is being heated in the boiler just for you, so hurry up and go downstairs to eat. The antipyretic medicine can only exert its due effect when you are full... Those artists are gone, and now the dining room can be used. Empty."

His hands trembled, his heart beat, and the mobile phone he was holding in his hand fell to the ground in an instant, making a solid and muffled sound. He couldn't care more, he just asked in a trembling voice: "Gone? When did you leave?" ? Didn’t you say you will leave in the afternoon?”

While talking, he pulled up the kimono in the closet, and quickly and carelessly rubbed it on his body.

"Called and said the bus was waiting below, and they left immediately after lunch."

"So urgent? What time is it?"

"..." Ms. Morita paused, probably looking at the time. "Twenty minutes to one o'clock," she replied.

Akashi asked in the room: "Just left not long ago?"

"It's been 10 minutes since I left, and I came to knock on your door after they left..." Morita just finished speaking, and looked at the emaciated guest in front of him in amazement.Through the half-open door, she saw the young man's eye bags were black, his beard was unshaven, his cloudy eyes were no longer clear, and even the handsome and handsome temperament that she had admired in the past was gone. "Oh, God..." She exclaimed, "What's wrong with you, why are you so sick..." She looked up and down again, "I didn't even put on your clothes properly...Mr. Akashi, you still Go back to the bed and rest, and I will bring you lunch."

"...It's okay." Akashi stubbornly refused, he shook his head, and said in a nasal voice, "I have to go to her...I have to go..."

His customers were all sick and confused. As the store owner, Morita weighed it in his heart two or three times, and naturally came to a decision: Of course, he must be stopped and not let him go. If something goes wrong on this mountain, she Naturally, it is hard to shirk the blame, so how should I teach her to explain it? "Could it be something so big that it won't work?" Her two thin silver-gray eyebrows frowned, "Even if the sky is falling, it doesn't matter that you have a good rest."

She stretched out her hand, trying to push the guest into the room. "Do you have the heart to embarrass me, an old woman? Get a good sleep, and it's not too late to do something tomorrow."

Morita vaguely guessed that the guest's anomaly might be related to the departure of the group of entertainers, but they all left, so what's the point of chasing after them, but it was all in vain.What's more, they are still from other countries.

Unexpectedly, the guest pushed away the hand she kindly extended.Pale, trembling slightly, but different from the weak appearance, full of vigorous strength.

"Ms. Morita," he choked out.Those beliefs and the principles he has always adhered to, in his eyes, are falling apart like melting ice.His eyes rippled, and for the first time, he lowered his head, which was never willing to compromise easily, in front of others, and said the words of request:

"Just let me say goodbye to her properly... It's too late to go now, and I really won't have any chance if it's later... I'm really... Really..."

Akashi really wanted to complete the sentence, but the more he thought about it, the more the ending disappeared in the continuous heavy snorting, turning into sobs, choked in his heart.

"Young people nowadays... well, really..."

Ms. Morita has been moaning and moaning since the beginning, and she still does now.She couldn't understand, and couldn't empathize with his unspoken pain.But she couldn't think of any other way, so she could only worry on the sidelines.

"...I really like her." The smell of blood permeated his mouth, he bit the tip of his tongue, and the rare sobriety finally made him say what he really wanted to express.

As soon as the words came out, although the uncomfortable feeling still remained, it was much better.He knew that this sentence should have been whispered in the lover's ear, but it fell so rudely into the ears of an irrelevant shopkeeper.If I knew this earlier, why did I feel that I was really a worthless wretch at the beginning.

Akashi straightened his expression, and realized that if he continued to waste time, he would only get farther and farther away from them, so he hurriedly said: "I have made up my mind to go, please don't stop me, it's a waste of time." After he finished speaking, he also Regardless of Morita's reaction, he pushed her away, and ran towards the foot of the mountain in disheveled clothes.

The remaining Ms. Morita couldn't recover from where she was for a long time. Fearing that something might happen to her guests, she hurriedly turned around and went to her wife who was listening to the radio downstairs for advice: "Old man, old man! That guest with a high fever went down the mountain to find artists." Now, you should hurry up and take a look!"

Can't keep up.There seemed to be someone chasing after him, but after a few steps, he disappeared.

His steps were as heavy as lead, but he forced himself to use the 12-point effort to trek down the mountain: someone was waiting for him there.

Thinking of this, a feeling of sweetness but full of heavy burdens quietly pulled him in, making him act even more recklessly.

On the mountain road, he pulled a pair of high-toothed clogs, and the tiny particles of brown sand and stones flooded under his feet, spreading all the way from his feet to the foot of the mountain.Wearing clogs on flat ground is still laborious, let alone the rough sandals.