[Comprehensive] Natsume Reiko's trip

When Wannianzhu saw Xiaozhu again, she was already a mother.

Xiaozhu's face exuded a soft light that Wannianzhu had never seen before. Her slender figure like bamboo became a little bloated, her stomach was slightly swollen, and one hand kept stroking her abdomen.

"Big brother, I'm going to be a mother, and there may be two people who will listen to your music in the future."

Wannianzhu's gaze stayed on Xiaozhu's belly for a moment, he couldn't understand the feeling of a little life being born by another life called mother.

Most of the monsters in this bamboo forest are gradually formed by the accumulation of vegetation, and the sky and the earth are their parents.

Xiaozhu didn't expect Wannianzhu's response, but just said to himself: "The man I married makes a living by making flutes. He treats me very well and doesn't mind me learning a craft from him. When I learn How to make a flute, I will make one for you as a reward for playing melodies for so many years."

"No need." Wannianzhu refused cleanly.

The flute in his hand was not an ordinary bamboo flute, but his own body, so how could he go back to using other flutes?

Xiao Zhu's expression was gloomy for a moment, but she quickly covered it up.

For more than ten years, Wannianzhu has never changed, and has always been only her.

From a girl who doesn't know the world, to an innocent girl, and then put on a wedding dress and become the first son.Now, she has become a mother again, and when she is gray-haired in the future, Wannianzhu will still be outstanding like this.

Xiao Zhu sat awkwardly on the rock she had been sitting on. The surface of the rock was already a smooth plane with a slight depression in the middle.Xiaozhu remembered that the stone was covered with wet moss at the beginning.

"Big brother, play the flute."

The melodious sound of the flute echoed in the bamboo forest again, and the flute played by Wannian Bamboo was still so lonely and cold, like a journey between heaven and earth, a lonely boat in the sea.

But I'm afraid Wannianzhu himself didn't realize that the lonely figure began to shake gradually, and then slowly walked towards the world.

"My son has a girl he likes, and my husband has already proposed marriage; my bamboo flute shop is gradually becoming famous. Although my son's craftsmanship is not as good as his father's, he is still a good flute maker..." Xiao Zhu sat on the sunken stone, chattering in the evening sunlight.

As he grew older, Xiaozhu became nagging again.Those eyes with fine lines gradually appeared at the corners of the eyes, from being lively at the beginning, to being sad and melancholy later, to calm and indifferent now.

The traces written by time on Xiaozhu's body are vividly reflected at this time.

Xiaozhu touched his slack skin and hair that was gradually becoming silvery, and felt that he was so similar to the sunset in the evening: "Big Brother... Although it is very strange to call you that now, I still want to Keep calling it like this, at least it lets me know that even if some things can't go back, there will still be the same heart."

"Do you think I'm getting old?"

"No." Wannianzhu still cherished words like gold, and slowly shook his head.

For monsters, when they know a human being, they never care about her appearance.

"But, I am indeed old." Xiaozhu couldn't help but sigh, "Would you feel lonely when I'm gone?"

"will not."

"That's good." Xiaozhu looked at the sunset with peaceful eyes, watching it gradually sinking at a speed visible to the naked eye, "Play the flute, after playing, I should go back."

When the autumn wind blew the leaves red, Xiaozhu walked to the bamboo forest at a very slow speed with a cane.Wannianzhu seemed to know that she was coming, holding a flute, standing in the middle of the yellowed bamboo forest.

"My wife passed away a few days ago." There was no sadness in Xiaozhu's cloudy eyes, only a feeling that this day has finally come, "I think it will be soon."

Xiaozhu sat tremblingly on the short rock, and said indifferently, "Play the flute, big brother."

The familiar melody was wandering in the bamboo forest again, Xiaozhu slowly closed his eyes, showing a look of enjoyment.

Xiaozhu also once thought that if on the day of her marriage, she ran out of the auditorium, came to this bamboo forest in her wedding dress, and then shouted loudly: "Wannianzhu, I like you, I, Xiaozhu, want to marry you!" for you!"

What kind of situation would that be?

Probably... Wannianzhu would say "nonsense" and send her back mercilessly.

Everyone has their own predestined relationship. When a person is born, maybe his life has already been determined.

Xiaozhu's life can even be said to be very happy. She had a carefree childhood, a husband who loved her, and filial children and grandchildren... She is already much happier than most people in this world .

But, even so, she still has that unspeakable regret.

In Xiao Zhu's imagination, the melody of the flute turned into the silver light flowing under the moonlight again, wrapping the Wannian Bamboo round and round—just like the surprise she felt when she saw the Wannian Bamboo for the first time.

She fell in love with Wannianzhu playing the flute under the moon, and also felt sorry for Wannianzhu's loneliness of being alone forever.

Big brother, you will be left alone again from now on.The lifespan of human beings is as fleeting as a fleeting horse, and as short as the cicadas in summer. They will leave as much of their voices as possible in this world within a limited time.

But the lifespan of the monster is like the bright moon hanging in the night sky forever, calm and meaningful.They don't have overly passionate emotions, and they will only quietly miss those people or things that have entered their lives in their long lives.

So, find a monster who can listen to you playing the flute all the time!In your long life, there must be such an existence who can accompany you forever.

After playing a flute, the bamboo forest regained its silence, only the sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves brought some vitality to the bamboo forest.

"I'm leaving." Xiaozhu slowly stood up at an extremely slow speed, as if every joint of her was a rusty gear.

For some reason, Wannianzhu had an impulse that he had never had before, an impulse to hold Xiaozhu and prevent her from leaving.But the self-control all the time made Wannianzhu still stand in place, just asking: "When will you come again?"

Xiaozhu suddenly wanted to cry, the words she had waited for decades, at the end of her life, were finally spoken by Wannianzhu at this moment, but she couldn't do anything.

What else can a person who might die tomorrow do?

Xiaozhu's cloudy eyes revealed the agility of his youth, and his old voice brought some playfulness of his girlhood: "I thought, you would tell me 'don't come again'."

Wannianzhu was silent.

Xiaozhu took one last look at Wannianzhu, then turned around, leaned on crutches, and slowly left the bamboo forest with unsteady steps.

Wannianzhu wants to send Xiaozhu back, just like when they first met.But in the end, Wannianzhu still didn't move, just watching Xiaozhu's figure disappear from his eyes.

On the second day, Xiao Zhu didn't come; on the third day, Xiao Zhu didn't come; on the fourth day, Xiao Zhu didn't come...

For some reason, the time that could have been passed easily has become difficult.

Standing in the bamboo forest, Wannianzhu looked at the stone that was a few stories lower, and his heart seemed to be covered with a cloud.

When did Xiaozhu become so important in his heart?

On the seventh day, someone came, but it was not Xiao Zhu.

"The doctor said that my mother might not be able to survive tonight. I think that before she dies, she must still want to see you." The person who came was Wannianzhu who had never seen him before, Xiaozhu's son .

Xiaozhu's son is not as slender as Xiaozhu, but tall and burly, with a very honest face, presumably, he looks like his father - the unknown flute maker.

Wannianzhu didn't know what kind of mood he followed that person to Xiaozhu's bed. He was always emotionally indifferent and not good at speaking, but at this moment, his heart was like an angry river, ups and downs, tumbling endlessly.

Xiao Zhu lay there with a gray face, his originally slender body looked more like a skeleton at this moment.

The lively little bamboo, the gentle little bamboo, the little bamboo exuding the brilliance of motherhood, the little bamboo bathed in the evening sun, and the trembling little bamboo leaning on crutches and arching its back...

Different images of Xiaozhu in his life kept appearing in front of Wannianzhu's eyes, and finally fixed on the now shriveled Xiaozhu.

As if sensing Wannian Zhu's arrival, Xiao Zhu's face suddenly flashed a strange light.

She slowly opened her eyes, stood up, and smiled at Wannianzhu—it was the innocent smile when they first met.

"You're here, big brother." Xiaozhu's voice seemed to have returned to his youth, bright and lively, "I originally wanted to take that flute underground together, but it's rare that you came to ask for it. I'll give it to you!"

As he said that, Xiaozhu took out a flute from his bosom steadily, and put it in the palm of Wannianzhu: "This is the gift I promised to give you, but I just feel that I can't do well, so I keep playing it." Sorry to give you."

"Blow a tune with it, okay?"

Wannianzhu looked at Xiaozhu's radiant face, inserted his body into his waist, picked up the bamboo flute made by Xiaozhu himself, and played it.

The flute made by Xiaozhu feels smooth and has a suitable length. Does it mean that every time she listens to the music, she silently observes the appearance of the flute in his hand?

The piece that the two played when they met for the first time rang in the house made of mud.

I don't know if it's played in different places, but this piece is more human and less ethereal.

Xiaozhu lay down on the bed again, staring at Wannianzhu, who played the flute, with those young eyes inlaid on Gu Gu Zongheng's face.

Then, he left this world with a smile.

Her last image of this world is not darkness, but the silver light flowing like moonlight in the bamboo forest.