Chapter 24: The Last Gathering (04)
After dinner, all the relatives moved their stools and chairs to sit around Chen Xiaolian's left and right, chatting casually, the atmosphere was very good, he also occasionally showed a smiling face. Chen Haonan felt that he couldn't join in the conversation, and every time he saw his father's sallow face, he couldn't help but feel sad, taking advantage of everyone's distraction, he quietly ran out of the house by himself.
Chen Haonan came out from the back door, and here was a stone slab road. It was paved with large bluestone slabs, which were transported by Chen's ancestors from dozens of miles away in the quarry. After decades, except for some moss on the road surface, everything else was still intact. The two sides of the bluestone road were tall pine trees and bamboo, stretching all the way to the small river outside the village.
The weather was fine in the afternoon, with bright sunshine. As Chen Haonan walked on the stone road, he couldn't help but look up at the sky, where the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the pine branches and bamboo leaves, shining brightly. Through those gaps, he could also see the blue sky and white clouds. From time to time, the forest would echo with the clear and melodious songs of birds, which was very pleasant. The gentle breeze carried the freshness of the bamboo leaves, the fragrance of the pine resin, and the ancient charm of the bluestone road, making people feel intoxicated and lost in thought.
This forest has many memories of Chen Haonan's childhood. As he walked slowly, he couldn't help but think of his past as a child...
In Lüchēng, there was a trio of jingguai, known to all. The three people were Chen Haonan, Lin Mouchao and Qin Kelan.
Lin Mochao is a boy, the oldest of the three; Qin Kelan is in the middle, a lovely girl; Lin Mochao is two years older than Qin Kelan, and Qin Kelan is one year older than Chen Haonan. Maybe because they are close in age, these three little rascals have been "hanging out" together since they were young, and whenever there's trouble or fighting, the three of them must be involved. Also, because these three little guys are clever and full of tricks, some old people say they are mischievous spirits, and later on, the nickname "mischievous spirits" gradually spread.
Of course, Green Town is the paradise and heaven of the Kappa. In the bamboo forest, in the depths of the pine forest, by the side of the lotus pond, on the riverbank, in the fields, everywhere in Green Town, there are remnants of the Kappas' childhood laughter and growing footprints... However, the wind and rain that came quietly attacked them:
When Qin Kelan was ten years old, her father died in a car accident that winter. The next spring, her grandparents took her to Guangxi and she lost contact with the outside world; from then on, the band began to disintegrate.
When Lin Muhao was 15 years old, his father died of late-stage gastric cancer, and he dropped out of school to learn a trade and make money to support his family. From then on, the so-called "Jingguai Combination" ceased to exist.
Now Chen Haonan's father is also seriously ill in bed...
In the blink of an eye, Chen Haonan's mind was filled with many fond memories of his childhood. He walked slowly to the big willow tree by the river and stopped involuntarily. Several abandoned large mortars were scattered here, and people living in Green Town would often sit here for a while after work, either resting or chatting idly, or smoking a cigarette...
Unconsciously, Chen Haonan sat down on a grinding disc with his legs crossed.
A small river is right in front of me, with clear water flowing gently. The small stones, clam shells and oily aquatic plants inside the river are faintly visible, and from time to time there are a few small fish lingering on the surface of the water, but after a while they quickly swim away and disappear...
This small river, I don't know how many beautiful dreams and memories of childhood it has carried, but those things seem to have flowed away with the water, leaving only some sediment in the depths of Chen Haonan's soul. Perhaps Lin Mochao and Qin Kelan also occasionally have some flashes of sediment in their hearts - Chen Haonan couldn't help but think this way, his heart gradually becoming more and more confused.
Under the sunlight, Chen Haonan's eyes gradually blurred, and vaguely, he saw someone standing in the shallow water. One was Lin Chao, one was Ke Lan, and one was himself: all three were rolling up their pants legs, playing with the water to their heart's content... The sounds of laughter and splashing water floated into Chen Haonan's ears.
"Could it be real!?" Chen Haonan was both shocked and delighted. But when he rubbed his eyes again to take another look, the scene from before had vanished without a trace - all that was left in front of him was the river water flowing gently by. Chen Haonan didn't believe that the scene earlier was just an illusion, so he rubbed his eyes again with force, but everything refused to reappear...
"Alas——" With a long sigh, Chen Haonan reluctantly gave up. At this moment, he thought that Lin Mochao was in Zhejiang and Qin Keshan was in Guangxi, both were thousands of miles away, how could they play with him in the small river?
Having comforted himself with some words, Chen Haonan fell into deep thought once again...
