The first glimmer of dawn shone upon the empty and desolate canyon.
In the small yard behind the fence, the village girl did not sleep for long. She opened the door and washed up alone. Then, as usual, she carried the hoe and led the black puppy to the outermost part of the hundreds of saplings and began to dig a hole.
Cha —
Cha —
Gently waving the hoe, the village girl was still thinking about the many poems she had heard last night that she had never seen before. But after digging a few times, she felt that something was wrong with the corner of her eye. It disturbed her thoughts and made her unable to calm down.
She tilted her head and looked. The snowman that was used to block the straight knife yesterday had a few pebbles on its face, one for its eyes, one for its nose, and one for its smiling lips. It was also wrapped in a straw scarf.
"…"
The village girl frowned slightly and looked at it carefully. She felt that the snowman was a good match and did not look awkward, so she looked to the outside.
Yesterday, she had asked Xu Buling to put the knife further away. It seemed that Xu Buling was obedient. He pulled out the knife from the snowman's back and put it on the outside of the saplings, right in the middle of the road. It was as if one of the hundreds of neatly arranged saplings had grown outside, and it was even more conspicuous than yesterday.
"This guy …"
The village girl was a little annoyed. She did not think much of it with her back facing it, but now that she saw it, she could not stand it anymore. She leaned the hoe against the peach tree, trotted to the front and began to build a snowman.
After working for more than an hour, the big snowman was finally built. She did not forget to decorate it with the same nose and eyes as the old snowman.
But after the job was done, the village girl ran back to the hoe and looked a few times. She felt that something was wrong — the peach forest was symmetrical on both sides. There was a snowman on the left, a snowman in front, and nothing on the right. It felt a little empty.
Could it be that she had to build another one …
The village girl thought for a while and felt that if she continued to build a snowman, she would not have time to work today. She might as well do something else.
Thinking of this, she put the hoe back in the yard, picked up a change of clothes, put them in a wooden basin, and walked to the river with the puppy …
Following Xu Buring's footprints, he walked through the snow-covered forest path and came to the river to search for him. After walking for half a mile, he found Xu Buring near a large pool, who was fishing with his waist bent.
Xu Buling was focused on searching for the fish hidden under the stones. Hearing the sound by the river, he turned to look and was slightly surprised.
"Girl, why are you here?"
The village girl put the wooden basin by the river and sat down on a stone. and said softly, "Don't you see?"
"You're not allowed to put the knife outside tomorrow. You have to carry it with you, or I'll feel uncomfortable. I've even built a snowman to block it. Didn't you notice?"
？
Xu Buring was slightly taken aback. He had not expected that the exquisite snowman was only there to block an eyesore. However, considering that the girl had obsessive-compulsive disorder and mysophobia, it made sense that she would do such a thing.
Xu Buring chuckled softly and pointed at the seven or eight dead fish by the side of the river.
"I can catch enough fish for today. Don't bother the lady tomorrow."
The village girl's action of washing the clothes paused. She thought for a moment and said, "That's true … you did not finish reciting your poem last night. What should we do?"
"I don't know much, so I'll tell you now … Where did I stop this morning?"
"Okay …"
"Okay …"
Xu Buling stood in the river and used his sword to feel for the fish under the stones. He carefully memorized the poems he knew.
The village girl sat by the river and washed clothes. Her hands were red from the cold, but she did not care and continued to ask questions.
There was a limited number of fish in a pool. Soon, she finished touching them, and the distance between them was getting farther and farther.
The village girl did not have many clothes. After washing, she ran back with the wooden basin. Not long after, she changed into a dress and ran back.
The dress was obviously not worn much, but it was still brand new. She looked even younger, like a young lady who was about to be married.
She put the original dark blue dress into the basin and continued washing.
Xu Buling's eyesight was not bad. He could see that the cloth of this dress was expensive. He was a little curious about the identity of the village girl and asked,
"Girl, what's your name?"
The village girl sat by the river and washed clothes. She shook her head and said, "I won't ask you, and you don't ask me. If you talk about something else, I won't listen. "
Xu Buling sighed and did not pry into her privacy. He continued to talk about poems.
It didn't take long to wash a few clothes, no matter how carefully they were washed. When it was noon, the village girl went back with the wooden basin and didn't come back again.
Xu Buling knew that Chu Chu and Nightingale were waiting outside. He could not stay here for too long, so he seized the time to catch fish. He worked from morning to evening until the whole river in the canyon was covered. He also cut down a few trees in the wild forest to make firewood. Then he returned to the peach blossom forest with a good harvest.
Different from yesterday, the village girl did not sit in the room to weave. Instead, she stood inside the fence and looked up. Seeing that Xu Buring had returned, he turned and ran into the main room. With great difficulty, he carried the table out and brought out two stools.
Under the afterglow, he could smell the fragrance of food from the kitchen dozens of steps away.
Xu Buling was a little surprised. He pulled out the straight knife next to the snowman and walked to the fence to take a look. The four fish left in the kitchen window were gone. The village girl stood in front of the stove and lifted the lid. The steam covered the upper half of her body, but inside was a big pot of fish soup.
"…"
Xu Buring placed a bundle of firewood behind the earthen stove and peeked inside.
"Why did you stew all four fish?"
The village girl stood in front of the fog-filled stove. Her expression was blocked by the mist, but her voice was as light as ever.
"You can't not eat when you work. There's not enough fish. You can catch more tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
Xu Buling shook his head and picked up a big skewer of fish.
"There's no need for that. I caught 25 fish today. It's enough for you to eat for more than ten days. It's fine if it's a little more sumptuous today."
The village girl was silent for a while. After a while, she softly said, "Oh." She scooped the fish soup into a small bowl and placed it on the table.
Xu Buling was really hungry after a busy day. Since there was enough food, he did not stand on ceremony and sat opposite the village girl to eat.
The two of them sat in the farmhouse's courtyard. The black dog lay under the table and picked up the fish bones. The village girl did not say anything while they ate.
Xu Buling felt weird, but he did not know how to describe the current environment. During the meal, he tilted his head to look at the peach blossom forest outside and asked with a smile,
"How many peach trees are you going to plant?"
The village girl chewed slowly. She seemed to have something on her mind. Her answer was not as quick as yesterday. She thought for a while and said,
"Of course. Plant all the empty space."
"What happens after that?"
"Change to another place and continue planting. This place has a radius of a hundred miles. You can't finish planting them in a lifetime."
"Oh …"
Xu Buling shook his head and smiled.
The village girl saw his smile and looked up, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Xu Buling's smile froze. He quickly shook his head, "No, um … planting trees is a good thing. Ordinary people can't understand it. It's normal for them to think that it's meaningless."
The village girl was satisfied. She said softly, "The people outside are not as good as the trees. You won't understand even if I tell you. I won't talk to you anymore."
Xu Buling nodded and said no more.
Xu Buling ate 90% of the big pot of fish soup until there was not a drop left.
Now that he was done, it was time to leave.
The red sun hung on the top of the mountain. The setting sun shone on hundreds of neatly arranged saplings, leaving long shadows in the snow.
Xu Buling hung the sword and the straight knife at his waist. He stood inside the fence and looked at the mountain in the distance. He seemed to be hesitating.
The village girl washed the pots and bowls carefully and placed them neatly in the cupboard. She walked out of the small door of the kitchen and saw Xu Buling's back. She stopped and said softly,
"It's getting dark. It's dozens of miles away. It's not easy to walk at night."
Xu Buling held the hilt of his sword and stood at the edge of the fence. He turned around and said, "It's getting dark.
I can't stay here for too long. I'm sorry to disturb you. "
The village girl stood at the door. There was a hint of disappointment on her face. She did not try to hide it, or rather, she did not know how to hide it. She nodded gently.
"Take your time. Don't come back in after you go out. Don't tell anyone else either."
"Of course."
Xu Buring smiled and stepped over the fence. Facing the setting sun, he walked out. When he passed by the snowman, he turned his head to take a look.
The village girl was still standing at the door of the kitchen. Black Dog was obediently squatting beside her skirt. They were motionless under the yellow sunset.
When she saw him turn around, the village girl raised her hand and waved. It was a sign of farewell.
Xu Buling stood where he was. He tapped the hilt of his sword with his fingers. After thinking for a long time, he said,
"Miss, I really know a sea of flowers. It's more beautiful than here, and there are no outsiders to disturb you. Do you want to live in a different place? If you do, I can take you out. "
The village girl frowned slightly. She looked at the peach blossom forest that had been planted for many years and shook her head. "I'm not going out." She lifted her skirt and went back to the side room. She closed the door and bolted it.
After a long silence, Xu Buling turned around and walked out of the peach blossom forest. He looked back from time to time.
There were three small houses in the farmhouse's courtyard. There was no more movement in the courtyard until it was blocked by the trees.
Xu Buling sighed softly. He felt empty in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.
People in Jianghu might not be free. Most of the time, they had no choice. It was just to survive.
People in Jianghu could also be free and unfettered. They could roam the world and adapt to their circumstances. They could walk when they wanted to and stop when they wanted to.
However, some people were not born in Jianghu. They were destined to be neither.
Xu Buling was good at everything except for the fact that he was born in a royal family. 'Being a hero' was just a dream. In reality, he had the whole world in front of him. Therefore, he could walk when he wanted to, but he could not stop when he wanted to.
Emperors, dukes, nobles, generals, ministers, aristocratic families, and millions of soldiers in the world were all inextricably linked to him. From the moment he was born, it was impossible for him to jump out of this big frame. He didn't even have the chance to stay here for a few more days.
Under the afterglow, Xu Buling walked slowly with his sword. He was getting closer to the edge of the canyon and further away from the peach blossom forest. His surroundings became deserted again.
Twenty fishes, would it be enough …?
Such a girl, living alone in the deep mountains, what if she fell sick …?
She might have a psychological disorder. Hmm … autism. Illness must be treated. I can't just leave her here …
The more he thought about it, the more confused Xu Buling became. He walked to the edge of the canyon and faced the steep stone wall. He stopped.
After hesitating for a long time, Xu Buling turned around and walked into the depths of the peach blossom forest.
Everything he did was done with a clear conscience. The people he met were all people with a clear conscience.
Coincidentally, he met such a lonely girl. He could not just walk away. She might have a psychological disorder, but he did not. Forcibly bringing her out for Jiu Jiu to see was for her own good …
With this thought, Xu Buling quickly passed through the peach blossom forest and approached the small farmhouse filled with peach branches.
However, halfway there, Xu Buling's ears twitched. He suddenly heard someone walking in the forest.
Xu Buling could tell that it was not the footsteps of the village girl. He became vigilant. He held the hilt of his saber and silently moved towards the source of the sound.
Through the dense weeds and trees, he could see a person in martial attire walking slowly in the peach blossom forest. He had a saber on his waist and a basket on his back. He looked like a guard of some family. The basket was filled with needles and thread, grain and oil, and other daily necessities.
Xu Buling frowned slightly and followed the guard silently. He came to the edge of the peach blossom forest filled with saplings. The guard stuck his head out to take a closer look.
In the farmhouse's courtyard, the door of the main house was open. The village girl was sitting next to the loom, weaving seriously. The black puppy seemed to have noticed the guard and tugged at the village girl's skirt.
The village girl quickly stopped what she was doing and quickly ran to the door.
However, after seeing the guard, the village girl looked a little unhappy. She turned around and continued to fiddle with the loom.
When the guard saw her, he gently put down the basket and quietly left the peach blossom forest.
When Xu Buling saw this scene, he guessed that the village girl's family might have found out about the fight outside and sent someone over to see if the village girl was affected.
Since there were family members paying attention and the situation seemed to be of high status, Xu Buling naturally did not want to be nosy.
Xu Buling stood in the depths of the forest and watched the village girl weaving in the house. After the guard left, the village girl stood up and walked out. She picked up the basket on the ground and when she passed by the new snowman outside the peach blossom forest, she even bumped into it with her shoulder and knocked off the snowman's head.
"…"
Xu Buling spread his hands slightly and helplessly looked at her. After watching the village girl disappear from the house, he turned around and walked out of the peach blossom forest without looking back.
…
The sun sank into the mountains and the full moon hung on the branches once again.
Inside the fence, the table and two stools were still placed in the courtyard. There was no sound and a deathly stillness, as if it would not change for hundreds of years.
In the bedroom in the side room, the village girl put the basket on the study table and took out a piece of paper from it. She used a pen and wrote down all the poems she heard today. Then she lay on the clean embroidery bed and stared at the top of the curtain in a daze.
She stayed up late last night and slept for a while during the day, messing up her routine that had not changed for several years. She was supposed to be sleeping, but she could not sleep now.
After lying down for a long time, the village girl suddenly sat up and opened the door. She looked at the small kitchen opposite. There was a pile of firewood behind the stove and the outsider was long gone.
"…"
The village girl stood at the door and thought for a moment. Then she turned around and took out the oil lamp and placed it on the table. Then she ran to the peach blossom forest outside and carried the snow back. She piled it on the stools beside the table. After working for half the night, she made a snowman on the stools.
After that, the village girl placed the wooden bowl and chopsticks that she did not want in front of the snowman. Then she ran back to the house and took out the woven cloth. She used the light of the lamp to cut it.
As for why she did all this, she never thought about it and did not care. Because she did it when she wanted to.
Just like the peach blossom trees outside, when it was time to bloom, the flowers bloomed, and when it was time to fall, the flowers fell. There were no twists and turns in the human heart.
In the winter night, the lamp was like a bean. Snow gradually fell from the sky. The girl was carefully threading her needle and thread in front of the bed.
In the canyon where time did not seem to pass, the snowman sat quietly beside the table.
Although it did not know how to recite poems and it did not know how to fish, at least the snowman did not have any worldly concerns. It also did not run away. As long as it wanted it to stay here, it could stay here forever …
