Prologue

Winter is gradually coming to an end, the heavy snow is melting, and the large tree in front of the courtyard has sprouted new branches and leaves. In late March, the pear tree blossomed with many white flowers, and the children squatted under the tree picking petals. A young girl sat beside the elderly man's wicker chair, noticing him intently gazing at the pear tree.

Not far, in the blink of an eye

The children heard the voice of a girl and quickly ran out of the yard. The girl who had been assigned to watch over the elderly was about to leave when her pant leg got caught on a rocking chair, causing her to fall into the snow. Abandoned by her companions, the girl sat on the ground, crying loudly and shouting, "Don't eat me." The elderly man scoffed, got up, and helped her up.

How will you go that far

The children cautiously stepped into the yard, where an old man under the tree was covered with a fox fur coat, sitting in a rocking chair and soundly asleep. The old man's hair was as white as snow, and the wrinkles on his face resembled the mottled wall outside the yard. A faint smile lingered on his lips, as if he were reluctant to awaken from a beautiful dream.

The winter of this year arrived somewhat early, with heavy snow layering upon the eaves, icicles hanging down like sparkling beads of ice. The entire city appeared somewhat desolate, contrasting sharply with the laughter and running of the children.

The young girl stood at the door, watching the old man with a smile. His beautiful robe and flowing gray hair gave him an ethereal presence. After the old man closed the gate to the yard, the young girl's friends came running from various directions to take her away.

The man, in a fit of rage, picked up the rolling pin and chased after him

Behind the alley on East Side Street stands a large mansion, where an elderly man who is not fond of socializing resides. The old man almost daily sits in the yard conversing with a pear tree, leading the neighbors to believe that he has mental issues. Many parents, in an effort to keep their children away from him, spread a rumor that a man-eating monster lives inside.

farther than any other place

The children took advantage of the old man's slumber to engage in a snowball fight in the yard. The old man was awakened by the children's laughter; his eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the face of a young girl, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Upon noticing that he was awake, she hurriedly shouted, "The old monster is awake, everyone run!"

"How old are you this year?" The old man suddenly looked at the little girl

"I once had a four-year-old daughter, just as lovely as you," the old man reminisced, the light in his eyes fleeting, turning into a somber expression. "But she went to a very, very far place"

However, I am still far from growing up

Is that place farther than the capital city

The old monster does not like to eat children. The old man rubbed the girl's head, took her hand, and led her out of the yard

You will understand when you grow up

Later on, whenever the young girl had free time, she would run to the old man's yard. The old man would give her some fragrant flower bundles, and she would bring him some treats to eat. Gradually, the other children who played with the young girl also stopped being afraid of the old man; they would follow her to play in the old man's yard. Occasionally, the old man would tell them stories, and they discovered that he was not as frightening as people said outside.

The little boy with a rosy face, frozen from the cold, became excited upon seeing the gecko. He pressed his hands against the door, wanting to catch the gecko. However, this action, propelled by the cold wind, had considerable force, and the courtyard gate creaked open. Snowflakes mixed with white petals swirled around, creating an extraordinarily beautiful scene

In the yard stands a bare large tree, covered in snowflakes, obscuring its original color. Beneath the tree lies some dried flowers, which the cold wind has swept up, landing on the elderly man sitting underneath the tree

The cold wind howled, causing the people on the street to shiver all over. The closely packed attics lined the street, and a thin layer of ice had formed over the waterways of Qingyang City. Inside the bustling tavern near the waterways, the sounds of patrons enjoying drinks to warm themselves filled the air. A man selling buns at the entrance, pushing a cart, wrapped his cotton hat tighter around his head, guarding the steaming steamer as he awaited customers. A group of children rolled snowballs and engaged in snowball fights on the street, and a mischievous boy threw a snowball that hit the man selling buns right on target. The man selling buns at the entrance, pushing a cart, wrapped his cotton hat tighter around his head, guarding the steaming steamer as he awaited customers. A group of children rolled snowballs and engaged in snowball fights on the street, and a mischievous boy threw a snowball that hit the man selling buns right on target.

Qingyang City is situated within an extensive water system, with the mountains standing like guardians around it. The people of Qingyang City have thus peacefully passed through hundreds of springs and autumns

Children weave among the passing caravans, the banners of the caravans fluttering in the wind, while the wheels roll over the snow-covered streets, leaving behind a chaotic trail. These traces are soon replaced by the footprints of the children

The girl raised her finger to begin counting her age, ultimately holding up four fingers.

Why does she have to go to such a distant place? With her gone so far, you must be quite anxious since you can't find her, right? The little girl blinked her innocent eyes, but the old man smiled lightly and said, "I will soon go to that distant place as well"

A group of children fled in unison, causing quite a stir on the street. When the man reached the corner, he found several beggars stealing his steamed buns, prompting him to hurriedly turn back with a rolling pin to chase them away. The group of children made faces as they ran towards another direction along the riverbank

Rumors spread throughout Qingyang City, and both adults and children avoid passing by that place. Over time, the residence became desolate, and the courtyard was in a state of disrepair.

Let me tell you a story. The old man noticed that the girl did not know how to respond, so he shifted his gaze. He continued to look at the pear tree, where the pear blossoms fell gently, as if returning to the day when the story first began. Many years ago, Qingyang City was a place with many escort agencies. This large residence was once a significant escort agency, back then ... ...

... ...

The children who love to run in the streets stopped outside the backyard door, where heavy snow had accumulated on the door, and a gecko emerged from the cracks in the wall, climbing up the deep gray wooden door