Chapter 1, parting from you forever
Unexpectedly, as a strange whirlwind swept through the air, Xu Haoyue felt a wave of dizziness in his mind and fainted.
At this moment, the sky was brightening, and Xu Haoyue woke up. At first glance, she realized that the forest she was in was definitely not the one on Cangshan Mountain. Surrounding her were mulberry trees, planted at very regular intervals, indicating that they were artificially cultivated. Are mulberry trees also grown on Cangshan Mountain?
At this moment, Xu Haoyue's mind was consumed by a single thought: to find the wallet. She could not hear a word of the old farmer's advice, as she lowered her head and meticulously retraced her steps, silently repeating to herself, "Calm down, calm down... you must help me find the group photo. I will be heartbroken if I cannot see you..."
Xu Haoyue stood up in a daze, and upon looking down, he discovered that his clothes and pants were all torn. He was unsure whether they had been ripped by branches when he fell off the cliff. The fact that he had tumbled down the mountain yet remained unscathed surprised him. Suddenly, he was startled and quickly touched his neck. Looking down, he was relieved to find that the paired lotus fragrance pouch was still there, with the paired lotuses on it looking delicate and tender, which eased Xu Haoyue's mind.
Xu Haoyue could not find her wallet. While the money inside was of little consequence, the photo with Liu Jingru was extremely precious. In her panic, she paid no attention to the old farmer's words and hurriedly turned around to retrace her steps meticulously.
Upon learning of her illness, Liu Jingru underwent a drastic change in temperament, arguing with Xu Haoyue over trivial matters every day. Even her family, who had rushed over to care for her, could not bear to see this and urged her, "Haoyue is a rare good man; Jingru, you cannot treat him this way." Liu Jingru, with tears in her eyes, replied, "It is precisely because he is so good that I cannot burden him with this illness. There are plenty of good women; he should leave me and find his own happiness." Hearing these words outside the hospital room, Xu Haoyue could not help but be overwhelmed with tears. He rushed into the room and tightly embraced Liu Jingru, saying, "I will not leave you, never!" This simple and sincere statement caused the walls around Liu Jingru's heart to collapse, and the two held each other tightly in the hospital room.
The old farmer, seeing that he did not leave but instead walked towards his mulberry grove, hurriedly called out: "Young man, you cannot go over there; there are patrol officers and soldiers guarding the fields!"
"Young man, what are you calling?" The old farmer spoke in the local dialect of Jianghuai, which Xu Haoyue understood. Seeing that it was not Liu Jingru who had come out, he felt a wave of disappointment. The old farmer's attire was peculiar, and Xu Haoyue thought it might be a custom from Dali. He stepped forward politely and asked, "Old sir, have you seen this girl?"
Liu Jingru was buried in her hometown, a place of beautiful scenery, picturesque mountains and rivers, serene and tranquil. Her grave is surrounded by mulberry trees, each slender and graceful tree reminiscent of Liu Jingru's swaying figure, evoking fond memories and deep sorrow. After guarding Liu Jingru's grave for one hundred days, Xu Haoyue, carrying the paired lotus sachet given by Liu Jingru and with his travel bag on his back, embarked on his journey through the famous mountains and rivers, determined to fulfill Liu Jingru's wish.
A few days later, the day of separation finally arrived. Liu Jingru peacefully and quietly left this world in Xu Haoyue's embrace. Before departing, she left a final message: "Haoyue, remember we once said we would travel across the famous mountains and rivers of China together. Now I cannot go myself, but this sachet contains a lock of my hair. Take it with you, as if I am by your side. I want you to do one last thing for me: take me with you to explore the great rivers and mountains of China." Xu Haoyue accepted the sachet with tears in his eyes. The sachet was embroidered with a pair of intertwined *lotus flowers*, and it bore the characters for Xu and Liu, representing Xu Haoyue and Liu Jingru. This was crafted by Liu Jingru out of boredom during her illness.
Xu Haoyue intended to take out his wallet, and indeed found a photo of himself and Liu Jingru inside. Unexpectedly, as he reached into his pants pocket, he came up empty; his pants had been torn, leaving a large hole, and the wallet was nowhere to be found
Liu Jingru was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. After six months of treatment in the hospital, a suitable bone marrow match had still not been found. Xu Haoyue watched as Liu Jingru grew thinner day by day, feeling as if his heart were being cut by a knife. Five months ago, Liu Jingru's condition deteriorated rapidly, accompanied by severe renal failure, and the hospital issued several critical condition notices. Upon learning of her condition, Xu Haoyue said nothing but returned to the ward to propose to Liu Jingru. She understood that he wanted her to leave this world with happiness and without regrets. Five months ago, Liu Jingru's condition deteriorated rapidly, accompanied by severe renal failure, and the hospital issued several critical condition notices. Upon learning of her condition, Xu Haoyue said nothing but returned to the ward to propose to Liu Jingru. She understood that he wanted her to leave this world with happiness and without regrets
The first rays of the morning sun broke through the clouds, bringing light back to the earth. Amidst the thin morning mist, a clear chirping of birds echoed through the lush mulberry grove. Xu Haoyue gently opened his sore eyes, his gaze blankly fixed on the unfamiliar mulberry trees. His first thought was, how did I end up here? He slightly moved his body, but no intense pain came as he had imagined; however, the soreness and numbness in his body made him let out a soft groan. Struggling to sit up straight, Xu Haoyue felt around his body; all his limbs were intact, and there were no injuries. Slowly returning to the present, a deep sorrow filled Xu Haoyue's heart, accompanied by an inexplicable pang of sadness that filled his chest, making him want to cry out loudly to the sky.
Under the urging of Liu Jingru, Xu Haoyue agreed to her request. He truly intended to commit suicide after Liu Jingru's death, to accompany her to the underworld. Unexpectedly, Liu Jingru, with her exceptional character, discerned his intentions and made this request. As a result, Xu Haoyue could not take his own life and could only spend his entire life fulfilling Liu Jingru's wish. Looking at Liu Jingru's pale and emaciated face, she murmured her favorite poem, "The Ten Commandments of Love": "The best is to never meet, so one can avoid falling in love. The second best is to never know, so one can avoid longing. But once we meet, we come to know; how does meeting compare to not meeting? How can I part with you, to avoid love that transcends life and death..." As Liu Jingru recited this, her breath became faint, her face wore a serene smile, and she slowly departed from this world. Xu Haoyue broke down in tears, his mind swirling with a single thought: why must such a wonderful girl not live a long life?
"Jingru, Jingru, why have you come without taking me with you? Where is this place? Is it where you reside after your passing?" Xu Haoyue muttered to himself, and when he mentioned the place where one resides after death, his eyes lit up: "Indeed, this must be where Jingru lives; doesn't her grave have many mulberry trees nearby? It must be so; this is the place where Jingru resides after her passing. Jingru has finally not been able to let go of me and has brought me here!" Xu Haoyue joyfully shouted: "Jingru! Jingru! Where are you? I have come, Jingru!" It must be so; this is the place where Jingru resides after her passing. Jingru has finally not been able to let go of me and has brought me here!" Xu Haoyue joyfully shouted: "Jingru! Jingru! Where are you? I have come, Jingru!"
Following the original path back to the place where he had regained consciousness, Xu Haoyue carefully crouched on the ground, rummaging through the bushes and grass. Within a radius of more than ten meters, he searched thoroughly, but there was no sign of a wallet. While he was meticulously searching the ground, a sudden flash of cold light caught his eye; a gleaming large knife was blocking his way. Xu Haoyue was startled and looked up, only to find two soldiers dressed in ancient leather armor glaring menacingly at him.
Xu Haoyue is just an ordinary worker, serving as a warehouse supervisor at a freight company. His salary is neither high nor low. He has a laid-back personality and enjoys reading books and browsing the internet, particularly fond of historical literature. At the age of twenty-four, like many young men, he hopes to find a beloved girl and cherish her for a lifetime.
In this way, with tears in her eyes, Liu Jingru smiled with happiness as she put on the diamond ring that Xu Haoyue had borrowed money to buy. The Liu family, along with the patients and nurses in the ward, were moved by the couple, helping to decorate the room with flowers. The room was filled with white paper roses alongside the pristine white sheets, as the pair of lovers, soon to be separated, held a simple wedding ceremony. When Xu Haoyue embraced Liu Jingru, a blush finally appeared on her pale face due to shyness. "Jingru, I will be by your side for a lifetime, never to part!" Regarding Xu Haoyue's infatuation, Liu Jingru felt a sense of fear. She did not see the pain of impending separation in Xu Haoyue's eyes; instead, they were filled with a sense of relief and satisfaction. In that moment, Liu Jingru's heart sank. Did he intend to wait until after her passing to follow her in death?
Three years ago, Liu Jingru entered his world. Like him, Liu Jingru worked at a freight company and was lively and energetic. When she first arrived, she worked as a warehouse clerk under Xu Haoyue. She was bright and charming, with a cheerful and outgoing personality. She often liked to pester Xu Haoyue with questions about work and frequently inquired about his well-being, which made Xu Haoyue, who had never been in a romantic relationship, feel a kind of feminine tenderness he had never experienced before. He fell deeply in love with Liu Jingru, and she accepted this somewhat shy young man.
Last night, he arrived at the famous Cangshan Mountain in Dali, camping by the clear stream of Cangshan. By midnight, he was unable to sleep due to his longing for Liu Jingru. He got up and left the tent, and at that moment, it was already November, with white snow covering the ground of Cangshan. A dim, cold moon hung at the edge of the dark sky. Xu Haoyue let out a long breath, and amidst the mist, he vaguely saw a white figure, ethereal as smoke, swaying by the edge of a cliff not far away. That figure seemed to be Liu Jingru. Xu Haoyue shouted and hurriedly chased after it, but unexpectedly, his foot slipped on the accumulated snow, and he fell off the cliff. In the moment of falling, Xu Haoyue slowly closed his eyes. He did not feel a trace of fear; instead, he felt a sense of comfort. It was Jingru calling for him. She was very lonely down there, so she wanted him to accompany her. It must be so, it must be so!
Three years of love had made Xu Haoyue feel as if he were on cloud nine, eagerly waiting to save enough money to buy a small house and live with Liu Jingru in harmony. However, an unexpected turn of events changed the fate of both him and Liu Jingru. Last summer, while at work, Liu Jingru suddenly fainted, and upon examination at the hospital, it was discovered that she had been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Xu Haoyue was terrified and immediately took out all his savings for Liu Jingru's treatment, staying by her bedside day and night, unwavering in his support for her.
As Xu Haoyue walked while calling out in the mulberry grove, he soon emerged from the grove and found before him a thatched cottage with a roof covered in green grass. Just then, an old farmer appeared beside the cottage, dressed in a coarse cloth short jacket, with his hair tied up in a bun. This attire resembled that of a peasant from ancient times.
You young man, your attire is strange, and your accent is not from around here. Are you perhaps a spy from the Central Plains?" The old farmer furrowed his brow as he scrutinized Xu Haoyue. Noticing his anxious expression but unable to produce anything to show him, he said, "Do not try to deceive me with tales of searching for someone. You should leave quickly; there are officials patrolling the fields here. If you are discovered, I will also face punishment.