Qingyang City is located in a long water system, with mountains surrounding it like guardian gods. The people of Qingyang City have spent hundreds of years in peace and stability.
The winter came a little early this year. Heavy snow covered the eaves layer by layer, hanging down crystal ice beads. The whole city looked a little desolate, but in contrast to this desolation were the children running and laughing.
Children shuttled between the caravans, whose flags fluttered in the wind, and whose cars rolled on the snow-covered streets, leaving chaotic traces, which were soon replaced by the children's footprints.
The cold wind made people on the street shiver. Rows of lofts were scattered along the street, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the water system that passed through Qingyang City. The restaurant near the water system was bustling with people, and the shopkeepers greeted the guests who came to drink and warm up. The man who pushed the cart selling buns at the door wrapped his cotton hat on his head and waited for business by the steaming steamer. A group of children were rolling snowballs and playing snowball fights on the street. The naughty boy threw a snowball and hit the man selling buns.
The man was furious and picked up a rolling pin and chased after him.
The children ran away in groups, causing quite a stir on the street. When the man chased them to a corner, he saw several beggars stealing his buns, so he hurriedly turned back with a rolling pin to drive the beggars away. The group of children made faces and ran in another direction along the river bank.
Behind the alley on the east side of the street, there is a big house. In the house lives an old man who doesn't like to communicate with others. Almost every day, the old man sits in the yard and talks to a pear tree. Neighbors think he has mental problems. In order to keep their children away from him, many parents spread a rumor that the old man who lives in the house is a man-eating monster.
The rumor spread throughout Qingyang City, and no one, whether adults or children, liked to pass by there. Over time, the house became desolate, and the courtyard was in ruins.
The children who loved running around the street stopped outside the backyard door. Heavy snow piled up on the door. Geckos crawled out from the cracks in the wall and climbed up the dark gray wooden door.
The little boy, whose face was red from the cold, got excited when he saw the gecko. He put his hands on the door and tried to catch the gecko. But this action was quite powerful under the push of the cold wind, and the gate of the yard was pushed open with a creak. Snowflakes mixed with white petals flew everywhere, which was incredibly beautiful.
There was a big bare tree in the yard, covered with snowflakes, and its original color could no longer be seen. Under the tree were some flower stems, which were blown up by the cold wind and fell on the old man sitting under the tree.
The children stepped into the yard carefully. Under the tree, an old man was sleeping soundly in a rattan chair covered with fox fur. His hair was as white as snowflakes, and the wrinkles on his face were like the mottled wall outside the yard. There was a faint smile on his lips, as if he didn't want to wake up from the beautiful dream.
The children took advantage of the old man's sleep and started a snowball fight in the yard. The old man was awakened by the children's laughter. His eyelids moved slightly and he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the face of a young girl. Her eyes were shining with tears. Seeing that he was awake, she hurriedly shouted: "The old monster is awake, everyone run!"
When the children heard the girl's voice, they ran out of the yard quickly. The girl who was assigned to watch over the old man was about to leave when her trouser legs were caught by a rattan chair and she fell to the snow. The girl, abandoned by her companions, sat on the ground and cried loudly, shouting "Don't eat me". The old man sneered and stood up to help her up.
"The old monster doesn't like to eat children." The old man rubbed the girl's head, took her hand and walked her out of the yard.
The girl stood at the door and smiled at the old man. His beautiful robe and gray hair fluttered, giving him a Taoist and immortal look. After the old man closed the gate to the yard, the girl's friends came from all directions to pick her up.
Later, the girl would run to the old man's yard whenever she had time. The old man would give her some very fragrant flower buns, and she would bring the old man some delicious food. Gradually, the children who played with the girl were no longer afraid of the old man, and they would follow the girl to play in the old man's yard. The old man would occasionally tell them stories, and they found that the old man was not as scary as people said outside.
Winter gradually passed, the snow melted, and the big tree in front of the yard grew new branches and leaves. In late March, the pear tree bloomed with many white flowers, and the children squatted under the tree to pick up the petals. The girl sat next to the old man's rattan chair and saw him staring at the pear tree intently.
"How old are you this year?" The old man suddenly looked at the girl.
The girl raised her fingers and began to count her age, finally holding up four fingers.
"I also had a four-year-old daughter, who was as cute as you." The old man recalled the past, and the light in his eyes disappeared in an instant, turning into darkness, "but she went to a place far, far away."
"Why did she go to such a far place? If she went so far and you couldn't find her, you must be very anxious, right?" The little girl blinked her innocent eyes, but the old man smiled calmly and said, "I will also go to that far place soon."
"Is that place farther than the capital?"
"Farther than anywhere else."
"How do you get there, it's so far?"
"You'll know when you grow up."
“But I’m still a long way from growing up.”
"Not far, just a snap of the fingers."
“…”
"Let me tell you a story." Seeing that the girl didn't know what to say, the old man shifted his gaze and continued to look at the pear tree, where the pear blossoms were falling. It was as if he had returned to the day when the story began. "Many years ago, Qingyang City was a place with many escort agencies. This mansion was also a large escort agency. At that time..."