schlechte Samen

Kapitel 32

Master Huiming said, "I have also been waiting here for three years. Taking today as the final day, it can be said that—all that has passed is like yesterday's death, and all that is to come is like today's birth. Young lady, rest assured!"

"What should we do?" Xia Tian looked up.

"Although the malevolent energy of the heart is extremely powerful, the boundless compassion and empathy of Buddhism can still dissolve it. Years ago, I tried to enlighten that young man to see through the illusions of the world, but to no avail. So I instructed him to give that handwritten edict to his most beloved person for safekeeping. The last two lines of this poem are kept here with me. The day the poem is completed will also be the day the malevolent energy of the heart is dissolved. Now that you have come, this old monk will certainly help you." Master Huiming glanced at Xia Tian and continued, "Please come with me."

Xia Tian stood up in bewilderment. She looked helplessly at Zhou Yifeng and Yan Hao. Zhou Yifeng nodded to her: "Go! We'll wait for you!"

As the sun sets, the distant mountains stand majestically. The Basic Medical Sciences Department building, located in the heart of the medical university's teaching area, is now edged with gold. Every window reflects a shimmering, golden light, making Yan Hao's eyes sting and feel swollen.

Yan Hao used to feel extremely annoyed whenever he heard that classes would be held in this building. He would usually avoid it as much as possible. But today, it seemed unusually beautiful, and he didn't find it particularly scary—of course, perhaps it was because Xia Tian and Zhou Yifeng were with him.

The three of them entered the building and stopped at the iron gate in front of the anatomy classroom. Xia Tian said softly, "I got the key from Teacher Meng Qiu. I know him quite well. Let's do it tonight... while everyone's celebrating. The teachers have to go back to work tomorrow." Zhou Yifeng and Yan Hao nodded in unison, especially Yan Hao, whose face was beaming with joy.

After the three finished speaking, they continued upstairs to the second floor. They were going to have a meeting in Xia Tian's office to discuss their actions for the evening.

And tonight happens to be the Lantern Festival. So Yan Hao couldn't help but blurt out at the corner of the stairs, "Teacher Xia, today should be Chinese Valentine's Day. It's also called Shangyuan Day, a day for young men and women to go on dates." Ignoring Zhou Yifeng's glare, Yan Hao continued his rambling, "Haven't you heard, 'The moon rises above the willow branches, and lovers meet after dusk'? That refers to..." Suddenly, Xia Tian raised her index finger in a shushing gesture. Yan Hao immediately fell silent.

"Professor Luo is here," Xia Tian said in a low voice.

Yan Hao's expression changed drastically. When he went home for winter break, his father mentioned that Professor Luo was his classmate in college. He talked about how she later went to America and what happened to her, and specifically instructed Yan Hao to visit her at school to wish her a Happy New Year—Yan Hao thought, "I'd rather die than see that old maid."

"No, I'm leaving." Yan Hao turned to slip away.

“Come back!” Xia Tian said. “I was just kidding you. Who told you to talk nonsense! You guys are so romantic, you celebrate Valentine’s Day twice.”

Yan Hao made a face and darted up the stairs first.

The green hills are faintly visible, and spring is approaching in Jiangnan. The full moon in the indigo sky is like a flawless piece of white jade.

On the Lantern Festival, the streets were teeming with people, and the lights were dim. Only the Basic Medical Sciences Department building was calm and peaceful, with fireworks rising in the distance and the air filled with the smell of sulfur. As agreed, and arranged by Master Huiming, Zhou Yifeng, Xia Tian, and Yan Hao arrived at the Basic Medical Sciences Department building at 11 p.m. sharp.

Yan Hao now held two bouquets of vibrant roses. One was white, the other red. There were exactly nineteen roses in each bouquet.

"Why did you buy this?" Xia Tian asked, her face full of surprise.

"The red one is a gift from Brother Boyu to you. The white one is a gift from you to Brother Boyu. It's to send him off." Yan Hao said this in a tone that sounded quite like an adult.

Zhou Yifeng smiled. "Let's buy it! We're young! Besides, it's a holiday today!" Then he waved a bag in his hand, "Look, I've prepared the incense and candles that Teacher Xia wanted."

Xia Tian smiled sheepishly, then turned and went up the steps first.

The iron gate opened, revealing a long, dark corridor. Zhou Yifeng led the way, followed by Xia Tian, with Yan Hao bringing up the rear, as the three filed in. Zhou Yifeng flipped on a light switch, instantly illuminating the corridor.

Zhou Yifeng led them directly to Specimen Laboratory No. 3.

They stood in silence for a minute in front of the number 9 corpse pool. Then, the three of them together lifted the lid of the corpse pool with all their might.

The bright moon, as white as frost, cast shimmering reflections on the pond, creating a scene like a dream.

Zhou Yifeng took out the latex gloves he had prepared beforehand. After everyone was put on, Xia Tian said in a low voice, "Let's begin!"

They slowly lifted the body up. All three were extremely careful, as if afraid of bumping into it. A plastic tag was still tied to the body's wrist, which read "M9967".

They carefully placed it on a trolley, which was then slowly pushed towards the specimen preparation room.

Finally, they carefully placed it on the electric hydraulic dissection table near the door.

Everything went smoothly, and Yan Hao didn't find it particularly scary—unlike the first time he sneaked into the specimen preparation room, when he was terrified just by touching it—on the contrary, at this moment, all that welled up in his heart was respect for the dead and remembrance of the departed lives.

Everyone wore solemn expressions. Everything proceeded in silence.

Summer struck a match and lit the candles herself—nineteen white candles, each casting a gentle glow in her hands. She carefully placed each lit candle on the edge of the dissection table—from one, to two…five, six…ten…and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

The candlelight illuminated his face, Jiang Boyu's face—this handsome face was exactly the same as it had been three years ago.

Jiang Boyu lay peacefully in the candlelight, nineteen white candles surrounding him—symbolizing his short nineteen years of life. Six eyes were moist, and suddenly Yan Hao began humming "Love Never Stops"—"If love isn't forever, who cares about this minute or this second? Love never stops letting you know that the next second will bring a smile of blessing."—As he sang, tears streamed from Yan Hao's eyes. They were tears of sympathy, and tears of emotion. This boy, who had been in love for many years, experienced for the first time the greatness and true meaning of love—love is selfless giving, love is unwavering waiting, and love is selfless blessing!

"I don't need imagined tenderness, I just want love to no longer be helpless and alone. I will slowly grow old in the wind, so let love continue, burning like a flame"—Summer and Zhou Yifeng softly sang along with Yan Hao. In the song, Summer, with trembling hands, took the bouquet of bright red roses and placed it on Jiang Boyu's chest. Every petal opened its petals, and the rich fragrance gently filled the room—on Jiang Boyu's chest, it was as if an incomparably dazzling flame had been ignited!

"Boyu, rest in peace... As long as you are happy..." Xia Tian murmured. In her hand, three sticks of sandalwood incense burned, the smoke curling upwards, carrying a delicate fragrance.

The moon is like water, time is like water, and so is this endless longing and sorrow. It flows slowly, so gently, through everyone's heart.

Suddenly, Zhou Yifeng knelt down with a thud. "Child, it was my fault...it was my fault...I, I'll explain everything tomorrow," Yan Hao and Xia Tian stared at him in shock, at a loss for what to do. "Go...go without worry. Trust me..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yifeng burst into tears like a child.

Yan Hao helped him up, but didn't know how to comfort the old professor. Xia Tian also didn't know how to ask questions. Only Zhou Yifeng knew that tomorrow he would take the 30,000 yuan to where he was supposed to go.

Only today did Zhou Yifeng's heart finally find peace—isn't the point of living to find inner peace? Zhou Yifeng recalled a line he had read in a Buddhist book many years ago: "With no hindrance in the mind, there is no fear." His tears were for Jiang Boyu, but perhaps they were also for himself?

All three seemed lost in thought. Yan Hao suddenly understood Master Huiming's words—only boundless compassion and universal empathy could dissolve this inner turmoil. And this compassion was actually deeply hidden in everyone's heart. True love is about loving one person, then loving those around you, loving the world, loving everything… As he thought this, the candlelight suddenly brightened considerably, and the flames rose higher. The room was filled with radiant light, and the scents of roses and sandalwood lingered in the air.

Yan Hao only hoped that this peace and this feeling of being touched could last longer, longer, and even longer... Yan Hao also thought that he would not give up on Xiao Hui'er, he would not, absolutely not!

Summer slowly took the two yellowed handwritten letters from her pocket. Following Master Huiming's instructions, she lit them by the candlelight…

At that moment, the clock on the wall pointed exactly to twelve o'clock.

Tomorrow will be another new day...

...

It was a bright red heart. But it was no longer beating. It looked as if it had just stopped working.

This ancient corpse, which had been submerged in the morgue for over three years, surprisingly possessed a fresh heart! Zheng Dazhi's scalpel was covered in gushing blood. The blood didn't spurt out, but rather flowed out slowly, like tears welling up in someone in extreme pain.

In just a short while, Zheng Dazhi's latex gloves, the scalpel blade, and the dissection table were all covered in bright red blood.

Zheng Dazhi looked exactly like an executioner on an execution ground. His hand went limp, and the silver hilt of the knife slowly, very slowly, fell onto the cement floor of the specimen preparation room with a crisp clang.

The sun had now fully risen, completely enveloping the bright red heart and the handsome face to which the corpse belonged.

Almost at the same time that Zheng Dazhi dissected the heart, Teacher Xia Tian received a call from the hospital emergency room.

When she arrived at the emergency room, panting, Lei Ming had already been taken to the resuscitation room.

"Xiaoxia, what happened?" Xia Tian asked. Qian Xiaoxia, a former classmate, happened to be the doctor on duty.

"It might be autoimmune hemolytic anemia... That's strange, Xia Tian. Lei Ming has a history of blood transfusions, but a crossmatch was done during the last transfusion!"

"Yes, the student who donated blood was type O in the ABO system, with Rh-negative blood. Exactly the same as Lei Ming's! Will there be a hemolytic reaction?!" Xia Tian was a little confused.

"Really? Even if it's hemolysis, how could it take two months to appear? That's strange!" Qian Xiaoxia muttered under her breath. He looked up and saw Xia Tian standing there, stunned and speechless. "You, are you scared out of your wits? Don't worry, thankfully there's spare blood in the blood bank. It's probably nothing serious."

“I understand… He’s really gone… Gone…” Summer’s tears slowly seeped from the corners of her eyes.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who left? Lei Ming is fine, he won't..." Qian Xiaoxia was still impatient, shaking her old classmate's shoulder vigorously as she spoke.

The morning bell tolled melodiously. A series of deep, resonant tones echoed through the pagoda forest behind Yungu Temple, startling several thrushes into flight.

Stepping into the Tower Forest amidst the tolling bells and the fallen leaves of yesteryear, summer gradually unfolds.

She came to report to Master Huiming. She also accompanied Leiming, who had just recovered, out for a stroll. After letting Leiming rest in the Mahavira Hall for a while, she came alone.

In front of Huiyue's pagoda, Master Huiming stood with his hands clasped together and his head bowed.

Summer stopped three steps away from Master Huiming.

The air in the Pagoda Forest was shrouded in mist, making it exceptionally fresh.

"Junior sister, we meet again." Master Huiming said without turning around.

Summer showed no surprise. Perhaps, from the moment she stepped into Tallinn, she was no longer Summer.

"Amitabha! Greetings, Senior Brother!" The voice was aged yet kind, and though it came from Xia Tian, it seemed to have traveled through time. "Many years have passed. Has your cultivation progressed, Senior Brother?"

Master Huiming then slowly turned around and looked steadily at Xia Tian. "I have never dared to be lazy or unmotivated for even a day! You have also worked hard. You vow to liberate all sentient beings and attain supreme Buddhahood. You should learn from me, your junior sister!"

"Unfortunately, even though I transformed myself into a woman by his side, I still couldn't save him from the torment of heartbreak! One must be extremely careful when it comes to love."

"That woman with the character 'red' in her name has done more than enough, repeatedly offering guidance and help in secret. Even so, that young man remains devoted, which is truly admirable considering your painstaking efforts!"

"Truth and falsehood are not indistinguishable. It's just that people don't realize that everything in this world is merely a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror! When it's time to let go, countless attachments remain, and what can they do to me then?"

"In short... the three-year period is over, the Heart-Soul Killing is gone, and he can finally find his place. But... Junior Sister, according to what you said before you died, the destiny of the Heart-Soul Killing is destined to be borne by three people. Besides you and that young man, who else is there? I have been waiting all this time."

"Senior brother, do you still remember that imperial edict?"

Master Huiming nodded slowly.

"Why don't you recite it backwards!"

"Oh? Is that so? My wisdom is indeed inferior to my junior sister's!" Master Huiming's face flushed slightly. "Homesickness stretches far beyond the tower, rain falls on the heart, seeping through three layers. Junior sister, is that right?"

Xia Tian nodded. He then loudly continued, picking up where Master Huiming left off. "A person stands still on the boat, white sandpipers glide by; autumn frost soaks the grass, bringing sorrow. Brother, what two characters do the second and third lines combine to form?"

"Thunder?"

"So, I can't leave yet, Senior Brother! I hope this time we can help him escape the fate of the Heart Demon..."

As they were talking, a young monk hurried to Master Huiming's side. "Abbot, another person seeking an interpretation of their fortune has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Master Huiming's expression changed slightly. He clasped his hands together and said, "Junior Sister, farewell! This old monk will take his leave now!"

Summer remained silent, her expression a mixture of sorrow and solemnity...

In the morning light, she stood alone, facing the distant mountains, gazing at the rising sun, at the bustling world below, and at the city that was gradually awakening...