Guanyin's Tears

one

From a distance, the ancient city of C looks like a forest, with lush green trees and winding paths everywhere.

Ningzhong University is located in the suburbs of City C. Many internationally renowned biology experts graduated from its biology department, which makes Ningzhong University famous throughout the country. Being admitted to the biology department of this university is a great honor.

To the east of the campus are the dormitory buildings, with large flowerbeds lying in front of and behind each building. These flowerbeds are planted with lush green turf, roses, weeping locust trees, magnolias, wisteria, and various other flowers. After spring, all kinds of flowers in every color and size, red, white, blue, and purple, bloom in a dazzling display, like waves of blossoms. Around each flowerbed are exquisite stone tables and benches, where couples often sit on them when the sky is clear and the moon is full.

Male students in the Biology Department live on the East 5th floor, while female students in the Biology Department live on the East 11th floor.

Since the freshmen of the Biology Department in 1996 moved into Building 5 of the East Campus, Zhu Zhi has always noticed a faint cloud of mist above the flower bed in front of the dormitory building. Although it has no evil aura, it is definitely not a good omen, because on rainy days, one can see the resentment emanating from the mist.

Zhu Zhi had investigated and found no source nearby, but judging from its location, the source shouldn't be far. From a Feng Shui perspective, different floors have different orientations; the saying "the house's energy shifts with each room" illustrates that the energy of a building changes once the inhabitants are different. Among the freshmen of the Class of '96, there must have been individuals whose energy nourished this "cloud of mist," which has grown slowly with the help of this energy. More than a year has passed, and the mist seems to be getting thicker.

Saturday was a sunny and refreshing day. Golden sunlight slanted across the flowerbeds between the dormitory buildings. Dewdrops from the previous night clung to the petals of the blooming roses and hibiscus. A gentle, cool breeze caressed the scene. The sky was a clear, crystalline blue. It was a beautiful morning, much like Zhang Li's mood at that moment.

Because he had a date with his beloved girl, Liyan, Zhang Li deliberately dressed up today: white sneakers, light blue jeans, and a white T-shirt—simple yet stylish! Just like Zhang Li himself. He quickly arrived at the bottom of Building 11, East Wing.

Chen Jie was standing on the balcony looking at the flower bed. Lately, every morning, she could vaguely see a woman in ancient costume under the wisteria vine in the center of the flower bed. But when she looked more closely, she could no longer see anything. Although it was strange, she did not tell anyone. She absolutely did not believe in the existence of anything anti-scientific except life itself!

Today, she saw that woman in ancient costume again. She stood in the shadows of the bamboo grove, seemingly there and not there, like a ghost, a light and fleeting ghost! When Chen Jie tried to look more closely, as usual, she couldn't see anything. Just as she was wondering, she saw Zhang Li standing downstairs and turned to Li Yan, who was getting ready, and smiled, "Hey! Li Yan, your handsome guy is downstairs!"

Liyan rushed to the balcony while combing her hair: "Honestly, we agreed on 8:30, it's only 8:15 now, why are you here so early!"

Wen Xin, lying on the top bunk, tilted her head and said, "You rascal, people came early to wait for you, and you still scold them! Didn't you get up at 7:30 too?..."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going downstairs." Liyan chuckled and ran out, leaving Wenxin, who was still nagging, behind.

"What are you looking at there every morning?! Let's go downstairs, it's time for breakfast," Wenxin called out to Chen Jie, who was standing on the balcony.

Liyan's appearance stirred Zhang Li's heart: Today she was wearing a white silk-trimmed top, a red short skirt with a white belt around her waist, and white short leather boots; her medium-length hair fell naturally on both sides, and beneath her slightly thick, arched eyebrows, her eyes were smiling directly at him... She was just like a pure dewdrop!

Seeing Zhang Li staring intently at her, Li Yan felt a mix of sweetness and shyness: "What are you looking at, you pighead?"

"You pighead's looking at a pretty girl!" Zhang Li laughed, but still stared into Li Yan's eyes. Her black eyes were always so clear and playful! Like two stars immersed in a deep, black pool, they shone with a dreamlike light, making people unconsciously fall into them.

Reaching out, Zhang Li naturally and as if he had been planning this all along, he took Li Yan's hand: "Look, the weather is really nice today."

Suddenly, a large hand grasped hers, and Liyan could almost hear her own heartbeat. Following Zhang Li's gaze, she saw a few wispy clouds drifting slowly across the clear blue sky. Sunlight cast soft shadows of the clouds onto the grass. Under such a sky, amidst such green grass, with such a boy, Liyan felt a deep sense of happiness.

"Hey Pighead Li, Wang Hongbing from your dorm is really introverted! I always see him coming and going alone." Liyan started a conversation.

"Oh, him! He's like that." Zhang Li shook his head. "His family isn't well-off. You should talk to Chen Jie and suggest she help Wang Hongbing apply for a work-study position at the school. That's what the Youth League branch secretary should do!"

“You don’t need to tell me, Chen Jie already thought of that. You guys should help him more. I often see him buying steamed buns outside the school. He’s about your height, right? How can his body take eating steamed buns every day?” Liyan replied.

“I’ll do my best to help him. Let’s not talk about him, okay?” Zhang Li didn’t want to waste time on other people. “How about we go to Yonghe Garden to see the lotus flowers?”

"Okay!" Liyan was about to go see the lotus flowers. She let Zhang Li hold her hand and ran towards Yonghe Garden with a light laugh. Her laughter drowned out the sighs coming from the wisteria behind them, sighs that were tinged with a hint of melancholy and fragility.

Analog circuits was boring. To make matters worse, he had an elective class scheduled for Saturday, and by the time get out of class finally ended, it was already noon. As soon as the professor left the classroom, Wang Hongbing slipped out. He hadn't eaten breakfast and was starving. Although he kept his head down, he walked quickly and soon reached the school gate. The steamed buns outside the school were twice the size of those in the school cafeteria! The old woman selling steamed buns had been watching the gate, waiting for him.

"Child, are you hungry?" The old woman said with a smile as she watched Wang Hongbing walk over.

Wang Hongbing's thick eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled shyly: "Yes, Grandma."

The old man smiled slightly, lifted the thick cloth, took four steamed buns from the basket, put them in a bag, and handed them to Wang Hongbing, not forgetting to say, "You're like a little girl."

"Hehe..." Wang Hongbing chuckled and scratched his head, took the steamed bun, paid with a coin, and walked into the school with his head down.

As soon as Wang Hongbing left, Chen Jie, carrying several bottles of water, also walked up to the old woman.

The old woman's face lit up with a smile as soon as she saw a customer: "Girl, want to buy some steamed buns?"

Chen Jie nodded: "Yes, Grandma, buy two steamed buns."

The old woman deftly packed the steamed buns and handed them to Chen Jie. Chen Jie took out a coin and said, "Grandma, keep the change." After taking the buns, she casually asked, "Grandma, does that person come to buy your steamed buns every day?"

The old woman took the money and thanked her repeatedly: "Thank you, thank you! You asked about that kid from earlier? Yes, he comes to buy every day. Sigh, kids from the mountain village are poor, they don't talk much, but we're quite familiar with each other, we're practically from the same village."

"Really? No wonder you two seem to know each other so well. I have to go back now, Grandma." Chen Jie smiled slightly, turned around, and hurriedly chased after Wang Hongbing.

She soon caught up with him and followed him into the Lotus Pond Garden. A fragrant aroma wafted towards her, and many lotus flowers were already in full bloom. The pure white blossoms were like jade carvings, crystal clear and delicate. Dragonflies were actually "hanging their feet" on the lotus buds that were about to open. And the emerald green lotus leaves were like little green umbrellas. Although it was lunchtime, some students were still admiring the flowers.

He walked so fast that Chen Jie was distracted for a moment, and when she looked for him again, he had already left Yonghe Garden.

"Chen Jie!" Zhang Li and Li Yan shouted mischievously from behind Chen Jie.

Chen Jie was startled!

"It's you two?" Turning around and seeing them, Chen Jie patted her chest. "You scared me! I have to go find someone now. I won't disturb you while you're admiring the lotus flowers." With that, she hurriedly left Yonghe Garden.

Not long after leaving Yonghe Garden, Wang Hongbing arrived at a unique artificial hill deep within the campus. Near the hill was a large pond, filled entirely with lotus flowers. Each lotus blossom stood gracefully, its pink petals unfurling, emitting a delicate fragrance—seemingly no less beautiful than those in Yonghe Garden. Irregularly arranged wildflowers of various colors bloomed along the edge of the hill, a breathtaking sight. Beside the hill stood an old locust tree, very, very old, said to be several hundred years old, yet still providing ample shade. Through the gaps in the branches, one could see the abandoned laboratory building not far away.

Wang Hongbing also saw Zhang Li and Li Yan in Yonghe Garden, so he turned around and ran here. He leaned against the trunk of the old locust tree and started eating lunch—a steamed bun.

It was a bit hot, and seeing that no one was around, he unbuttoned the first button of his shirt (this was the first time he had unbuttoned his shirt outside since arriving at Ningzhong University), revealing a piece of lustrous jade: the jade was teardrop-shaped, emerald green, and had a small yellow ring on top, secured by a delicate brass lock to a yellow collar. Because of this lock, this collar, and this piece of jade, he had always been hesitant to wear T-shirts, and when wearing a shirt, he would button up the first button to cover these things.

This jade stone is said to ward off illness and bring peace. My father said it's a family heirloom, passed down only to the eldest son.

His parents were nearly forty when they had him, their only son. When he was just a month old, his father put the family heirloom jade around his neck, saying it could only be removed when he turned twenty (the villagers believed that a man's life only became strong at twenty, able to withstand evil spirits). But when he went to university, his parents said he had to go to another city and could only have it removed after finishing his studies. Wang Hongbing argued with his parents about this, saying they were superstitious, but in the end, his mother hid behind the haystack behind the house and cried; his father smoked in the yard, and the jade remained hanging around his neck.

Back in high school, because we were poor, and with this antique-looking necklace—a brass lock and a piece of jade—the two pieces looked mismatched and ridiculous, making me look incredibly tacky. My classmates laughed at me a lot. Now that I'm in university, in a new environment, I absolutely can't let my classmates see this antique-looking "necklace."

Touching the jade, Wang Hongbing couldn't help but think of his parents, who were nearly sixty years old, and his impoverished home, and a wave of sadness washed over him...

Just then, the old locust tree suddenly emitted a rustling sound of its leaves, like an excited person humming or a happy person shaking their head! It also sounded like many small birds hopping on the branches. Wang Hongbing looked up, but there were no birds, only swaying branches and leaves!

"Wang Hongbing!"

……