Le voyage d'un mendiant à travers le monde

Chapitre 28

"I was just testing you," she said, pointing at him with a hint of smugness. "Although you're not talkative, rarely answer, and often say one thing but mean another, and sometimes you even throw tantrums, you're the only Little Tang in this world, there will never be another!"

--You are the only Little Tang in this world, there will never be another one.

In fact, Tang Yanchu felt that if Yue Ruzheng's name were placed in this sentence, it would make sense as well. His lonely life, with Yue Ruzheng's return, became noisy and bustling again, no longer desolate. Sometimes, he would be annoyed by her unreasonable arguments, and sometimes, he would have to lower his voice to comfort her easily angered nature. But her temper came and went quickly; perhaps, she herself was like a gentle breeze, blowing in from beyond the mountains, disturbing a pool of spring water, only to disappear silently at any moment.

She didn't even know where she came from.

He only learned this one night when he sat with her outside, gazing at the full moon. Yue Ruzheng told him how she came to Yinxi Xiaozhu, was adopted and raised by Jiang Shuying. She also remembered being held in her aunt's arms as a child, playing with seashell wind chimes with her fingers. The house was surrounded by sheer curtains that swayed in the spring breeze, accompanied by the crisp sound of the wind chimes, like paradise on earth.

"But that's all I remember. When I came to my senses again, I was all alone, walking endlessly in the desolate mountains... I climbed over hills and passed through towns. When I was very, very tired, I fell asleep hugging the plum tree beside me..." She hugged her knees, gazing at the bright, jade-like full moon, her eyes filled with some melancholy and confusion.

"Where did your aunt live with you before?" Tang Yanchu tried to help her recall some clues. But Yue Ruzheng shook her head and said, "My aunt always took me from place to place, sometimes we'd find a place to stay, and then we'd move again. I only remember that my aunt was a great cook and could make all kinds of desserts. I loved her green rice dumplings and sweet fermented rice balls the most..."

"Perhaps he's from Jiangnan?" Tang Yanchu pondered.

Yue Ruzheng patted his shoulder and said, "You see, although I really want to tell you about my childhood, I can't remember anything. You, on the other hand, clearly have many stories, yet you're unwilling to recall them. We're really two strange people!"

Tang Yanchu smiled faintly, a smile tinged with bitterness. The bright moonlight slanted across the bluestone slabs, as if shrouded in a thin frost. The pear tree before the bamboo fence was budding, its pure white blossoms standing in the moonlight, exuding a delicate, aloof beauty in the hazy glow. A deep night breeze stirred the pear blossoms, their shadows swaying, the clear moonlight reflecting off the crisscrossing branches and leaves on the ground, like water lilies in a pond.

"Were you afraid when you were wandering alone?" Tang Yanchu asked Yue Ruzheng.

She smiled indifferently and said, "I was a bit confused back then, not knowing where I was going. I just kept walking forward, trying to find my way home. But I walked for a long, long time, and I still couldn't find any place I knew. At that time, I think I would wander forever."

"Do you still want to find your origins? And what about your aunt? Is she also looking for you?" Tang Yanchu asked, frowning.

Yue Ruzheng's smile faltered for a moment. "But where can I find her?" she said. She thought for a moment, then pulled the string of sea-blue pearls from her collar and handed it to him, saying, "Do you remember this? I've always worn this necklace; it was given to me by my aunt."

Tang Yanchu gazed at the pearl, which shimmered with a mysterious light, and suddenly asked, "Ruzheng, have you ever been to the seaside?"

Yue Ruzheng paused, then said, "No, why are you asking that?"

"These pearls aren't very common. I thought you lived by the sea when you were a child," he said casually.

Yue Ruzheng shook her head and said, "I have never seen the sea. What about you?" As soon as she said it, she suddenly realized that Seven Star Island was located in the East China Sea, but she could not take back what she had said, and she looked very embarrassed.

Tang Yanchu showed no displeasure, but gazed at the dark blue sky and said, "I lived on Seven Star Island for a while. However, I was recovering from my injuries then and rarely went out, spending my days lying in bed listening to the sound of the waves."

Yue Ruzheng glanced subconsciously at his drooping sleeve and whispered, "Is it an injury to your arm?"

He glanced at her sideways, his eyes deep and unfathomable, cold as if they held ice and snow: "Yes."

"Then, why did you leave again after your injuries healed?" Yue Ruzheng boldly pressed for an answer.

Tang Yanchu was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't want to stay there any longer. That place was never my home."

"Don't you feel lonely living here all by yourself?" Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but feel down again when she thought of what he had said about how to live.

He lowered his eyes, a detached expression on his handsome face, and said, "I'd rather be alone."

Yue Ruzheng felt a pang of heartache and couldn't help but whisper, "Little Tang."

"Hmm?" He turned to the side, raised his eyebrows, and waited for her to speak.

Yue Ruzheng looked up at him, and his eyes seemed to possess a clear yet invisible attraction, as if they wanted to absorb all her secrets. She stared at him blankly, her heart gradually racing, but she forcibly suppressed it and lowered her head. Tang Yanchu had been waiting for her to continue, and seeing her silence, he said softly, "It's getting late, wouldn't you like to go back and rest?"

Yue Ruzheng was in turmoil. She dared not look him in the eye, yet she did not want to go back to her room. She herself did not know what to do. In a fit of pique, she hugged her knees tightly, bent over, and sat silently in front of the door.

Tang Yanchu glanced at her, got up, and went back into the house. A short while later, he returned to Yue Ruzheng's side. He knelt on one knee, a sheet draped over his shoulder, and placed the sheet on her shoulder, saying, "If you don't want to go in, just wear this."

Yue Ruzheng unfolded a large bed sheet, draped it over her head, and wrapped herself in it, leaving only her bright, shining eyes visible as she looked at him with a warm smile. Tang Yanchu didn't say anything more, but simply sat quietly beside her.

The wind rustled the pear blossoms, casting pale shadows, and the moonlight bathed the courtyard in a frosty light. Yue Ruzheng suddenly unfolded the bed sheet, took one half, and draped it over Tang Yanchu's shoulders.

He flinched, and Yue Ruzheng pulled the corner of his shirt back for him, saying, "Don't catch a cold, Xiao Tang."

Tang Yanchu glanced at her quickly, then looked away. He gazed at the starry sky, a sky that was brilliant and serene, yet so distant that it could never be reached.

As night deepened, Yue Ruzheng fell asleep, leaning against his shoulder. She still clutched the edges of the sheet tightly, wrapping them both in between. Tang Yanchu, without the support of his arms, sat wearily, but dared not move, simply gazing silently at the girl's face. She possessed a delicate, exquisitely sculpted face, as if she had never experienced hardship. Since meeting her, he had never imagined she had endured such a period of wandering. Perhaps, as Yue Ruzheng said, one had lost their memories, while the other had sealed away their past. Thinking this, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood.

His mother, frail for many years, possessed an unparalleled beauty, yet she could not withstand the ravages of illness. His childhood memories are filled with the constant care and attention he received at her bedside. He learned to care for himself and his mother from a very young age. While other children played in the village or attended the private school, he was always busy with chores and preparing medicine. Yet, he felt immense happiness. Even when his mother's condition improved slightly, and she taught him martial arts and how to throw hidden weapons, he eagerly and diligently learned. These were memories of his mother with him, a tenderness that no one else could replace.

On many stormy nights, he nestled beside his mother, listening to the rain dripping from the roof onto the bed, a chilling, relentless patter. He would embrace her, offering her his first warmth. He had no father, or rather, the concept of a father was entirely absent from his mind. When he was very young, after being teased by others, he would cry and run home to ask his mother, but she said nothing, only silently shedding tears. So he learned to be silent, using silence to shield himself from any words or glances that might hurt him or his mother.

Despite this, he diligently did what he was supposed to do, silently waiting for himself to grow up. As a child, Tang Yanchu believed that even without a father, one day he would grow up and be able to better take care of his mother, living an ordinary life like everyone else. On his ninth birthday, he happily told his mother, "In another year, I'll be ten years old, no longer a child." His mother dressed him in rare new clothes and made him a kite out of bamboo strips—something he had never owned before. That day, the spring breeze was warm, and flowers bloomed in profusion. He still remembers his mother holding his hand, running in the fields, the swallow kite soaring high in the wind, disappearing into the azure sky.

That was the first and last time he flew a kite. That swallow kite with its dark eyes and pointed tail disappeared forever from his world, following a painful turning point in his life.

It was past midnight when Yue Ruzheng woke up briefly. Half-asleep, she thought she was still in the room, but then she felt a pain in her back and realized she had fallen asleep leaning against Tang Yanchu. He seemed wide awake, staring motionlessly at the dappled shadows of the trees on the ground. Yue Ruzheng quickly sat up straight, gently nudged him, and said, "Why didn't you wake me?"

Tang Yanchu glanced at her, her expression seemingly a little somber. She didn't answer her question, but simply said, "Go back to your room now that you're awake."

Yue Ruzheng, wrapped in a bed sheet, stood up. He leaned forward slightly as he stood, but swayed a little. Yue Ruzheng followed him, quickly supporting his waist. He turned his head slightly to look down and whispered, "I'm fine."

Yue Ruzheng wanted to say something, but Tang Yanchu walked into the house by himself. She didn't know why he suddenly became depressed again, so she could only stand there and stare blankly at his back.

Chapter Twenty: What Night Is This? My Hatred Remains Unfulfilled

The morning sunlight had just shone through the paper window into the room when Tang Yanchu heard a few knocks on the door. Before he could get up, the door was gently pushed open a crack. Yue Ruzheng's light green dress was slightly visible behind the door. Just as he was about to sit up, he saw her reach out and wave.

"Don't get up," Yue Ruzheng whispered through the door. "You slept late yesterday too, I'll make breakfast." Without waiting for Tang Yanchu's reply, she closed the door again.

Tang Yanchu lay in bed and heard the sound of water being drawn outside, followed by Yue Ruzheng's footsteps, who must have gone to the kitchen. He was actually still very tired and his back ached, but he just couldn't fall asleep. He lay there blankly for a while, then sat up.

Yue Ruzheng frantically cooked porridge in the kitchen, constantly losing her spoon or forgetting to add water. By the time she finally got everything sorted, she felt her patience was wearing thin, and listlessly sat on a chair by the stove. The sunlight outside was blindingly bright; she leaned against the back of the chair, gazing at it for a while, then closed her eyes, wanting to rest.

Unexpectedly, her feigned sleep went awry, and when she woke up again, she found Tang Yanchu squatting in front of the stove, watching the flames. Yue Ruzheng was startled and stood up anxiously, asking, "Did I boil the water dry?"

"Not yet," he said casually.