When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The bus coming back from the archives was rickety, like a huge, tired iron box, traveling through the city streets in the growing twilight.The light outside the window flowed into blurry strips of light, reflecting on the profile of Ling Xueqing’s resting face, flickering brightly and dimly.Ye Qiulan maintained the posture of carefully moving an inch closer. His shoulders were a little stiff, but he didn’t dare to move.She could feel the subtle body temperature coming from Ling Xueqing’s body, as well as her steady, long breathing.The words “You are here” still weighed heavily on her heart, making every heartbeat clear and heavy.

When the car arrived, the slight shaking of the brakes made Ling Xue wake up.She opened her eyes, which were blank for a few seconds, and then she quickly regained her clarity and sat upright.The two got out of the car one after another and walked back to campus.The street lights were already on, casting a dim halo of light on the wet ground.No one spoke, only footsteps and the faint sound of campus radio in the distance could be heard.

Walking downstairs to the graduate student apartment, Ling Xueqing stopped and turned around.”It’s been a hard day today. Get some rest early.” Her voice was still slightly hoarse as if she had just woken up, but her tone had returned to its usual calmness.

Ye Qiulan nodded, “You too.”

Ling Xueqing glanced at her, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded again, turned around, swiped the door lock, and walked in.The glass door closed behind her, isolating the figure.

Ye Qiulan stood there for a few seconds before slowly walking towards his dormitory in the West District.The night wind was so cold that it made her cheeks numb.When I returned to the cramped and dark dormitory, my roommate had not returned yet.She put down her backpack and immediately touched the dark blue velvet bag. Two packs of calming tea were lying in it.She didn’t soak, just put her pocket next to the pillow and went to wash up.

Lying on the hard bed, staring at the mottled water stains on the ceiling, the scenes in the archives in the afternoon were replayed in my mind uncontrollably: the flying dust, the silhouette of Ling Xueliang kneeling on his knees to search, the strange bamboo stick, the light that suddenly lit up and then quickly subsided in her eyes when she found the residual seal, the tired sleeping face on the bus, and the words “You are here” as light as a sigh.

The sourness seemed to have soaked into the quilt, wrapping up from all directions and pressing heavily on my chest.Not only because of the unspeakable throbbing, but also because I could clearly see how heavy and lonely the pursuit that Ling Xueqing carried alone was.She stretched out her hand and was allowed to get a little closer, touching a crack under the hard shell, but she also felt the turbulent, cold water under the crack more deeply.

After tossing and turning all night, I felt a little dizzy at dawn.There were no plans for Sunday, so Ye Qiulan forced himself to go to the library, hoping to read some professional books to divert his attention, but the words were floating in front of his eyes and he couldn’t focus.In the afternoon, after much hesitation, she sent a brief message to Ling Xueqing, asking if she needed help in organizing and copying the copied manuscript.

The news was sent out, but nothing happened.It wasn’t until the lights were almost turned off at night that I received a reply, only one word: “Okay.” Attached was a photo of the manuscript paper, and next to it was the private seal of the land deed traced on Ling Xueqing’s notebook. They were placed side by side, and the matching strokes were carefully outlined with a red pen.

Ye Qiulan looked at the photo for a long time.Then he turned on the desk lamp, spread out the clean manuscript paper, took out the thinnest pen, and began to copy and annotate Ling Xueqing’s somewhat hasty copy very neatly, one stroke at a time.She wrote slowly and hard, as if through the tip of her pen, she could once again touch the slight trembling of Ling Xuequing’s fingertips and the glimmer in her eyes at that moment yesterday afternoon.

There is a professional class on document restoration on Monday morning.Ye Qiulan arrived at the classroom early and chose a seat by the window.A few minutes before the school bell rang, Ling Xueqing walked in.She changed into a dark gray cashmere sweater with a light-colored windbreaker on top. Her long hair was still tied back meticulously. Her face looked better than at the weekend, but the faint cyan under her eyes was still there.

Her eyes swept across the classroom, lingering on Ye Qiulan for a moment, nodded slightly, and then walked to her usual seat in the front row.There were several rows of seats between the two of them.

The class was about a complex technique for repairing damaged ancient books, and the teacher demonstrated it very carefully.Ye Qiulan tried his best to concentrate on listening and taking notes.During the break, she saw Ling Xueqing surrounded by two graduate students, who seemed to be discussing some academic issues.Ling Xueqing listened attentively, occasionally responding briefly with a focused and indifferent expression.It was an aura that Ye Qiulan couldn’t integrate into.

She withdrew her gaze and looked down at the slightly immature handwriting on her notebook. The faint sweetness in her heart evaporated quickly, like dew in the sun, leaving only clearer traces of sourness.

The bell rang and the crowd poured out of the classroom.Ye Qiulan packed up his things and just walked out of the door when he heard Ling Xueqing’s voice coming from behind him.

“Ye Qiulan.”

She looked back.Ling Xueqing stood a few steps away, with no one else around her.She held a textbook and a folder in her hands, looking at her calmly.

“I’ll go to the library to get the manuscript paper in the evening.” Ling Xueqing said, “It’s the same place on the fourth floor.”

“Okay.” Ye Qiulan responded.

Ling Xuequing nodded, said nothing more, turned and walked towards the graduate student apartment.Her back was straight, her steps were fast, and she quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Ye Qiulan stood there, his fingers unconsciously tightening the straps of his backpack.night.library.The old place.A few simple words, but the haze that had been sinking in my heart all day quietly cracked open and a faint light leaked in.

In the evening, Ye Qiulan arrived at the fourth floor of the west area of ​​the library in advance.The long oak table by the window was empty, and outside the window was the deep dusk.She sat down, took out the copied manuscript paper from her bag, and checked it again to make sure there were no stains or errors.

At six fifty, Ling Xueqing showed up on time.She seemed to have just come from somewhere else. In addition to books, she was also carrying a light gray paper bag.She sat down opposite Ye Qiulan and gently placed the paper bag on the corner of the table.

“It’s for you.” Ling Xueqing said, her tone calm, “My wife made the sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice and lotus root. Thank you for your help.”

Ye Qiulan was stunned for a moment and looked at the paper bag.”I… didn’t help much.”

“She knows what happened yesterday.” Ling Xueqing explained briefly, reached for the copied manuscript paper in front of Ye Qiulan, and read it carefully.Her eyes were very focused, and her fingertips ran across the neat handwriting and clear outlines on the paper, as if she was checking them one by one.

Ye Qiulan had no choice but to carefully put the paper bag away and put it at his feet.The sweet fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus, glutinous rice and lotus root wafts faintly.

Ling Xueqing looked at it very slowly.It was completely dark outside the window, and the bright lights from the library shone down, casting thick shadows on her lowered eyelashes on her cheeks.Her expression was very calm, but Ye Qiulan noticed that the corners of her mouth tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment, and then relaxed.

“Here,” Ling Xueqing suddenly said, tapping a comparison point she marked on the manuscript paper with the tip of the pen, “the angle can be more precise by about 0.5 degrees. However, it does not affect the overall judgment.” She raised her head and looked at Ye Qiulan, “The copy is very clear. Thank you.”

“It should be.” Ye Qiulan whispered.

Ling Xueqing carefully put the manuscript paper into her folder, then took out the dark blue hard-shell notebook from her schoolbag and turned to the latest page.Ye Qiulan glanced and saw that there were a lot of new handwriting and sketches on that page, which was obviously a preliminary sorting out of “Luo Yunqian” and “Lujiang Luo Family”.

“According to genealogical records, Luo Yunqian’s branch moved from Lujiang to Yongzhou during the Xianfeng period. After he was elected, he served in Yongzhou Prefecture for nearly twenty years, during which time he collected many local epigraphy and ancient books.” Ling Xueqing pointed with the tip of his pen.The context diagram in the notebook was written in a low voice, and only the two of them could hear it clearly, “After his death in the 19th year of Guangxu’s reign, the family seemed to have declined rapidly, and a large number of collections were lost. The land deed was probably lost at that time.”

She paused, and the tip of her pen lightly drew a line under “The Nineteenth Year of Guangxu”.

“The ‘Rishui’ in my mother’s memory, and the ‘green grass with cold fragrance’, if it is related to the Luo family, the time is right. Luo Yunqian was fond of traveling in his later years and liked to collect local scenery and strange things. He may have come into contact with relevant records, or even… visited it on the spot.”

Ling Xueqing’s voice was very steady, as if she was analyzing a purely academic issue.But Ye Qiulan heard a trace of suppressed waves beneath the calmness.Every new clue is like a key, trying to open a door that has been closed for too long.Behind the door may be the answer, or it may be deeper confusion and disappointment.

“Next,” Ling Xueqing closed the notebook and looked at Ye Qiulan, her eyes dark under the light, “I want to try to find records of Luo Yunqian’s friends during his lifetime, or the poems and notes he left behind. Maybe the river or that plant will be mentioned in it.”

This is another huge project.Ye Qiulan can almost imagine how many local chronicles, miscellaneous records, and even manuscripts that may have never been published need to be consulted.

“What can I do?” she asked.

Ling Xueqing didn’t seem to expect that she would ask directly, and was silent for a moment.”The local literature department of the city library has collected some collections of local literati from the late Qing Dynasty. There may be opportunities. However…” she frowned, “the borrowing procedure is more troublesome and requires a letter of recommendation, and many of them cannot be borrowed and can only be read in the library.”

“Then go and watch in the museum.” Ye Qiulan said, his voice was not loud but very clear.

Ling Xueqing looked at her, a complex emotion flashing across her eyes, like surprise or something else.For a long time, she nodded almost imperceptibly.”Okay. This Saturday, if you have time.”

“Yes.” Ye Qiulan replied immediately.

There was another brief silence.The only sounds in the library were the turning of pages and the scratching of pens.Ling Xueqing reopened her professional book and seemed ready to start studying.Ye Qiulan also took out his textbook.

The two of them were each reading a book, and occasionally there was the sound of paper being turned.But Ye Qiulan could feel that the person opposite didn’t seem to be completely immersed in it.Ling Xueqing’s pen tip stayed on a certain page and did not move for a long time.Her eyes fell on the page, but seemed to be looking through the paper to some distant place.

After about half an hour, Ling Xueqing suddenly closed the book.The movement was a bit abrupt.

Ye Qiulan raised his head.

Ling Xueqing was looking at her, her eyes dark and unpredictable under the light.Her fingers caressed the hard cover of the book unconsciously.

“Ye Qiulan,” she said, her voice lower and slower than before, “Why are you willing to… spend time on these things?”

The question came suddenly.Ye Qiulan was speechless for a moment, and his heart beat several beats faster.Why?Because she wants to help her?Because those are precious fragments of her mother’s broken memory?Because… that’s Ling Xueqing’s world?

All the real reasons are stuck in the throat, hot and unable to be spoken.In the end, she just lowered her eyes, looked at the unfamiliar terms on the pages of the book she had spread out, and said softly: “I think… it’s very meaningful. Moreover, I can also learn something.”

This answer is very safe and fits the status of a diligent and studious “school girl”.Ling Xueqing listened, but did not look away immediately.She still looked at Ye Qiulan’s lowered head and slightly trembling eyelashes for several seconds.Then, very softly, almost inaudibly, she sighed.

“Sometimes,” she turned away and looked out the window at the thick night, her voice drifting like the mist condensing on the window glass, “I feel like I’m doing something stupid. I’m grabbing on to traces that may not exist at all, trying desperately to piece together something. It’s a waste of time and energy.”

She paused, tightening her fingers and holding the edge of the book.

“But it can’t stop.” Her voice was lower, more like talking to herself, “It seems to have stopped, even the trace… is gone.”

The loneliness and stubbornness in these words were like a thin, cool needle, piercing the softest part of Ye Qiulan’s heart unexpectedly.The pain made her fingertips curl up.She raised her head suddenly and looked at Ling Xuequing.

Ling Xueqing had already retracted her gaze from the window, lowered her head again, and opened the book.The profile of his face was calm under the light, as if the momentary lapse just now was just an illusion.

“Read a book.” She said, her tone returning to her usual calm tone.

Ye Qiulan could not read a word.The sour tide surged in his chest and hit his throat.She wanted to say “it’s not a waste”, she wanted to say “I understand”, she wanted to say “I’ll look for it with you”.But all the words were blocked by the transparent wall, shattered on the tip of the tongue, leaving only a silent saltiness.

She could only lower her head and pretend to focus on the book.However, his eyes were unable to focus, and in front of him there was only a flash of almost fragile confusion in Ling Xueqing’s dark eyes when she looked out the window just now.

Time flows in silence.When the closing bell rang, the two of them packed their things at the same time.Ling Xueqing carefully put away the folders and notebooks and picked up her school bag.Ye Qiulan also put the books and the paper bag containing glutinous rice and lotus roots into his backpack.

We walked out of the library together, the night wind was biting.At the fork in the road, one goes east and the other goes west.

“Saturday morning, old time, at the school gate.” Ling Xueqing said.

“Okay.” Ye Qiulan nodded.

Ling Xueqing turned around and left, her figure quickly blending into the interlacing light and shadow cast by the street lamp.

Ye Qiulan stood there until the figure was completely invisible.She slowly turned around and walked towards her dormitory.He clutched the strap of his backpack tightly in his hands, his fingertips turning slightly white from the exertion.

Back in the dormitory, she opened the light gray paper bag.The sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root is cut into neatly thin slices and soaked in amber sugar juice, exuding a sweet and warm aroma.She picked up a piece and took a bite.The glutinous rice is soft and glutinous, the lotus root slices are sweet, and the fragrance of osmanthus lingers between the teeth.

Very sweet.It was so sweet that her eyes were sore.

She slowly finished the box of glutinous rice and lotus roots piece by piece.The sweetness spreads from the tip of the tongue to the stomach, but it still cannot dispel the cold, hard sourness in the chest.

After the lights were turned off, she lay in the darkness with her eyes open.The dark blue velvet pocket next to the pillow exudes a faint herbal fragrance.She reached out her hand and held it tightly in her palm.

The wind whimpered outside the window.

Come on Saturday, come on.She said silently in her mind.