Chapter One: The Iron Box

  After ending the trip, returning to a slightly cold home, putting down the backpack, and throwing herself into the sofa, Zuo Xiao Yao closed her eyes for nearly half an hour before picking up the phone to order takeout.

  After eating well and sleeping well, the fatigue of the journey had dissipated by more than half. Xue Xiao Yao got out of bed refreshed, changed into casual clothes, went to the bathroom to wash up, and only then did she have the mood to check on this trip's harvest.

  This trip was not ordinary in meaning, she hoped to fulfill her grandmother's wish that had never been realized later, and expected the grandmother in heaven to experience this trip with her. With a heart full of nostalgia, Zuo Xiaoyao did not have the idea of sightseeing during the trip, and naturally could not bring back any special products.

  Apart from the gifts brought back, several finished paintings and a large number of photos in the digital camera, there was also an iron box that was rusty but still well-preserved, slightly larger than a palm, locked with a very small copper lock. Without a key, it would take some effort to open it.

  "Grandma, look, these are the views of X City and X Town. Some places are still very beautiful, just like you said, but many of the places you said were very beautiful have changed a lot! If you saw them with your own eyes, I wonder what you would feel? Would you be very disappointed?"

  "It's okay, the temple you mentioned is still there, just more dilapidated, and it's even been made into a scenic spot. Those stone steps are really tiring to climb. Luckily, that box you and grandfather hid in the stone wall crevice back then is still there, otherwise, I would have lost out big time!"

  "But that place is really hard to find, I don't know how you guys had the leisure to make it so romantic! Look, I've even taken pictures of this stone, pond, and stone steps..."

  As she flipped through the photos of her grandmother's hometown taken by the camera, Zuo Xiaoyao smiled slightly with tears streaming down her face, whispering to herself in a cold and empty room.

  After looking at the photos, Zuo Xiao Yao covered her left eye with her hand and imagined how her grandmother would react if she were here to see these pictures.

  She must have pointed at each picture and told herself about what it used to look like there, what she had talked with her grandfather about, how happy they were!

  She took a deep breath, put down her hands, and looked up at the wall opposite the sofa where a "family photo" of only her and her grandmother was hanging. Xiaoyao took out the small copper key tied with a red string from around her neck and rubbed it twice, saying: "Grandma, what's in this box? Why didn't you tell me first? If I don't ask, I'll take it to ask someone else. If it's valuable, I'll sell it and then I won't have to do anything, just eat and drink well every day. After all, you said it was my dowry! If it's not worth much, then... I'll stay behind reluctantly!"

  As an abandoned baby who was picked up by her grandmother, Zuo Xiaoyao was raised by her after being deserted on the roadside just a few days after birth. Her grandmother lost her husband at a young age and her only son also died in a special era more than 30 years ago, with no body found.

  For twenty-two years, the two had been dependent on each other. Less than a year after her university graduation, her nearly eighty-year-old grandmother passed away due to illness, which was absolutely the biggest blow she had ever encountered in her life.

  No matter how poor life is, no matter how difficult the conditions are, due to her special identity, even if she has been distant from her peers since childhood, she has always been able to stand up straight and face it with a smile. With enough love given by her grandmother, she feels that there is nothing in this world that can make her fall down. Therefore, her grandmother has always been her spiritual pillar, as well as the only person she can unreasonably cry and pour out her heart to without showing weakness in front of others.

  Be careful when opening the box that grandma told her before she passed away, even though she was saying playful words, but seeing the "dowry" in this unassuming box, which were also grandpa's gifts to grandma, her three favorite things. Xiaoxiao Yao carefully held the mirror, a comb and a hairpin, and burst into tears again, it was the first time she cried so unguardedly since she buried grandma's ashes beside grandpa's grave.

  Zuo Xiaoyao, who had her grandmother's strength etched into her bones, knew that this would be the last time she allowed herself to grieve so deeply for her grandmother's passing. From now on, she would keep this nostalgia forever in her heart and would no longer indulge in her own world like a walking corpse, constantly fantasizing that her grandmother was still living with her.

  Live a good life, live well! This is Zuo Xiao Yao's last promise to her grandmother, she will definitely make it happen, definitely!

  Zhengxin Shuhua Zhai in Shuyi Street of Shi City!

  "Grandpa Wang, are you busy now?"

  An old man sitting at the office desk in the store, wearing reading glasses and reading a book, heard the sound and looked up. What he saw was a long-haired girl with a double-shoulder bag who had just walked into the store, about 20 years old, smiling and greeting him. Obviously an acquaintance, he subconsciously smiled and replied "Oh, it's Xiaoyao, haven't seen you for a while!"

  Pausing for a moment, the old man in his sixties continued with a serious expression, "As for your grandmother's passing, you should learn to let go and move on. I told you last time, if there's anything you need help with in the future, just come find me or your aunt and uncle, we're not outsiders!"

  At the moment when the old man mentioned her grandmother, Xiao Yao's smile paused slightly, although her expression was slightly dim, but then she smiled and thanked "Thank you, Grandpa Wang. Thanks to your help and Uncle Wang, Aunt Zhao, grandma's funeral went so smoothly. Don't worry, I know grandma also hopes I can live happily, rather than being immersed in the pain of her departure. So, I won't stay in the past, unwilling to face this reality."

  The old man nodded in satisfaction and sighed, "You child have been sensible since you were young. Yes, your grandmother's greatest wish was to see you doing well. In these few years, although you've worked too hard, you've also made her proud, not only letting her enjoy her later years, but also passing away peacefully, making it worthwhile for her to raise you with hardship."

  Talking about this, the atmosphere can't help but be a bit sad. After blinking several times, Zuo Xiao Yao smiled and replied, "Grandpa Wang is right too. Apart from being a little regretful that Grandma didn't get to see me get married and have children, she also said we should thank God for taking her away to reunite with Grandpa and Uncle. At least that way, she got what she wanted! And as for me, even if my heart isn't feeling great, I still have to smile and wish her and Grandpa and Uncle all the best in heaven!"

  Apart from her deceased grandmother who raised her, no one else can see the strength in this weak girl's bones more clearly than the elderly man who has watched her grow up. Apart from herself, no one else can understand the depth of emotions between these two dependent grandparents and granddaughter more clearly than him. Even though this young girl, who just graduated from university less than a year ago, is smiling brightly now, he can still see the tears hidden behind her smile.

  "I don't want to continue this sad topic," the old man said, picking up the teapot to make tea. "You sit down first, where have you been running off to? I heard from Jiajia that you quit your previous job and suddenly ran away to a distant place. We couldn't find you, and when we called your phone, the signal was always bad, and we could only talk for a few sentences before it cut off."

  "You don't have to rush, I'll go instead. Previously, I went to P city for a trip. When my grandma was still alive, I also thought about taking her out for a walk together. However, when she was in good health, I didn't have the ability to do so. By the time I had the means, she couldn't handle the exertion. Now that she's no longer here, I'll go back and take a look again on her behalf. After all, even if she went to heaven, she wouldn't forget to check in on me often. Speaking of which, this is also an alternative way for us to travel together!"

  Taking the teapot from the old man's hand, she skillfully picked out the tea leaves and poured them in while laughing and explaining frankly. Although she knew the old man was trying to change the subject with good intentions, she didn't think that topics related to her grandmother needed to be avoided. Every time she mentioned it now, she would feel a pang of heartache, but she had never planned to escape this reality.

  The city is Grandma's hometown. After marrying Grandpa, she had very few opportunities to leave the city and return to her hometown. Although she didn't say it, Xiaoyao knew from her frequent mentions of her hometown that it was not only where she and Grandpa fell in love but also a place she never forgot, even though everything there has changed beyond recognition.

  The old man smiled wryly and shook his head, then took a sip of the tea that Zuo XiaoYao had handed him. With an air of calmness, he said, "Speak up, what brings you here today? Don't say it's just to see this old fellow, I don't believe it!"

  Zuo Xiao Yao's face fell as she said "Grandfather Wang, your words are too hurtful! In the past, I didn't come to see you in vain!"

  "Alright, I know what you're thinking. If nothing's wrong, when will you ever step through this door again? If you want to see me on purpose, you'd definitely go home and also tell her parents that you went specifically to see them!"

  Was it that obvious?! In her heart, she secretly reflected on how careless she had been, and at the same time, Zuo Xiao Yao laughed in a rather flattering manner to change the subject, "That's because I often come here specifically to see you, but my visits to Uncle and Auntie's house are relatively less frequent! Although today is mainly to visit Grandpa Wang, I also brought a few paintings along the way, please help me appraise them!"

  At the mention of painting, the old man's expression changed and he seemed very interested. "Alright, alright, I've never said I won against you! Quickly take out your painting and let me see if your skills have improved recently!"

  As she unfolded the four paintings she had painted casually during this trip, the old man made a fairly objective comment on each of them after looking at them one by one. Only then did he say with some regret, "Not bad, really not bad! I've always thought you have a high talent for painting. In my years of teaching in school, I've seen many talented children, but none of them could produce works of this level at this age. Some of them were already famous young painters and had exhibitions everywhere, but you... Alas... As I said, I just...

  She didn't show any joy on her face, even though the old man, a professor-level art master, had such high praise for her work. Zuo Xiao Yao just smiled lightly and said "Alright, alright, thank you Professor Wang for your compliment! You don't have to praise me anymore, my situation is something you're very clear about. In the past, I started scribbling on the ground with a stick before I even knew how to read. My grandmother was your wife's sister, and her level of skill is also something you're aware of. With both you and my grandmother guiding me, I've been painting for nearly twenty years now. Even if I didn't have any natural talent, I would still be able to make up for it with hard work!"