Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

After Cang Xiangyang returned to Nancheng, Su Yumei took Cang Tianci around Xiqiao Village, recounting his childhood memories. She took him to the thatched cottage at Eagle Cliff, telling him about his apprenticeship with Master Chen Jiren. She led him over mountains to the bottom of Wild Boar Gully, telling him the story of his birth, her own voice breaking with tears. Cang Tianci, however, simply watched Su Yumei's tears with a puzzled expression, wiping them away with his rough hands. This gesture made Su Yumei's tears flow even more fiercely. She knew that although her son had lost his memory, his kind nature remained unchanged.

She grabbed that hand, pressed it against her face, and held it there for a long time. Then she let go, smiled, and said, "Come on, Mother will take you to the next place."

Although all these efforts seemed ineffective, Su Yumei did not give up. She continued to take him to the places he had been every day and tell him about his past, just as she had taught him to speak and recognize words when he was a child.

Cang Tianci's body recovered day by day, but his memory remained unchanged. Days passed in this way, and ten days of summer vacation had gone by in the blink of an eye.

After breakfast that day, Cang Zhenye shouldered his hoe and went out to work in the fields. Su Yumei finished her chores and was preparing to take Cang Tianci out when they suddenly heard a knock at the gate.

She walked over and opened the door. Wang Xiuzhu stood in the doorway, a smile on her face.

"Auntie," Wang Xiuzhu called out.

Su Yumei exclaimed in surprise, "Xiuzhu, what brings you here?"

Wang Xiuzhu stepped aside to make way for the four people behind her and said, "Auntie, Teacher Fang and a few classmates wanted to visit Tianci, so I brought them along."

Su Yumei's gaze shifted from the woman's face to the group behind her. Leading the way was a middle-aged woman wearing glasses, her gentle eyes behind the lenses. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and a strand of hair clung to her temple. She carried a box of milk powder in one hand and a net bag of apples in the other. The thin rope of the net bag had left two faint red marks on her fingers. Behind her were three girls, around thirteen or fourteen years old. The one in front had exceptionally beautiful features, standing quietly and rarely smiling. Her right hand carried a large bag of fruit, heavy enough to bend her wrist slightly, but she didn't switch hands. Another girl had a round face, bright eyes, and two shallow dimples that appeared when she pursed her lips. She also carried a bag of fruit. The last one leaned on a cane, had delicate features, carried a bag, was thin, and had a somewhat pale complexion. This instantly reminded Su Yumei of her own daughter, and a pang of heartache welled up inside her.

"This is Teacher Fang, Tianci's homeroom teacher when he was in fourth grade at Jixian No. 1 Primary School. This is Lin Ruoxi, this is Song Wei, and this is Lin Wanqing. They are all Tianci's classmates, and they came all the way from the county to see him," Wang Xiuzhu introduced them one by one.

Su Yumei wiped her hands on her apron, then wiped them again, and said warmly:

"Come in quickly, come in quickly. It's such a long way, and it's so hot..."

She walked into the courtyard, calling out loudly as she went, "Tianci, Tianci, your teachers and classmates have come to see you."

Hearing the shout, Tianci came out of the house.

He was wearing that light gray tracksuit. A pocket watch, strung on a red cord, hung around his neck. His hair had grown longer, no longer clinging to his scalp, but softly draped over his forehead. He stood at the entrance to the main room, watching the people walk into the courtyard one by one.

His gaze moved from Fang Wenhui's face to Wang Xiuzhu's, then to Lin Ruoxi's, and finally to Song Wei's. There was no joy in his eyes, only emptiness and blankness, as if he were looking at a blank wall.

Then he saw Lin Wanqing.

She stood outside the courtyard threshold. The threshold was a bit high, and she was using her cane to lift her not-so-flexible foot with difficulty.

Seeing this, Tianci's gaze narrowed. He rushed to Lin Wanqing's side, reached out, and took her arm. Lin Wanqing looked up and saw his eyes. There was nothing in those eyes, but he didn't let go of her arm.

He helped her across the threshold.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Su Yumei covered her mouth with her hand. Tears welled up and streamed down her face through her fingers. She didn't wipe them away, but just watched as Tianci helped Lin Wanqing step through the courtyard gate.

Wang Xiuzhu stood by the courtyard gate. She watched Tianci's back, watched his hand rest on Lin Wanqing's arm. That year by the pond, Tianci was splashing in the deep water, the splashes getting smaller and smaller. She dragged over the bamboo rake and stretched the handle out to him. He grabbed it. When he lay on the rock spitting out water, she squatted beside him, watching with heartache.

Her hand instinctively clenched, but found nothing. She released her grip, lowered her head, and her eyes seemed to glisten with tears.

After Lin Wanqing stepped over the threshold, Tianci released his grip. But he didn't leave. Lin Wanqing took a step forward, and he followed. She stopped, and he stopped too. He didn't look at her face, only at her feet. He didn't know why he followed her like this. He just felt that this girl with the cane was someone he wanted to protect.

This scene reminded Lin Wanqing of the countless times Cang Tianci had protected her. She could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her cheeks. She quickly turned away, wiped them with her sleeve, and then turned back to everyone with an embarrassed smile. Unbeknownst to her, tears still glistened on her face, shining brightly in the sunlight.

Su Yumei wiped her face with her sleeve and quickly walked over to greet them, "Teacher, students, please come in and sit down."

Fang Wenhui entered the main room first. She put down the net bag she was carrying and said, "This is a small token of Lin Wanqing's appreciation."

She then put down a box of premium milk powder in her other hand and said, "This is a small token of my appreciation. I'll make Tianci a cup every morning and evening to help him recover."

Lin Ruoxi, Song Wei, and others also put down the gifts they were holding.

As Su Yumei brought out chairs for everyone, she said politely, "Teachers and students, you've come all this way to see Tianci, why did you bring anything? You're too kind!"

Wang Xiuzhu helped Su Yumei move stools. Su Yumei then brought out several rough porcelain bowls from the kitchen, picked up a bamboo thermos, and poured water into each bowl.

Everyone settled down in the main room. The electric fan spun in the corner, sending gusts of wind through the air. Sweat beaded on everyone's faces, and Su Yumei found several more palm-leaf fans, handing them one by one.

Fang Wenhui held a palm-leaf fan, but didn't use it. She looked at Tianci. Tianci stood behind Su Yumei, his gaze sweeping over them.

"Heaven-sent," Fang Wenhui called out to him.

Tianci's gaze shifted to Fang Wenhui's face.

"Tianci, do you remember? You'd only been in Ji County for an hour..." Fang Wenhui recounted softly. She talked about how Tianci had only been in Ji County for an hour; about how he picked up a piece of paper from the ground and put it on his desk, and how she appointed him as the vice class monitor; about how he stood up for Lin Wanqing for the first time...

Tianci listened intently, trying hard to recall, but to no avail.

Fang Wenhui finished speaking. Wang Xiuzhu continued, recounting amusing anecdotes from their childhood playtime, as well as stories of him being bullied by Wang Yaowu at school. She particularly emphasized the incident where Wang Yaowu pushed him into the pond. When Wang Xiuzhu described him struggling in the water, and how she stretched out a bamboo rake to pull him out, a flicker of pain crossed Cang Tianci's face. But this pain vanished in an instant, like a ripple on the water's surface.

After listening to Wang Xiuzhu's story, Lin Wanqing realized that Wang Xiuzhu and Cang Tianci had such a deep connection. A sense of crisis inexplicably rose in her heart, a feeling that something she cherished was about to be taken away by someone else.

Next, Lin Ruoxi and Song Wei each shared their perspectives on Cang Tianci.

Cang Tianci simply listened, his face expressionless.

Finally, everyone's gaze fell on Lin Wanqing. Lin Wanqing didn't speak. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but the things that had happened to her were too heavy, making it difficult for her to open her mouth.

Just then, Cang Zhenye returned from the fields. He stood at the courtyard gate and was taken aback when he saw so many people sitting in the main room. Then he saw Fang Wenhui, the girls, and Tianci standing behind Su Yumei.

"Teacher Fang!" He strode in, leaning his hoe against the courtyard wall. "Yu Mei, why didn't you tell me Teacher Fang was here sooner? I could have gone to get some vegetables..."

"No need, no need," Fang Wenhui stood up.

Cang Zhenye didn't listen at all. He told Su Yumei to prepare lunch, then turned and walked out. He went to his eldest brother Cang Jianguo's fishpond and caught two grass carp, went to his third brother Cang Shouzheng's house and asked for a piece of cured meat, and then caught a hen from his own chicken coop. The hen flapped in his hands, and feathers flew all over his face.

Su Yumei had been busy in the kitchen for over an hour. The fan didn't reach the kitchen, and her back was soaked with sweat, clinging to her body. As she chopped the cured meat, the knife made a dull thud on the cutting board. She remembered the way Tianci helped Lin Wanqing cross the threshold, paused for a moment, then continued chopping.

The food was served: stir-fried cured pork with garlic, braised grass carp, chicken soup, several kinds of vegetables, and a dish of pickled vegetables.

Everyone sat down to eat and chatted as they ate.

Fang Wenhui asked about Cang Tianci's childhood. Su Yumei understood Teacher Fang's intention. She put down her chopsticks and began to emotionally recount the past events that had been repeated time and again over the past few days…

As Tianci ate his meal, he still seemed to be listening to someone else's story.

After finishing their meal, Fang Wenhui said goodbye. She stood up, and Lin Ruoxi and Song Wei also stood up. When Wang Xiuzhu stood up, she glanced at Lin Wanqing. Lin Wanqing did not move.

"Teacher Fang, you should go back first. I want to stay and help Tianci recover his memory," Lin Wanqing said softly. Her face flushed, and her head was lowered deeply.

The main room fell silent. The fan spun around, the air blowing back and forth.

Fang Wenhui showed no surprise, as if she had known all along. She patted Lin Wanqing's head and explained to the stunned Cang Zhenye and his wife, "Tianci's parents, this child has no mother, only a father. Her background is pitiful, but she is positive and excels in her studies. She has helped Tianci a lot with his studies and they have a deep bond. Keeping her might help Tianci recover his memories."

At this point, she recounted some past events between Lin Wanqing and Tianci.

As they listened to Teacher Fang's explanation, Cang Zhenye and Su Yumei's expressions gradually changed from surprise to relief and joy.

Cang Zhenye concluded, "We would be delighted if Wanqing could stay. But does her father know about this?"

"Please rest assured about that. Wanqing is my goddaughter. She usually discusses things with me. She told me about her decision before she came. I helped her persuade her father and obtained his permission."

As Wang Xiuzhu listened to Teacher Fang's story, her eyes unconsciously drifted to Lin Wanqing's travel bag. The bag sat in a corner of the main room. She had brought it with her when she arrived. They had all jokingly asked if she had packed any treats in it. She had only smiled and remained silent. Now she knew. The bag must contain Lin Wanqing's change of clothes. She looked at Tianci, but Tianci's gaze remained fixed on Lin Wanqing. Her heart felt a strange pang, as if pierced by a needle.

When Teacher Fang said goodbye, she turned around and was the first to step out of the main room. The jujube tree at the courtyard gate cast a shade. She walked into that shade.

Fang Wenhui left with Lin Ruoxi, Song Wei, and Wang Xiuzhu. Cang Zhenye and Su Yumei escorted them to the roadside and watched them board the bus.

Only Lin Wanqing and Cang Tianci remained in the main room. They sat facing each other. You look at me, I look at you. Neither of us spoke, nor did we need to.

She leaned her cane against the table. It slipped, but Tianci reached out and steadied it. He placed it back against the table, making sure it was stable. Then he sat back down and continued watching her.

Lin Wanqing lowered her head. Tears fell onto the back of her hand, but she didn't wipe them away. The pocket watch ticked against Tianci's chest. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. The sound was soft and steady, like the heartbeat of this hall.