A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The live stream cameras were always focused on the stage, and no one noticed the silent old man.

No one saw the tears welling up in his eyes.

When he recounted that past event yesterday, he consistently referred to himself as "that young man."

It wasn't because he wanted to deliberately hide anything.

However, decades have passed, and he has long since gotten used to extricating himself from that story.

It was as if only in this way could he calmly speak of those missed opportunities, waiting, and regrets.

But today, this song has brought that young man back to his memories.

His head is full of white hair, a testament to the years he has lived through.

His face was covered in wrinkles, a mark left by the wasteland.

The two poplar trees not far away, leaning against each other, stood guard for him the promise that would never be answered again.

As the last note faded, Jiang Yi, holding the microphone, stood there for a long while.

In the poplar forest, only the sound of the wind passing through the branches remains.

After a brief silence, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room.

The comments in the live stream exploded at that moment.

"After hearing this, I felt a tightness in my chest. Some people don't stop loving; it's just that fate didn't give them a proper chance to say goodbye!"

"Yesterday, when I listened to Uncle Aihmaiti tell his story, I just felt a sense of regret. But today, listening to this song, the story suddenly came to life!"

Other songs describe how beautiful the poplar trees are, but this song uses the poplar trees to describe how long a person can wait!

Does anyone know if the young man in the story ever came back in the end?

"Uncle Aihmaiti didn't answer yesterday; perhaps even he doesn't know what happened afterward!"

"I used to think waiting for centuries was an exaggeration, but after hearing this story, I realized that some people really will spend the rest of their lives keeping a promise!"

……

Comments kept scrolling across the screen.

The audience was talking about the young man in the story, speculating whether he eventually returned to his hometown.

However, no one knew that the answer they were looking for was standing at the very back of the crowd.

After the song ended, Su Fan's phone suddenly rang.

He took out his phone and glanced at it, only to find that it was Yuan Shanshan calling.

Su Fan walked to the side, answered the phone, and asked with a smile, "Sister Shan, why did you suddenly think of calling me?"

Yuan Shanshan's tone carried a hint of complaint: "Superstar Su is so busy right now. If I don't call you, I'm afraid I won't see you until next year."

Su Fan realized she was joking and said, "No way, just let me know if you need anything, and I'll be there whenever you call."

Yuan Shanshan snorted: "You said it yourself, so I'm officially informing you now that I'm getting married, and you have to come back."

Upon hearing this, Su Fan remembered that Yuan Shanshan had indeed mentioned to him that she planned to get married before the end of the year.

However, so much had happened during this time that he had completely forgotten about it.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Yuan Shanshan keenly sensed something was wrong, and her tone turned dangerous: "Have you forgotten?"

Su Fan felt a pang of guilt, but answered without hesitation, "How could that be? Of course I remember something so important."

Yuan Shanshan asked slowly, "Then tell me, when is my wedding?"

Su Fan opened his mouth.

He tried hard to recall, but found that he couldn't remember the specific date at all.

After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively said, "It's... before the New Year."

Yuan Shanshan pressed further, "What day of the year?"

Seeing the situation was turning bad, Su Fan quickly moved the phone further away and deliberately raised his voice: "Hey? Hey? Sister Shan, what are you saying? My signal isn't very good here, why can't I hear you suddenly?"

Yuan Shanshan retorted irritably, "Alright, stop pretending. Even if you were standing in a deserted area, you could still start a live stream. How could you not have a signal to answer a phone call?"

Su Fan continued to feign interest while looking at his phone: "Feeding? Strange, why is it stopping and starting?"

Yuan Shanshan finally couldn't help but laugh: "I only told you before that I was planning to get married before the new year, but I didn't tell you the specific date at all."

Su Fan was stunned for a moment, then put the phone back to his ear: "I thought I had forgotten. It turns out you never said anything at all."

Yuan Shanshan said matter-of-factly, "I was just testing whether you remembered or not. As it turns out, if I hadn't called you, you probably would have really forgotten about it."

Su Fan chuckled twice: "How could that be? I was just trying to liven things up a bit."

Yuan Shanshan was too lazy to argue with him and got straight to the point: "The date has been set, the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. When are you planning to come back?"

Su Fan mentally calculated the time: "There are still a few days left in Xinjiang. Once our trip here is over, we'll head back. It won't be long."

Yuan Shanshan reminded her, "It's settled then, you go pick up Aunt Liu."

"Don't worry, I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

"Also, remember to prepare the red envelopes in advance, or I won't be happy if they're not enough."

"Don't worry about the red envelope, I promise I'll get you a big one."

"Don't make it too big. I'll have to give you a return gift when you get married. You're happy now, but what am I going to give back then?"

"If you really can't pay it back, then bring your brother-in-law to my house to wash dishes. You can leave when the debt is settled."

"Get lost, you should save your money for getting married."

……

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Yuan Shanshan hung up the phone.

Su Fan put away his phone, but the smile on his face didn't fade.

The production crew lingered in the poplar forest for a while longer, and only left by car after the staff had packed up the equipment.

Next stop, Yili.

The route suggested by netizens for this stop is very clear.

Six Star Street, Kazanchi, the Ili River, and the famous local apple orchards—you can't miss any of them.

After the production team settled in, they began the live broadcast as planned.

The group first went to Six Star Street.

Brightly colored houses line the street, and the sound of an accordion can be heard from the depths of the alley.

The aroma of toasted bread mingled with the scent of milk tea, wafting from the courtyards.

Some people sat chatting in front of their doors, while children chased each other across the street.

There's no sense of it being deliberately set up for visitors; the camera captures the ordinary lives of the locals.

The next day, the production crew visited a village on the outskirts of Yili.

There is an apple orchard in the village that has been planted for many years.

However, it is now winter.

The apple tree's leaves had long since fallen, and naturally, no fruit could be seen on the branches.

The staff member in charge of reception said with some regret, "If you had come in the fall, you could have smelled the apples as soon as you reached the village entrance. Now all the fruit has been picked, so we can only show you the old orchard."

Su Fan smiled and said, "It's alright, even after the apples are picked, the fragrance will still remain."

As they were talking, an elderly woman named Ayinur came out of the courtyard.

Upon learning that they were guests who had come from out of town, the old lady warmly invited them into her home and then opened a cellar in the corner of the courtyard.

As soon as the wooden door was pushed open, a sweet apple scent wafted out.

The group, who had been somewhat disappointed, suddenly perked up.

The cellar was filled with rows of wooden crates, all of which were apples stored for the winter.

Although it wasn't as bright as when it was freshly picked, its aroma was just as strong.