Unfathomable

The next day, the two got up early and bid farewell to Brother Zhang.

Brother Zhang was naturally unwilling and insisted on keeping him. The two of them knew that this was a polite remark and they couldn't help but refuse.

In the end, Brother Zhang declined three times, wrapped some cakes for them, and the two set out on their way.

They had already agreed to go to Bai Qiao's hometown.Now that Li Zhen has no home or hometown, he said, "Then I will depend on you for the rest of my life."

There are no trains nearby, the city is ruined, and there are no cars. They can only walk, step by step, across every inch of land, through one village after another.

They walked all day and lit a fire at night.It's not too cold to snuggle together, but there is no shelter in the wilderness, and the wind is a bit stronger.

"We're so down and out..." Bai Qiao murmured.

"Can't stand it?"

"No, it just feels very different, and I feel it."

"Yes, yesterday, you were still the young master, and I was still the shopkeeper."

"Wars are so cruel, and they never care about the lives of the people. Most of the people in the city are dead, and even these villages are in danger. There is no need to attack, and they will gradually disappear because they have no pillars."

"Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? This place will change beyond recognition."

"I still don't know what the war will look like at that time."

"How many people will live to that time."

"We will also..."

"Don't talk nonsense, we live a long life." Li Zhen hit him.

"Ah."

"Tell me, will your father come to see you?"

"No, he wishes I would never go back."

Unexpectedly, the topic turned so unsuccessfully, Li Zhen patted him on the back, took out a pancake, "Do you want pancake?"

He chuckled and broke off a piece.

"Bai Qiao."

"Ok?"

"My memory seems to have lost something."

"The confession?"

"Sorry……"

"It's okay. I'll just remember. I'll tell you. If you don't remember anything, I'll tell you everything." He raised his hand to touch Li Zhen's ear.

"Let me tell you, what you said that day was really nice."

"How nice is it?"

"It sounds damn good."

On July 1937, 7, with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident as an excuse, Japan launched an all-out war of aggression against China, and China's all-out war of resistance against Japan began.

They found a village and lived in a family's woodshed.

Tired of traveling these days, both of them were exhausted, so they collapsed and fell asleep.

This is the home of an old literati. He seems to have become a farmer with literati in his heart. He takes an old ox to plow the field every day, and listens to the tape recorder at home at night.

He lived happily alone, but he was inevitably lonely, so he asked the two of them to stay for a few more days.

Li Zhen and Bai Qiao were also exhausted, so they agreed.

On the third day at the old literati's house, the two of them were having dinner when news came from the phonograph that another city had been bombed and destroyed.

Li Zhen paused his hands suddenly, and looked at Bai Qiao - it was Bai Qiao's hometown.

Bai Qiao also had a meal when he heard it, and then found that Li Zhen was looking at him, and said to him: "Look at what I am doing, eat, it is rare to have a full meal."

Li Zhen wanted to speak, but in the end he couldn't speak.

Soon, night falls.

Li Zhen found Bai Qiao who was burning paper money behind a hill,

"Didn't you burn something for your dad?"

"He gave birth to me," Bai Qiao wiped away tears, and said with some sobs, "I also burned a few for him. If he still snatches this from my mother, I won't burn it for him in the future. He died poor in the underworld!"

Li Zhen listened to Bai Qiao's nonsense and sat beside him.

Even though he loathes his father, even though his mother has been dead for many years, there is still a place where he takes root.Where he was born, where he grew up, he brought all the customs there.Suddenly, the city was destroyed, as if the last warm barrier in my heart was broken.

He became a lonely ghost with nowhere to go.

He finally understood how sad Li Zhen must have been when he learned of his parents' death, and he was still at odds with him at that time. He couldn't imagine what kind of blow Li Zhen had suffered.He thought of Li Zhen's haggard figure again, and he didn't dare to continue thinking about it.

But now that his hometown is gone, Li Zhen is still by his side. He doesn't speak, but he feels warm.

Complicated emotions intertwined in his heart, tears still came to his eyes, he wanted to hold back, but he couldn't help it, he didn't want to cry - he didn't want Li Zhen to think he was so cowardly.

Li Zhen still sat beside him, and said slowly, "Bai Qiao, cry, at least in front of me, please cry as much as you want."

He was sad and blamed himself but also somewhat relieved, he tilted his head and slowly leaned on Li Zhen's shoulder, Li Zhen did not move, but he said:

"sorry."

Sorry, I'm sorry, it's late.

There was no last place to go, and the food in the old literati's house was by no means enough to support the three of them, so they started a life of wandering without destination.

They were on their way again.

Li Zhen always can't remember some things, such as how they met, such as the long conversation at Qiaotou

Again and again, he tirelessly told Li Zhen about the past, and he spoke in great detail, even if a bird flew by, he would still tell.

But the more he talked, the more frightened he became - Li Zhen was forgetting himself little by little, and in the end, everything about himself might be obliterated.

This day has come.

"Why are you dragging me! I don't know you!" Li Zhen violently shook off the arm held by him.

"You, don't you know me?" He was a little surprised and asked hesitantly.

"Yes! I'm telling you, don't pull me, I have a boyfriend! You don't want me to have one! Don't touch me, be careful that my boyfriend hits you!"

"What's your boyfriend's name?"

"Bai Qiao, it sounds good."

Bai Qiao, he still remembers Bai Qiao, as long as he remembers it.

"I," Bai Qiao pointed to herself, "I am Bai Qiao."

"You?" Li Zhen caressed his face, "If you were Bai Qiao, how could I be completely, without memory... You are so familiar, but I don't remember where I met..."

"You just forgot temporarily." He held Li Zhen's hand and comforted him.

Li Zhen's expression became ferocious and painful, he hugged his head and roared in a low voice,

"My head hurts like it's about to explode..."

Bai Qiao looked at him, at a loss, but fortunately, soon Li Zhen couldn't hold on anymore and passed out.

Bai Qiao was a little scared, she sat beside Li Zhen and waited.

Later, Li Zhen suffered from several illnesses, ranging from strong to weak. When he was weak, he believed Bai Qiao's words, but when he was strong, his eyes turned red, as if he wanted to fight him.

Sometimes, when Li Zhen is awake, looking at Li Zhen, he will feel inexplicably sad—he is slowly forgetting himself, and the person he loves is slowly forgetting himself, and he has nothing to do.

They wandered for a long time, and they traded all their valuables for food and patched sackcloth, but they didn't mind it.