The Past

Gongshu Key’s relaxed expression froze. “You mean Chen Miemie is…?”

“Keep it in your heart. There’s no need to say it aloud.

“He didn’t hide what he was doing from you. On the one hand, he wasn’t afraid of being exposed; on the other, it showed that he trusted you. That goodwill is more precious than any bridge or treasure.”

The car started moving again. For the rest of the journey, the father and daughter each pondered their own thoughts, not saying another word.

When Gongshu Key returned home, she lay on her bed and stared at the balloon floating by the headboard. She remained awake for most of the night.

No. 19 Fairy Tale Road.

Chen Miemie hadn’t received a single customer all night, and he was in a foul mood.

“What’s going on? Why are all the customers coming from Eternal Moonlight lately? Normally, not a single person ever comes from there. Are people’s minds really that healthy now?

“I’ve even put up a discount sign outside, and still no one’s coming. This is outrageous.”

Bobo took the opportunity to hurry over and comfort him in the tone of someone who had seen it all. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing a roast chicken can’t solve. If one isn’t enough, have two. Open wide.”

Bobo successfully distracted Chen Miemie. “What flavor is it today?”

Bobo struck a pose in front of him, proudly presenting its “roast chicken independence,” then spun around in place.

“See my color? It’s even yellower now. That’s Eternal Moon’s guidance. Today’s special is Salted Egg Yolk Roast Chicken!”

Chen Miemie took a bite. “Hmm? This tastes pretty good.”

“Right? We didn’t add any salt. The mild saltiness comes entirely from the salted egg yolk.”

“Not bad, not bad. I’ll give you a little red flower.”

Bobo stuck the third little red flower it had received onto its pineapple leaves, then deliberately strutted around the house, afraid that the other oddities might not see it.

There were noticeably fewer people on Fairy Tale Road today.

When Old Man Yu saw him, he walked over of his own accord.

“Stop looking. Everyone’s already bought everything they need. What, you’re not going to the Scholars’ Academy to watch the annual Outstanding Figures Announcement?”

Chen Miemie was distinctly uninterested. “It’s just a routine ceremony. What’s there to see? I’d rather go browse around my shopping center.”

“Heh.” Old Man Yu gave a cold laugh. “Your shopping center, huh? Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue with all that bragging? Ordinary people can’t even afford the smallest shop in there.”

Chen Miemie sighed. “Old Man Yu, you don’t know what you missed. If you’d held on to my coattails properly, maybe I would have let you open a shop there someday. What a shame—you didn’t appreciate the opportunity.”

Old Man Yu looked at him as though he were insane. “Me? Open a funeral shop in a shopping center?”

Chen Miemie shook his head. “Both weddings and funerals are celebrations in their own way. Life and death are both major affairs. Sending off the dead and giving the living peace of mind—that’s a respectable calling. It’s something every household will inevitably need. Why shouldn’t such a shop be opened there?”

Old Man Yu didn’t argue. “Fine. Once I find out where your shop is, I’ll move in next door and see if you still talk like that.”

After exchanging a few more words, Chen Miemie went to the Four Seasons Café across the street.

Qiu Tian seemed unusually distracted today.

“Qiu Tian, give me a cup of coffee. What’s wrong? It’s rare to see you staring into space like this.”

Qiu Tian came back to herself and smiled faintly. “I was thinking about some things from the past.”

Chen Miemie immediately perked up with curiosity. He knew very well that when someone truly didn’t want to talk about something, they wouldn’t even say, “I was thinking about some things from the past.” They would simply brush it off with, “Nothing.”

“What kind of things? I’m a good listener.”

Qiu Tian quickly brewed a cup of coffee and brought it to Chen Miemie. Then she really did sit down in the chair beside him.

“Then I’ll tell you. But you can’t laugh at me.”

“How could I? I’m a professional when it comes to listening to stories.”

“Hmm. Where should I begin?

“Actually, the life I originally planned for myself was to join an organization and live the kind of life those mystics lead—constantly adventuring and growing stronger. I never intended to spend my days running a leisurely little shop here.

“This shop was left to me by my father. Before that, it was a teahouse.

“Last year around this time, he had just returned from the annual Outstanding Figures Announcement. He even said what he would do the following year and made all sorts of plans. I never expected him not to make it to this year’s ceremony.

“Oh, right. My father’s name was Chunhua. He was one of the Six Great Scholars. The person who has just taken office as Carpenter is his successor.”

Chen Miemie offered a somewhat awkward apology. “Chunhua? He’s already gone? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you recall something painful.”

Seeing the solemn expression on his face, Qiu Tian suddenly laughed.

“I’m not sad. I know my father was never happy while he was alive. I never understood why he was always so troubled, but perhaps death was a kind of release for him.

“I was distracted today because I remembered a strange little thing that happened shortly before my father died.

“He seemed to be muttering to himself, though I happened to overhear him.

“He said, ‘Buyi, I hope you succeed at next year’s announcement ceremony.’”

Chen Miemie set down his coffee cup and pricked up his ears, becoming even more attentive. “The ‘Buyi’ your father mentioned—was that a person?”

Qiu Tian nodded. “Shi Buyi, one of the Great Scholars. His codename is Stone Speaker. He’s senior to my father by more than half a generation and is in charge of law and punishment.”

“That was all he said? It doesn’t sound particularly unusual.”

“Taken by itself, it was indeed a perfectly normal sentence.

“But practically everyone knows that my father and Stone Speaker were sworn enemies. Whenever they met, they would argue. Sometimes the two of them would even throw decorum aside and get into a physical brawl. The sight was unbearable.

“In private, too—from the time I was little until I grew up, I never once heard my father say a good word about Stone Speaker. Every word was an insult.

“Under those circumstances, at such an important moment before his death, my father suddenly said, ‘I hope Stone Speaker succeeds at this year’s announcement ceremony.’ Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“Did Chunhua say what he hoped Stone Speaker would succeed at?”

Qiu Tian shook her head. “If he did, I didn’t hear it.”

Then Qiu Tian suddenly realized something and turned to him. “You called my father by his name so naturally. Did you know him?”

“I suppose you could say that. I met your father four times.” Chen Miemie left the rest unsaid—the four times that had spanned his entire life, from childhood onward.