It seemed puzzling why her supposed rival would turn out to be an elderly woman. And why was she supposed to walk by the lakeside on this gentle, breezy evening with this elderly woman who might be her rival?

Yu Yao guessed that this elderly lady had something to say to her and felt very calm.

Grandma Cao seemed to deliberate for a while before finally speaking. Her first words were, “I loved my husband very much. Even though he has been gone for decades, I still love him and miss him. In this regard, Jiang Zhonglin and I are the same.”

She turned and smiled apologetically at Yu Yao. “I only arrived at the farm tonight and heard Old Nie say some inappropriate things. I was worried it might affect you and your husband. You both have had a difficult time, and I didn’t want to add to your burdens, so I took the liberty to come and talk to you. Actually, I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time.”

Yu Yao asked, “You know me?” She recalled that Grandma Cao had recognized her as soon as she saw her.

So, Jiang Zhonglin must have shown her a photo of Yu Yao?

Grandma Cao nodded slowly. “Yes, I’ve seen your photo. Jiang Zhonglin mentioned you to us.”

“My husband and I were alumni with Jiang Zhonglin. Many years ago, when we were still young, we were involved in teaching in the same place, which is how we got to know him.”

“At that time, my husband and I had just married. We had similar ideals and interests. We met Jiang Zhonglin in Yunnan and Guizhou. He was alone and different from us. When we first met Jiang Zhonglin, he was in poor condition—very thin and troubled. Since my husband and I took good care of him, he called us ‘brother’ and ‘sister.’”

Yu Yao had heard from Yang Jun that Jiang Zhonglin had spent several years teaching in his youth, but Yang Jun didn’t know many details. Now, seeing Grandma Cao’s intention to provide a detailed account, Yu Yao listened attentively.

Seeing her expression, Grandma Cao’s gaze softened. “In the beginning, we weren’t very familiar with each other, so we didn’t know the specifics about Jiang Zhonglin. Later, as we got to know him better, we wanted to help him, but Jiang Zhonglin, although generally open, never mentioned this particular matter.”

“He is a very persistent person. Sometimes this persistence isn’t a good thing. When a person is too focused on something, they can live in great suffering.” Grandma Cao’s expression became distant and wistful. “That year, while we were teaching, there was an earthquake. The mountain collapsed, and continuous heavy rains caused landslides, almost destroying the entire village. My husband died in that disaster.”

“We three were trapped in the collapsed mountain for an unknown number of days. My husband was injured by falling rocks and couldn’t hold on for more than three days. He soon… died in that dark cave. I nearly went mad and almost followed him, but before he died, he asked me to live well because I was pregnant. He hoped our child would be born and see the world. That’s why I persevered.”

“Among the three of us, Jiang Zhonglin was the calmest. Rather than being calm, he was less concerned about life and death compared to us. During the days waiting for rescue, he finally spoke about you for the first time when my husband inquired.”

“He talked about meeting you for the first time, mentioned that he transferred schools later but often thought of the girl who suddenly appeared. When he saw you again, he was very happy to recognize you, asked for your phone number but didn’t dare call. He talked about your first date, every date, meeting his parents, marriage, and many things you did and said after marriage. He talked a lot about you.”

“There was a day when you suddenly disappeared, and he couldn’t find you anymore. My husband and I heard him cry. I’ve known him for many years and have only seen him cry twice—once when he talked about you and another time at his parents’ funeral. Even when his works were plagiarized and he lost the lawsuit, or when he broke his leg protecting his students, he never cried. Truly, as the saying goes, ‘A man’s tears are rare and only shed when he is deeply hurt.’”

“That time, I must thank him. He insisted on carrying out my dying husband’s body and mine. Our family is grateful to him.” Grandma Cao’s eyes were now glistening with tears.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and said to Yu Yao, “Jiang Zhonglin deeply and sincerely loves only you, and there is no doubt about that. You must believe it.”

“……I know.” Yu Yao felt a chill on her face as Grandma Cao gently sighed and used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her face.

The two women, one old and one young, stood by the lake, each feeling the pain for the man they had loved many years ago.

“Over the years, Jiang Zhonglin has taken good care of us. Perhaps because of this, people have misunderstood him. He doesn’t like to explain much. For many years, he has been busy with academic research, coming and going, and very few people who know him are aware of you because he doesn’t talk about it. But I know that the person in his heart is something he can never forget, just as I can never forget my loved one.”

Yu Yao suddenly asked, “I once asked him if it was hard waiting all these years. He laughed and shook his head, and I never knew what he truly thought. Can you tell me?”

Grandma Cao patted her hand affectionately. “You haven’t waited for decades, so you wouldn’t understand. It’s a feeling that words can’t describe, an emotion that can’t be conveyed by speech because it’s too complex. Can you imagine, a person, day after day, suddenly has moments when they think of someone, whether it’s longing or sorrow, happiness or sadness, all these mixed emotions are layered in their heart. How can such feelings be expressed?”

Yu Yao felt a heaviness in her chest, as if something was blocking her heart.

When Grandma Cao said goodbye, her daughter came to pick her up and helped her walk away by the lakeside. Yu Yao watched the pair, one tall and one short, walking away in each other’s company, and for a moment, she thought of a line she had read somewhere:

—That flower ultimately withered in the dark night that the lover would never pass through.

……