The rainwater slid down the umbrella ribs and made small potholes on the loess road. Yun Mengxian held a black umbrella and followed her mother three steps away. For eighteen years, it has been like this every Qingming Festival - my mother walked in front silently, and she followed silently to pay homage to the father whom she had no memory of.
The wind in the mountains carried a damp and cold breath, causing the hem of her school uniform to sway slightly. She lowered her head and looked at her phone. The signal bar was empty, and even the time was stuck at 10:17 in the morning.
"This is the last year." Mother suddenly spoke, her voice almost inaudible amid the sound of rain, "You don't have to come again when you become an adult."
Yun Mengxian was startled and looked up at her mother's back. She was still wearing the navy blue cotton and linen jacket, with her hair neatly tied back in a bun, as if it had never changed in the past eighteen years.
"Why?" She couldn't help but ask.
The mother did not answer, but paused slightly before continuing to walk forward.
Yun Mengxian pursed her lips and stopped asking. She knew that her mother had always been like this - always keeping secrets about her father. She was not even sure if anyone was really buried in that tomb. After all, her mother never let her get close to the tombstone every time she paid homage, only letting her stand far away.
The rain became heavier and the mountain road became muddy. She carefully avoided the puddles, and suddenly, a faint whimpering sound came from the bushes beside the road.
She stopped and squatted down to push aside the branches and leaves——
a pair of amber eyes
