Winter in Xinjing City always smells like synthetic snow.
I was sitting in the studio, rubbing an old copper pocket watch with my fingertips. The pattern on the case looked like a sealed rainy night.
I am the only handcrafted antique restorer in the old city. I am cold and talkative, and my world is small enough to only accommodate mute objects and Ning Po.
Ning Po's breakfast stall always smelled of hot soy milk. She put my hand in her arms to warm it and said, "This room will always be your home."
Later, Lu Shiheng broke in. He smiled as if he contained the light in the entire cloud. He held up a live broadcast device and wanted to film me repairing my watch. I said "whatever" with a cold face, but quietly asked his assistant to fix my leaky window.
But after all, the light of the old city cannot shine into the shadows in the clouds.
In my pocket watch memory, I found irrefutable evidence that a wealthy family had occupied land in the old city, and we decided to report it. In the court, the wealthy family used money to string together perjury. The moment the gavel fell, his smile faded to paper.
Grandma Ning was forced to move to protect me. She clutched my scarf when she fell down the stairs. Before she died, she said, "There is something for you under the pillow."
Lin Xia's cafe was filled with the last scent. She clutched the diary filled with the truth and said, "Wan Ning, live well."
Now, I am holding the account book left by Ning Po and repairing every pocket watch full of stories.
I didn't cry, I just occasionally touched the crescent birthmark on my wrist - it was the birthmark given to me by a wealthy family and also given to me by the old city. The only thing left...
Concept: class antagonism, human nature