An orange grown south of the Huai River is an orange, while one grown north of it is a bitter orange.
If I was born to the north, how could I ever have changed from an orange into a bitter orange?
He said, "Zhi'er, you are the only person in this world I trust."
I believed him.
He said, "Ye Zhi, do you still expect me to trust you? When you did all those things, did you ever think this day would come?"
I shook my head.
It wasn't that I resented him for not believing me. It was just that the bitterness lingered in my heart. His resolute retreating figure was like a thorn lodged deep within me.
When the great fire came, I knew there was no hope for us in this life. Still, if only I could have lived a few more months. How wonderful that would have been.
