The snow has been floating, changing from cotton wool to goose feathers, falling from the sky radiantly. The streets, roofs and roofs of cars parked on the side of the road in Liuying Lane are covered with a thick layer of silver.

An umbrella covered with snow moved slowly in the wind and snow, leaving two pairs of footprints on the ground behind him, starting from under the old willow tree and extending to the flowery bar in the distance.

Bi Shenghua walked along and told a long story that hadn't been true or false.

"The paper cut from the old willow tree grew into a big tree within a few years, and no mulberry tree survived in the surrounding land. The name of the mulberry camp gradually disappeared, and people began to call this place Liushuying. Because there is no mulberry tree and the willow tree is worthless, the farmers who used to grow mulberry and raise silkworms have no income, and their lives are getting harder and harder.

The old housekeeper took the lead in starting a small business. Because the Hua family's contacts and prestige were still there, the business was soon opened, and Liu Shuying formed a small market on the original site of the Hua family's old house. Everyone said that the feng shui of the Hua family’s old house was good, some said that the old man Hua had an aura in the sky, and some said that this willow tree was blessing everyone.

Some businessmen built new houses on the edge of the market. Of course, the new houses at that time are now old houses, just like the old houses on this street we see now, they were basically built at that time.

The market gradually became crowded, so Liushuying became Liuying Alley.

The old butler remembered what Master Hua had confessed to his heart. He thought that Mr. Hua would not ask him to transplant the willow tree onto the mulberry root for no reason. There must be a reason. Maybe the root of this mulberry tree is not dead, and one day it will come alive through the transplanted willow tree. So he vowed to guard this old willow tree forever.

Fortunately, the old willow tree is regarded as a sacred tree. Naturally, no one will destroy the sacred tree, and no one around will dig the ground.

The old housekeeper at that time also made money, so he bought the land of the pond where the old willow tree was originally located and built a house on it."

When Bi Shenghua said this, she was walking side by side with Aoki to the entrance of Ruhua Bar.

She pointed to the bar’s house and said: “This is the backyard pond of the Hua family. The old willow tree at the entrance of the alley was originally planted here. Look like."

Aoki looked up at this familiar house.

There is snow on the eaves of the roof, like a white dragon. There are many carved patterns under the eaves. It may have been repaired because it is no longer possible to see what the carved is. The blue bricks and mottled white ash on the walls can still see the traces of the ancient era.

Although the first floor has been renovated into a bar, it can be seen that the whole life has been spent on decoration. The overall exterior wall style does not conflict with the antique here, the nostalgic and literary style of the bar complements the antique appearance of the old house.

Only the glass windows on the second floor, the aluminum alloy anti-theft fence outside the windows, and the words "Zhou Gong Interpretation of Dreams" posted on the windows are very abrupt, which is very different from the layout here.

For the first time, Aoki looked at the place where he lived so seriously, only to find that there were many things that he hadn't noticed in the past, and after the story of the lifelong flower, these things became extremely vivid.

The snow was full and his vision became blurred. He seemed to see the old mulberry, slowly turning to ashes in the fire, and the surrounding mulberry trees all withered. A cloud of smoke rose from the old mulberry nest on the old mulberry tree, and a crow flew up from the fire and circled the tree three times, crying in sorrow.

"The housekeeper's last name is Bi?" he said with his misty gaze back.

Bi Sheng Hua nodded gently: "That's my grandfather."

"You have been reluctant to leave Liuying Alley, and you firmly oppose the demolition, is that because of this?"

"That's right. My grandfather's last wish is to guard this place for generations to come and guard the old willow tree. He doesn't know why the Japanese looked for that old mulberry tree, and why the old man Hua burned it down, but He knew that what the Japanese wanted and what Mr. Hua guarded must not be as simple as a tree. He said that the Hua family lived for the mulberry tree. If it were not for transplanting the willow tree, he died in the fire. It's inside. So our Bi family lives for this willow tree."

I don’t know when there was a short willow branch in the hand of Lifetime Flower. "When I was young, every spring, grandpa would take us to cut the branches of the old willow tree and cut it to the riverside. There are still several trees there. I inserted the willow tree."

"But when will you stay like this? It will be demolished sooner or later," Aoki said.

Bi Shenghua said: "When I was a child, I asked my grandpa the same way. He said that everything in the world has its own destiny, and I will know it that day. I also know that it is out of date to maintain such a family tradition, but it can be regarded as a good thing. Think about it."

She gently fiddled with the dead branches in her hands and looked up at Aoki. The two were very close together, and the cold outside made it look warmer under the umbrella.

Aoki also met her gaze, and saw that her eyes were filled with soft light. As the crow said, the original man-in-law has become more and more feminine, although the clothes he wears are still so neutral.

"Um...I'm going to New Zealand this time...not to travel, so..." Aoki suddenly felt that his words were so pale, and he didn't understand why he wanted to say this.

Lifetime Hua chuckles and laughs.

"If you go, just go, don't worry about me. I tell you this, just want to tell you that I will not leave Liuying Alley. Unlike you, you are not an ordinary person, and you cannot stay in Liuying Alley for the rest of your life. No matter where you go, just remember that there is an old willow tree here, remember that you used to stand under the tree for a day and night, and remember that there is a person who is willing to guard a piece of wood for a lifetime, that's enough."

"But……"

"Stop it, listen to that dead crow too!"

At this time, Aoki suddenly felt the umbrella in his hand sank and made a bang. A small jet black head was stained with white snowflakes and hung upside down from the edge of the umbrella: "Hey, like—flower—, I’m here. Don't quack for you!"

...

In the next few days ~lightnovelpub.net~ Aoki came to the old willow tree again and again, recalling the day and night he stood under the tree.

The scene at that time is vivid, but he can't remember what he was thinking in his mind at that time. As for the things before this, as long as he thinks about it, his head is buzzing, and his mind is like a paste. .

The stories that Bi Shenghua tells are not exhaustive. Many of them are stories told by her grandfather when she was a child, and it is difficult to tell the truth from the false. But in Aoki's ears, there was a familiar feeling.

He always felt that he would not come to this street for no reason. Will this old willow tree, the mulberry roots in this soil, and the stories that happened here have anything to do with me? At the beginning, people all over the street regarded him as a beggar, but in the end only the flower of his life took him in. Is this considered a **** in the sky?

Aoki remembers that Bi Shenghua mentioned the Xia family in Nanzhen, and the Hua family in Sang Shuying were the two big families in Wuzhong. Then the people of the Xia family, especially Xia Wenyuan, who is quite senior, should have a good understanding of what happened back then.

Therefore, he decided to visit Father Xia again before going to New Zealand.