Chapter 4: The Bitter Persimmon

Before long, she arrived at the familiar doorstep of her memory.

There were two large round copper rings on the door, with a sturdy iron lock in the middle, securing the weathered wooden doors shut.

This used to be her home, but now it belonged to Qifangfang. It was no longer hers.

Looking back now, she felt so foolish and naive!

This house was left to her by her parents, but due to her inner guilt, she had been unwilling to come here, leaving her parents' memorial tablets all alone.

Since the house was transferred to her younger sister, with the indifference of her sister's family, perhaps even her parents' memorial tablets had disappeared. The house had changed its name, and the things left by her parents had become someone else's.

Because of her own weakness and cowardice, she had lost so many precious things. It was laughable and pitiful! This was her punishment, not worthy of anyone's sympathy. And now, she was all alone, with no one to sympathize with her.

Hetiantian pushed the old wooden door with force, and the two doors seemed unable to withstand the external force, falling into the courtyard.

Qifangfang had moved to Huai City ten years ago, leaving this courtyard in Nan City empty. With no one living here for a long time, the courtyard had become overgrown with weeds. There was an old persimmon tree that no one tended to, but it still bore many greenish-blue persimmons.

Hetiantian looked around inside and out, and the furnishings inside were unrecognizable and dilapidated. She walked to the persimmon tree, picked a greenish-blue persimmon, wiped it with her hand, took a bite, and the sour taste filled her mouth.

Although it was hard to swallow, the sour taste cleared her mind and made her thoughts clearer.

Just then, she faintly heard footsteps approaching from a distance.

For some reason, Hetiantian instinctively hid behind the persimmon tree, holding her breath. At this moment, she didn't want to see anyone.

"Chairman, this place is messy and dirty. You should go back!" A middle-aged man said humbly, slightly leaning his body, trying to dissuade the middle-aged man who kept walking forward.

"This is my home. No matter how messy it is, it's still my home." Although the man's voice was not loud, it revealed warmth and stubbornness.

Hetiantian's body trembled slightly. She would remember this voice for the rest of her life. Although it had aged over the years, the clear and moist voice remained unchanged.

It was him! Huo Yingjie!

At this moment, Hetiantian's heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

As Hetiantian was lost in thought, a branch half a meter above her head moved a few times, and someone next door reached out and picked a greenish-blue persimmon.

"Chairman, this persimmon isn't ripe..." someone reminded. Even if persimmons were ripe, they shouldn't be eaten too much, let alone unripe ones, which would definitely taste bad.

Huo Yingjie did not respond, as if muttering to himself, "Sour persimmons are the best for refreshing the mind..."

This sentence, like a key, opened the floodgates of Hetiantian's memory.

"Brother Yingjie, I keep dozing off in class. What should I do?" A girl with braided hair and a round face tilted her head, asking her all-capable older brother. She had to find a solution because if she was caught dozing off by the teacher again, she would have to call her parents. She was a good girl, how could she bear making such a mistake and having to call her parents?

"Silly girl, sour persimmons are the best for refreshing the mind. Bring one tomorrow. If you feel sleepy, take a bite, and you definitely won't feel sleepy anymore." Huo Yingjie, who was already a handsome young man, came up with an unreliable idea and showed a mischievous smile.

Originally meant to tease the little girl, Hetiantian took it seriously.

Hetiantian did not doze off after eating the sour persimmon, but she was still caught by the teacher for eating in class and couldn't escape the fate of having to call her parents.

However, the innocent Hetiantian still thought that Brother Yingjie was amazing for coming up with such a good idea.

Although she was still caught by her parents, it was her own carelessness. She just had to be more careful next time, and she wouldn't be caught.

Sour persimmons! This was their secret.

He remembered!

She remembered!

A voice in her heart clamored for Hetiantian to go and see him. But when Hetiantian's mind flashed her reflection in the mirror that morning, she hesitated.

She left here at the age of eighteen. At that time, she was like a young girl about to bloom, with supple skin, watery eyes, and a graceful and healthy figure.

But now, her hair had turned white, her skin had sagged, her eyes were no longer clear, and her figure had become plump.

She didn't have the courage to come out. In this lifetime, she had become like this, so let her stay in his most beautiful memory.

The footsteps along the neighboring wall grew farther and farther away, and Huo Yingjie left.

Hetiantian didn't want to come out to see Huo Yingjie, but she wanted to see him one more time, just one glance, even if it was just his back. She peeked out, waiting for him to pass by the front gate.

As if sensing something, Huo Yingjie turned his head and looked at the old persimmon tree.

Under the persimmon tree, there were only weeds, and no longer the lively girl with a mischievous smile eating persimmons.

Before Huo Yingjie looked in her direction, Hetiantian had already withdrawn her head.

Huo Yingjie turned back and continued walking forward.

His assistant noticed that the chairman's steady steps had faltered, and his straight back had bent slightly. Perhaps... perhaps the chairman had thought of someone!

When Hetiantian peeked out her head again, she only saw Huo Yingjie's back. Although it was just a back view, for Hetiantian, it was enough.

At that moment, He Tiantian suddenly felt a slight pain and numbness in her ankle, as if she had been bitten by something. She lowered her head to take a look.

A silver-white small snake about the length of a chopstick was biting at He Tiantian's ankle. It was summer, and He Tiantian was wearing a loose skirt. Although she was wearing stockings, they were no match for the sharp teeth of the little silver snake.

Just as He Tiantian lifted her foot to shake off the snake, she suddenly found her body going weak, unable to lift her foot, and unable to stand. Her body seemed to have no bones, and she collapsed on the ground.

Although her strength was gradually fading, He Tiantian couldn't shout for help, unable to seek assistance. The fear of death enveloped her, but when her eyes fell on the stone table not far from the persimmon tree, she felt no fear.

In the past, she and her parents often ate at the stone table by the persimmon tree. This courtyard held too many memories of her and her parents, as well as Huo Yingjie.

At the moment of death, knowing the truth was more liberating than dying in a lie. Before dying, in her own courtyard, catching a glimpse of the person she could only see in her dreams, she had no regrets.

He Tiantian's eyes grew heavier, gradually losing consciousness.