"Is that bun shop still there?"

With teary eyes and red eyes, the old man opened his mouth and moved repeatedly, just asking such a sentence.

"It's still there, the original boss is old, and the current bun shop has been handed over to her daughter to run, but it's still in that place, and the taste is still the same. Occasionally, the original boss would come over and take a look. ”

"The price has gone up, right?"

"Well, it's a little bit up."

"It's time to go up...... It's been a few more years. ”

The old man lowered his head, put the rest of the bun into his mouth, and ate it in one bite.

Until the tears rolled down from the eyes and onto the bun in his hand.

The old man hurriedly stretched out his hand again, and hurriedly brushed away the tears dripping from the bun.

I found that my fingers were already a little soaked with tears.

“…… In the past, there was always a kid who put the buns he bought in front of me. ”

"Sometimes the buns are still hot, sometimes they're cold, but they smell the same."

The old man paused, looked at the bun soaked in some tears, and then spoke out loud.

"I've watched him grow up, and I don't know what happened to him, and he's still not there."

As he spoke, the old man's voice was already a little hoarse.

“…… On the street in Lizhen, in the past, after the market opened in the morning, not only the steamed bun shop, but also some other breakfast and snack bars, began to set up fires, and after a while, aromas began to waft over...... Such a taste......"

The old man said, putting the rest of the buns into his mouth,

In this way, I finished eating the bun in one bite,

The remaining crumbs of the bun stuck to his hands, and the old man carefully put them in his mouth and ate them.

Then he trembled and sat with his head bowed, silent.

"Bang...... Snap ......"

Only the sound of tears dripping down the edge of the table sounded.

“…… When the aroma wafts, the number of people in the market begins to increase. All sorts of people who came to the market walked past me. ”

"Some will bring children in to burn incense, and some will rush out of the stall."

"There are adults and there are children. Most of the adults carry a basket on their backs, there is no car at that time, it is not very convenient, the child is still young, when they come, they put the child in the basket on their backs, and the children poke their heads out in the basket and look around curiously. When I went back, I put the things I bought in the basket, and when there were few things, the children would stay in the basket, and when there were many things, the children would follow the adults, and as they walked, they would nibble on the sugar gourds that the adults bought to coax the children, or a cooking cake. ”

The old man still lowered his head, recalling the scene in his memory,

"In the open space in front of the temple, some people set up stalls, some people talked, on the bluestone slabs under the trees, some people were resting, and some children were playing games around the trees...... The tree stood there quietly, looking at ......"

"I like to be lively...... It used to be very lively. During the New Year, during the festival, when the market is rushed, and at ordinary times...... On that lively street, there are people ...... at any time."

"Sometimes, there are children there who put crabs fished out of the ditch and cicadas caught from the trees on the offering table of the Land Temple as if they were offering treasures......

At this, the old man raised his head again and couldn't help laughing.

But after laughing, the smile retracted, and I couldn't help but be in a trance again, and fell silent again.

Looking at the old man who had eaten the taste of his hometown and reminisced, Xu Feng didn't speak, but just turned his head to look at Ah Meng beside him.

Ah Meng took the twist of soil in the bag that Xu Feng handed over just now, and uncovered the lid of the teapot on the table.

Pour the twisted soil, nothing left, into the tea in the teapot.

"It's ......"

The old man, who came back to his senses in a trance, noticed the little bit of dirt that Ah Meng poured into the teapot.

As if he had guessed, he couldn't help but look at it with concern and hesitation, and asked out loud.

"This is a twist of soil from the old gentleman's hometown."

Xu Feng watched Ah Meng pour the twisted soil into the teapot, and the twisted soil that fell into the tea was like a thin snow blended into warm water, which melted away in an instant, and the tea didn't look like it had changed.

"That's right."

Listening to Xu Feng's answer, the old man looked even more closely at the tea that had been blended into the twisted soil.

"Hmmm......"

Xu Feng responded. Amon had already put the lid back on the teapot.

Pick up two teacups and pour two cups of soup each.

The soup came out of the teapot and into the teacup, and it was still steaming.

The heat lingers, bringing a fragrance, the aroma seems to be far away, like near but not near,

Something familiar, as if in a long memory, when have I smelled it,

Just smelling the aroma of this soup makes people feel inexplicably relieved.

It's like rushing back to a warm house from a rainstorm, and your loved ones beckoning you to change into dry clothes.

It's like lying in the bedroom when I was a child, and although the bedroom lights are off, there is still some light in the living room, and there is a subtle sound of TV and the sound of parents talking.

This reassuring smell makes people trance.

Ah Meng put down the teapot again and stood beside Xu Feng.

The old man sitting opposite Xu Feng was a little distracted for a long time in the mist of the rising soup.

After a long time, he lowered his head and looked at the soup in the teacup on the table in a daze.

"What is this?"

"Meng Po soup. After drinking, it will be over in this life, and the life will be over, and it will be completely over here. After stepping on the Nai He Bridge, it will not be a matter of this life. ”

Xu Feng said, pausing,

"The old gentleman can drink Meng Po soup, pass from here, and then enter the mortal world, you can also ......"

The underworld is short of manpower, and it just so happens that the old man used to be the land.

If he is willing to stay in the prefecture, he should be able to stay.

While speaking, Xu Feng also turned his head to look at Ah Meng, and saw that Ah Meng had no other opinions, so it should be no problem, so he continued,

"It's okay to stay in the underworld. This cup of Meng Po soup can be left undrunk. How to choose depends on the old gentleman himself. ”

After Xu Feng finished speaking, he stopped his voice and looked at the old man.

The old man didn't know whether he heard Xu Feng's words or not, but he still looked at the cup of Meng Po soup in front of him for a long time.

“…… Boss, what do you smell like this Meng Po soup? ”

The old man spoke up again, but he gave an answer first,

"I smell it, but it looks like the smell of the street in Lizhen, the aroma of the shops wafting in the morning, the aroma of the food in the houses of the people in the evening, the smell of incense in front of the land temple, and the smell of firecrackers during the New Year's ......."

"It smells like this, how can I not drink it...... Thank you for the kindness of the owner. I still want to go back to the world, and it is better to go back to Pear Town. ”

The old man made his own choice, he still wanted to drink the Meng Po soup with the twisted soil of his hometown, or he wanted to go back to the world of Lizhen.

Xu Feng didn't persuade him again, and he didn't say anything else,

Just stretched out his hand and picked up the cup of Meng Po soup in front of him.

The old man looked at the cup of Meng Po soup for a while, and also reached out to pick up the cup of Meng Po soup.

"Thank you......"

After saying another word to Xu Feng, the old man first put his cup of Meng Po soup to his mouth,

Then the cup was raised and I took a shallow sip.

Xu Feng glanced at the old man, also picked up the cup, and took a sip of Meng Po soup.

The soup still has some heat, and there is a warm feeling in the mouth and stomach, like drinking a bowl of warm soup in winter.

However, the taste of the soup is not strong, on the contrary, it is bland and ordinary.

In Xu Feng's place, the cup of Meng Po soup in the entrance is like the taste of boiled dumpling noodle soup,

But drinking Xu Feng, he was a little silent.

“…… Sir, what does this cup of soup taste like? ”

"Hey...... It's the steamed bun shop with the taste of the bowl of soy milk sold. There's a hint of sweetness......"

The old man laughed, said in response, and then drank the rest of the Meng Po soup in one gulp.

After drinking, the old man's eyes were in a trance again, and his gaze was obviously in front of him, but it seemed to have fallen farther away.

Xu Feng glanced at the old man, listened to the old man's words, nodded, and also raised the cup, and drank the remaining Meng Po soup.

Meng Po soup is in the mouth again, and the soup smell of the dumplings is still boiled.

Immediately after that, there are some other flavors. As the taste progresses, there is some nervousness in my heart, and some peace of mind after the storm and the sunrise,

It's like being on the most familiar bed in your own bedroom, but the smell and environment around you make people feel extra at ease.

After drinking this cup of Meng Po soup, Xu Feng put down the cup and paused for a long time.

I didn't experience the feeling after drinking this cup of Meng Po soup, but chased the tastes and feelings brought by this cup of Meng Po soup.

Raise your head again and look at the old man,

The old man's eyes were red again.

"I seem to ...... See...... I saw what the street in Pear Town looked like now...... Why are you so lonely......"

With red eyes, the old man said,

"It seems that I still see the former appearance of Pear Town, children are playing hide and seek, and adults are talking...... It's still so lively......"

At this moment, the old man is not the land lord in the temple,

It's an old man who can't go back to his hometown.

That's where he is.

"What's going on now...... Why is this still the case...... It's okay, I'm going back. ”

The old man didn't talk to Xu Feng and Ah Meng anymore, and after putting down the cup,

So he got up and went home.

Xu Feng watched the old man get up, and watched the old man walk out of the back door of the inn.

He also stood up from the table and watched.

The old man pursued the memories that were tumbling in his mind, long ago but still clear,

Faltering, bent over the waist but raising his head, with red eyes, he stepped out of the Lechuan Inn and stepped on the Nai He Bridge.

He's going home.

“…… It's all right, I'm going to get home......"

This is the last sentence of the old man from the Lechuan River and the bridge.

Xu Feng and Ah Meng stood in the Lethe Inn, watching the figure of the old man finally disappear at the other end of the Nai He Bridge.

“…… Ah Meng, where do you think this old gentleman will go? ”

"I think I'll go to a place where karma meets."

Amon gave the same answer to a similar question before.

"Hmm...... Ah Meng, can you still pour me a cup of Meng Po soup just now? ”

"It's gone, Xu Feng."

"Hmm. I know. ”

……

“…… Don't run, you can run, grandpa can't run, I won't pull you if I fall for a while. ”

The world, Pear Town.

It's early in the morning again.

The old man who once talked to Xu Feng and Ah Meng, in front of the ruins of the Land Temple,

Then take the grandson to pass by the ruins.

“…… Alright, alright, take a good walk with grandpa. ”

"Hmm...... Well......"

Pulling his grandson back and taking him with him, the old man continued to walk forward.

But the grandson is a child after all, although he is quite obedient, but he is also active.

Walking beside the old man, from time to time he would turn around and look around.

"Grandpa, look!"

As if he had found something, the grandson pointed to the side of the road and said loudly to the old man.

"Huh?"

The old man paused and looked over.

And he saw that the place pointed to by his grandson was in front of the ruins of the Land Temple.

Probably the location of the stump of the maple tree.

Something seems to be falling on the stump?

The old man is old, and his vision is a little blurred,

I opened my eyes and looked carefully, but I didn't see clearly,

In the end, he walked over with his grandson, and walked to the stump to see clearly,

"Buns?"

Seeing two buns on the stump, the old man was stunned.

It's not just a puzzle how someone could deliberately put two buns here.

It also aroused his long-term memories.

This used to be the Land Temple, and when the Land Temple and this maple tree were still there,

He once also placed buns on the offering table of the Land Temple.

Sometimes, he bought buns on the street to eat leftovers, and sometimes he bought them specifically for the land lord.

Sometimes he found that the buns on the offering table disappeared the next day.

When I was a child, I just thought that the land lord liked to eat, so I ate it.

Later, when I got older, I just thought that it might have been taken away by someone else.

Looking at the two buns placed on the stump, the old man looked at the maple tree with only the stump left, and the land temple next to it that only left the ruins,

The mood is a little complicated for a while, for the childhood memories of childhood, but also for the things and people at this moment.

“…… Grandfather? Why would anyone put two buns here? ”

“…… Maybe you can't eat it, so you just throw it here...... You must not waste food, and if you throw food around, be careful that I will clean you up. ”

In the sound of his grandson's questioning, the old man came back to his senses and was about to leave with his grandson.

"Oh......"

The grandson obediently responded, and glanced at the two buns on the stump a few more times.

Before the old man left, he also took a few glances at the decaying and black stump of the maple tree.

Just following him, the old man paused again.

"Hmmm......"

The old man saw something, stopped, squatted down, and brushed away the weeds,

Now I can see it more clearly.

At the root of the decaying and blackened stump, at the bottom, a green branch sprouted out,

It's just that it has been sticking to the ground and has not stood up, and it is covered by weeds, and the old man has passed by here many times, but he has not seen it.

"The maple tree is alive?"

"The maple tree is alive! Alive......"

The old man's mood was even more complicated, and he looked at the newly haired green branch, and was a little stunned.

The grandson next to him just looked at the old man ignorantly, looking down at the thin branch.

"Grandpa?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

"It's all right. Alright, let's go. ”

After coming back to his senses, he paused again.

The old man re-brushed back the weeds, touched the new green branch of the maple tree, and stood up again.

With his grandson, he left here.

The grandson was still a little curious, and looked back as he left.

On the way back,

The old man took his grandson and met an acquaintance in the same town again,

"Old Qian, where are you going?"

"My daughter-in-law is about to give birth in the hospital, so I'm here to deliver something."

"Congratulations, congratulations......"

"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're going to have a drink...... I'm going to rush over here, so I won't talk about it. ”

"Okay, don't delay, let's go."

……

"Amon ......"

"Huh?"

After the guests left, Xu Feng and Ah Meng were free again.

After moving a deck chair, we arrived at the bank of the Lethe River again.

It's just that he flipped through the classics for a while, and Xu Feng didn't recite it.

Just sat from sitting to lying down, and from lying down to sitting up again.

Turning his head, Xu Feng still shouted to Ah Meng,

Ah Meng turned his head and waited for Xu Feng's words.

Xu Feng looked at Ah Meng, but he didn't say anything for a while.

Ah Meng was not in a hurry, Xu Feng didn't speak, he kept looking at Xu Feng quietly, waiting for him.

"Ah Meng, can you help me ask Lao Bao, the whereabouts of a person. He died almost ten years ago, and you can help me ask if he was reincarnated. ”

This matter has always been in Xu Feng's heart, and he knows that it can't still be there.

I still can't help but ask, especially after this trip to Pear Town.

"Hmm."

"His surname is Xu."

Xu Feng said again.

"Hmm."

Ah Meng nodded again and answered again.

Neither asked more carefully who that person was, nor did he ask Xu Feng why he didn't ask himself, but let her ask.

She seemed to know.

Amon raised his hand, and there was something like a token in his hand.

Then holding the token, Ah Meng stood in place, was quiet for a while, turned his head, and looked at Xu Feng again.

"Xu Feng, I've already asked."

Xu Feng looked at Ah Meng, paused, and didn't speak.

A little nervous and hesitant, but still didn't speak, just waiting for Ah Meng to tell him.

"Xu Feng, if you have to ask, it should be your grandfather. He died ten years ago, did not stay in the underworld, and after arriving in the underworld, he went to reincarnation. ”

"Hmmm......"

Listening to Amon tell him this long-expected answer,

Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, and then, followed by some sadness welling up from the bottom of his heart.

"Do you want me to ask them about Xu Feng again, your grandfather, the reincarnation of the next life?"

Ah Meng looked at Xu Feng and asked again.

"No need."

Xu Feng was silent and shook his head.

Knowing this, he inevitably wanted to see it again.

But he also knew that after reincarnation, he was no longer the same person, and his previous life had already ended when he crossed the Nai He Bridge.

Knowing it, it only adds to the troubles.

"Hmm."

Ah Meng replied softly and put down the token in his hand.

Xu Feng raised his head and looked at the quiet Lechuan River in front of him,

What I thought of was the Meng Po soup I had just drunk.

The noodle soup flavor of Meng Po soup reassured him.

At that time, the old man who adopted him depended on him for his life.

Naturally, it is impossible to live too richly, and the most fragrant food at home is the dumplings made by the old man himself.

And when I drank Meng Po soup just now, it was like having that taste.

……

After a pause and silence for a while, Xu Feng raised his head again.

Suppressing a lot of thoughts, he just turned his head and said something casually to Ah Meng.

"Ah Meng, what was that token you just took out?"

"Hmm...... It's almost the mobile phone of the underworld, right? ”

“…… Well? ”