"The old folks in the village... after muddling through another year, always 'come alive' a few days before the New Year, holding their old mobile phones."
"They gather in groups before that stone, because only there is it open enough to make a smooth phone call."
"They bring food, bring stools, and sit there for a whole day... then return home disappointed at night, only to come back again the next day..."
"They wait for a very, very long time. Every incoming call is treated with importance, answered, then hung up in disappointment."
"They wait there for several days, until they receive the call they want... or... until the arrival of the New Year..."
Shu remained silent, looking towards the front of the stone, towards the open space that wasn't actually very large.
There was nothing there. Sitting there, one could either look up at the sky or face the sheer white surface of the stone.
The stone was large, large enough to block a person's entire view.
"The phone call... what do they say?" Though only a short time had passed, Shu's voice had undergone a drastic change between the two sentences.
No wonder... this place is filled with such a thick twilight atmosphere.
And no wonder... the only emotion he had clearly received was from the old grandma following him.
Speaking of which... isn't New Year just a few days away?
"What do they say in the phone call...?" The girl's expression shifted slightly. She looked at Shu, paused silently for a long time, then gave the answer Shu felt was the worst possible.
"'Dad/Mom, I won't be coming back this year...'"
Like two voices overlapping, spoken in the most casual tone, delivering an answer capable of breaking a heart.
Shu could even imagine the tone and state of the person on the other end of the line saying those words.
Perhaps taking a break from work, delivering the news like issuing a notice to the other end.
These calls often began with such "notifications" and ended after a couple of meaningless sentences with a "I'm busy, gotta go."
The duration of their calls was perhaps shorter, less patient, than those from telemarketers.
And yet, these few disappointing words would be etched into the hearts of these elderly people, licked like the King of Yue's bitter gallbladder [historical allusion to enduring hardship for future revenge], tasting the bitterness while fantasizing about a beautiful future.
Returning home like this, picking out two dishes from the prepared lavish ingredients that wouldn't keep well or that the children disliked, simply preparing them as their own New Year's Eve dinner, then falling asleep early due to physical reasons amidst the distant fireworks and blessings.
And so passed a year... then another year... and another...
Waking up the next day, returning to the old year again.
So... that was why the old grandma smiled so brilliantly at him, acted like a child before him, tried to help him solve everything, yet looked at him so cautiously, asking how long he would stay this time...
Because she mistook him for her "child"...
But... he wasn't...
...
The calendar had already turned to February; the New Year was approaching.
This year's New Year came exceptionally late, set for mid-February.
Due to the Honkai, not many people in the outside world were looking forward to this grandest festival of the Wang Ri [fictional calendar/era? Likely just means 'calendar year']. Even Shu had subconsciously downplayed the concept of "New Year."
Now, here, he found these people eagerly awaiting the New Year.
They had looked forward to this festival for an entire year...
Turning back, the white girl had already vanished into the night, leaving quietly, as silently as the wind carrying away dandelion seeds.
---||---
Beside the old grandma's bed, Shu stood silently in the darkness, watching her curled up alone under three faded blankets, unsure what to say.
Without making a sound, Shu left the old grandma's room. In the foyer, Shu saw the "lavish" leftovers they had left behind from dinner.
Stewed chicken soup, fresh wild vegetables, smoked bacon, blood sausage, cured sausage hanging by the kitchen stove... so much that even Kiana couldn't finish it all.
Shu suddenly saw the red cover in the darkness, still placed on the table, covering a porcelain bowl.
He leaned closer and lifted the cover.
In the worn porcelain bowl was half a bowl of pickled vegetables.
Shu looked back again at the leftovers they couldn't finish. Compared to this half bowl of pickled vegetables that had likely lasted several meals, the difference was night and day.
Honestly... dinner wasn't delicious.
Stir-fried cured meat, stewed cured meat, boiled pork, stir-fried vegetables...
The seasoning was indescribably off, the taste roughly comparable to the stir-fried pork Kiana had finally managed to make after much effort, perhaps even slightly worse.
But... Grandma had cooked so much alone, so much that even Kiana couldn't finish it...
Shu put the cover back down, returning it to its original place. He then looked at the candies and canned fruit he had casually placed on the table.
Thick dust coated the red lid of the can. Through the somewhat hazy glass, Shu could see the golden yellow peaches inside.
So much dust... must have been sitting for a long time... just like those melted candies...
In this white world... these things, saved for those who would return, were the most brilliant colors.
Picking up a candy, Shu didn't put it down this time due to the sticky melted syrup. Instead, he twisted open both ends, fully unfolding the cellophane wrapper.
Almost the entire candy had melted, forming a sticky puddle of syrup in the center of the wrapper.
Bringing it closer to smell, Shu caught a whiff of intense sweetness...看来 the saccharin content in this candy was high.
Besides that, there was a faint sour smell, unclear whether it was because the candy had spoiled or due to its flavor profile.
Although they had accepted many candies from Grandma, their unanimous assessment was still that the candy was too old and inedible.
Bronya taking so many was also to comfort the old grandma and to collect these Homu candy wrappers, which had stopped being sold ten years ago...
Wait... ten years ago?
So these candies have been sitting for ten years?
After staring at the aged candy in his hand for several seconds, Shu tentatively stuck out his tongue and quickly licked the syrup.
Sour... inedible...
That can of fruit was likely spoiled too... No matter how well sealed, the can was just a glass jar with a plastic lid.
Not to mention the yellow peaches inside were already mushy from soaking...
So... was it the canned food that spoiled, or the candy that rotted?
...
It was the people who returned too late...