Love in the Red Dust - Yilin

Author: Xiaoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: You've been waiting a long time. During World War II, a young Japanese boy was forced to join the army and separated from his fiancée. Before their breakup, they always met under a large tree for dates. Due to work commitments, the boy was always late. Every time he arrived late, he would timidly say, "Sorry, I made you wait." But the girl would always smile and reply, "It's okay, I didn't wait long either." At first, the boy believed her, but one day when he arrived on time, he deliberately waited nearby for an hour before approaching. To his surprise, the girl still smiled and said the same thing. He then realized that no matter how late he was, she would always kindly lie to him to avoid making him feel awkward. Later, before being sent to the army, fearing he might not return for years or that things would change upon his return, he made a promise with her: if they couldn't find each other upon his return, they would meet under that same tree.
Time passed, and over twenty years later, the boy never returned. He had been stranded in Korea and, after being hit by explosives, lost his memory due to a coma. It wasn't until a decade later that he unintentionally regained his memories. Unfortunately, he had already married a woman in Korea and believed his fiancée must have thought he was dead. Five years later, his Korean wife passed away, and he returned to Japan with a heart full of uncertainty. Remembering this unforgettable old love, he drove straight to the old tree the day he arrived.
The taxi sped to a stop about two meters away, but what greeted him was a bustling, noisy street with shops. Before he even got close, his heart broke—where was the tree? His only memory was also shattered. He stood there in a daze for a while, then thought, "It's time to leave!" Suddenly, he noticed a vendor nearby and decided to buy some cigarettes. He walked over and asked the vendor for a pack. The vendor, squatting on the ground, slowly lifted his head. In that instant, their eyes met, and he realized the vendor was his former fiancée. His tears couldn't hold back any longer. In just a few seconds, he could gather his thoughts: she must have set up a stall here, fearing he wouldn't find her and unsure when he would return. He didn't know what to say, so he quietly replied, "Sorry, I made you wait." To his surprise, she smiled just as before: "It's okay, I didn't wait long either." She answered him gently.
Linzhi Records
In Selected Anecdotes from the World of the Masters, there is a touching story about General Huantun during his northern campaign. He saw the willow trees he had once planted had grown to a circumference of ten feet, and he sighed, "Trees grow like this, but how can people bear it?" Trees grow, wither, and are cut down; people age and die, and in the process, time passes. In this story, though the person has aged and the tree is gone, even the place has become a bustling street, yet the feelings remain as they once were. In the long river of time, there is one thing that never changes, never ages—feelings. They can withstand storms and hardships, growing stronger through trials—as long as you hold fast to them. (Zhang Ping) P8-9