Image in Heart
Ever since Old Zhang’s wife passed away, he seemed to have aged significantly. He often sat in a daze and frequently recounted his past to us younger folks. The person he mentioned the most was a girl named Shan Xing. I found it puzzling—he lived with his wife for decades, and although they didn’t have any children, it didn’t seem appropriate for him to always bring up Shan Xing.
Later, I learned that Shan Xing was Old Zhang’s high school classmate and first love. Due to familial interference, they were forced to part ways and had never seen each other again.
Old Zhang said Shan Xing was the most beautiful girl in the class back then. She had long, thick, black braids that reached down to her thighs.
When she walked, the ribbons at the ends of her braids swayed like two real butterflies dancing around her. Shan Xing loved wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt with white floral patterns, which made her oval face look exceptionally fair, her curved eyebrows particularly dark, and her petite lips vividly red.
Her arms, exposed outside the short sleeves, were like freshly cleaned lotus roots. Old Zhang’s expression wasn’t just describing a person; it was like savoring a vintage wine.
One day, Old Zhang excitedly told me that Shan Xing, who he hadn’t heard from in decades, somehow found his phone number. She said she had just returned from the United States with her husband and wanted to meet him in the small town where they had studied. For the next few days, Old Zhang seemed to be on a high, anxiously and excitedly anticipating the reunion.
A few days later, in the afternoon, Old Zhang suddenly brought me a letter and asked me to deliver it to Shan Xing in the small town.
Puzzled, I asked, “Old Zhang, haven’t you been longing to see Shan Xing? Now that the opportunity is here, why don’t you go?”
Old Zhang shook his head with a smile, seemingly talking to me and to himself: “Ah, the past can never be restored! Time has passed, and she is no longer the same, and neither am I. If we meet for a brief moment, the Shan Xing in my heart will instantly turn into an old woman with silver hair and wrinkled skin.
The strong, handsome young man in her mind will also become a bent old man. Our beautiful memories would no longer exist. Isn’t that like breaking a precious treasure you’ve cherished all your life and then trying to piece it back together? Instead of that, I’d rather never see her.
I want her beautiful image to remain forever in my memory. I’d prefer to hear her voice on the phone and hold onto her past image as I live out the rest of my days.”
That night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I didn’t know if what Old Zhang felt was love or true love. But if I were Shan Xing, I wouldn’t blame him for not meeting me. I would feel happy and proud as a woman. I hope that my image could also be forever etched in the heart of my loved one, until the end of time!
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
