Fast Travel Absurdity Sutra

When I got off the train, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon of the next day.

Lantian stayed on the train for two days and one night. The crowded carriage and turbid air made her feel like she was rotten all over. Fatigue came like a tide, almost drowning her.

The train sped along, and the clanging sound seemed like the urging drumbeats, beating in Lantian's heart.

She had endured two days and one night in this small and slightly noisy carriage, and fatigue was like fine spider silk, wrapping her up layer by layer.

The long journey made her whole body sore, her hair became messy, and her clothes were wrinkled and stained with dust from the journey.

But when she thought about meeting her family whom she hadn't seen for a long time, it was as if a hot spring was bubbling out from the depths of her heart, and the warm current surged, gradually dispelling a lot of fatigue from her body.

Lantian knew in her heart that the surging emotions at this moment did not entirely belong to her. The original owner's deep and passionate homesickness was like a tide, hitting her heart wave after wave.

Since the original owner went to the countryside, he was swept away by the torrent of life and struggled in that remote and difficult place. The heavy work and poor living conditions made going home to visit relatives a luxury.

On countless silent nights, she could only look at the cold moonlight and silently miss her parents who were far away. Guilt was like a sharp thorn, deeply piercing her heart. She blamed herself for not being able to fulfill her filial duties to her parents.

And now, Lantian carries the expectations of the original owner, like a tired bird returning to its nest, flying towards home with full of expectations.

She did not inform Zhou Mingguo and Wan Wan of her return in advance. She kept imagining her parents' surprised and delighted expressions in her mind. Her steps became more and more hurried as she headed straight for the home she longed for.

When Lantian finally stood in front of the quaint wooden door of her home that was so familiar, every detail of the past flashed before her eyes like a picture.

The laughter of playing in front of the door as a child, the reluctant instructions of her parents when she left home, all these memories intertwined together, making her feel an indescribable mixture of emotions.

She raised her head slightly, looked at the mottled door beam, took a deep breath, as if to swallow all the tension and excitement, then raised her hand and gently knocked on the copper door knocker that had been polished to a shine.

"Who is it?"

Wan Wan's soft and somewhat doubtful voice came from inside the house. The voice passed through the door and went straight into Lantian's ears, making her heart tighten instantly.

Lantian tried his best to suppress the excitement that surged in his heart like the waves of the ocean. He lowered his voice deliberately and said with a bit of feigned roughness, "I am the water delivery man."

Wan Wan was sitting on an old wooden chair in the room, holding a half-embroidered handkerchief in her hand.

Although her injuries were much lighter than Zhou Mingguo's these days and her wounds had healed long ago, for some reason, she always felt as if her body was filled with lead and became extremely heavy.

Every time she stood up and every step she took was no longer as light and convenient as before, as if time had inadvertently stolen her vitality.

She muttered softly, "Strange, why bring water at this time?", while supporting herself with the handrail, she slowly stood up and walked towards the door with a slightly slow step.

With a slight "creak" that seemed to have traveled through the long years, the door of the house that carried countless memories slowly opened.

The old door panel makes a slight "creaking" sound when it turns, as if humming the stories of the past.

The friction between the door hinges and the door frame shook off some of the dust that had accumulated over the years, and in the sunlight, they danced like tiny pieces of gold foil.

For a moment, the dim light in the room flowed out like water, interweaving with the sunlight outside the door, illuminating the small space at the door.

In an instant, Wan Wan's eyes, full of vicissitudes and fatigue, collided directly with Lantian's eyes, which seemed to contain the stars and the sea, and were full of affection and expectation.

At that time, the afternoon sun shone through the mottled leaves, casting fine light and shadows on the ground. A breeze blew, and the light and shadows swayed on Wan Wan and Lan Tian.

Wan Wan was standing just inside the door. Behind her was the main hall, which was a little dim but couldn't be more familiar. Old tables and chairs were arranged in an orderly manner. A slightly yellowed family portrait hung on the wall. Zhou Tian in the photo still had a youthful smile on his face.

On a half-worn wooden chair lay Wan Wan's unfinished needlework, and next to it was the cushion she often sat on, which seemed to still retain her body temperature.

At this moment, Wan Wan was like someone who had been cast under a spell of immobilization by a powerful wizard. She froze in place instantly, with her feet as if nailed down, unable to move at all.

She widened her eyes, staring at the person in front of her, her mouth slightly open, not daring to make a sound for a long time.

In her eyes, the face of the person standing in front of her had the same familiar outline as her daughter Zhou Tian.

The charm between the eyebrows and eyes can still evoke memories of the past, but the traces of time are so obvious.

Fine wrinkles appeared on the originally smooth forehead, there were some crow's feet at the corners of the eyes, the skin became rough and dull, and the hair was slightly messy with silver threads. The whole person looked so old and haggard.

Is this still the young and energetic daughter she remembers?

Wan Wan's heart was filled with confusion and shock, and she was a little dazed for a moment.

The handkerchief embroidered with delicate patterns that she held tightly in her hand, which she had painstakingly embroidered stitch by stitch in her spare time, now slipped quietly from her fingertips that were too weak due to excessive shock.

The handkerchief fluttered and spun in the air, and finally fell silently to the dusty ground, but she was unaware of it. Her eyes were still focused on Lantian, as if everything around her had ceased to exist.

Her eye sockets were instantly enveloped by a layer of warm mist, which gathered and thickened, blurring her vision. Her reddened eyes were filled with a complex mixture of disbelief and surprise, like a jar of five flavors overturned, with all sorts of feelings flooding into her heart.

His lips couldn't help but tremble slightly. He wanted to say something, but it seemed as if something was choking his throat.

Finally, after struggling for a few times, she managed to squeeze out a few words from her dry throat and stammered:

"Tian'er, why did you come back without telling me in advance?"

The voice was trembling and choking, yet filled with endless love and longing, and echoed for a long time in the silent doorway.

Lantian looked at the tears flashing in his mother's eyes, and his eyes couldn't help but feel hot and a sour feeling rose at the tip of his nose.

At this moment, Lantian thought that because of the original owner's willfulness, the poor old couple lost their child.

After they brought back the original owner's ashes, they all died of depression soon after.

The original owner was filled with guilt after her death. Her greatest wish was that her parents could live a happy life.

Lantian was anxious.

After all, she was different from the original owner, and she was worried that her differences would be discovered by the original owner's parents.

Fortunately, the original owner had been in the countryside for more than two years.

At this time, even if she had some changes, it would still be understandable.

Who can say that a delicate little girl who has been tempered and beaten in the countryside for two years will not have some changes in her personality? Even her appearance has changed a lot.

Zhou Tian's skin is now much darker than before.

Lantian didn't dare to use too much spiritual spring water. She usually practiced martial arts to strengthen her body. As for the original owner's appearance, she basically didn't care about it.

Therefore, Zhou Tian now looks at least seven or eight years older than before, with the image of a dark and rough rural man.

At this time, Lantian could no longer suppress the original owner's inner emotions and plunged into the warm and familiar embrace of his mother, his voice choked with sobs:

"Mom, I want to give you and Dad a surprise."

At this moment, there was a slight noise coming from the inner room.

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Mingguo walked out slowly, leaning on an old cane.

One of his legs was obviously limping, and every step he took seemed extremely difficult. His injured arm hung limply at his side, with his fingers slightly curled.

Even after a period of recuperation, his hands and feet were still a little clumsy, and his movements were slow and difficult.

In the memory of the original owner Zhou Tian, ​​his father always had an upright posture and walked with a breeze. He could easily carry himself on his shoulders and go to watch the excitement on the streets.

The scene before her made her eyes widen, her face instantly lost all color, and her heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand.

Although Lantian had long known that the original owner's parents had been hurt, she had not been able to control the original owner's instinctive reaction at all. At this time, the original owner's instinctive reaction was the most reasonable.

She stood there in a daze.

A few seconds later, shock and heartache intertwined and turned into a high-decibel cry: "Dad, what's wrong with you?"

Zhou Tian rushed forward, completely ignoring the objects on the table being knocked to the ground.

She waved her hands in the air in panic, as if she wanted to support her father, but was afraid of touching his wounds. In the end, she just gently grasped the corner of her father's clothes, and her fingertips turned white due to the force.

Her eyes were red and tears were welling up in them. Her voice was trembling violently as she kept asking in a sobbing voice, "What on earth happened? Please tell me quickly!"

Zhou Mingguo and Wan Wan looked at each other, and a hint of imperceptible panic flashed in their eyes.

Wan Wan subconsciously twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and her knuckles turned white from the force. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but Zhou Mingguo stopped her with a look.

Zhou Mingguo tilted his head slightly and tried to force a smile, but it seemed forced no matter how you looked at it. "Daughter, it's okay. I just fell down accidentally. It will be fine after some rest."

"impossible!"

Zhou Tian shook her head violently, her hair scattered messily with her movement, and a few strands of hair stuck to her tear-stained face.

"How could you get hurt like this from a fall? Dad, don't hide it from me. What happened?"

Her eyes darted eagerly back and forth between her parents' faces, trying to find a glimmer of truth in their expressions.

Wan Wan hurried over and patted Zhou Tian's back gently. Her voice was gentle but filled with unquestionable determination:

"Tian'er, it really was just an accident. Don't worry about it. You just came back, so have a good rest."

As she spoke, she tried to pull Zhou Tian to sit on the chair.

Zhou Tian, ​​however, seemed to have taken root, standing there motionless, holding his father's crutches tightly with both hands.

"I do not believe!"

She bit her lips stubbornly, leaving a deep bloody mark. Blood oozed out and dyed the corners of her mouth red, but she was completely unaware.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have been so worried that I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep."

Zhou Mingguo and Wan Wan looked at each other again, their eyes full of helplessness and heartache.

They knew their daughter's temper very well. Once she made up her mind, nothing could change her mind.

But how could they bear to let their daughter know the cruel truth, adding unnecessary troubles and dangers to her?

Zhou Mingguo sighed, patted Zhou Tian's hand gently, and said earnestly:

"My daughter, don't ask me anymore. This was just an accidental fall, and it's all over now. We're all fine now. You've suffered so much outside, so you should rest up and enjoy the warmth of home when you come back."

Lantian originally wanted to ask more, thinking that if the original owner's parents told her, wouldn't she have a legitimate reason to investigate the matter?

Unfortunately, the original owner's parents loved their daughter so much that they didn't want to tell her at all.

But when she saw the determined look in her parents' eyes, she swallowed the words back.