Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 71 Did She Know It All Along?
This is a sad story.

But it’s not over yet.

"While the man was doing hard labor, his wife had been waiting for him to return. She was once a believer of the goddess, but after this incident, she never set foot in Tianxin Church again."

"Later, it snowed, and the news of the man's death reached his wife's ears. She accepted the fact very calmly, and after three years, she rang the doorbell of Tianxin Church again. That day, I happened to be at home preparing for the seven-day ceremony."

To this day, Linger still remembers the look in the woman's eyes when she looked at him, and the way she told him in a voice without sadness: "Pavel will never come back here again."

Pavel is her husband, a poor man who steals food for his family but has his time stolen by fate.

The young man who had become a pastor was standing on the altar. After hearing the news, he said nothing, but handed her a piece of bread and milk. She took it silently and said thank you.

The two looked at each other calmly, not the anger of a son who had lost his father, nor the grief of a wife who had lost her husband. It was like a pastor looking at his believers, or a lamb looking at his god. When hatred is buried deep in ice and snow, people gain false comfort.

"From that day on, she and I reached an unspoken agreement, or a fragile alliance that could break at any time: she would be given bread and milk whenever she came to Tianxin Church to attend the seven-day ceremony, no matter how many people were in line. But the price was that she could not tell Metien about this, and could not let her know how her father died."

"You should know her too."

"People live in this world to live a peaceful life. They should not have unrealistic fantasies and expect accidents to happen at some point, leading them to another path. Many times, you cannot decide whether those accidents are good or bad."

A snow in the world is a heavy disaster when it falls on every tiny soul.

She had heard the same thing from Lingge a day ago, but after knowing what happened to Mr. Yang Ke, she felt that it had even more weight, like a heavy stone pressing on her heart, almost suffocating her.

It's not your fault.

"I'm telling you this just to tell you a truth, Alice." Linger fixed his eyes on every leaf in the oak forest, imagining that they were snowflakes that had not yet fallen. He then whispered the truth that he understood only after losing the person he cherished most: "In this world, only a peaceful life is the most important thing."

Just like a wound, sometimes it is a severe pain like a tide, and sometimes it is a dull pain that makes you toss and turn at night and can't sleep.

“So after this trip, no matter what the outcome, I will return to this city with Metien and continue our peaceful life.”

Linger raised his head slightly, his eyes passed over the tombstone and fell on the disordered branches. He mistook a falling leaf for a snowflake that withered that day, and said in a low voice: "It's Mrs. Maggie."

Linger gave her a strange look: "Why are you apologizing?"

Alice couldn't explain why she wanted to apologize. Maybe it was because she had this impulse in her heart, so she spoke without thinking. She grabbed her bangs in front of her forehead with embarrassment and stammered: "Well, it's because... I made you recall such a sad past, I'm really sorry..."

They won't disappear without you.

The maid was stunned and didn't say anything.

this is not right.

He did not mention what Alice should do, because he knew she would make her own choice.

but.

The girl suddenly spoke up and said muffledly, "I'm sorry."

Alice suddenly realized that all the puzzling things in the past were now reasonably explained: No wonder Linger never called Mr. Yangke his father, no wonder his character was always so cold and rational, no wonder he reminded himself to be careful of Mrs. Maggie, no wonder he said that everyone on Turquoise Street might speak for Tianxin Church, only Mrs. Maggie would not...

The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful, the wind blowing through the woods brings a rustling sound, and the quiet whisper seems like someone is trying to keep it, calling out to a heart that is afraid of losing, and stays forever in the cage drawn by memories.

What followed was a more complicated mood.

No wonder.

"Even without you, these memories still exist."

She thought hard, because accidents are not something you can avoid if you want to.

not to mention.

"You never mentioned this to Metien." Alice seemed to be talking to herself, but also seemed to be talking to Ling'er: "If you really want her to become more mature, wouldn't it be better to tell her the truth directly? If you don't do this, it actually means that you also want her to maintain her innocence and kindness, right? Just like every child's fantasy about fairy tales." Ling'er pursed his lips in silence and did not answer.

At this time, footsteps were heard behind me.

And there was the joyful voice of Metien: "Linger, Sister Alice, I'm back!"

The two people whose names were called turned around and looked at the stone road in the woods. They saw the pink-haired girl holding two bunches of white forget-me-nots in her arms, trotting towards them. Her black leather boots stepped on the old stone slabs, echoing the past.

Finally, she stopped in front of the two of them, smiled at Ling Ge first, and then handed a bouquet of forget-me-nots to Alice next to her: "Here, Sister Alice, these are the flowers you wanted."

Alice quickly took it and said thank you.

Metien took the flowers and walked towards her father's tombstone, followed by Alice. She watched the girl solemnly place the flowers next to Ling's bouquet, then closed her eyes and said something silently. Perhaps she was praying for the peace of her father's soul, or simply expressing her feelings... Alice watched and suddenly felt that she was a really happy girl.

Someone took good care of her and preserved the most precious innocence for her in this cold and gloomy era.

"Metien."

She walked forward and gently placed the forget-me-not in her hand in front of Mr. Yang Ke’s tombstone, and whispered to the girl: "Remember, you have always been loved by everyone."

Even if you have to go through painful things and face cruel realities sometimes, their love for you will never disappear.

The girl was startled for a moment, then she opened her eyes, showed Alice a bright smile, and nodded her head vigorously: "Yeah!"

I know, Sister Alice.

I've always known it.

……

Eventually, it was time for them to leave.

"Go back, Metien."

Linger whispered. He took Metien's hand and led her out of the cemetery, with Alice on the other side. Slowly, step by step, the figures of the three people gradually went away, about to disappear in the shadow of the oak forest, disappearing at the end of the years.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over, rustling the surrounding leaves, blowing up Metine's scarf and Alice's golden ponytail, which fluttered brilliantly, like a large group of dazzling butterflies, flying freely towards Mr. Yanke's grave.

In the wind, the brilliant sunlight sprinkled through the gaps between the branches and leaves, the light twisted, and vaguely transformed into the figure of a middle-aged man. He half-knelt in front of the tombstone, reaching out his hand to gently touch the three bunches of white flowers, with a gentle and nostalgic smile on his face.

He whispered, Goodbye.

Metien had a premonition of something and looked back suddenly, but she saw nothing, only the rustling of the wind and the fragmented sunlight passing through the mottled silhouettes.

"What's wrong, Metien?"

"Nothing, Lingge. I just feel like... my father seems to be here."

"He's always there."

"That's true. So, when are we going to see him again, Lingge?"

"Wait until this trip is over."

"it is good!"

The years pass by gradually, becoming silent.

　The first volume is over, the next volume is "If I Had Three Days of Light", please give me some meow

　　
　
(End of this chapter)