Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Qixi Festival

Why is the fence moving?Impossible, oh, it turned out that the uncle came in from outside the fence with bamboo branches on his back, and it wasn't the fence that was moving but the bamboo branches were moving. Erlang overlooked the yard from the window sill on the second floor, and secretly took the guitar that his cousin treasured, and played melodies that could not be called melodies.Erlang is at his uncle's house in Kikucho, and his cousin's name is Miyako. Hearing the melody of the guitar, my uncle raised his head and said to Erlang: Hey, come down and help! Looking at the swaying bamboo leaves, Erlang suddenly realized:

Ah, tonight is Tanabata. Just now, the children of relatives were playing in the yard, but now they are gone.It must be that Gongzi took them to the nearby park to play. There is a very large amusement park near the uncle's house, and small vendors selling goldfish and cotton candy will come out to set up stalls in summer nights. ok, come down now. Hearing his uncle's greeting, Erlang ran downstairs pulling his clogs.The branches of the bamboo are as dazzling green as if painted with ink.My uncle planted the bamboo on the ground next to the lawn, tied the bamboo around the waist with a rope, and took out a charcoal pen and paper from his pocket and put it beside him.There were gold and silver ribbons and decorations like stars, which the two men tied to the bamboo branches.

That's all right? Um. My uncle’s house does not celebrate the Qixi Festival every year. Erlang often came to his uncle’s house to play when he was young, but he only saw bamboo branches decorated like this once, and maybe he only celebrated the Qixi Festival once before. On Qixi Festival, everyone come to my house to get together.A few days ago, my uncle sent a notice to relatives. Three months ago, my aunt who had been bedridden for a long time passed away. During the period when my aunt was bedridden, everyone took good care of her. In order to express my gratitude to my relatives, my uncle wanted to invite everyone to dinner.Perhaps my uncle still felt a sense of relief.

As a result, most of the people who came on Qixi Festival were women and children, because men had work to do. This uncle is Erlang's father's older brother, the oldest of his relatives.In the city, apart from Buddhist events, it is difficult to see so many gatherings of relatives. This day happened to be the Qixi Festival, so my uncle prepared bamboo branches and notes for writing wishes for the children.Uncle ordered takeaway from the restaurant, and seeing that it was almost time, beer was placed on the table. Can Jiro drink beer? Only drink a little. It's okay to drink, you're already an adult.

Just became an adult. Let's drink, um, this pickled soybean tastes very good. It's delicious, the aunt of the farm family comes to the city to sell it every morning.It was my aunt who lived in Urawa who was talking, and the pickled soybeans were a gift from her. There was a huge age gap among the people who gathered on this day.My uncle's sisters and cousins ​​are all over fifty years old, and the children are still in middle school and elementary school.Only Erlang and Gongzi are not so gregarious, and they are isolated in the middle. At that time, Miyako had just turned forty years old, and Erlang had just turned twenty, so there was a big difference in age.Miyako should have joined her uncle's sister camp, but she refused to join that camp due to her very young appearance.She wanted to give others the impression that she was closer to Erlang's age group.Moreover, Gongzi has never been married, and Erlang has been very close to this cousin since he was a child.

Everyone is welcome to visit our home.Uncle started drinking with the men. Miyako moved closer to the children. What are you doing? Wishing on a star. Gongzi told the children to write down their greatest wish on the note and tell the stars, and the stars will help you realize it. I want a watch. Please give me some pocket money. I want to be a professional baseball player. I want to get better academic performance. Wish I could speak English more fluently. Gongzi threaded the colorful paper strips written by the children on the thread, and stretched out her delicate white fingers to tie them on the bamboo branches.In the faint dark red light of the setting sun, Miyazaki's face looked particularly beautiful when viewed from the side.A navy blue bathrobe with a cute yellow belt, under the bathrobe is a plump and soft curve, no matter how you look at it, you can't tell that this is the body of a forty-year-old woman.

Come, children, come and drink juice.Uncle's face was already slightly red from the smell of alcohol. After the children entered the house, only Gongzi and Erlang were left in the yard, and there happened to be two silver notes on the ground, and Gongzi called Erlang to write the note. Brother Erlang, please write one too. What to write? Any wish can come true? Gongzi fanned the fan in her hand, and the scent of soap wafted into Erlang's nose. Erlang picked up a pen and wrote on the note: I want to be a pilot. This is his ideal for many years. Sure enough, I wrote this. Gongzi has long known Erlang's ideal.

Sister, you can write too. Although he is a cousin, Erlang has always called her sister Miyako. OK. Miyako picked up the pen, looked serious, and quickly shook it in front of Erlang after finishing writing. I want to be dead in five years. Gongzi smiled faintly, threaded the note on the thread and tied his and Erlang's to the highest place of the bamboo branch. Hey, Miyako, Erlang, come in too. Tonight's feast is set on the table.From the dining table in the living room, you can clearly see the bamboo branches in the yard. Bamboo leaves and paper rustle in the wind. Although it is summer, it sounds a bit cold.While drinking beer, Erlang kept looking at the highest point of the bamboo branch.

The silver note fluttered in the wind. How could my sister write such a wish? Erlang pondered the meaning of those words. At the same time, Gongzi was looking at Erlang with a smile, and suddenly, the eyes of the two intertwined.Miyazaki's eyes seemed to say: Do you think my desire to write is strange, but it is my sincere wish. The TV in the living room was showing a professional baseball game, a game Long Island played when it first started coaching. Many years later, Erlang has gradually forgotten the situation of the Qixi Festival that year, but the wish written by sister Gongzi on the silver note was deeply imprinted in his mind. Since then, Erlang has often recalled the events of that night. matter.

When Erlang was just sensible, Gongzi was about thirty years old, time is really unforgiving, so many years have passed in a blink of an eye. What is the concept of a thirty-year-old woman? This question was beyond the scope of Erlang's thinking at the time. In the child's impression, sister Gongzi was a young girl. It was not until a long time later that Erlang knew her sister's real age. At that time, he was shocked: ah!Is my sister so old? But my sister's appearance is very young, and my heart is also very young. Gongzi was not married because she had tuberculosis when she was in her twenties. Tuberculosis is not considered a serious illness now, but it was definitely a serious illness that was difficult to recover from at the time.

I should have died a long time ago, so living now is for nothing.Such words are often heard from Miyako. Uncle didn't want this sickly daughter to marry, so he stayed with him and took extra care of her.In this way, after Gongzi was thirty-five years old, she would have no chance to marry.Especially after her aunt fell ill due to cerebral hemorrhage, Gongzi had to take on the burden of doing housework and taking care of her mother.Although Erlang didn't know much about his uncle's family and sister Gongzi's affairs, that was probably the case. Gongzi also has an elder brother, this elder brother is three years older than Gongzi, this cousin and Erlang are too different in age and personality, so Erlang is not very close to him. Therefore, whenever Erlang came to play at his uncle's house, it was Sister Gongzi who played with him.When Erlang was young, sister Gongzi made him snacks and took him to temple fairs.When he was older, his sister would lend him records and occasionally take him to the movies. Kojiro always plays with sister Miyako. Um. Your sister Gongzi is a beautiful sister. This is everyone's unanimous evaluation of Miyako. My sister is the most beautiful woman in Japan. Erlang, who just entered middle school, tried his best to pretend to be an adult and judge his sister's beauty.Part of it was heard from the words of the people around, but Erlang felt the same way himself.Japan's No. 1 is indeed a bit exaggerated, but saying that my sister is the No. 1 in the world is obviously lying, so let's say Japan No. 1, and it does not violate my conscience.Although everyone's evaluations are a bit exaggerated, they are all within the understandable range, because Gong Zi is indeed beautiful. This child, what are you talking about! Miyako stared at the boy's face with her eyes wide open under the long eyelashes.It is Gongzi's habit to stare at others very seriously. fool! What's wrong? If you say that, you will be laughed at by others. Sister, your photo is still displayed in the window of the photo studio. The window of a photo studio on the street is decorated with a portrait photo of Miyako's sister. It is a photo of Miyako five years ago.The photo studio will not put photos of beautiful women. real? Doesn't Miyako herself know? Um. I hate it, it's an old photo from before! It's the same as your sister's face now. The word beauty refers to young and beautiful women, so don't say that about me in the future, you will really be laughed at by others.Miyako said to her younger brother in a very serious tone. Not long after, Miyako's photo disappeared from the window of the photo studio. Miyako must have gone to the photo studio to protest. However, after the age of thirty-five, Gongzi still maintained that beauty.Erlang has also grown up little by little, and can judge the beauty and ugliness of women with his own eyes.But he won't talk about Japan's most beautiful woman anymore. Still very beautiful. This is still Erlang's inner voice. Fair skin is a common feature of Gongzi's family. Gongzi's eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, and the contours of every organ are all exquisite and thoughtful.And not only is it correct, each organ has the unique characteristics of the palace, which are unified into a whole by the temperament of the palace, without any sense of imbalance.Such eyes require matching such a nose. If it is replaced with another type of nose, no matter how good-looking the nose is, it will not match as a whole.In short, Gongzi gives people a harmonious aesthetic feeling. The palace is so beautiful. Never look old. This kind of praise and appreciation can still be heard everywhere, but Miyako's negation is getting stronger every year.In the past, it was just to express modesty, but recently, most people feel that: This man's denial is serious. Think about it as a matter of course, because the laws of age are the same for everyone.The wrinkles of the uterus increased, and the skin began to relax. In front of Miyako, Erlang occasionally shows disappointment with his sister's appearance, but Miyako is very reserved.In Erlang's memory, there is no record of Miyako's sister being angry, angry, or losing her composure. Beautiful people are different from us, they like to make up. It looks like I spent a lot of money, and I have to go to the beauty salon every week. For whom is she dressed so beautifully? Self-cultivated and good-tempered, he is also vulnerable to malicious attacks from those around him.Gong Zi dresses up not for other people, but for satisfying herself I can't tolerate my ugly self. Miyako has such a spirit. But aging is irresistible, and no one knows this better than himself.The crow's feet slowly climbed up the corners of the eyes, the fat on the neck began to become more obvious, and the lines from the nose wing to the corner of the mouth showed the characteristics of a middle-aged person.The muscles lose their original elasticity, and the muscles on the face begin to sag under the action of gravity.Gong Zi, who used to be perfect from any angle and at any moment, is now ruthlessly eroded by the traces of time. Writing a wish to die within five years on Qixi Festival is at that time.At that time there was still six points of beauty left, and the remaining four points were being lost That night, after the relatives and children were sound asleep, Erlang took a cushion and sat under the eaves side by side with Sister Gongzi to watch the stars.There were very few stars that day, twinkling and twinkling blankly.The two naturally talked about Cowherd and Weaver Girl. It's nice to see only once a year. Why? How about we meet every day? Um. It would be nice to endure for a year and only meet for one night.That way you can have the best time. Sister Miyako has been in love once or twice, although I haven't heard her talk about it, but Erlang feels this way.Because no matter what, my sister is also a unique beauty.However, the ending is not so happy, at least that's what Erlang imagined. Falling in love is like dreaming. After a long time together, there is no fantasy. So it's okay to only meet once a year?It's not that Erlang doesn't understand this truth, but a young man like Erlang cannot easily agree with this point of view.He still thinks that lovers will be happier if they meet every day. Are you afraid of waking up in pain? It's different from being afraid. Whether it's yourself or the other party, you will find a lot of unsatisfactory places. Haha, I will tell you this, as if I have experienced it.Anyway, brother Erlang, you are rich at such a young age, there will be many good things waiting for you in the future But maybe the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet a lot more often than we think. Why do you say that? The lifespan of the universe is very long, and our human life is only seven or eighty years. If we meet once a year, we will meet at most seven or eighty times in a lifetime.But the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can live for billions of years, so there are too many opportunities for them to meet.If the number of times they meet is placed on human beings, they may have to meet once every few minutes. Ah, what you said seems to be a scientist's point of view. Erlang is a student in the Department of Engineering. Gongzi stood up and looked into the yard, Erlang stretched his waist and followed, both of them looked at the bamboo branches. Why did my sister write such a wish?Erlang felt that he had to ask. Do you mean that?Miyako pointed at the top of the bamboo branch. Um. Is it silly, but that's what I thought, dead in five years. Why? Because nothing good will happen to me, not now, nor ever. It turned out to be like this. Erlang has never thought about the life of Sister Gongzi. When he was young, he only thought about his own life, and he had no extra time to think about other people. I'm going to be a pilot after college. This dream will definitely come true. This is a career I have dreamed of since I was a child. However, even if you become a pilot, can you be satisfied? Although such doubts often arise in his heart, Erlang will not deliberately look at life with a pessimistic mood.Erlang was too young to feel the misery of life, and for a man of his age, the future was golden. However, Miyako sister can't think like me. This is the first time in Erlang's life that he thinks about Miyako's sister's life.Sure enough, sister Miyako will not have any good things happen in her life from now on. Miyako's mother and Erlang's aunt passed away after a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was bedridden for seven years.During these seven years, she could not speak, and her hands and feet were not controlled by her brain. We don't even know whether her brain is still consciously active, and she can only make sounds like animals. To wake up one morning and die suddenly is the best possible outcome. That being said, being a pilot often leads to accidents, and maybe I will die soon. Don't talk nonsense, it's unlucky. But my sister is still young and won't die. I don't think it will be long, the fortune-teller says so. When death is imminent, someone from the other side of the river will call me. If I cross the river, it will be over.I think I will cross the river without hesitation, because I was finally called, and of course I will go, because nothing good will happen when I come back. But five years is still too early. Five years is just right, Erlang, you are still young, and you are a man, so you won't understand. Um? My father was going to die sooner or later, and he is now in his seventies.In that case, I won't be able to do nothing like I am now, and I can't trouble my brother to take care of me. I'm getting old and my health is failing, and it will cause a lot of trouble for others.I don't want that, it's better to die suddenly within five years. Erlang vaguely understood what Sister Gongzi meant, that half of the deaths within five years were joking, while the other half were serious.Erlang tried to think from his sister's point of view again, how terrible the uneasiness in his heart is when an unmarried woman is getting old. As long as my uncle is alive and healthy, Gongzi's life will not change, just like now, just blindly waiting for her to grow old.But what if the uncle died?Although Gongzi still has an older brother, the older brother also has his own family, so it is impossible for her to take care of her younger sister like a father takes care of his daughter.Moreover, Gongzi doesn't want to be taken care of by others all the time.Although if the uncle passed away, the inheritance left would be enough for the palace to live on, but if her health is not good, money is useless. Didn't you say that, brother Erlang? What did I say? The incidence of cerebral hemorrhage and coronary heart disease in our family is very high, so when I get old, I may be bedridden for a long time and become a vegetative state. Erlang once conducted statistics on the causes of death of seven close relatives, including grandparents and father's brothers, and found that the cause was either cerebral hemorrhage or coronary heart disease.Four of them were sick and bedridden when they were in their fifties or sixties, and died after lying on the bed for many years with hemiplegia.For Gongzi, her father's family has such a genetic gene, and her mother also died of this cause, so she has a high possibility of suffering from the same disease. Sister, you are so thin, you won't get that kind of disease. It's useless, I will gradually gain weight.Besides, isn't Aunt Fengzi also very thin, and the result is not the same? Do you really think that way? of course. Erlang looked at Miyako's sister's face from the side.Maybe because of the light, the originally beautiful sister looked ugly at that moment.My sister lowered her head, and the loose skin on her neck was folded into two layers, which is the reflection of age.Suddenly, Erlang suddenly realized. It turned out that my sister was afraid of becoming ugly, which was the number one reason for her death within five years. It is not difficult to understand that the more beautiful people are, the more they are afraid of losing their beauty.Beauty is the only survival value of Sister Gongzi.Whether she likes it or not, gradually this way of life is added to her body, and the result is what she is now Think about it, in Gongzi's values, beauty is the first.Not only is Miyako's appearance beautiful, as far as Erlang knows, Miyako has always liked beautiful things.Bright flowers, elegant melodies, refreshing fragrances, and even the lifestyle itself, Gongzi also pursues the best.She also thinks the same about love, just like Cowherd and Vega, they meet once a year, as long as this moment is fully burned, it is enough. However, what she cares most about is her own appearance.But the years still mercilessly carved traces of aging on her face.When her mother was seriously ill, Gongzi must have thought: I don't want to be like this.That's why Gongzi wrote such a wish on the note on Qixi Festival: to die within five years.Maybe this is what she really thinks in the back of her heart. Can the stars really help people realize their wishes?Erlang pointed to the note on the top of the bamboo branch and asked with a smile. Well, sure.Miyako nodded, and skillfully shifted the focus of the topic. It will definitely come true. Erlang will definitely become an excellent pilot.Miyako showed a bright smile, the same beautiful smile as before. Die in five years? Well, within five years. The silver paper swayed under the breeze, reflecting the light of the moon. Erlang once saw Miyako's sister's naked body by accident.That was about a year after the note was written on the Qixi Festival.Erlang went to Yamagata Prefecture to play, and bought some cherries when he came back. Uncle loves cherries, and sister Miyako also said: She likes the color of cherries very much.So Erlang wanted to send cherries to his uncle. The courtyard door of his uncle's house was locked, but Erlang knew that the door lock of his uncle's house was very easy to open, even with a thin wire.He inserted the key of his own house into the lock, tried to turn it a few times, and changed two more keys, and it turned open as expected.Originally, Erlang planned to leave the cherry on the windowsill of the kitchen, but he found that the room of sister Gongzi was on. Gongzi's room is in the shadow of a big toon tree, and the room is very dark during the day, so Gongzi often turns on the lights during the day.Erlang didn't know if his sister was at home.So he leaned under the window and looked into the room through the gap in the curtains. ah!Oops! Miyazaki stood in the center of the room, with the towel dropped by her feet, it seemed that she had just come out of the bathroom.She stood in front of the mirror and looked at her naked body.Miyako turned her back to Erlang, but Erlang saw her sister's breasts and pubic hair in the mirror, but could not see her face. Miyako held her breasts with both hands, as if thinking: Just as good as the original. Miyako's waist is still slender, but the muscles in her hips have begun to sag toward her thighs. Erlang didn't dare to look any more, he tiptoed away from the window sill, locked the courtyard door and fled.In the end, even the cherries were brought back. The more I watched, the more I felt that Sister Gongzi was aging, and the more I worried about her. What kind of nude is that? Erlang often recalls his sister's body, but he only saw it briefly at that time, and now he can't remember clearly.My sister's body is younger than her actual age, but perhaps this thinking is just caused by Erlang's preconceived notions.Because Erlang doesn't know what a forty-year-old woman looks like naked At least Sister Gongzi's breasts are not the same as when she was young, otherwise how could she put her hands on her breasts and show regret, even if she couldn't see her face, Erlang knew her sadness.Inadvertently, Erlang thought of the silver note hanging on the bamboo branch again, and calculated with his fingers, one year has passed, and there are still four years left. Although Erlang didn't believe in the effect of the note, after that night, whenever he saw Sister Gongzi, he would think of that sentence: die within five years. If Sister Gongzi really kept thinking like this, maybe it would become like this. Erlang couldn't help feeling uneasy, and he thought about the fact that Sister Gongzi believed in divination. Sincerity leads to spirit. Has the past worked out? Well, basically it all worked out.Sister Miyako also gave a few examples. What about the wish made to the stars on Qixi Festival? It must also be realized.Whenever the matter of the Qixi Festival note was mentioned, Sister Gongzi always showed a very confident attitude. Can a body like that die? Recalling the nakedness of Miyako's sister in front of the mirror, she can't be connected with death, she still looks very healthy.Even so, Erlang couldn't forget the wish on the note.Although he didn't believe that it could be realized, Erlang felt very uneasy about it as soon as the Qixi Festival was approaching in the summer.Maybe Sister Gongzi's self-suggestion is gradually eroding her body Another three years passed, and Gongzi was three years older.In another year, it will be the summer of the fifth year. Why?is that true? I heard the news that Miyako's sister fell ill due to cerebral hemorrhage when the summer vacation just approached. It's the fifth year. Erlang thought of this at the time. Miyako must have looked extremely haggard. It's gone, and it's impossible to go back to the way it was before. Someone on the other side of the river was calling her, and Gongzi thought: Sure enough, I can die within five years.I keep imposing such psychological hints to myself, and the result is to develop according to the hints. Finally it worked. Erlang wanted to visit his sister right away, but his uncle said: Gongzi's current condition is not enough to visit her, so let's visit her after her condition stabilizes. A week, a month, three months passed.The serious illness paralyzed the motor functions of Miyako's whole body. Can I visit my sister now? OK, come on. When I saw Sister Gongzi again after a long time, she was lying on the hospital bed, and she was no longer the Sister Gongzi that Erlang knew before.She looked the same as her aunt when she was bedridden. She looked old and ugly, and she couldn't move without the help of the nursing staff. The rest of the time is just slowly waiting to die. This is exactly what Gongzi was most afraid of, but it just happened. Is my sister still conscious? The uterus has appetite, but whether it can still think about problems cannot be seen from the surface. Erlang hated the stars in the sky in his heart, and his sister was most afraid of such half-dead people. Later, Erlang came to the hospital to visit his sister several times. He sat on the bedside and looked into the patient's eyes.In the blank expression of Miyako's sister, Erlang saw a trace of sadness, maybe it was his own thoughts. If my sister still has a little thinking ability, how painful it will be. On the way back from the hospital, Erlang always thought this way. In this way, during these five years, Erlang graduated from university, entered a pilot training institution, and became a co-pilot of an airplane. In the spring of this year, Erlang received news of the death of Miyako's sister. If you have to die all the time, it is better to die all at once when you first get sick. For Sister Gongzi, being bedridden for many years was the last thing she wanted to happen. Considering her personality, it was the most painful thing. The make-up artist of the funeral home made up the deceased, and Miyako's face showed the beauty of her youth again. It took four years and eleven months from the year I made my wish to my death Die in five years? Miyako realized her wish. In the sky of July, Erlang was full of remorse.This year's Qixi Festival is coming again.