Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 19

By autumn, the flowers in the mountains had gradually withered, and the leaves had donned their golden autumn attire. Chen Li held Mai Miao's hand in one of his and carried a bag in the other as they walked up the mountain path.

The ancestral graves of the Chen family were located halfway up the mountain, where their parents' ashes were also buried.

The feng shui here was excellent—backed by towering peaks and facing the village in the distance, as if protected by the blessings of their ancestors.

It wasn't tomb-sweeping season, and the mountain was quiet, with no one else around.

Chen Li found his parents' graves and took out a basin from the bag, along with offerings like joss paper, paper ingots, and fruits for the ritual.

Apart from when he first returned to the village to sweep the graves, he hadn't brought Mai Miao here in over half a year.

Chen Li crouched to clear the weeds while Mai Miao wiped the tombstone with a cloth.

As he cleaned, Mai Miao murmured softly, whispering secrets to his mother. Their father had passed too early, and Mai Miao wasn't very familiar with him—all his heartfelt words were reserved for his mother.

Once the cleaning was done, Chen Li lit a fire, and the two brothers tossed the offerings into the basin together.

After everything had burned, Chen Li pulled Mai Miao down to kneel, and the two brothers kowtowed to their parents.

Chen Li asked, "Do you have anything else to say to Mom?"

Mai Miao thought carefully, then shook his head.

Chen Li took out a large pinwheel from the bag and placed it in his hands. "Go play for a while," he said, then added, "Don't go too far. I'll come find you soon."

The wind blew, lifting fallen leaves and petals into the air.

Mai Miao held the pinwheel, blowing on it as he wandered among the flowers.

He gazed at the shimmering colors under the autumn light—how beautiful they were.

Chen Li turned back and took out a photograph from his clothes, placing it into the fire basin.

He watched as the flames slowly consumed it.

"Dad, Mom," Chen Li said, still kneeling, his hands resting on his knees as he spoke to the tombstone. "Mai Miao and I... we're together now."

"Don't blame Mai Miao. If you must blame anyone, blame me—I'm the one who took advantage of him."

Chen Li exhaled deeply, his eyes reddening. He remained silent for a long moment before continuing.

"I don't deserve to be your son."

"I don't deserve to be his brother. I don't deserve to be human."

"I... I can't—"

He wiped his eyes, his expression grief-stricken, yet his gaze was unnervingly cold.

"I can't... let him go."

"I won't give Mai Miao to anyone else."

"Even if it kills me...!"

Chen Li slapped himself hard several times, then kowtowed heavily before the two tombstones, refusing to stop even after multiple bows.

Hearing the commotion, Mai Miao turned around and, abandoning his pinwheel, ran back from afar. "Gege—!"

Chen Li sat on the bed while Mai Miao rummaged through the cabinets for medicinal wine.

Then, flustered, he hurried back to the bedside, tilting his head nervously to examine the wound on Chen Li's forehead before carefully blowing on it.

"Does... does it hurt?"

"Huu... no, it doesn't hurt."

"I'll put medicine on it!"

Mai Miao was so anxious he was on the verge of tears.

But Chen Li suddenly reached out and pulled his little brother into a tight embrace.

At that moment, he seemed like a boy again, burying his face in Mai Miao's neck.

Mai Miao froze at first, arms hanging limply, until Chen Li's voice finally broke the silence.

"Miao Miao." Chen Li had never been this clingy before. He nuzzled against his lover, his voice hoarse. "You can't leave me."

Though Mai Miao didn't understand what was happening, seeing his man like this made his heart ache. He quickly wrapped his arms around Chen Li in return.

"I..." Mai Miao opened his mouth, his gaze drifting past Chen Li to the photo.

A strange, inexplicable ache suddenly filled his heart.

Slowly, he rested his face against those firm shoulders, his hand reaching behind Chen Li's head to gently stroke his hair.

After autumn arrived, time slipped through their fingers like sand, flowing away swiftly.

During this period, the villagers had caught wind of the news—the Chen brothers were soon moving to the city.

Some said Chen Li was going back to work for the government, while others claimed he was heading to Shanghai to start a business.

No matter the version, everyone praised Chen Li's capability. In these times, moving from the village to the county town was already impressive, but Chen Li was taking his younger brother straight to Shanghai—just how much money would that cost?

A few days before the move, Chen Li hosted a farewell feast for all the neighbors.

One drunk guest pointed at him and declared, "When you come back, you better bring a wife and kids first, or don't even step foot in this village!"

"Yeah, yeah! No coming back without a wife—“

The crowd erupted in cheerful banter, all past grievances forgotten after this feast.

Only Mai Miao remained unfazed by these words.

Miao Miao knew who his brother's wife was—but Miao Miao wouldn't tell.

After the farewell meal, Chen Li and Mai Miao packed up their belongings.

They kept their old house, entrusting it to Aunt Liu's family to look after.

Since Mai Miao had moved into the dormitory, three or four months had passed, and he'd gradually come to terms with the fact that their chickens now belonged to Aunt Liu's family. It wasn't too heartbreaking—the old yellow dog had been entrusted to the factory supervisor, securing a decent future for it.

On moving day, as Mai Miao tied up the last of the luggage, he stood up too quickly and felt dizzy.

He plopped onto the ground, dry-heaving uncomfortably. After catching his breath, he finally recovered.

Chen Li walked in carrying a load and, seeing Mai Miao on the floor, immediately set it down. He pulled over a chair for Mai Miao to rest. Mai Miao patted his chest, a vague thought flickering in his mind—but it slipped away before he could grasp it.

On the day of their move, Chen Li arranged for a small truck to drive them to the city.

He packed the truck's cargo hold to the brim—filled entirely with pots, pans, and dishes Mai Miao couldn't bear to leave behind.

Mai Miao climbed into the truck with Chen Li, leaning out the window to wave goodbye again and again to Aunt Liu's family and Chief Li.

The old yellow dog broke free from its leash, chasing the truck for a few steps before stopping to bark—its cries carrying far, far into the distance.

The truck rolled down the wheat field road, where only stubble remained on either side. Yet the air still carried the faint, fresh scent of wheat.

Mai Miao gazed into the distance at the land where he'd grown up, an uncharacteristic hint of homesickness crossing his face.

"Blue skies above, white clouds drift by."

Mai Miao heard the singing and turned to look at Chen Li.

Chen Li stared ahead—the scenery unchanged from when he'd left home over a decade ago.

"If someone asks me, what place is this," Chen Li's gaze drifted into the distance.

Mai Miao recognized the song and softly joined in, humming along to Chen Li's tune.

"I'll proudly tell them."

"This is my hometown."

—The End—

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