Part One: Eight Springs Without You
“People said time could heal everything.
They never said how lonely the healing would be.”
Far away from X City…
On the edge of a quiet lakeside town…
Six familiar figures sat beneath the warm afternoon sun.
The years had left faint traces at the corners of their eyes.
But…
Their smiles were peaceful.
After handing their companies to the younger generation eight years ago…
The three families had made the same decision.
To travel.
Not because they loved traveling.
Because…
Home had become too quiet.
…
“Old Lu.”
Uncle Gu placed another chess piece onto the board.
“You’ve lost again.”
Uncle Lu calmly looked at the chessboard.
“I wasn’t paying attention.”
Uncle Gu laughed loudly.
“You say that every time.”
Across the garden…
The three mothers were arranging flowers they had bought that morning.
Aunt Gu held up a bright yellow sunflower.
“What do you think?”
Aunt Xie smiled gently.
“It suits you.”
Aunt Lu quietly arranged a small bouquet of white lilies.
She didn’t speak much.
She hadn’t spoken much over the past eight years.
Not because she had become cold.
Because…
Some wounds never truly disappeared.
They simply became quieter.
…
The small wooden table beside her held a knitting basket.
A half-finished white sweater rested inside.
Aunt Gu noticed it.
“You started another one?”
Aunt Lu lowered her eyes.
“…Mm.”
“You’ve already knitted so many.”
“I know.”
“…Then why?”
Aunt Lu gently smiled.
“I don’t know.”
“My hands just…”
“…remember.”
Silence.
The garden suddenly became very quiet.
No one mentioned the name they were all thinking of.
They never did.
Not because they had forgotten.
Because remembering together…
Still hurt.
…
Suddenly—
A phone vibrated.
Uncle Xie glanced at the screen.
An old friend had sent a message.
Attached…
A photograph.
He frowned slightly.
“What is it?”
Uncle Lu asked.
Without speaking…
Uncle Xie handed him the phone.
Uncle Lu looked down.
His hand froze.
On the screen…
A young girl stood beneath the afternoon sun.
She held a strawberry ice cream.
Her smile was bright.
Her eyes curved gently.
For a long time…
No one spoke.
Uncle Gu quietly stood up.
“…Old Lu?”
Uncle Lu continued staring at the photograph.
Then…
Very slowly…
He enlarged the image.
His fingertips trembled slightly.
“…”
“…This child…”
His voice was almost inaudible.
“…looks exactly like our Yue’er.”
Aunt Lu looked up immediately.
“…What?”
He silently passed her the phone.
She lowered her gaze.
The moment she saw the photograph…
The phone slipped from her fingers.
It landed softly on the grass.
“…”
“…Impossible…”
Her lips trembled.
Tears quietly filled her eyes.
She knelt down.
Picked up the phone with shaking hands.
Looked again.
Then again.
Her fingers gently touched the girl’s smiling face on the screen.
“…Yue’er…”
No one stopped her.
Because…
For one impossible moment…
Every one of them wished…
That miracles could exist.