I am an ordinary rabbit, born ordinary, living in a small town ordinary, running a small grocery store ordinary, everything is so bland, so I have become a rabbit with no stories to tell.
So, I started collecting other people's stories, and the animals who come to buy things from me don't need to pay, just pay me a story.
Gradually, I became very happy, and sometimes I also shared the stories I heard with others, but at the same time, I was burdened with something different.
The maple leaf forest outside the window glowed red like a wave, and it looked like a burning mountain fire from a distance.
In my spare time, I was jumping around in the woods, picking up a red leaf to shine through the sky and covering my face, I smiled: This year, will he... come?
At the end of autumn, the weather is getting colder and colder. Sometimes, a gust of wind blows through the hall, and the whole house is as cold as an ice cellar, only the maple leaf forest outside is red as fire.
I shivered and lit the stove, and finally came to life.
The plum jam was bubbling on the stove, and I picked up a soft roasted persimmon and chewed happily.
What a pleasant life...
"Boom!" "Crash..." A torrential rain came.
An autumn rain and a cold, winter is coming...
It was getting dark and I lit the business lantern, then leaned into the fire and fell asleep.
Sleepy, the door opened.
"Squeak...dumb..." A tall figure with a rainy air flashed in.
"I left the umbrella outside. Do you have an attic here? Lend me a night? Thank you." The bear's voice was a little hoarse.
I smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear bear."
The bear sat next to me, put his wet feet by the fire, and let out a low sigh.
I gave Xiong a bowl of plum jam, Xiong Gudong Gudong finished drinking, the fatigue on his face subsided a lot.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, the bear said, "Have you... ever seen a cat?"
I yawned and my head was a little dizzy: "What cat, I've seen so many animals, I can't remember."
Xiong was a little anxious: "How come, you should remember, she must have been to that maple leaf forest... She has been, and she said she would wait for me..."
"Oh~ so, I seem to have a little impression...a long time ago..." I blinked.
"It's my fault, it's me... I'm late..." The bear's voice became smaller and smaller.
Xiong sat there quietly, with the stars in his eyes beating in the fire, disappearing and appearing from time to time.
In the swirling thoughts, the bear suddenly recalled all kinds of times he had gotten along with the cat before:
The cat is the most beautiful in this radius, with soft hair and piercing eyes.
Whenever cats appear, they are always surrounded by a large number of suitors, who send fiery roses, deep forget-me-nots, and dazzling jade lotuses.
But the cat never agreed to any suitor's request. Whenever he was asked about this, the cat always frowned, pouted, and said nothing.
Xiong always hides behind many suitors, holding a pitiful maple leaf, never stepping up to ask questions. For him, it is enough to be able to look at it from a distance, but I don't know if it's a bear. Illusion, he always felt that the cat's eyes across the sea of people always fell on him.
The bear always smiled and disapproved, because how could the cat like him?
It was an early autumn day, and Bear inquired that cats had been appearing near the maple forest lately.
So the bear decided to try his luck, even if he just glanced at the cat's back from a distance.
At this time, the maple leaf forest is red in layers, and the leaves are covered with irregular water red, like a blurred watercolor painting.
The bear wandered around in the forest, but did not find the cat.
He turned around in disappointment, only to find that the cat was not far in front of him. When the sight collided, Xiong staggered his gaze in a panic, lowered his head, and turned to leave.
The cat was in a hurry: "Hey! You tried so hard to find me, how can you look at me and leave..."
The bear had no choice but to turn around, pinching his hands behind his back, his eyes flying wildly, he lowered his head and dared not look at the cat, and said submissively, "Yes... I'm sorry..."
Mao angrily laughed: "Why are you apologizing to me, I just want to ask, what are you doing to me?"
The bear still lowered his head and dared not speak.
The cat said again: "Actually... I've noticed you several times. Every time you hide behind the crowd, you never come forward, hold a small maple leaf, glance at it from a distance, and lower your head. Why?"
The bear was startled, every time the cat looked at him from a distance, he thought it was an illusion, but he didn't expect...
Ah, am I so... lucky? It turned out that she noticed me... The bear thought sweetly.
Bear is a little dazed, is this all true?
The cat got impatient, and she looked at the bear for an answer.
Xiong clenched his fists, his heart fluttered, and whispered, "Because I like you."
The cat smiled: "What? Say it again, I didn't catch it."
Xiong thought that if he said it once, he said it twice, he buried his head and shouted loudly: "Because... I like you!"
The cat was amused: "You shout louder, the whole world will know that you like me."
The bear blushed and lowered his head, afraid to look at the cat.
The cat said, "Okay, I'll let you go. Remember what you said."
As if the bear was granted amnesty, he ran away.
Later, they met more and more times, basking in the sun together, climbing trees together, running in the woods together...
Suddenly one day, the cat no longer appeared, and the bear was very sad. Every day he went to the maple forest to look for it, but the cat never appeared again.
A month later, the pigeon sent a letter to the bear, and the cat asked the bear to meet in the maple forest.
The bear was ecstatic, took care of himself quickly, and rushed out the door.
Sure enough, the cat was in the forest, and the bear rushed out and hugged the cat tightly. The cat rubbed the bear's shoulder, and then gently pushed him away.
The cat said: "I need to be calm and calm, and so do you. I don't know how long your love will last, just like those suitors are declining every time they hit a wall. But I can't imagine that when I really fell in love with you, I What do you think?"
The bear was silent, indeed, he could not guarantee it.
"So, in three years, give each other a little time, go on a trip, after meeting all kinds of people, if we still like each other, we will meet in this maple forest," said the cat.
At this time, the maple leaves were half red, and the eyes of the cat were also red.
"Okay." Bear agreed.
The cat twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled: "Then... see you later."
The cat went to the forest, and the bear went to the sea, separated from each other.
Bear watched the fire burn more and more vigorously, and his heart sank little by little.
"Rabbit, don't play stupid, the cat has been here, right?" said the bear.
"So what, my dear bear, it's the end of autumn of the fourth year..." I sighed.
Xiong's eyes were red: "I'm sorry for her, I shouldn't have gone to sea that time..."
It turned out that the bear lost his direction on the last voyage, and only returned to land after a near-death, but...it was too late...
Things are changing, and I sighed.
"The cat left me a booklet, you... take a look," I said.
A light flashed across the bear's eyes: "Really? Really!"
Bear took the booklet, took a deep breath, and opened it.
There are many maple leaf bookmarks neatly pasted, and the following are lines of small characters: "the first maple leaf sent by the bear" "the second maple leaf sent by the bear"...
Photo with autumn sunshine: "Sunshine with bears today."
Small boat with paper origami: "The craft I made with the bear is so cute!"
...
Many, many pictures, recording the moment when the cat and the bear are together.
The last page has no pictures, just a few lines:
"Actually, it's not your luck that you met me in Maple Leaf Forest, you think my whereabouts are so easy to find, and you are the only one who knows?
After I separated from you, I began to regret it, but no matter what, I still want to be with you, but I can never tell you, you have to be good.
By the way, bear, you will see it, right? "
There were tears in the bear's eyes, but they didn't fall.
"Where did the cat go?"
After a long while, I said softly, "She is in Maple Leaf Forest, and her return date is uncertain."
"All the expenses, the cat has already paid, take a good rest, bear."
The bear's eyes were bloodshot, and he shook his head: "No, thank you, Rabbit."
"I'm gone and probably won't see you again."
Xiong got up and pushed open the door, the thunder was roaring outside, the rain was pouring, and the mountain rain was about to come.
Bear picked up the black umbrella and walked into the maple forest.
I looked through the window at the figure of the bear walking away, with the black umbrella by my side, not holding it up.
For a long time after that, I didn't ask the guests to pay for the story. I heard too much about some things, and the burden on my shoulders became heavy.
In the past few years, I have collected stories one after another, happy, beautiful, regretful, heavy, many, many.
There are so many glass jars with stories filling the shelves.
But I'm still an ordinary rabbit, at most I know a little more.
There are too many stories to collect, so I started to get tired, always nesting in the grocery store, in a daze, or reading other people's stories.
But my heart is always empty, filled with cold wind.
That day, I was drowsy by the stove.
"Squeak... ah..." The door opened.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and said, "What do you need?"
The figure shook his head.
"If you don't need to give money, just tell me a story, or not," I explained.
He smiled: "I don't have a story to tell, then... can you tell me your story?"
I was stunned, and rejoiced in hindsight.
Maybe, in the near future, I can also tell others my story.
Last updated: October 1, 2022