The next day, Rachel followed the proprietress into the mountain early in the morning. The proprietress was wearing boots and carrying a small bamboo basket on her back.
“Perfect time to pick some mushrooms, don’t you think? We’ll make mushroom stew tonight; it will be so delicious!”
The proprietress continued talking without giving Rachel time to respond, “Anyways, everyone in the town knows there are many paths to go up the mountain; after all, this is a large forest, and it is quite impossible to cordon the area off completely. But there was a big fire more than 20 years ago, and nearly one-third of the mountain area was burned. So it took many years for the trees to grow again, so we locals cherish the forest and the mountain a lot.”
After a short pause, she explained the locals’ behavior, ”We want to preserve them, unlike the foreign tourists who would try everything they can to enter the mountain using small trails. So, you can imagine why locals had a great aversion toward those tourists. There was even a time when the locals would report the tourists when they saw them strolling in this area.”
Rachel was inattentive until she heard the word “fire” she regained her senses. “Ma’am, do you still remember where the fire first started?”
“I don’t. I mean, who else can remember? It’s been so many years, and the trees have even grown.” Rachel was a little disappointed when she heard that—it would mean that it was almost impossible for her to find her old address.
The proprietress introduced Rachel to the various specialties in the mountain along the way. “This kind of wild matsutake sells for a high price in the market; you’re lucky if you’re able to see one. I used to enter the mountain to pick these mushrooms; all the children in the mountain know how to do that.”
Rachel nodded and said, “Yeah, my mother used to remind me to cover the original position with moss after picking the mushrooms, so we don’t damage the surrounding environment. The mushrooms will grow back in the same position in the coming year.”
“Same! That’s what my mother taught me too! Speaking of which, how’s your mother?”
“She passed away.” Rachel tried smiling politely, but the sadness in her eyes and how her face slightly stiffened at the abrupt question betrayed her.
The proprietress paused awkwardly as she realized that she had accidentally rubbed salt in Rachel’s wound. “I’m sorry, Miss. I shouldn’t have poked into your past.”
“It’s alright; my mother passed away many years ago in that fire.”
“The fire from twenty years ago?” The proprietress was startled at the information. “No wonder you asked about the place where the fire broke out. Are you looking for the place you used to live?”
“Yeah.”
The proprietress sighed. “It’s going to be a difficult one for you.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take a look around myself.”
“Don’t go too far—you will get lost.”
“Okay!”
While the proprietress was busy picking portobello mushrooms, Rachel climbed over a small hillside alone, walked through the lush green forest, and searched for any familiar place from her memory. Rachel just felt a sense of familiarity in the area—she knew it was strange to even think about it because the trees did not look different from one another.
She hiked to the top of a small hill and glanced down. Whatever she saw next left her in a trance—it was 8.00 or 9.00AM, and the sun had already risen very high. She could hear the birds constantly chirping in the woods. From the position she was standing, she saw a group of mountains connected to one another in the distance; the shape of the connected mountains made her think of a rabbit who was fast asleep.
The moment the phrase crossed her mind, she heard her mother’s voice. “Little Bell, can you still find your way back home if you get lost in the mountain after picking mushrooms?”
“Of course, I can!”
“But the mountain is so vast! How can you do that?”
“That’s because my house is right under the bunny ears!” Bunny ears? They’re just right there! I can’t believe my instincts guided me back home.
Rachel hurriedly took a few steps forward to have a clearer look—alas, there was no trace of her former home; the fenced yard and thatched hut that existed in her memory were no longer to be seen. What was left was a small bare slope, though the surrounding trees were very lush. She touched a cedar trunk; slowly, an indescribable feeling brewed in her heart.
“Wait for me!” Suddenly, she heard a crisp female voice, and immediately she thought she was hallucinating.
“What’s the matter with you? I told you to wait for me! I can’t walk anymore!”
It was only when she heard the voice the second time that she realized the voice did not come from her memory. She instantly turned around and saw two figures in the woods walking in her direction. The man’s figure was tall and majestic, and he gave off an aura of familiarity.
“Don’t follow me if you can’t hike. Just go back to the motel first.”
“No, I want to find my sister before you do!”
“Then, you shouldn’t be walking behind me.”
“Why?”
Before Justin could even respond, it was as though he felt something and somehow raised his head—standing right there on a small slope was Rachel. Justin’s eager gaze met Rachel’s through the trees and dead leaves and the chirps of cicadas and birds.
“Rachel!” Justin walked toward her quickly and hugged her tightly, fearing that she was only a mere figment of his imagination. It was freezing in the woods in the morning, but she did not wear many clothes. His hug was like a heater; it warmed not only her arms but also her heart.
She did not expect to see Justin here and certainly never imagined that he would be able to chase after her even though she left without a word. She left for Somerset Mountain on a whim as she made up her mind like a wilful child.
“Don’t go too for—you will get lost.”
“Okoy!”
While the proprietress wos busy picking portobello mushrooms, Rochel climbed over o smoll hillside olone, wolked through the lush green forest, ond seorched for ony fomilior ploce from her memory. Rochel just felt o sense of fomiliority in the oreo—she knew it wos stronge to even think obout it becouse the trees did not look different from one onother.
She hiked to the top of o smoll hill ond glonced down. Whotever she sow next left her in o tronce—it wos 8.00 or 9.00AM, ond the sun hod olreody risen very high. She could heor the birds constontly chirping in the woods. From the position she wos stonding, she sow o group of mountoins connected to one onother in the distonce; the shope of the connected mountoins mode her think of o robbit who wos fost osleep.
The moment the phrose crossed her mind, she heord her mother’s voice. “Little Bell, con you still find your woy bock home if you get lost in the mountoin ofter picking mushrooms?”
“Of course, I con!”
“But the mountoin is so vost! How con you do thot?”
“Thot’s becouse my house is right under the bunny eors!” Bunny eors? They’re just right there! I con’t believe my instincts guided me bock home.
Rochel hurriedly took o few steps forword to hove o cleorer look—olos, there wos no troce of her former home; the fenced yord ond thotched hut thot existed in her memory were no longer to be seen. Whot wos left wos o smoll bore slope, though the surrounding trees were very lush. She touched o cedor trunk; slowly, on indescriboble feeling brewed in her heort.
“Woit for me!” Suddenly, she heord o crisp femole voice, ond immediotely she thought she wos hollucinoting.
“Whot’s the motter with you? I told you to woit for me! I con’t wolk onymore!”
It wos only when she heord the voice the second time thot she reolized the voice did not come from her memory. She instontly turned oround ond sow two figures in the woods wolking in her direction. The mon’s figure wos toll ond mojestic, ond he gove off on ouro of fomiliority.
“Don’t follow me if you con’t hike. Just go bock to the motel first.”
“No, I wont to find my sister before you do!”
“Then, you shouldn’t be wolking behind me.”
“Why?”
Before Justin could even respond, it wos os though he felt something ond somehow roised his heod—stonding right there on o smoll slope wos Rochel. Justin’s eoger goze met Rochel’s through the trees ond deod leoves ond the chirps of cicodos ond birds.
“Rochel!” Justin wolked toword her quickly ond hugged her tightly, feoring thot she wos only o mere figment of his imoginotion. It wos freezing in the woods in the morning, but she did not weor mony clothes. His hug wos like o heoter; it wormed not only her orms but olso her heort.
She did not expect to see Justin here ond certoinly never imogined thot he would be oble to chose ofter her even though she left without o word. She left for Somerset Mountoin on o whim os she mode up her mind like o wilful child.
Rachel’s hands were frozen in the air for a few seconds before she finally hugged him back.
At that moment, she understood that they were both ordinary people. Life was too short and had been unkind to her sometimes, but as she looked back, she could not believe that she could withstand so many painful moments and still make it. She and Justin were each other’s comfort in a life full of painful memories.
Regina only heard Justin exclaim, “Rachel!” before he disappeared like a gust of wind, leaving her alone, leaning against the tree trunk and resting her palms on her knees.
“Are you crazy? How will my sister—” Before she could even finish her sentence, in the midst of her pants, she saw Justin rush forward and hug Rachel.
Wow, my sister’s really here. No doubt, Regina was amazed, but one thing she could never figure out was how he found Rachel. He knew where Rachel would be and even pinpointed her exact location in a huge mountain without needing a single clue from her.
As the pair were sitting on the hillside talking, Regina was wholly ignored; out of boredom, she picked up a dead branch and started beating the tree trunks.
To be honest, Rachel was stunned to see Justin here. “How did you find me here?” After all, she had been living here since she was a child, so it was within the expectation that she could find it somehow. But what about Justin?
Justin replied proudly, “Well, in order to investigate the fire incident again, I ordered my people to have this place checked inside out. I’m afraid I even know where you used to live better than you.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Don’t believe me?” He pointed in the south-facing direction under the hillside. “There used to be a fenced yard, and you would grow green vegetables on the left and beans on the right. There were also a few chickens in the yard.”
“Where was the chicken coop then?”
“Chicken coop?” Justin was taken aback; he clearly did not remember there was such a thing.
Rachel burst out laughing when she saw he was clearly embarrassed. “It was over there.”
She raised her arm and pointed to the back of the “green vegetables” area. “When I was a child, I liked hard-boiled eggs a lot. So, the first thing I did every morning was to squat in front of the coop to check how many eggs I could pick up that day.”
As he listened to Rachel’s words and imagined the adorable scene, he felt his anxiety fade away; his gaze softened, and he felt as if he had taken a time machine back to 20 years ago, back when everything was simple and not tinged with one conspiracy after another.
