While teaching a little girl, Inspector He's mind began to wander.
He listened to the sound of the spring and gazed at the setting sun outside the window.
The sunset in Jingzhou was particularly beautiful.
The sun was round, red, and pristine.
There were no clouds obscuring it.
It was stunningly gorgeous.
Without realizing it, he had spent the entire day at the Jiang family's home.
He had eaten breakfast and lunch, and now he was waiting for dinner.
As he watched the sunset, the little girl was also watching it.
The atmosphere was almost too relaxed.
Inspector He thought to himself that she must not know his official position, or have any concept of it, as she sat before him so at ease, without a hint of tension.
Although he wouldn't use his authority to intimidate people, the completely carefree attitude of the little girl across from him felt somewhat unsettling.
He thought about his colleagues sitting together, their every word and action carefully considered, pondering each statement three times over, wondering if there was any deeper meaning, being cautious and vigilant, never leaning back in their chairs as it would hinder their thinking.
Only by keeping their spines isolated and upright could they maintain a sense of crisis and stay alert.
Yet at this moment, he was leaning back in his chair, his spine fully cradled by the soft seat.
The chairs in the Jiang household were exceptionally large and comfortable, making one feel like a cat wanting to curl up when sitting in them.
Perhaps a bit too comfortable.
In reality, Inspector He was also in a rather relaxed state at the moment.
The journey from the Capital City to Jingzhou had undoubtedly been tiring.
His body was tired, and so was his mind.
Upon arriving in Jingzhou, he discovered that the city had significant issues.
Because this city was different.
It seemed out of place in this country, almost as if it existed independently.
Yet the people here had more smiles on their faces than elsewhere.
The little girl before him had a sweet, contented smile.
She appeared languid.
And that languid feeling was contagious.
He couldn't possibly just sit idly all afternoon after receiving such fine tea.
Inspector He realized that although the little girl was young, her eyes seemed to see through people's hearts, as if she understood everything.
Teaching a clever student who counters your every statement with one of her own isn't particularly useful.
Moreover, being at home was too comfortable.
The laziness was making him drowsy.
Inspector He stood up and said, "Come, let's go for a walk outside."
Jiang Mianmian very much enjoyed going out.
If one truly never left the house, how would it be any different from being in isolation?
Being able to go out was important.
The Jiang family members eavesdropping next door realized that this Inspector He was indeed cunning and sly. Perhaps he had discovered their eavesdropping and didn't want them to listen in, so he decided to teach outside.
Once outside, they wouldn't dare to all gather around to eavesdrop.
Only Pangya could follow along.
Jiang Feng also went along as a guide.
Jingzhou, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, was beautiful.
It had a vast and majestic air.
Especially when walking near the city gates, the view from beneath the towering city walls was particularly striking.
Jiang Feng rode on horseback.
Inspector He took his new student in a horse-drawn carriage.
Jiang Mianmian contentedly enjoyed the evening breeze.
The carriage wheels moved at a leisurely pace, the sound of them rolling over the stone slabs was pleasant.
Inspector He sat in the carriage, which was quite different from others. It was exceptionally soft, and even when passing over bumpy areas, the body barely felt any movement, as if it just gently glided along.
It didn't cause any discomfort to the waist.
He pondered seriously for a while before asking, "Has this carriage been modified?"
Jiang Mianmian nodded, "Yes, teacher. Riding in a carriage to school every day, I noticed how bumpy the roads were. When we hit small potholes, the carriage would jump, making the ride uncomfortable. So we had someone add springs - those coiled thin metal pieces. When we hit bumps now, the carriage still dips down, but because of the springs, it gently bounces back, making the ride much less jarring and uncomfortable."
"Springs." Inspector He pondered this term, finding it increasingly ingenious.
He even thought about governing officials, citizens, and the country - if there were springs to gently bounce back when hitting rock bottom, perhaps transitions would be smoother.
Jiang Mianmian didn't mention that if the pressure became too great, it would go "bang" and fly into the sky.
They arrived at their destination.
Jiang Mianmian was surprised to find there were still corners of Jingzhou she hadn't been to.
This was also a government office in Jingzhou.
It looked more like a side building, located in a secluded spot, resembling a small gatehouse.
A sign hung above the office, its characters faded but still faintly legible as "Star Observatory."
It had quite a mysterious feel to it.
Inside the Star Observatory, the path was also paved with stone slabs, but it was clearly rarely visited.
Vegetation grew stubbornly from between the cracks in the stones.
Having arrived at dusk as the sky darkened, they were even worried about stepping on small animals underfoot.
Inspector He noticed that the little girl didn't seem scared at all.
She walked forward step by step.
Jiang Mianmian was indeed unafraid. In such areas with dense vegetation, she would usually let her little tree out to scout ahead, ensuring they wouldn't step on any strange little creatures.
Jiang Feng observed their surroundings more cautiously.
As the group proceeded, it seemed there was no one guarding the place.
They followed an upward path, climbing steadily.
This path was clean, without weeds, evidently cleared daily.
But it was very narrow.
When the group reached the top, they found a small house with a person sitting at the entrance, head tilted back, gazing at the sky.
Even as he noticed their arrival, the man continued to look upward.
His posture was somewhat strange.
Seeing people approach, he merely turned his head slightly, bowed in greeting, then resumed staring at the sky.
His skin was very pale, almost sickly.
In front of him was a thick notebook filled with densely drawn dots.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Mianmian asked curiously.
"Recording the stars," the man replied.
"Just with your naked eyes?" Jiang Mianmian inquired.
The man looked at the young girl with some curiosity, wondering what other kind of eyes there could be besides the naked eye.
"Yes, every day after dinner, I come to watch the stars."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Twenty-seven years."
"Always from this spot?"
"Yes, the position cannot be changed."
As the man spoke, he kept his head tilted back, facing the sky.
By now, faint twinkling stars had appeared in the sky, though not very bright yet.
The spot where the man sat had a deep depression from his constant presence.
The ground in front of him was the same.
Despite being stone slabs, a hole had been worn into them.
Jiang Mianmian flipped through the densely packed star charts. Without binoculars, let alone an astronomical telescope, just using the naked eye to observe like this every night for decades...
Was there any meaning to it?
There was.
These charts would form the foundation for future knowledge.
Standing at a high point, all mountains seem small.
Inspector He took a deep breath, feeling his airways clear.
Jiang Mianmian gazed at the star observer.
He probably had a neck problem, not the kind where the neck bends downward, but where it tilts backward and outward.
If he had a smartphone and spent all day looking down at it, it might actually cure his neck condition.
She mimicked the star observer's pose, tilting her head back to look at the sky.
Pangya also looked up.
Inspector He looked up.
The page boy Ji Zi looked up.
Her elder brother Jiang Feng looked up.
They stood in a line, all gazing up at the starry sky together.
The sky grew darker, and the stars shone brighter, twinkling one by one.
