那一年冬天來得格外早，十月剛過，長白山已經接連下了幾場大雪，山林變得越來越寂靜。
青兒的小木屋四周，除了風聲和偶爾傳來的鳥鳴，幾乎再也聽不到別的聲音。
這天傍晚，青兒剛從山下回來，她今天走了很遠的路。去拜訪一位九十多歲的慘案倖存老人。
老人已經有些糊塗， 清醒時，還能正常交流， 糊塗時， 就什麼也說不清了。 不過， 不管清醒， 還是糊塗， 他翻來覆去都一直在說著同一句話：
「黑龍江裡的死人，多得能堵住江面。」
雖然今天很辛苦， 但是青兒還是很高興， 因為這位老人真的已經時日不多了， 但是能在最後一刻， 把他的回憶紀錄下來， 青兒感覺自己的辛苦值了。
等她回到木屋時，天已經完全黑了。她把背包放下，又往火坑裡添了幾塊松木柈子，火焰很快升了起來，屋裡漸漸暖和起來。
就在這時，她聽到外面好像傳來一陣奇怪的聲音，像是有人踏雪，又像是有什麼大的野獸經過。那一年冬天來得格外早，十月剛過，長白山已經接連下了幾場大雪，山林變得越來越寂靜。
青兒的小木屋四周，除了風聲和偶爾傳來的鳥鳴，幾乎再也聽不到別的聲音。
這天傍晚，青兒剛從山下回來，她今天走了很遠的路。去拜訪一位九十多歲的慘案倖存老人。
老人已經有些糊塗， 清醒時，還能正常交流， 糊塗時， 就什麼也說不清了。 不過， 不管清醒， 還是糊塗， 他翻來覆去都一直在說著同一句話：
「黑龍江裡的死人，多得能堵住江面。」
雖然今天很辛苦， 但是青兒還是很高興， 因為這位老人真的已經時日不多了， 但是能在最後一刻， 把他的回憶紀錄下來， 青兒感覺自己的辛苦值了。
等她回到木屋時，天已經完全黑了。她把背包放下，又往火坑裡添了幾塊松木柈子，火焰很快升了起來，屋裡漸漸暖和起來。
就在這時，她聽到外面好像傳來一陣奇怪的聲音，像是有人踏雪，又像是有什麼大的野獸經過。
青兒立刻警覺起來，她在山裡獨自一個人生活，知道長白山裡有狼，也有熊。 冬天覓食不易的狼群， 餓極了，連人都敢吃， 她必須隨時提高警覺 。
她順手拿起靠在牆邊的獵槍，慢慢走到門口，雪還在下，寒風吹得樹梢不停晃動。
她仔細聽了一會兒，聲音又消失了。
正當她準備返回屋裡， 關門的時候，忽然看見遠處的雪地裡，有一個移動的黑影，正在慢慢向木屋走來。
青兒心裡一驚，立刻把獵槍端了起來。可是仔細看， 那不像是狼， 而是個人形。 那個人似乎也看見了木屋，腳步明顯加快了。
風雪越下越大，距離卻越來越近。終於，那個身影走進了青兒目光可及的範圍。
青兒愣住了，開始以為自己看錯了。她揉了揉眼睛， 再仔細分辨， 她有些楞住了。
那是一張熟悉的臉，即使瘦了許多，她依然一眼就認了出來，是盧正鋼。
他們隔著十幾步， 在雪地裡站著，任憑風雪肆虐， 誰都沒有說話。風從山谷裡吹過。捲起大片雪花，擋在他們中間， 時間在那一刻，彷彿忽然停止。
過了很久，青兒才夢囈似地輕聲說：「怎麼會是你？」
盧正鋼笑了，笑容裡帶著幾分疲憊， 更多是如釋重負的輕鬆。
他拍了拍肩上的積雪， 輕聲說：「為什麼不能是我？ 我終於找到妳了，。。。。。。」
一句話，青兒的眼眶紅了。
一年多來。她聽到的都是冷言冷語。也見過太多的疏遠和防備。從來沒有人對她說過：「我終於找到妳了。」
青兒低下頭，過了好一會兒。才問：「你怎麼知道我在這裡？」
盧正鋼笑了。「找，。。。。。。」
「找？」
「嗯，。。。。。。」
他點點頭，「從妳老家開始找，找到妳們屯子，再找到附近獵戶，再找到山下老人，一個一個問。」
青兒愣住了，她忽然不知道該說什麼好， 她知道盧正鋼找的多麼辛苦，可他卻像是在說一件再平常不過的事。
「有人說看見一個年輕姑娘進了山，有人說她住在獵人木屋裡，有人說她天天帶著本子到處訪問老人。」
說到這裡，他笑了一下說：「我一聽就知道，那一定就是妳。」
青兒終於忍不住，笑了，笑著笑著，眼淚就掉了下來。
「傻子，」 她低聲說：「你就是個傻子。」
盧正鋼沒有反駁，只是靜靜站在雪地裡。看著她。
過了一會兒，青兒忽然問：「伯母呢？」
這一次，輪到盧正鋼沉默了。
風聲從兩人中間吹過，吹動他的衣角。過了很久。他才慢慢地說了兩個字：「走了。」
青兒一下子明白了，她沒有再問。只是輕輕低下頭。
她知道，從今天開始，眼前這個男人，和自己一樣，都變成了沒有家的人。
木屋裡的火光透過門口照出來，照在雪地上，映出兩個長長的影子。
青兒望著他。忽然向旁邊讓開一步。輕聲說：「外面冷，快進屋吧。」
盧正鋼沒有立刻進屋，他站在原地，看著那間簡陋木屋，看著火光裡的青兒。
他忽然覺得，自己一路走來受過的辛苦，似乎都值了。
他笑了，這一次，笑得像個終於回家的人。
（未完待續）That year, winter arrived unusually early. Barely had October passed when several heavy snowstorms swept across the Changbai Mountains, leaving the forests quieter with each passing day.
Around Qing'er's little cabin, there was almost no sound except for the endless whisper of the wind and the occasional call of a bird.
Late that afternoon, Qing'er had just returned from the foot of the mountain. She had walked a great distance that day to visit an elderly survivor of the massacre, a man already well into his nineties.
The old man had begun to lose his clarity of mind. When he was lucid, he could still carry on a normal conversation. When confusion overtook him, however, nothing he said made much sense. Yet whether his mind was clear or clouded, he kept repeating the same sentence over and over again:
"There were so many dead bodies in the Heilongjiang River that they could have blocked the entire surface of the water."
Although the journey had been exhausting, Qing'er felt deeply satisfied. She knew the old man had very little time left. To preserve his memories before they disappeared forever made every hardship worthwhile.
By the time she returned to the cabin, darkness had completely fallen. She set down her backpack and added several pine logs to the fire pit. The flames quickly sprang to life, and warmth gradually spread through the little wooden house.
Just then, she thought she heard a strange sound outside. It was as if someone were walking through the snow—or perhaps a large animal was passing nearby.That year, winter arrived unusually early. Barely had October passed when several heavy snowstorms swept across the Changbai Mountains, leaving the forests quieter with each passing day.
Around Qing'er's little cabin, there was almost no sound except for the endless whisper of the wind and the occasional call of a bird.
Late that afternoon, Qing'er had just returned from the foot of the mountain. She had walked a great distance that day to visit an elderly survivor of the massacre, a man already well into his nineties.
The old man had begun to lose his clarity of mind. When he was lucid, he could still carry on a normal conversation. When confusion overtook him, however, nothing he said made much sense. Yet whether his mind was clear or clouded, he kept repeating the same sentence over and over again:
"There were so many dead bodies in the Heilongjiang River that they could have blocked the entire surface of the water."
Although the journey had been exhausting, Qing'er felt deeply satisfied. She knew the old man had very little time left. To preserve his memories before they disappeared forever made every hardship worthwhile.
By the time she returned to the cabin, darkness had completely fallen. She set down her backpack and added several pine logs to the fire pit. The flames quickly sprang to life, and warmth gradually spread through the little wooden house.
Just then, she thought she heard a strange sound outside. It was as if someone were walking through the snow—or perhaps a large animal was passing nearby.
Immediately alert, Qing'er became cautious. Living alone in the mountains had taught her that wolves and bears both roamed the forests of Changbai. During winter, when food was scarce, starving wolves could become bold enough to attack people. She could never afford to let down her guard.
She reached for the hunting rifle leaning against the wall and slowly walked toward the door. Snow was still falling, while the bitter wind swayed the treetops without pause.
She stood there listening carefully for a while. Then the sound disappeared.
Just as she was about to step back inside and close the door, she suddenly caught sight of a dark figure moving slowly across the snowy field in the distance, heading toward the cabin.
Qing'er's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively she raised her rifle. Looking more closely, however, she realized it was not a wolf. It was the shape of a person. The stranger also seemed to have spotted the cabin, for his pace noticeably quickened.
The snowstorm grew heavier even as the distance between them steadily closed. At last, the figure came near enough for Qing'er to see clearly.
She froze. At first she thought her eyes were deceiving her. She rubbed them, looked again, and stood there in complete astonishment.
It was a familiar face. Though much thinner than before, she recognized him immediately.
It was Lu Zhenggang.
Separated by only a dozen paces, they stood facing one another in the snow, allowing the wind and storm to rage around them. Neither of them spoke. The mountain wind swept through the valley, lifting great clouds of snow that drifted between them. At that moment, time itself seemed to come to a halt.
After a long silence, Qing'er finally whispered, almost as though speaking in a dream,
"How... how could it be you?"
Lu Zhenggang smiled. There was unmistakable weariness in his smile, but even more than that, there was the quiet relief of someone whose long search had finally come to an end.
Brushing the snow from his shoulders, he said softly,
"Why couldn't it be me? I finally found you..."
Those few simple words brought tears instantly to Qing'er's eyes.
For more than a year, all she had heard were cold words, suspicion, and rejection. Never once had anyone said to her,
"I finally found you."
Qing'er lowered her head. After a long moment, she finally asked,
"How did you know I was here?"
Lu Zhenggang smiled.
"I searched..."
"Searched?"
"Mmm..."
He nodded.
"I started at your hometown. Then I found your village. After that I talked to the local hunters, then to the old people living at the foot of the mountain. I asked them one by one."
Qing'er stood there speechless. She suddenly did not know what to say. She knew how difficult that search must have been, yet he spoke of it as though it were nothing more than an ordinary journey.
"Some people said they had seen a young woman go into the mountains. Others said she was living in an old hunter's cabin. Still others said she carried a notebook everywhere and spent her days visiting elderly people."
At that, he smiled again and said,
"The moment I heard those stories, I knew it had to be you."
At last Qing'er could no longer hold back. She smiled. Then, as she smiled, tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.
"You fool," she whispered softly. "You're such a fool."
Lu Zhenggang did not argue. He simply stood quietly in the snow, looking at her.
After a while, Qing'er suddenly asked,
"And... your mother?"
This time, it was Lu Zhenggang who fell silent.
The wind swept between them, stirring the hem of his coat. After a very long pause, he slowly spoke only two words.
"She's gone."
Qing'er understood immediately.
She asked nothing more. She simply lowered her head.
She knew that from this day forward, the man standing before her, just like herself, no longer had a home to return to.
The firelight from inside the cabin spilled through the open doorway, stretching two long shadows across the snow.
Qing'er looked at him. Then she quietly stepped aside and said softly,
"It's cold outside. Come in."
Lu Zhenggang did not enter immediately.
He remained where he stood, looking at the humble little cabin, then at Qing'er, illuminated by the warm glow of the fire.
At that moment, he suddenly felt that every hardship he had endured along the way had been worthwhile.
He smiled.
This time, he smiled like a man who had finally come home.
(To be Continued)
