Life and Death Butterfly

Chapter 1 A Strange Missing Person Notice

Due to living close to school, I am fortunate enough to be able to go home and enjoy "Mom's delicious soup" every few days.

I am already 22 years old and unfortunately ended up studying in medical school because of my mother, who is a doctor.

It's not that studying medicine is bad, but it's really tough, especially for a young girl in the prime of her life!

Today is my regular "family visit" day, and as soon as it hits 5 o'clock, I immediately escape from the hospital and rush back home.

As soon as I arrive home, I hear my dad and mom discussing something.

"Do you think the person who posted this missing person notice is mentally unstable? It's so bizarre and without any context. No wonder they haven't found the person they're looking for even after several years!" Dad sits on the rocking chair, reading the newspaper and muttering to himself.

"This person does have perseverance, searching for years without giving up. I wonder who that girl they're looking for is to him? A lost wife? An unforgettable first love?" Mom's romantic side emerges again.

I also have a habit of reading the newspaper, but only for entertainment news! So, I had no idea there was a missing person notice that has been posted for several years. However, after hearing Mom's words, I couldn't help but become curious.

I took the newspaper from Dad's hands and looked at it. Indeed, this missing person notice is extremely strange. Strictly speaking, it can't even be considered a missing person notice because, based on its content, it's impossible to find the person they're looking for!

This missing person notice takes up a large portion of the newspaper, but the content is very simple.

"Missing Person Notice

Searching for a 22-year-old girl with long permed hair, innocent-looking.

Your tears overflow, my tears overflow, the ribbon with a mutual knot remains undone, the tide by the riverside has calmed."

Then there are contact numbers and a reward mentioned.

The reward amount is also astonishing, but I believe no one can claim it. There are tens of millions of 22-year-old girls with long permed hair and an innocent appearance. Which one is he trying to find?

"It's really strange. What does the last few lines mean? Is it a secret code?" I couldn't help but ask. I'm very familiar with that phrase because it's the essence of my favorite poem, "Longing for You."

"The person who posted this missing person notice must be very wealthy. He has been continuously posting it in all newspapers and magazines in the country for over three years now. It must have cost a fortune!" Dad sighs.

"Xiao Nai, come to think of it, you also fit the description of the person he's looking for in the past two months." Mom teased. "Didn't you just get a perm too?"

I took the soup from Mom's hand and replied unenthusiastically, "The fortune teller said I don't have a lucky windfall, Mom."

And so, our family discussed and ate our meal. We quickly forgot about this strange missing person notice because on this day, I never once imagined it could be related to me!

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Chapter 2 Grandma

My dad is the owner and head chef of a restaurant, but as he has gotten older, he has handed over the kitchen to his apprentices. He enjoys the leisure and occasionally visits my grandmother in Sichuan.

Every family has its own difficulties, and in my family, it's my stubborn grandmother and an old, worn-out dressing mirror.

Grandmother is a gentle person, and in my memories, she always had a kind smile on her face. But she also had a stubborn side—she refused to leave Sichuan, or more accurately, she refused to leave the old house by the Jinsha River!

She always said that there were stories from her youth there, everything about my grandfather, and the heroic deeds that took place by the Jinsha River back in the day.

The old house was very simple, and my grandfather's grave was in the backyard. Mom said that Grandma must have loved Grandpa very much, as she would rather stay by his grave for the rest of her life than enjoy the blessings of her children and grandchildren.

Speaking of Grandpa, my dad always says that he was the king of Sichuan cuisine. Anyone who tasted his Sichuan dishes would find other people's versions of the same dishes to be garbage.

But I always thought my dad was exaggerating, considering the common phenomenon of filial love. It's highly likely that my dad was one of them.

Grandpa passed away early, probably when my dad was around 17 years old. So, I never got to meet him, and at that time, taking photos wasn't popular in such remote places, so there are no pictures left behind either.

However, according to my dad, Grandpa's passing was peaceful, and he even had a slightly expectant expression. He held onto the old dressing mirror and murmured, "I've grown old, are you still as beautiful as ever?"

He said this while looking at the mirror, not as if he was speaking to Grandma. At the time, my dad didn't understand, and Grandma just stared at the mirror, tears streaming down her face, without uttering a word.

Later, this worn-out dressing mirror became a precious heirloom in our family. Grandma always kept it with her and said she would pass it on to my dad after a hundred years.

After hearing this, Mom made many speculations, suggesting that the mirror might have belonged to Grandpa's first love, and he never forgot about her even after his death. But it doesn't quite make sense because Grandma seems to treasure the mirror too. If it belonged to a woman whom Grandpa loved, it's unlikely that Grandma wouldn't feel jealous. After all, they were both women!

So, this precious family heirloom remains a mystery to everyone in the family, except Grandma. It's evident that she knows its origin, but no matter how much my dad asks, she just sighs and sheds tears, refusing to say a word about it.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Grandma in almost 11 years. Not for any particular reason, just because I had to attend cram school and competitive classes. It became even busier after I entered medical school.

And Grandma still refuses to leave the old house by the Jinsha River, not even for a single step.