A-Liao is illiterate. She attended elementary school for seven consecutive years, from the age of seven to fourteen, yet she remained illiterate, able to recognize only her own name.

  Her teachers were all incredibly frustrated; even the chubby little bald boy in css, who always drooled, could manage to awkwardly recite “The bright moonlight before my bed” while A-Liao could not. Whatever characters she learned one day, she completely forgot by the next.

  Aside from her inability to read, A-Liao was otherwise an average student, and the school had no grounds for expelling her. This year, she was in her second sixth grade, sharing csses with her former junior cssmates.

  The teachers didn’t particurly like her, and the mockery from her cssmates was relentless. After seven years of school, remaining illiterate—was she not just foolish? Yet A-Liao didn’t care at all; she greeted everyone with a smile, her eyes bright with sunlight, as radiant as a living sunflower. Thus, she earned another bel: “dim-witted.”

  For A-Liao, the most delightful moments came after school, leaning against the trunk of the ginkgo tree, enjoying a red bean ice, gazing into the distance.

  She loved every bde of grass, every tree, every flying bird, and even every ant. That ginkgo tree was delightful, and there was a little unnamed bird with a white back and bck wings perched among the lush branches, singing sweetly. She enjoyed dozing against the tree trunk, finding a sense of stability in its solid support, while the crisp bird songs brought her a different kind of tranquil happiness.

  However, this comfort came at a price. A-Liao often woke up to find her bicycle had vanished, and to date, she had lost more than a dozen of them.

  "Maybe others need it more than I do." A-Liao always tells herself this, and then spends an hour and a half strolling up the path through the wheat fields, passing through a small grove of ginkgo trees, and cheerfully returning to his home on the hillside.

  This small town is dotted with ginkgo trees. Every early autumn, A-Liao would see people on the streets and alleys holding long bamboo poles, using various exaggerated poses to knock down many round fruits from the crowns of the ginkgo trees. They say those are ginkgo nuts, also called ginkgo seeds. They are nutritious and can cure diseases, making them a great choice for making chicken soup.

  A week ago, one evening after school, A-Liao passed by and saw an old man in a bck robe standing beneath the ginkgo tree, gazing up at its canopy. His weathered face, lined with the marks of time and hardship, bore an indescribable sorrow.

  "Time's up...” the old man muttered, shaking his head.

  “Grandpa, is there anything I can help you with?” A-Liao approached him.

  The old man turned to look at her, and the lines on his face softened instantly. "A-Liao.”

  "Ah, you know my name?”

  "I often see you passing under the tree,” the old man said kindly, reaching out to pat A-Liao's head. “But soon, you won't be able to see me anymore.”

  A-Liao looked at him, puzzled. “Why won’t I be able to see you?”

  "You see, there's no problem,” the old man said with a smile, gently wiping the red bean ice from the corner of A-Liao's mouth. “Every day after school, you never go home on time; you always have to eat your red bean ice and lean against the tree trunk for a nap before you leave.”

  Feeling a bit embarrassed, A-Liao scratched her head and chuckled.

  "Being alive is truly wonderful,” the old man said, letting his hand drop slowly as he looked into A-Liao's eyes, a hint of envy showing in his gaze.

  "Then keep living!” A-Liao excimed, not understanding what was so enviable or thought-provoking about it.

  The old man shook his head. "I'm ill; I don't have much time left.”

  "Ah?” A-Liao was taken aback. "Then, Grandpa, you should hurry to the hospital!” After a moment, she suddenly remembered something and pointed at the ginkgo tree. Eating those white fruits, the ginkgo seeds, I′ve heard many people say they can cure all sorts of ailments! They should be ready to harvest in about a month.”

  "Ginkgo seeds?” The old man paused for a moment, murmuring, "That might indeed help with a great camity, but they′re not something everyone can easily obtain…''

  "They're everywhere!” A-Liao said eagerly. ``When the time comes, I′ll help you gather them, and you can make chicken soup with them…”

  "Haha, silly girl,” the old man replied, returning to his usual demeanor with a smile. "It's getting te; you should head home.” With that, he gently pushed her from behind.

  A-Liao felt herself lighten, as if she had "floated" several steps forward. When she turned to look back, the spot beneath the ginkgo tree was already empty.

  That evening, a hailstorm swept through the small town, with unusually rge hailstones falling like marbles, covering the flowers, grasses, and rooftops, leaving behind a scene of devastation.

  The next morning, as A-Liao was on her way to school, she spotted a dead bird beneath the ginkgo tree—its white back and bck wings sprawled out, frozen in a pose as if it were still flying.

  A-Liao felt an inexplicable sadness wash over her. She dug a small hole under the tree and buried the bird.

  From that day on, she no longer heard the sweet songs that used to come from the ginkgo tree. In her dreams beneath the tree, she missed the warmth of that beautiful voice.

  Moreover, she never saw the old man in the bck robe with white hair again.

  On this day, the weather was unusually bad, with dark clouds blocking the sun, making it oppressively hot.

  As A-Liao walked home alone, nearing the ginkgo grove, she suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if someone was quietly following her.

  She turned around, but behind her was empty; there was no sign of anyone.

  Continuing on her way, a rare breeze occasionally brushed through the ginkgo grove, causing the leaves above to rustle softly. The strange sensation behind her persisted.

  Meow!!!

  Suddenly, a sharp cat's cry pierced through the forest, startling A-Liao. She whirled around, and in the dim light and shadows of the trees, a white fsh hurtled down from the sky toward the ground. Then, a fierce wind whipped up, carrying dirt and stones that rushed toward A-Liao, blinding her momentarily. The powerful force pushed her backward several meters, leaving long scratches in the ground from her feet.