The next day, the rain lessened a lot. Liu Xu and Su Qing found a shop hidden in a deep alley of the old town according to the address they had inquired about. The shop is very small, with an old storefront and a sign with illegible handwriting hanging on it. Pushing the door open and stepping in, a faint scent of sandalwood and the smell of metallic rust hit me in the face.
The room was dimly lit and piled up with all kinds of strangely shaped old items, ranging from old-fashioned cameras and phonographs to broken porcelain and rusty pocket watches. An old man with grizzled hair and reading glasses was sitting at the workbench, fiddling with precise tools in his hand.
Excuse me, are you a time craftsman? Su Qing asked cautiously.
The old man looked up, revealing a weather-worn face. The old man with flowered glasses sat at the workbench, fiddling with a precise tool in his hand.
Excuse me, are you a time craftsman? Su Qing asked cautiously.
The old man looked up, revealing a weather-beaten face.
There was no expression on his face, only a soft "um" sound.
Su Qing hurriedly stepped forward, explained her purpose and handed over the watch fragment in Liu Xu's hand. The old man took the fragments and examined them carefully. He picked up those tiny parts with tweezers and brought them close to his eyes, as if he could read the past from these cold metals.
Liu Xu looked at him nervously, her heart in her throat.
After a long while, the old man put down the fragments, looked at the willow catkins and said, "This watch is seriously damaged." Physical damage can be repaired, but the time it bears cannot be reversed.
Liu Xu's heart turned half cold.
"However..." The old man changed the subject, "I can make it leave again." Let the gears inside rotate again and make a ticking sound. But the cost is not small.
Su Qing immediately said, "Money is not an issue!" How much do you need?
The old man shook his head: "I don't accept money." I want you something, something that is of vital importance to you. It contains your intense emotions and memories from the past. Moreover, it must be unique and irreplaceable.
Liu Xu and Su Qing exchanged a glance, both somewhat confused.
What is it? The willow catkins asked in a low voice.
The old man said slowly, word by word, "I want the negative of your graduation photo."
Liu Xu suddenly opened her eyes wide, unable to believe her ears. Graduation photo negative? That wasn't a photo she developed at any random place, but the only negative of the group photo she kept with her classmates and teachers when she graduated from university. Those years were the purest and happiest time of her life. That film recorded her youth, her dreams and her friendships. That was her only physical memory of that period of time.
"Negative?" Liu Xu's voice trembled a little. "Why do you need film negatives?" I can give you the photos!
The old man shook his head: "A photo is a frozen image, while a negative, it carries countless possibilities." It is like a seed of time, recording the original trajectory of light and shadow. What I want is that most primitive memory energy that has not been fully released.
Liu Xu hesitated. She clutched the fragments of the watch in her hand tightly and recalled again the bright smile on that negative. That was the only past she could grasp and not be overshadowed by shadows.
Seeing Liu Xu hesitate, Su Qing stepped forward and said, "Xu Xu, he can fix watches!" Negatives can be used to take other photos in the future! How important is this watch to you? Have you forgotten? His tone carried a hint of urging.
Liu Xu looked up at Su Qing and then at the old man's deep and strange eyes. She was torn painfully between hope and precious memories. Finally, she gritted her teeth and took out a small paper package from her pocket close to her body. Inside was precisely the yellowed negative of her graduation photo.
Here you are. Her voice carried a slightly imperceptible tremor.
The old man took the film and smiled contentedly. That smile seemed somewhat disturbing to her. He didn't say much. He just asked Liu Xu to leave the watch fragments and agreed to come and pick them up three days later.
Leaving the shop, Liu Xu felt empty in his heart, as if something important had been dug out. Su Qing put her arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Don't even think about it. You'll be able to get your watch back soon."