Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



Roseanne scanned the area once more, shaking her head, "Nothing."

Madge walked over, joining her daughter in front of the display board, "It says here that after the economic reforms, the Rodriguez Mansion was returned to the descendants of the Rodriguez family. If it was returned, then this place should be private, right?”

If it's private, then why open it to all tourists for free, as if it were a charitable act?

Odd, indeed!

But Madge didn't ponder further; the family of three continued towards the east side door.

It's hard not to mention how vast the garden was; it took them a good ten minutes to reach the next pavilion.

Beside the pavilion, there was a small bamboo grove, with cobblestone paths stretching into the depths of the bamboo.

It had a serene, almost magical quality to it.

When the wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled, seemingly carrying the scent of the bamboo.

As the family followed the signs, Norris couldn't help but capture the beauty with his camera, marveling, "It's just so beautiful!"

The family passed through a small courtyard and after a narrow gate, they were met with an expansive view, ending at a majestic mansion.

Its grandeur was evident in its ornate carvings and dignified atmosphere.

A sign hung in the middle, proclaiming it the "Main House"!

Entry was restricted to the exterior for visitors.

Madge slowly approached, stopping at the yellow line, suddenly flooded with fragmented memories.

They were too fleeting to grasp!

She looked around, bewildered, the feeling of déjà vu growing stronger.

She felt as if...she had been here before?

Roseanne, still admiring the scenery, noticed her mother's puzzled expression.

"Mom?" she called out, "What's wrong?"

Norris also looked over, asking, "Is it too hot for you? Do you want to take a break?”

Madge smiled and shook her head. lightly, "No, it's just...this place is beautiful. Living here must

comfortable." Content be beset

to

Roseanne responded with a smile, "People did live here once. The previous owners lived here with their family. Back then, the garden wasn't public; it was private property, off limits to outsiders."

As they moved on, Roseanne noticed many of the buildings bore signs of habitation.

Several times, she found doodles

on

pillars and railings, the naive strokes

bearing the marks of time, left

some cheerful little girl or a mischievous little boy. Cont belongs to

But soon, Roseanne's smile faded when they didn't take the same path back but chose a different route and ended up- Utterly lost.

The rock gardens and courtyards seemed identical, and the bamboo groves and pavilions were too similar.

And there were no more signs!

"Mom... I think we took a wrong turn..."

"Did we? No, I remember this is the way out..."

Wait!

I remember?

The words slipped out before she could think.

Madge froze.

She had never been here before, so why did she remember?

Roseanne, however, didn't catch her mother's slip of the tongue, focused only on finding their way out.

Madge took the lead, navigating through twists and turns until, miraculously, they arrived at a small gate. Exiting the gate, they found themselves on the main street!

They had...just walked out?

Roseanne's look towards Madge was a mix of awe and suspicion, "Mom...?"