SA | Chapter 27

Whale Bone Cemetery

The morning after the revelry was exceptionally quiet. It wasn’t too late, but the sun was already high in the sky. Gu Deng quietly tidied himself up and, as he headed out, heard a dog barking. He crouched down to give Cookie a good rub on the head. When he looked up, he saw Zhang Li walking toward him.

Recalling everything that happened last night, Gu Deng felt his face inexplicably heat up and subtly put some distance between them.

Zhang Li, however, looked completely at ease. He reached out to pat Cookie and asked, “Want to grab breakfast?”

Gu Deng replied, “Sure, let’s eat.”

In the dining room, Judy was busy untangling Ali’s hair, which looked like a mess of grass. Ali had partied hard the night before, and her once neat braids were now a tangled mess, resembling tree roots. Judy had been struggling with them all morning.

Ali was still sleepy, nodding off as she greeted them with a hoarse voice, “Morning, Uncle.”

Her voice was so low and raspy that it startled Gu Deng.

Judy scolded, “I told you to wear more clothes last night, but you didn’t listen. Now you’ve caught a cold.”

“I don’t have a cold,” Ali retorted seriously, “My voice is just hoarse.” She then winked at Gu Deng with a knowing look.

Gu Deng: “…”

He recalled Ali’s head-bobbing antics from last night, along with the high notes they had belted out together.

“Was it fun?”

“So much fun!”

“Was it exciting?”

“Super exciting!”

“Was it explosive?”

“Totally explosive!”

“Too bad there wasn’t an electric guitar!”

“I didn’t have a drum set either!”

“But I can sing!” Gu Deng had blurted out, not even sure how he managed to produce a voice that sounded just like an electric guitar.

Ali was wide-eyed with disbelief, “How did you sing like that? I want to sing too!”

But Gu Deng didn’t answer, backing away while teasing her, “I can even do vocal jumps! I can hit dolphin notes too!”

Every time he said something, he would sing it on the spot. Ali was practically in awe, chasing Gu Deng around, “I want to sing too! Teach me, please!”

Then the two of them howled and screeched, shaking their heads, with all sorts of notes flying around until Zhang Li joined in and put an end to the chaos.

As the memories faded, Gu Deng silently facepalmed, realizing he was partially responsible for Ali’s hair and voice situation. He sat down and helped untangle Ali’s braids.

Zhang Li went over to help Smith prepare breakfast. By the time they had turned Ali into a little lion with an explosive mane, Zhang Li and Smith had finished making breakfast.

Judy sent Ali to wake up her grandma, and Ali ran off. A moment later, she returned, saying, “Grandma is still sleeping.”

“She must be really tired from last night,” Judy nodded. “Let’s eat first and let her sleep a bit more.”

Ali: “Okay, let’s eat first. We can say goodbye to Grandma before we leave.”

They planned to head back today. Judy and Smith both had work to return to. Judy had used up her ten-day vacation here, and Ali needed to go back to school. Carly’s condition had improved, and Judy wanted to bring her back to the city for better care.

Zhang Li also needed to resume his hiking trip, and Gu Deng had some creative inspiration he wanted to work on in a recording studio.

As they chatted and ate, Cookie suddenly started barking.

“What’s up? Want more?” Ali patted its head and handed it another piece of whale meat. “You’re a handful, this is the last piece!”

Cookie stared at the meat for a couple of seconds before gobbling it up with a “woof.”

Breakfast ended in a lively atmosphere. Judy and Smith packed their bags, while Gu Deng, with just a backpack, decided to visit the seaside one last time before leaving.

Strangely, despite the lack of good food, sleep, and language barriers, he felt a bit reluctant to leave.

Gu Deng walked down the path to the sea. The snow on either side of the path was starting to melt under the sun, and tender green shoots were poking through the black frozen soil. Spring was coming!

But the sea was still icy, with large chunks of ice floating both on the beach and in the water. Gu Deng lingered for a while, and when he turned around, he saw Zhang Li with a camera.

Gu Deng asked, “Are you taking photos?”

Zhang Li nodded.

“Can you give me a copy of the photos?”

“Sure, give me your address, and I’ll mail them to you once they’re developed.”

Gu Deng nodded, curiously watching Zhang Li take photos. The camera was a film camera with a waist-level viewfinder, and looking through it felt like viewing paintings in an art gallery.

Maybe he was watching too intently, as Zhang Li asked, “Want to give it a try?”

“Sure, I’ll give it a shot.” Gu Deng took the camera and asked Zhang Li how to operate it.

“Frame the shot through the viewfinder and press this button. After taking a photo, advance the film with this lever and then take the next shot.”

The operation wasn’t complicated. Gu Deng aimed at the sea and pressed the shutter. There was a click, but the viewfinder showed nothing. He advanced the film lever, feeling a bit unreal, “It feels weird, taking photos but not seeing them.”

Zhang Li encouraged him to take a few more shots. With no room for error on film, Gu Deng was cautious in selecting his shots.

The experience was novel. As he observed the world through the viewfinder, it felt like a special filter was cast over everything, each frame filled with cinematic quality.

Gu Deng photographed the sea, the ice floes, the seabirds, the village… and then a figure appeared in his viewfinder.

He hesitated for two seconds, then used the camera to boldly observe Zhang Li. The high-resolution camera captured every detail of Zhang Li’s body: the wind-blown hair, the distinct eyelashes, even the texture of his skin.

It was so clear, it felt like he was spying.

Gu Deng felt a pang of guilt and was about to move the lens when he accidentally pressed the shutter button with a “click.”

His heart raced as he quickly moved the camera away. The good news was that Zhang Li hadn’t noticed his flustered state. Gu Deng held his breath and aimed the camera at Zhang Li again.

The sound of the waves filled the air, but all Gu Deng could hear was silence, even his own pounding heartbeat. Amidst the rapid heartbeat, he pressed the shutter, capturing Zhang Li in that moment forever.

Gu Deng suddenly understood the essence of film photography. He had captured a moment unique to them, sealed it in a tiny roll of film, to be rediscovered and relived when developed.

He licked his lips, his throat dry. A fire burned within him, heating his palms until he could barely hold the camera.

Zhang Li still hadn’t noticed him, so he unabashedly photographed Zhang Li’s sharp brows, high nose, and sensual lips.

The feeling of sneaky photography heightened his nerves and brought an unprecedented thrill. Gu Deng advanced the film and pressed the shutter repeatedly until the lever wouldn’t move anymore.

What happened?

Before he could process it, Zhang Li looked up through the viewfinder, and Gu Deng instinctively held his breath.

“The roll is finished,” Zhang Li said, taking the camera.

“Oh, right!” Gu Deng belatedly released his grip, watching Zhang Li remove the film and load a new one before handing the camera back to him.

Gu Deng: “I’m done taking photos.”

Zhang Li nodded and reclaimed the camera.

Feeling a bit scattered, Gu Deng kept his eyes on Zhang Li’s pocket where the film was stored as they walked back to the village. Finally, unable to resist, he said, “About the photos I just took…”

Zhang Li: “I’ll send them to you after I develop them.”

Gu Deng suggested, “You can’t develop them while hiking, right? I’d like to take the film back and develop it myself.”

Zhang Li suddenly stopped, looking down at him.

He didn’t answer right away, and Gu Deng thought he might refuse. But after about four or five seconds, Zhang Li handed over the film and asked, “Need a recommendation for a developing shop in Anchorage?”

His tone was so calm, as if he hadn’t noticed Gu Deng’s sneaky behavior.

Gu Deng breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head, “No need to trouble you, I’ll find one myself.”

Zhang Li said no more.

The sun melted the snow by the roadside, and Gu Deng clutched the film tightly, following Zhang Li, keeping his secret. He should be happy, as he hadn’t intended to pursue anything with Zhang Li. Keeping a distance was better for both of them.

But for some reason, watching Zhang Li’s retreating figure, he felt inexplicably sad.

·

Returning from the seaside, Gu Deng found the village atmosphere a bit strange. Many villagers were gathered outside Carly’s door, all wearing somber expressions.

Gu Deng squeezed through the crowd and saw Ali crying uncontrollably. When she saw him, she rushed over, sobbing, “My grandma is gone!”

Gu Deng froze, feeling his blood turn cold. A strange mix of sadness and anger welled up within him. Yes, he felt angry.

It was odd, as he wasn’t related to Carly, but upon hearing the news, his mind went blank, leaving him unable to act for a moment.

How could this happen? Carly had just woken up yesterday, and now she was suddenly gone?

But Gu Deng didn’t show any of this. After a few seconds of shock, he suppressed all his emotions and bent down to pick up Ali.

Judy hurriedly left the room, asking Gu Deng to look after Ali while she went to fetch the shaman for the farewell ceremony. Smith stayed inside, preparing the necessary items for the ritual.

Someone asked about the circumstances of Carly’s passing. After all, they had seen her at the party last night, seemingly normal. How could this happen so suddenly?

“We were surprised too,” Smith sighed. “Ali checked on her before breakfast, and she was still asleep. But when we went to see her before leaving, we found she had stopped breathing.”

No one expected it to be so sudden. Gu Deng patted Smith’s shoulder, offering his condolences.

Smith remained relatively composed until he hugged Zhang Li, then choked up, “I’ll need your help for a few more days.”

Zhang Li gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, his voice steady and strong, “Just let me know what you need.”

Soon after, Judy brought the shaman into Carly’s bedroom, and according to local customs, they held a ceremony to send Carly’s soul off. Gu Deng and Zhang Li stood by, witnessing the entire ritual.

Under the shaman’s guidance, Carly’s family gathered around the bed, singing to send her off amidst the beating of drums.

The mournful singing filled the room, and a breeze lifted the bed curtains, revealing Carly behind them. She lay peacefully, her body stiff, with dark red blotches beginning to appear on her skin.

Gu Deng blinked, puzzled, and glanced at Zhang Li, who gave a slight nod, indicating he had noticed it too.

Smith had said Carly passed away after breakfast, but judging by the appearance of the blotches, she must have died at least two hours earlier, while they were still having breakfast outside.

But why would Smith lie? And Judy didn’t seem to object either. Gu Deng suddenly remembered Ali going in to call Carly for breakfast, thinking she was still asleep… when in fact…

Finally, Gu Deng understood.

The curtain slowly fell, as if drawing the final act of Carly’s life. In the family’s singing, Carly’s soul left her body, soaring into the sky with the wilderness wind.

Like her ancestors, Carly was buried in the Whale Bone Cemetery after her death.

The funeral took place at dawn, before the sun rose. The sky held a crescent moon and a pale purple dawn, illuminating the earth. In the thick morning fog, Gu Deng followed the crowd down the path to the Whale Bone Cemetery for the funeral.

This wasn’t Gu Deng’s first time hearing about the Whale Bone Cemetery, and he had vaguely imagined similar scenes from others’ descriptions. But being there in person, witnessing it with his own eyes, left him nearly speechless with awe.

In the desolate wilderness, whale bones stood over a meter tall, arranged in a circular formation. They plunged into the earth at one end, pointing skyward at the other, creating a breathtaking spectacle with the vast land.

The bowhead whale bone representing Carly stood in the morning mist. Ali carefully placed two bowl-shaped, pale purple flowers on it, flowers she had dirtied all ten nails to find—pasqueflowers, the earliest blooms in the Arctic region.