The Superman of Pickled Vegetables: Farewell to the Rose
Pickled vegetables have become a superman, able to fly in the sky, dive into the deep sea, run on walls, see in the dark, and speak many foreign languages. He can also understand the language of all animals.
After gaining the abilities to fly and swim, Pickled Vegetables was full of confidence and prepared to go see the rose. Before he went, in order to get rid of his suspiciously soy-sauce colored skin, he soaked himself in vinegar for a whole night, making his skin whiter. He got a haircut, sprayed some perfume, wore a cape made of white clouds, and flew towards the nursery like a great swordsman. At that moment, no one would have recognized him as the once black and shiny pickled vegetable head.
Because of taking care of his wings, Pickled Vegetables hadn't been to the nursery for a long time, and he didn't know how the rose was doing now. While flying, he excitedly thought: What will be her reaction when she sees me?
Finally, he arrived at the nursery but couldn't find the rose after turning left and right. Helplessly, he had to go find the foxtail grass, who then took him to find the butterfly. However, the butterfly told him not to bother going because the rose had already married. When Pickled Vegetables heard this, he almost fainted. Gathering his strength, he asked whom the rose had married. The butterfly said it was the wind. Upon hearing this, the foxtail grass muttered beside them that the wind was so flirtatious and shallow, how could the rose marry him? But the butterfly countered that the wind was elegant and romantic, sharing similar personalities with the rose. They were of the same type, so why wouldn't it work? The butterfly then asked if he wanted to see her. Determined, Pickled Vegetables said yes. Unwilling to take him, Pickled Vegetables told the butterfly about all the efforts he had made over the years for the rose and how he became a superman. Deeply moved by his story, the butterfly decided to take Pickled Vegetables to see the rose.
By the time they reached, the rose was already living in a greenhouse. Although the conditions were good, the rose was no longer the rose from the wind days. Her velvet-like petals had turned yellow, and the shy modesty of her half-bloomed state had become the vulgar demeanor of a housewife. Most noticeably, her waist which was once delicate was now round and bulging, already bearing new life. She had passed through youth and was heading towards maturity.
Seeing her, Pickled Vegetables couldn't believe this was the rose from back then. After confirming it was indeed her from her unchanged leaves and reserved nodding posture, Pickled Vegetables looked up to the sky and sighed: Time! Heaven! Why are you so cruel and heartless? Why does maturity come with aging and ugliness? In your hands, youth becomes withered flowers and beauty turns into vulgarity in an instant. You're more terrifying than any witchcraft.
Time is very fair. It lets all lives (including animals and plants) go through growth, youth, maturity, and aging, regardless of nobility or poverty, without favoritism. It's the fairest, not just letting us foxtail grasses turn yellow and die in winter. Foxtail grass said beside him, "Dandelion's love - Roots say: This journey ahead, mountains high and waters long; Leaves ask: This journey ahead, will it be sorrowful?"
Seeing the rose in such a state, Pickled Vegetables lost interest in talking to her. Years of hope had turned into nothingness, and the efforts of many days had lost their meaning. Suddenly feeling meaningless, he stood up and wanted to go back.
He originally thought that the rose would die in his heart, and he would never think of her again. But when he returned home, he realized that he still missed the rose, thinking about her half-bloomed posture and her modest nodding appearance. The rose was still alive in his heart, which made him confused. He didn't know what exactly he was missing and who he really wanted.
On this day, tormented by thoughts of the rose with no escape, he jumped up and pointed to the sky, saying: "Damn it, since I, Pickled Vegetables, can become a superman and completely change myself, I don't believe I can't become a super celestial being and let time flow backwards, restoring the rose."
From then on, Pickled Vegetables began striving and advancing towards becoming a super celestial being, akin to ghost stories in casinos —— Real experiences from Genting Casino in Malaysia.