Peach Blossom Land On Longyin Island Chapter 49
byMy name is An Ran
“My name is An Ran, and my father’s name is An Chen, who is a professor of philosophy. My mother’s name is Lin Xi, who is a professor of psychology. They both teach at the most famous S University. My family lives at No. 17 Meiling Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. I have a golden retriever called Douhuang Bao, which was a gift from my grandparents on my tenth birthday. I have a little Qianqiu at home, which my grandfather made for me when I was three years old.
“I am an only child. I suffer from congenital heart disease, which was detected before I was born. In my world, heart disease is not considered a terminal disease. As long as I have surgery, take medicine, have regular check-ups, and maintain the heartbeat frequency at all times, I can still live to my seventies or eighties.I was seventeen years old that summer when I came here. I had a good friend and a lot of close classmates, and we took the college entrance examination together in June of that year.After the college entrance examination, we planned a one-month graduation trip.
“My heart has been stable for seventeen years, but my parents are always nervous. They never allow me to leave them for more than a day. They love me very much and will give up work to accompany me to where I want to go. But it was a graduation trip with my friends, and I really wanted to go by myself. So that summer, I spent a long time with them, I promiseI would take my medicine on time every day and call them every day. I would always wear a heartbeat watch and share my heartbeat frequency with them. I also promised that I would definitely be admitted to the philosophy department of S University.In the end, they couldn’t bear my nagging day after day and agreed on the day I received the admission notice from S University.
“I’m so happy and I’m looking forward to that graduation trip.Our graduation trip is scheduled for August. According to the plan, we will go see the mountains, seas, and the Milky Way Aurora… But before departure, I have to go to the hospital for a review.
“The doctor said I must rest. My parents canceled my graduation trip.”
The pear tree in An’s mother’s yard was said to have been transplanted from the mountains the year An Le was born. It was midsummer when An Le first saw it, with lush branches and leaves, each leaf shimmering with tiny light. Now that autumn is turning to winter, not even a few branches are left after being devastated by typhoons.
An Le stood under the withered pear tree and put everything out on the tray: “I don’t know why, it has not had any problems in seventeen years, why did it suddenly go wrong, why did it have to be before the graduation trip? I am very angry, very angry with it, very angry with my parents who went back on their word. I know it is not their fault, I know they are just worried about me, I know they are afraid that I will have an accident, I know they are afraid of losing me. I know everything, but I can’t control my anger.”
Anle stopped, swallowed, suppressed the emotions in his heart, and said hoarsely: “That day, I was angry with them. I asked them why they still gave birth to me even though they knew I was defective? Why couldn’t they give me a healthy body? I said I didn’t want to be born like this, and I didn’t want to live with such a body that couldn’t run, jump, or get excited. I wanted a healthy body, and wanted to live a healthy life…
“I said a lot of shit and I saw my mom crying, but I didn’t stop and I broke their hearts with those lies.” An Le stopped, pressed her chest hard, and tried hard to inhale the cold air, suppressing the surging emotions, “It’s me who is not worthy of being their son. They are so good, and they gave me all their love, but I made them so sad.What I said is not my sincere words. I am very grateful that I was born and have parents and relatives who love me so much. I am very happy to be born and see so many beautiful scenery.I love my parents very much, but I have never said this to them. I want to apologize to them and tell them that I love them very much.”
Anle wiped the corners of her eyes, sniffed, and suppressed tears.
“An -” As soon as An Xiaoyu’s voice came out, Anle shook his head and interrupted him: “But I never had the chance to say it. The last thing I left to them was that I didn’t want to be born.I got mad at them and ran away.I must have been running very fast because I soon lost sight of their shouts and only the bean curd buns kept up with me.I ran without any destination and Douhuang Bao kept following me, but I ignored him.In my world, there were many cars on the road. I heard the sound of brakes. When I went to look, Douhuang Bao was lying in a pool of blood.
“My heartbeat was out of control,” Anle whispered, “After that, I died. When I woke up again, I was here.”
After a long silence, Mother An’s voice was filled with distress and she called out: “Lele—”
“I don’t know where he is,” Anle answered first, “I really don’t know where he is. I also want to return him to you. I also want to go home, but I really don’t know how.” Anle raised her head and looked at An’s mother with red eyes, “Mom – no, aunt, I really didn’t mean to deceive you on purpose. You all call me An.”Le, I – no,” Anle suddenly lowered his head again and murmured, “I deceived you on purpose. I knew I was not Anle, but I never explained it once. I deceived you on purpose. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not Anle. I can’t give him back to you. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry -”
“Lele, no, An Ran, Ran Ran,” An’s mother hugged An Le into her arms. Big tears fell from An’s eyes and hit An Le’s shoulders. An’s mother’s voice was sad and distressed, “No need to apologize, Ran Ran, no need to apologize, parents don’t blame you.”
“Mother,” After saying so much, Anle tried not to shed tears, but when she heard An’s mother calling herself mother, Anle’s nose became sour and her tears couldn’t stop falling.
“I’m sorry, I really don’t know how to get him back.” Anle lay on An’s mother’s shoulder and choked.
“Mom knows, Mom knows. Thank you for your hard work. Of course, thank you for your hard work. I have wronged you by coming to such a far place alone.” Mother An gently patted An Le’s back, coaxing An Le as if coaxing a child: “Mother doesn’t want to blame you, mother just wants to know how my Lele is doing.”
Anle sobbed: “He may have gone to my hometown and become me, but my hometown is far away. My hometown is not even in this world, not in this time and space. I will never find that place…”
“Of course,” An’s mother looked at An Le, her brows twisted in pain, she held back her tears and said tremblingly, “Lele, my Lele is different from you. He is stupid, stupid, and always gets into trouble. He is illiterate and can’t read. He will ask the same question over and over again, but will forget it soon. He is not good, he will not grow up, and he can’t live without people… Where is he… In your hometown, will he be bullied and despised by others…”
“No, mother, no, my parents are very good, very good. They will take good care of him, love him as much as they love me, love him as you love him, and treat him as you treat me. You believe me, mother, he will not be bullied. My parents, my parents are really good. Mother, you believe me, father, you believe me, everything I say is true.”
An Le looked at An’s father and mother anxiously with panic eyes. This was the only thing he didn’t want to be questioned under any circumstances.
“Dad knows, I know.” Father An wiped away the tears on An Le’s face and said, “Dad knows you won’t lie to us. Knowing this, knowing that Lele is still alive, knowing that Lele can be taken care of, father and mother are already satisfied.”
Anle lowered his head and said gratefully: “Thank you, thank you dad.”
“Okay,” An’s father wiped the corners of his eyes and said, “Don’t cry, Le-Ranran, Ranran hasn’t eaten yet after getting up, dad will cook for you.”
“I…” Can I stay at your house?Anle wanted to ask this, but moved her lips and didn’t say anything.
“What?” An’s mother kept looking at Anle and asked when she saw this.
Anle shook his head and said, “It’s okay, I want to say a few words to An Xiaoyu.”
An’s father and An’s mother left to leave space for the two of them. An Xiaoyu poked his fingertips unconsciously and tilted his head without looking at An Le. An Le said nothing, waiting silently for An Xiaoyu’s explanation.
After a long time, An Xiaoyu lowered his eyes and said, “The fog has cleared. I can’t wait for the New Year. I told my parents that I want to leave here. I want you to leave with me.”
“Okay.” Anle agreed without emotion.
As if doubting his own ears, An Xiaoyu opened his eyes wide and stammered: “Are you…seriously?”
“Yes.” An Le remained expressionless, looking at An Xiaoyu coldly and said, “Let’s leave here together.”
“You, why…” The surprise on An Xiaoyu’s face turned into panic.
“Leaving tonight.” An Le said coldly, ignoring An Xiaoyu’s questions and expression.
The thick fog cleared, causing a great sensation in Longyin Village. People were watching along the coast all day long. It was not until late at night that the moon reached the clear sky, and Longyin Village returned to peace.
“What…are you bringing?” An Le and An Xiaoyu returned to their home to pack their bags, An Xiaoyu asked in an extremely cautious tone.
“No need,” An Le sat at the table with his chin propped up and said calmly, “No need for anything.”
After a while, An Xiaoyu whispered “Hmm” and packed his things lightly.
By the flickering candlelight, An Le wrote a brief letter and called An Xiaojin.
An Xiaojin squatted on the ground and shook his tail slightly, opening his mouth slightly and waiting for An Le’s instructions.
“Xiao Jin,” An Le stuffed the letter into the bamboo tube, tied it around An Xiaojin’s neck with a rope, rubbed the wolf’s head, and said softly, “Go find Su Su. Stay with Su Su at night. Don’t come back. Do you understand?”
An Xiaojin shook his head up and down and ran out happily.
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Su Su?” An Xiaojin asked.
“No need.” Anle stood up and walked to the door. Looking at An Xiaojin’s figure walking away happily, he whispered: “She will cry.”
“Mom and dad…”
“I told them not to come see us off.”
“Well…”
An Le turned around and looked at An Xiaoyu, who had a gloomy expression and was wearing coarse linen clothes. He smiled slightly and said, “Why don’t you go back in the clothes you came in with?”
“No need,” An Xiaoyu lowered his eyes, “The jade pendant is enough.”
“Let’s go then,” Anle’s tone suddenly softened, “It’s time to make an appointment with Anshun.”