Chapter 7: A Mei Family Daughter Grows Up (Part 4)
When Lu Li woke up again, he wasn’t buried in mud or swept to the ends of the earth by the flood. He was lying peacefully on a beach, bathed in the warm sunlight. It was incredibly comfortable. Yes, a beach, next to the ocean. Tourists strolled around in groups, and he was the only one alone.
The dull ache in his head subsided slightly, and his ability to think returned to normal.
There was no doubt that the girl he had just seen was Mei Jinliu, An Baili’s biological mother. And the flood must have been the reason for Mei Jinliu’s rebirth. As for why he was suddenly on a beach after being in the village just a moment ago, Lu Li only had a vague guess.
Now it was certain that Mei Jinliu was the first person to use the pendant. So, Mei Jinliu’s first rebirth was caused by her death in the flood. Therefore, after being reborn, she warned the other villagers, preventing a small tragedy within the larger disaster. Thinking about this, perhaps An Baili’s mother wasn’t so irredeemable after all?
“You… have we met before?” A woman stopped in front of Lu Li. She looked to be in her twenties, wearing a conservative swimsuit and a sky-blue beach hat. She bore some resemblance to An Baili, but her features weren’t as delicate. There was a certain worldliness and shrewdness in her smile.
Lu Li didn’t speak, just looked at her silently.
“We must have met somewhere, right?” Mei Jinliu frowned. “But it’s strange, I can’t remember… It seems like it was a long time ago…”
The pain in his head intensified. It seemed that whenever he was near Mei Jinliu, his head would hurt so much that he couldn’t think.
“Jinliu, what are you doing?” An Gulai, in his twenties, was tall and had a rustic, yet endearing look. He was only wearing swimming trunks, his beer belly hadn’t developed yet, and there were no dark circles under his eyes. But Lu Li could see the insecurity hidden within him. He subconsciously showed hostility towards Lu Li, seemingly unhappy that Mei Jinliu was talking to another man. This man was the giver in this relationship. Only the giver would be anxious about the sunk cost of love. An Gulai pointed at Lu Li rudely. “Do you know him?”
“I can’t say for sure. I feel like I’ve met him before, but it’s strange, he shouldn’t… If it’s really him, he shouldn’t be so young…” Mei Jinliu seemed particularly concerned about this question. She looked at Lu Li expectantly, hoping for an answer.
“Hey, Jinliu is talking to you!” An Gulai pushed Lu Li.
Lu Li’s head was throbbing, and he didn’t want to speak. But he had already beaten up An Gulai once and didn’t mind doing it again. If this was a dream, it was too real. Mei Jinliu’s hair, the acne scars on An Gulai’s skin, and the undeniable pain in his head.
An Gulai pushed Lu Li again. Lu Li grabbed a nearby glass Coca-Cola bottle and smashed it against An Gulai’s head. An Gulai fell to the ground, his face covered in blood. Mei Jinliu just looked at him coldly, then turned to Lu Li, who was clutching his head. “…Who are you?… Am I really… already…?”
He couldn’t hear her clearly. The pain in his head was more intense than ever. He squatted down on the beach, enduring the pain, and asked the question he was most concerned about. “How can the price be removed?!”
The price! An Baili’s price!
He saw Mei Jinliu’s face pale with shock. She seemed to want to grab his shoulder, but Lu Li lost consciousness before she could. His world plunged into darkness again.
When Lu Li opened his eyes again, he was back in the old Mei residence. He was sitting at a round table, a cup of tea in front of him. The tea was still warm, as if someone had brewed it for him.
“You’d better not touch anything. If I’m not mistaken, the more you interfere with your surroundings, the more intense your headache will be.” Sitting across the table was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties. It was Mei Jinliu.
This was the third time Lu Li had met her. The first time, she was just a little girl. The second time, she had just started dating An Gulai. Now, she had lost the naiveté of her youth, her worldliness and shrewdness well-hidden. “Before you leave, I want to exchange information as much as possible, taking turns asking and answering questions. Is that okay?”
“Is this a dream… or something else?” Lu Li asked.
“Is it a dream to you?” Mei Jinliu took out a notebook and started writing something in it. “Let me tell you, this is not a dream, this is reality. It’s my turn to ask a question. When did you come into contact with this thing? What year and month?” She slammed a heart-shaped pendant with three crystals left onto the table.
They talked across the table. Lu Li’s headache wasn’t too bad. “…I can’t remember clearly, probably after 2020.”
Mei Jinliu’s expression froze. She stared at Lu Li blankly. “You’re from the future? Then, then did I survive? Did I manage to overcome the price of rebirth?”
“…No. To me, you’ve been dead for seventeen years.”
Mei Jinliu slumped back in her chair, speechless.
“Why can I talk to you? I was just sleeping in Shanzhu Village, why would… why would I meet you?”
Everything felt unreal to Lu Li. He felt like this was just a bizarre dream. He thought of Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly. He didn’t know if he was Zhuangzi or the butterfly at this moment.
“I don’t know.” Mei Jinliu shook her head with a wry smile. “I’ve seen you three times. The first time was before my rebirth, I went to Auntie Zhao’s house to borrow… borrow something…”
“Burn ointment.”
“Right, I was only eleven that year.” Mei Jinliu nodded. “The second time I saw you, you beat up my husband on the beach. Then you disappeared. This is the third time.”
“For me, I was just dreaming, jumping between different time periods.”
“Then who are you? Why did you come into contact with this pendant?”
“I’m your daughter’s husband. We were reborn together.” After pondering for a moment, Lu Li decided to be honest. “Her “price” is gradually manifesting, and I came to Shanzhu Village looking for a way to remove it.”
“My… daughter…” Mei Jinliu was stunned. “What’s, what’s her name?” Her voice held a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
“An Baili.”
“Her surname is An?” She was taken aback.
“An Gulai raised her. But her childhood wasn’t happy.” Lu Li’s voice held a hint of emotion.
“…An Gulai…” Her eyes glazed over. “I’m sorry for him…”
“You should be sorry for An Baili.”
“I… My mistake. Can you apologize to my husband and daughter for me?” Mei Jinliu pleaded.
“I can’t. You’re already dead. Stop having unnecessary influence on her. She’s happy now, I don’t want her to feel inferior because of the previous generation’s mistakes.” After saying this, Lu Li felt the throbbing pain in his head intensify. “My… my head hurts again. Answer one more question… What do you know about rebirth?”
Mei Jinliu seemed dazed, still thinking about her daughter. It took her a while to remember Lu Li’s question. “I’ve been researching rebirth and its price, but it’s hard to explain in a short time… How about this, I’ll leave a diary at the old Mei residence in Shanzhu Village before I die, telling you everything I know… But, but can you tell me…”
“Tell you what?”
“My daughter, Baili, how tall is she? Is she healthy? How are her grades in school?” She had lost her composure, her voice filled with anxiety. Lu Li thought she would continue asking about the pendant, but in this woman’s heart, her daughter was still the most important.
“…She’s doing very well. She’s the best girl in the world.” Lu Li lied.
“Is, is that so?” A relieved smile appeared on Mei Jinliu’s face. “That’s good, that’s good. But please remember, I’m willing to give you the diary not because you’re special, but because you’re Baili’s husband…”
“…I know…” His vision blurred again. The last thing he heard from Mei Jinliu was:
“I’ll bury the diary where you’re sitting… Remember this when you wake up…”
Leave a Reply