Chapter 34: Farewell
The seventh day of the Lunar New Year. In Chuanhai, the most unpredictable weather was in early spring. The morning sun was warm and pleasant, enough to make one feel drowsy, but the chill in the early mornings and evenings could catch you off guard. Every year, during the late spring cold snap, Lu Li would inevitably get chilblains. His sister would often tease him, saying that he definitely wasn’t a true Chuanhai native, that his hometown must be in the southernmost part of China, where winters were the warmest. Young Lu Li would retort that Sister Yameng must be a Viking, strong, with a painful punch, and unafraid of the cold, her hometown definitely in the far, far north of China.
Thinking about the past, he couldn’t help but feel a little melancholic. Lu Li looked at the Chuanhai Silver Flower Airport in front of him, then at his beautiful sister beside him. Sister Yameng was also looking at him. It wouldn’t be so easy to bicker and joke around like before. He often said that youth was a train, moving forward without turning back. Once you got off, you could never go back. He admired the thinkers in history books. They made it sound so easy, but was it really that simple in practice?
“Silly brother, why are your eyes red?” Sister Yameng chuckled, covering her mouth. Warm air escaped through her fingers, swirling upwards. “Who was the one comforting me yesterday, saying that youth was a train? Why are you about to cry today?”
Lu Li rubbed his eyes. “Sis, why are your eyes red too? Do you have pinkeye? Why don’t you stay in Chuanhai and get treated before you go?”
Zou Yameng narrowed her eyes, preventing the tears from escaping. “Okay, what if it can’t be cured in Chuanhai?”
“Then stay here forever.”
“But we need to eat.”
“I’ll take care of you.”
The siblings exchanged lighthearted banter. Today was the day Sister Yameng was leaving Chuanhai for the capital. Coach Dan had been calling every day for the past four days, reminding Zou Yameng to pack her luggage and to arrive at the airport two hours early, so she wouldn’t miss her flight.
In his past life, it was his sister who sent him off to university. In this life, it was him sending his sister off to the national team. Perhaps sensing the impending separation, Sister Yameng had become less reserved lately, no longer deliberately avoiding physical contact. She would come to Lu Li’s apartment wearing a tank top, just like before. But deep down, she still had her pride. She wouldn’t completely betray her role as his older sister and refused to cross that line again, although Lu Li had explored every other inch of her body. They had spent the past few days in a state of intoxicated bliss.
After helping his sister check in, they walked towards the security checkpoint, their steps slowing down unconsciously.
Lu Li watched the people coming and going at the airport. Some were wearing sunglasses and masks, like celebrities. Some were carrying backpacks and dragging large suitcases, like students going to another city for school. And some… he couldn’t see clearly anymore, his eyes blurring with tears. He discreetly wiped his eyes and noticed that his sister’s steps were getting slower and slower.
“Sis, take care of yourself in the capital. Don’t overwork yourself with training. A balance between work and rest is important for long-term success.” He rambled on, adding unnecessary modifiers to every noun, stretching every sentence as long as possible. “And don’t drink so much, especially when you’re alone in another city. I would be heartbroken if some other man took advantage of you.”
Zou Yameng smiled happily. She took her brother’s hand. “Okay, I won’t drink anymore. And there won’t be any other men. I’m going to the women’s table tennis team. The coaches are all women, and the management is very strict.”
Then she whispered, “Don’t worry, I’m not like our little teddy dog. There’s only one person in my heart.”
He knew, of course. He was just saying these things to prolong their time together.
“You too, don’t flirt with other girls. Otherwise, your sister will be angry. You don’t want to be lectured by your sister when you’re an adult, do you? How embarrassing would that be?” Zou Yameng also started rambling, her steps slowing to a stop.
The security checkpoint was just ahead. Lu Li was afraid of the silence, it made him feel like precious time was slipping away. “Sis, remember to pick up your checked luggage after you get off the plane. Double-check the name tag, don’t take the wrong one, and don’t forget to take it… This is your first time flying alone. If you have any questions, you can ask the flight attendants… Don’t take any unlicensed taxis after you arrive in the capital. If you’re not familiar with the subway, just take a regular taxi into the city… If you don’t have enough money, just let me know, and there’s still money in our savings…” He rambled on and on, and Zou Yameng listened quietly.
“Am I the older sister or are you the older brother?” Zou Yameng swung their joined hands gently. “Don’t worry, I’m not a fool. I have basic common sense. And I’ve been to the capital before for competitions, it’s not like I’m completely clueless.”
“Okay.” After saying it a hundred times, it was finally time to say goodbye.
The national team’s training was very strict. They might not see each other again until next year, or even the year after, if she had major competitions… The more he thought about it, the sadder and more reluctant he felt.
“I’m going now. Remember to ask An Baili to cook for you. Don’t spoil her too much, let her do some housework too.” Sister Yameng let go of his hand and walked forward, as carefree as ever. She seemed to be the same ever-resilient Zou Yameng, never changing.
Lu Li suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. Zou Yameng didn’t turn around. “Little Li, what’s wrong?”
“I miss you.”
“We’ve only been apart for a second.”
“I miss you terribly even after just one second.” Lu Li’s eyes blurred slightly. He smiled, a smile that was both sad and happy.
Zou Yameng’s shoulders trembled. She mumbled, “Little Li, don’t do this… I was finally holding back my tears.”
She turned around, her face already streaked with tears. “Silly Little Li, you’re making me look bad…” Lu Li hugged her tightly, as if trying to meld her into his body. This woman in his arms was the most important person in his life, his “mother,” his “teacher,” his “sister.” He had lost her once, so he cherished this relationship even more.
“Sister Yameng, work hard and win the world championship.” Lu Li buried his face in her hair, his voice hoarse. “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Zou Yameng choked back a sob. “Wait for me to do what? There are other girls waiting for you…”
“They’re not the same as you.”
He could feel his sister biting his neck, biting hard. “Little Li, you’re so mean… Why would you say that…”
It hurt, like she was trying to leave a permanent mark on him. Lu Li endured the pain and remained silent.
“Sister Yameng, let’s watch a movie together when you come back.”
Zou Yameng licked the spot she had bitten, the words “watch a movie” echoing in her mind. After a long moment, she replied with a soft “Okay.” “I’ll watch movies with you… as many times as you want… for as long as you want… I promise…”
Watching the plane disappear into the distance, Lu Li felt a lingering melancholy. How much sorrow could one hold? A river of tobacco plants, a city full of willow catkins, the rain during the yellow plum season. This feeling of separation lingered in his heart like a continuous drizzle, impossible to cut off, impossible to untangle. If only humans couldn’t feel sadness… he thought self-deprecatingly.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have time for sentimentality. He had more important things to do. Lu Li didn’t return to the low-rent district. He sent a message to An Baili, who was still asleep, and then headed to the Chuanhai bus station. His sister was going to the capital, and he had his own destination.
The information Secretary Long had given him surfaced in his mind, word by word. Everything about Mei Jinliu became clear, tracing back from her death in the delivery room to her marriage with An Gulai, then back to her high school, middle school, elementary school days… Finally, it stopped at a dilapidated village – this was An Baili’s true hometown, the place where Mei Jinliu was born, where her parents, An Baili’s maternal grandparents, lived their final days, and the origin of the pendant.
Lu Li clutched the pendant in his hand, his knuckles white.
He had already made up his mind to do everything he could to give An Baili even the slightest chance of survival. And now, it was time to put his plan into action. But how could Lu Li know that this journey would bring him face to face with bone-chilling despair and fear?
(End of this volume)