Chapter 33: What’s Wrong?
It was Uncle Wang!
Lin Xia focused his eyes and saw him clearly. The familiar electric scooter parked by the side of the path confirmed it.
Uncle Wang was crouching on the ground, seemingly burning joss paper. The rising smoke solidified Lin Xiaâs guess. He then remembered: today was the anniversary of Uncle Wang’s daughter’s death. If he recalled correctly, she had passed away right here.
The things a parent’s heart must endure! Lin Xiaâs own heart grew heavy. He slowed the car to a crawl, not wanting the sound of the engine to disturb Uncle Wang.
Just as he was about to drive away, he saw Uncle Wang suddenly leap into the water, swimming frantically toward a small, furry-looking shape.
The weather in Jiangcheng hadn’t warmed up much since the Spring Festival. People still wore heavy coats when they went out, so the outdoor water temperature must have been frigid. Just a moment in that water would leave a person trembling from the cold.
Lin Xia immediately slammed on the brakes and rushed toward the water. There was some distance between the main road and the path. By the time he reached the edge, Uncle Wang was already struggling back with Xiaomei, who looked like a drowned rat, clutched in his arms. Xiaomei was still holding a photograph in her mouth.
Uncle Wang was in a terrible state. He had jumped in so hastily that he hadn’t even taken off his down jacket. The jacket, not being of the highest quality, wasnât very waterproof. It had quickly become saturated, swelling up with water and weighing him down. With one arm wrapped around Xiaomei, he could only use the other to paddle, making his progress painfully slow.
What shocked Lin Xia was that Uncle Wangâs face was contorted as if he were crying. Water streamed down his weathered cheeks, and it was impossible to tell if it was from the lake or from his own tears.
âUncle Wang, grab the stick!â Lin Xia didn’t have time to wonder about the source of the water on his face. He knew that if he didn’t help get them out now, theyâd be in real danger. He scanned the area and luckily found a long wooden stick, likely left behind by someone who had been playing or fishing there.
Uncle Wang quickly grabbed the stick Lin Xia held out to him. With Lin Xiaâs help, he and Xiaomei were soon back on solid ground.
âXiaomei, are you okayâŚ?â The moment his feet touched the firm earth, Uncle Wangâs legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud. Before even wiping the water from his own face, his first concern was for his dog.
âWoofâŚâ Although she was shivering violently from the cold, Xiaomeiâs face was full of joy. She placed the photograph in Uncle Wangâs hand and wagged her tail excitedly. As a veterinarian, Lin Xia knew this was a clear signal: she was asking for praise.
âWuuuâŚâ Uncle Wang finally broke down. He hugged Xiaomei and began to sob, not caring that he was losing face in front of a younger man. âI thought I couldn’t save you, Xiaomei. When you fell into the water, a chill ran through me from head to toe. Seeing you in the water⌠it was like seeing Yaya all over againâŚâ
Helplessness, panic, confusion⌠these were not emotions that Wang Xiangyong, a man with over a decade of experience as a firefighter, was accustomed to. His extensive training should have allowed his brain to make a rational assessment and choose the best rescue method.
But when he saw Xiaomei fall in and struggle to retrieve the photo of his daughter, Yaya, which had been blown away by the wind, all the emergency response training he possessed vanished. The emotions that had no place in a rescue situation crashed down on him like a torrential flood, squeezing the air from his lungs.
He even forgot that dogs know how to swim.
Struggling in the water, Xiaomei held the hard-won photograph and nudged her head toward Wang Xiangyong. I got the picture back!
She seemed oblivious to the terror she had put her owner through, her tail still wagging happily.
In that hazy moment, Wang Xiangyong no longer saw Xiaomei in the water. He saw his daughter, Yaya, who had drowned here with her friends years ago. He saw her struggling, unable to reach the shore, as if a demon were dragging her down, refusing to let her go.
âPapa⌠PapaâŚâ He thought he could hear his daughterâs faint cries for help, so fragile they could be scattered like smoke by the wind.
âYaya!â Tears streamed from his eyes, carving paths through the wrinkles at their corners. His heart felt as if it were being sliced by a knife, the agonizing pain causing it to spasm.
Yaya must have been calling for him then, too, calling for the firefighter father she had always seen as a hero to save her. And yet, he, the man who had saved so many people, was tragically unable to save his own daughter.
He was a father who had saved many, but also a firefighter who could not save his own child. During countless sleepless nights, he had been consumed by regret, by hatred, by prayer, but he could never forgive himself. What happened to Yaya was an insurmountable hurdle in his heart, one he could never get over.
âŚ
âYaya, I finally saved youâŚâ Uncle Wang clutched Xiaomei tightly, the line between reality and illusion blurring. Holding the warm body in his arms, he felt as if he had returned to the day Yaya left. But this time, it was different. This time, he had saved her. His beloved daughter was safe in his arms.
It wasn’t until Xiaomei began to lick the tear-streaked face of her master that the warm, raspy sensation of her tongue jolted him back to his senses. He was holding Xiaomei, not Yaya. His Yaya had become one of the souls lost to this water long ago.
Though the sharp pain in his heart remained, Wang Xiangyong knew that something within him had shifted.
Was this catharsis? Seeing the life return to Uncle Wangâs eyes, Lin Xia understood that he had finally been able to release some of the deep-seated sorrow in his heart.
âUncle Wang, itâs not good to stay wet in this wind. I have a dry towel in the car. You and Xiaomei should dry off,â Lin Xia said gently, worried they would both catch a cold. If he didn’t intervene, they would surely get sick.
âRight, right, I completely forgotâŚâ Uncle Wang finally realized Xiaomei was still soaking wet and needed to be dried off immediately.
Lin Xia led them to his car, found the towels he kept for rainy days, and turned up the heat.
Once they were warmer, Uncle Wang got on his electric scooter, leaving Xiaomei in Lin Xia’s car.
âArf arf arfâŚâ Xiaomei didn’t want to be separated from her owner. She pressed her nose against the rear window, watching him follow behind the car. Uncle Wang waved to her, gesturing for her to be good. Xiaomei quieted down at his signal but kept her eyes fixed on him all the way home.
âXia, thank you so much for today!â Uncle Wang said, scooping up Xiaomei as she ran to him, and thanking Lin Xia sincerely.
âYouâre welcome.â After making sure they were safely home, Lin Xia declined Uncle Wangâs invitation to come inside and drove to the pet shop.
âAwoo!â The moment Lin Xia parked the car, he heard Bai Tuanziâs voice. As soon as he stepped out, the little furball came bounding toward him.
Papa, An’an knew it was you! Bai Tuanzi launched himself like a spring and landed squarely in Lin Xiaâs arms, rubbing his soft, furry head against him.
âDid Baobao miss Papa?â Lin Xia picked him up, his heart melting into a puddle.
âAwoo!â Yes! An’an missed Papa so much! Bai Tuanzi rubbed his head insistently against Lin Xia, proving with his actions just how much heâd missed him.
âAwoo?â Did Uncle Tang leave? Bai Tuanzi asked, blinking his big, sparkling eyes.
âUncle Tang is on the plane now,â Lin Xia said, stroking the little furball, who drooped slightly at his words.
âAwooâŚâ Uncle Tang will be back soon. An’an will be good and wait for him. Uncle Tang left An’an a box of candy. He said if An’an eats one every day, heâll be back when theyâre all gone. Bai Tuanzi explained while counting on his little paws.
âMm.â Lin Xia remembered the candy box Tang Yinlang had left. Bai Tuanzi had carefully carried it off and hidden it in a cabinet, taking it out every so often to count the pieces. There were fifteen candies in the boxâexactly one a day for half a month.
âBrother Lin, youâre here!â Wang Ziyu and Chen Yaoguang greeted him. The two handsome boys had sweet smiles, especially Chen Yaoguang, whose smile revealed a pair of dimples that made him look extra sunny.
âSniff, sniff!â Wang Ziyu leaned in close to Lin Xia, only to be pushed away by a hand to his face.
âWhat are you doing?â Lin Xia asked, bewildered.
âYou smell like another man!â Wang Ziyu declared confidently after a few more sniffs.
ââŚYou have the nose of a dog.â Lin Xia couldnât believe it. He had only hugged Tang Yinlang for a moment, and Wang Ziyu could already smell it.
âWell, I was born in the year of the dog!â Wang Ziyu said proudly.
âBeing born in the year of the dog doesn’t make you an actual dog,â Lin Xia said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
âBut I have a dogâs natural talent,â Wang Ziyu insisted with unwavering confidence.
âRight, right. In that case, Weifeng is all yours.â Just as they were speaking, Li Hao arrived with Weifeng in tow.
Pfft! Wang Ziyu felt like he was coughing up a liter of blood. Dejectedly, he went to the door to greet Weifeng. Seeing the dog and his stoic owner, Wang Ziyu silently complained to himself. Why is Li Hao so free all the time? Does he have nothing better to do than come to the pet shop every day to⌠hit on me!
âThis is cake from the Xi Ning Bakery.â Li Hao handed out the cake he was carrying, saving the largest box for Wang Ziyu.
âThis is the durian mille-crepe and banana roll you said you wanted to eat yesterday,â Li Hao said, handing the box to him.
âWow!â Wang Ziyu was pleasantly surprised. He had only mentioned it in passing yesterday; he didn’t think Li Hao would actually remember and buy it for him. He took a bite of the cake, looking at Li Hao with a complicated expression.
What do I do? At this rate, Iâm really going to fall for Li Hao’s sugar-coated attacks. This is so shameful!
âDo you want some?â Wang Ziyu asked, only remembering there was someone else sitting next to him after he was already halfway through his slice.
Please say no, big brother! Let me enjoy this delicious cake all by myself!
âOkay,â Li Hao said, oblivious to Wang Ziyuâs inner thoughts. He was more than happy to share a cake with the person he liked.
Wang Ziyu looked at Li Haoâs open mouth and reluctantly forked a piece of cake to feed him.
âItâs delicious,â Li Hao said, savoring it as if it were a creation from a three-star Michelin chef.
âŚIâm not giving you any more. Iâm eating it myself! Wang Ziyu thought. But his conscience got the better of him, and they ended up sharing, feeding each other bite by bite.
ââŚâ Lin Xia, who had just finished giving Bai Tuanzi a piece of cake, turned around to see Li Hao and Wang Ziyu feeding each other. Having just said goodbye to his boyfriend, the public display of affection was a critical hit.
âAwoo!â After Bai Tuanzi finished his cake, Lin Xia carefully wiped his mouth, making sure to clean each and every one of his little whiskers. His whiskers were a sensitive spot, and the touch made Bai Tuanzi squirm with ticklishness.
âAwoooâŚâ Finally clean! Bai Tuanzi flopped onto the table, looking completely drained.
Ding-ding! The sound of a WeChat notification came from Lin Xiaâs phone. Bai Tuanzi perked up immediately, expertly unlocking the phone and opening the app.
âAwoo?â Is it from Uncle Tang?
âHeâs been on the plane for less than an hour. It can’t be him,â Lin Xia said.
âAwoo!â Itâs Uncle Mingzong and big brother Hamster! The message was from Chen Mingzong.
âWhatâs this?â Lin Xia and Bai Tuanzi looked at the screen together. It was an update on their trip.
âSecond day in Sanya. Little Hamster and I went to the Ends of the Earth and Yalong Bay Butterfly Valley. We had a big seafood dinner. Little Hamster had no adverse reactions to the seafood. He especially likes squid. Iâll take him for another squid feast tomorrow.â The message was concise and to the pointâtypical Chen Mingzong.
He had also sent a lot of photos from their trip. The little hamster was wearing a floral shirt and matching pants. The vibrant pattern, instead of looking strange on him, actually made his fair skin stand out. Chen Mingzong, on the other hand, was still in his standard white shirt and dress pants, looking extremely serious next to the casually dressed hamster. Standing together, they seemed like an odd pair, yet there was an unexpected harmony between them.
Lin Xia couldn’t help but laugh as he scrolled through the photos. Just then, Chen Yaoguang walked over and asked what was so funny.
âHere, take a look. This is another member of our shopâs family. Heâs on vacation,â Lin Xia said, inviting Chen Yaoguang over to introduce him to the little hamster.
Clatter!
The plastic cup in Chen Yaoguangâs hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor. Luckily, it didnât break, but the sound drew everyoneâs attention.
âWhatâs wrong?â
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