“Big family means…?”

“Although it’s a small family now…” Uncle Wan smiled bitterly. “But I’ll definitely find a way to gather more people. No matter what evil force they are, as long as we people with the ‘clear fragrance’ gather together, they won’t dare do anything to us.”

After hearing this, Big Brother Guyu thought for a moment, then pointed at me. “As long as I can stay with this little brother, I’m willing to join.”

“Of course! Of course!” Uncle Wan looked very happy.

And so, on the eighth day full of holes, Big Brother Guyu joined us.

According to Uncle Wan’s intention, he planned to continue searching for people who carried the clear fragrance on their bodies.

But adults’ plans often have flaws. Uncle Wan, together with Sister Siwei and Big Brother Guyu, didn’t find any other people carrying the clear fragrance in the following two days.

According to what they said, most of the people here had died. They simply had no way to find the other “Clear Fragrance Bearers.”

We arrived at the tenth day in a very panicked state.

This was the “Day of Finality” that the adults spoke of.

Sister Siwei and I stood outdoors holding hands. I watched helplessly as she turned to powder before my eyes. My heart felt especially uncomfortable, and I cried my heart out.

I had never imagined there would be something in this world that would make me so sad. Even though I had been away from my parents for ten days, I wasn’t as sad as I was now.

Next was myself. I began dispersing from my legs, but strangely it didn’t hurt at all. Then it was my stomach, my hands.

Finally, I felt myself flying up, flying into midair. Then I seemed to fall asleep, completely unaware of what happened afterward.

When I opened my eyes again, I was sitting in the classroom, with Xu Jiahua standing as punishment beside me.

Why had I come back? Had I escaped?

“Xu… Xu Jiahua?” I turned my head and called out.

“What is it?” Xu Jiahua stood in place and said quietly, “Don’t you want to live? You dare to talk during the homeroom teacher’s class?”

Seeing him standing in front of me alive and well, my tears couldn’t stop flowing.

I could actually smell the scent on Xu Jiahua’s body. Although he wore very dirty clothes, his scent was very clean.

And although the homeroom teacher who was lecturing wore clean clothes, her scent was very dirty.

After hearing him speak a few sentences, I realized this was the day before the earthquake.

Not only had I come back, I had returned to the previous day. I could smell the scent on everyone’s bodies, and I could even smell the scent of “impending earthquake.” Tomorrow afternoon, everything would happen again.

But what could I do?

After school, I returned home in a daze. Everything here hadn’t changed. The floor was covered with shards of plates, Father was snoring on the sofa, and my desk lamp was still broken.

I put my schoolbag on the ground, slowly walked to Father’s side, then cleaned up the plate shards nearby. I sat on the floor leaning against the sofa, then gently rested my head on his shoulder.

Father, I’m really so afraid.

I had a very frightening dream. I miss you so much.

“Father,” I called softly. “I want to talk to you. Can you hear me?”

But Father was still snoring. He couldn’t hear me. The smell of alcohol on him was very strong, but he seemed very happy, as if he was having some kind of beautiful dream.

Tomorrow morning I would have to go to school. I didn’t know if I would die at school like last time. I only hoped to talk to Father and Mother before that. If I continued to that red city, I would be unable to see them for another ten days.

No matter how much I called him, he slept very deeply, so I could only stand up and walk out the door.

Tonight I didn’t want to do homework. I wanted to see Mother.

I walked for about ten minutes before finding a brightly lit, smoke-filled mahjong parlor in the alley.

The people inside the mahjong parlor always spoke so loudly, very much like quarreling.

I pushed the door open. A few people glanced at me, then pretended not to see me and continued to touch the mahjong tiles.

In the crowd, I found Mother at first glance. I missed her so much.

The corner of her eye was a bit bruised. She was now sitting in front of a mahjong table, touching the tiles with animated expressions, muttering “three circles, three circles.”

When the tile was turned over, she seemed very disappointed. After cursing loudly “Wow, nobody loves me,” she threw the mahjong tile on the table.

I slowly walked in front of Mother. Counting carefully, I hadn’t seen her for ten days.

“Mother…” I called softly.

“A’Xiong?” She glanced at me, then immediately turned back to look at her tiles. “What is it? Don’t you need to go back and do homework?… Pong!”

“I don’t want to do homework. I wanted to see you.” I dragged a small stool and placed it beside her, bending down to sit. “Mother, I want to talk to you…”

“Talk? Your damned father never has anything to say to me all day long… Six myriad! You son of a bitch, you want to talk to me when I’m playing mahjong. What evil did I do?”

“Then I won’t talk.” I smiled. “Mother, I’ll watch you play mahjong.”

“Your head is broken, isn’t it?” She continued touching tiles from the table, not looking at me at all. “At eight years old you’re already learning to play mahjong from me. Nine bamboo! Be careful or you’ll grow up to be a rotten person just like your father.”

I held back my tears, looking at Mother’s back.

Mother, do you know?

I’m about to go on a long journey.

I’m going to a very frightening place. I might not see you for ten days, or I might die there completely.

You always say it would have been better if you hadn’t given birth to me. If I really die, will you be happier than now?

“Mother,” I called again.

“What is it?” she answered loudly.

“Tomorrow afternoon, can you not stay at home?”

“Fine, I’m not even allowed to go home now.” She picked up a tile, found it wasn’t the one she wanted, then cursed again. “I could die! My good son really cares about me.”

“You must, Mother.” I stood up, smiling at her. “I’m leaving now, Mother. I really love you.”

Thank you for bringing me into this world.

But I did bad things, and I’m going to be caught and put in prison.

Mother, if I can come back, I’ll definitely talk to you a lot. Will you listen to me then?

I met a really good sister. I love her just like I love you.

The next afternoon, in the stuffy yet cold classroom, the earthquake arrived as expected.

When the teacher stumbled and ran out of the classroom, I immediately stood up and grabbed Xu Jiahua’s hand.

“Xu Jiahua! Run!”

Before he could react to what was happening, I pulled him running out of the classroom.

I couldn’t let Xu Jiahua die.

The entire building was shaking, making a loud noise. Glass was being shattered by the tremors, and the walls began to show cracks.

“Xu Jiahua! I’m sorry!”

I shouted in the shaking corridor.

“What?”

“I’m sorry!” I ran while smiling, smiled while shouting. “I said ‘I’m sorry’!”

My mouth was wide open. I didn’t know why I was so happy. I was clearly about to die, but I was really so happy.

Even if I was going to die, I had to say “I’m sorry” to Xu Jiahua.

“You’ve gone crazy!” Xu Jiahua cursed. “When does a little brother say sorry to his big brother?”

The wind whooshed past my ears. Xu Jiahua and I kept running.

I had never run in the corridor before, because the teacher didn’t allow me to do so. Every day I had to carefully spend my time, obeying various disciplines.

I really wanted to run in the corridor. I really wanted to shout “I’m sorry.”

Before the ceiling collapsed, Xu Jiahua and I ran with the wind, stepping on the shaking ground, feeling a freedom we had never experienced before.