Chapter 20: A Profound Farewell Letter
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The living room was empty and spacious.
Tears slipped down Sun Qing’s cheeks as she sobbed, “When my father found out that I had dropped out of school to work, he suddenly became extremely agitated. I thought a few words of comfort would calm him down, but I never imagined that he would... take his own life. He left a suicide note.”
As she spoke, she picked up the box from the living-room table and opened it. Inside was a folded sheet of paper.
It was probably the suicide note.
Han Ling sighed.
Perhaps Sun Qing’s father had long considered using death to ease the burden on his family. His daughter dropping out of school had been the final straw that broke his will.
Sun Qing slowly unfolded the paper, crying even harder. “My father said in the note that he had dragged us down, but my mother and I have never blamed him. It wasn’t his fault. He was my father!”
Seeing that Sun Qing had lost control of her emotions, Han Ling sat down beside her and gently patted her shoulder, replacing words of comfort with a soothing touch.
At that moment, nothing he could say would help. “My condolences” was merely a polite expression offered to the relatives of the dead.
The paper unfolded, and Han Ling looked over it.
It was indeed a suicide note. The handwriting was neat rather than hurried, suggesting that Sun Qing’s father had at least received a basic education.
Han Ling skimmed it from beginning to end. It was roughly eight hundred words, filled with memories, reluctance to part, and guilt toward his family—just about the length of a middle-school composition.
“Medicine is useless. I know my own condition. Those poisons have no effect on me.”
...
“Listen to me, Qingqing. You must finish your education. Higher education may not make you successful, but it can save you from taking many wrong turns. Dad hopes you can leave Qingchang and see the prosperity of the world in a major city.”
...
“Money is a wonderful thing. You only truly understand that when you desperately need it.”
...
“Stop feeding Dots. Stray cats cannot be tamed. Their hearts are colder than those of people, and besides... they’re filthy. It is always rubbing its nose with its paws—that is how it eases the discomfort caused by the dirt. If you truly like small animals, Dad suggests that you raise a dog.”
...
“Ah, I haven’t seen Langlang in so long. I miss him. I know Langlang is a good child, and always has been. You two siblings must take care of each other in the future.”
“Hm? You have an older brother who’s still alive?” Han Ling nearly thought he had misread it. “Where is he?”
Sun Qing clutched the suicide note tightly and said in a low voice, “My brother... he doesn’t care about the family. When I was six, he spent all day at the arcade. Later, when Internet cafés became popular, he stayed there instead. We see him two or three times a year at most.”
Han Ling frowned. “He doesn’t still come home asking for money, does he?”
Sun Qing shook her head. “No. He just doesn’t care. He and my father had a bad relationship. Actually, my father... loved him very much.”
Han Ling understood.
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The impulsiveness of adolescence had continued all the way to the present.
Teenage rebellion was understandable, but what was the situation at home now?
Their father was gravely ill, their mother took on odd jobs, and even their younger sister had been forced to leave school and work at a recycling station. How could he sit in an Internet café with a clear conscience?
“When your father died, didn’t you notify him?” Han Ling asked.
Sun Qing shook her head. “We don’t have his phone number, and we don’t know where he is. My mother told me to ask around tomorrow. If I can’t find out anything, I’ll search all the Internet cafés in the city. I should be able to find him.”
“What’s his full name?” Han Ling asked.
“Sun Lang.”
Clear skies and bright weather—a good name, unfortunately. The family had long since been shrouded in darkness, with no brightness left at all.
When Sun Qing folded the suicide note, Han Ling glanced over its contents once more. He felt that the note had been written with considerable insight.
Yes... considerable insight.
Though it did contain a touch of personal bias.
Compared with dogs, stray cats were indeed harder to tame. Han Ling remembered a news report about a woman who fed more than a dozen stray cats in her neighborhood at the same time every day. One day, rain delayed her for a long time. When she finally opened the bag of cat food, she was a little slow—and all the starving feral cats swarmed her, severely scratching her bare legs.
Still, one could not paint them all with the same brush. It depended on the animal’s temperament and past experiences.
Animals that had been hurt by humans were more vigilant. Those that had not were less defensive and more inclined to trust people.
“What did your father do before?” Han Ling asked.
“He was a chef,” Sun Qing replied.
Han Ling felt sorry for the hardship that awaited her, but there was only so much he could do. He asked, “You’ll need money for the funeral home, won’t you? Do you have any?”
Sun Qing was silent for a moment before saying, “I... I’ll borrow some tomorrow.”
“Borrow it from me.” Han Ling stood up. “Wait here. I’ll go get some money. Will two thousand be enough?”
He had received several months of wages. Even after taking out two thousand, he would still have plenty left. The police station provided him with food and lodging, and he had few daily expenses.
“What?”
The offer had come so suddenly that Sun Qing was stunned, unsure whether she should refuse or accept.
Seeing her hesitation, Han Ling said, “I’m not giving it to you. I’m lending it to you. My name is Han Ling. Whenever you have the money, just return it to me at Wanglou Police Station. There’s no hurry. Will two thousand be enough?”
Sun Qing bit her lip. She could not bear the thought of lacking even the money to arrange her father’s funeral, so she said gratefully, “Thank you, Officer Han. It’s enough. It’s enough.”
“Mm.”
Han Ling nodded, left Sun Qing’s home, and rode to the bank. He carried his wallet with him, and his bank card was inside.
Twenty minutes later, he returned and handed Sun Qing the two thousand he had withdrawn. Then he emptied his wallet and gave her all the loose change as well, for a total of two thousand one hundred and thirty-two—down to the last coin.
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That was all he could do. Since their paths had crossed, Han Ling could not stand by with indifference.
Sun Qing was moved to tears. “Thank you, Big Brother Han. I—I’ll write you an IOU.”
She turned to look for paper and a pen, but Han Ling stopped her.
“No need. I trust you. There’s no rush for the money. Three years or five years is fine.”
Two thousand was not much. Whether Sun Qing chose to work or attend university, she would be able to repay it in three or four years.
If she forgot about it by then, or simply did not want to repay him, it did not matter. Han Ling had always lived according to his own principles and never placed expectations on anyone.
Trusting others too much could get you killed.
In his previous life, Han Ling had not understood that lesson completely. Now, he saw it with perfect clarity.
Aside from himself, no one was entirely trustworthy.
Before leaving, Han Ling asked why Zhao Kai from the recycling station had targeted her. The answer was that Sun Qing had rejected his advances.
It was within the realm of Han Ling’s expectations. Sun Qing was quite pretty, but she was too young. It was too early for her to be dating, and even if she did, it would be better to date someone her own age rather than get involved too soon with young men from the streets.
Han Ling offered her a few words of advice and suggested that she stop working at that recycling station.
Sun Qing obediently nodded.
“I’m leaving. Take what you need to the funeral home. Use a more distant route—one with streetlights and surveillance cameras. Do you want me to accompany you?” Han Ling asked.
“No, no, that’s all right.”
As she spoke, Sun Qing followed Han Ling and saw him out through the gate.
“Go back inside,” Han Ling said, waving a hand.
He was just about to mount his bicycle when footsteps sounded behind him. Turning around, he saw a young man walking toward Sun Qing’s house with unmistakable purpose.
As the man drew closer, Han Ling froze for a moment. He recognized him as the yellow-haired young man he had seen twice before at the Internet café.
The answer seemed almost obvious now, and the connection was easy to make.
“Brother?”
Sun Qing stood rooted to the spot.
His suspicion had been confirmed.
The last time Han Ling had gone to the Internet café to gather information, this young man had still found time to ask why Han Ling had rejected the female doctor. He had also played CrossFire with astonishing enthusiasm.
Han Ling lifted both hands from the handlebars.
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