Summer Light Gatherings

Chapter 6

"Why are you stopping me? I have nothing to do with you!" he exclaimed angrily.

The creature replied, "How can you say we have nothing to do with each other? I'm your guardian creature. If something happens to you, I'll be held accountable, and it'll be tough for me to get by in the peanut world."

"Why would a creature from the peanut world be protecting me?"

The creature chuckled, "Because you love eating peanuts!"

Ling Yao woke up naturally every day. By the time she got out of bed, there was nobody at home. Breakfast, bought by He Xiaoxiao, was laid out on the living room table - two buns and a bag of soy milk, the same for several days in a row.

The breakfast should have been warm when it was bought, but by the time Ling Yao ate it, it had cooled down. After finishing her morning routine, she reheated the buns in the microwave and walked around the house, eating as she went.

There were three rooms, one for each person. Ling Yao's room was the smallest, and she guessed it used to be a study, but He Xiaoxiao had turned it into a guest room.

There were no bookshelves in the house. He Rui's desk had a stack of textbooks and some miscellaneous reading materials. Ling Yao's books were stacked on the bedside table. He Xiaoxiao never read, and the room was filled with various cosmetics. There was also a photo on the dresser. Ling Yao picked up the frame and examined it; surprisingly, it wasn't a photo of He Xiaoxiao and He Rui, but of the two sisters. She carefully recalled it - it was a group photo taken twelve years ago in town, their last photo together. A year later, He Xiaoxiao's life underwent a drastic change, and she never returned to Qimei Town to live, like a bird leaving its nest.

Ling Yao felt unfamiliar with herself in the photo; after all, she was only fourteen at the time, thin and dark-skinned, which made her look even darker and thinner next to He Xiaoxiao's plump, fair-skinned figure. He Xiaoxiao had always had snow-white, delicate skin, and Ling Yao had envied her for many years. When this envy began to mix with jealousy, she started refusing to take photos with He Xiaoxiao to avoid becoming her background.

But Ling Yao wasn't inferior in every aspect to her sister; she had a pair of beautiful eyes, always wide open, showing curiosity and alertness. Her grandfather had praised her, "Intelligent, sensitive, remembers all grievances and favors."

Ling Yao smiled gently and put down the frame.

After eating and drinking her fill, she went out for a stroll, aimlessly wandering around nearby streets and alleys. Sometimes she would go a little further to see some of the more famous sights in the area, and when she got tired, she would find a bubble tea shop to relax.

She also climbed the mountain that He Rui had told her about. The mountain wasn't as boring as He Rui had described; it was lush with green bamboo and babbling streams, serene and secluded. At the summit, she could see the panoramic view of the northwest corner, including the apricot garden. Farther away was the vast expanse of the river and the majestic Iron Lock Bridge spanning it, magnificent and grand.

There was indeed a temple on the mountain, but the mountain gate was tightly closed, with no indication of when it would be open to the public.

As Ling Yao passed by, she heard chanting coming from inside. She stopped to listen for a while; it seemed to be reciting the Diamond Sutra. She had heard her grandfather talk about the sutra before and still remembered the first few lines. She walked down the mountain silently following the sound.

At noon on the first two days, she had been looking forward to the food at the Thursday Restaurant, eagerly rushing to Gubei Street after eleven o'clock. But both times, she was turned away; the sign with the restaurant's name was turned over, revealing the words "Closed for Business" in beautiful handwriting, which was somewhat disappointing to Ling Yao.

As dusk approached, Ling Yao boarded a bus bound for the city center. She got off at the CBD station on Zhuhai Road, found a street-front café, and ordered a sea salt mocha, slowly sipping it while staring at the street outside through the dark green glass.

At six o'clock, outside the window, it was the rush hour of leaving work, with countless young workers pouring out of the nearby commercial buildings, scattered across the streets, searching for their way home.

Ling Yao had once been one of them in similar scenes, but now she had withdrawn from that, sitting alone in the darkness, yet still seeing herself vividly, as well as the clear image of past times. A rushing stream flowed past her, and she had thought that life would continue to flow like this, never running dry.

She knew what she was waiting for. If she could catch a glimpse of Zhou Yan in the surging crowd, would it mean that her life would be revitalized once more?

Her first official date with Zhou Yan was also at a coffee shop. She talked to him about her family, with her grandfather being the topic of conversation most often.

"My grandfather was an old literary man. I used to stick to him since I was little. He was so patient, unlike my grandma, who would find children annoying when she got busy - 'Rascals! If you don't leave, I'll step on you!' Haha! Is my grandma fierce? My grandfather took me to watch operas, listen to Suzhou pingtan, and to the park to watch people play chess. Oh, he was so good at playing chess; others would rack their brains over a stalemate, but he would make a move, and everything would suddenly become clear! But you can't always do that; it would annoy people. Grandpa said that one must know when to stop. Grandpa loved listening to Peking opera the most. I bought him a CD player with the first month's salary I earned after starting work, along with Ma Lianliang's records..."

Ling Yao didn't know why she kept talking so much; perhaps she was a bit nervous on their first date. Zhou Yan listened very attentively, his smile on his face varying in depth but never disappearing. Ling Yao finally felt embarrassed and stopped, asking him why he was smiling.

Zhou Yan said, "I hope that in the future, when you chat with others, you won't mention your grandfather anymore, but me."

A year into their relationship, Ling Yao brought Zhou Yan home to meet her grandfather. It was the last year her grandfather was alive, and he was very happy. He said Zhou Yan was a well-bred good boy, and he was reassured to have Ling Yao with him. He called Zhou Yan over and solemnly entrusted Ling Yao to him.

Three years after her grandmother passed away, Ling Yao's grandfather finally left as well. Ling Yao was so heartbroken, she couldn't control herself. "I have no relatives left; I'm all alone now!"

Zhou Yan hugged her tightly. "You still have me, you still have me."

He stayed with Ling Yao day and night, helping her through the most difficult period. Ling Yao finally fully accepted him, clinging to him as she had clung to her grandparents, and from then on, he was the closest person to her in this world.

Ling Yao sat in the coffee shop for two hours straight. The street outside gradually quieted down, and the sky darkened. Suddenly, the lights in the coffee shop lit up as bright as daylight, and the space inside and outside seemed to be reversed. She woke up, realizing that another day was about to end, and she still had nothing to show for it.

"Do you still love me?"

Every time they reconciled after a fight, Ling Yao would ask this question. She stared at Zhou Yan's eyes, waiting for his judgment, as every word he said was crucial to her.

"Of course," he always used to reply at first.

But as time went on, he finally started to grow impatient. "I feel like I don't really know you. Maybe I've been in love with an imagined version of you all along," he said during their last argument. Shortly after that, he disappeared.

Ling Yao suddenly felt afraid, afraid that she might never see Zhou Yan again, but also afraid of seeing him again. What would her reaction be if Zhou Yan showed up? Would she uncontrollably rush into his arms, pouring out too much grievance and longing on his chest? That might make him run away again.

As Ling Yao got up to pay the bill, she decided she wouldn't come back here again.

Life after quitting her job felt like an extended vacation, relaxed and free. Ling Yao became addicted to mountain climbing, starting to wake up early every day and heading into the mountains before the sun became intense. She often carried a bag of peanuts in her hand and started eating when she reached the mountaintop. She enjoyed observing the terrain and orientation of the mountains and sometimes struck strange poses. Occasionally, when fellow hikers passed by and thought she was not normal, she didn't care.

Ling Yao's carefree life made He Rui jealous and envious. One evening, after they had finished dinner and returned home, He Rui stood next to Ling Yao, watching her water the newly transplanted tomato seedlings, and then he expressed his feelings.

Ling Yao defended herself, "I won't do this all the time. At most, I'll take a month off, just like you have summer and winter breaks. And I do housework every day!"

Ling Yao was clean and tidy, and she was staying at her sister's house, so she wanted to contribute. She was particularly active in cleaning, and He Xiaoxiao joked that they had gotten a free cleaning lady.

"If I only do a little housework every day and then have all the time to myself, and most importantly, don't have to do homework, I'd be ecstatic!" Ling Yao said, excited.

Hearing He Rui say this, Ling Yao was worried that her lax attitude would have a negative impact on him, so she said, "I'm not doing nothing. I'm writing a novel!"

To prove it to He Rui, Ling Yao took him to her room, opened her computer document, and showed him her novel titled "The Adventures of the Peanut Hero," signed by Ling Yao.

He Rui wasn't interested in the title of the novel, probably finding it too ordinary and lacking in discussion value, but Ling Yao's name sparked another question from him.

"You and my mom have the same grandparents, so why do you have different last names?"

"Your mom didn't tell you?"

"No, and I never asked. I wouldn't remember if I didn't see you."

"Ling Yao said, 'This explanation might be a bit complicated because both our grandparents remarried. My grandfather's son is surnamed Ling, and my grandmother's son is surnamed He. Simply put, I'm my grandfather's granddaughter, and your mother is my grandmother's granddaughter. Can you understand that?'"

He Rui blinked, scribbled on a piece of paper, and drew a simple diagram of the relationship, then showed it to Ling Yao. "Like this?"

"Correct!"

"So, you two aren't blood-related? I mean, you and my mom."

"That's right."

Even if their grandparents were in their original marriages, there still wouldn't be any blood relation between Ling Yao and He Xiaoxiao. Ling Yao thought this to herself but didn't say it out loud.

He Rui started reading Ling Yao's novel but lost patience after only reading the beginning. He asked directly, "What kind of story are you writing?"

Ling Yao didn't expect an eleven-year-old boy to become her reader. After proving to He Rui that she hadn't lied, she closed the document and the two of them chatted while drinking sour plum soup.

"The story is about a boy. His girlfriend died in a car accident, and he was very sad. This person also has social anxiety, and his girlfriend was the only person he could communicate with in the world... 'What's social anxiety?' 'It's a modern disease, a kind of phobia, especially afraid of dealing with people... Um, this boy not only loves his girlfriend very much but also loves eating peanuts."

He Rui was puzzled again, "What's so good about peanuts?"

"Fried peanuts are delicious! Your mom loves them, used to fight with me for them when we were kids."

"And then? I mean, the boy."

"One day, he found that peanuts weren't tasty anymore, and life seemed meaningless, so he attempted suicide." Ling Yao paused. "Is it okay for me to tell you this?"

He Rui had an indifferent expression. "It's fine; I often see people getting headshots in games!"

"You shouldn't play violent games at your age, should you?"

"I watch others play—go on, did he die?"

"He didn't succeed; he was saved by a peanut monster."

"A peanut monster?!"

"Yes, it's a kind of demon. When peanuts become spiritual beings, they turn into peanut monsters."

He Rui tilted his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "Is it because the male protagonist loves peanuts that the peanut monster comes to his aid?"

"Something like that," Ling Yao replied.

With clear logic, He Rui asked, "But why would the peanut monster want to save him? Shouldn't he be the natural enemy of peanuts since he loves eating them?"

Ling Yao explained, "You can't understand it that way. It's precisely because of people like him who love peanuts that peanuts are widely planted, and the species can continue to reproduce. So, he's a hero in the peanut world and should be protected by the peanut monster."

"Your idea is really bizarre, but since it's your novel, you call the shots. What happened next? Was the socially anxious guy grateful to the peanut monster?"

"No, he was terrified because the peanut monster looked very ugly. Have you seen a peanut shell? The peanut monster's skin is as rough as a peanut shell. If a face like that was suddenly in front of you..."

Ling Yao leaned in sinisterly towards He Rui, who instinctively backed away, noticing the mischievous smile on his aunt's face and immediately halted, "You're not writing a horror story, are you? I don't like horror stories."

"No way!" Ling Yao quickly reassumed a kind expression. "It's a story about seeking."

"Seeking what?"

This question made Ling Yao ponder seriously. She hadn't yet summarized the essence of the novel.

"The reason why the male protagonist can't go on living is that he doesn't know the meaning of his existence anymore. He feels he has nothing. So, the peanut monster gives him a task. If he completes the task, he will receive the answer to the meaning of life as a reward."

Such an explanation puzzled an eleven-year-old boy, who only pressed for specifics, "What task? Does he have to go on a treasure hunt?"

"You could say that. He must gather ten specified tokens within three months and then rush to Peanut Land to exchange them for the answer to the meaning of life."

He Rui suddenly had an epiphany expression. "Isn't this just like Journey to the West?"

Ling Yao argued, "It's different! The themes of the stories are different... Besides, Journey to the West goes westward, but Peanut Land is in the east!"

He Rui, seeing her firm stance, became somewhat confused. "Why not go west?"

Ling Yao hadn't actually thought about this question. "Because, because the west is where immortals go on pilgrimages. Monsters can only go to the east to seek enlightenment..."

"Tsk!" He Rui scoffed. "The east is known for justice and sunlight, yet you're sending monsters there to seek enlightenment. That's really strange."

Ling Yao clapped her hands and laughed heartily. "That's exactly what the peanut monster is all about!"

He Rui yawned. "Did the male protagonist agree to accept the task?"

"Yeah! He found the task quite appealing, so he decided not to rush into dying and give it a try first!"

"He must have completed the task in the end, right?"

"I've just started writing, so whether he can complete it depends on the plot... But that's not important. What matters is that he helps many people along the way and becomes a kind of peanut hero."

"Okay, take your time writing. I'm off to do my homework."

Ling Yao grabbed He Rui before he left. "Is my story really that boring?"

"It's not particularly exciting... But if he eventually finds the answer, it might improve."

After He Rui left, Ling Yao rested her chin on her hand, contemplating. She reopened the document and typed a new paragraph:

"He finally completed the task and went to find the peanut monster to fulfill its promise. The peanut monster said, 'The meaning of life... lies in the search. As you search, your whole life passes by.'

He stared in disbelief. 'Seriously! How is this any different from that skit by Ma Sanli? Pay a dollar for a secret remedy for itching, only to find two words written inside: Scratch Scratch!'

The peanut monster replied, 'It's no different, but I don't have a better answer for you. Look, you're not thinking of suicide anymore, right?'

Ling Yao couldn't continue writing, so she chuckled and deleted the newly written paragraph.