A Son’s Regret and a Family’s Reunion

Unlike in movies where the police always arrive late, in reality, the officers responded swiftly after receiving the report. After asking me a few questions, they quickly located the elderly woman’s home. With the building management’s assistance, they opened the door and discovered her remains. As for the scene itself, I won’t describe it; I couldn’t even bear to look.

Following their investigation and evidence collection, the officers understood that I had merely been passing by, intending to explore the mysterious complex. It was only after catching a scent a hundred times fouler than rotten eggs that I sensed something was amiss and called the police.

With residents gradually moving out of the complex, the elderly woman’s neighbors were no longer around. Consequently, no one discovered her passing. Passersby had simply dismissed the odor as that of a dead mouse, paying it no further mind.

The arriving officers seemed unsurprised by the situation, and they kindly offered me words of comfort. They likely assumed I was just a curious high school student, thoroughly shaken by the experience.

Listening to their comfort, I muttered to myself: If these officers knew I had just chatted with the elderly woman’s ghost and helped her find peace, they would be the ones truly terrified.

As I conversed with the officers, I gradually learned more about the elderly woman’s situation. She and her husband had lived there together, but after his passing, she refused to go to a nursing home. The community had no choice but to arrange for volunteers to look after her.

Recently, however, the volunteers were short-staffed and inadvertently neglected the elderly woman. No one had anticipated such a tragedy.

Her death was natural, a peaceful end to a long life, yet she had no family. Her funeral arrangements would be handled simply by the government, making her final years, in a sense, rather desolate.

Recalling the elderly woman’s last wish, I turned to the middle-aged officer, who introduced himself as Officer Yu.

“Excuse me, Officer, did the elderly woman have a son?”

Officer Yu asked, a hint of puzzlement in his voice, “How do you know she had a son?”

I couldn’t very well tell him the elderly woman herself had informed me.

I blinked, then said mysteriously, “Just a guess.”

Officer Yu nodded. “The old woman did indeed have a son.”

“Then why didn’t her son come back to take care of her?”

Officer Yu fell silent, seemingly craving a cigarette as he instinctively pulled out a pack. However, after glancing at me, he awkwardly hid them away, cleared his throat, and began to explain.

“It’s a very complicated situation,” he said. “Her son went to the coast to do business years ago, but his partners cheated him, and he went bankrupt. Later, he turned to gambling, hoping to win back his money, but he only lost more and accumulated crippling debt from loan sharks. He couldn’t pay it back at all. Desperate, he eventually got involved in drug trafficking, becoming a criminal.”

“But his humanity hadn’t been completely extinguished. After witnessing a drug-addicted family fall apart, he had a change of heart. He surrendered himself to the local police station and actively became an informant, helping the public security organs dismantle the drug trafficking ring. At the time, he hoped for leniency. He said he deeply regretted leaving his parents to struggle in another city. Once he earned a reduced sentence and was released from prison, he planned to find legitimate ways to repay his debts, open a fried dough stick shop in his own community, and spend his days caring for his parents. What a pity…”

Officer Yu sighed heavily, instinctively making a motion to smoke. Yet, under my innocent gaze, he managed to resist, straightening his back before me to embody the dignified and eloquent image of a People’s Police officer.

“The case was progressing smoothly, but during the final raid, his identity was exposed by the drug traffickers. They stabbed him multiple times in a desperate attempt to lash out. Although we did our best to save him, he ultimately didn’t make it. On the way to the hospital, he was delirious, continuously muttering, ‘Go home, go home.'”

“He was the elderly woman’s only son. After learning of his fate, we instructed the community comrades not to tell them the truth. The two elderly people were too old; they couldn’t handle such a shock. In the end, they only knew their son was working out of town to repay debts and would return once the money was settled. They continued to believe our lie, waiting for over a decade. Every year, the two elders would prepare a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner, waiting for their son to come home for the holidays.”

“But now, their family should finally be reunited in heaven.”

Officer Yu gazed up at the moon. In the glow of that full moon, I seemed to see the shadow of a family happily reunited.

It appeared I couldn’t fulfill the elderly woman’s lingering wish. Whatever she wanted to say, she could now take her time and tell her son when they met.

This time, her son surely wouldn’t leave again.

I used to disbelieve in reincarnation, the underworld, or heaven, but after discovering the existence of the Inner World, my perspective shifted. Perhaps a world after death truly exists, and her family would certainly be able to mend their regrets and reunite there.

Finally, Officer Yu specifically cautioned me, “Oh, and little sister, you must never get involved with gambling or drugs.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Officer. I know the dangers of those things and will absolutely steer clear of them.”

I am quite self-aware. Knowing my self-control is rather poor, I never entertain the thought of, *’I’ll just try it; I won’t get addicted’* when it comes to addictive substances. I wouldn’t even touch them.

I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and I don’t use certain apps that are easy to get lost in. My addiction to gaming is already a misstep; if I got addicted to anything else, how would I even live my life?!

Officer Yu smiled at me, highly satisfied. “Such a kind and lovely girl like you, I believe you would never do anything illegal.”

It was the first time a stranger had called me cute, and I couldn’t help but blush with shyness.

Having already interacted with the officers once, I behaved quite naturally in their presence. These friendly officers made me feel at ease, without the tension and fear I usually felt around strangers. After all, police and citizens are one family.

I politely declined Officer Yu’s offer to drive me home. As I walked out of the complex, I saw Ling Chen, who had been waiting for a long time.

He was leaning against the wall, dozing. Seemingly sensing my approach, he opened his drowsy eyes, yawned, and then flashed a warm smile at me.

“Sister, let’s go home together.”

Although I had been quite critical of Ling Chen earlier, seeing his smile made me forgive him instantly. At that moment, I suddenly realized how wonderful it was to have someone waiting for you.

His smile seemed to fill the void within my heart, and the rising warmth instantly dispelled my inner gloom, pulling me out of my despondent mood.

The night wind blew, scattering the mist. I looked up, across the river, at the city’s brilliant nightscape, ablaze with lights.

Amidst the myriad lights of countless homes, untold joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, pieced together the lives of ordinary people. The lives of others seemed distant, yet subtly, they felt connected to my own.

This city, sprawling across the land like a spiderweb, connected everyone with invisible threads. All the greed, emotions, and products of sweat within this city subtly pulled each person towards their destined place.

It was like a drama that never ended.

Suddenly, I wanted to go home.

But before that, I needed to solve a small problem.

“Ling Chen, where’s a public restroom?”

“Sister, weren’t you a ‘libertarian’ before?”

“Shut up! I’m a girl now! Hurry up and tell me, I can’t hold it anymore!”

“I knew this would happen. Turn right 50 meters ahead, Sister, don’t go into the wrong one!”

“Thanks!”

Indeed, being a girl comes with various inconveniences! Like holding one’s bladder, it’s clearly not as easy as for boys.

Finally, as I emerged from the restroom, I ran straight into Officer Yu entering the area. Faced with a bewildered Officer Yu, who kept checking the gender sign on the door, I was so mortified I wanted to die.

Although I knew it wasn’t Ling Chen’s fault, it was somehow all his fault!

Wuwuwu, I still can’t accept this, the fact that I’ve become a girl!