17

Becoming a hero is never an easy thing.

In reality, she was just an idle high school graduate, a prospective teacher-training student, and a temporary "caretaker" for Little Seagull.

The most important thing right now is just the weight of the little seagull.

The little seagull had plenty to eat and drink, and its body visibly became much plumper and rounder than when it was first found.

We weighed him on the electronic scale at the convenience store, and sure enough, he had gained quite a bit of weight; he was now considered one of the chubby little seagulls in the family.

Such a weight would obviously be detrimental to flying.

It is urgent to help Xiao Haiyan lose weight.

Zhong Yan found a stick, tied a line to it, and used the method of "playing the fish" to make it less easy for the little seagull to eat the fish in the basin. This was mainly a way to train it to swim.

But the little seagull's beak is much more agile than its body; with a flick of its neck, it catches the small fish.

Zhong Yan had to change her strategy and promptly pulled the small fish out of the basin and lifted it into the air.

Unless Little Swallow immediately evolves her neck into Master Night, she won't be able to easily eat delicious little fish under Zhong Yan's hands.

In their haste to "hunt," the little petrel has to use its practically useless wings to briefly leap out of the water and make up for its short neck.

During the struggle, the little petrel flapped its wings no less than a hundred times, splashing water everywhere, and half a basin of water overflowed onto the ground.

Seeing that fishing for birds was effective, Zhong Yan shortened the rope, forcing the little seagull to jump even higher.

The little petrel flapped its wings vigorously and hopped, which could almost be considered as flying.

Zhong Yan couldn't wait to tell Ji Feng the good news.

Jifeng suggested that she hang the fish on the ceiling so that the little seagulls could fly up and eat them.

So Zhong Yan made further improvements.

Some fish were hung on the chandelier, at varying heights, like fish-shaped fruits growing on a tree.

For ten minutes, the little seagull spun around in circles on the ground.

Thirty minutes later, the little seagull tried to jump onto the coffee table next to it, but failed.

An hour later, the little petrel angrily flapped its wings and then tumbled head over heels.

Monsoon, who came to admire the results of Little Petrel's training, laughed out loud without any restraint.

Zhong Yan quickly picked up the little seagull and checked if its head was injured.

“At least it’s started trying.” Zhong Yan stopped Ji Feng’s mockery with a look.

Ji Feng obediently stopped smiling, nodded, and affirmed her statement.

"The courage to try deserves to be rewarded."

Zhong Yan encouraged the little seagull, "Go, little seagull, you will definitely be able to fly."

The little petrel buried its head in its wings.

It was frustrated because it couldn't eat the small fish.

Zhong Yan coaxed it gently, "Little seagull, you can do it!"

She glanced at Ji Feng, signaling him not to just sit there.

Forced to keep quiet, Jifeng said in a strained voice, "Go, Little Swallow! You can do it! You can fly!"

Little Swallow?

Zhong Yan had never heard Ji Feng use such a cloying way of addressing her. She turned her head and saw Ji Feng looking at her innocently.

She had no idea when Ji Feng had started watching her.

Was it while she was speaking, after she was speaking, or at the same time she turned her head?

Suddenly, Ji Feng changed the subject, "Did you know that petrels can't fly on flat ground without wind?"

Zhong Yan blinked in confusion.

“There are only two ways for the little petrel to take off.” Monsoon held up two fingers: “One is to stand on high ground and use the terrain to gain gravitational acceleration. The other is to use strong winds to lift it off the ground.”

Simply put, you either need to be on a high vantage point or the wind needs to be strong enough.

There isn't much information online about rescuing petrels, so Zhong Yan has been referring to other information about rescuing small birds.

Provide it with a warm nest, clean water, and plenty of food.

After listening to Ji Feng's words, Zhong Yan placed the little seagull on the wardrobe. The wardrobe was a meter away from the chandelier, enough for the little seagull to swoop and fly.

However, the little seagull showed fear at this height.

It paced back and forth, showing signs of restlessness.

Zhong Yan dug out an old fan, plugged it in, turned it to the highest setting, and blew it towards the little seagull.

"You won't get hurt, I'll catch you." Zhong Yan opened her arms to the little seagull.

"Come."

Under her comforting and coaxing.

Little Seagull finally looked at Zhong Yan again.

It now has height, strong winds, and people ready to catch it.

It was inspired and had the courage to try.

Finally, it spread its wings, swooped down, and like an out-of-control bomb, smashed into Zhong Yan's face.

Is it to protect the little seagull, or to protect one's own face?

In the face of crisis, Zhong Yan lost her judgment.

"bump--"

She was pulled aside, and the little petrel fell into the monsoon's palm.

The little petrel cried out in distress.

Zhong Yan, disregarding her own dizziness, quickly apologized to it.

It's like coaxing your precious little one.

Ji Feng had never seen this side of Zhong Yan before, and said, "You're really good at coaxing children?"

Zhong Yan shook her head. "I have a younger sister."

She paused for a moment, then said, "That's how her father coaxed her."

Ji Feng didn't need to ask any more questions to understand that her family relationships were complicated.

"Would your father comfort you like that?"

Zhong Yan blinked, the rapidly spreading fog obscuring Ji Feng's face.

"Yes, he will."

Ji Feng said, "My dad never comforted me; he only hit me with a stick."

Before Zhong Yan could even hold back her tears, she looked at Ji Feng in disbelief and asked, "Why?"

"Maybe it's because he thinks I'm naughty?"

Zhong Yan still didn't believe it.

Jifeng sat on the blanket and placed the little petrel on the ground.

“My dad has always believed that a child will become filial through strict discipline. He and my mom discussed how one of us would play the good cop and the other the bad cop, but he got so into it that sometimes he forgot he was my dad.”

"Then why did he hit you?" Zhong Yan sat down on the blanket as well. "Wasn't he satisfied with you enough? You... are already very outstanding."

Through Lin Yuhang, Zhong Yan gained a better understanding of monsoons.

He not only excels in his studies, but also has a wide range of interests, and is proficient in skiing, diving, and rock climbing.

Human energy is limited.

When she grows to the same age, Zhong Yan will not be able to achieve what he has. She may be a little slow-witted, and all her energy can only be put into doing one thing.

“The definition of excellence may be different for everyone,” Ji Feng said. “My dad owns a company, and he always wanted to find a loyal servant for his eldest son. We had a big argument when we were choosing our majors.”

"But you still studied the major you wanted to study, so you won the argument."

“Yes, I won, and I also won a beating.” Ji Feng tilted his head to look at her. “You can’t believe that when I was eighteen, my dad beat me with a stick. He beat me so hard that my head was buzzing, like there were a hundred baby birds inside me crying for food.”

Zhong Yan couldn't help but look at his head, which was always covered by his hat. Could it be that he had a scar?

Ji Feng got back to the point, "Sometimes parents' arrangements are right, and sometimes they are wrong."

"Some people rebel against their parents' arrangements and end up with a miserable life, while others persist in their ideals and are reborn."

Ji Feng's words made Zhong Yan think for a moment. She said, "If every choice only has a certain probability of leading to a good outcome, then how should we choose? Isn't this just like..."

"bet?"

"It really is a gamble," said Jifeng.

There's a saying that life is a gamble, and whether you like it or not, you have to sit at the table.

Zhong Yan said, "...Mom's considerations may be correct."

A road with few bumps and few difficulties.

A simpler road, one that's easier to see at a glance.

If she had listened to her mother, she might have been able to finish university peacefully, graduate smoothly, work step by step, eventually get married through matchmaking, have children, and live a peaceful life.

Just thinking about it made Zhong Yan slowly lose her expression. She lowered her eyelashes and was very puzzled.

Why does she feel uneasy and sad when she should be living a peaceful life?

"Without external support, it is indeed very difficult to create a new world on your own."

The monsoon lifted the little petrel and said to its tiny head, "But if you want to fly, I will help you."

The word "but" startled Zhong Yan.

Because the monsoon seemed to be speaking to the little petrel, or perhaps to her.

In terms of reading comprehension in Chinese, "but" indicates a shift in the previous sentence, and in that previous sentence, Ji Feng was replying to her.

This veiled message left Zhong Yan at a loss.

The little seagull had never been hungry for so long; it paced back and forth, calling out anxiously.

Neither Zhong Yan nor Ji Feng showed any mercy.

If we want it to fly again, we have to push it.

The little petrel was screeching on the wardrobe. The fish on the chandelier was the only food it could see. Seeing that the two humans refused to help, it decided to try spreading its wings again.

This time it took flight, though only for a very short time. Zhong Yan and Ji Feng successfully caught it as it fell, preventing it from getting hurt.

The little petrel had more courage to try. It took a few steps, paced back and forth, found a good spot, swooped down, flapped its wings, circled the chandelier twice, stretched out its beak to catch one of the fish, flew back to land on the wardrobe, and then tilted its head back to swallow the fish.

Zhong Yan and Ji Feng were also surprised by its sudden success and looked at each other.

Zhong Yan stood up and clapped her hands excitedly, "It can fly!"

Monsoon corrected her: "Yes, it has remembered how to fly again."

/

Lin Yuhang is always active in the afternoon. He says he wants to enjoy a leisurely vacation like the monsoon during his rare summer break.

Zhong Yan secretly glanced at Ji Feng.

It seems he didn't tell Lin Yuhang that he was secretly working on his coursework.

They arranged to have afternoon tea at the Jasmine Milk Tea Shop.

In just a few days, the situation at Jasmine Milk Tea Shop changed dramatically. Now, there are so many customers that COCO often has to be asked to help out.

After some investigation, COCO discovered the reason for the shop's sudden popularity.

It turns out that a student accidentally posted a message on social media from a shop, and the strangers comforted her with their comments, which made her feel warm and resonated with many people.

And so, the cork wall of the Jasmine Milk Tea Shop became a new must-visit spot on Muddy Island.

Although there are many bad people who spread malice, there are also many good people who are willing to share warmth.

Birds of a feather flock together, and as a result, more and more tourists are coming to participate in activities that spread warmth.

Milk tea shops used to make money from customers of pottery studios, but now the tables have turned. Pottery studios are now displaying mood-themed fridge magnets or pendants at their entrances, filled with phrases about positive living and optimistic enjoyment, and their business is doing very well.

Although Lin Yuhang is a boy, he also loves lively atmospheres and is enthusiastically choosing mood stickers, wanting to leave his "footprints" in the store.

The monsoon pushes it away.

Lin Yuhang insisted on stuffing it into his hand.

"Don't you always say that we should leave a mark on life? Why don't you write down your troubles, and let me or Sister Xiaoyan comfort you?"

"Boring," Ji Feng scoffed at him.

Lin Yuhang made a face at Zhong Yan, meaning "He's faking it."

Zhong Yan was afraid that Lin Yuhang would drag her into secretly talking bad about Ji Feng again, so she quickly leaned back.

Several high school graduates were sitting behind me, and I could hear two of them comforting another student who had failed the exam.

“Retaking the exam is a good thing. My score was awkward; I slipped to the twenties and ended up studying a major I didn’t really want to attend.”

"That's right, your grades were already good. It was just one setback. You retook the exam for a year, and you still dominated! Getting high scores was a piece of cake!"

The one who was comforted finally smiled, "I might not have done as well as I did this time."

"You definitely won't, just relax and retake the exam! We'll hear good news from you next year!"

"Why don't you think about what major you want to study now? I'll write it down and wish you the best of luck!"

"Let me think... When I was little, I really wanted to be a lawyer, and when I got older, I wanted to be a wedding planner..."

Zhong Yan listened silently to the conversation behind her. Water kept dripping from the condensed glass, quickly wetting the blank notepad.

"Little Swallow, haven't you written it yet?"

Lin Yuhang had already filled up his own post. He picked up Zhong Yan's post with two fingers, shook off the water, and said enthusiastically, "This one is ruined. Let me go and get you a new one."

Before Zhong Yan could refuse, Lin Yuhang ran away in a flash.

She could only put down her cup, wipe the table clean with a tissue, and see that Ji Feng's notepad across from her already had words written on it.

She wanted to see it, but was too embarrassed to, so Ji Feng boldly pushed it in front of her.

Zhong Yan looked down and saw that there was only one sentence in English on the heart-shaped sticky note.

“GONE WITH THE WIND”

The WeChat ID for the monsoon is WIND.

But what does "GONE WITH THE WIND" mean? Is it the original title of the classic novel "Gone with the Wind"? Or does it mean that the original meaning of the English text has been lost to the wind?

It uses the past tense GONE instead of the present tense GOING or the simple present tense GO.

The past tense always evokes sadness and sorrow because everything is irreversible and cannot be changed.

"What are you planning to write?" Ji Feng's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Zhong Yan shook her head.

"I don't know what my wish is..."

Lin Yuhang returned with the paper and overheard the last sentence, so he said, "Write down whatever comes to mind, it's just a good wish! When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

“This is an island,” Ji Feng nitpicked.

Lin Yuhang scolded him: "Fine, fine, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. You're such a troublemaker!"

Amidst their bickering, Zhong Yan picked up a pen and slowly wrote the word "FLY" on a pink piece of paper.

In response, she explained that she wrote about how the little petrel was able to successfully fly back to nature.

The monsoon carried their wishes together and posted them high up.

Sister Yang said she would definitely keep it safe for them and wouldn't clean it up.

Years later, Zhong Yan returned to this place.

Among the layers of sticky notes, the top two have faded from their original color. Perhaps they fell off and were pinned back on, causing the paper to change position and the overlapping paper to form a new sentence.

Fly with the Wind

/

Thursday, August 14, 2025

The little petrel took flight today, bringing it one step closer to freedom.