5

The Ji family of three lives on the island. When relatives and friends hear the news, they come to visit, and the courtyard occasionally becomes lively.

But none of this will affect the monsoon.

Ji's mother wouldn't let anyone or anything bother him, except for Zhong Yan, whom she warmly welcomed. She even liked the little seagull that Zhong Yan brought with her.

The little petrel is wary of strangers and is always ready to pounce and peck at people. Although this is not friendly to the father and mother of the family, it is good for the little petrel to maintain its wild nature, so no one has tried to change this trait.

They didn't want to raise the little pet bird as a pet, but rather hoped it could bravely and freely fight against the wind and waves.

Over the course of more than twenty days, the little petrel gradually recovered, becoming strong and healthy. Its wings also became strong and powerful due to regular exercise, enabling it to hover in the sky with the aircraft for a long time.

Often, before the baby petrels are even tired, the mother petrel's battery runs out, forcing her to land.

As the end of August approaches, more and more migratory birds fly overhead, heading to the Southern Hemisphere to embark on their long migration journey.

The plan to release the little seagulls into the sky also had to be put on the agenda.

Zhong Yan began to gradually reduce her contact with the little seagull. Ji's father set up a safe and spacious area in the front yard, which also had a small pond where the little seagull could swim.

Zhong Yan helped Ji Feng with some simple tasks in his workshop. Several instruments were printing and engraving at the same time, and some small parts also needed to be assembled or welded.

Zhong Yan has steady hands, which makes her very suitable for these precision tasks, and she has been a great help to Ji Feng.

During the conversation, Ji Feng would also briefly introduce the content of his research and the difficulties he encountered. Although Zhong Yan didn't quite understand, she could sense that his thinking was beyond his peers, as if he had reached another dimension.

He used to say that what he lacked was time.

It was only then that Zhong Yan realized that this time was not the present moment, but the next ten or twenty years.

“Prototypes that have not undergone actual installation and testing are just conceptual solutions; they may work, or they may just be a pile of junk.”

Calling it scrap is a bit of an exaggeration, because even though it's just a model, it's exquisite and beautiful enough to be considered a work of art.

When she didn't need help, Zhong Yan would research tutoring institutions online.

As Ji Feng said, institutions are more willing to accept high-scoring repeat students.

She has communicated with teachers from several institutions and received positive feedback. Next, she can consider the teachers and environment of each institution.

The monsoon also helped to provide a lot of information.

At the dinner table, when Zhong Yan wanted to repeat a year of high school, Ji's mother did not look at her differently. She even encouraged her, saying, "You are very brave, Xiao Yan. Most people who have survived the senior year of high school do not dare to turn back."

The college entrance examination is like crossing a single-plank bridge, and performance in the exam room is also random, so the pressure of repeating a year is beyond imagination.

Sometimes the unknown inspires courage to forge ahead, while the known makes people retreat in the face of difficulty.

Father Ji was a man of few words, but at this moment he only said one sentence: "The mountain is as high as ten thousand blades, but you can only climb one step."

Zhong Yan was always uneasy about repeating a year of high school. She was worried not only about her mother and relatives, but also about her teachers at school and even classmates she didn't know very well. She didn't know if her choice was right or if it was worth taking such a risk.

With encouragement from her two elders, her resolve became much stronger.

Ji's mother always said that Ji Feng was precocious and independent, and that his current achievements were all due to his own efforts. But in fact, his family also played an invisible role in his life. It was because of his parents' support that he was able to fly more freely and boldly.

In the afternoon, Lily came to deliver milk tea on her bicycle.

The Jasmine Milk Tea Shop is always grateful for the help from Jifeng and Zhong Yan, and they always invite them to taste each new product they develop.

In addition, Zhong Yan also received good news from COCO.

She and the kittens she rescued during the monsoon and typhoon season found adopters, and since then, the kittens have lived happy lives with a promising future.

As for the little yellow dog, Chen Baoran adopted it at the pottery studio.

It is said to be a meddlesome little dog that is very good at catching mice.

The typhoon left behind a mess.

But all things continue to grow tenaciously and wildly; new green shoots emerge from broken branches, and newly molted birds linger on the branches, eagerly flapping their wings.

When the sunlight shines, even the ruins become bright.

Before dinner, Ji Feng and Zhong Yan rested in the yard while Ji's mother washed a lot of fruit.

There were longan, peaches, apricots, grapes, and a large watermelon.

Today, when Mr. Ji was cooking, he noticed a large watermelon was missing from the refrigerator and knew something was wrong. He rushed out and said, "It's almost time to eat! How can you let the children eat so much fruit?"

“My son likes to eat watermelon, so what’s wrong with me letting him eat more? In the future…” Mrs. Ji’s expression changed slightly, and she swallowed her words back.

Ji Feng finished a whole slice of watermelon in a few bites, then noticed Zhong Yan's gaze out of the corner of his eye. "What's wrong?"

Zhong Yan shook her head, and seeing that Ji Feng was about to get the second piece, she stopped him, saying, "It's time to eat soon."

Ji Feng picked up the watermelon and walked up to Ji's father.

"Since it's already cut up, Dad, you should eat some too."

"Hey." Father Ji couldn't bear to refuse his son's kind offer, so he took the watermelon and ate it in a few bites.

Ji's mother couldn't help but say, "You two, father and son, eat melons in the same way, like oxen chewing on peonies, you don't even know to eat slowly."

Ji's father said, "Otherwise, will you be like a chick pecking at rice? You'll be hot by the time you finish eating the melon."

Although the two bantered for a while, they couldn't help but laugh when they looked at each other.

Smiles are contagious, and Zhong Yan couldn't help but smile along with them, while Ji Feng's eyes also crinkled.

Ji's mother followed Ji's father into the house to help in the kitchen.

Zhong Yan and Ji Feng were still resting in the pavilion. The typhoon a few days ago brought a period of wind and rain that cooled the temperature, but as the typhoon moved away, the high temperature returned. The house was like a steamer if the air conditioner was not turned on. Only the wind from the sea near dusk could slightly dissipate the heat accumulated throughout the day.

"I'm a little reluctant to part with Little Seagull," Zhong Yan said.

Although at first it seemed like a hot potato that was hard to get rid of, a real nuisance.

But every day, the little petrel is the only thing she sees when she opens and closes her eyes. She feeds it and changes its water. The little petrel trusts her and sticks to her like a little shadow.

She cleaned the house, and the little petrel would waddle after her heels. She took a bath in the bathroom, and the little petrel would peck at the glass door outside. After it could fly, it would fly down from its nest on the wardrobe in the middle of the night and perch on her head.

Looking back now, they were all sweet troubles.

However, she was about to be separated from Xiao Haiyan.

She will return to the city to repeat her studies, and the little petrel will follow its genetic instincts and spend the winter in the Southern Hemisphere. There, it might be able to rejoin its flock. Next year, it will fly over their heads again.

But by then, they will no longer know each other.

"All good things must come to an end," said Ji Feng.

As Zhong Yan watched the sunset fade away, there was one question she never asked.

Does that include... you and me?

/

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

If parting is inevitable, why did we meet in the first place?

If this is what hardship is, I want to experience it a thousand times over.

As long as I can meet you again and again.