Chapter Two

The bed frame, which wasn't very sturdy, would creak and groan with the slightest movement. At night, the students in the tents fell asleep with the worries and fears of the day, occasionally uttering a few words in their sleep, but it was still relatively peaceful.

Qi Xiao couldn't fall asleep. Her bed was next to Zhou Mo's. She lay on her side, propping her head up with her palm, staring intently at Zhou Mo, who had her back to her.

She hadn't said a word since Zhou Mo came back. She could roughly guess what the teacher had said to Zhou Mo. She wanted to say something to comfort Zhou Mo, but her limited life experience left her at a loss for words.

Do you mean it's okay?

Do you want me to be strong?

Does it mean the future will be better?

Just thinking about life without parents is heartbreaking, and now that it's become a reality, how are they supposed to cope with the fact that they are still just children?

Just as Qi Xiao was lost in thought, Zhou Mo made a move.

Zhou Mo tiptoed out wearing her coat when she suddenly heard a noise behind her. Without turning around, she continued walking out when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, and a very soft sound reached her ears.

"Zhou Mo, are you going out?"

Zhou Mo recognized Qi Xiao's voice. She turned around and saw a pair of eyes filled with concern and sadness. She nodded silently.

Qi Xiao still didn't know what to say.

Zhou Mo didn't intend to listen to what she had to say, and brushed Qi Xiao's hand away to walk out.

Qi Xiao didn't make a move this time, but whispered, "If the teacher comes to check, I'll cover for you."

Zhou Mo was taken aback. Her voice, which had been hoarse from not speaking for a long time, stammered as she spoke, "No, no need."

"I..." may not be able to come back.

Qi Xiao seemed oblivious to Zhou Mo's unspoken message and turned back to lie down on the bed.

Zhou Mo pursed her lips, made up her mind, and lifted the tent flap. Just as she was about to walk out, she inexplicably turned around and glanced at Qi Xiao. In the moonlight, she saw that Qi Xiao's body was trembling slightly.

Is she crying?

For her?

Zhou Mo didn't think too much about it. She tiptoed around, knowing this place very well. She knew there was a gap in the wall behind her that she could squeeze through. If that section collapsed, she could probably climb over it directly.

Perhaps fate also felt it was too cruel to her, because the escape was exceptionally smooth.

Stepping out of the shelter, the outside world came into view. Traffic lights from the overpass had fallen to the side of the street, exposed wires dangled haphazardly, and the asphalt surface was cracked with countless fissures. Zhou Mo walked carefully, avoiding those dangers.

She remembered where the funeral home was. Zhou Qinian had taken her there when her grandmother passed away. Fortunately, she was good-natured and had a good sense of direction, so she could remember places she had been to once.

As dawn broke, Zhou Mo finally saw the funeral home's sign. The iron sign had been re-secured, with dense wires wrapped around it, like a restraint device.

There was a security guard at the entrance. As soon as she approached, he saw her and the middle-aged man scolded Zhou Mo, "Kid! I'm talking to you! Come here right now!"

Zhou Mo was a little nervous, but she still forced herself to walk forward. Before she could say anything, the security guard grabbed her and led her inside.

"I……"

"It's so dangerous outside, how dare you wander out alone?! If there's another aftershock, you'll be buried and we won't even know where to dig you out! Stay here and behave yourself!"

Zhou Mo's tears flowed down as if by premonition, one by one like beads from a broken string, but the number of beads was limited, while the sorrow was endless.

When the gatekeeper saw that she was crying, his tone softened. "It's alright. It's still very safe here. Government professionals have come and inspected the area, and there are also professional tents available. Go somewhere to take shelter."

"Uncle, I've come to see..."

"What?"

“My… parents.” Zhou Mo spoke each word with great difficulty, “They died in this earthquake.”

The security guard then realized why the girl had come alone. He released his grip on the back of her collar and pointed in a direction, "A batch was delivered yesterday. Some have their names registered, some haven't. You can go and ask."

"Thank you, Uncle." Zhou Mo wiped away her tears, bowed slightly to the gatekeeper, and then ran in the direction he pointed.

The gatekeeper sighed with disappointment, feeling a slight coolness on his face. He reached out to touch it, but only felt a little water. Looking up, he realized it was snowing.

"It's snowing before winter has even started. Good heavens, this is terrible."

Upon hearing that Zhou Mo had come to claim a family member, the registration staff didn't say much. It seemed that she had witnessed more joys and sorrows during this period than she had in her entire career.

"Zhou Qinian, Hua Rong, are at number three. Follow me."

Zhou Mo stood at the doorway, her feet feeling like they were made of lead, unable to move forward or backward. The matter of life and death was still too far away for a child her age. According to the timeline, she should have been able to face the departure of her beloved only after she had matured and understood the meaning of life and death.

Instead of feeling lost and unable to accept it now.

The woman who led her in didn't rush her, but simply walked over and gently patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Go and see them, your parents are doing well."

Zhou Mo didn't understand the meaning of "it's all right" for a moment. It wasn't until the white cloth was lifted that she understood what it meant. Apart from the half of Hua Rong's body that had been smashed, the rest of her body was fine. Zhou Qinian only had an injury on his head, and his face wasn't even injured. They just lay there quietly, neither speaking nor moving, neither joking nor doting on her.

She wiped her face, which was covered in grime, and forced a smile. "Mom, Dad, I'm alive."

As soon as she finished speaking, she could no longer bear the immense sorrow in her heart. She knelt down on the bed frame and cried loudly, "I... what am I going to do... don't leave me, please..." In the end, Zhou Mo could no longer remember what she said, as if it was all incoherent.

Hua Rong's hand fell limply because of her earlier movement. Zhou Mo's gaze fell on her palm, and she cupped that hand and placed it on her cheek. "Mom, no one will make clothes for me anymore. Please touch me again."

The calluses on her palms rubbed against Zhou Mo's face, and Zhou Mo couldn't help but increase the pressure of the rubbing, as if Hua Rong were applying force, as if her mother were still alive.

The woman registering couldn't bear the sight and silently turned away, pressing her eyes down and letting out a sigh.

Zhou Mo was immersed in grief, but soon realized something was wrong. Her mother's ring was missing. She looked up at her father's side, and his ring was gone too. There was a white mark around the base of their fingers where they used to wear the rings. They almost never took the rings off except to wash their hands or go to sleep.

"Where's the ring?"

Zhou Mo went to the person who registered her, and the person who registered her found her a storage place. There were only two cell phones there, but they were smashed and couldn't be turned on. Zhou Mo carefully put them away and checked them again to make sure there was no ring.

This ring is very important to Hua Rong and Zhou Qinian. More than ten years ago, Hua Rong fell seriously ill. Zhou Qinian took her to see many doctors, but none of them could cure her. Finally, Zhou Qinian heard from somewhere that witch doctors could help, so he immediately set off with Hua Rong.

At that time, Zhou Mo was too young and was placed in her aunt's house by Zhou Qinian. She didn't like her aunt, who always said some unpleasant things and liked to joke with her, saying that after her mother died, her father, that infatuated man, might find a woman who looked like her mother. Anyway, she was still young and couldn't recognize people, so she could just call her "Mom".

She's young, not stupid, so she doesn't like her aunt.

But she was afraid, afraid that her mother would become someone else.

Fortunately, Hua Rong returned, and she returned healthier every day. At first, because of what her aunt said, Zhou Mo had investigated Hua Rong, but after finding out that she was indeed her mother, she was relieved and fell asleep in her arms.

Later, Zhou Mo learned that this treatment also involved a bit of metaphysics.

From then on, Zhou Qinian and Hua Rong wore two rings that they rarely took off.

Dad said, "This is a ring that can lock Mom's soul in place, so that she won't easily lose her soul and leave us. And with this ring, your mother and I can meet again in the next life."

Mom said, "This is all superstition."

Hua Rong said this, but she never took off the ring, because she also hoped to meet her lover again in the next life.

Zhou Mo knew how important the ring was to the two of them, and she was extremely anxious about losing it.

The person is already dead, so are we going to throw away even this last bit of hope her parents had for her?

Zhou Mo: "Could it be lost at home or school?" she murmured to herself. "No, I have to find it. I have to make sure they meet again in their next life."

She had no idea how far-fetched this idea was; Zhou Mo just did it.

She said goodbye to the woman who registered her and the middle-aged doorman, and headed to another destination.

The uncle didn't want her to leave, but Zhou Mo told a lie. She used the name of the man in uniform and her deceptively innocent face to successfully walk out of the funeral home.

She didn't go back to school; instead, she went home.

The sky outside was completely bright. This time, she didn't avoid the cracks in the ground. Those things that she had initially found terrifying and abhorrent were now completely unimportant to her. She had only one purpose.

The ring was found.

Things weren't always lucky. Just as she was getting home, a small aftershock struck again. Zhou Mo immediately found a corner to hide in. The school had organized earthquake drills and distributed earthquake emergency manuals before, and she always took them seriously. This time, they came in handy. But she felt no excitement or pride. The deaths of her parents had left an impenetrable film on her heart, and she was completely indifferent.

Fortunately, the aftershocks weren't too strong. Once it got quiet outside, Zhou Mo continued walking towards home.

"Mom, Dad, wait for me."