Golden years - Part 1

"Car accident?" Hai Baihe repeated, "Did we get into a car accident?"

Zhang Qihang looked at her sympathetically. Hai Baihe's injuries were not severe, but her continuous coma made it difficult for the doctors to conclude if there was any brain damage. They were discussing whether or not to transfer her to another hospital when she woke up.

"Yes," he replied.

"What about Muge?" she asked.

"Her leg is injured. She's lying in the next ward," Zhang Qihang sighed. "I've already informed the school authorities, and our internship has been canceled. We'll have to go back in a couple of days."

Hai Baihe blinked. "What about the others?"

"Li Wenheng and Nie Handong underwent surgery. Ni Xuanxuan and Muge only suffered minor injuries. You hit your head."

Good, the people who were supposed to be dead weren't actually dead. Is this a dream? Or just a hallucination before dying?

"What about the man sitting next to me?" she asked.

Zhang Qihang thought for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know. When I woke up, it was just the two of us. The police said that unfortunate driver didn't survive."

Hai Baihe bit her finger. "I'm feeling a bit tired."

Zhang Qihang was caring. "Then rest. I'll inform Muge that you've woken up. She's been worried sick. If it weren't for her leg injury, she would have come to see you already."

Hai Baihe smiled perfunctorily and fell into contemplation.

Is this a hallucination before death? Or is everything in Huyang Village just a dream, and none of those bizarre things really happened? No zombies, no abandoned town, just a nightmare.

But... how coincidental that Muge injured her leg too?

Dreams can only show what is known, not unknown. She thought for a moment, removed the needle from her arm, and walked out.

At the end of the corridor, two people were talking. One of them was Liang Xiao. He seemed to be whispering something to the other person. As soon as he saw Hai Baihe, the conversation stopped. He made a gesture, and the other person turned and left.

"You're awake?" he approached Hai Baihe.

"Yes," she said, "It seems like a lot has happened?"

Liang Xiao observed the surroundings with subtle movements and then opened the ward for her. "Come in, let's talk."

The ward looked modest but might be one of the best in the hospital. It was a private room.

Liang Xiao stood farthest from the window and lowered his voice. "You must have guessed my identity by now. Thank you for helping us this time. However, this matter is not something a student should know. The best approach is to pretend you don't know anything. It's for your own safety."

Hai Baihe took a while to understand what he was saying. Not zombies, not Huyang Village, but a police chase of drug traffickers.

She remained silent for a moment and then nodded quickly. "Okay."

"Good girl," Liang Xiao praised her with a smile. "Are you feeling better?"

Hai Baihe also smiled. "Thanks for your concern. It seems like I just slept for a long time." She casually asked, "I have a question for Mr. Liang. I wonder if you can answer it."

"What question?"

"Do you know you look a lot like someone?" she said with a mischievous smile, "An American model, Andre Thompson."

Liang Xiao's expression changed imperceptibly. If Hai Bai

he wasn't staring at him, she might have missed it.

"Sorry, I've never heard of that person. Is he a famous model?" Liang Xiao smiled casually. "Anyway, thank you for the compliment."

Hai Baihe confirmed it now. Huyang Village was not a dream. Otherwise, how could she know who Liang Xiao's father was? But if it wasn't a dream, then what was going on?

Three days had passed since Hai Baihe woke up in the run-down hospital in Huyang Village. She confirmed a few things.

First, although the hospital had been renovated, its basic layout was the same as she remembered, with two opposing wings.

Second, there used to be a Huyang Mine here, but its resources were limited and had been depleted long ago. It was now abandoned.

Third, this Huyang Village was the same one Zhang Qihang was familiar with, a normal Huyang Village that hadn't been stuck in 1997.

Hai Baihe couldn't explain what she had experienced. If it was a dream, then the speculated Huyang Village enclosed by barriers would be a dream, but dreams cannot know unknown information.

But if this was a dream... it was even more nonsensical. How could this be the real world?

In search of answers, she went to the mine. According to the locals, the minerals had been completely extracted by 1999, and the mine had been abandoned.

So, there was a slight overlap between here and her impression of Huyang Village.

But it was just a slight overlap.

The mine entrance was sealed shut, and she couldn't go inside to find out if there was an underground river flowing beneath.

She couldn't find the answers.

Three days later, she flew back to Haicheng with Muge, who had a limp, and Nixuanxuan, with bandages on her face and arms. Zhang Qihang stayed there temporarily, waiting for Nie Handong and Li Wenheng's families to take over.

The car accident would undoubtedly have significant consequences, such as negotiations with the school for compensation, but that didn't concern Hai Baihe.

At home, she received meticulous care from Hai Youyu.

Every day, there were either fish soup or chicken soup, alternating with nourishing soups. Grilled fish, pan-fried fish, fried fish were served as snacks constantly.

It was not sunlight that woke her up in the morning but the aroma of food.

"Ah, Dad, I'm going to get fat!!!!" Hai Baihe had intense internal struggles on the bed but eventually rushed downstairs to take her portion of yellow croaker.

Hai Youyu glanced at her petite figure. "You? As skinny as a stick. Getting fat? Since you were young, you've never been able to gain weight."

Hai Baihe just said it out of habit because she had not only finished the pancakes and soy milk brought by Hai Youyu but also opened a packet of potato chips. "I'm going back to sleep after this."

"Go ahead." Hai Youyu had not set up his stall these past few days. It was obvious—when his daughter got into an accident, he couldn't possibly go to work. He had to stay home and cook delicious food for his daughter. "I'll wake you up when it's time to eat."

Hai Baihe finished breakfast, brushed her teeth, and went back to bed for a nap. When she woke up, she found drool on her tail.

She wiped her tail and kissed it a few times before tucking it under the pillow.

Cough, after returning home, sleeping together with her tail every night made her care less about everything that happened in

Huyang Village.

Oh well, in life, you would always encounter some inexplicable things, like love. Just don't bother thinking about why it happens (...). Anyway, life must go on.

During lunchtime, Hai Youyu glanced at her several times. "Heartbroken? Young people like you shouldn't be so down. Go out and have fun. I can book a ten-day trip to Europe for you. There's a post on Uncle Zhao's Moments downstairs. Looks interesting. You can sign up for it."

"I don't feel like going far these days." Hai Baihe rubbed her face and tried to focus. "Then I'll go shopping in the afternoon."

"That's better." Hai Youyu felt relieved. His daughter was the kind who enjoyed going out. It was strange to see her staying at home. It was a bit hard for him to handle. "But, is your headache gone? Otherwise, let's go see a doctor first."

One of the main reasons he hadn't set up his stall for the past half month was because he saw his daughter holding her head and complaining of a headache. Hai Baihe had always been tough and resilient since she was young. It surprised him to see her fall ill.

"It doesn't hurt. Don't you know my body?" Hai Baihe lazily replied, "I just had a headache because I couldn't figure something out."

"Oh, now you don't care about it anymore?" A father knows his daughter best. Hai Youyu understood her stubborn temperament. She enjoyed indulging in life, but when it came to delving into problems... it was better to forget about it.

Hai Baihe propped her cheek and smiled mischievously. "I'll go shopping later and then head back to the apartment. I probably won't come back tonight."

"Going out to fool around again!" Hai Youyu scolded, "If only you could give me a grandchild. I promise I won't interfere with your affairs!"

Like all parents, Hai Youyu was still concerned about his daughter's lifelong matters. But considering her speed in changing boyfriends, he decided to skip that step and jump straight to having a grandchild. It would be a one-step process!

He was truly an enlightened and wise father!

Hai Baihe stuck out her tongue. "Then I'll definitely find someone with good genes. I'm obsessed with appearances. If I give birth to an ugly child, you might as well kill me."

"Appearance doesn't matter for a man. The key is reliability." Hai Youyu earnestly advised, "Just like me."

"Yeah yeah, then explain to me where my real mom is?" Hai Baihe smiled sarcastically, "Did she leave you for another man?"

"Get lost, you little brat! Stop teasing me with this." Hai Youyu grumbled, "Be careful, I might find a stepmother for you."

"You can go ahead and find one, I won't stop you." Hai Baihe rolled her eyes, "Put all your assets under my name, and let's see how many true loves will marry you. Haha."

Hai Youyu had once encountered romantic encounters. There was a young girl in her twenties who tried to marry him—after he received the compensation for the demolition, Hai Youyu wasn't foolish. He honestly told her, "I've given all the money to my daughter. I only have one daughter. If you don't mind that I'm poor..."

Before he finished speaking, the girl grabbed her bag and left.

"To be honest, if you want to find someone to spend your life with, I really don't object," Hai Baihe said, "Or, find a lover. Just don't hire prostitutes. If

you get caught, it'll be difficult for me to bail you out, and it's also prone to diseases."

Hai Youyu wanted to give her more scoldings but used a hashtag instead. "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

"Wait!" Hai Baihe suddenly trembled, "You're quite good with internet language. Could it be that you're having an online romance... You're so up-to-date."

Hai Youyu pulled out his ultimate weapon. "If you keep talking nonsense, do you believe that I'll cook your tail in soup and eat it?"

Hai Baihe jumped as if she had been stepped on her tail. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm really sorry. Sob, please forgive me for my audacity. I was only concerned about you."

"Hmph." Hai Youyu frowned, "Finish eating and then get lost."

Hai Baihe obediently picked up her small bag. "I'm done eating. I'll leave now."

"Come back."

Hai Baihe obediently came back. "What are your orders, Father?"

"Do you have enough money?" Hai Youyu grumbled while searching his wallet. "Aunt Wang, your neighbor, said there's a good beauty salon. I took their business card for you. Go get a haircut and buy some nice clothes."

"Alright." Hai Baihe replied quietly. Everything was for her tail, for the sake of her tail.

With the business card and a stack of cash, Hai Baihe prepared to leave. Before she left, she said, "My tail..."

"I know, I'll put it in the fridge for you!" Hai Youyu cleaned the dishes and said without looking up, "If you don't come back tonight, send me a WeChat message."

"I'll tell you now. I definitely won't come back!" She slammed the door shut.

Behind the door, Hai Youyu rubbed his chin. "Always going out for the night but not getting pregnant. Could it be some kind of isolation?" He thought about it while pulling out his phone and searching, "Can different species reproduce?"