Wild Creatures

Chapter 116

He has no recollection of these events, no memories to tell him if it happened or not, but his mother thought it was a good idea to remember these moments. Maybe he was too young to remember, and perhaps he had forgotten because of the difficulties he'd suffered through afterwards, things that had happened in the Foster homes he had lived in, and then later, with the Jiangs.

By his mother recording these little bubbles of sweetness, their times together as a family, it filled in the gaps of that mysterious time in his head. For however short a time, Wei Ying had his parents and they loved him very much. There was a value in these preserved memories, and it did not matter one bit if Wei Ying could not recall them.

The hand on his waist tightens, and Wei Ying turns to Lan Zhan, smiling at him.

It's an unspoken question lurking in those golden eyes, shifting particles like quicksand. Lan Zhan doesn't have to say the words; Wei Ying nods his head quietly to say that he is alright.

And he is.

Reading these letters from his mother is an emotional roller coaster for sure, but it's also very much necessary. Wei Ying is content to do it like this, with his family. Otherwise, he might have given in to his curiosity and then had to deal with it by himself. He picks up the next one on the pile and swaps it out for the one in his hand.

For now, he is going to read them, as many as he can cope with, until his mind refuses to accept more. Then he's going to allow himself the time to process each one before reading any more. It sounds like a good plan.

A-Ying, my darling baby boy,

I have seen some things and I know that your life isn't going to be easy. But please, please know that it won't be hard for too long, hopefully.

My mother used to tell me a story when I was little. I remember having trouble falling asleep one night, and I went to her room. She swept me up into her bed and kissed my forehead, and somehow, that made everything a little better. She asked me if there was anything bothering me, and I told her the truth: that day, she had sent me into Yiling for an errand, and on the way back, I saw lots of little children.

They didn't seem to have any parents, or anyone to look after them, and I saw them fighting for a single steamed bun. I had a little money in my pocket and bought them some food, but it wasn't enough. My question to my mother was this: how is it that one child will grow up in a happy family, free from all worldly worries, and another kid would grow up on the streets, lucky to get a bite to eat and survive another day.

My mother thought about this, how unfair life was. How could the Universe still be functioning under such unequal terms? How could it justify this terrible imbalance?

She told me that before we are born, we are asked a question by the Universe. It is not possible that any single person is all good, or all bad. And because all human beings are a mix of these two powerful energies, they have to pay back for the bad stuff, and enjoy good things for the goodness they have shared with the world.

The question that the Universe asks is this: would you like to suffer in the beginning of your life, when you are most likely to forget it, or would you like to suffer at the end, just before you pass and finish that life? Either way, the suffering happens when we are at our most vulnerable, because it is trying to teach us something.

It is easy to forget that suffering is only one side of the coin, and we must not focus on only that part.

There are so many happy things to learn about, too. Many joyous experiences to have in our lives, and I sincerely believe that they far outweigh anything we must endure. If it helps, then remember that everything is transient. Your father and I call it the five minute rule.