Hainan Dao

Book III Chapter 04

Dashu ignored his friend. He kept his eyes on me and smiled. “Good. Good…!” He nodded. “I believe you.”

Xiaoshu touched my sleeve. “But I always knew. Never a doubt in my mind, you know…?”

I shook my head. “What…?”

“Now, now.” Dashu waved his hands in the air. “I am getting tired. All this standing around. Come, let us go over there.” He led us over to a few chairs further down the hall. We sat down.

Dashu didn’t speak right away. He turned his head to gaze out a window nearby. He remained quiet like that for a moment. Xiaoshu was silent too, as he looked downward and studied his shoes. Outside, the sun had not come up beyond the far hills yet, but the sky was already lightened and pink. The clouds from yesterday had all but washed away.

Dashu breathed in. “These are interesting times, indeed. Wouldn’t you agree, Furen?” He turned to face me.

I nodded.

“Your brother Dylan is back on the Island.”

“Dylan?” I sat up in my seat. “How? When?”

“He arrived late last night, while you were busy with all the people in the hospital.”

“But why? What does he want now?” My eyes widened. “Did he do this?” I jumped to my feet. “Is he why Fuhwa is like this?”

“Please, please!” Dashu waved his hands. “Such impetuousness! My Heaven, you are showing your age! Does it not embarrass you?”

“But…!”

“Sh…!” Xiaoshu patted me on the leg. He shook his head at me, and then eased me down into my seat again.

“But…” I looked back and forth from Dashu to Xiaoshu. “…I don’t understand…”

Dashu snorted. “So, what do you think I am trying to do? Confuse you? Ha!” He reached up and straightened his glasses. “Now, if you will please be quiet, and stop your lips from flapping up and down, I will start at the beginning, and then perhaps you will understand.”

“I…” I glanced over at Xiaoshu.

He was shaking his head and once more motioning for me to be quiet. As he turned back to face Dashu himself, he folded his hands together and rested them on top of his knees.

Mumbling something, I followed suit.

Dashu shifted in his seat. He sighed. “First of all, let’s start with something you know already.” He cleared his throat. “Your father had spent a good deal of time and money in Sanjia and the surrounding area over the years. This much you do know, correct?”

I nodded.

“He came back and rebuilt your ancestors’ house, and brought water and electricity to your village. By his own two hands, he made smooth much of the rough, rural life that the people here had been struggling with for many, many years.”

I nodded again.

“I don’t know if you know, but your father’s work did not stop there.”

“No?”

He shook his head. “The high school where we first met? It was your father who had pushed to have that built too.”

My eyes widened.

“That and this hospital as well.”

“This hospital…?”

“Yes, the one that we’re sitting in right now. He helped to make it all happen.”