Chapter 3

The sun rose as it always did, indifferent to the shifting tides of the world outside. Yet, a sunrise never failed to bring a sense of hope.

Reflecting on her current situation, Lin Yilan could identify one piece of bad news and one good. The bad news was that the tragedies befalling her family—including her uncle, her second aunt, and her third aunt—were all directly or indirectly tied to the family of her second sister and fourth brother’s biological father. The good news was that from the very moment she was born, the plot of the novel she had read had already been altered, because in that original story, she did not exist. Every place where her family’s circumstances diverged from the book bore her mark. Without her even realizing it, the trajectory of their lives had begun to shift.

Thinking back to her childhood, she remembered that because of various complications, her birth registration had been delayed. Later, when she was of school age, her mother was busy handling the paperwork, and it was Lin Yilan who had suggested changing the surnames of her second sister and fourth brother. At the time, she had simply felt it was unfair that they should carry the name of her mother’s ex-husband—a man who had clearly wronged her mother. With that thought in mind, she had coaxed her father, sister, and brother into convincing their mother to change the children's names. Her mother, for reasons known only to herself, had decided to change her own name as well in the process.

Everything had begun to change from the moment she was born. It was a surreal sensation.

"Creak—"

"Good morning, Sister-in-law Li."

"Oh, good morning."

Hearing the door open and the neighbor greeting her grandmother, Lin Yilan quickly swept the papers she had been studying into her drawer. As she tucked away the notes regarding the original plot, a question struck her: throughout the tragic endings of her family in the novel, one person was always missing. What about her grandmother?

In the book, after her grandfather, uncle, and father learned that their ruin was linked to her mother’s ex-husband, they had tried everything to block his company’s development in the mainland. But it was too late. Though they caused some trouble, the company eventually gained a firm foothold. Her uncle was reassigned to a dead-end logistics position, her grandfather’s already frail health collapsed under the stress, and he passed away shortly after. As for her father... he, too, faded away due to declining health.

Given her family’s current situation, if her grandmother had been alive at the time, she would never have allowed the men to make such a futile, "mantis-like" stand against a superior force. Furthermore, such petty revenge would have been beneath them. Her grandfather, a veteran revolutionary, would never have allowed personal grievances to impede national development.

So, why had her grandmother passed away so early in the original story? Recalling the fragmented, crumbling plot of the latter half of the book, Lin Yilan let out a long, heavy sigh. In one night, she had sighed more than she had in the previous decade. She rubbed her temples, which were throbbing from the lack of sleep.

***

While pondering her grandmother’s fate, Lin Yilan heard her grandparents talking outside the bedroom door.

"You're up, Old Lin? How did you sleep?"

"Ah-Yun, good morning. I slept well. That plaster you made for me—it reeks, but it works."

"That’s good. My old superior, Shengli’s mother, is coming back soon. I’ll recommend the recipe to her."

"Oh, Shengli’s mother? You mean Sister Liu? She’s finally willing to retire?"

"She’s getting on in years, and with her old injuries, she has no choice."

"Sigh, we’re all getting old."

Lin Yilan’s brain felt like mush from exhaustion, but she forced herself to process the connection. Shengli’s mother was her grandmother’s former superior, and Shengli was her uncle’s comrade-in-arms; the two families had always been close. In the original story, her grandmother’s health had declined after a fall on a rainy day. The plot stated that the fall happened while her grandmother was hosting that very same former superior. They had been chatting when it started to rain; the superior, suffering from leg pain, had tried to stand up, lost her balance, and fell, dragging her grandmother down with her.

The superior had passed out instantly, and her grandmother had suffered a fracture. Because her grandfather was out and the sound of the rain masked their distress, rescue was delayed. By the time they reached the hospital, the superior had died from a sudden stroke—a tragedy linked to undiagnosed hypertension—and her grandmother had undergone surgery. Despite the accident having nothing to do with the visit, the two families had drifted apart. The physical trauma and the grief of losing her friend had left her grandmother frail, and she soon passed away.

Listening to her grandmother’s robust, energetic voice outside, Lin Yilan set down her pen and covered her eyes with her hand.

*What a mess.*

She would not let her grandmother die.

***

Over the next few weeks, her grandparents noticed that Lin Yilan had become incredibly busy, leaving early every morning on her bicycle and returning only at night. She had also produced a tape measure from somewhere, measuring every inch of the house, claiming it was practice for her future studies in architecture. Her grandmother had wanted to scold her, but seeing her granddaughter’s passion and focus, she bit her tongue.

One day, Lin Yilan returned home at noon. Her grandparents had just finished lunch.

"Well, look who’s back? We haven't seen you in days. You’re out all day and night—busier than your grandfather was at his job." Her grandmother pulled a jar of malted milk from the cupboard and prepared a cup for her. "Drink up, girl. You need the nutrition."

Lin Yilan took the cup, cradling it in her hands. "Heh, thanks, Grandma."

Her grandmother pointed at the dark circles under her eyes. "You’ve worn yourself out. If you pull another all-nighter like the other day, I won't cover for you with your parents anymore."

"I know, Grandma," Lin Yilan said, linking her arm with hers. "Don't worry, I’ll take care of myself. Oh, and I signed you up for a full medical check-up at the 893 Hospital. Make sure you go tomorrow morning."

She finished the drink in one gulp and pulled a payment receipt from her pocket. Her grandmother stared at the paper, bewildered. "What kind of check-up?"

Lin Yilan didn't answer; she quickly rinsed her cup and dashed toward the door. "Grandma, I have to go! I’m meeting Fangfang, bye!"

"You get back here!" her grandmother shouted, waving a fire poker.

Just then, her grandfather walked in from his stroll. Seeing his wife’s agitation, he tried to soothe her. "What’s wrong, Ah-Yun? Did that brat upset you again? I’ll call her parents and have them discipline her. She’s never home—I don’t know what she’s doing out there. Don't worry, I’ll call her father right now."

Seeing him turn toward the door, her grandmother stopped him. "It’s nothing. The girl just spent a fortune booking me for a bunch of medical exams at the hospital." She showed him the receipt. "She doesn't know the value of money—don't give her any more pocket money. But she meant well, so don't you dare scold her. I don't even know what she does all day, running around until she’s sunburnt..."

Her grandfather chuckled inwardly, knowing his wife was just being contrary. She always claimed he spoiled their granddaughter, but she was the one who pampered her the most. He examined the receipt and noticed a recommendation on the side. "I think the girl did a good job. You really should go get checked out. You’re always complaining about your eyes, so this is the perfect time."

"And don't you worry," he added, "I’ll reimburse her when she gets home."

"You old fool, you just love spoiling her," his wife snapped, though she kept the receipt. "The money will be gone before we know it."

***

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Lin Yilan, busy measuring the yard, couldn't stop sneezing. Her friend Fangfang, who was helping her, paused. "Linlin, are you alright?"

Lin Yilan rubbed her nose. "I’m fine, let's keep going. My grandmother must be talking about me."

Fangfang shrugged. "If I were your grandmother, I’d be talking about you too! How much have you spent lately? The tape measure, the hospital fees... do you even have any money left for Uncle Zhao? Do you need to borrow some?"

Lin Yilan waved her off, pulling the tape taut. "Don't worry about it."

"58 centimeters."

Fangfang jotted down the number. "I think you were born to be an architect. I don't know exactly what they do, but this seems like it. Say, do I have to call you 'Engineer Lin' now?" She teased, "Engineer Lin, Engineer Lin, I am your assistant for the day, Little Fang."

Lin Yilan felt a brief moment of nostalgia at the title, then quickly put on a stern expression. "Ahem, yes. Let’s focus on the data."