Hospital 444
Chapter 256 - 47: The Shadow

Chapter 256: Chapter 47: The Shadow

"That woman, every time a man saw her, her face, her hands, often new injuries would appear."

By the time Hai Jian Shi reached this part of the story, Hai Han and Hai Yin had already put down their bowls, listening intently to their father recount this experience.

"This..." Hai Han asked, "Was it her husband who beat her?"

"Everyone in town knew about this. That man was an alcoholic, and whenever he drank, he would turn into a demon. Every time he saw her speaking a few words more with another man, he would start hitting and kicking her without any restraint."

Hai Yin immediately said, "Abusive men... they all deserve to die!"

Hai Han then asked, "Dad, what happened next?"

"After that..."

Hai Jian Shi continued, "The young man was heartbroken. He saw the woman’s physical and mental pain and wanted to help her, but he had no status. Even if she told her parents, they would just ask her to endure, saying that a husband beating his wife was as common as a father hitting his son, no big deal. Moreover, this alcoholic husband’s family held some power in the town. He had many strong and robust brothers, and his mother was incredibly fierce, making a living by giving out high-interest loans and sending her sons to violently collect debts. Furthermore, it was an era when divorce was not as common as it is today. For a woman, getting remarried after a divorce was a very difficult thing to do."

"How could this be..." Hai Han muttered, "Domestic violence is against the law..."

"Even now, many still believe that domestic violence is a private matter. Many women choose to tolerate it and may even wonder if they did something wrong."

At this point, Hai Jian Shi added, "Because of the young man’s involvement, she suffered even more brutal beatings from her alcoholic husband. She was beaten until her skin burst open and her flesh split, and her right hand was even broken..."

Hai Han noticed that as his father spoke, his hands were trembling, his eyes even showing streaks of blood.

"Dad, you..."

"She couldn’t endure any longer and asked for a divorce. Although she had thought about divorce for a long time, it was the first time she dared to speak the word in front of her abusive husband."

Hai Jian Shi’s fist was clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his flesh.

"The demon actually said that if she dared to divorce him for a pretty boy, he and his brothers who gave out high-interest loans would kill her and her lover together! Making sure they’d never be reincarnated!"

Hearing this, Hai Han understood.

This was a story that had happened on the island.

The murdered people, even if given a sea burial, could not get the chance to be reincarnated.

That’s the true meaning behind the phrase "condemned for eternity"!

"And then... what happened next?" Hai Han asked.

"After that... she decided to elope with the young man... no, it was to die for love."

Hmm?

Hai Yin and Hai Han both looked at their father.

Eloping and dying for love were completely different concepts!

"They decided to die for love?"

"Yes. But before they could execute their plan, they were found out. The demon husband beat her senseless, preferring to kill her rather than let her... get a chance to escape!"

Suddenly, Hai Han understood.

Dying for love... meant jumping into the sea together!

His uncle had told him that although those who are murdered cannot reincarnate, those who commit suicide can. There were also some on the island who, unable to bear the torment of sickness or the despair of their current lives, chose suicide, hoping for a better next life. And their method of suicide was mostly by jumping into the sea.

Committing suicide by jumping into the sea was equivalent to giving themselves a sea burial.

To die together... and then to be reincarnated... it indeed seemed like the only hope for a new life. No matter how fierce and powerful the loan-sharking family was, with so many newborns on the island each year, they couldn’t find the reincarnated pair anymore.

As long as they kept it a secret, nobody would know about their past lives!

It was a perfect plan!

This plan could only be executed in a special place like Bijiao Island.

The only two potential mistakes that could occur were... first, one of them being unable to recover their memories for a long time, and second, one of them changing sex after reincarnation. But both possibilities were unlikely, and compared to the dire situation they were facing at the time, it was the best choice.

Ending their current lives to restart anew!

So...

Was this the story of Dad’s past life?

Was Mom the woman in the story?

But then something occurred to him.

"Dad... how does the story end?"

Was the woman killed? Or did the man intervene to save her?

"There’s no end to it. That’s just a story, nothing more."

Hai Jian Shi stood up and said, "I’m going out for a walk."

Watching his father’s retreating figure, Hai Han couldn’t help but say, "Sister, I’m going out for a bit!"

He had to know how this story ended, what happened in the end!

The nights in Han Iron Town were always windy.

As Hai Jian Shi walked along the coast, he remembered the whole process of how he first met his wife Ji Danshu, fell in love, and finally got married and had children.

And... the bloodstained, dark past that lingered in his deeper memories.

"This is our only chance! Let’s leap into the sea together and be reincarnated once more! When the time comes, through your paintings, I’ll definitely recognize you! You never showed them to the Demon, did you?"

"Yes! I’ve even burned all my paintings. No one will be able to recognize my style!"

"Let’s die together, then be reborn from the ashes! In the next life, I will train myself relentlessly, I’ll become stronger than anyone! I won’t let anyone hurt you again!"

...

The first time he saw Ji Danshu, Hai Jian Shi noticed her paintings. Her depictions of the tides and the sunset dusk were all too familiar to him!

Hai Jian Shi would never forget the emotions that moment stirred within him.

Since regaining his memory at the age of eighteen, he had fallen into despair. Back then, she was beaten to death by that beast. Although her body had been buried at sea, she should not have been reincarnated. But the instant he saw that painting, Hai Jian Shi felt as if there was light in his world again.

They had finally found each other once more!

Just like back in the day!

But all this...

Was it all a misunderstanding?

Was the real her, in fact, the one who stood beside Danshu at the time... Leng Mu?

"Dad!"

Hai Jian Shi turned around and saw his son catching up.

"Hai Han?"

"Dad," Hai Han walked up to Hai Jian Shi and said, "I... Can I ask what exactly happened between you and mom?"

A slight feeling of unease began to dawn on Hai Han.

Looking at his fourteen-year-old son, Hai Jian Shi realized that the child’s emotions might be more delicate and sensitive than he had imagined.

"Dad," Hai Han looked at the coast in front of them and said, "A few years ago, when the town’s cinema was showing ’Aquaman,’ I went to see it. You gave me the same impression as the Aquaman in there."

"Aquaman doesn’t seem to be a very good word these days," Hai Jian Shi said with a knowing smile.

"When I was younger, I always hoped I could live like you."

"Like me... really?"

"Yes, no matter what difficulties face, never giving up easily, as solid as a rock! Some fishermen told me, you’re a man who can even conquer sea demons!"

Lowering his head, Hai Jian Shi said, "I’m not as great as you say I am, Hai Han."

"Dad, you..."

Just then, Hai Han suddenly noticed a dark figure emerging in the distance on the coast!

Seeing that dark figure, Hai Han’s heart skipped a beat.

He remembered!

Last night, he had seen this same dark figure!

At that time, it was heading towards his grandfather’s cabin!

And this morning, his grandfather was found dead inside the cabin... drowned!

And now, he realized...

That dark figure was walking towards him and his father!

"Dad!"

Hai Han clutched his father’s arm tightly, pointing at the distant figure and asked, "What... what is that?"

Hearing his son’s voice filled with fear, Hai Han looked over, but then shook his head and said, "Hai Han... what are you talking about?"

"Dad! That figure! Do you see it? It’s walking towards us!"

"Hai Han... there... there’s no figure there?"