The Creatures That We Are
Chapter 1246: Not Here

Chapter 1246: Not Here

A racing motorcycle sped along the highway in the dark. The rider was a young woman dressed in a fitted leather outfit, and the young man holding onto her wore a fitted jacket. Both were wearing helmets.

Lights blinked and floated upon the city, which the motorcycle was quickly leaving behind. The two raced away from the bustle, their motion seemingly suspended in place like the ending of a pixelated game.

Suddenly, fireworks bloomed in the sky like daylight. While the Millennium Tower’s ownership had been transferred, the tradition of releasing fireworks annually continued.

Gao Yang couldn’t help but look back.

The motorcycle was racing fast, and the scenery flew past him as if skipping frames. Fireworks continued to bloom and dissipate. The explosions hit his retina and eardrums, accompanied by the wind.

He stared at it, dazed. It had only been a year.

...

At one in the morning, Gao Yang returned to the small town he had grown up in with Qing Ling’s company. They visited his uncle’s place first and fetched incense, joss paper, a half bottle of hard liquor, and the Black Gold machete his grandmother left behind. Then they climbed up the mountain to the graveyard.

Gao Yang visited his grandmother, grandmother, and then his parents.

His uncle and Gao Xinxin were buried nearby.

Gao Yang lit an incense and burned joss paper at his uncle’s tomb, pouring alcohol in tribute and kowtowing to him. After a whispered conversation, he rose and walked up to Qing Ling.

Qing Ling frowned slightly. There was a tomb that Gao Yang hadn’t visited.

He knew what she was thinking. He explained, “I have a feeling that Gao Xinxin isn’t here.”

“Your sister and uncle didn’t leave behind a body. We could only buy their clothes...”

“That’s not what I mean.” Gao Yang turned to the newly made tomb. “When I came up the mountain, I had the feeling that while Grandpa, Granny, Mom, Dad, and Uncle are all here, my sister isn’t.”

“Then where would she be?” Qing Ling asked.

Gao Yang shook his head. “I don’t know, but not here.”

Qing Ling considered it. “Why don’t you head home?”

“Okay.”

...

Five minutes later, they returned to the old house where Gao Yang had spent his childhood. It had been an earthen building commonly seen in the previous century with a triangular rooftop covered in clay tiles. Once a one-story house, wooden planks had been laid down on its beams to create a small attic as storage. Then the rooftop was taken down, and an additional concrete floor was built. The front yard was turned into a concrete clearing, too.

A wilting ginkgo tree hunched there, shedding leaves that no one had swept.

Gao Yang walked into the front yard and was immediately greeted with the wooden plaque that said “Happy Market”. The grocery shop was a small storefront divided from the living room.

Gao Yang closed his eyes slowly, dusting the memories from his childhood:

As the sun set, smoke and the smell of food wafted out of the houses in the serene town. Gao Yang walked home with his backpack and saw a few children huddling together, having cheap snacks and playing with plastic tablets[1].

Gao Yang walked across the front yard and found his grandmother stir-frying food before the large wok. The smoke swirled around the kitchen, situated on the left side of their house. The living room sat in the center, but Gao Yang usually entered through the storefront on the other side.

“I’m back!” he called out, tossing his backpack aside and grabbing a handful of snacks before shoving them into his pockets.

“Don’t eat snacks!” his mom reminded him from behind the counter. “It’s going to be dinner soon!”

“I know. I’m having them at night.” Gao Yang rushed to the living room without looking back.

Usually, his sister would be playing with blocks or playing house with a few dolls. Today was no exception. She jumped to her feet when she saw him and gave him a hug.

“Play with me, Brother!”

Gao Yang was happy, but he pretended to be reluctant. “I’m busy! I have homework!”

“Just for a minute!” his sister said in a cute voice. “Just a few minutes!”

“Fine, just a while,” Gao Yang agreed “reluctantly”.

“You’re the best!” She jumped in joy.

They played with toys in the living room for a while. Then their dad returned.

Their dad was already in the preparation stage for opening the factory, so he often visited Uncle Qing’s place and had drinks with other business people. With his head held high with satisfaction, he walked in reeking of alcohol. Immediately, he pulled Gao Xinxin into his arms. “Dear Xinxin, come, give Dad a kiss!”

“No! You smell, Dad!”

Gao Xinxin covered her nose and turned away.

Gao Shou laughed and lowered her, then spread his arms at Gao Yang. “Good Yang Yang...”

“Mom!” Gao Yang called out. “Dad went drinking again!”

“Hush, hush!” The man was nervous. “I told you many times that Dad was doing business...”

“Gao Shou, come here!” Their mom ordered from the storefront.

Gao Shou shot Gao Yang a glare. “You brat, later I’ll—”

“Get your ass over here!” Lin Yue snapped.

“I’m coming, I’m coming...” He hurried out with his head ducked.

Not long after, their granny brought dishes out of the kitchen. “Yan Yang, Xinxin, clean up the toys and set the table for Granny.”

When the sun was setting, the family of five started their dinner. Gao Yang’s sister wasn’t good with chopsticks yet, so Gao Yang helped her get food onto her plate. Their mom, still angry, laid into their dad at the dining table.

Their dad kept apologizing. Then he put some food into his large bowl before migrating to the shop under the guise of watching over it; in truth, he simply wanted to avoid the scolding. Their granny said a few words of complaint about her son before speaking up for him. Then she brought up gossip bout their neighbors to change the topic.

That was where the memory ended.

Gao Yang opened his eyes and stayed unmoving. Qing Ling waited quietly on the side.

After a while, he turned to Qing Ling. “Gao Xinxin visited this place, but...she’s not here.”

Qing Ling nodded. “We’ll keep looking. We’ll find her.”

Suddenly, Gao Yang’s phone buzzed. The caller ID was Guang Huan.

Hesitating, he picked up the call in the end. “Hello?”

Guang Huan seemed surprised that Gao Yang actually picked up. He panicked a little before managing, “Hello? Hey! It’s me! Guang Huan! Happy New Year, Brother Gao Yang!”

“Happy New Year,” Gao Yang said.

“Um...are you back here? Actually-actually I didn’t think the call would go through...”

“What is it?” Gao Yang asked.

“Um, Gao Xinxin, is she alright...?”

“Yeah.”

“Right. That’s good, that’s good...”

“Anything else?”

“Brother Gao Yang, may I...say Happy New Year to her?”

Gao Yang said after a pause, “She’s not with me. I only came back to take care of something. She’s still abroad. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, okay. It’s fine. Just give her my regards.”

“Alright.”

Gao Yang was about to hang up when Guang Huan stopped him. “Wait!”

Gao Yang quietly gripped his phone.

“Brother Gao Yang, when are you leaving? If you’re not in a hurry, there’s something I need to give you.”

1. It’s dou pian, a common toy in the past. You throw differently shaped plastic cards/tables with the aim of putting yours on top of others’. ☜

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