Regus, in gratitude, handed him a bottle of wine, a pack of cigarettes, and a precious can of fruit. His heart swelled with appreciation. Since taking over his father's practice in this location, he had encountered many skeptical eyes and people unwilling to pay or harboring ill intentions.
Ike and Regus took the opportunity to ask for additional details about the medications. The middle-aged doctor patiently answered their questions and even shared tips on conserving fuel when boiling Chinese medicine, which Ike carefully noted down.
It was only after they left the doctor's place and found another concealed spot on a rooftop that Ike finally pulled out the list Nami had given him. To their surprise, they had all the medications listed, and there was no need for Chinese medicine substitutions.
Leaving Negan in Linda's care back home, Ike felt relieved that everything they needed was readily available.
"I told you he'd be okay," Negan grinned, his spirits lifted as he went for a short walk. Now that he was awake and feeling better, the atmosphere lightened, and jokes were shared among them.
Ike was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly their trip had gone. In a time of scarcity for medical supplies, Dr. Mundo's generosity in helping them without asking questions was truly appreciated. However, Ike also admired the doctor's situational awareness. Dr. Mundo had been practicing there for years, and many knew the location of his clinic. Patients coming to him would be suspicious if he turned them away for no reason.
On the other hand, Ike's group, by discreetly seeking medical assistance without prying, was able to avoid any complications. They were indeed making the best choices given the circumstances.
Back at the house, everyone was busy with their tasks. Yingli and Linda were tending to household chores, while Anna and Nami were working on reinforcing the barbed wire.
Ike poured several glasses of hot red ginseng water from the kettle, and Tom and the others drank. They gathered the glass glue, locks, and alcohol spray, preparing for their next outing.
Alcohol spray was in short supply, having run out long ago. What remained in the bottle was poor- quality wine, which Negan had acquired and even red wine, though of low quality.
Fortunately, they had made more at the underground market, so they weren't running out of alcohol anytime soon.
However, given the widespread use of alcohol and the large quantities required, they needed to be prudent with their resources.
Their destination was the Summer Peak Building.
Upon arriving, Ike and his team conducted a thorough inspection of the building once more.
After careful scrutiny, they were confident that no one had entered the building in the past three days. Only the stairs on the first floor showed signs of water stains, likely from water seeping in through the second-floor ventilation window. Above the second floor, the stairs were clean, with only a few footprints left by them earlier in the day.
The locks on each floor were intact. Ike and his team had locked themselves in from the inside when they entered. They climbed to the rooftop on the eleventh floor, finding only a utility room and an empty terrace, devoid of any surprises.
There was nothing of interest up there.
Ike proceeded to break the security locks on the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors before searching for supplies. Unfortunately, the building mainly housed small businesses and studios, yielding only a meager assortment of items such as cigarettes, lighters, candy, snacks, utility knives, hardware tools, and some concealed bottles of red wine.
A boss's office on one of the floors held a stash of hidden wine.
Aunt Li handled the search on the fifth and sixth floors but found very little—only a few cigarettes, tea, and small tools. The floors' layout, with small windows and a high, inaccessible large window, presented challenges for escape.
After each floor was searched, Ike and Regus stashed supplies in different concealed spots, ensuring that an average person would never locate their hiding places.
Ike and Regus sealed off the seventh-floor office with glass glue, where Aunt Li lay serenely on the black couch, surrounded by stars and origami cranes she had prepared for herself. Ike hesitated to enter and disturb her final resting place.
Instead, he bowed softly in front of the door, lit a candle, and left a bunch of hand-painted black and white chrysanthemums.
"Are you sure you won't tell your mother?" Regus asked Ike. The secret wouldn't remain hidden for long as they settled into their new home.
"I'll tell her later. I want a few days to grieve in private," Ike replied, his eyes downcast. Ike peeled dried white glue from the top of the glass glue and handed it to him.
Regus had no response to that.
"Ike, take a look at this!" Tom suddenly appeared with a note.
"Wenwen, I'm sorry. I always can't help but say hurtful words. I know maybe you have forgotten, but I always remember. It was not entirely your fault that I scolded you that day, and I did not fulfill my duty to supervise and remind you. I'm sorry. You're a great kid, and I'm sure you'll get better and better. Who doesn't make a few mistakes when you're young? You will definitely get better and better, and I hope you and your boyfriend achieve success soon."
It was a note Aunt Li had written to an employee named Wen Wen, who Ike remembered as seemingly the lowest-ranking clerk in the studio. She's a young girl in her 20s, and she looks very elegant. "There's a note on everyone's desk, and this, this is for your mother, and this one is for you," Tom handed the colorful notes to Ike. Only two were written to him, but five were written to Yingli.
"Yingli, I'm sorry, I'll be gone by the time you see this letter. Unfortunately, I tried a lot of ways, but I couldn't get out of here. I was so hungry that my hand was shaking with the pen, and my eyes were blurred, but I could still remember how the words were written...
"Yingli, don't be sad for me; I'm leaving peacefully. Although there are still many things I have not been able to do, and many ideas that have not been completed, I can accept this situation. My life should end here...
"You should find a man; don't hold on to yourself. Your children are grown up, and they will understand. Having someone by your side when you encounter difficulties is essential. I hope you are okay at home; the rain outside is really heavy, and the wind is strong...
"I envy you; your Ike is so sensible, and Anna is so obedient. My Nan Nan at home is too naughty. Maybe I shouldn't have left him in the hometown. What can an old man do?
"Sister Yingli, I have to go... Bye-bye... Don't worry, don't be sad for me. People will die; what's the difference between early death and late death? In fact, I thought, my life wasn't meaningful; it's better to die like this. Maybe more people will remember me...
"Am I going to be on the news? Ha-ha... Just kidding. I'm really gone... Goodbye..."
The words on the paper, from the fluency at the beginning to the chaos in the middle, and then to the neat and neat last paragraph, are like a thousand-year-old mural handed down from ancient times, depicting the beauty, blood, and tears of different eras. They also reflect Aunt Li's increasingly weak and decaying body and her journey from resignation to struggle, release, and a sense of helplessness.
Ike doesn't know how Aunt Li felt while writing these notes for everyone, but at this moment, only these candy-colored notes bear witness to Aunt Li's last moments. Not only did she go quietly and gracefully, but she also went calmly. Perhaps she struggled, resisted, and suffered before ultimately resigning, letting go, leaving notes for everyone, and cleaning the office spotlessly.
She also folded hundreds of stars and paper cranes, drawing stars, moons, and flowers on the wings of paper cranes with a red pen. Ike imagined her smiling as she painted, maybe still listening to the rain and feeling the wind while sitting comfortably in her chair with her legs crossed, just like she used to when she was happy, with the tip of her foot hooked on her high heels, portraying the image of a fashionable girl.
Although Ike used to think otherwise, looking back now, he found it beautiful. The thin candy-colored paper was still warm to the touch.
"Ai, I don't know how long it has been since you saw this letter. Has anyone called you? How long has the power been out? Let me guess. Last year, the blackout in Europe lasted a month and a half, but in our country, the rescue time should not be more than a month, am I right?
"Well, if my guess is right, then my corpse must be in a terrible state, maybe even maggots have had several cycles on it!" Ha-ha... Did I scare you? I don't think you're scared. You've got a lot of courage. "Study hard, your mother has had a tough time raising you and your siblings. If you can, I hope your mother can find someone else. After all, your siblings will grow up and start their own families. Do you
want to leave her all alone? It's not fair to her!