The night was quiet, with a thick fog enveloping the city, signaling that the heavy rain that had poured all day was finally starting to subside. Puddles were visible everywhere, and slowly, life in the city began to pulse again. People started to leave their homes, resuming activities that had been halted by the rain.
Among them was a man named Xiang. After handing over the items he had collected from his work, Xiang prepared for the long journey to his home, which was far from the city center. Xiang was a garbage collector, a job he had been doing faithfully for many years since his marriage, even though it was often unappreciated.
When the rain had completely stopped, Xiang began to pull his garbage cart again. He had to traverse many narrow, grimy alleys, poorly maintained roads, and numerous abandoned paths that were rarely traveled by anyone. Xiang knew every nook and cranny of these roads, even though they were often deserted and challenging. His cart creaked softly, the only sound accompanying his steps in the cold, silent night.
As Xiang walked leisurely, enjoying the quiet night, he felt the damp air blowing towards him and the puddles glistening under the dim light. His steps halted when he heard the sound of a baby crying from ahead.
Xiang paused for a moment, his mind filled with various possibilities. His heart grew uneasy, and a wave of negative energy seemed to envelop his entire body. Xiang's body tensed, and goosebumps rose on his skin. The night, usually calm and always enjoyed with his wife, had now turned into a source of deep tension and anxiety.
In addition to the disturbing sound of the baby's cries, Xiang's thoughts were also consumed with worry for his wife, who lay sick at home with a fever caused by the unpredictable seasonal changes. Xiang's anxiety deepened as he thought about his wife's condition, needing care while he had to continue his demanding work as a garbage collector.
For a moment, Xiang felt afraid, but that fear was only a fraction of his overall feelings. Even though Xiang didn't believe in ghosts, this time the sound of the baby's cries frightened him.
After trying repeatedly to convince himself of the situation he was now facing, Xiang steeled his resolve to bravely pass by the source of the crying. Xiang finally continued his journey, even though tension and anxiety still enveloped his heart.
The cart that had been still and silent now started moving again and began to creak, kakk... krakkk... krakkk... The sound broke the silence of the night, accompanying Xiang's steps, which, though slow, grew more determined.
Unlike usual, the sound of the cart, which normally accompanied the quiet night, now added to the eerie and frightening atmosphere. The fresh breeze leftover from the rain, which had previously been soothing and cool, now made Xiang shiver and increased his urge to flee from the situation.
Slowly, step by step, Xiang was now right beside the source of the baby's cries.
The sound of the crying came from under a large tree on the right side of the road, or more precisely, across the street. However, the street was so narrow that the right and left sides felt very close, like the veins in a neck and head. The road was so narrow that it could only be traversed by Xiang's cart, making the baby's cries sound extremely close to him.
The creaking of Xiang's cart seemed to intensify the baby's cries, causing the infant to wail even louder. Xiang finally came to a halt.
All his fear seemed to dissipate, as if a room shrouded in darkness suddenly became illuminated by a bright light, revealing everything clearly. That was how Xiang felt after laying eyes on the crying baby.
"It turns out it's not a ghost, my principle was right all along, there are no ghosts in this world. Hahaha," exclaimed Xiang. The anxious expression on his face transformed into one of pure happiness.
Like a barren garden suddenly bursting with countless flowers and trees, that was how Xiang's heart felt. For over ten years, he had hoped for a comforting presence between him and his beloved wife, a dream that had yielded no results despite all the efforts he and his wife had put in.
Underneath a large tree, amidst the bushes along the road leading to a village and Xiang's home, lay a small cardboard box containing a baby, accompanied by a note that read, "From me to you, dear one who desires an extraordinary child," atop the bundle of baby clothes.
Xiang's heart swelled with curiosity and hope as he resolved to approach and touch the baby.
However, Xiang hesitated in his actions. His fear stemmed from the possibility that this could be a trap set by robbers or mischievous individuals, given the recent surge in crimes. Aside from the motives of mischief, many crimes were also fueled by economic difficulties and income disparities, as well as the rampant spread of diseases amidst the unpredictable seasons.
Slowly but surely, Xiang approached the baby, attempting to dispel his worries and doubts. He scanned his surroundings, yet found no one nearby in the silence and darkness of the night, only dim streetlights serving as his companions.
Xiang looked at the crying baby's face, which emitted a soothing light that could calm anyone. Now, that serenity embraced Xiang, replacing his negative emotions with a wave of positivity, happiness, and joy.
Not stopping there, Xiang's curiosity prompted him to determine the baby's gender, leading him to unwrap the cloth covering the infant's body. It turned out to be a baby boy, adorned with a necklace tightly wound around his neck. The pendant was round and red, with a small hole in the center resembling a keyhole.
Initially, Xiang didn't pay much attention to the necklace. Instead, he pondered, "Can I take this baby home? Given my poverty and struggles, can I afford to care for him? Even providing for myself and my wife is a challenge," Xiang silently pondered in his heart.
"Like the sun that doesn't shine forever, perhaps this poverty will also change when the time comes."
A whisper, seemingly from nowhere, entered Xiang's mind. Initially, his head felt like boiling water at a hundred degrees Celsius, but slowly it calmed and cooled. The turmoil and noise in his head began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of calm.
As a result of the turmoil he had experienced, Xiang didn't realize the source of the whisper. He only felt the victorious effect without concerning himself with who or where it came from.
With a clear head, his body returned to normalcy and control. Similarly, Xiang's mind reverted to its state before the chaos, like after the rain had stopped. Xiang knew that taking a baby from the roadside, possibly abandoned or for other reasons, was a mistake.
However, like oil and water that cannot mix, Xiang's heart told him that taking the baby was not a criminal act. He would be helping the baby, rescuing it from loneliness and the cold night shrouded in mist from the heavy rain.
For this moment, Xiang followed his heart's advice. He lifted the box containing the baby into his cart, then pushed it forward with a sense of joy and happiness.