March 5th!
Sunny!
The day after a light rain, the temperature was moderate, and it was mating season for the animals.
Their first night back at Qingshan Mental Hospital was very comfortable. The feeling of being home put them at ease, and they slept soundly.
The first thing Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang did upon waking was sit on their beds in a daze.
Normal people are groggy when they first wake up, their brains in a fog, needing time to recover.
They, however, were thinking about what they should do today.
They thought for a long time, but couldn't come up with anything. It seemed like there were many things to do, but they couldn't remember what they were.
Old Man Zhang took two bags of soy milk from the bedside table, one for each of them.
"Sprite!"
"Cola!"
"Delicious, just like the old days." They looked at each other and smiled, their faces beaming with genuine joy.
Sprite and cola were their favorites.
No one could take away their beloved drinks.
A ray of sunlight shone on their faces, making the usually avoided Room 666 warm and bright.
Nurses passing by in the corridor looked at Room 666 with lingering fear. It was the most feared room in Qingshan Mental Hospital. The two patients living inside were indeed harmless, but their behavior was unsettling.
Their colleague, Li Ang, was still in the hospital. He had contacted other colleagues and learned that nothing major had happened, but Li Ang simply wanted to stay in the hospital for a while longer, to rest before returning.
He had initially thought Li Ang would resign, but unexpectedly, not only did he not want to leave, but he seemed determined to stick it out at the mental hospital.
His courage was commendable, worthy of admiration.
"Xiao Chen, there's mail for Room 666. Take it in," a security guard said.
Xiao Chen was stunned. "Why don't you take it in?"
"I just deliver the mail to the door. As for taking it inside, that's what you professionals are for." The security guard handed the letter to Xiao Chen and hurried away.
He worked at the mental hospital just to make a living, earning a little over two thousand yuan a month. It was tiring work.
Back in school, he thought education wasn't important. He believed that with his courage and eloquence, earning millions a year would be easy. Later, when he entered society, he realized it was a complete lie. Without a degree, he didn't even qualify for job interviews.
This made him, with his vocational school diploma, feel the harsh reality of society.
Even applying for a job at a mental hospital required a bachelor's degree.
This plunged him into despair. Fortunately, he had some family connections and got in through the back door as a security guard at Qingshan Mental Hospital.
With his five insurances and one housing fund, his life was manageable. He could even occasionally provide comfort to prostitutes.
Nurse Xiao Chen arrived at the ward and knocked gently.
"Can I come in?"
Other mental patients had no such manners, and provoking them could have serious consequences. Of course, at least so far, no one had seen the patients in Room 666 get angry.
They smiled at everyone, their smiles genuinely bright, but somewhat unnerving.
After receiving permission, he pushed the door open, kept a certain distance from the patients, placed the letter on the bed, and said gently, "Lin Fan, you have a letter."
Then he immediately closed the door and continued his patrol.
Lin Fan swallowed his cola in one gulp and eagerly picked up the letter, carefully opening it.
"She wrote again."
Old Man Zhang asked. He knew who the letter was from. Someone had said it before, unexpectedly, even mental patients had pen pals.
"Not her, it's my wife," Lin Fan said.
Inside the envelope was a pink sheet of paper with delicate handwriting, clearly from the hand of a well-educated woman.
Although they were mental patients, and some couldn't write, they could read.
The content was as follows:
[Dear Dr. Lin,
Since receiving your letter, I feel like a new door has opened in my life. Your line of work intrigues me. I've reported on mental hospitals before, but those were all staged, false scenarios. You told me about people stealing your things, and I knew you must face real danger dealing with actual mental patients. But your patience in caring for them shows me you are a kind and respectable person…
In your last letter, you didn't write a single word, but sent only a green leaf. I understood your intention, Dr. Lin. You want to be a green leaf among towering trees, protecting these poor mental patients.
The autumn wind is clear, the autumn moon bright, fallen leaves gather and scatter, crows perch and startle again. When will we meet again, my longing heart? This night, this moment, is filled with emotion.]
The letter contained much more.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang looked serious, not because the letter contained anything significant, but because they couldn't understand what it meant.
"What does she mean?" Lin Fan asked.
Old Man Zhang scratched his head. "I don't really understand either. Why don't we ask Professor Xingkong?"
"Okay."
They left their room and went to Professor Xingkong's room next door. Professor Xingkong was engrossed in drawing the cosmos. Hearing their voices, he looked up, then continued drawing.
"I don't understand this."
Lin Fan placed the letter in front of Professor Xingkong.
"I don't understand it either." Old Man Zhang felt uneasy. He could understand medical books, so why couldn't he understand this? It felt strange, somewhat unreal.
Professor Xingkong was busy. He was researching the workings of the universe and had no time for others. He simply pushed the newly drawn star chart towards Lin Fan, the message clear: Don't bother me, I'm busy, I need to study.
Lin Fan took the star chart and left the room with Old Man Zhang.
They were now going to send a letter.
"Lin Fan, my watch is broken. Borrow some money from her, she'll definitely lend it to you," Old Man Zhang said.
Lin Fan replied calmly, "She won't."
"What a pity. Why does she have to be your wife? If she were your girlfriend, that would be so much better," Old Man Zhang said regretfully.
The nurse who received Lin Fan's letter felt quite helpless.
Just who was this talented individual who had become pen pals with a mental patient, and even wrote a letter or two every month? What would they think if they knew they were corresponding with a mental patient?
Or perhaps the other person was also a mental patient.
It was a distinct possibility.
After sending the letter, they returned to their room.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang sat on their beds, carefully examining the letter. They didn't quite understand the content, but they could read the words.
"She has a point. Those people who keep stealing our things are really dangerous. I think they must be mentally ill. We shouldn't provoke them," Old Man Zhang said gravely.
Lin Fan replied calmly, "Of course. That's why I always smile at them. I hope they can feel our goodwill, our warmth."
"Is it like this?" Old Man Zhang pulled the corners of his mouth wide with two fingers, his teeth showing.
"No, it's like this." Lin Fan grinned happily, his dimples showing.
Gradually, their eyes met, and they said in unison:
"Hee hee!"
"Hee hee!"
Nurse Xiao Chen passed by and saw the scene inside, his hair standing on end, a chill running down his spine. Truly terrifying.