182 The Director’s Mother
The Lin family’s old house was located in Xuecheng Village in Changrong District.
The village still retained the old wooden houses with green bricks and white walls, giving off an antique feel. These kinds of houses become a cultural heritage in her original world, either for visitors or for valuable private residences.
The helper was eating in the courtyard. When Li Yanchen rang the doorbell, the old woman raised her head slowly and saw a familiar face outside the door.
The chopsticks in the helper’s hand slipped onto the table and with a clang. She finally came back to her senses.
She was no stranger to the man at the door. He would come here a few times a year. She found one of the two women beside him familiar.
The Auntie took out her glasses from her apron pocket and put them on.
“The Director’s mother!” Lin Wan’s tears started flowing again. Was she dreaming?
Auntie slowly remembered. The person in front of her was Lin Wan, Elder Lin’s daughter!
Li Yanchen’s hand hung in the air for a long time.
This was the place where Lin Wan had grown up. It was only natural for her to know people here. However, it was still strange. He thought that because of her second personality, she had forgotten everything. She shouldn’t have been able to remember anything by that logic.
His heart sank. ‘Will Lin Wan return to how she was before? If that happens, will she forget me and my children?’
Yang Ruoxi also knew the Director of the orphanage. In her original world, although Lin Wan had left the orphanage, she used to visit it during the holidays. Yang Ruoxi had always accompanied her.
Yang Ruoxi also greeted her.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” Lin Wan stood in front of the Auntie, her tears falling like a broken string of beads.
She recalled the old woman in a Chinese suit with her hair in a tight bun on her head. She was still the same.
“Yanchen!” The Auntie seemed to remember only Li Yanchen.
“Is this Xiao Wan? We haven’t seen each other for so long! Xiao Wan has grown up so beautifully,” said the old Auntie. “And who is this?” The Auntie looked at Yang Ruoxi in confusion.
“I’m Xixi. Wanwan’s best friend. I’ve sung in your courtyard before.” Yang Ruoxi tried her best to explain, but the Auntie did not seem to understand.
“This courtyard?” The old Auntie was confused. She turned to Lin Wan. “Xiao Wan, let me look at you! You look better.” The old Auntie cupped Lin Wan’s face in her palms. “Yanchen always brought me news about you in the past. I am so glad he brought you along today!”
“Xiao Wan.” Whe the Auntie looked at Lin Wan it was as though she was looking at her own daughter.
“Director’s mother!” said Lin Wan and hugged the old Auntie.
“The stars in the sky don’t speak. The doll on the ground misses mommy… the eyes in the sky blink. Mommy’s heart is merry,” sang Lin Wan, with a choked voice.
The old Auntie hummed along. “The tea garden in my hometown is full of flowers, and my mother’s heart is in the sky….” Her voice was gentle and loving, just like it had been eighteen years ago.
At the orphanage, a little girl held a dirty doll. Her hair was matted with dust and leaves. Her snot hung from her nose. She curled up in the yard like a frightened kitten. In her arms was a black steamed bun and, on her back, a school bag full of holes.
The orphanage hadn’t been big, but the head of the orphanage took in the child, nonetheless.
When she had found Lin Wan, she was almost starving to death. After she was brought to the hospital, she was put on a saline drip for a few days when she finally regained her strength to wake up gradually.
Lin Wan was in her early teen years. She was sensible and obedient. After completing the procedures, she was taken in. She had become even more introverted and often suffered from nightmares. The Director���s mother would tell her bedtime stories every night and coax her to sleep.
Yang Ruoxi was the most important person Lin Wan had met since she left the orphanage. The Director’s mother was the one who had given her a second life, even more so than her own parents.
Lin Wan had worked hard to get into university. After graduation, she had made use of the internet to earn a name for herself. Although she wasn’t very rich, she was considered the most successful among the children in the orphanage.
Lin Wan was always grateful and she frequently visited the orphanage and kept in contact with the Director and his mother.
At this moment, she was standing right in front of her, the childless and single old woman that Li Yanchen had mentioned. She was the person who was taking care of the old Lin family mansion.
When the old Auntie finished singing the song, her eyes were filled with tears. She didn’t even know how she knew that song.
She had never married in her life and had no children. She had joined the Lin family only several years ago. She was confused how she had learnt the song.
“Xiao Wan, did you visit Elder Lin?” asked the old Auntie.
Lin Wan nodded. “Director’s mother, how do you know Yanchen?” The person in front of her looked exactly like the Director’s mother, whom she considered her own mother. Lin Wan didn’t know why the old woman couldn’t remember their original world.
“All these years, Yanchen has frequently visited. How could I not know him? But you… why do you keep calling me “Director’s mother”? Don’t you remember me? I am Auntie Bao.” The Auntie knew Lin Wan from the time she had joined the Lin family to take care of their household.
Li Yanchen was also confused. Only Yang Ruoxi understood Lin Wan.
“Have you eaten? I’ll cook for you.” The old woman covered her unfinished food and prepared to go to the kitchen to make something.
“We’ve already eaten. Auntie, please have a seat.” Lin Wan stopped her.
“Then I’ll get you some water to drink. You guys can look around.” The Auntie went inside.
Lin Wan held Yang Ruoxi’s hand. “Xixi,” she said, “she is the Director’s mother, right?”
“Yes. She looks and sounds the same.” Yang Ruoxi nodded.
“Can there be identical people in the world with completely different lives?” Lin Wan asked.
“Maybe. Some people look really alike but will have nothing in common. They aren’t even related most of the time,” interrupted Li Yanchen. “But I don’t quite understand what you two are talking about.”
“Why did you call Auntie Bao the “Director’s mother”? Did you used to call her that when you lived here?” he asked. He understood that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
“Is Auntie Bao’s real name Auntie Han?” asked Lin Wan. There can be two people who look alike in this world. But if they had the same name then chances were that they were the same person. It might not just be a coincidence.
“Yes,” said Li Yanchen. “I showed you her identity information before.”
“Xixi!” Lin Wan looked at Yang Ruoxi.
“She doesn’t seem to remember anything, though.” Yang Ruoxi and Lin Wan were aware of their identities. They were certain that they had arrived here from another world. However, the Director’s mother didn’t seem to remember anything at all.
The people who were closest to Lin Wan were here in Changrong District and were more or less related to the Lin family. It begged the question whether the Lin family was the key to traveling between parallel worlds.
Li Yanchen’s heart was a mess.
“Are you still writing in your diary?” he asked, holding Lin Wan’s hand tightly. He was afraid she would forget about him.
“Yes! I take it wherever I go. I promise I will remember every single day with you.” Lin Wan thought for a while. “Yanchen, do you think I am going back?”
Li Yanchen nodded his head reluctantly. “I don’t know if it was right to bring you here. I can’t bear thinking that you might forget me. But I don’t want you to forget your past too.”
He felt conflicted.