Chapter 40: A Glimmer of Sunshine, a Glimmer of Dreams (05)
Dreams under the sunlight seem to become even more beautiful! ...Seeking comments!
The seven-day National Day holiday was apparently a bit long for Chen Haonan. The coldness of his home made him feel very depressed, and although his sister Chen Jiayi returned home, the two siblings couldn't laugh and joke like they used to. As soon as he saw the sad faces and dull eyes of his mother or grandparents, Chen Haonan couldn't help but feel heartache, and at that moment, he found that his words were so pale and powerless...
On the second evening of the long holiday, Chen Jiayi ran over to chat with his brother. The two siblings sat on the bed and unknowingly talked about many things.
When it comes to making friends, Chen Haonan suddenly realized that he had made a serious mistake. He felt that he should not have walked away in a huff in front of Li Donglin and Li Jia the other day. Thinking about his interactions with Li Donglin and Li Jia's kind and affectionate gaze, he was filled with regret. He decided to apologize to them as soon as he returned to school; he didn't want to lose them, and he cared about them deeply.
Despite this, Chen Haonan was troubled by something more important than the quietness of his home and the sorrow in his heart.
This is the matter of choosing between arts and sciences. Although he had already made up his mind, Chen Haonan couldn't make a final decision, after all, this choice was also a major turning point in life's journey, and if he wasn't careful, it wouldn't only affect the path he would take later on, but might also lead to lifelong regret. Therefore, he still had some doubts in his heart, and often stood alone on the balcony at night, sighing: "If only Dad were still here, he would definitely be able to help me make a decision!" However, his father was gone with the wind, and it was impossible for him to make any more decisions for his son.
Haunted by this matter, Chen Haonan's heart was very annoyed and whenever he had nothing to do, he would often sneak out of the house alone and wander around to relieve his frustration and confusion.
In the outskirts of Green Town, dense forests and bamboo groves, birds chirping in the woods, how many childhood memories and dreams were buried deep in the forest, Chen Haonan could no longer remember. Now, his former childhood friends have all dispersed, with no hope of reuniting, thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel a little sad again.
At the southern end of Linzi, a new grave stood on a small hillside. These days, Chen Haonan had come here several times unconsciously, but today he came again quietly. Sitting by the grave, thinking that his father was just in front of him, but being blocked by a layer of cold yellow soil, his heart felt sorrowful and he couldn't help but shed tears again - tomorrow he would return to school, Chen Haonan had come to bid farewell to his father.
After bidding farewell to his father, Chen Haonan walked around the forest and came back to the bank of the Ling River. The river was still the same as before, and the large stone mill was also the same as before, but now some things had changed. Chen Haonan still clearly remembered that in his childhood, he, Lin Mochao, Qin Keshan, and another person shared a common dream, which was very naive and childlike: when they grew up, they wanted to walk along the Ling River to where it met the Zhen River; then walk along the Zhen River to where it met the Xiang River; after that, walk along the Xiang River to where it met the Yangtze River; finally, walk along the Yangtze River to where it met the sea...
Suddenly thinking of this, Chen Haonan couldn't help but feel that his childhood thoughts were so naive and ridiculous: wasn't it just about going to see the sea? Why bother walking along the riverbank in such a troublesome way, like a monk?! "Hehe!" He himself couldn't help but laugh again.
However, it wasn't long before the matter of liberal arts and science division came to mind again. His father was no longer around, and his childhood friends had gone abroad; at this moment, Chen Haonan gradually realized the importance of making decisions for himself. But he still couldn't bring himself to make a final decision...
However, tomorrow is the day to return to school, what should I do? In a hurry, Chen Haonan thought of his mother and wanted to hear her opinion.
Back home, the sky gradually darkened. After dinner, Chen Haonan pulled his mother aside and told her about the upcoming liberal arts and science division. However, his mother, still immersed in grief over her husband's death, didn't say much. She only reminded her son to ask for his uncle's opinion. So, Chen Haonan made a phone call to his uncle Chen Xiaoxian.
However, Chen Xiaoxian carefully analyzed the pros and cons for his nephew, but still pushed the problem back - he said he had confidence in Chen Haonan, and asked his nephew to make his own decision.
Chen Haonan's face was misty, fortunately, his uncle said a sentence before hanging up the phone, which added a lot of confidence to his heart. Chen Xiaoxian told Chen Haonan: No matter what you choose, don't regret it, as long as you treat yourself seriously, whatever decision you make is correct!
Chen Haonan silently recited his uncle's words many times, and repeatedly copied them down. Amidst the haze, he seemed to see a glimmer of sunlight, as well as his own faint, subtle dreams... In his heart, he made his final decision. At last, he finally filled in a firm answer for the first important choice on life's journey!
Perhaps, hardships can make one grow up overnight; perhaps, this is both storm and sunshine; perhaps, dreams are at the edge of wind, rain, and some sunshine...
