Chapter 3: Dreams in the Wind and Rain (03)

  The storm has just subsided, and the raindrops on the branches of the trees in this village have not yet dripped off. The sun quietly burst into a brilliant smile, and those annoying cicadas also started making a ruckus as if they had gone mad.

  It's really strange, it's already mid-August, and this summer is almost over. However, the weather is still so weird and unpredictable, with wind and rain changing suddenly and without any regularity. Just now there was a strong wind and heavy rain, with thunder and lightning, but now the sun has come out. Fortunately, these days have been strangely hot, making people feel stuffy and oppressed. This spell of wind and rain has brought a few refreshing breezes and a bit of comfort.

  However, Chen Haonan couldn't feel a bit of coolness at this moment, let alone comfort...

  Today is August 12th, which is the first day of school for second-year high school students in the south. Early in the morning, Chen Haonan's mother and sister helped him pack his luggage, but he didn't want to go to school at all. Then, because of the heavy rain, his trip was delayed.

  Waiting for the rain to stop, Chen Haonan still didn't want to go to school. He hid in his room and remained silent. To be honest, with his father's serious illness, he could pass away at any moment. As a son, Chen Haonan wanted to accompany his father through this final journey and didn't want to leave for even a moment. However, as a parent, Chen's father had his own thoughts. He knew his son was worried about his condition, but he cared more about his son's studies, hoping he could achieve something and make a name for himself. So, he sent his daughter Chen Jiayi to urge him, but after several attempts, Chen Haonan still didn't come out of his room...

  At last, Mr. Chen finally lost his temper, scolding his son severely and driving him out.

  Although his father's words were harsh and cutting, Chen Haonan didn't mind them. He knew his father's true intentions. His father's body was already very weak, and he worried that his father would worsen his illness due to anger, so he could only hold back tears as he left the house.

  As soon as Chen Haonan left the house, he had been holding back his emotions, but when he turned around the small hill at the village entrance, he could no longer hold it in. Tears burst out like a flood, pouring out uncontrollably. He didn't dare to look back, fearing that he would see his father's frail and thin figure, or his mother, grandparents, and little sister's sorrowful expressions. What he feared even more was that those closest to him would see him crying...

  Because it had just rained heavily, the rural road was a bit muddy. Chen Haonan walked slowly, and although his home was already blocked by the mountain, he still couldn't help but look back again and again.

  They finally arrived at the place to take the car, but Chen Haonan spent three times as much time as usual. The bus came quickly, it was a minibus, and when Chen Haonan got on the bus, he gently put his backpack aside and sat down by the window. He took a deep breath, opened the window in a hurry, and looked out with his head stretched out.

  Sitting in the car, Chen Haonan could clearly see the bamboo forest behind his house and the corner of the house hidden among the bamboos. Every time he went out by car, he would involuntarily cast his gaze towards the direction of the bamboo forest, until the car quickly passed by and the bamboo forest was obscured by the mountain, then he would slowly withdraw his gaze. However, this time, as soon as he poked his head out, what caught his eye was not the beautiful bamboo forest, but something else: a rainbow.

  Perhaps it was just unnoticed, Chen Haonan suddenly had a thread of surprise in his heart, that rainbow stretched across the not-so-distant horizon, faintly and vaguely, one end resting on a small hill in the distance, the other end just propped up against the bamboo forest behind their own home...

  It's been a long time since I've seen a seven-colored rainbow, Chen Haonan couldn't help but feel some excitement. However, the driver who was driving wouldn't care about the beautiful scenery outside the window, he drove very fast - after a while, the rainbow was blocked by the rolling mountains. Of course, no matter how beautiful the scenery outside the window is, the driver can't pay attention to it, otherwise the car will fly off the road and something big will happen.

  "Ah!" Chen Haonan couldn't help but let out a sigh. However, the rainbow was no longer visible, but his heart slowly calmed down. He leaned his head against the car window, and although the wind blowing towards him had already carried some heat, he didn't mind at all. Gradually, gradually, he began to think of his childhood friends Lin Mouchao and Qin Kelan.

  According to their age, Chen Haonan should address Lin Muxiao as "Uncle" and Qin Kelan as "Aunt". However, the two of them were only three or four years older than Chen Haonan. When they were young, he would follow these two younger "seniors" around every day, playing and fighting, so there was no need to worry about age differences. But the happy times of childhood are gone forever. Now Lin Muxiao is in Zhejiang and Qin Kelan is far away in Guangxi, leaving Chen Haonan with only some faint memories. In his memory, Lin Muxiao had a sentence that left a deep impression on him...

  That was many years ago, I remember after the rain, a rainbow stretched across the sky. At that time, little Chen Haonan tilted his head and asked foolishly: "Why is the seven-colored rainbow seven colors? Why isn't it eight or six?"

  Qin Kelan hastily took over the conversation, smiling slyly: "Because it's called 'Seven Color Rainbow', of course there are only seven colors. If there were one more color or one less color, it wouldn't be called 'Seven Color Rainbow'..."

  "Haha!" Lin Mochao gently tapped Qin Kelan's head and smiled, saying, "Who says that? 'Seven-color rainbow' is because it has seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. All things in the world can be mixed from these seven colors - just like the five flavors of life: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. If one is missing, it's not called life!" After a moment, Lin Mochao spoke again, saying, "Life may be beautiful, but it's like a seven-color rainbow, fleeting and ephemeral, gone in an instant!"

  At that time, Chen Haonan was young and completely did not understand why Lin Mochao would suddenly have such sentimental words. However, as soon as Lin Mochao spoke, he and Qin Kexuan both involuntarily lowered their heads in silence, unsure of what to say...

  It's been so many years since then, and Lin Mochao's words have always been etched in Chen Haonan's heart. Suddenly, he thought of it again, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little sad. Thinking about the happy days when he was with Lin Mochao and Qin Kexuan, being young and ignorant, innocent and carefree, playing wholeheartedly... But now, the beautiful memories of childhood have long gone, and former good friends have gone their separate ways, and it's even more hopeless to reunite... "Is this really what Mochao meant by life?" Chen Haonan asked himself softly.

  The car sped down the road, and the trees by the side of the road disappeared one after another... Perhaps this is what life is all about, or perhaps life is not just about these things!