第28章
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This lasted half a year.
And then，Xue Kai，now at the nadir of his career，braced himself and emerged from seclusion to attend a televised gala.The other guests all kept their distances，and even the host made him the butt of several jokes.Fortunately，a fifteen-year-old girl in the audience claimed to be his die-hard fan and asked for his autograph，allowing him to save a bit of face.But as Xue Kai grinned and signed his name，the young woman pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into his belly.Then，as the shocked host and guests watched，she proceeded to stab him again and again on live TV…
Xue Kai died as millions watched.Afterward，the young woman received a sentence of sixteen years.However，public opinion stayed on her side，and many even opined that she should be deemed innocent for eliminating a waste of human flesh.
A few more months passed，and it was the anniversary of Ye Lin’s death.Liu Ningning，being a loyal fan，visited Ye Lin’s grave during the day and then returned to the site of Ye Lin’s suicide at night.
At one in the morning，Ningning opened the door to the rooftop platform of the Future Tower.A blast of wind greeted her，making her shiver.Imagining how Ye Lin felt on that day a year ago，Ningning stepped toward the edge where she had jumped.There was no rain on this night，and a crescent moon hung in the sky，the motley neon radiance of the metropolis spread out under its glow.
Suddenly，Ningning noticed a hazy figure standing at the edge of the roof.Startled，she almost screamed.But as she looked closer，the figure was Jiang Yong.
“Captain，what are you doing here？”she asked.“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of…ending…”
“Nothing like that.”Jiang Yong’s voice was placid.“I saw you post on NanoShare that you were thinking about coming here.I figured I’d join you.”
“Right.Hard to believe it’s been a year already.I guess Xue Kai got what he deserved.I hope Ye Lin can rest in peace.”
“I’ve replayed hundreds of pre-death memory records，but hers affected me the most.Even now，as soon as I close my eyes，I seem to be falling through the air again.”Jiang Yong gazed at the horizon and sighed.
“Your face is always so serious，”said Ningning.“I had no idea that you were…so sensitive.”
“Why？Do you think I’m an emotionless，case-solving robot？”Jiang Yong chuckled without mirth.“No，crime investigation requires understanding the passions that move people.Otherwise，it’s impossible to see through some cases，like this one.”
“What do you mean？”
“Ningning，do you remember how you insisted that this was a murder a year ago？You were right.”
“Of course！Even though Ye Lin jumped from here，Xue Kai was the one who made her do it.”
“No.The truth is just the opposite.This was a meticulously planned murder，but Xue Kai was the victim，”Jiang Yong said.
“What…what are you talking about？”Ningning’s eyes widened in shock.
“Ye Lin used her own death to seek revenge against Xue Kai.Everything was planned.”
“How？”
Jiang Yong smiled.“Ye Lin knew that the contents of her memory black box would be disseminated widely after her death.She thus consciously designed and arranged her recollections.Indeed，even jumping from the Future Tower was part of her plan.This is the highest building in the city，and the long fall gives her the time to marshal her memories for maximum emotional impact.As she fell，she deliberately recalled the events of her life related to Xue Kai and invoked her intense hatred and rage.As millions replayed her memories，they weren’t just a passive audience watching a movie；instead，they experienced the same powerful emotions she did.In a sense，Ye Lin infected everyone with the fervor of her feelings.The girl who killed Xue Kai on impulse was one of the infected.”
“Are you calling her memories untrue？”
“Of course they were real，but they weren’t the entire truth.”Jiang Yong said.“After Xue Kai’s death，I replayed his memories as well.Many of his recollections conflicted with Ye Lin’s，and that was when I became suspicious.I gathered numerous other documents and evidence，and after comparing and contrasting，I discovered that Ye Lin was not entirely innocent of fault.For example，she didn’t become a star merely because a talent scout found her.In fact，she had gotten her break by trading sexual favors with producers and casting directors，and maintained a quid-pro-quo relationship with many of them long after.She also undermined competitors in the business in unethical ways，and arranged sexual liaisons for powerful executives—”
“But she never did anything to hurt Xue Kai.She loved him！”Ningning interrupted.
“True.She really did love Xue Kai.But people are complicated.She also kept many secrets from Xue Kai，who，after finding out about some of them，became angry with her.Ye Lin was also jealous and overbearing，and she insisted on monopolizing all decisions regarding the couple’s finances，which damaged the bond between them…There’s no doubt Xue Kai’s behavior was wrong，but he didn’t deserve to die.”
“So you’re saying…”Ningning’s tone was thoughtful.“Ye Lin sought vengeance，and she used her own death to drag Xue Kai into the abyss？She was responsible for Xue Kai’s death？”
“No，the real killer of Xue Kai was someone else.”
“Who？You mean the young woman who stabbed him？”
“Ningning，”Jiang Yong said as he turned toward her and locked gazes.“The one who really sent Xue Kai down that road from which he would not return was you.”
“What kind of sick joke is this？”Blood drained from Ningning’s face.
“Contempt and resentment for Xue Kai blinded me at first as well.But once I began to suspect Ye Lin’s memories didn’t tell the whole story，I replayed her record several more times.I noticed that the record had been edited，and the final section，the few seconds right before she struck the ground，had been deleted.Whoever performed the edits was very skilled，but still，traces of tempering were left behind.Do you know what the deleted memories were？”
Ningning bit her bottom lip，refusing to answer.
Recollections that troubled Ye Lin’s conscience，additional private details from her life with Xue Kai，happy scenes from her life，memories of her childhood，and a moment infused with deep regret right before her death.Ye Lin made a mistake.She thought she hated Xue Kai enough to desire revenge against him through her death.But she was wrong：death made everything meaningless，including vengeance itself.Her resolve，held together with great effort，collapsed at the end.In that moment before death，she no longer hated Xue Kai…
And if the public had experienced the entirety of her memory record，they would have been able to view this matter with more sense.
“But the first person to decrypt and retrieve her memory was you，the loyal fan.Because of your sorrow at her death，and to protect her image，you censored those parts of her memory that were unfavorable to her.You shouldn’t have done it.”
“I…”Ningning’s lips trembled as though she wanted to argue，but in the end，she gave up.“Yes，I did it！I don’t care what wrongs Ye Lin might have done，all I know is that a scumbag like Xue Kai deserved to die.I wanted to make sure the truth was more clearly presented.”
Jiang Yong shook his head.“You were wrong.A partial truth is the same as a lie.Everyone’s memories and feelings are subjective，and we’re each trapped in our own perspectives.But the differences between perspectives，collectively，create objectivity.You had no right to impose your views on others.Perhaps you had no legal responsibility for Xue Kai’s death，but as an officer of the law，tempering with the evidence subjects you to criminal prosecution.Let’s go.”
Ningning said nothing the whole time Jiang Yong drove her to the police station.But just as she was about to be brought into the detention cell，she turned around and asked，“Captain，may I ask you one more question？I can’t figure out how you managed to recover the data I deleted.I was sure I had erased it completely，and I know I didn’t make any technical mistakes.”
“I didn’t recover the data，”said Jiang Yong.“All I had were traces that deletion had occurred.You’re the only one who knows what the deleted memories were.”
“Then how were you able to tell me the contents？”
“I just guessed.”Jiang Yong sighed again.“No one can hold onto hatred in the moment before death.They always remember the earliest memories of childhood：the kind faces of loving parents，the flashes of joy and happiness—love for the beautiful parts of life always triumphs over hatred，and that is the essence of life.Ye Lin finally figured it out the moment before she died.It was too late for her，but it was better than not knowing that truth.”
Summer at Grandma’s House
by Hao Jingfang，translated by Carmen Yiling Yan
He pondered silently：the chain of unconnected actions that had determined his doom and destiny had been of his own creation.
After this summer，I finally understand what Camus said of Sisyphus.
I never looked at the word“fate”this way before.In the past，I always thought that either it was prearranged，and all we had to do was follow along；or that it didn’t exist at all，so we had to devise our own ath in life.
I didn’t realize there might be a third option.
1
In August，I leave for my grandmother’s home in the country，fleeing ruckus like Newton fled the Black Plague.I want a quiet summer，nothing more.
The taxi drives out of the city，then along the dusty highway.I stuff my big，empty backpack under the seat and slump against the window.
Really，I’m not running away from anything earth-shattering.My graduation from college is going to be delayed a year.I broke up with my girlfriend.On top of that，I’m feeling a touch of ennui，leaving me unable to take interest in anything.The last one scares me a bit，but other than that，there’s nothing big.I’m not given to drama.
Mom approved.Find someplace to fix up your spirits，she told me，and come back ready for another go.She thought I was really tormented，which wasn’t true.There’s no way I could get her to understand that，though.
My grandmother’s little two-story bungalow sits at the foot of the mountain，its red roof hidden in the dense treetops.
A small chalkboard hangs from the wooden door.Written on it is：“Zhanzhan，I’ve gone shopping.The door is unlocked，so come in on your own when you arrive.There’s food in the fridge.”
I try pulling on the door handle，but it doesn’t budge.It doesn’t turn either，even when I twist harder.I can only sit on the steps and wait.
Grandma’s getting muddle-minded with age，I think.She must have locked the door by habit when she left，then forgot about it.
Grandpa passed away early.My grandmother’s lived here ever since she retired.Mom and Dad wanted to buy her a house in the city，but she turned down all their offers.She said she was used to living alone，as she pleased.She disliked the noise and clamor of the city.
For all her life，Grandma was a college professor；her mind and body were still sound.So Dad agreed.We keep saying we’ll spend a holiday here，but either Dad would be busy，or I’d have something planned with my schoolmates and couldn’t cancel.
I hope Grandma can still take care of herself on her own here，I think to myself，sitting on the steps.
Grandmother finally returns in the evening，quickening her strides when she sees me in the distance.She smiles at me.“Zhanzhan，when did you arrive？Why didn’t you go in the house？”
I dust off my butt and stand up.Grandma walks up the steps，shifts all her bags to her right hand，and pushes the door with her left hand，on the side closer to the hinges—opposite from the handle.Just like that，the door swings open，no fuss.Grandma walks in first，holding the door open for me.
My face flushes a little.I hurry in after her.It looks like I was overthinking things earlier.
Night descends.Night in the countryside is quiet and tranquil，just the dance of tree shadows cast by the moon.
Grandma quickly prepares dinner.The rich fragrance of beef fills the small house.After a long day of travel，the smell makes me ravenous.
“Zhanzhan，bring me the mayonnaise in the kitchen，please.”Grandma carefully sets a tureen of steamed eggs with mushroom on the table.
My grandmother’s kitchen is spacious and decorated in soft colors.Soup simmers on the stove，wreathed in steam.
I pull open the fridge，only to get a shock：inside of the fridge is a baking tray，and the inner walls glow red with heat.A row of apple pastries are crisping on the tray.The sweet smell of butter and honey assaults my face.
Turns out this is the oven.I hurriedly push it shut.
Where’s the fridge，then？I turn around.There’s a glass-windowed metal door under the stove—I assumed that was the oven.I walk over and pull it open，and discover that it’s a dishwasher.
So I pull open the dishwasher，and find that it’s a water purifier；pull open the water purifier，and find that it’s a trash can；open the trash can，and find that it’s filled with a broad selection of CDs，neatly sorted.
Finally I realize that the“heating unit”under the window—I thought it looked like a radiator in its ridged casing—is，in fact，the fridge.I locate the mayonnaise，and make sure to open the lid and sniff it，just to make sure the jar doesn’t actually contain condensed milk.Only after I’ve checked do I return to the dining room.
Grandma already has bowls and chopsticks set out.The instant I sit down I start stuffing my face.
2
I spend the next few days furiously learning how to identify everything.
Almost nothing in Grandma’s house has a function that matches what you’d expect from the form.The coffeepot is a penholder，the penholder is a lighter，the lighter is a flashlight，the flashlight is a jam container.
That last one gives me trouble.It’s the middle of the night when I get up to go to the bathroom.I unthinkingly grab the“flashlight”in the living room，only to get a handful of jam.In the darkness，the wet stickiness on my hand scares the sleep right out of me.When the realization dawns，my first instinct is to get a tissue，but the tissue box is filled with white sugar.I reach for the lamp.Who could have guessed that the table lamp is fake，and that the switch is actually a mousetrap？
With a sharp pa，I find myself in an awkward situation.On my left hand is jam dipped in white sugar.On my right hand is a table lamp smeared with cheese.
“Grandma！”I call softly，but don’t hear a reply.I can only climb the stairs，keeping both hands lifted in front of me.Her bedroom is dark，but yellow-orange light seeps from a small room at the end of the hallway.
“Grandma？”I try，outside of the room.
Following muffled scrapes of table and chair，Grandma appears at the door.She looks me over and bursts right into laughter.“Come with me，”she says.
The room turns out to be much larger than I thought.The lights are bright，and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust.Only then do I see that this is a lab.
Grandma takes an oddly-shaped little key from a drawer and frees me from the table-lamp-mousetrap.I lick my fingers.The cheese still smells delicious.
“Why are you doing experiments this late in the night？”I can’t help but ask.
“With bacterial colony growth，I have to take observations every hour.”Smiling，Grandma leads me over to a milk-colored countertop.A neat row of round Petri dishes lie on the counter，each filled with a translucent substance that looks like medicinal cream.
“Is this...nutrient agar？”I’ve done similar experiments at school.
Grandma nods.“I’m observing the movement of transposons in the bacteria.”
“Transposons？”
Grandma opens one of the Petri dishes on her end.She hefts it in her hand and says，“They’re pieces of DNA capable of encoding reverse transcription enzyme，which allows them to migrate along DNA，breaking away or re-integrating themselves.I want to use them to insert synthetic genes for drug resistance.”
Grandma sets the lid back on.“But I don’t know if it will work.This Petri dish is exposed to the air，providing a low-humidity environment.The one next to it is submerged in a sugar solution.The one after that has been enriched with extra ATP.”
I follow her example and open the Petri dish closest to me.“What are the conditions in this one？”
I dab my cheese-covered fingertip on the agar.I know that having plenty of nutrients makes cells reproduce faster，which should speed up the genetic integration.
“Zhanzhan！”Grandma hesitates，then says，“That’s the control sample.It’s not supposed to have any added factors.”
I’m always like that，full of assumptions when I do things，and careless ones at that.
One time，when Jingjing and I fought，she said that I always went about things impulsively，inconsiderately，immaturely.She’s right，I think.She was complaining about the way I always forgot to call her，but I know my problem goes further than that.Jingjing’s a person with lots of plans，and the capability to carry out each one of them reliably，but I’m the total opposite.When I try to carry out my plans，they always go wrong，as sure as bread lands butter-side down.
Without a control，Grandma will have to redo the whole experiment.She can keep observing，technically，but at the least she wouldn’t be able to use it in proper published results.
I’m panicked，unsure of what I should do，but Grandma doesn’t seem to be angry at all.
“It’s no big deal，”Grandma says.“I could use a sample with added cholesterol anyway.”
And Grandma really does take out a marker pen，makes a note on the lid，and keeps on observing.
3
The next morning，Grandma makes sweet osmanthus flower porridge.The morning sun is lovely shining down on the countryside.The only sound for miles around is birdsong.
Grandma asks me if I have any plans for these few days.None，I say.That’s the truth.The only thing I might want to do is think about what I might want to do.
“Your mother says your graduation was delayed because of English，but I don’t see how that could be the case.Weren’t you an English major before you switched？You should be quite good at English.”
“I didn’t test past the fourth level，”I mumble.“I forgot to register in junior year，and this year I forgot the test date.”
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