Chapter 33: Is the Whole Island Delivered?

Inside the well-heated car, I slept soundly. I remembered having two dreams, but I forgot one almost as soon as I woke up. The other was about Dr. Wei. He woke me up around three in the morning, saying he wanted to go to the beach to watch the sunrise, which irritated me.

Upon waking up, I complained to him about the dream. Dr. Wei’s smile was helpless and indulgent, “Then I’ll wake you up a bit later, how about six?”

“Too early.”

“What can you see after six?”

“You.”

When Dr. Wei was at a loss with me, he would always end up pinching my face.

The last time I was on the island was in the summer, during my mom’s summer vacation. It had only been half a year, yet several new buildings had sprung up in town. The exposed construction structure was behind dark green safety nets, making it hard to see the people but allowing for the visibility of several bright orange hardhats—like numerous small dots in the distance.

Dr. Wei stopped at a traffic light and leaned forward, almost pressing against the windshield, observing like an animal.

“This place is so different from what I imagined. Why does it look like a commercial street? And there are malls, there’s even a mall and a supermarket.”

“Nonsense. Where doesn’t have a supermarket? Without supermarkets, what would we eat, drink, or use to wipe our bottoms?”

“Eat fruit, drink dew, and wipe with leaves.”

“…”

Dr. Wei’s eyes continuously emitted surprise, “I imagined the island to be small, with people living in old houses from decades ago, walls covered in graffiti, narrow roads that required long walks or bicycle rides to get to a supermarket. It should be surrounded by rocks and greenery. Have you been to Gulangyu Island? What I imagined is somewhat similar to that; the architectural style here is quite similar to my hometown.”

“That’s not bad. Just consider it as returning to your hometown.”

Dr. Wei pointed to the tall buildings not far away, “This residential area has such high floors and so many buildings. Where did the construction materials come from? Did they dig them directly from the island?”

“They’re transported by boat. Who would dig? Are you digging? What if the island ends up being dug through?”

“Then it should be called Donut Island.”

“I’ll thank you on behalf of the tourism bureau.”

Dr. Wei’s gaze remained focused outward, full of disbelief, as if he still had doubts about what I said.

“With so many residential areas and even malls, all the materials have to be brought in from the outside. It takes more than four hours for a round trip. The city’s supplies, when will they all be delivered? Is it the government’s burden or the companies’? The developers must be shouldering quite a cost.”

Truly a child of a wealthy family, his thinking was different. I was almost moved by Dr. Wei’s concern.

“The cargo ships used for transportation are different from the one we just took. Besides, when constructing buildings in the city, don’t they also need to transport materials from other places? It’s just changing from land transport to water transport. It’s a bit more troublesome, but everything else is the same. However, yes, there are tax incentives.”

Dr. Wei was in a state of wonder, like Liu Laoliu visiting the Grand View Garden. Everything seemed novel to him. Halfway through, I got off the car and swapped places with him. Dr. Wei held his phone and filmed around, most likely making a video.

“There are schools on the island too.”

“Yes, even though it’s small, it has everything. But for higher education, you have to go outside the island. That’s why my mom had the chance to meet my dad.”

After a few seconds of silence, he started worrying about something else.

“Aren’t prices here quite high? Everything has to be brought in from the outside.”

“It’s much cheaper than Shanghai. Most of the people living here are either elderly or children. The young ones from here go to the city for schooling. Some of them who want to live in the big cities don’t come back, or they come back when they’re older. So, they’re fewer. If you stay here for a few more days, you’ll notice that the pace of life here is slow. It’s quite suitable for retirement. My dad said he wants to come back after retiring and open a bed and breakfast with my mom. We have a big yard in front of our house. We can plant flowers and plants there, and have outdoor barbecues in the summer. Just take a couple of turns, and you’ll see your kind.”

Dr. Wei burst into laughter, “Running a bed and breakfast is indeed a good idea. You can get to know friends from various places. Your parents have outgoing personalities and love to chat with people. It suits them well.”

Another half-minute of silence.

Dr. Wei: “Can you receive deliveries here? Can they deliver packages?”

“Yes.”

“What kinds of deliveries are there?”

“Everything, just like outside. However, if something arrives in Shanghai the next day, it might take three or four days here.”

“Does that mean you can’t eat lychees? The ice packs might melt on the way, and lychees are easily damaged.”

“You’re really caring. Why didn’t you study political and legal studies and become an official?”

Dr. Wei suddenly pointed outside with excitement, like a little sparrow.

“There’s a Meituan delivery guy here. You can order takeout here. Do they deliver all over the island? Can your home order takeout?”

“… ” I seriously doubted that he came here with the idea of surviving on a deserted island in the wilderness.

“Oh right, is there a gas station here? I haven’t seen one all along the way.”

I sighed, “No, you can start your own mining operation.”

Chapter 89:

The streets were lit up with colorful lights, restaurants were packed, the aroma of meat wafted in the air, carrying a strong festive atmosphere.

My grandma owned a small shop on the street, selling items like pearls and handicrafts made from shells. Most of the things were handmade by her, and my aunt helped with online sales. The business was good, but since she learned that we were coming back home today, she didn’t open the store. She was probably cooking at home.

The car continued to climb up the winding mountain road, and we were getting farther away from the bustling city. The road on the mountain wasn’t too steep, but it was narrow, only enough for two cars to pass. On the right side were rugged rocks, and on the left was the sea. Dr. Wei reminded me a few times to drive slowly.

Our family’s house was a small duplex left by my grandparents when they were younger. It had two small lofts. A few years ago, when it started leaking, my dad had the old house torn down and completely renovated. The exterior was painted beige, and the walls were replaced with anti-corrosion wooden fences. The yard was covered with grass and planted with roses, creating a hint of an American countryside feel.

My mom’s car was parked outside, but I didn’t see 007. I called out a couple of times, but the chubby little guy didn’t rush out as I had expected. My heart sank for a moment. Could it be that my dad forgot to take 007 off the ferry?

“Dad!—”

“Hey, I’m here!” The voice that responded wasn’t my dad’s or Dr. Wei’s; it was a resonant voice belonging to someone who had just ended their voice-changing phase.

Dr. Wei looked at me with confusion.

“It’s my cousin.” I pushed open the door and found Zhang Yaoyang pressing 007 on the ground, rubbing its belly. The little dog was lying upside down, thoroughly enjoying itself.

Zhang Yaoyang was my aunt’s son. My aunt got married and had children relatively late. Zhang Yaoyang was still in his senior year of high school. Previously, whenever it was summer or winter vacation, my mom would send me back to the island to stay, and Zhang Yaoyang often came over to my place. He liked to hide under the same blanket with me, watching TV and playing games. So, among my many siblings, I had the closest and deepest relationship with him.

When he was a child, I was the one changing his diapers, and he never treated me like an outsider.

“Stop rubbing it. You’re making its forehead shiny.”

Zhang Yaoyang grinned. He had two pointed little tiger teeth that looked a bit discordant when combined with his rigid facial features. He inherited his dad’s good genes in terms of height, being as tall as me since the ninth grade. He often engaged in sports at school, possessing a strength different from his peers.

Just his skin was a bit darker.

In the dead of winter, we were all wearing down jackets, but he had on only a thin cashmere sweater.

“When did you get this dog?” Zhang Yaoyang asked.

“It’s not me. My boyfriend got it.”

Zhang Yaoyang’s gaze immediately turned outside. He said expressionlessly, “So, you actually brought him back…”

I had a conversation with Zhang Yaoyang about Dr. Wei on WeChat before. It should have been at the end of August. At that time, I hadn’t clearly defined a romantic relationship with Dr. Wei yet. Zhang Yaoyang only knew that I had gone on a blind date.

Later, when school started, we didn’t talk about this topic anymore. But from his tone now, it seems like he already knows about the relationship between me and Dr. Wei, probably from my mom.

My grandma put down the spatula in her hand and went to the courtyard with my mom to welcome them.

Zhang Yaoyang rubbed the little head of 007 and looked at me, asking, “You didn’t know him for very long, right? Aunt said you moved in with him?”

“Yeah, his place is close to my company, and he can give me a ride to work.”

“No wonder you haven’t been playing games with me lately. Is being in a relationship fun? Weren’t you saying you weren’t planning to be in a relationship before?”

In my memory, Zhang Yaoyang had just stopped wearing diapers not too long ago. He suddenly asked such a serious question, and I didn’t know whether to answer it first or marvel at how much this kid had grown up.

“I said I wasn’t going to be in a relationship because I hadn’t met someone I could connect with.”

“A doctor and a designer, can you two find common ground?”

“You probably don’t understand this. Medicine is a field that everyone will come across. No one stays healthy forever, right? Knowing various medical facts, the more you know, the better. That naturally leads to common ground.”

The laughter of my grandma and the others grew closer. I looked up and met the eyes of Dr. Wei.

“Is this your younger brother?” he asked.

Before I could answer, Zhang Yaoyang stood up: “Hello, big brother.”

“Hello.” Dr. Wei’s lips curved slightly in a polite arc.

“Let’s eat first, let’s eat.” My grandpa shouted, and everyone crowded around the dining table.

Dr. Wei pulled my finger and I leaned over: “What’s up?”

“Where’s the restroom?”

I glanced at the restroom with its light on.

“Go to the second floor, take a left when you get upstairs, and you’ll find my bedroom.”

“Can you come upstairs with me?”

“You need someone to accompany you to the restroom?”

“So, will you accompany me?” His voice was low and carried a hint of magnetism.

“Alright, alright.” I nudged his lower back.

Grandma had already tidied up the room for me. The bed had a brand-new set of beddings, and the navy blue fabric was printed with stars.

Dr. Wei came out of the restroom quickly, took two tissue papers, and wiped while saying, “I heard from your aunt earlier. Your cousin is staying here tonight.”

“Really? He didn’t tell me.”

“His mom said so.” Dr. Wei scratched his nose, “Is he planning to sleep with you?”

This question caught me off guard. Before Dr. Wei appeared, I did indeed share a bed with Zhang Yaoyang.

Dr. Wei leaned back and hugged my pillow, muttering softly, “I want to sleep with you. If he asks to sleep with you later, you have to refuse.”

I finally understood why he insisted on having me accompany him to the restroom.

“Did you bring me up here just to talk about this?”

“Yeah,” Dr. Wei justified himself, “It’s the New Year, and I don’t want to sleep alone.”