Xinxin, at the age of forty, spent her birthday alone, getting drunk solely with her own company. The room's simple furnishings and the cheap dishes on the table each testified to her poor and simple life. She fell into a deep sleep, her prematurely aged face veiled by strands of brittle, yellow hair.
She dreamt vaguely of her childhood. Suddenly waking from her sleep, a large snake coiled in front of her. The snake opened its mouth, its tongue terrifyingly flickering, its foul putrid smell inundating all her senses. Her body became rigid, her eyes staring at the dreadful snake in utter despair.
"Ah..." Her scream split through her world of despair. She was lifted by her mother, sprinting out the door, and then tumbling onto the ground.
After that, her mother's frantic yells for help, footsteps, and the crowd's fast queries filled the air.
Her vision was chaotic, and she passed out.
Who knows how much time elapsed before her father's gentle voice was heard: "Xinxin, don't be afraid..."
A pair of warm hands caressed her forehead, calming her heart. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a world of blurry confusion.
In front of her was her father's young smiling face. His bloodshot eyes and green military uniform were particularly impressive, with a few glistening stars solemnly flashing on his shoulder.
"Must be a dream..." Xinxin rubbed her eyes, her father's delighted face still before her, his smile tender and kind.
Xinxin flung herself into her father's arms, tightly clutching onto his lapels, terrified that his tall figure would vanish at any moment. Tears began to stream down her face involuntarily.
She was held, the feeling of genuine physical contact calmed her down. Her father's doting voice sounded in her ear: "Xinxin, be good, don't be afraid. Daddy will take you to the hospital to see mommy and your brother. Your brother was just born ..."
Mommy and little brother? Xinxin woke up fully at last.
How come she was so small that she could comfortably nestle in her father's arms? And why did her hands look like those of a child? Why did her father's face appear to be so smooth and young?
Completely bewildered, Xinxin remembered the loss of her father and the lonely birthday she had just celebrated alone at her 40th birthday. Had she been reborn?
Excited, Xinxin asked, "Dad, what year is it?" She widened her eyes, anxiously waiting for her father's response.
With a puzzled look, her father said, "Silly child, how many times have I told you, it's 1972. You're such a little ditz, you're already five years old."
Xinxin quickly hopped down and ran to the mirror. She saw a young, innocent face and her short stature reflected back at her — she had really been reborn, and she was overjoyed.
Since heaven had arranged for her rebirth, she would not let this life pass by ordinarily.
She was determined to protect her family and everyone who loved and cared about her, to ensure she wouldn't be bullied again, and never again spend a lifetime alone.
Her father saw her standing in a daze one moment, then happily hopping around in the next. It seemed she hadn't been frightened by the big snake. Most of his worry was relieved at that.
In a gentle tone, he said, "Xinxin, let's go with daddy. Mom and brother are waiting for us in the hospital."
Mom and brother, Xinxin nodded frantically at the thought. She hadn't seen her mother and brother for many years. In her previous life, her mother had basically worked herself to death, and her brother, with his poor health, died young, leaving her with endless regret.
Xinxin, hurriedly rushing with her father to see her mother and brother, felt urgency surging within her.
In this life, her brother was prematurely born again. Why didn't she get reborn a bit earlier, even a moment before would have been better, her eyes reddened.
Her brother's premature birth in her previous life led to congenital defects due to lack of funds for proper care, causing his early death.
Xinxin's home was on an island of the Zhoushan Archipelago in Zhejiang Province. The island spans thousands of kilometers and houses a military regiment.
Her father served as the Commander in the military camp. He was from the northeast and joined the army during the liberation war, liberating most of China, and pushed Chiang Kai-shek from the northeast all the way to Taiwan.
Her father and his comrades stayed on the island of their homeland, guarding the southern gate of the motherland. Her mother and several military dependents remained on the island.
The island where she lived was far across from a small island near Kinmen. In her previous life, her father would often take her to the seashore and tell her that there was an island on the distant sea where the enemy lived, and that it was the sacred duty of soldiers to guard the motherland.
Not far from the military camp was the residential area for the families. There were mountains nearby, and occasionally small animals would run into the residential area. Bizarrely, a big snake appeared just the day before.
At that time, Xinxin and her mother were asleep at home. Her mother, seven months pregnant, ran out of the house in shock and panic with Xinxin in her arms, and then collapsed on the ground.
Family members rushed her mother to the hospital. By evening, her mother had given birth to a little brother, thankfully both mother and child were safe.
The doctor reassured them, “The child should recover properly, there should be no subsequent complications.”
After examination, the doctor diagnosed Xinxin with shock-induced unconsciousness but assured them she should be fine upon waking.
Later, many soldiers from a troop came and cleared all the weeds around the family compound. They inspected and repaired the roofs of the houses. The snake which had caused all the havoc seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Her family moved into a house inside the residential area; their old house was converted into a storehouse for the troops.
Xinxin and her father hurried to the hospital. Finally, they saw her mother, whose hair was damp from sleep, her face pale due to exhaustion. On the tall IV stand, the drip was falling at a steady pace.
Her little brother was tiny and thin, his eyes tightly shut. His face was covered with blue-gray creases, and his head was bald except for three short hairs sticking sparsely to the scalp.
Their father looked at the baby boy joyfully with a softened face, as if he wanted to wrap him in his love forever.
After a while, her mother woke up and saw Xinxin’s teary face. Overwhelmed with emotions, she called out, “Mom.” Tears streamed down her face as she tightly held her mother’s warm hand.
Her only wish in her past life had been for her parents to be healthy. She felt blessed simply by being by their side, no matter what she was doing.
Her mother's gentle eyes looked every bit as loving as they did in her past life. Although her face was unwell, she was obviously thrilled, examining Xinxin carefully as if afraid to miss anything.
“I'm sorry, Xinxin,” her mother said with guilt, “I did not take good care of you, and frightened you.”
Xinxin hastened to comfort her, “Mom, it’s not your fault. You braved danger for me, even at the risk of your own life and the unborn child’s.”
Her mother gently stroked Xinxin's head, “Silly girl, both of you are my children. No matter what happens, I will always protect you. I only worry about your little brother. He was born too early...I don't know if he can be raised healthy.”
Her father, too, spoke with remorse, “It's not your fault, it’s mine. If only I had cleaned up the grass around the house sooner, or inspected the roof frequently. The accident might have been avoided. It's my responsibility...”
She smiled and reassured them, “It’s fine, neither of you needs to apologize. Look, aren't mom, my little brother and I all safe?”
Upon hearing this, she joined hands with her parents, feeling as if she owned the whole world. The whole family laughed in relief, only her little brother seemed startled by the noise and opened his eyes, looking confused.
After a while, the doctor came to check on her mother and the little brother and announced that they could be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.
