Zhang Jinglei told me a lot. I listened with my eyes closed, half-understanding. Some things were familiar, others made no sense. She said I had been lying here for five days, unconscious, and only today had I started to regain some sensation. She also told me that Lanya had been guarding me. Lanya had just stepped out for a moment, and she didn't know how happy she would be to learn that I had woken up.
The name Lanya was also familiar. The scene in the tomb just now was vivid. The two girls inside must be them. Listening to Zhang Jinglei's gentle voice, she couldn't be the one who killed "Master" (ye). So Lanya must be the one who wielded the knife, killed the enemy, and avenged me.
She also said I had been attacked by more than a dozen people at the winery. I had a head injury, which was why I hadn't woken up, and my mind and memories had not been restored.
Was I beaten? I tried hard to recall everything I could, but my mind was a blank, utterly empty.
I really wanted to ask her why I was beaten, if the person who hit me was that "Master" person, what the matter with the tomb was, and why I kept dreaming of tombs.
Thinking about these things gave me a headache, so I decided to stop thinking about them.
At that moment, I heard another voice, very familiar. I wondered if it was Lanya, whom Zhang Jinglei had mentioned.
Zhang Jinglei stood up, still holding my hand. She said, "Lanya, Hua Zi just woke up. The doctor said his consciousness hasn't fully recovered yet, but his vital signs are all normal. The main thing now is to help him regain his memory as quickly as possible."
The girl called Lanya said, "Really? I knew it. Hua Zi has been through so many life-or-death situations. This little thing will surely be nothing!"
She walked closer to me and touched my face. I felt a drop of water fall on my face, cool. Then another drop. She quickly wiped it away. I really wanted to say it wasn't necessary to wipe it, that the feeling of the drops on my face was very comfortable, and I cherished this sensation.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make a sound. I felt a force restraining me, making me feel powerless to make any movement.
They each held one of my hands. The girl who had just arrived said, "Hua Zi, you've been asleep for so long. Won't you sleep anymore? Do you still recognize me? I'm your senior, Lanya. But you always called me by my name. When you get better, will you call me senior, please?"
So she was indeed Lanya, that cool senior who faced me with narrowed eyes and killed with a knife. She was my senior, Lanya. But what was a senior? I didn't understand.
She continued, "You have to get better quickly. The day after tomorrow, the farm we want will have an auction. We've been preparing for this for a long time. Besides, you're the boss of our company. If you don't participate and make the decisions, what will we do? You have to make the decisions! Also, in a few days, the raw stone market will open. You have to organize it and invite merchants from Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. No one can replace you. Even if you don't want to, you have to get up and do these things."
I'm the boss? What is a boss? From her tone, a boss seemed like a very important title, and everything needed to be decided by the boss. But why was I the boss? Why weren't they? I didn't understand at all.
She continued, "We agreed that once we get the farm, we'll build a big house by the lake. Your parents, me, and Jinglei sister will all move in and live a reclusive life. If you lie here, we don't even know if we can get that land. How can our wish come true?"
The land she mentioned must be a beautiful place with mountains and clear water. But it was fine if my parents lived with me, why would they both live there too? Who were they to me?
Right, where were my parents? Where were they? Why couldn't I hear their voices?
Although I was fuzzy about who they were, I could remember my parents. My mother managed the household, and my father taught at school.
I really wanted to say I missed my parents a little, but I couldn't make a sound. My mouth tried to open, but it just stayed still.
I tried to move my hand with all my might. They must have felt it. Almost simultaneously, they said, "Hua Zi, you heard us, didn't you?"
I moved my hand again, indicating they were right. Although I didn't quite understand what they were saying, I had indeed heard them.
Lanya said, "Hua Zi, like this, we'll talk about something. If you understand, move your finger. If you don't, don't move. I'll keep talking until you move your hand."
I moved my hand again. She exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, just like that! Very good, you're doing great!"
I thought "great" must be praise. A smile appeared on my face. Though I wasn't sure if they saw my expression, I did smile.
Zhang Jinglei said, "You told me to ask my father to bring out his private collection of raw stones for display at the market opening. I told my father, and although he was reluctant, he agreed to bring out a few to support you."
I didn't understand what raw stones were, nor her father. My hand didn't move.
She seemed a bit anxious and quickly said, "Hua Zi, don't you remember? In my office area, there are many raw stones in the cabinet. You said they were all high-quality. My father has collections elsewhere, and he's willing to bring them out."
I vaguely remembered seeing many beautiful stones in a room. Perhaps she was talking about that. I felt I understood a little and moved my fingers in her palm.
She said happily, "You understood, didn't you? You know, these are all his treasures. He hasn't been willing to take them out for decades. He knows we're working to make the market prosperous and booming, and he's willing to help us."
I moved my hand again. I didn't fully comprehend, but helping others was always a good thing. I expressed my understanding, not wanting to disappoint her.
Lanya was also very happy. My interaction with them was a big step forward.
They told me more, urging me to piece together my experiences and search for traces of my past bit by bit.
Lanya asked if I knew Zhou Yingying. I thought for a long time. It seemed there was such a person. She was fierce, and I was a little afraid of her.
She said, "She was your high school classmate, and later your colleague at the night club. Was there also a person named Wen Siqiang who worked with her? Can you recall them?"
Wen Siqiang, I definitely knew this person, but I couldn't remember who he was.
Lanya said, "Wen Siqiang follows you. He's your subordinate now. You were together five days ago, and you fought a battle on the opposite side. You must remember this, right?"
A battle? And on the opposite side? I seemed to have some memory of it, being on a mountain, and even firing guns.
So, Wen Siqiang must have been by my side then. I tried hard to remember. It seemed there was someone following behind me.