Chen Lan woke up at her usual morning time of eight o'clock, just like any other day. After retiring, Chen Lan lived a life akin to a beached fish.
Her daily routine consisted of grocery shopping in the morning, followed by breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a stroll in the neighborhood park. Life had been flowing by day after day, uneventfully, for nearly three years!
Her lifestyle had entered a slow-paced rhythm. For almost three years since her retirement, Chen Lan had gradually adapted to this slower pace, no longer rushing through tasks as she once did. She calmly got up, washed up, and prepared to make breakfast. She opened the refrigerator, wondering what edible items were left.
Recently, perhaps due to a week of staying up late to binge-watch shows, Chen Lan’s old ailment, chronic gastritis, had flared up. Her stomach constantly felt uncomfortable, as if a blockage of gas was present, accompanied by a dull, pulling pain. In short, she felt so unwell that she couldn't be bothered to go grocery shopping or cook. She found herself wondering how she had become so sensitive!
She hadn’t been out to buy groceries in about a week, and the food in the refrigerator was nearly depleted. Only a few eggs and a large bone, saved for stewing soup, remained. There wasn’t a single vegetable in sight. It seemed like she would have to settle for egg noodles for breakfast. She called her daughter, who loved to sleep in, to come and eat, but she was still waking up grumpy and throwing a small tantrum. Mumbling under her breath…
Daughter: Mom, why egg noodles again? We eat them every day, every day! I'm going to get sick of them! Can't we have something different?
Chen Lan: Oh! You want something different? Are you going to be difficult about it? This is the last meal of egg noodles, and if you don't eat it, you won't have any tomorrow!
Daughter: Mom, look, it seems like it's going to rain! How about we order takeout? It gets delivered right to the door. Or we could buy groceries on an app? Once it arrives, we can just pick it up from the delivery station.
Chen Lan: Too much trouble, and not convenient! I don't trust anything I haven't picked out myself.
Daughter: Mom, you need to change your old ways and keep up with the times… blah, blah, blah…
Chen Lan: Alright, alright, I won't argue with you anymore. The sky is looking really grim, and the weather forecast says it's going to rain for the next few days, with a moderate downpour today. I need to hurry and do some major grocery shopping; we're missing so many things at home.
Chen Lan quickly finished her meal, grabbed her shopping essentials (a cart, shopping bags, and her phone), and prepared to head out.
Daughter: Mom, don't forget your umbrella!
Got it! Got it! As she was speaking, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept outside, and the sky grew dark and ominous. Then, with a flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder, large raindrops began to fall with a pitter-patter.
Fine! She couldn't go out anymore. She'd have to do her shopping on an app.
The daughter said smugly, "Mom, I told you you just like to make things difficult. I suggested buying online, and you weren't happy about it, always complaining. Lots of things online are great value for money… blah, blah, blah…"
Chen Lan rolled her eyes at her daughter, picked up her phone, and went into her bedroom, planning to lie comfortably on the bed and leisurely select the items she needed.
Outside, it was still a thunderous storm, with flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder! The sky remained dark and heavy!
Chen Lan browsed an app she had recently downloaded, which allowed for both video viewing and shopping. She looked for coupons, hoping to snag a few good deals. She happened to see a brand of boxed facial tissues on a limited-time flash sale with a significant discount. They were running low on tissues at home. Chen Lan was completely focused on snagging a deal.
At that moment, the rain outside intensified, and the sky occasionally roared with thunder.
Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of lightning ripped through the dark clouds and struck Chen Lan, who was lying on the bed!