Chen Lan felt her joy drain away upon hearing the bold pronouncements of her father and daughter. A chilling thought struck her: this year was 1967, and a catastrophic event, the Tangshan earthquake in Hebei province, was destined to strike in July.
Today was the twenty-first day of the sixth lunar month, which, by the solar calendar, was July seventeenth. If her memory served her correctly, the devastating earthquake had occurred around three in the morning on July twenty-eighth, 1976. That meant disaster was less than ten days away.
Chen Lan found herself in a tormenting dilemma: should she speak, or should she remain silent?
She mused that if she were to blurt out now that a massive earthquake would hit Tangshan, Hebei, on the morning of July twenty-eighth, no one would believe her, except perhaps her own family. More likely, she'd be arrested by the Revolutionary Committee and executed on the spot for spreading "heretical pronouncements," "shaking people's morale," and being "anti-Party, anti-society."
She remembered the aftermath of the earthquake: the utter devastation, collapsed houses, shattered roads, destroyed bridges, and a city reduced to rubble.
Thousands, tens of thousands, had perished, and countless more were severely or lightly injured.
Even if she weren't immediately executed by the Revolutionary Committee, Chen Lan knew she wouldn't escape repercussions after the earthquake. The blame would undoubtedly fall upon her, and she and her children would be taken for interrogation. This would not only implicate Xu Mingxuan and the children but everyone in her family. It might even extend to the people she had sheltered in the valley for decades.
What to do? What to do? Should she speak or stay silent? Chen Lan was driven to despair.
If she spoke now, no one would believe her, and her entire family would be at the mercy of their fate, utterly defenseless.
With this realization, Chen Lan decided to be selfish. She couldn't bear the thought of her family being in danger. Besides, even if she spoke, who would believe her? The outcome would be the same as if she had said nothing, so why take such a risk?
Chen Lan resolved to keep this to herself. The guilt and self-reproach would be hers alone to bear.
Yet, despite her decision, Chen Lan was consumed by guilt and self-blame for days. She was restless and suffered from severe insomnia, rapidly losing weight.
Her mother, Xu Mingxuan, and the children all thought she was gravely ill. Medical examinations revealed nothing.
Her two younger brothers and Jiayao also took her pulse, concluding she was suffering from deep-seated emotional distress, a heart full of unspoken worries.
Everyone became concerned. They urged Chen Lan to voice whatever troubled her, rather than letting it fester and harm her health.
Chen Lan offered a smile. "It's nothing! I'm just having trouble sleeping. It's not a big deal; it'll probably pass on its own."
Seeing her insistence, her family was at a loss. They agreed that "a heart ailment needs a heart cure." Xu Mingxuan then arranged for his mother to spend time chatting with Chen Lan daily. The triplets were to share interesting school stories with Chen Lan after classes, hoping to distract her from her obsessive thoughts.
Jiaxing and Jiahe also made time each day to cheer Chen Lan up. Jiahe and Jiahui, in particular, would often hug Chen Lan's shoulders and act spoiled, much to the teasing of her youngest sister, Xiaoshimei, who would call them "shameless." But the two paid no heed, continuing their affectionate gestures.
Chen Lan was deeply touched. She knew her children were trying their best to make her happy, and this affirmed her decision. In this life, Chen Lan harbored no grand ambitions; providing a peaceful and joyful life for her family had always been her sole pursuit.
Regardless of Chen Lan's internal turmoil and self-recrimination, natural disasters were beyond human control. The inevitable misfortunes and hardships would come.
On the evening of July twenty-seventh, Chen Lan had little appetite and barely ate. Her anxiety intensified, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She tried to stop crying, but the tears flowed without her volition.
Her family was terrified by her state. Her mother and Xiaoshimei embraced her, weeping uncontrollably. Her mother cried, "Lan'er, don't leave your mother! Don't abandon me and go first!"
Xiaoshimei sobbed, "Mother, I don't want you to die, I don't want you to die."
Hearing her mother and Xiaoshimei's anguished cries, Chen Lan seemed to awaken. Her tears suddenly stopped flowing.
Wiping her face, Chen Lan sniffled and gently patted her mother and Xiaoshimei's backs. She then spoke, "Mother, Xiaoshimei, stop crying! I have something extremely important to tell everyone in the family today. This matter has been a heavy stone pressing on my heart, but I dared not speak of it. I feared that if I did, our family might be destroyed, so I couldn't take that gamble. I agonized over it for a long time and finally decided not to speak, choosing selfishness."
At that moment, Xu Mingxuan exclaimed, "Lan'er, what nonsense are you talking? Family destroyed? How is that possible? What could be so serious?"
However, her mother declared loudly, "I believe Lan'er. If she says it's serious, then it must be! Lan'er, continue speaking. Your mother believes you."
Her two younger brothers and Jiayao echoed in unison, "We believe big sister, we believe Mother."
The triplets chimed in loudly, "We believe Mother."
Jiahui, Jiahe, and Jiaxing also added, "We believe Mother too."
Reassured by the trust of her mother and children, Chen Lan felt a wave of relief. She then addressed Chunhua, her sisters, and the Jiaxing brothers. "You four siblings, don't go to night school today. Mother has something very important to tell you."
Jiahe immediately responded obediently, "We'll listen to Mother and won't go to night school today! Mother, tell us slowly; your son is listening!"
Chen Lan reached out and stroked his head, then began to speak.
Chen Lan's words left her entire family gaping in shock. They all stood up simultaneously and exclaimed loudly, "What? A major earthquake? How is that possible?" Even her mother questioned her in disbelief.
Chen Lan had anticipated this reaction. If her own family, who lived with her day in and day out, found it hard to believe, how could outsiders?