departed . While i was greeting and shaking hands to the guests i was trying to find your father after trying for half an hour i realised that he probably is in his bedroom and i was right only to find out that his attitude has changed towards me , he was cold and pale but not caused by any sickness but rather a reaction to my presence . I couldn ’ t blame him as i was lost for the past 2 years i was not there for him when he needed me and my boy this is where everything went wrong and it has damned me ever since .’
* Min gasps * ‘ I did not know Yéye ’ ‘ Its okay Min it was mine to blame . I also want you to do something for me before my time runs out .’ ‘ What is it Yéye i ’ ll do anything ’
‘ Do you remember the lantern given to me by your father ? Well there was a riddle written on it that goes ‘ it is there forever , and it will protect me whenever ’ i have discovered the answer already but it took me 2 years to figure it out . Do not feel discouraged because i trust you and you will figure it out much faster than i did . Therefore i want you to go on a journey and tell me once you have figured it out .’
‘ Yes sir ’ answered Min with determination .
* Min packs his bag which consists with a few clothes , some money he earned and some buns from his workplace . Yéye lights up the lantern and tells Min to symbolize the fire as his will and hope when you feel down *
Min started his journey to slove the riddle left by his dad and he walked and walked further and further to an extent where he feels homesick , it was dark and cold Min ’ s clothes were not warm enough to maintain his body temperature and could only rely on the lantern ’ s fire then he then saw a sign board with a name wriiten on it but more importantly he saw a farm farmhouse nearby and with the cold temperature dropping even lower he entered the farmhouse with no hesitation . Next morning he was woken up by an outlandish noise which sounded familier back in Shanghai not only the noices made Min look baffled there were blankets on top of him ! He did not know how to react should he be scared or delighted ?* sound of door opening * a man with an odd looking hat appeared and greeted Min warmly , turns out that this man is the one who owns the farmhouse and last night he was the one who placed the blanket on Min .
* what is your name ?’ asked the farmer * Min thought carefully whether or not to answer his real name to him * ‘ The names Min ’ * The farmer realised that he had the same name as the one he was going to give to his child *
Min and the farmer started talking to each other over delicious lunch and got to know each other better , Min told the farmer the same story Yéye had told him . Then the farmer started with his .
‘ I used to be a father well i was going to be father with my wife being pregnant , we used to live together in this very farmhouse happily and even we even planned the name for the baby already if it is a boy we would call it Min and ifit was a girl we would name her Jing , but a tragic incident occurred . My wife was going into labour in our bedroom accompanied by our local town doctor i waited and waited outside the room with some of mine and my wife ’ s freinds it was such tourture waiting for news , when the doctor walked towards i felt something wrong about it she then told me that she tried her best but there was no saving her . My heart fell into pieces i didnt know what to do she was the onlt thing i had left and now that is gone too . Many days passed too many days passed i spent those days sitting on my rocking-chair looking far across the rice and tea fields wether life is worth living anymore , one day i came out from a pub drunk and went to the farmhouse shockingly i found a little girl lying on the ground i checked weather she was alive for not but thankfully she was alive , for a few days she did not talk and it turned out she was abandoned by her family because she was agirl and eversince that day i took her in as my own daughter .’
‘ If you took her in where is she ?’
A little girl who looked 3 years younger than Min dashed in with a pile of tea leafs hugging the farmer and repeatedly saying the same word ‘ han ’ this was the moment that Min knew the farmer ’ s name .
‘ Allow me introduce myself , people call me Han and she is Jing ’ * Min looks around for his lantern * ‘ Are you looking for this ?’’ Jing asked
* looks surprised as the light has not gone out * ‘ Thank you Jing ’ looking relieved