[Interlude ]520 Nine Unsent Letters

The first letter is to the dead comrades

That was the day I left with Master Three. From now on, there will be no Pan Zi on the battlefield. My life has been handed over to Master Three. I know what he does, and I know that from now on, I’ll be living a life where I walk on the blade’s edge. Maybe in my heart, I hope this is true so that I can see my dead brothers sooner…

Brothers,

I’m sorry. Your older brother let you down. He promised to take you home, but he could only bury you here.

I don’t know when I can come to see you today. Master Three saved my life, so I have to repay him first. But I, Pan Zi, will come back sooner or later. Brothers, remember to leave a place for me. From now on, I’ll carry your lives on my back and continue to live.

Go, brothers! Be at ease and start your journey!

Pan Zi

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The second letter is to Yun Cai

In a place where birds don’t shit, looking up at the sky is Fat Master’s favorite thing to do.

Yun Cai,

I once said to a woman, “This fat master will never let the woman he likes die first”, and then she died in my arms… I thought I would never want to say this to another woman again, but Yun Cai, I didn’t expect you to really become a cloud in the sky… (1)

Banai isn’t a big place and this little rundown village isn’t very interesting, but I don’t want to leave. When I do, I’ll never see the clouds here again.

Fatty

－－－

The third letter is to Er Yuehong

Whoever said that opera singers were ruthless didn’t know what they were talking about.

Big brother,

Ya Tou has been cooking noodles with you for twenty years, enjoying a lifetime of happiness.

My body and mind are pure. I don’t love you for your fame and wealth. I only love you because you treat me like I’m one of your own.

Looking at the red lanterns all over the city reminds me of the day you saved me and I saved you.

You see? I won.

Ya Tou

－－－

The fourth letter is to Aunt Bai

It snowed today. I really want to walk in the snow with you on my back all my life.

Aunt Bai:

This is my first and last letter to you. I don’t know how to read, so I asked Qi Tiezui to write it for me today. I don’t know if he’s going to make up some crazy nonsense.

I’m leaving tomorrow, so don’t look for me.

If I don’t come back in three days, go marry someone.

Be well, so that Old Six can feel at ease when he sets off.

Old Six

－－－

The fifth letter is to Black Back the Sixth

I never believed in fate, but I had to accept it.

Old Six,

Consider this letter to be like a meeting. When writing this letter, you and I are still friends in this world, but by the time you read it, maybe we’ll meet in hell. You’ll laugh and say that it’s our retribution for doing this. I never believed in fate, but I had to accept it. At present, there’s no other way. I don’t want you to die at the hands of others, so if you want to blame me, I’ll apologize on my way to the underworld. Willing to give up one person in exchange for the Nine Gates… just know that one day, you will understand why I did it. May you go in peace.

Qishan.

－－－

The sixth letter is to Old Dog Wu

I took your dog away because I want you to remember me forever.

Old Dog Wu,

It’s been a month since I came back from Hangzhou, and you haven’t sent a letter or telegram. I knew you would be like this, so I took your favorite dog with me when I left.

She didn’t stop us. We’re the same kind of people at heart, so I know that if you choose her, you’re actually choosing me.

I’m going to Beijing, so we’ll be thousands of miles apart. Me in the north and you in the south.

May we never meet again in this life.

Huo Xiangu

－－－

The seventh letter is to Zhang Qiling

When it comes to many things, it’s not a matter of whether I want to do them or not, it’s just that I can’t stop them.

Little Brother,

I walked alone on the road for a long time this morning, looking carefully at Hangzhou in the morning light. Then, I suddenly realized that the last time I earnestly saw the morning here seemed to be a long time ago. For ten years, I have done a lot of things that I couldn’t do or wasn’t good at before. Originally, many things were done for you, but slowly, they became instinctive. Now I understand what you said back then. When it comes to many things, it’s not a matter of whether I want to do them or not, it’s just that I can’t stop.

It’s been ten years. We should be seeing each other soon.

Wu Xie

－－－

The eighth letter is to Black Glasses

Please note: We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is not valid.

Black Glasses,

Department of Ophthalmology, Golmud Nursing Home, call 010-116 for appointment registration.

Xie Yuchen

－－－

The ninth letter is to Nanpai Sanshu

Since we can’t escape, let’s walk hand in hand through the years when you walked alone.

Nanpai Sanshu,

We finally have the chance to show the literary accomplishments that you’ve suppressed for so many years, even though the theme is to express our deep and restrained love for you. We will definitely cherish this opportunity and use every beautiful technique we can find to describe everything behind your glamour, except for being fat.

We used to be very worried that we would turn on you. After all, you look a far cry from the image of a domineering president. But whenever we see the dark circles under your eyes and your tired and worn-out body, we especially want to rub your head that you haven’t washed for seven days in order to fill in the pits, and give you some comfort and encouragement. Every time I go to work, I secretly refresh Weibo and see so many people urging you to fill in the pits. I want to send them a handful of your unwashed hair as a threat.

In fact, I don’t spend much time with you, but every time I see you, we understand things a little better. It turns out that the world is so hard, and it’s been like this since the day we were born. We always shake our glasses and talk and laugh at dinner, but no one will know that you feel helpless and hesitate at certain moments.

I never realized how much energy a person needs in order to bear the love and expectations of so many people, especially someone who doesn’t rely on his face to make a living. So, let us accompany you on this journey. Let us replace the tens of thousands of people who love you so that we can accompany you, Nanpai Sanshu.

Little Alien

<2019 Mid-Autumn Festival Extra><Table of Contents><>

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TN Notes:

(1) Yun Cai (云彩) means “cloud”

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Some of the Chinese fans didn’t think this was written by the author since that last letter looks like it was written by a fan. But it’s not like I can tell, so I’m posting it anyways.