Chen Jia li stood outside and watched the smoke pour out of her house like it was a movie. The loud sounds of the ambulance, the firefighters, and the people talking and crying all seemed to fade away. She was only seven years old, but the fire felt like it had burned a piece of her soul. She didn't cry. She just stared at the thick smoke going up into the dark night sky of City S.
Someone suddenly grabbed her and hugged her, sobbing hard and repeating, "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, thank God you weren't here…" That was a friend of her parents, whom she called Aunt Yina. Yina kept crying while she led little Jia li toward two stretchers standing outside the ambulance.
As Jia li got closer, the noise around her got quieter and quieter until she could only hear her own heart beating in her ears. She first walked up to her mother. Her mother's face and skin had bad burns, and black and red scars covered half of her body, showing how serious the fire was. She then turned to her father. His face was barely recognizable. He had clearly been hurt the most.
The seven-year-old felt something inside her just break. She let out a loud, terrible scream that made everyone look at her. Tears streamed down her face, and her whole body shook with sobs. Everyone around felt deep sympathy. Some people gasped, and some started crying along with her. She stood there for a long time, crying and mourning her parents' sudden death.
Grandma Shan Hu, her paternal grandmother, heard the news and arrived as fast as she could. With her small, thin body, she frantically searched the area with tears in her eyes, wishing this was all a terrible dream. She saw the stretchers and rushed over. Seeing her only son and her daughter-in-law lying motionless, she covered her mouth with her hands as her heart shattered.
Then she noticed little Jia li crying her eyes out right beside the stretchers. Shan Hu bent down and hugged her precious grandchild tight. She was heartbroken, but she knew she had to stay strong for Jia li.
"Let it all out, baby. Grandma is here, okay? You don't have to worry about anything anymore." Those were the only words she could find to comfort her.
She was so grateful for the school camp that had kept Jia li away. If the girl hadn't gone, she would have been another casualty of the tragedy. Grandma Shan Hu looked up at the sky, praying to any power that would listen to make life easier and better for them from this moment on.
The drive to the downtown area was quiet. Jia li sat pressed against her grandmother in the back of a kind neighbor's car. The city lights streamed past the window, but Jia li didn't see them. Her mind was trapped in the orange glow and the dark smoke of the mansion. Shan Hu held her tightly, offering silent strength. She knew no words could touch this kind of pain.
They arrived at a medium-sized house in a quiet, older downtown area of City S. This was Grandma Shan Hu's house, where she lived alone. Her son had always tried to convince her to move to his house, but she loved the quiet environment too much. Now, this quiet house was the only sanctuary left.
Grandma Shan Hu held Jia li's hand as they walked into the house. The little girl had nothing but a stuffed toy and the small luggage she took to camp.
Her beautiful eyes were red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep. Her long hair was a mess, and her clothes were stained with soot and blood from being near her parents' bodies. She was silent, moving mechanically, like a doll whose strings had been cut.
Shan Hu took her inside immediately. The first order of business was to wash away the night. She ran a warm bath and gently helped Jia li undress, watching the faint residue of the fire wash off her skin. She brushed the girl's tangled hair until it was smooth and shiny again, treating the simple act of cleaning as a ritual of healing.
Then came the food. Jia li complied with everything quietly. She sat at the small kitchen table in new clothes; a simple t-shirt of hers that Shan Hu had kept. She even ate the warm bowl of rice porridge without a fuss. She was just seven, but her eyes were lifeless and dull, as if a vital part of her had died in the flames.
That first night was defined by silence. Jia li lay in the guest room, tucked into a bed that smelled faintly of lavender and old lace. She didn't ask for her parents or why her life was suddenly different. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, her silence heavier than any noise.
Grandma Shan Hu sat in the rocking chair by the door all night, listening to the small, even breaths of the child. She felt a profound, exhausting sadness, but also a fierce, protective determination. She had lost her son, but she would not lose his daughter. She had to build a new world for Jia li, brick by slow, careful brick.
The next morning, the ritual began; a simple breakfast, a gentle comb through the hair, and a walk in the small backyard garden. Jia li was enrolled in a local school within the week. Shan Hu knew that routine and normalcy were the only things that could anchor the drifting soul of her granddaughter.
She watched Jia li interact with other children or rather, fail to interact. Jia li was polite but distant. She was already too quiet, too thoughtful for her age. The n
playful innocence was gone, replaced by a permanent shield of reserve.
Shan Hu focused on small victories, the small giggle when the cat chased a toy. A single question about a flower in the garden. Each small sign of life was a precious gift. She spent hours teaching Jia li how to bake her father's favorite bread, hoping the familiar smells would evoke happy, protective memories instead of fear.
She kept the house filled with warmth and simple love, deliberately avoiding anything that felt too opulent or too complicated. She wanted Jia li to feel safe, away from the judgmental eyes of the broader family and the hollow connections of high society.
Grandma Shan Hu looked at her grandchild with her kind eyes, and promised herself to take care of her and give her everything she deserved. She just hoped that the little Jia li will get over this tragedy.
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A/N: Hello everyone, how is the first chapter??