SWNOVELXO Chapter 3:
Chapter 3: Writing to the Past Again—Changing a Tragedy:
Upon arriving at the XX Bureau, Lin Xian calmly went to claim his prize.
The prize redemption area was bustling with people.
Many were there to cash in on sports lottery winnings, which, with some luck, could yield tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.
Those coming here to redeem their prizes were typically well-off individuals.
The room designated for Double Color Ball prize claims was separate and offered excellent privacy.
After redeeming his winnings, Lin Xian walked out. Shortly after, his phone buzzed with a message notification:
“Your XXXX card XXXX has been credited with 800,XXX yuan.”
After taxes, over 800,000 yuan had been deposited. What a thrill!
“Still… 800,000 yuan is far from financial freedom,” he thought.
This was why Lin Xian didn’t dare to rashly quit his job just yet.
He planned to use the time-space mailbox a few more times to accumulate enough capital before considering resigning.
Hailing a cab, he instructed, “Driver, take me back to XXX Residential Area.”
The taxi driver pressed the meter and revved the engine.
Lin Xian planned to head home and carefully research ways to make more money.
…
“Huh? Why is there a traffic jam up ahead?”
As they drove onto a narrow bridge, the driver honked at the car in front of them.
A man in white got out of the vehicle ahead and gestured to them, “Stop honking! There’s been a fatal accident up ahead, and a crowd has gathered.”
The mention of fatalities left both the driver and Lin Xian stunned.
What had happened?
Unbuckling their seatbelts, the two stepped out to take a look.
Approaching the scene, they saw a crowd forming a circle, sighing and lamenting.
“Ah… those poor kids, they’re so young… what a tragedy.”
“The parents must be devastated. How will they move on from this?”
“The grandmother who was watching them has already fainted. The mother’s here, but the father’s still on the way… such sorrow…”
Lin Xian, being tall, could see over the crowd to the scene within.
Two young twin girls lay pale and lifeless on the ground. There was no sign of life in them.
Beside them was an elderly woman who had collapsed.
Kneeling on the ground, crying hysterically, was a young woman—the mother of the twins, no doubt.
“Rui Rui… Jing Jing… wake up, my darlings… How am I supposed to live without you?!”
“I can’t face your father! I don’t want to live anymore!”
With that, the grieving mother tried to throw herself off the bridge.
The bystanders hurriedly held her back.
“Don’t be impulsive! Please, calm down!”
“You still have your husband and your parents!”
“Life has to go on, no matter what!”
…
The pain of losing a child is something only parents can truly understand.
It was unimaginable how that mother would cope in the days to come.
Woo-woo-woo!
Police cars and ambulances arrived, clearing the scene.
Lin Xian and the taxi driver returned to the car and took a detour.
The ride was silent for a long time.
The driver lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and sighed heavily.
“Ah… I’m a father of two myself. This is just too tragic… absolutely heartbreaking.”
“The water there isn’t even that deep. If someone had noticed earlier, those kids could’ve been saved.”
“But that road is in terrible shape. No one uses it unless they’re taking a shortcut. That’s probably why no one found them in time after they fell in.”
“If only someone had been there…”
Lin Xian gazed out of the window without saying a word.
…
(In the evening)
Lin Xian turned on the TV to watch the local news. A reporter was covering the tragic accident on-site.
“According to eyewitnesses… at the time, only the grandmother and the two children were present. There was no one else around. By the time they were discovered, it was already too late.”
“The grandmother is now in the ICU. With no surveillance cameras nearby, we have no way of knowing the exact circumstances of this accident.”
“We remind all parents: water and fire are merciless. Please ensure your children do not play in dangerous areas…”
…
Lin Xian had hoped to gather specific details from the news—such as the exact location, time, and cause of the incident—so he could write his letter more clearly.
Picking up the stationery he had just purchased, Lin Xian began writing:
[Dear Yesterday’s Me,]
[Hello,]
…