Chapter 43

The night the results were released, Zhou Siyue was in Nanjing with his professor attending a machinery exhibition. In the evening, he met with Jiang Chen and had a quick meal.

After half a year in the army, Jiang Chen finally saw his family. He was so excited his eyes welled up with tears. He clung to Zhou Siyue at the entrance of the army mess hall and refused to let go. Zhou Siyue pulled him away, "Alright, aren't you ashamed, a big man like you?"

Jiang Chen had always been close to Zhou Siyue since childhood. He hugged Zhou Siyue's arm and whined, "No shame, I missed you guys terribly."

Zhou Siyue watched him, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Jiang Chen had been cooped up for half a year, and now he was like a chatterbox, spilling everything out, rambling on and on. Zhou Siyue didn't mind; after a couple of bites, he leaned quietly against the chair back, listening. He had always been an excellent listener, there was no doubt about that.

"The first two days I arrived," Jiang Chen said, holding his chopsticks and gesturing with two fingers, his eyes filled with hatred, "fifty kilograms of weight for five kilometers. After running that, I couldn't go down the stairs for two days, I had to crawl down—"

"Behind it was a lake, minus ten degrees, soaked in the water, teeth chattering from the cold. Anyone who shouted 'cold,' a basin of cold water would be dumped right over their head, asking if you were still cold?! Say 'cold,' and another basin—until you shouted 'not cold' anymore."

Zhou Siyue listened to his vivid description, engrossed, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

"Regrets?"

"No, isn't it often said that you regret two years if you join the army, but regret a lifetime if you don't?" Jiang Chen poked his chopsticks into his bowl, looked down and smiled, "How should I put it? You've always been better than us since we were kids. All the neighbors thought you'd achieve great things in the future. I, Jiang Chen, don't have much ability, and I don't want people to look down on me. You do great things, I join the army, it won't hurt your reputation."

Zhou Siyue chuckled and shook his head, "Alright, hurry up and eat a couple more bites, I need to go."

"Where to?"

"Back to Beijing, results are out tonight."

Jiang Chen slurped down two mouthfuls of noodles, then said nonchalantly, "You didn't take the test, what results are you—" He paused, then suddenly looked up, staring directly at Zhou Siyue, "Wait, you've got a human vibe about you lately."

He had returned to his usual joking and inconsistent self.

Zhou Siyue chuckled and kicked him under the table, "Eat your noodles."

Jiang Chen laughed gleefully, then傻乎乎 bowed his head and slurped down the last bits of noodles in the bowl in a few quick bites, not leaving a single strand of vegetable.

Zhou Siyue shook his head and clicked his tongue twice, "You've been reformed pretty well in there, Old Jiang will be thrilled."

Jiang Chen scoffed, "He won't be. Before I left, he said he didn't want this son anymore. It's been half a year, and he's even kept my mom from seeing me."

When Jiang Zhixiong was mentioned, Jiang Chen still felt a hint of regret.

Who wouldn't want their endeavors to receive support and encouragement from their family? His grades weren't good, and joining the army was the only thing he wanted to do. But in Jiang Zhixiong's eyes, it was irresponsible, unfilial. He'd rather pretend he never had this son. The night before Jiang Chen left, Jiang Zhixiong had said every harsh word imaginable; even phrases like 'severing all ties' had come out of his mouth. Jiang Chen didn't even hope that he would forgive him.

"Alright, since you're here, just focus on your training. The guys and I will come visit you again later. Don't worry about Old Jiang, we're all looking after him. He's as strong as an ox, still the same, enthusiastic, loves to meddle in everything. He even rushed forward to help an old lady cross the road, and when I looked, that old lady wasn't even as old as your dad."

Jiang Chen said, "That's just how he is. He developed this problem from managing things at work, and he loves to meddle in everything at home too. Anything that happens with the neighbors, it all falls on his shoulders, just like your mom."

Zhou Siyue frowned, "Talking about your dad, you drag my mom into it too? Want to fight?"

He couldn't beat Jiang Chen when they were kids, often getting pinned down and beaten up, but times were different now.

Jiang Chen patted the armed police badge on his shoulder, "Are you threatening the People's Liberation Army?"

Just as he spoke, Zhou Siyue's phone on the table rang. He looked down, saw it was a landline number, picked it up, and answered.

He had just said "Hello" when a cacophony of painful sobs came through the receiver.

His heart sank.

"Ding Xian?"

A muffled, weeping cry came again, followed by two sniffles, choked by tears, then intermittent sobs.

"Zhou Siyue, I didn't do well... I might not even make the first-tier university cutoff."

The estimated score for the first-tier university was about ten points higher than hers. In fact, Ding Xian had passed the first-tier cutoff in several previous mock exams, even by a good margin. But she had poor psychological resilience and was prone to making mistakes when nervous. She remembered clearly that, except for the high school entrance exam, almost all the major exams in her life had been failures. It was the same for her junior high entrance exam, where she almost didn't pass the cutoff. Although her usual grades were excellent, she always underperformed in major exams.

Her teacher said she had poor psychological resilience and couldn't handle pressure.

Later, Ye Wanxian found someone to tell her fortune. The fortune teller said this girl lacked the 'exam star' in her fate, and her exam luck was bad.

After knowing this, Ding Xian's state became even worse, turning into a curse that hung over her head like a dark cloud, following her wherever she went.

This was troublesome.

In the early years, university students were rare, and there were only a few in an entire village. But by the generation of the 90s, university students were everywhere. Without a good university, the future path would be difficult, especially since they weren't a family with deep pockets; they relied entirely on this path.

Zhou Siyue bid farewell to Jiang Chen and rushed back to Beijing from Nanjing overnight.

The two of them spent several days poring over the computer, looking at the top second-tier universities, some of which were in other provinces.

Zhou Siyue was silent.

Ding Xian thought for a moment, rubbing her fingertips, and whispered, "Maybe I should retake the exam."

"Retaking isn't as easy as you think," Zhou Siyue said, leaning back in his chair and turning to look at her, "Let's wait for the score lines."

The atmosphere was gloomy.

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and suddenly, it started to pour. Raindrops furiously hammered against the windows, breaking the silence in the room. Downstairs, the television was broadcasting the latest weather forecast: "Typhoon Maisha is expected to make landfall on the 5th. Residents are advised to take precautions and reduce travel."

Ding Xian stood up, "Then I'll head back."

Zhou Siyue hummed softly, perhaps thinking that the girl's voice was low and letting her go back like that might cause her to overthink things. He rubbed her head as if to comfort her, "Don't think too much, let's go, I'll walk you back."

Ding Xian nodded obediently.

"Wait a moment."

Zhou Siyue turned and pulled a small robot from the bookshelf, handing it to her, "The reward I promised you."

Ding Xian looked at the finely crafted little robot, a bit surprised, "A female one?"

Zhou Siyue put his hands in his pockets, leaned against the wall, and smiled, "Yes, try putting her on the table. Be careful, she took me a lot of effort."

Ding Xian carefully wiped the dust off the top with her sleeve, figuring it had been there for a while. She pressed the remote control in her hand, and in a moment, the little fellow started moving like it was doing a秧歌 (yangko) dance, somewhat like a 'Psychopath 2.0' version. "Improved? Can it really cure mental illness?"

The little thing wobbled and swayed, dancing the yangko towards him.

Zhou Siyue casually moved the books blocking its path on the table, and while diligently clearing obstacles for the little thing with his head down, he replied absently, "I don't know. I sent a few to a depression treatment center with the professor a while ago, and now we're waiting for the experimental results."

Ding Xian suddenly realized, "You're not using me as a guinea pig, are you?"

"You're one of a kind."

'One of a kind' was a beautiful phrase, no matter where it was used.

"Did you name her?"

"No, she's yours. You name her."

Ding Xian looked up, her eyes sparkling, "How about Siyue?"

Zhou Siyue paused, raised an eyebrow, looked at her, stared for a moment, then smiled and looked away, "As you wish."

Siyue.

In April, all the fragrant flowers of the human world fade.

And also her Zhou Siyue.

Ding Xian happily and carefully hugged the little thing, thanking him with a joyful smile, "Thank you!"

The boy, arms crossed, scoffed, "Thanks for nothing."

The room was quiet, outside the wind howled and the rain poured, signaling the arrival of a storm.

The first-tier university cutoff scores were announced a week later. Ding Xian didn't pass; she was five points short. While waiting for the second round of applications, she followed the advice of Zhou Siyue's Tsinghua University professor: choosing a good major was better than choosing a good school.

But for Ding Xian, it was a regret.

At the end of July, Ye Changqing suddenly arrived, bringing Su Bocong with him. When Ding Xian got home, she had just taken off her shoes when she saw the two 'great Buddhas' sitting on the living room sofa, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Uncle."

"Mr. Su."

Su Bocong, dressed in a sharp black suit, his leather shoes tucked into their sofa, his legs crossed. Under the light, Ding Xian looked down and saw a pair of shiny black leather shoes by the door, their pointed toes somewhat resembling a crocodile's mouth.

Ye Changqing waved at her, "Results are out?"

"Yes."

Ye Wanxian came from behind with fruit, politely saying, "Mr. Su, have some pears."

Su Bocong politely replied, "Thank you."

Once both were seated, Ye Changqing no longer beat around the bush and said frankly to Ye Wanxian, "Sister, Xianxian's results are out. I'll be direct with you: going to an ordinary university is truly not as good as letting her study art. University students are everywhere; any random job after graduation can be done by anyone, and she'll still be working for others. This girl has a good foundation, and if she's cultivated further, she'll definitely achieve something. You don't need to worry about the cost. Bocong and I have decided to send her to the Paris Academy of Fine Arts."

Ye Wanxian looked hesitantly at Su Bocong, who readily said, "I have no problem. Society today values opportunities. Even Tsinghua University students with poor opportunities might end up going home to sell pork."

Ptooey.

They're selling pork because it makes more money than working a regular job!

"Go to Paris? A girl on her own outside, I'm not at ease."

Ye Changqing reassured her, "Society today is not what it used to be. How many international students study abroad on their own? Others would kill for this opportunity. Coincidentally, Bocong had a friend in Paris connect us recently; it was hard to find someone to introduce us, such an opportunity is rare."

Ye Wanxian said, "I'll discuss it with her father again."

One discussion lasted a week.

Ding Xian refused to go to Paris no matter what. Ye Wanxian thought that since she didn't have to pay, she might as well go; it was better than going to a second-rate university domestically.

Ding Xian blurted out, "If you pay, I'll go. If others pay, I won't!"

Ye Wanxian was so angry she wanted to bite her, "Someone is willing to sponsor you, why would you take money from home? Don't you know the family's expenses are tight?!"

She could understand Ye Changqing's willingness to sponsor her, but why Su Bocong? She had no relation to him, and he was a greedy businessman, not a philanthropist. Taking money from him made her feel uneasy.

August 2006 arrived, and Typhoon Maisha made landfall, a "black" August that would always be remembered.

First, an advertising billboard at an intersection fell and killed an old man. His family demanded two million in compensation from the shop owner. The shop owner was indignant, and during a verbal dispute, he pulled out a knife and killed the old man's son.

On August 12th, after the typhoon passed, two floods occurred consecutively. A newly built residential complex in the city suddenly had a balcony roof ripped off, which fell and killed a pregnant woman.

Immediately after, the walls of that complex suddenly cracked, and the cracks spread like snakes, growing larger and larger, until dust started falling from the walls.

A thunderbolt suddenly struck from the dark sky, like a signal. The building began to rumble and collapse, sinking amidst the swirling dust. The high-rise building instantly turned into ruins, burying hundreds of people from twenty-four households on the first floor.

"Save them!!!"

A mournful cry echoed through the sky, piercing people's hearts like a sharp sword.

The Armed Police Force, firefighters, and helicopter rescue teams were all deployed. In August of that year, everyone watched the live broadcast of the rescue efforts on television with trepidation, and no one dared to let their children go out alone. Since that day, Ding Xian had not seen Zhou Siyue again.

Every day, the alley was filled with furious property owners. Ding Xian sometimes wanted to sneak past them to find Zhou Siyue, but Ye Wanxian held her back firmly.

"Don't go join the crowd. These people are crazy. If Zhou Zongtang doesn't speak up, they'll keep making trouble."

Ding Xian didn't understand the complexities of the situation.

"A newly built complex was wiped out by a typhoon in less than two years, and so many people died. The construction company and quality inspection department are inseparable from the responsibility, and the urban construction department is even more so. Now this matter is a mutual blame game between the three parties: construction blames quality inspection, quality inspection blames urban construction, and urban construction blames construction. But the construction workers are just migrant laborers; they have no right to speak. They're looking for the leaders."

Ding Xian looked out the window at the bustling crowd, each person holding a blood-red banner, carrying bedding, sitting downstairs for days on end.

"But they can't force people like this, Zhou Siyue is going back to school in a few days!"

Ye Wanxian picked the vegetables and took them into the kitchen, saying leisurely, "They moved away a long time ago. Still worrying about him? Take care of yourself first! Your dad and I discussed it, you should still go learn painting with your uncle!"

"I want to retake the exam."

There was a clang in the kitchen as the vegetable basket fell to the floor. Ye Wanxian rushed out, holding a cleaver, "What did you say!?"

"If you pay for me, I'll go learn painting. Otherwise, I'll retake the exam." Ding Xian looked at her calmly, "My uncle hasn't gotten married yet. Are you really comfortable wasting his marriage money? I'm not."

"You're rebelling!" Ye Wanxian raised the cleaver, "Do whatever you want! If you can't get into a good university, I'll just find someone to marry you off to!"

"Uncle Zhou still has a childhood engagement, you can't marry me off!"

"Your dad already helped you break it off. With this mess, who would want to get involved?"

"Mom, is your principle in life to kick someone when they're down?"

No wonder she couldn't contact him; with a mom like this, who would want to deal with her?

"I'm doing this for your own good, am I wrong?! Your Uncle Zhou has been demoted now, and even his house has been taken back by his unit. In Beijing City, he doesn't even have a tiny plot of land now, carrying a bad reputation. Do you think being his daughter-in-law would be easy?!"

...

Zhou Siyue never returned to Yansan Hutong.

Ding Xian also hadn't left there. She often sat by the window, holding Little Siyue, always feeling as if, just like always, a teenager with headphones and a backpack, hands in his pockets, would casually stroll by.

Images she had never recalled before seemed to become clearer, frame by frame, replaying in her mind, over and over again.

"Come on, Song Ziqi, coax my deskmate. If she's happy, I'll give you three balls tonight." He said, flipping through a book.

"The scenery at Tiananmen Square is also nice. You can ask Chairman Mao to show you the way." He said without looking up.

"It would be fine if we just got into the same university, silly." He said, rubbing her head.

"Some things are understood but not spoken. Ding Xian, if you follow me, I won't let you suffer any grievances." He said, looking at her calmly.

Outside the wind was gentle, phoenix flowers bloomed all over the walls. Spring fell, and spring rose again, year after year.

A hundred zhang of cold, a thousand piles of snow; crimson lips, words for you.

No need for goodbyes.

See you next year.