Extra: Dreaming of Youth Part 1

“Duoyi, come help me pick some grapes!”

Hearing Old Hu’s booming voice, Shen Duoyi put down his book and ran out. He dashed down the steps and headed straight for the first courtyard in the alley to help.

Old Hu had a grapevine in his yard, and every year when the grapes ripened, he would call Shen Duoyi over—not so much for labor, but to give him the best grapes to eat.

The grapes hung in lush clusters. Shen Duoyi plucked one, gave it a quick wipe, and popped it into his mouth, savoring the burst of fresh juice. Carrying a small basin, he picked a good amount, then washed them at the yard's sink. Together, they sat by a small table, eating and chatting.

“Are they sweet?”

“Sweet!”

“Of course. You think just anyone could grow these?”

“I’m stuffed.”

Shen Duoyi’s playful response made Old Hu laugh heartily. But it was true—he’d eaten so many grapes he could hardly move. The clock inside chimed, reminding him that he still had homework to do.

As he left, Old Hu picked out the biggest bunch for him. “Take these home. Eat them, and come back for more!”

Shen Duoyi carried the grapes back, finished his studies, and then sat on the doorstep with the grapes, feeling like he’d just received some rare treasure.

After eating half the bunch, he decided to save the rest for the next day. Full and content, he gazed at the eaves above and the morning glories near the wall, daydreaming.

Turning his head, he spotted Grandpa Shen’s tricycle.

Grabbing the handlebars, Shen Duoyi pushed the tricycle out and climbed onto the seat, only to realize his feet barely reached the pedals. Dangling his legs, he tried his best to ride. The alley wasn’t wide, so the handlebars wobbled dangerously close to the walls.

Focused on the road, he lost balance trying to pedal and steer at the same time. As he neared the alley’s mouth, a few loose bricks on the ground caught the tire, causing the handlebars to jerk sharply.

Shen Duoyi shouted in surprise, letting go of the handlebars as the tricycle veered towards the wall. He braced for a painful tumble onto the bricks—

But a pair of arms caught him.

Shen Duoyi steadied himself and looked up at the boy who had saved him—a stranger, taller than him by a head.

“Do you live around here?”

“I’m Qi Shi'an.”

Shen Duoyi was confused by the random introduction but quickly remembered his manners. “I’m Shen Duoyi. I have some grapes left—do you want some?”

The boy finished the half-bunch in no time and simply said, “Not enough.”

Dreaming of Youth 02

Qi Shi'an had never lived in an alley like this. He ended up here by chance, wandering through streets with quirky names: Thumb Alley, Fragrant Alley, Lucky Alley. None of them sounded great—

Until he saw Qiuye Alley.

He thought it had a nice ring to it. Just then, he noticed a little boy about to fall off a tricycle.

Acting on impulse, Qi Shi'an saved him. When asked if he lived nearby, he reflexively blurted out his name. It wasn’t even a relevant answer, but he was inexplicably compelled to introduce himself.

Maybe he was afraid he wouldn't ask.

The boy introduced himself as Shen Duoyi and even offered him half a bunch of grapes.

Bigger and hungrier than kids his age, Qi Shi'an devoured the grapes in a few bites and declared, “Not enough.”

“I don’t have any more,” Shen Duoyi admitted sheepishly. Not wanting to trouble Old Hu for more, he changed the topic. “I know everyone in this alley, but I’ve never seen you before.”

“I don’t live here,” Qi Shi'an replied, “but I can come visit.”

He looked directly at Shen Duoyi, making his intentions clear. He had no friends in the area and clearly wanted to hang out. Shen Duoyi wasn’t dense; he nodded and said, “I live in this courtyard. Just come find me.”

From then on, Qi Shi'an would visit Shen Duoyi every few days. Soon, “every few days” turned into “almost daily.” Unlike other kids who played chase in the alley, the two of them would sit at a desk, competing over math problems.

If they couldn’t settle who was better at math, they’d move on to books, testing each other’s memory. Occasionally, they’d run from one end of the alley to the other, armed with willow branches in the summer and snowballs in the winter.

When roped into playing house with other kids, Qi Shi'an always insisted on one thing: he had to be the dad.

Dreaming of Youth 03

“Why are you always the dad?”

“Because I only want to be the dad. If I can’t, I won’t play.”

Shen Duoyi, clever as ever, countered, “Then I’ll be the grandpa.”

Qi Shi'an pouted, “Don’t bully me.”

Dreaming of Youth 04

Time flew by as seasons changed.

The summer before their final year of middle school was unbearably hot. Lin Yuzhu worried endlessly about the kids getting heatstroke during exams. Shen Duoyi’s family only had an old electric fan, used sparingly at night to save power. He spent his days sweaty and uncomfortable.

Mornings were the only relief. Shen Duoyi liked sitting on the doorstep, studying or memorizing English vocabulary as the alley’s breezes kept him cool.

After finishing his review, he noticed something odd scrawled on the open gate in front of him:

“Duoduo, I think I like you.”

The words were written at eye level, only visible from where he always sat. Whoever wrote them clearly knew his habits.

Shen Duoyi, feeling as guilty as a thief caught red-handed, hastily wiped the words away, smearing dust all over his hand. Yet beneath the nervousness, there was something else—

Something bashful.

The next day, the message reappeared.

On the third day, he caught the culprit.

Standing before him in a school uniform and track pants, Qi Shi'an carried a backpack and soda bottle. He looked guilty but unbothered, his bright eyes unflinching as Shen Duoyi confronted him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Shen Duoyi demanded.

Qi Shi'an calmly replied, “Exactly what it says.”

Taking Shen Duoyi’s wrist, Qi Shi'an used his own shirt to wipe the dust from his hand, smiling as he teased, “I thought I’d have to write it for half a month before you noticed. Turns out your eyesight’s pretty good.”

“Duoduo, I think I like you.”

And so, from a boyhood game of house to stolen glances, a bond deepened, one that would carry into their teenage years and beyond.

Dreaming of Youth 05

“Are these couple bracelets?”

“No...”

“Duoyi, don’t keep denying it. You’re terrible at hiding things.”

Shen Duoyi’s face flushed red like coral, thinking to himself, Only an idiot would pair well with you.