Chapter 9: Nine Years Old – The Cat and You Both Want to Know

Another bus pulled up at the stop.

Meng Yuning took Xuezhu onto the bus.

The bus was packed with people—workers heading home, students leaving school—so crowded that there weren’t even any seats left. Xuezhu was too short to reach the handrails and felt uncomfortable being squeezed in the middle.

Meng Yuning put an arm around her shoulders and said, “Hold onto me.”

Xuezhu asked, “Where?”

Meng Yuning replied, “Anywhere.”

In the end, she grabbed onto the strap of his backpack.

Once they were standing firmly face to face, Meng Yuning finally spoke. “Why were you and your classmate fighting just now?”

Xuezhu answered without hesitation, “He started it!”

Meng Yuning lowered his head to look at her, squinting slightly. He said calmly, “Not necessarily.”

Xuezhu tilted her head up, taking advantage of the bus’s swaying motion to nudge her chin against his chest again and again. Pouting, with the corners of her lips turned downward, she blinked at him and said, “But didn’t you just say he was bullying me?”

“Of course I have to take your side,” Meng Yuning said, though he didn’t think that meant he approved of her actions. “So, why were you two fighting?”

Left with no choice, Xuezhu honestly explained the reason.

Hearing it, Meng Yuning didn’t quite understand and couldn’t help but sigh at Xuezhu’s childishness.

“All because of that?”

Xuezhu huffed in defiance. “What do you mean ‘all because of that’? He badmouthed Floramon! Floramon is my favorite!”

Meng Yuning chuckled slightly. “Because it’s the prettiest?”

Xuezhu was shocked. “How did you know? Do you watch Digimon too?”

“I do,” Meng Yuning said.

“Then who’s your favorite?”

Meng Yuning thought for a moment before answering, “Angemon. And MagnaAngemon.”

Xuezhu nodded in agreement. “I like them too!”

She suddenly realized—why had she even bothered discussing cartoons with that annoying Chi Yue? From now on, she’d just talk to her brother. He respected her interests and would never casually insult her favorite Digimon.

Finding a like-minded companion, Xuezhu was thrilled. She quickly forgot the situation she was about to face at home and excitedly pulled Meng Yuning along, chatting non-stop.

She talked from the moment they got on the bus, through the ride, all the way until they got off and headed upstairs.

Meng Yuning couldn’t take her endless chatter anymore. He turned around and covered her mouth with his hand.

Xuezhu’s eyes widened. “Mmm?”

Meng Yuning flicked her forehead with his other hand. “Instead of discussing Digimon with me, shouldn’t you be more worried about how you’re going to explain to your mom why you’re home so late?”

Xuezhu: “!!!”

Meng Yuning let go, and sure enough, she fell silent, now fretting over what awaited her once she stepped through the door.

He shook his head, bent his knees, and crouched down to meet her gaze.

For once, he teased her. “Xiao Zhu, if I help you this time, how will you repay me?”

A hopeful sparkle instantly lit up Xuezhu’s eyes. Meng Yuning guessed what she was about to say and quickly added, “Don’t even think about saying you’ll be my servant.”

“Then—” Xuezhu struggled to think of a way to repay him, rummaging through all the drama lines she’d ever heard. “Should I offer myself to you?”

Meng Yuning: “?”

Then he patted her head, eyes full of amusement. “If I take you in, wouldn’t I still be the one looking after you in the end?”

Since kids say the darndest things, Meng Yuning didn’t take her words seriously—but he still helped her.

He told Song Yanping that Xuezhu had taken the wrong bus while trying to find him at school, and since they only met after his classes ended, they came home together.

Just like that, with a few simple words, Meng Yuning easily extinguished Song Yanping’s anger.

Xuezhu felt that other people’s children—especially those who excelled in school—had way more influence than she, their actual daughter, ever could. A hundred times more, to be exact.

During dinner, her parents were too busy fussing over Meng Yuning, piling chicken drumsticks onto his plate and asking about his high school entrance exam preparations. Meanwhile, Xuezhu sat there watching TV, barely touching her food, and no one even noticed.

When her parents nagged her, she felt trapped. But when they ignored her, she felt sad.

She even wondered—if Meng Yuning were her parents’ child and she was Uncle Meng’s daughter, would their situations be completely reversed?

But it was just a thought. She didn’t dare say it out loud.

“Xiao Zhu, did you hear that? Your brother Ningning is so disciplined—studying alone at home until past ten without any adults around, not making his dad worry one bit.”

Xuezhu muttered, “I’m still in elementary school. Studying until ten doesn’t even help.”

Song Yanping was displeased with her daughter’s response. “I’m not saying you should study until ten. I’m telling you to learn from Ningning—come home, do your homework, and practice your piano without us having to remind you.”

Here we go again.

Xuezhu’s ears were filled with her mother’s endless nagging.

After dinner, Meng Yuning returned home for his final exam preparations, her dad took over the TV, and her mom shooed her back to her room to practice piano.

She randomly pressed a few keys on the piano, using the sound to express her frustration.

Song Yanping walked in, carrying fruit and milk.

“Is it really that bad just to practice the piano?”

Xuezhu said, “I don’t like playing the piano.”

“Playing the piano improves a girl’s temperament,” Song Yanping handed her the milk. “You’ll thank me when you grow up. I spent so much money on your piano lessons and even bought a piano for you—do you think I did all that for myself? It’s all for you!”

Xuezhu pouted.

They always said it was for her, but she never felt that way.

No one had ever asked if she wanted to learn. They just decided for her, thinking it was what’s best.

“Fine, if you don’t want to practice, do it tomorrow instead.” Song Yanping sighed. “Take the fruit and the other glass of milk over to the neighbors for me.”

Xuezhu took them, picking up a piece of apple and tossing it into her mouth.

Crisp and sweet.

Before she could fully enjoy it, her mom lightly smacked her hand.

“That’s not for you.”

“There’s still plenty left,” Xuezhu protested.

Seeing her mom about to scold her again, she quickly turned and ran off.

Since she didn’t have to practice piano, running an errand wasn’t a big deal.

The door to Brother Ningning’s house wasn’t closed. Xuezhu pushed open the mosquito screen and saw that the living room was empty.

“Brother Ningning!” She obediently changed into house slippers and called out from the living room.

No response. She raised her voice and called out a few more times before finally hearing Meng Yuning’s voice from the bedroom. “I’m in my room.”

Xuezhu pushed open the door, a little annoyed. “I called you so many times.”

Meng Yuning was sitting at his desk, working on a test paper. He tapped his earphones. “I was listening to an English audio exercise.”

Xuezhu walked over, placed the fruit plate and milk on the table, and said, “My mom told me to bring these to you.”

Meng Yuning picked up a toothpick, speared a piece of apple, and was about to eat it.

Feeling an intense gaze from his side, he glanced over. Sure enough, Xuezhu was staring at him eagerly. When she saw him look, she immediately and instinctively opened her mouth.

“Ah—”

He had no choice but to feed her first.

Xuezhu’s cheeks puffed up as she chewed on the fruit, her eyes now locked onto the MP3 player on his desk.

She wanted one too. Some of her classmates had parents who bought them MP3 players, and they looked so cool showing them off at school. They were light, compact, and could fit right into a pocket. During class, they could run the earphone wire under their clothes and cover their ears, making it impossible for the teacher to notice they were secretly listening to music. It was way more convenient than a cassette player.

But her mom said she didn’t need an MP3 player yet and that it wasn’t worth the money.

Right now, Xuezhu’s biggest dream was to own an MP3 player.

“I want to listen to the MP3 too,” she said.

Meng Yuning handed her one of the earbuds and pressed play.

All she heard was a bunch of English. She could barely write out all twenty-six English letters from memory, so she frowned and asked, “Aren’t there any songs?”

“There are,” Meng Yuning pressed the skip button. “But not many, just a few.”

The MP3 player was mainly for practicing English listening, but the store owner at the electronics shop had downloaded some popular songs onto it as well.

He mentioned that most students who came to him for music downloads specifically asked for songs by Taiwanese singers.

The melody was nice, but the singer’s pronunciation was unclear. Xuezhu didn’t have a large vocabulary to begin with, so she couldn’t understand much. She only caught a few key words.

“Is sanma fish a kind of fish?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. What does it taste like?”

Xuezhu had never eaten sanma fish before.

Meng Yuning was busy with his test paper and answered absentmindedly, “Like fish.”

Xuezhu: “…”

After the song ended, she asked, “What’s this song called?”

“^[1]“Qi Li Xiang” (七里香) is the title of a popular song by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou. The literal translation of “Qi Li Xiang” is “Seven Miles of Fragrance,” … Continue readingQi Li Xiang.”

“What’s Qi Li Xiang?”

“A flower, I think.”

“Why is it called Qi Li Xiang?”

“Probably because it smells really strong, and the scent can travel far?” Even Meng Yuning’s tone sounded unsure.

“How far is ‘^[2](七里), “Qi Li” (七里) refers to a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The term “七里” literally means “seven li,” with “li” (里) being an old … Continue readingQi Li’? Is it as far as a thousand meters?”

“…”

Xuezhu kept asking random questions, her voice drifting in and out. Between them, a thin white earphone cord connected them, while the books near the desk edge fluttered slightly under the breeze of the electric fan.

The fluorescent light shone down from above, making Meng Yuning’s skin look pale as snow. Xuezhu stared blankly at the fan-shaped shadow his eyelashes cast on his eyelids, then suddenly remembered the real reason she had come to find him.

“Are you taking the high school entrance exam at our school tomorrow?”

Meng Yuning shook his head. “I’m taking it at my own school.”

Xuezhu let out an “oh,” sounding a little disappointed. “I thought you’d be taking it at our school.”

Meng Yuning just smiled without saying anything and continued working on his test paper.

After delivering the fruit, Xuezhu didn’t feel like leaving. She knew she couldn’t disturb him, so she quietly stood beside him and watched him write.

Meng Yuning didn’t chase her away either. The room was quiet.

In the end, it was Xuezhu who couldn’t hold back and spoke first. “Brother Ningning, will you go to a university far away in the future?”

Meng Yuning hadn’t even started high school yet and hadn’t thought that far ahead. But Xuezhu was already worrying about it three years in advance.

“I don’t know,” he said, not stopping his writing. “Maybe.”

Xuezhu was silent for a long time.

Meng Yuning turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Xuezhu said. “I’m going home to practice piano. Good luck on your exam, Brother Ningning.”

She didn’t head straight home but instead went upstairs to find Zhong Zihan.

When Uncle Zhong heard she was there to wish Zhong Zihan luck on his exam, he let her in without any fuss, only reminding her to keep it short so she wouldn’t disturb his studying.

As soon as she entered the room, before Zhong Zihan could say anything, Xuezhu asked directly, “Will you go to a university far away in the future?”

Zhong Zihan also hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he answered, “Going to university means leaving home, of course I’ll go somewhere far away. Besides—” He suddenly sounded as if he had made a firm decision. “I definitely want to go somewhere far. That way, no one can control me anymore.”

Xuezhu understood now.

Going to university meant leaving home, going far away.

On her way back down, she passed her own home but didn’t go in. Instead, she continued downstairs to find He Zhengyue.

He Zhengyue had already finished her college entrance exams not long ago. Her parents didn’t have very high expectations for her, so they didn’t pressure her too much. Although senior year had been busy for He Zhengyue, she still had more free time on weekends than the two who were taking their high school entrance exams.

Xuezhu knocked on the door, and it was Uncle He who answered.

Before she could even say she was there to see her, Uncle He said first, “You’re here to see your Sister, right? She went on a trip with her high school classmates. She won’t be back for a few more days.”

“A trip?”

“Yeah, she ran off as soon as the exam was over,” Uncle He said. “It’s like she doesn’t even remember where home is.”

The youngest of them all, Xuezhu suddenly felt that being young wasn’t so great after all. When she had free time, her older brothers and sisters were always busy. And by the time they all graduated, she would still be in school.

She still had a long time before she could grow up.

But by then, her older brothers and sisters might have already gone somewhere even farther away.

—

On the day of the high school entrance exam, Xuezhu couldn’t focus on her homework. She sat at her desk, staring off into space.

Outside the window, sparrows were chirping noisily. Unfortunately, though the sun was shining brightly, there was no rainwater on the windowsill.

That day, Meng Yuning wasn’t suddenly and dramatically assigned to take the exam in her classroom, at her seat, like Xuezhu had imagined. However, the ninth grader who was assigned to her desk noticed the four large, crooked words she had scribbled in pencil on the corner:

“Good luck on the exam.”

For some reason, the teacher in charge of checking the desks and chairs didn’t erase it.

A stranger, yet encouraged by unfamiliar words.

The ninth grader smiled, lowered their head, and continued answering their test.

—

Before long, the college and high school entrance exam results were released one after another.

No one was surprised by Meng Yuning and Zhong Zihan’s results—they were guaranteed a spot in the top high school.

Compared to the two whose outcomes were predictable, He Zhengyue was clearly the main character this time. She didn’t dare estimate her score until a few days before filling out her college applications. Fortunately, her guess was quite accurate. Her actual score was about the same as her estimate, and she was admitted to her first-choice school—a regular local university. It wasn’t a 985 or 211 (top-tier universities in China), but it was the best she had ever done in all three years of high school. It was also the only time her score had surpassed the first-tier university cutoff—an outstanding performance.

Originally, Old He had only hoped his daughter could perform normally and get into a second-tier university. Getting into a first-tier one was completely unexpected.

So the He family hosted a grand teacher appreciation and graduation banquet—much bigger than any other family in their neighborhood, even those whose children had gotten into prestigious universities.

In order to reward herself for becoming a college student, He Zhengyue not only got the trendiest ionic perm but also bought the latest flip phone. By now, black-and-white screen candy bar phones were no longer special. The real trend was flip phones with color screens that lit up automatically with just a flick of the thumb.

That’s why, when Xuezhu saw her sister again at the graduation banquet after not seeing her for days, she realized that her sister was no longer the simple high school girl who had worn a neat ponytail and a school uniform just a few months ago.

Her sister had permed her hair. She was wearing denim shorts. And most importantly—her earlobes were shimmering with tiny flashes of silver.

She had gotten her ears pierced.

The sister who used to drape a bedsheet over herself and pretend to be a princess with her had grown up in an instant after the college entrance exams.

“Did it hurt to get your ears pierced?” Xuezhu asked.

“It wasn’t too bad,” He Zhengyue said casually. “They just poke the needle through with a little piercing gun—”

She reached out to rub Xuezhu’s soft earlobe, then mimicked a gun with her hand and said, “Bang! Just like that!”

“Ugh!” Xuezhu instinctively shrank back. Just hearing about it made her ears ache. She clapped her hands over them. “Stop talking about it!”

“It only hurts for a second, and then you can wear earrings,” He Zhengyue said, tilting her head to show off the tiny silver studs. “Do they look good?”

Xuezhu hesitantly nodded.

It did look nice, but if she had to have a needle pierce through her ear to get that kind of beauty, she would rather not.

He Zhengyue said, “When you grow up and want to wear earrings, you’ll feel like getting your ears pierced is no big deal.”

Xuezhu looked at He Zhengyue with envy.

She watched as her sister pulled out her phone from the pocket of her jeans. The phone charm, made of who-knows-what, would even flash when a call came in.

He Zhengyue flipped open her phone to answer the call, the motion smooth and effortless—cool beyond words.

Suddenly, Xuezhu spun around and ran back home.

Her parents were just about to leave when they saw her rushing back, surprised.

“Why are you back again? Need to use the bathroom?”

“Mom, I want to wear that layered dress,” Xuezhu said. “The new one you bought me.”

Song Yanping was puzzled. “You’re not the one hosting the banquet—why do you need to dress up so nicely?”

Pei Lianyi, however, was much more easygoing. “If she wants to wear it, let her. The dress is meant to be worn, after all.”

“Alright,” Song Yanping relented, but reminded her, “Don’t get it dirty later. White dresses are hard to wash. If you stain it, you’re washing it yourself.”

Xuezhu declared firmly, “I won’t get it dirty!”

Mother and daughter turned back to the bedroom, and as Xuezhu wished, she changed into the white chiffon princess dress with three layers. Then, she said she wanted to wear her Xiangfei hat.

The influence of historical dramas was strong—among little girls, the ^[3]“Xiangfei hat” (香妃帽) is a traditional and decorative hat style often seen in Chinese historical dramas. It is named after the Xiangfei (香妃), a historical figure in the Qing … Continue readingXiangfei hat was the undisputed No.1 traditional hair accessory. A ring of long, colorful bead tassels, adorned with soft white pom-poms—extravagant and attention-grabbing. If any little girl wore a Xiangfei hat on the street, she would instantly become the center of attention.

Xuezhu had always wanted one. Fortunately, since she had done well on her finals this term, her mom, instead of buying her an MP3, had compromised and bought her this over-the-top yet completely impractical Xiangfei hat.

“No way!” Song Yanping rejected her instantly. “Why are you dressing so dramatically just to go out? You’re not acting in a play!”

Mom was always firm, and Xuezhu didn’t dare to argue. She had no choice but to propose another option—asking her mom to tie her hair into two braids and clip on butterfly hairpins with wings that fluttered and strings of tiny colorful beads.

This hairstyle was at least somewhat normal, so Song Yanping agreed.

A little while later, Song Yanping led Xuezhu out. Pei Lianyi took one look at her and teased with a smile, “Well, well, who’s this little beauty?”

Xuezhu put her hands on her hips and tossed her head proudly.

The butterfly wings on her head fluttered proudly along with her.

The family was finally ready to head to the restaurant when they happened to run into their neighbor opening the door. Old Meng, whose sharp features rarely softened, actually smiled and said, “Wow, Xiao Zhu looks so pretty today!”

Song Yanping felt a little embarrassed and quickly said, “She’s just a little kid, already learning to be vain.”

“Uncle, look! My sandals can light up!”

Xuezhu stomped twice on the floor, and the soles of her crystal sandals lit up in a dazzling array of colors.

Old Meng played along and let out a “Wow!”

Right now, the chiffon princess dress, crystal sandals, and Xiangfei hat were all the rage in little girls’ social circles, and Xuezhu had all three. She felt like she was the happiest little girl in the world.

“Where’s Brother Ningning?”

Xuezhu couldn’t wait to show Meng Yuning.

“Bathroom. He should be out soon,” Old Meng said.

“Can I go in without changing my shoes?”

“Go ahead, we’ll mop the floor later.”

Song Yanping softly tried to stop her. “Are you really in that much of a hurry?”

Xuezhu pretended not to hear and darted into Old Meng’s house like a little mouse.

Inside the bathroom, Meng Yuning was standing there when a loud knock suddenly landed on the door.

“Brother Ningning!”

Through the door, Meng Yuning paused for a moment.

“…What?”

“Hurry up and come out, I want to show you something!”

“…Almost done.”

“Are you doing number one or number two?”

“Number one.”

“Oh, okay! Then I’ll wait for you outside—hurry up!” Xuezhu said.

Meng Yuning’s hand suddenly froze mid-action—neither lifting nor putting it back down. Separated by just a thin door, he found himself unable to continue. Standing there, unsure of what to do, he could hear her constantly urging him to hurry up.

There was a little girl waiting outside the door. How was he supposed to continue?

Left with no choice, he quickly pressed the flush handle, using the sound of rushing water to cover up the awkwardness.

A few minutes later, Meng Yuning awkwardly opened the door.

A beautiful little girl in a princess dress stood at his bedroom door.

She was dressed literally.

Xuezhu repeated the same action she had just shown Uncle Meng, stepping down to make the tiny lights in her shoe soles glow. Then she proudly asked, “Look! My shoes light up. Do they look nice?”

Meng Yuning nodded while washing his hands. “They do.”

Xuezhu lifted the hem of her dress. “Look! My dress has three layers of chiffon. Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s pretty.”

“And look at the butterflies on my head! Their wings can move!”

She tiptoed closer, tilting her head forward so he could get a better look at the delicate fluttering wings.

Meng Yuning reached out and lightly touched the trembling wings on her head.

Xuezhu chattered on. “Do you think my dress looks the best, or are my shoes better?”

Meng Yuning tilted his head, pretending to seriously consider it.

Then, he suddenly smiled—a bright, clean smile, his voice gentle and clear.

As always, he bent down slightly to meet her gaze, carefully brushing aside the stray baby hairs on her forehead that had come loose in her excitement.

“I think Xiao Zhu looks the best.”