Chapter 2: Six Years Old – Memories Are Like the Fragrance of Flowers

In the summer of 2002, during her last vacation before starting elementary school, Xuezhu didn’t spend the summer at her grandparents’ house in the countryside like she usually did.

Her best friend, Zhu Qingying, had made a promise with her before finishing preschool—they would be in the same class for elementary school. But Xuezhu’s mother told her that they didn’t get to decide the class assignments, and she would only find out after school started whether she and Zhu Qingying would be together.

Xuezhu worried about this all summer, but the adults didn’t understand her concern.

Not only did they not understand, but they also kept forcing her to practice the piano.

She had no mood for it, so she simply ran away from home.

The summer cicadas screeched wildly. Under the shade of a tree, two elderly men sat playing Chinese chess, their brows furrowed in deep concentration. A few other elderly men stood around, fanning themselves with palm fans, gesturing and commenting on the game while trying to fend off the oppressive heat. The crisp sound of chess pieces clashing echoed through the air, capturing the essence of leisurely summer days.

Seeing Xuezhu watching, the elderly men kindly asked if she wanted to learn how to play.

She had been forced to learn chess by her father when she was younger and had a lingering trauma from it. She let out an awkward laugh and quickly ran off.

Wandering aimlessly, she eventually found herself at He Zhengyue’s house on the first floor.

She loved visiting Sister Yueyue’s place because her sister’s room had an old, discarded TV with two antennae sticking out like goat horns. It had no proper signal—most channels were just static—but the local station worked, airing black-and-white commercials for dubious medicines all day long. But kids were so addicted to TV that even commercials were entertaining.

Today, however, she came at the perfect time. There were no adults at He Zhengyue’s house, meaning the sisters didn’t have to suffer through the boring ads.

But, as luck would have it, even the proper TV channels had long, drawn-out commercials. For a child, the worst part was when a show reached its most exciting moment, only to be interrupted by a deep-voiced announcer saying, “Don’t go anywhere! The excitement continues after the break!”—one of the biggest lies ever told by television networks. Those few minutes of commercials stretched on like an eternity.

“This is so annoying! Would it kill them to wait until the episode ends before playing ads?” He Zhengyue complained. “Let’s watch a VCD instead.”

Of course, it would kill them—if the whole episode played first, who would stick around for the ads? TV networks were too smart for that.

Without waiting for a response, she ran to the TV cabinet, squatted down, and rummaged through the drawer of discs.

Most were bootleg DVDs bought from a video store.

“Let’s watch Lavender!”

Xuezhu nodded in agreement. She knew that even if she said no, her sister wouldn’t listen anyway.

He Zhengyue was obsessed with Lavender. The show had made her fall in love with lavender flowers and the color purple. She had spent all her pocket money buying tiny glass bottles filled with lavender and handwritten notes, lining them up neatly on her bedside table. She had even asked her parents if she could paint her bedroom walls purple—only to be scolded, as expected.

One good thing about watching VCDs was that you could pick any episode you wanted, without being at the mercy of the TV schedule.

He Zhengyue skipped straight to the romantic scenes between the male and female leads.

Her face unconsciously took on a sly yet bashful expression.

And at that very moment, the living room door swung open.

Dramatically, He Zhengyue’s parents had come home.

Aunt He’s voice rang out like a demon from behind the two sisters.

“He Zhengyue! You’re watching this nonsense again while your dad and I aren’t home! If you spent more time reading, you wouldn’t have needed us to pay to get you into No. 1 High School after failing the entrance exam!”

Then, she spotted little Xuezhu sitting on the sofa.

Aunt He instantly lost it, her voice rising in a shriek. “You even dragged Xuezhu into this?!”

Embarrassed to air her family’s dirty laundry, she shut the door and gave her daughter a beating.

Xuezhu was ushered out, and as compensation, Aunt He gave her a bottle of ^[1]“Prince Milk” (太子奶 Tàizǐ Nǎi) was a real Chinese dairy brand popular in the early 2000s. It produced sweet, yogurt-like milk drinks aimed mostly at children and teenagers. The brand was … Continue readingPrince Milk.

Now, sitting on the stairs, sipping her free bottle of milk through a straw, Xuezhu debated whether to go upstairs and find Zhong Zihan to play.

But Brother Zihan was probably at summer tutoring right now.

Xuezhu had never met a child more pitiful than Zhong Zihan. She had to take piano lessons every week, but at least she still had some playtime. Maybe it was just because she wasn’t old enough for advanced math classes yet. Perhaps when she turned twelve, her mother would also force her to take ^[2]Olympiad math is often seen as a way to sharpen problem-solving skills and boost academic credentials, especially for elite high school or university admissions.Olympiad math.

She racked her brain, trying to figure out where to kill time.

Anywhere was fine, as long as she didn’t have to go home.

Ever since her mom had spent a fortune—ten thousand yuan—on a Hyman-brand piano, she was determined to make that money worthwhile, as if she wished Xuezhu could just sleep on the piano.

A sharp honk from a car snapped her out of her thoughts.

She looked up and saw a van slowly making its way down the narrow road, eventually stopping right in front of her.

A middle-aged man stepped out from the driver’s seat, his movements rough. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, making Xuezhu jump.

She quickly got up and moved aside to give him space.

The man was wearing a tank top, his sweaty skin sticking to his muscles. He clenched his jaw, exhaling a puff of smoke as the cigarette slipped from the corner of his mouth, falling to the ground, where he quickly stomped it out.

His brows were furrowed tightly from start to finish.

Xuezhu only dared to steal a sideways glance at him.

“Meng Yuning, come help unload.” The man’s deep voice carried a rough edge.

Xuezhu could almost smell the smoke on his breath.

The front passenger door opened at this moment. Instinctively, Xuezhu covered her ears, expecting another loud bang—but it never came.

The person in the passenger seat moved gently, making no noise at all.

It was an older brother.

The harsh summer sunlight dappled his face. He was tall and slender, with fair skin and delicate, youthful features. His tea-brown eyes, clear and distant, seemed to hold a quiet depth, like water rippling in a still pond. His hair was lighter than most people’s, a soft chestnut brown that gave him an air of warmth.

The middle-aged man was strong—he effortlessly hoisted a cabinet taller than a person onto his shoulders.

In a deep voice, he urged the boy, “Hurry up.”

Then, carrying the cabinet, he went upstairs first.

The boy’s bones hadn’t fully developed yet, his back was thin and fragile, making it impossible for him to lift anything too heavy. He chose a relatively smaller table instead.

But carrying it up the stairs was another challenge.

Suddenly, a small figure flashed past the corner of his eye, quickly grabbing one side of the table to help him lift it.

The boy looked down.

A short girl, with a face as round and soft as a glutinous rice ball.

Her hair was tied into two ponytails, each adorned with a pink chiffon hair clip. The center of each flower held a sparkling rhinestone, glaringly bright.

The pink hair clip said, “I’ll help you lift it.”

Unfortunately, the pink hair clip overestimated her own strength. Even if there were two more pink hair clips, they might still not be much help.

The middle-aged man soon came downstairs, now empty-handed. His tone carried a hint of criticism. “I already came down, and you still haven’t carried it up?”

He had originally planned to scold his son but was surprised to see a little girl standing beside him.

“Whose kid is this?” the middle-aged man asked.

Xuezhu introduced herself proactively, “I live here too. I saw he couldn’t lift it, so I came to help.”

“If he can’t lift it, what makes you think you can?” The middle-aged man let out a dry laugh and waved her away. “Alright, kids, step aside—I’ll do it.”

He took the table from them and then turned to ask Xuezhu, “Little girl, which floor do you live on?”

“The fourth floor,” Xuezhu replied.

The middle-aged man looked a bit surprised. “Oh? I live on the fourth floor too.”

Xuezhu was also surprised.

In their building, each floor had two apartments. The unit across from Xuezhu’s used to belong to Grandpa Meng.

Grandpa Meng was a retired teacher. His wife had passed away early, so he had lived there alone for many years. Sometimes, when Xuezhu’s mother cooked too many sweet potatoes, she would send a few over to Grandpa Meng.

Grandpa Meng occasionally gave things to Xuezhu’s family as well, though her parents rarely accepted them. So instead, he only gave snacks—sometimes it was ^[3]“Little Raccoon instant noodles” refers to a real brand in China called 小浣熊干脆面 (xiǎo huànxióng gāncuì miàn). It’s a type of crunchy instant noodle snack that … Continue readingLittle Raccoon instant noodles, sometimes it was different flavors of Chizhibang lollipops, or bubble gum that came with sticker gifts.

Every time, Xuezhu secretly accepted them. She ate the bubble gum and used the stickers to decorate Grandpa Meng’s door.

She once asked Grandpa Meng if she could stick them there because her parents wouldn’t allow her to put them up at home, saying they looked ugly.

Grandpa Meng chuckled and said she could, even praising her for how nice the stickers looked.

Until a year ago, when Grandpa Meng passed away.

The funeral was held in the neighborhood, with a large tent set up on-site. The paper wreaths, in the eyes of the still-unaware children, were bright and beautiful, contrasting with Grandpa Meng’s black-and-white photo.

No one would ever again stand downstairs earlier than her parents after kindergarten, greeting her with a smile and stuffing bubble gum into her little backpack.

Unwilling to accept this reality, Xuezhu still, after every school day, took out a crumpled ten-cent coin from her pocket, bought a piece of bubble gum from the convenience store, and stuck the included sticker on Grandpa Meng’s door.

A year passed, and that door never opened again.

Over time, people learn to accept many truths they once refused to, including children who don’t yet understand.

Until today, when new neighbors moved in.

It almost felt like Grandpa Meng had come back.

Xuezhu happily ran upstairs, only to see the middle-aged man frowning at the mess of stickers on the door, complaining, “Which kid has been sticking things all over someone else’s door?”

Xuezhu didn’t dare speak.

She wanted to say she hadn’t done it randomly—she thought the stickers looked nice there.

Much better than those ugly “Master Locksmith” ads plastered on the walls.

“Uncle,” Xuezhu asked, “Do you know Grandpa Meng?”

The middle-aged man nodded and pointed at the boy. “His grandpa.”

Xuezhu nodded.

Grandpa Meng was gone, but his family had moved in.

In some way, that made it easier for Xuezhu to accept that she would never see Grandpa Meng again.

Just then, the door to Xuezhu’s home swung open. Her father, Pei Lianyi, had looked anxious at first, but the moment he saw Xuezhu standing at the door, his face relaxed. “Where have you been playing? Your mom wants you to come back and practice piano.”

Xuezhu’s face twisted instantly.

Fortunately, Pei Lianyi’s attention was quickly drawn to the pile of furniture blocking the doorway, so he didn’t notice.

“Someone moved in next door?”

Seeing the new neighbors, Pei Lianyi seemed to suddenly remember something. “Aren’t you the—”

They had met last year at Old Master Meng’s funeral.

The middle-aged man lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then nodded in greeting. “I’m Meng Changfeng’s son, Meng Yunjian. I’ve brought my son to live here.”

Then, he grabbed the boy’s shoulder and pulled him forward. “This is my son, Meng Yuning. Hurry and greet your uncle.”

Xuezhu finally heard the boy speak.

His voice was clear and crisp, carrying the bright tone of youth. “Hello, Uncle.”

“Hello,” Pei Lianyi smiled. “You seem to have grown taller since last year.” Then he gestured to Xuezhu. “This is my daughter, Pei Xuezhu. She hid in her room crying last year and didn’t come. Xiao Zhu, greet your uncle and your brother.”

Xuezhu obediently said, “Uncle, Brother.”

Old Meng nodded slightly and said, “Your daughter’s pretty cute. She was downstairs just now saying she wanted to help me move things.”

Pei Lianyi quickly waved it off. “She just talks a lot, that’s all.”

Xuezhu argued in her heart—I really did try to help!

I just… wasn’t very helpful.

“Need any help?” Pei Lianyi asked. “Looks like you’ve got a lot of stuff.”

Old Meng replied, “No need. I can handle it myself.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’re neighbors now.”

With that, Pei Lianyi rolled up his sleeves and started helping move things. Then, noticing his daughter still standing nearby, he waved her off. “Go inside and practice your piano.”

Xuezhu eagerly volunteered, “I want to help move things too!”

Pei Lianyi chuckled. “You’d do anything as long as it means skipping piano practice.”

Xuezhu wasn’t afraid of being exposed—she knew her dad would indulge her anyway.

As they moved furniture, Xuezhu didn’t dare admit to Uncle Meng that she was the one who had put the stickers on the door. But at the same time, she really wanted to tell him that it wasn’t some prank—she had asked Grandpa Meng first, and he had said they looked nice. That was why she put them there.

Halfway through, the two men got tired and sat on the couch for a drink.

“You two want something to drink?” Pei Lianyi asked. “I’ll give Xiao Zhu some money, and she can go downstairs to buy a bottle of soda for you.”

Meng Yuning said, “Thank you, Uncle, but I’m fine.”

Xuezhu immediately followed, “Then I’m fine too.”

“Hah, just repeating whatever he says,” Pei Lianyi laughed.

The adults continued chatting in the living room.

Meanwhile, Meng Yuning was tidying up his room, carefully pushing his desk inside, inch by inch. Xuezhu ran over to help.

But even just pushing was tiring. The moment they got the desk into the room, Xuezhu was already exhausted.

The small room was only a few square meters. The chair hadn’t been brought in yet, so Xuezhu clumsily tried to climb onto the desk to sit.

“I’ll lift you up.”

Meng Yuning crouched down, his arms slipping under her armpits. Xuezhu caught the scent of laundry detergent on him.

She was still too young for school, so she couldn’t quite describe what kind of clean smell it was.

Maybe like a cobblestone path right after a morning rain.

The boy wasn’t particularly strong, but he managed to lift her up and set her on the desk.

Sitting on the desk, Xuezhu swung her little legs back and forth.

Meng Yuning went back to organizing his things.

Watching him busy himself while she sat idly made Xuezhu feel a little guilty. She fished a piece of bubble gum from her pocket, thinking to offer it to him as a way to get on good terms with her new neighbor. Her tone was extra sweet and sincere.

“Do you like bubble gum?”

Meng Yuning didn’t take it. His gaze calmly rested on the gum in her palm before he suddenly asked,

“Did you put the stickers on the door?”