Chapter 2.1

“Scattered moonlight pierced through the clouds, hiding from the crowd, spreading like the scales of the sea.”

The ringtone of her phone rang. Seeing “Mom” on the screen, Su Ying answered.

“Darling, have you eaten yet?” For children who are away from home, mothers are always most concerned about whether they’ve eaten and whether they’re dressed warmly.

“I have. Mom, have you eaten?” Su Ying’s voice softened.

“Yes, yes, your dad and I had handmade noodles tonight with your favorite egg sauce,” her mother replied, sounding happy.

“Are you busy at work lately, darling? Will you be able to come home for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year?”

In past years, Su Ying often couldn’t go home for holidays. There were even years when she had to work overtime during the New Year. But things were different now—Su Ying had resigned, and she had plenty of free time.

“I’ll go back in a couple of days,” Su Ying thought for a moment. She didn’t have any plans lined up, so she decided to go home to see her parents. It had been a long time—the last time she went back was during the New Year two years ago.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“Honey, our daughter said she’s coming back in two days! Tomorrow, go to the market and buy her some of her favorite food,” her mother called out to her father, who was watching TV outside the bedroom. Su Ying could vividly imagine the scene at home from her mother’s cheerful voice over the phone.

The mother and daughter chatted about family matters. When her mother learned that Su Ying had resigned, she was actually relieved. Su Ying had always worked very hard, and for the past few years, her parents had rarely seen her. Now that she had left her job, she could finally come home.

After hanging up, Su Ying booked a high-speed train ticket for the morning two days later. The train would take her to the county station, the closest stop to her village. There was still a long ride from there to the village by bus, but the roads had been paved in recent years, and the bus could now stop right at the village entrance. It was much easier than when she was in college—back then, her dad had to ride a small three-wheeler for several hours just to reach the town’s bus station, then transfer to a bus and then a train to get to school. Times had really changed.

After booking the ticket, Su Ying packed her things and turned off all the annoying alarms on her phone. She lay in bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, even before 7 a.m., Su Ying woke up. She realized it was around the same time she usually got up for work—her biological clock hadn’t adjusted yet. Since she was awake, she decided to make herself breakfast.

Opening the freezer, Su Ying took out a pre-prepared English muffin sandwich with cheese and ham. She unwrapped it, sprinkled some water on both sides, and placed it in the air fryer at 180°C for four minutes. She then grabbed two eggs from the fridge.

She cracked the eggs, whisked them with some salt and water, and poured the mixture into a heated nonstick pan. At a low temperature, she gently stirred with chopsticks until the eggs were about 80% cooked. Meanwhile, the air fryer beeped; she flipped the muffin and cooked it for another two minutes. When she took it out, the cheese inside had already melted. She placed the scrambled eggs inside the muffin.

Because she was lactose intolerant, she poured herself a cup of lactose-free milk. With the muffin sandwich, she had a complete, hearty breakfast ready in just ten minutes.

After eating, Su Ying saw that it was still early. She went back to her room, picked up a book she had bought long ago but hadn’t finished, and read for a while.

Since she was going home the next day, Su Ying decided to go to the mall that afternoon to buy some gifts for her parents.

At the mall, she first visited a jewelry store. Two years ago, she had brought her mother a bracelet, but the older woman thought it was too flashy and never wore it, always hiding it away. This time, Su Ying decided to choose a thinner one—something beautiful but understated.

The sales assistant was very skilled and recommended several styles. Su Ying liked many of them, but she finally chose a slender 10.2g bracelet with an elegant pattern symbolizing blessings, longevity, health, and peace.

After paying, Su Ying went up to the clothing section on the third floor and bought several sets of thermal wear for her parents. She also picked out a purple clay teapot for her dad—he didn’t have many hobbies, but like the people from Chaozhou, he loved drinking Kung Fu tea. The teapot had a small spout and a round, full body.

When she got home, Su Ying packed her suitcase, including all the gifts, and went to bed early.

The next morning, she called a car to the high-speed rail station and boarded the earliest train to the county.

The three-hour journey wasn’t too long or too short. After getting off, Su Ying dragged her suitcase to the bus station, which was just a few minutes’ walk from the county’s train station.

“Uncle Chen,” Su Ying greeted the familiar bus driver. Uncle Chen was from the same village and drove the bus that shuttled passengers between the county station and the town.

“Su Ying, you’re back! You’ve grown up and become even prettier,” Uncle Chen said with a hearty smile. His skin was dark and slightly reddish from years of sun exposure.

Su Ying bought a ticket and chose a seat by the window. She chatted with Uncle Chen as she waited for the bus to depart.

There weren’t many passengers on the bus, so they left on time.

“Do your parents know you’re back? They must be so happy. You haven’t been home much in the past couple of years. The last time I saw your dad, he was still talking about you,” Uncle Chen said. He was good friends with Su Ying’s father. Ever since she was little, he had often come by their house to drink and chat. During the New Year, Su Ying would even receive red envelopes from him—just one or two yuan, but it was a village tradition to bring good fortune.

“Yes, I told them a couple of days ago,” Su Ying replied, secretly looking forward to being home. She missed her mother’s cooking; when you’re away from home, that’s what you crave the most.

The bus wound through curve after curve. Two hours later, they arrived at the town and let off a group of passengers. The bus was now nearly empty—only Su Ying remained. It was midday, and although summer had passed, it was still hot. The bus didn’t have air conditioning, so they relied on the breeze coming through the windows.

Another hour passed before she could finally see the entrance to the village. Ten minutes later, the bus pulled into the small bus stop there. Unlike the county bus station, which had dozens of buses, this bus stop only had Uncle Chen’s bus, making it look rather desolate.

Uncle Chen helped Su Ying take her luggage off the bus. He had to drive back to the county, and the bus only made two trips a day, each one lasting several hours.

After saying goodbye to Uncle Chen, Su Ying dragged her suitcase down the cement-paved village road. It was so much better than the old dirt paths. After walking for nearly twenty minutes, she finally reached her house.