Jiang Dage’s family wouldn’t be arriving so soon, but preparations for New Year’s goods had to start.

Chuxia and Jiang Shengnan went shopping for New Year’s supplies, with Cen Huai’an tagging along, as well as Hu Panden and Xiao He, who wanted to go out and have fun.

Their parents joined them too, making the shopping experience lively and enjoyable.

The market hadn’t changed much since Chuxia last visited—still as bustling and crowded as ever.

Everyone bought items in bulk, filling up bags.

Chuxia and Cen Huai’an were especially fond of the local lamb skewers.

No matter where they tried them, they never compared to the ones in Gansu, which were perfectly seasoned and tender.

The kids enjoyed the lamb skewers, their faces smeared with oil.

Normally, their parents wouldn’t allow them such treats.

While the lamb skewers were affordable for Chuxia, many parents found them pricey.

However, compared to the past, life had improved significantly for everyone.

For lunch, Chuxia and Cen Huai’an enjoyed “boiled dumplings,” a Gansu delicacy made with chicken and flour, which was rich, chewy, and smooth.

Each had a large bowl.

Everyone ate a variety of foods, chatting and laughing happily as they gathered together.

After returning from the market, the boys who had been playing with Cen Huai’an came over to his house.

They hadn’t seen each other for a long time and had plenty to catch up on.

Chuxia went upstairs, while Jiang Shengnan went to work, clearing the living room for the boys to play.

“An An, are you going to participate in the national math competition this time?” Xiao He asked eagerly, as he had already confirmed his participation in the physics competition.

“Yes,” Cen Huai’an replied.

The boys, including Hu Panden, patted Cen Huai’an and Xiao He on the shoulders, admiring them. “You guys say everyone grows up eating, but how did you two get so smart?” Hu Panden asked.

Cen Huai’an looked at him and said, “Just naturally.”

He stood next to the pile of fruits and snacks they had bought that day, preparing to serve dried fruits and beef jerky to his friends.

Hu Panden refused, saying, “We’d rather get our own. It’s too much trouble for you to do this.”

Cen Huai’an insisted, “It’s more hygienic this way.”

“An An, can I invite my uncle to watch us play Go? He wants to see us play,” Xiao He asked.

“Sure,” Cen Huai’an replied.

Xiao He smiled and immediately went outside to call his uncle.

Hu Panden watched his retreating figure, munching on a handful of raisins.

He turned to Cen Huai’an and said, “You’re going to play Go again. Xiao He never wins against you. Why does he still have so much enthusiasm to play?”

“Because he wants to surpass me,” Cen Huai’an said.

Xiao He viewed Cen Huai’an as his goal to strive for.

Each game with Cen Huai’an wasn’t just about winning but also about assessing whether he was closing the gap between their skills.

When Xu Lishu came over with Xiao He, the boys had already turned on the big color TV and were happily watching.

At that moment, “Journey to the West” was airing, a beloved show for both kids and adults.

Many kids outside were playing, using sticks as their own Sun Wukong, and reenacting the adventures of Tang Seng’s journey to the West, which was a popular game among children.

Hu Panden found a stick and, imitating Sun Wukong from the show, addressed Cen Huai’an, “Master, there’s a monster ahead. Let me go check!”

He then marched toward Xiao He and Xu Lishu, saying, “Who are you monsters? Reveal yourselves!”

Xu Lishu and Xiao He played along, “Little Master, we are not monsters. We came to discuss Buddhist Go with your master.”

Hu Panden circled around them, scrutinizing them carefully before jumping back in front of Cen Huai’an, saying, “Master, my keen eyes have seen that they are not monsters.”

Cen Huai’an responded, “Then let them come over.”

Xu Lishu and Xiao He approached, unable to hide their smiles.

Xu Lishu said, “Panden’s costume is quite like Sun Wukong. An An, you look most like the master.”

Hu Panden scratched his face and chuckled, “I also think An An looks like Tang Seng, so clean and neat. If he talked a bit more, he’d look even more like him!”

Cen Huai’an: …

He looked at Xiao He and asked, “Shall we start?”

Xiao He looked down and saw that Cen Huai’an had set up the board.

He sat opposite Cen Huai’an and said, “Let’s start.”

Xu Lishu stood beside them, observing the game seriously.

Hu Panden and the other boys lowered the TV volume and eventually turned it off, gathering around to watch.

They couldn’t tell who was better, but seeing the serious expressions on both Cen Huai’an and Xiao He made them nervous.

This time, Cen Huai’an slowed down his pace, not playing as quickly as in the training camp.

It didn’t take long for Xu Lishu to realize that Xiao He was unable to beat Cen Huai’an and that Cen Huai’an was giving Xiao He a chance.

He was surprised yet not surprised.

On the plane, he had noticed Cen Huai’an’s impressive skill in five-in-a-row games with Chuxia.

However, he hadn’t expected that someone so young could play Go so well, even better than some adults who had learned the game from a young age.

Xu Lishu watched with growing concentration, his brow furrowed as he analyzed both Xiao He’s strategies and Cen Huai’an’s moves.

The more he watched, the more insightful it became for him, providing inspiration for his own understanding.

When the game ended, Xiao He unsurprisingly lost.

The other boys showed sympathy, patting Xiao He’s shoulder and saying, “We’ll battle again next time.”

They then turned to Cen Huai’an and said, “An An, it’s impressive that you excel academically and in Go. Just make sure my mom doesn’t find out, or I’m done for! It’s already tough enough having Xiao He always comparing himself to me.”

The boys laughed heartily, clearly aware of how Hu Panden’s mom pushed him to study.

Xu Lishu, still observing the game, stopped Cen Huai’an as he was about to clean up, “Let me watch a bit longer. Your approach in this game is something I’ve never considered before. Can you share your thoughts with me?”

Cen Huai’an paused, looked at him, nodded, and sat back down at the board.

He began explaining his strategy and thoughts from the start of the game.

He had adjusted his play according to Xiao He’s approach to avoid making Xiao He feel defeated.

Cen Huai’an didn’t say this explicitly, but Xiao He could tell he was being given some leeway.

He bit his lip, focusing intently on the board.

Once Cen Huai’an finished explaining, Xiao He immediately asked, “An An, have I made any progress in my Go skills?”

“There has been a lot of progress.”

Xiao He felt better, but still had doubts: “Then why can’t I beat you?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Because I’m also improving.”

Xu Lishu patted Xiao He’s head.

If Xiao He’s talent in Go was an 9 out of 10, then Cen Huai’an was a 10.

A single point represents a vast chasm, so Xiao He could only catch up to Cen Huai’an if Cen Huai’an stopped learning Go from now on while Xiao He continued.

“Your thoughts have loosened the bottleneck I’m facing. An’an, do you have time to play a game with me? Anytime is fine,” Xu Lishu asked Cen Huai’an sincerely.

Cen Huai’an had been out at the market today and had played a game with Xiao He. He was indeed feeling a bit tired and nodded, saying, “Let’s play tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

Xu Lishu continued to ponder the game, while Cen Huai’an was surrounded by Hu Panden, Xiao He, and others, eating, talking, and watching “Journey to the West.”

Ganzu Tiangong Base.

Cen Zhengnian had reunited with old colleagues here.

When Yu Tian went to pick him up, his voice was choked with emotion.

“Ah, Zhengnian, my abilities aren’t enough; I still can’t come to find you.”

When Cen Zhengnian left before, Yu Tian had hoped to be transferred to the capital to work with him.

But such opportunities were rare, and Yu Tian had shone at the Ganzu Tiangong Base but had yet to get such a chance.

Cen Zhengnian gave him a hearty hug, then patted his shoulder and said, “I’ve heard about your achievements at Tiangong while I was in the capital. Not being able to come to the capital has nothing to do with your abilities.”

Cen Zhengnian knew Yu Tian’s abilities well from their time working together at the Tiangong Base, and was jokingly self-deprecating.

Yu Tian immediately smiled happily: “You still understand me.”

Ye Xingxiu looked at Cen Zhengnian as if he had returned to his old home, with curiosity: “Is this where you worked before your transfer?”

Cen Zhengnian nodded.

Although he had returned to his old workplace, Cen Zhengnian had little time to catch up with former colleagues as they were there on a mission.

The Tiangong Base staff also assisted with experiments.

Now, only the final assembly and launch of materials remained.

However, the details of assembly were tricky.

A single misplaced screw could lead to launch failure, and every data point had to be accurate.

Cen Zhengnian was so busy that he lost track of time.

Due to the classified nature of the mission, he couldn’t even call home or write a letter to reassure his family.

Every night, after finishing work and lying on his dorm bed, he avoided thinking about Chuxia and An’an, fearing that the longing might become uncontrollable.

So he focused only on work, recalling every detail of the day to check for mistakes.

Lost in thought, he fell asleep and continued his busy schedule the next day.

Cen Zhengnian had originally thought that the final stage of the launch test wouldn’t take long.

But work didn’t go as planned; various small issues kept arising with materials and data.

Everyone worked day and night, and the test was delayed because the preparatory work wasn’t complete.

Cen Zhengnian, being the mission leader, couldn’t afford to rush, as hasty work was prone to problems.

Inadequate preparation could lead to failure, with consequences far worse than the extra time taken.

Ye Xingxiu and Yu Tian were exhausted and had no time to think about home.

“Cen Zhengnian, you’re simply inhuman! Look at what you’ve done to all of us!” Yu Tian said, feeling the strain himself.

“Zhengnian, since you left the base, I haven’t been as busy as I am now,” he laughed, although he was tired, he enjoyed this sense of exhaustion.

Cen Zhengnian, still thinking about a data assembly issue, glanced up and said, “Finish work early and you can go home. Besides, if we don’t take it seriously now and something goes wrong with the launch, who will be responsible? You?”

Ye Xingxiu and Yu Tian shook their heads and remained silent.