Teng Yi stood in the courtyard wearing a black down jacket, leaning against his suitcase and looking around, as if unsure whether this was the place he was looking for. Ruan Yu stared at him, surprised not only by his sudden appearance but even more by his hair. His signature dreadlocks were gone, replaced by a crew cut that was short and masculine, making him look more spirited.
Indeed, a crew cut was the first test of a handsome man. While Ruan Yu was still in a daze, Teng Yi spotted her and curved his lips into a smile. In the sunlight, this handsome young man appeared both familiar and strange.
“Why did you come?” Ruan Yu ran out of the house. By all accounts, he should have been abroad now.
“Didn’t you say your grandfather wanted to meet me?” Teng Yi had received Ruan Yu’s message at the airport when he was about to check in his luggage. After seeing her message, somehow he had a sudden urge to appear before her immediately. He knew this was a perfect opportunity to meet her family—miss this village, miss this shop. Without much thought, he immediately canceled his ticket and bought the next available flight to Sanmenxia, an operation that made Teng Hao call him crazy.
After traveling through the night, he finally stood before her before dawn. Though he was nearly exhausted to the point of collapse, seeing her surprised expression made it all worthwhile.
“Then your mother…”
“I called her, she knows.”
“She knows? Knows about us being together?”
Teng Yi nodded. Shen Bing had known for a while. As someone who had been through it all and as Teng Yi’s mother, she understood him well. Although Teng Yi was generally kind, he would never look at an unrelated girl with such gentle, doting eyes. When she inquired curiously, Teng Hao’s loose lips had revealed everything.
“Then your mother…”
“She likes you very much.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Ruan Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Teng Yi opened his arms to her: “Can you welcome me now?”
Ruan Yu smiled and threw herself into his embrace, her arms slipping under his down jacket to touch the sweater beneath. He was so warm. The time they had been apart wasn’t particularly long, but she had missed him. This kind of longing couldn’t be eased by chat or video calls—a cold screen was just a cold screen. Only a warm embrace could feel real.
“What’s with your hair? Why did you cut it?”
Ruan Yu reached up to touch his crew cut. The short hair felt prickly against her palm, sending tingles throughout her body.
Teng Yi smiled without answering, instead asking: “Do you like it?”
“It looks good.”
“That’s good then.”
Teng Yi had gotten his hair cut at a roadside stall outside the airport. He hadn’t struggled much with the decision, simply feeling that meeting the parents with dreadlocks wouldn’t be appropriate, as few elderly people could accept such a hairstyle. He didn’t want to leave Ruan Yu’s grandfather with a poor first impression of being a “punk” or a “troublemaker.”
“Weren’t you attached to it?”
“Nothing to be attached to.” Teng Yi had originally gotten dreadlocks just on a whim. Many people saw his dreadlocks as a symbol of his street dancing, but street dancers didn’t need any symbols. Oversized clothes, gold and silver chains, tattoos, dreadlocks… these were just costumes, not frameworks, and didn’t represent anything. Just like they could dance in white shirts or traditional Chinese clothes. The soul of street dance was unrestrained; the only limitations came from people’s gazes.
“How did you know where my house was?”
“You told me before.”
“Even if I said it was in Sanmenxia, how did you find the exact house?”
“How many top scholars could Sanmenxia have?” Teng Yi had casually asked the taxi driver, who had brought him straight to Ruan Yu’s doorstep. The young scholar’s reputation in Sanmenxia was quite remarkable.
Ruan Yu suddenly understood.
“Are you surprised?” Teng Yi asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.”
Teng Yi bent down to kiss her cheek, and just as they were wrapped in each other’s embrace, footsteps sounded from outside. Ruan Yu quickly pushed Teng Yi away.
They maintained a few fists’ distance between them, standing still like kindergarten children lining up.
–_–
The person coming in was Grandfather Ruan Heping. Upon seeing Teng Yi, Ruan Heping instinctively narrowed his eyes, and then his scrutinizing gaze examined Teng Yi from head to toe. The young man was handsome and proper—no problem there.
“Grandfather, this is my boyfriend, Teng Yi.” After speaking, Ruan Yu tugged at Teng Yi’s clothes, “This is my grandfather.”
“Grandfather,” Teng Yi called out obediently.
Ruan Heping nodded and asked, “Just arrived?”
“Yes.”
“Come in and sit.” Ruan Heping said, entering the house expressionlessly.
Afraid that her grandfather’s sternness would frighten Teng Yi, Ruan Yu quickly whispered in his ear: “My grandfather is just like this, it’s not about you.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“You’re like your grandfather.”
“Why do you say that?”
“When I first met you, you were just like this.”
“Like what?”
Teng Yi shrugged without answering and followed Ruan Heping into the house, leaving Ruan Yu to reflect by herself. What was she like back then? Hmm… probably cold and unapproachable. Yes, she had always been that kind of person, but Teng Yi had changed her and made her become warm and cheerful too.
Although Ruan Heping didn’t show much enthusiasm about Teng Yi’s arrival, he was quite pleased. Just a casual mention yesterday, and the young man had rushed over through the night—this was enough to prove his sincerity towards Ruan Yu.
At noon, Ruan Heping prepared a table full of good dishes. With Teng Yi at the table, the atmosphere was completely different. Teng Yi was high in both emotional and intellectual intelligence; he knew how to create conversation topics and how to please elders. Even someone as serious as Ruan Heping couldn’t escape Teng Yi’s charm, finding himself laughing every few minutes. Ruan Yu was dumbfounded—when had she ever seen her grandfather so happy?
After the meal, Ruan Yu prepared a room for Teng Yi to rest. He was exhausted from his journey and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Hearing his light snoring, she left the room.
Ruan Heping was waiting for her outside. Grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a glance, and Ruan Heping walked toward the courtyard with Ruan Yu quickly following.
The courtyard was bathed in sunlight, and after the brief bustle caused by Teng Yi’s arrival, the house had returned to its quietness. Ruan Heping brought a small stool for Ruan Yu, gesturing for her to sit.
Ruan Yu knew Ruan Heping would certainly ask about Teng Yi, and sure enough, his every word revolved around Teng Yi. Ruan Yu told him everything honestly, including Teng Yi’s family background and how they had gotten together. This was the deepest conversation she could remember having with her grandfather. Though she felt somewhat uncomfortable and even shy at first as her grandfather rarely spoke so much, she liked this feeling—the feeling of caring and being cared for.
Finally, Grandfather Ruan Heping shared his thoughts about Teng Yi, though Ruan Yu could already tell that her grandfather liked him very much.
“Teng Yi is good. Although we’ve just met and I don’t know him well yet, from your description and his conduct, I can sense his good upbringing and cultivation. A person who understands courtesy can’t go too far wrong. I’m at ease with you being with him.”
Ruan Yu smiled.
“But you’re both still young, life is just beginning, and no one can predict what will happen in the future. I hope that no matter what difficulties you encounter, you won’t easily give up on each other. Remember your initial determination to love each other.”
“I understand, Grandfather.”
–_–
Teng Yi’s arrival brought much life to the originally dull New Year for the grandfather and granddaughter. On the morning of the second day of the New Year, before Ruan Yu had even opened her eyes, she was awakened by music from the courtyard. When she got up to look, she found Teng Yi dancing in the courtyard. Of course, this wasn’t particularly surprising. What was surprising was that Grandfather Ruan Heping was wearing his reading glasses and watching him with an appreciative expression.
Teng Yi had taken Ruan Heping as an important audience member, incorporating many technically difficult moves into his dance. His desire to “show off” and “seek praise” was obvious.
Ruan Yu sat on the doorstep while brushing her teeth, joining the audience. Though the song was in English and Ruan Heping clearly couldn’t understand it, his enthusiasm wasn’t diminished at all—he appeared completely engrossed. Ruan Yu glanced at her grandfather occasionally, suddenly finding him quite adorably silly when he wasn’t being stern.
Finally, Teng Yi ended with a backflip.
Ruan Heping couldn’t help but applaud vigorously.
“Very good, very good. I think some of those moves integrate with Chinese martial arts.”
Teng Yi was momentarily stunned.
Ruan Heping caught his expression: “What? Did I say something wrong?”
Teng Yi quickly waved his hands: “No, no, Grandfather. It’s just that hearing you say that suddenly gave me many ideas for my next choreography.”
“Is that so? That’s wonderful!”
After watching the performance, Ruan Heping contentedly went to the kitchen.
After washing her face, Ruan Yu sat down beside Teng Yi.
“Why suddenly dance here?” she asked.
“Couldn’t you tell?”
“Tell what?”
“Wanted to make Grandfather like his future son-in-law more.”
“Hmph.”
Teng Yi laughed.
It had happened like this: while chatting with Ruan Heping in the morning, Ruan Heping had asked about his hobbies and interests, and Teng Yi mentioned his love for street dance. When Ruan Heping didn’t know what street dance was, Teng Yi volunteered to show him right then… which led to the scene Ruan Yu had witnessed.
“Take me around today?” Teng Yi said.
“Sure, what would you like to see? Local customs? Historical sites? Natural scenery?”
“Anything is fine, I’ll follow your lead here.” This was Teng Yi’s first time in Sanmenxia; he wasn’t familiar with the area.
“Alright, let me think.”
Ruan Yu spent about half an hour planning the route, then headed out with Teng Yi.
The weather was especially clear today, with blue skies and white clouds creating a beautiful scene, though the temperature was quite low.
As soon as they stepped outside, their ears hurt from the cold.
“Let’s buy some hats!” Passing a small shop selling winter accessories, Ruan Yu pulled Teng Yi inside.
The shop had everything from scarves to hats to gloves.
Ruan Yu spotted a pair of black couple hats and was about to have Teng Yi try one on when she saw him grab a red knitted hat and place it on her head.
The hat’s brim was embroidered with “OK” in black yarn—it looked a bit tacky at first glance, but the effect when worn was quite nice.
The bright red made Ruan Yu’s face appear especially fair.
“OK, let’s get this one,” Teng Yi decided.
“Don’t you want to try the black one?” Ruan Yu asked.
“No need.”
“Why do you like red?”
“Shouldn’t a red carp wear red?”
Ruan Yu remembered the tongue twister she had recited when they first met, “The Red Carp and Green Carp and Donkey.”
“Then are you the green carp?” she asked.
“You dare make me wear that color?” His gaze suddenly turned fierce.
“No, no, I don’t dare now, and won’t dare in the future.”
“That’s more like it.”
Teng Yi put on the same red hat; his new crew cut created a wild and unrestrained spark when paired with the knitted hat.
Something originally unremarkable took on a high-end quality when touched by his presence.
–_–
Ruan Yu took Teng Yi to watch shadow puppet shows, taste Lingbao dates, visit the Western Slope ruins, and see swans at the wetland park. Like ordinary young couples, they held hands, took photos, and stopped to kiss while walking… this completely relaxed state made both of them feel comfortable.
The day was packed with activities, and by the end, Ruan Yu the part-time tour guide was almost ready to collapse.
On the bus, as soon as she sat down, she rested her head on Teng Yi’s shoulder.
“Exhausted?”
“A bit.”
“Want me to massage your legs?”
As he spoke, his hand reached over and pressed on her thigh.
Ruan Yu was ticklish and immediately pulled away.
“Why are you dodging? It’s not like I’m taking advantage.”
“I’m ticklish.”
“If you’re scared of this, what about later?”
“What later?”
Teng Yi didn’t speak, just looked at her with an ambiguous smile.
Ruan Yu suddenly realized what inappropriate scenes he was imagining.
“Hey…” she sat up straight and glared at him.
“Shh.” Teng Yi guided her head back to his shoulder, “Get some rest, I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Ruan Yu obediently stayed still, though she didn’t close her eyes, just leaned against him with an empty gaze.
The bus moved steadily forward. There weren’t many passengers, and except for the stop announcements, the journey was quiet.
Teng Yi sat silently, feeling somewhat drowsy himself.
Suddenly, Ruan Yu clutched his sleeve.
“Teng Yi, look, that’s the Yellow River.” Her finger pressed against the bus window, pointing to a spot in the distance. “The Sanmenxia Dam is right there. I’ll take you to visit tomorrow.”
“You’ve already planned tomorrow’s itinerary?”
“Mm-hmm. Coming to Sanmenxia, I have to show you the Sanmenxia Dam.”
He placed a kiss on her temple: “Such a dedicated tour guide.”
The next day, they set out early again, taking the tourist shuttle from town to the Sanmenxia Dam scenic area.
Sanmenxia Dam, known as the First Dam of the Yellow River, is a national water conservancy scenic area. Compared to Swan Lake Wetland Park, this place was relatively less popular, so there were fewer tourists.
Ruan Yu led Teng Yi from upstream to downstream, experiencing different angles and different scenery. Upstream views showed distant mountains, downstream views showed nearby waters; upstream showed beautiful landscapes, and downstream showed the majestic dam.
When they reached the boundary stone marking “One Step Across Two Provinces,” Teng Yi stopped.
“Tour guide, please introduce this,” he pointed at the boundary stone.
“Sanmenxia Dam connects Henan and Shanxi provinces, with the provinces divided by the central axis line of the Yellow River’s main channel.” Ruan Yu stepped onto the cement footprint on the cutoff stone. “Stepping from here to here means crossing from Henan to Shanxi.”
Teng Yi nodded.
Just then, some tourists came to take photos, so Ruan Yu asked him, “Do you want to take a picture too?”
“Sure.”
Teng Yi walked to the central axis line and, after thinking for a moment, suddenly struck Michael Jackson’s classic moonwalk pose.
This guy really couldn’t separate himself from street dance anywhere.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means dancing from one province to another,” he answered loudly, his voice echoing between the gorges.
Ruan Yu laughed and gave him a thumbs up.
When they got tired of walking, they stopped to rest.
Teng Yi held up his camera and secretly took photos of Ruan Yu when she wasn’t paying attention.
“What are you doing?” She suddenly noticed and quickly covered her face. “Don’t take pictures.”
Like most girls, Ruan Yu didn’t like candid photos. She wasn’t confident enough to believe her face looked good from all 360 degrees, but in fact, Ruan Yu in Teng Yi’s lens looked clear and beautiful, particularly photogenic.
“Not bad, look for yourself.” Teng Yi handed over the camera, showing the photos he’d taken.
Ruan Yu took a look and had to admit they were fine, at least not as ugly as she had imagined.
After photographing people, Teng Yi went to photograph the scenery.
“I heard that when the dam releases water in July, it’s particularly spectacular?” he asked while framing his shot.
“Yes. But compared to the dam release, I’ve seen an even more spectacular sight. No, spectacular isn’t the right word… it should be…” she paused, carefully choosing her words, “overwhelming.”
“What sight?”
“Swimming fish.”
Teng Yi shook his head.
He had never heard the term “swimming fish.”
“Every June and July, when the Yellow River enters its main flood season, the Sanmenxia Reservoir opens its gates to release water. As the water speed increases, it stirs up large amounts of sediment. Fish in the water surface due to lack of oxygen, creating the swimming fish phenomenon.”
Ruan Yu first saw the “swimming fish” phenomenon in her senior year of high school. At that time, with the college entrance exam approaching, her grades were unstable, and she was under enormous pressure, nearly at her breaking point. After all, for a student from a humble background like her, the college entrance exam was the most tangible opportunity to change her fate. She was afraid of missing this chance, so she trod carefully, feeling like every day was the end of the world.
One day, while walking home from school, she saw fishermen lining the Yellow River banks. Driven by curiosity, she stopped to take a closer look, and then she saw a massive “swimming fish scene.”
She still couldn’t forget that scene—in the Yellow River, fish were leaping among the waves, fish of all sizes struggling in the muddy water. Their fate seemed to have only two possibilities: death by muddy water or being caught by fishermen. Yet even so, they kept struggling to survive, searching for that tiny glimmer of hope.
As Ruan Yu watched, she suddenly felt deeply moved. She felt these fish were like herself, falling into an abyss without seeing hope, yet they were still fighting desperately to rise—she should do the same.
The dark clouds that had been hanging over her for days dispersed, and she suddenly understood, her heart filling with sunshine again.
“At that time, I understood a truth: no matter who you are, even if fate corners you, even if life has you by the throat, as long as you have an ounce of strength left to struggle, don’t give up.”
Don’t flow with the current, don’t drift with the tide.
Be like the fish swimming against the current, never resting until the end.