On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Sun Jingfei suddenly received a WeChat message from Ke Yu saying he wanted to come back to his maternal grandmother’s house. But the message was withdrawn shortly after being sent, and Sun Jingfei happened to see the withdrawn content.
She immediately replied, “Should I come pick you up?”
After a long while, Ke Yu responded, “I miss Sister Yuyi.”
Sun Jingfei didn’t probe further, just felt happy. She’d thought he wouldn’t want to come back until the Lantern Festival. After hesitating for a long time, she messaged Sun Jingcheng, who was visiting relatives at his mother-in-law’s house, “Little brother, when are you coming back?”
Sun Jingcheng replied, “Evening, I guess.”
Sun Jingfei replied, “Contact me when you get back.” Then she messaged Ke Yu, “Tonight your little uncle and I will come pick you up.”
Ke Yu replied, “Okay. Mom.”
No one was home—everyone had gone to visit relatives. With nothing to do, she took her keys and went to the newly purchased house, opened all the windows to air it out, then went to the mall to buy small appliances. On the road she received a call from Ke Yong. The conversation didn’t go well, and they hung up after just two sentences.
Before New Year’s, Ke Yong had still been cautiously probing, asking why she wasn’t coming back for the holiday. Why wouldn’t she let him come to the clinic? Why didn’t she tell him when she sold the house in the new district?
It’s my money, I’ll spend it however I want. Sun Jingfei wore him down without giving him a straight answer, making him figure it out himself. In between, she also received calls from her mother-in-law, which she all deflected to Ke Yong, saying he knew what was going on. Ke Yong couldn’t figure out her meaning and could only probe this way and that.
Over there, Sun Jingcheng had taken Grandma and Feng Yiqun out to the park. The weather was good. Grandma had been cooped up at home all winter and was anxious to get out. Usually they went out rarely even in spring and autumn because Grandma’s emotions fluctuated greatly, and Feng Yiqun couldn’t handle her alone.
Grandma pointed at the small lake in the center, asking Feng Yiqun to bring her to bathe when the weather got hot. Feng Yiqun was looking for a sunny spot with Zhou Yu to spread out the picnic blanket and didn’t hear. Grandma shouted vigorously into her ear, startling Feng Yiqun.
Zhou Yu glared at Sun Jingcheng for not watching Grandma properly. Sun Jingcheng quickly pulled Grandma over, saying he’d bring her to bathe in the summer. Grandma looked at his crotch and said she was going to report him as a little hooligan and have the brigade take scissors to cut it off.
…
Zhou Yu glanced at him sideways and sarcastically scolded him.
Sun Jingcheng ignored her, burying his head in checking guides. He wanted to take Zhou Yu camping on the nearby mountain to watch the sunrise. In previous years they’d traveled out of province during Spring Festival, but this year the pandemic was special. The district called for everyone to go out less unless necessary, to have a peaceful New Year.
Feng Yiqun spread out the picnic blanket and gave Grandma some snacks to eat. She glanced sideways at the young couple with their heads together, whispering over a phone. She inadvertently made eye contact with Zhou Yu. She smiled, and Zhou Yu scratched her head and continued with her own business.
Zhou Yu complained that camping would be cold. Sun Jingcheng said his equipment could withstand the cold, even thirty degrees below zero would be no problem. Moreover, this weather wasn’t even below zero.
She thought about it and nodded.
The sun was excellent. All four of them sitting there were warmed by it. Feng Yiqun leaned against the tree trunk dozing. Sun Jingcheng played stick poker with Grandma. Zhou Yu stood to the side watching. Sun Jingcheng complained that having her stand beside him created too much pressure and looked up urging her to sit down. She wouldn’t sit…
Sun Jingcheng would play for a while then look at her, always afraid she’d pull a dirty trick and kick him when he wasn’t paying attention. Zhou Yu said he had the heart of a petty person and was too lazy to deal with him. The sun rose higher, and people’s shadows changed accordingly. She looked back at the sleeping Feng Yiqun and also moved forward a step.
Only then did Sun Jingcheng understand why she was standing. Instantly his heart filled with mixed emotions. His wife’s thoughtfulness, turning a hundred times—how difficult to fathom. Thinking this, he looked up and called, “Wife.”
“What.”
Sun Jingcheng said from the bottom of his heart, “How lucky you are to have married me.”
Sun Jingfei’s situation wasn’t as leisurely as her brother’s. Mother Sun was currently scolding her, saying she was just decoration at home. When she went to visit relatives, she didn’t even cook a bowl of rice for Sun Youping. What use was raising her? When she got to the emotional part, she even shed two lines of tears.
Returning from visiting relatives at two or three o’clock, she saw Sun Youping had soaked a bowl of steamed bun with a spoonful of sugar and was sitting there eating it. Her anger immediately flared up. They were even helping look after the children and this was the treatment they got. In the future when they were old and bedridden, they couldn’t count on any of them! Grief welled up involuntarily. She picked up her phone and first scolded Sun Jingfei, then called the eldest son, saying when the children went back to school, don’t send them here anymore. She wouldn’t be like an old servant waiting on them anymore.
The eldest son asked what happened. The more Mother Sun thought about it, the more it hurt, the more desolate she felt. Thinking of Sun Jingfei’s words that had choked her a few days ago, she immediately cried uncontrollably. She could only sob that many children and grandchildren meant many enemies.
Sun Jingyue made time to return to the clinic. Sun Youping was as indifferent as usual, completely unaware of what had happened. Sun Jingyue first investigated with the person involved, “Dad, didn’t you eat lunch?”
“I did.”
“What time did you eat, what did you eat?”
“Two-thirty. A bowl of steamed bun soaked in sugar water.”
…
My old father! Sun Jingyue was also immediately angry. The third daughter was too outrageous! Coming out of the clinic, he called Sun Jingfei and scolded her. After scolding, he went upstairs to comfort Mother Sun, “Mom, I severely criticized the third daughter! She said she didn’t mean it, she got busy and forgot.”
After hearing this, Mother Sun felt even more heartbroken. She said nothing, just waved her hand telling him to leave.
Sun Jingyue saw the situation wasn’t right and roughly explained the situation in the group chat of the four siblings, saying Mom didn’t scold anyone, just sat there with a heart like dead ashes.
Sun Jinghui also went back once. Eldest brother wasn’t wrong—Mom had completely lost her spirit.
Sun Jingfei said Mom was making a mountain out of a molehill. She’d just forgotten one meal. In the morning, Mother Sun had indeed told her to cook lunch for Sun Youping, but she’d been busy with the house and forgot. Moreover, there was so much food in the refrigerator, maybe Dad just liked steamed bun soaked in sugar water.
Sun Jingfei wasn’t wrong in her guess. These past few days he’d eaten too much greasy food, so Sun Youping had deliberately soaked a bowl of plain steamed bun.
To eldest and second sons, these words sounded like excuses, because both of them had returned to the clinic and witnessed the dismal situation at home. The three sisters argued as they talked. Sun Jingcheng was accompanying Zhou Yu’s family and didn’t participate at all.
Sun Jingfei personally returned to the clinic. Mother Sun uncharacteristically didn’t scold her and also treated her as if she were invisible.
Sun Jingcheng read through the WeChat messages and roughly explained the situation to Zhou Yu. After reading the chat content, Zhou Yu said to him, “Your sister’s emotional intelligence is as low as yours.” She was curious how Sun Jingfei had led teams.
“She can use any excuse, just not say she forgot.” Zhou Yu looked at him. “Mom told her to cook a bowl of rice for Dad at noon, and she flippantly says she forgot? If it were Ke Yu, would she also forget?”
“She would.” Sun Jingcheng said without doubt.
…
Zhou Yu didn’t argue with him, only saying, “Saying ‘I forgot’ is very hurtful. Plainly speaking, it means she didn’t take your parents to heart. Your mom already loves to overthink things—this sentence can be interpreted in all kinds of ways.”
Sun Jingcheng listened attentively.
“Analyzing from your mom’s perspective. Even now they’re still helping look after grandchildren, and no one cooked one lunch. Then later when they’re bedridden, they certainly can’t count on anyone.”
“More seriously, because of your sister alone, it could affect all of us. Raised four children with painstaking care, and not one son or daughter-in-law will cook a bowl of rice!”
…
“This small matter shouldn’t be that serious, right?” Sun Jingcheng found it hard to believe.
“Often it’s the small things that hurt people.” Zhou Yu said, “Your mom wouldn’t have thought this way twenty years ago. But now she’s old, she’s vulnerable, she needs to help look after grandchildren to find a sense of existence, to prove she’s not completely useless in front of you all.”
“More realistically, if it weren’t for your mom looking after eldest and second sister-in-law’s children, no one would come to weekend gatherings.” Zhou Yu stopped at that, not saying more.
…
On the way to pick up Ke Yu that evening, Sun Jingcheng told this to Sun Jingfei. The siblings chatted again in their group chat. Finally, Sun Jingfei made a deep self-criticism of her behavior in the large group. Eldest son also reflected, saying he hadn’t fulfilled the responsibility of the eldest son. Second and fourth sons followed closely behind, all saying a bunch of nice things. Only then did Mother Sun reluctantly acknowledge them.
Afterward, Sun Jingcheng was very proud, praising his wife’s high emotional intelligence.
Sun Jingfei disagreed, “Her relationship with her mom isn’t that great either. Everyone is confused when they’re the one involved, but sees clearly as a bystander.”
Sun Jingcheng kept his mouth shut.
The next day, the two drove to the neighboring city to climb a mountain. Zhou Yu suggested taking the cable car up. Sun Jingcheng parked the car at the foot of the mountain, carried a huge backpack on his back, looked up pointing at the mountain, and demonstrated with his feet saying, “Life is like a big mountain. You have to take it step by step slowly. That way the scenery you see will be more beautiful.”
“Taking the cable car gets you to the top all at once. Is that interesting?”
“Yes.” Zhou Yu said.
Sun Jingcheng put a pair of earphones on her and played music. “These are all my favorites.” Then he led her step by step upward.
They each wore earphones, without a word all the way.
As the scenery along the way constantly changed, Zhou Yu’s mood gradually became calm and open. Those past events that couldn’t be resolved were temporarily set aside. She just focused on the road ahead, attended to present matters.
Old people often say, for things you can’t figure out, just let them sit in your heart gathering dust. When the dust gets thick, when you think of them you still have to take them out and shake them, wave them around. Repeat this a few times, and each time they’ll fade in color, each time they’ll fade in color, just like old photographs. Finally only an unclear outline remains. When it reaches that point, those things you couldn’t figure out will naturally become clear.
But Zhou Yu didn’t understand—how long would this process take? Twenty years? Fifty years? Or a lifetime?
Those old people were evasive, unable to explain clearly either. They only emphasized: When people move, they thrive; when trees move, they die.
When exhausted, change; when changed, clarity comes; when clear, longevity follows.
Sun Jingcheng unscrewed the water bottle for her, telling her to drink in small sips, then asked, “Tired?”
“I’m okay.”
“Ten more minutes and we’ll reach the summit.” Sun Jingcheng reached his hand into her collar to feel her back. “You’re sweating.” Then he took the small backpack from her shoulder and carried it backward against his chest, raising his hand, “Come on, persevere for ten more minutes.”
Zhou Yu wanted to rest a bit more—after all, only ten minutes remained. Sun Jingcheng wouldn’t let her rest, saying the more you rest, the harder it is to climb.
After climbing for twenty minutes, Sun Jingcheng said persevere for five more minutes and they’d arrive. Ten minutes later, he said three more minutes…
Zhou Yu completely stopped climbing. The slope ahead was getting steeper and steeper. Sun Jingcheng had her walk in front while he pushed her, saying tonight he’d massage her shoulders and legs, telling her to watch her footing and not slip or drag him down.
Zhou Yu was too lazy to deal with him, focusing on the road beneath her feet.
Reaching the summit, the wind was strong. Sun Jingcheng told her to hold tight to an ancient tree while he set up the tent in a sheltered spot, muttering to himself, “Last year a young couple was blown away by the wind. At night there are lions here, tigers, elephants, bears, big bad wolves, and gorillas… better be careful.”
…
The tent was set up. Sun Jingcheng called her to come in quickly, then pulled the zipper and sat cross-legged very seriously. Zhou Yu asked what he was doing. He said waiting for the sweat to dry, otherwise they’d catch cold easily.
…
The two stared at each other with big eyes and small eyes. Sun Jingcheng took a sip of tea and praised her, “Teacher Zhou is really beautiful.”
…
“Get lost.” Zhou Yu replied.
Sun Jingcheng laughed heartily, gave her the thermos, had her sit in the corner of the tent while he half-knelt and gradually laid out the bedding. This was Zhou Yu’s first time living in a tent. After looking around she asked, “This little space, is it enough for us to sleep?”
“Enough.” Sun Jingcheng was busy inflating the air mattress. “At night you can just stack on top of me to sleep.”
…
Zhou Yu kicked his butt, telling him not to be improper. Sun Jingcheng looked at her. “You wait.” Then continued inflating the mattress.
Zhou Yu didn’t do anything, just sat there sipping tea watching him work. When everything was laid out, Sun Jingcheng took off his socks and stuck his feet out of the tent to air them. Zhou Yu also imitated him. As soon as she stuck them out, the cold made her pull them back.
Sun Jingcheng laughed at her, rolled up the tent door, and had her look at the sunset opposite. The two sat close together at the tent entrance, watching in silent stillness, not feeling cold at all.
When the sky turned dusky, they returned inside the tent, drinking tea while reading books. One read “Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders,” the other read “Book of Changes.” After reading for about five minutes, Zhou Yu couldn’t settle her mind. She turned her face to look at Sun Jingcheng. He brought me here just to read books in a different place?
Unbelievable.
Zhou Yu put away her book, wrapped herself in the sleeping bag and went to sleep. It was quite peaceful here, very easy to fall asleep. Her legs were sore. After rubbing them for a while, she fell asleep.
In a hazy state, she felt someone massaging her calves. She groggily called out, “Sun Jingcheng?”
“Sleep.” Sun Jingcheng answered her.
Zhou Yu fell back asleep peacefully. After quite a while, she felt someone holding her. Following the familiar scent, she turned around and also held him.
She didn’t sleep particularly soundly at night. She originally had insomnia. From time to time she could feel someone patting her back, softly humming a little tune. This brought her back to when she was very, very young—summer in the countryside, her maternal grandmother sitting by the bed waving a palm-leaf fan to drive away mosquitoes, also humming a little tune in her mouth.
In her dream she returned to that time, stumbling and climbing onto the bamboo bed, lying peacefully on it, waiting for Grandma to wave the palm-leaf fan for her.
At dawn she was awakened. Sun Jingcheng led her to the peak ahead to watch the sunrise. The two wrapped in thick down jackets sat cross-legged, rinsed their mouths one after another, sipping hot water from the thermos to warm themselves. Still they didn’t speak, still quietly watching. When the sun had completely risen, Sun Jingcheng called her, “Teacher Zhou.”
“What.” Zhou Yu squinted at the sun.
Sun Jingcheng wanted to say you cried last night, but changed his words to, “You’re really cute.”
…
Zhou Yu seemed embarrassed instead and ignored him.
The two drank a carton of milk and began packing the tent. Zhou Yu glanced at the double sleeping bag and asked, “When you went out before, you always carried such a big tent?”
Sun Jingcheng rolled up the sleeping bag and said, “It wasn’t this big before. I just bought this set before New Year’s.”
Zhou Yu nodded.
Sun Jingcheng pondered the meaning for a while, then added, “I used to have a single-person tent. This is the first time sharing with someone. A certain someone sleeps like a little pig, rolling around and snoring.”
Zhou Yu gave him a blank look, too lazy to deal with him.
Sun Jingcheng laughed heartily.
The two descended the mountain one after the other. After passing the steep ladder path, they walked side by side.
The mountain path was lush with trees and shade, while below the mountain sunlight shone brightly.