Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the New Year arrived.

C City’s winter brought snow every year—this was the children’s happiest time.

Outside, a blanket of silver-white covered everything. Before the New Year, Chen Hu had gotten a beating. His dad had a violent temper. After seeing his test paper, he grabbed him and gave him a thrashing.

Chen Hu had scored fifty points—last place in Pre-school Class One.

The little chubby one’s pig-like wails could almost be heard throughout the entire residential complex. Zhao Zhilan shook her head, somewhat amused: “This child’s voice has such strong penetrating power.”

The New Year became little friend Chen Hu’s get-out-of-jail-free card. His New Year’s money was confiscated, but at least his hot-tempered father stopped beating him.

Chen Hu led a group of little friends from the complex out to play, with six or seven boys following mightily behind him. Among them were even two who were two years older than him, just not as sturdy as the chubby one.

Li Da said: “Let’s go find Minmin.”

Chen Hu thought about it: “We’re catching birds and setting off firecrackers—we don’t play with girls.” However, thinking again about Fang Mingjun’s beautiful, noble appearance, he agreed: “Okay, let’s go find her.”

All the boys from the old-style residential complex were here, except for Pei Chuan. The construction here was especially old and distinctive, somewhat like a large courtyard, though the buildings were a bit taller.

The southern wall would be covered with creeping vines in summer. Now it was covered with a layer of ice crystals.

Finding people was especially easy for them—just stand downstairs and shout at the top of their lungs: “Fang Mingjun—”

The children’s voices rose and fell beneath the building. After shouting for Fang Mingjun, Chen Hu remembered he had eaten Bei Yao’s apple. So he led everyone to continue shouting: “Bei Yao—”

The clear, childish voices could be heard throughout the entire complex.

Pei Chuan was in the opposite building making dumplings with his mother, Jiang Wenjuan. At first, Jiang Wenjuan just wanted to give him something to do. After all, Pei Chuan had finished that bit of pre-school winter break homework in two days. Other children wouldn’t actively include a “burden” in their play. Jiang Wenjuan’s heart ached, so she could only take some time to accompany her son herself.

However, Pei Chuan lowered his eyes, his pale fingers pinching the pleats of the dumplings in a proper manner. He was always like this—learning everything very quickly.

Jiang Wenjuan felt even more distressed. The night Pei Chuan brought back his test paper, she had cried under the covers with muffled sobs for half the night. Pei Chuan was the only one in Pre-school Class One with a hundred points. Her son was so smart and excellent, yet he had been robbed of his legs. Most of his life was ruined.

Pei Chuan had originally been seriously making dumplings. Hearing the rising and falling shouts for Bei Yao downstairs, the dumpling in his hand tore a little.

His black eyes looked at it blandly, then pinched the gap closed again.

Jiang Wenjuan had been observing him and noticed immediately. No little friends would actively ask Pei Chuan to play. After all, children were like light, quick birds—they couldn’t push, nor would they be willing to push a heavy wheelchair to include Pei Chuan.

Jiang Wenjuan was afraid her son’s heart hurt: “Let’s stop making dumplings. Mom will take you outside to play, okay?”

Pei Chuan’s lips moved. He wanted to refuse, but in the end said nothing. At five years old this year, he still held expectations and yearnings for the world. He also wanted to go out and see the snow.

Jiang Wenjuan washed her hands and pushed Pei Chuan outside.

About a hundred meters north of the residential complex was a teahouse. Wisps of smoke floated about, and people played mahjong here.

Jiang Wenjuan didn’t actually want to play mahjong. She just pushed Pei Chuan over to see the liveliness. Children also played in this area.

The tall cypress tree was covered with snow. Under the tree, the children’s joyful laughter filled the air.

Pei Chuan’s wheelchair was positioned to one side. Someone from inside the teahouse called out: “Doctor Jiang came to play?” Their light gaze passed over Pei Chuan, and they also compassionately called out to Xiao Chuan.

“Yes, you all play. I’m just watching.”

Pei Chuan’s gaze passed over the cypress tree and fell on the little girl covering her eyes.

Bei Yao wore her red cotton jacket. Her two little hands covered her eyes tightly. Chen Hu led Fang Mingjun, crouching and threading through alleys to hide. The little girl’s clear voice said: “3, 2, 1… I’m coming to find you!”

She smiled and released her hands. Her first glance met the eyes of the boy in the wheelchair.

He looked away first.

Bei Yao’s eyes brightened. She still couldn’t understand the little secret in her notebook, but it didn’t prevent her from feeling close to Pei Chuan in her heart. She wanted to talk to him, but throughout the entire semester, Pei Chuan mostly ignored her. Moreover, right now she had to go find the children first. She could only move her little short legs to find Chen Hu and the others.

Chen Hu was really mean. He led everyone to squeeze into the warehouse beside the teahouse, which was piled full of nylon sacks.

The children crouched inside. Bei Yao could search until the end of time and still not find them.

She had a good temper from childhood. After searching all around, she was panting from exhaustion. She had lifted curtains and grass to look inside—there was nothing.

Pei Chuan watched coldly.

Snow fell from the rustling cypress tree, covering the girl’s face with accumulated snow.

The ice-cold snow touched her warm skin and melted, flowing down her cheeks as water. She dodged out in a disheveled state, her almond eyes clear and moist, as if she had been bullied to tears.

Pei Chuan’s fingers gripped the wheelchair tightly. After a long while, when Bei Yao passed by him still searching, he said in a low voice: “In the warehouse.”

The voice was very soft, like hoarseness buried long in deep snow, pulling out threads of stiffness.

Bei Yao turned her head blankly to look at him. He had a cold face, as if he had said nothing at all.

She turned and walked toward the warehouse. Her small hand parted the nylon sacks, and sure enough, a row of children was crouched there.

Chen Hu looked up at little Bei Yao’s smiling face and was instantly confused, then burst out in a big roar: “Bei Yao, you definitely peeked!”

“I didn’t peek.”

“I don’t believe it. You’re cheating!”

The little fatty was like an exploded firecracker. Li Da glanced at the helpless little Bei Yao and spoke up: “Who did you see first?”

Pei Chuan’s gaze looked through the open warehouse door.

Bei Yao glanced at the little chubby one who was wronged to death. He was almost crying from anger. She said softly: “I didn’t see anyone.”

She thought to herself: she was a big sister with third-grade memories. She couldn’t bully little friends.

She covered her own eyes: “You all hide.”

Chen Hu breathed a sigh of relief and ran off in a flash. Fang Mingjun also quickly followed. The children scattered in sevens and eights to hide.

Pei Chuan’s lips pressed into a tight line, his heart suffocating with frustration. He had been meddlesome.

They hadn’t included him in their game to begin with. He shouldn’t have said those words.

Bei Yao released her hands to find the other little friends. He glanced coldly at Bei Yao once, then his pale fingers pulled on Jiang Wenjuan: “Mom, let’s go home.”

Bei Yao saw Auntie Jiang pushing Pei Chuan away. She blinked her almond eyes. What happened? She hadn’t said thank you to him yet.

~

Zhao Zhilan was playing mahjong at a table with Zhao Xiu in the teahouse. Zhao Xiu’s luck was bad today—she kept playing into Zhao Zhilan’s hand. Annoyed, she drank a sip of hot water: “Next year, my Minmin and your Yaoyao will be reading first grade together. These children really grow up fast.”

The mahjong tiles clattered. Zhao Zhilan arranged her tiles: “Yes.”

“Zhilan, don’t be discouraged. If Yaoyao really can’t keep up with the pace, she can read pre-school for another year. After all, she’s young.”

Zhao Zhilan was confused: “What are you saying?”

“Didn’t Yaoyao not do too well on finals? I heard she just barely passed. Don’t rush the progress. If you ask me, a solid foundation is most important. I originally thought the same about Minmin—if she didn’t do well, she’d read another year. But when the paper came back, Minmin scored 90. So continuing to first grade should be no problem.”

Zhao Zhilan finally heard the underlying message. She looked askance at Zhao Xiu: “Who told you my Yaoyao barely passed?”

Zhao Xiu thought: Pretend, just keep pretending.

Zhao Zhilan drew her tiles and said with a beaming smile: “She was very well-behaved this year. Just one point short of a hundred—she scored ninety-nine!”

Zhao Xiu froze.

The other two women at the mahjong table praised in surprise: “Oh my, this child will be successful in the future.”

Zhao Xiu’s expression changed: “Zhao Zhilan, you don’t need to make this up to deceive people, do you?”

“Do I need to deceive you? If you don’t believe it, go ask Teacher Yu. The teacher has the scores recorded.”

Zhao Xiu understood this logic too. Such a lie could be exposed immediately. Zhao Zhilan wouldn’t be stupid enough to use this to deceive her. So that meant the little girl Bei Yao really scored 99?

Zhao Xiu thought of the words she had just said and felt extremely embarrassed. The other two women at the table, not reading the room, gave Zhao Xiu a strange look, then praised Zhao Zhilan’s daughter profusely for being smart and clever.

Zhao Xiu was so angry she was about to smoke. She played mahjong with muffled frustration. From childhood to adulthood, this was the first time Zhao Zhilan had beaten her.

This feeling was both humiliating and stifling. She wanted nothing more than to grab Fang Mingjun from playing outside and ask her what was going on.

~

This New Year passed quickly. The New Year atmosphere in childhood was very strong.

Eating candies and melon seeds while watching television was enough to be bubbling with happiness. Bei Yao was happy every day, except sometimes when she rested her little hand on her chin looking at the opposite building, she would wonder: why hasn’t Pei Chuan come out to play today either?

Fang Mingjun was scolded by her mother and cried until her face was a mess. She sobbed in defense: “Ninety points is a lot! Chen Hu only got 50!”

“I told you to score better than Bei Yao!”

“Mom, I can do it next time.” She sobbed: “Except for Bei Yao, I scored the best.”

Zhao Xiu thought about it—that was right. Fang Mingjun at least had ninety. The others in the complex were all a bunch of wild monkeys. The only one whose score was unknown was that child from the Pei family who had lost his legs. But for a child like that, how well could you expect him to score? He probably didn’t pass either.

Zhao Xiu could only poke Fang Mingjun’s head: “After New Year, work hard, understand?”

Fang Mingjun quickly nodded.

When spring came, the second semester of pre-school also began. Childhood time always passed joyfully and swiftly.

In little Bei Yao’s eyes, Fang Mingjun remained aloof and cool, the chubby Chen Hu’s voice pierced ears like magic, and Pei Chuan in the corner never again took the initiative to speak to her, as if the person who had quietly told her “in the warehouse” that day was her illusion.

In the last month of pre-school, the school announced a policy—from now on, pre-school would cancel exams!

Children like Chen Hu in class were overjoyed.

The other little friends, knowing there would be no final exam, were also mostly happy. Only Fang Mingjun thought melancholically: if there are no more exams, can she only surpass Bei Yao in first grade?

When Teacher Yu Qian sent off this batch of children, it was already summer. They were still like newborn little seedlings, each one tender and green.

She didn’t know what they would become when they grew up, nor where they would go.

She waved to the children: “Good luck in elementary school, little friends!”

From knowing nothing to already understanding rules, the children all obediently responded properly.

Pei Chuan was six years old.

His legs hadn’t, as Mom said, “grow back when he got bigger.” Every night before sleeping, he would look at the incomplete parts, but they ultimately hadn’t grown out.

Before going to first grade, he heard Jiang Wenjuan and Pei Haobin arguing.

Jiang Wenjuan sneered: “There’s no teacher in first grade who can help Xiao Chuan use the bathroom anymore!”

“I said I’d ask the teachers, give gifts and ask them to help!”

“You can ask for one year, but what about after? What about fifth and sixth grade in elementary school! What about middle school and high school! You can’t ask for a lifetime! I’ll find a hospital to get prosthetic legs for Xiao Chuan. Even if it costs everything we have, I’ll make him stand up again!”

“Juan’er, don’t be impulsive. Xiao Chuan is still too young…”

Pei Chuan looked at his own empty pant legs.

He wanted to say that since that time in kindergarten, he hadn’t asked the teacher to help him use the bathroom anymore.

He didn’t understand what “prosthetic legs” were, but he understood “stand up again.”