It was a new year, and the household calendar needed changing.

A few days ago, when Ma Huimin went out to buy groceries, she’d already bought the 2010 calendar. She took down the old wall calendar, now down to its last thin page, hung up the new one, and tore off the cover page.

Zhou Ya installed a new lock on the bathroom door, testing it back and forth a few times.

Walking back to the living room, he saw his mother still standing in front of the new calendar, pen in hand, flipping through the pages while marking things down.

Zhou Ya put the toolbox back in the cabinet and asked, “Mom, didn’t you say you were going to take a nap? What are you still busy with?”

“While I still remember, I want to mark down the important dates on the calendar first. Long-long’s birthday, her mother’s death anniversary, your father’s death anniversary, and your birthday.” Ma Huimin flipped page by page, “Also, I’ve been looking, and there are quite a lot of good days this year, especially in the second half—lots of dates good for weddings and moving house, so…”

Ma Huimin trailed off, not saying it too plainly.

Zhou Ya was caught between laughing and crying. “I’m only moving house, not getting married.”

“You’d better start paying attention. If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to start introducing you to blind dates.” Ma Huimin shot him a look. “You know, recently when I go for walks downstairs, those old aunties doing square dancing all fight to stuff photos of their daughters into my hands.”

People are always a bit snobbish. Although Zhou Ya was excellent in appearance, in earlier years the family’s circumstances had been ordinary, so few families had come to propose matches. Now that Zhou Ya had bought a new house and his business was thriving, yet he was still single, more and more people wanted to introduce their daughters to him.

Ma Huimin had previously wanted to respect Zhou Ya’s own wishes, hoping he could find a girl he genuinely liked and who genuinely liked him back—she’d never wanted to interfere in his love life.

But if Zhou Ya kept staying single like this, she was going to have to step in.

Zhou Ya understood his mother’s thinking. He curved his lips slightly, somewhat helpless. “Fine, I’ll make an effort, I’ll hurry up.”

After his mother went back to her room for her nap, Zhou Ya lifted the calendar page.

January 10th—beside the date, written in the blank space, was marked: “Long-long’s Birthday.”

Right at the end of the street where the food stalls were, there was a computer shop.

On the sliding door, half frosted glass and half transparent, eye-catching red characters were pasted: “Broadband,” “Repairs.”

Zhou Ya parked his motorcycle outside and pushed the door open. Qin Baile jerked his head up quickly from behind the computer screen, and upon seeing who it was, ducked back down just as fast, calling out loudly, “Sit wherever! Let me finish this round!”

Zhou Ya grunted in acknowledgment and walked over to glance at the screen—his childhood friend was busy playing Plants vs. Zombies, the mouse clicking away.

As if entering his own home, Zhou Ya walked familiarly into the small room behind the shop, where there was a small sofa and a tea table, with a tea tray and its accessories set out.

He sat down, pressed the heating button on the hot water kettle, knocked the old tea dregs out of the teacup, and while waiting for the water to boil, washed the cup and then pinched in two portions of tea leaves.

The first pour of tea water was used to rinse the cups. Just as Zhou Ya finished setting out the porcelain cups, the game music outside stopped. Qin Baile lifted the door curtain and tossed a cigarette toward Zhou Ya. “You’re quite eager, coming all the way over specially. Wouldn’t it have been fine if I just delivered it to your stall later?”

“It’s not that far, I happened to be passing by.” Zhou Ya caught the cigarette but didn’t light it, setting it on the tea table instead. “Did you install all the system software and everything in the computer?”

“Installed, installed. Let me show you.” Qin Baile turned back toward the counter.

Zhou Ya leaned slightly forward, his right hand pouring tea from the cup, his gaze sweeping sideways to land on Qin Baile’s uneven, limping legs.

Qin Baile came back carrying a large box and opened it in front of Zhou Ya. Inside was a laptop, a Sony, currently the model most favored by young girls.

“Recently this pink one has been especially popular—Shenzhen and Guangzhou are both out of stock, I barely managed to get someone to hold a unit for me.” Qin Baile started up the computer and handed it to Zhou Ya, his tone teasing. “Spending this much—who are you planning to give it to?”

Zhou Ya couldn’t be bothered to explain. “It’s for my own use, all right?”

“You think I’ll believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not is none of my business.”

The new laptop was compact and stylishly designed; compared to the old desktop antique Fang Long was currently using, its startup speed was like a modified sports car next to a pedicab.

“I installed the latest Windows 7, antivirus software, browser, QQ, music player, video player… and PhotoCap too, I’ve already preinstalled it all for you.” Qin Baile, thirsty, picked up the teacup and drained it in one go, continuing, “If she doesn’t like it once she gets it, just uninstall it.”

“That game you were just playing, what’s it called again?”

“Oh? Plants vs. Zombies?”

“Right, put that on it too.”

“Sure!” Qin Baile grinned, eyes narrowing, looking like a mischievous little rat. “And you say it’s for yourself…”

Zhou Ya glared at him. “What, does this game have some restriction against mature gentlemen like me playing it?”

Qin Baile burst out laughing.

The pink laptop was packed back into its box. Zhou Ya lit a cigarette and asked slowly, “That surgery matter—have you thought it over?”

Qin Baile paused. “Huh? What surgery?”

Zhou Ya clicked his tongue impatiently and glanced down at his legs.

He and Qin Baile had first known each other at the welfare institute in the neighboring county. Qin Baile was the same age as him, sent to the institute two years after him.

They were both orphans.

Zhou Ya hadn’t been chosen by an adoptive family for a long time because of his throat problem; Qin Baile, because of his leg issue—his congenital right hip joint had some defect. It didn’t hurt, but he always walked with a limp.

Later, Zhou Ya was adopted by the Zhou family. After growing up a bit, he went back to the welfare institute to visit the teachers and staff there, and reunited with Qin Baile.

Thinking back on it now, it was a bit old-fashioned—back then the two children had both started school and learned to write, so they exchanged addresses and kept up correspondence ever since.

After Qin Baile became an adult, he left the welfare institute and went to work in Shenzhen for several years, but ultimately, because of his leg problem, came back to An Town and opened a computer repair shop.

Actually, Qin Baile could improve his limp through surgery, but the surgery cost wasn’t low.

Over the years, through his own abilities, he’d saved up some money. However, he had a girlfriend he’d been with for several years—her family had initially looked down on him for not having a house, so Qin Baile took out all his savings and bought a secondhand apartment.

But her family still didn’t agree, saying that even with a house, Qin Baile was still just a cripple with a house.

…

The corners of Qin Baile’s mouth still curved in a smile, but no emotion could be heard in his voice: “Ah, I’ve been lame for so many years now, it doesn’t affect my life. Whether I get the surgery or not makes no difference.”

Zhou Ya scoffed and said bluntly, “If it made no difference, you’d already be married by now.”

The two of them had known each other too many years—they’d always spoken plainly with each other; hiding things would only feel awkward between them.

So Qin Baile wasn’t offended either. He clutched his chest, pretending to be struck by an arrow, his expression and tone exaggerated: “How can you open your mouth and stab straight into someone’s chest like that? Maybe I should just not talk at all!”

“Not talking—you think I’m mute?” Zhou Ya said irritably. “Don’t keep delaying. Get it done, and whatever money you’re short, I’ll cover it.”

Qin Baile’s eyes widened. “Ooh, what kind of nouveau riche tone is this?”

Zhou Ya tapped off his ash. “I’m talking to you seriously here, don’t keep joking around.”

Qin Baile’s smile faded. He lowered his head, silent for a moment, before speaking. “There are still a lot of places I need to spend money coming up. My leg—I can just make do with it for now. Let’s get the wedding sorted first, and once I’m earning more in the future, I’ll think about it again.”

“What? What else do you need to spend money on?”

“A’Qiao’s parents won’t let her marry me, it’s nothing more than thinking I lack sincerity, so I’ll show my sincerity then.” Qin Baile counted on his fingers. “After the new year I want to buy A’Qiao a car… there’s always the betrothal gift, right? Have to hold the wedding banquet too, rings, the three golds, wedding photos, honeymoon… all of that costs money. And then, after getting married, we’ll need to prepare for having a baby, and raising a kid isn’t cheap either.”

Zhou Ya raised an eyebrow. “Wow, you’ve thought this far ahead.”

“Is that far? This is normal, okay! Even though A’Qiao always tells me not to worry about her parents, says even if I had nothing at all, she’d still be with me…” Qin Baile suddenly slapped his own thigh, hard. “With how I look, being able to date a girlfriend like A’Qiao is already the blessing of a past life well cultivated. And I really do love her, and I want to do everything I can to give her as good a life as possible.”

He tightened his fingers, wrinkling the fabric of his cotton pants. “I don’t want her to live miserably, to be mocked—’look, she’s living so miserably, all because she married a damn cripple.'”

Zhou Ya hadn’t interrupted him this whole time, the ash on his cigarette burning into a long unbroken column.

“This feeling of mine—it’s fine if others don’t understand, but you definitely do, right?” Qin Baile pushed the ashtray toward him, tilting his chin toward the computer box on the sofa. “And look at yourself—aren’t you also thinking about giving someone the best, most expensive, top-of-the-line thing?”