Chapter Twenty: Lighting the Stars

The National Day holiday arrived in the blink of an eye. Back then, it was a full seven days off, and Dong Yanyan was filled with excitement; she had long looked forward to seeing what her parents were like in their youth! And there was Nannan—she must only be seven years old at this time, still a sweet and adorable little girl. Who could have imagined that, a decade later, she would be spoiled into a willful and unruly teenager, causing endless headaches for their parents and for herself.

On the afternoon before the break, she and her dorm mates went shopping at the South Street supermarket nearby. Supermarkets had only appeared in this city a few years earlier, and this was the largest one in the vicinity. She bought some snacks for Nannan, as well as food for the train ride home. The trains had yet to speed up, so she would need to endure a late train for over seven hours to get home. Having traveled by train for several years, she knew better than to buy those snacks that looked tempting but did nothing to stave off hunger. Instead, she bought some fried dough, marinated food, and bottled water from a vendor at the entrance.

After leaving the supermarket, she stopped by a public phone booth to call home. A young woman answered, but simply said, “Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service!” It struck her then—her family didn’t have a phone yet at this time; they still relied on letters. She realized it had been half a month since she’d last written home. How careless she’d been! In that time, she’d received several letters from her junior high classmates, but it hadn’t occurred to her to write one back to her family. No matter—she would be seeing them soon anyway. The anticipation made her heart flutter.

Lin Feng and Leng Haoyang had already bought tickets a day earlier for classmates returning home. The only regret was that Lin Feng’s hometown was in a different direction from hers, so they couldn’t travel together.

Liu Ying, Yang Xiaohai, and several students from the Broadcasting Class would be taking the same train as Dong Yanyan. The Broadcasting Class had just started that year; their homeroom teacher was the same as Yanyan’s class, so everyone was pretty familiar with each other.

At half past ten that night, the group boarded the train. Their seats were together, and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful. Dong Yanyan put on her headphones, losing herself in music, while Yang Xiaohai played cards with Liu Ying and two boys from the Broadcasting Class. She knew those boys well—one tall, one thin. The tall one was Xu Gang, the thin one Wang Haitian. They were both quiet types, but had a close friendship with Yang Xiaohai.

Outside the window stretched endless darkness, broken only by the occasional twinkle of lights as they passed small stations or towns. Through her headphones played “Yesterday Once More,” blending with the rhythmic clatter of the tracks, and Dong Yanyan felt as if she were traveling back in time. She had always felt that the ever-increasing pace of life robbed things of their original charm. Mobile phones made communication easier, but lacked the thrill of waiting for a letter. Faster trains saved time, but took away the leisurely pleasure of journeying—like now, drifting in thought along the way, or simply thinking of nothing at all. That, too, was a kind of enjoyment.

Late into the night, the train car grew cold. Seeing Dong Yanyan dozing against the window, Yang Xiaohai draped his jacket over her shoulders.

“Xiaohai, could you switch seats with my third sister? I want to sleep leaning on her,” Dong Yanyan whispered. When wearing headphones, one had to be careful not to speak in what seemed a normal voice, as it would come out much louder than intended.

Liu Ying came over and nudged Yang Xiaohai aside, letting Dong Yanyan rest her head on her lap in an affectionate, sisterly manner. In her heart, Dong Yanyan felt that the nineties were wonderful—at least back then, such closeness among girlfriends didn’t immediately invite suspicion.

At five thirty in the morning, the train arrived at her hometown’s little county station. Dong Yanyan said goodbye to her friends and stepped onto the platform. The sky was just beginning to lighten, platform lights glimmered here and there, and a chilly breeze blew, carrying a faint chill. She dug out her address book from her backpack and called her fourth uncle from a phone booth outside the station. Following the address he gave, she took a pedicab straight to his new home. Both her fourth uncle and aunt were civil servants, with good jobs in this small town, and they had just bought a new apartment. Ten minutes later, Dong Yanyan arrived at the building, pressed the doorbell for the fourth floor, and her uncle came down in his pajamas and slippers to greet her. She looked up at him with curiosity—how young he looked now! The thought made her heart race with excitement.

“Yanyan, you’re here! Come, see our new home!” her uncle said joyfully, taking her bag and leading her upstairs, eager to show her the kitchen, living room, study, and balcony. Dong Yanyan echoed his enthusiasm, watching his excitement. The apartment was just over sixty square meters but was the first home of their own for her uncle and aunt. Her aunt was a generous, selfless woman who had followed him across the country in their youth without complaint. Now, after moving back home in their thirties, they’d endured some tough years, and only now were things finally looking up. The only thing missing was a child, but that would change this winter! For the sake of her own future, she shamelessly decided to make use of her unborn little brother in advance.

“Uncle, isn’t Auntie awake yet?” she asked, sitting on the bed in the study, happily munching on an apple and sipping orange juice.

“She’s still asleep in the bedroom. I’ll call her. It’s rare to have a Sunday off, and here you are,” her uncle replied casually.

Dong Yanyan pouted and said, “That makes it sound like my timing is terrible. Wait until I finish making breakfast before you call her. I bought your favorite sausage in C City last night, and Auntie’s favorite marinated duck wings and bean curd, plus some bread. Do we have any cabbage at home? I’ll make you a four-layer sandwich.” She pulled a pile of food from her backpack and headed into the kitchen.

Her uncle watched her in delighted surprise from the doorway. “Yanyan, you’ve only been away in the provincial capital for a month, and you already know how to cook?”

“There’s plenty I can make! You’re in for a treat!” Dong Yanyan boasted shamelessly.

By the time her aunt emerged from the bedroom in her pajamas and slippers, Dong Yanyan had already set breakfast on the table. As expected, her aunt was delighted.

“Auntie, you’re awake! I missed you!” Dong Yanyan exclaimed, giving her a big hug. Her aunt looked so young at this time, too!

“Ever since Yanyan left for school, she’s learned to cook and grown chattier, too! Such a big change!” her aunt said with a smile.

“Isn’t it? Girls really do blossom as they grow up. The moment her temperament matures, she’s completely transformed!” her uncle added, clearly proud.