Winter 2006. Chang Xuyu was eleven years old.
Yi Zhuo had moved away several years ago. In the time since, she had never been able to see him again. The house he had rented and lived in alone had remained empty until that afternoon, when she came home from school and noticed that the place seemed to have new occupants.
Yi Zhuo had been gone for over a year. Now there were new people living here. Did that mean Yi Zhuo would never come back?
Would she never see him again?
Thinking this, she gripped her backpack straps tightly, a wave of sadness washing over her. Then she pursed her lips and crept over to peek at the new owners of the house.
The family was moving in noisily. The smell of new furniture mixed with dust filled the hallway.
They were carrying furniture inside. A voice suddenly sounded behind her, startling her—
"Little one, move aside! Uncle needs to carry this table!"
Two men were hefting a solid wood table, panting as they came toward her. Even in the dead of winter, they wore only thin shirts, and their foreheads and arms were drenched in sweat.
She quickly stepped aside and watched them quietly.
A woman in her thirties walked out of the house. She wore bright lipstick, had big, permed curls, and a very pointed chin.
She was instructing the movers to be careful when she turned her head and caught sight of the small, thin girl in the corner.
She stepped forward and asked with a smile what she needed.
Chang Xuyu looked at the woman with her big, dark eyes, fidgeting with her backpack straps. After half a minute, she spoke in a timid voice: "Auntie, are you the new resident?"
She was shy, keeping her head slightly lowered, her voice very soft.
The woman chuckled, finding her beautiful and endearing, and replied gently, "Auntie is the owner of this house. It was never rented out. I happened to have some business here, so I decided to move back in."
"From now on, we'll be neighbors."
She patted Chang Xuyu's thin shoulder tenderly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Chang Xuyu looked up at her, a glimmer of light in her eyes.
Did that mean she knew where Brother Yi Zhuo had gone?
Even though he had left without saying goodbye—which was annoying—he was still a good person. He had helped her with her class chores, protected her, and walked to and from school with her. So... it balanced out! She wasn't one to hold grudges. As long as she could see him again, that was enough!
Thinking this, Chang Xuyu bit her lip and asked softly, "Auntie, do you live alone? And... do you know where the previous tenant went?"
Hearing this, the woman's smile stiffened slightly. She furrowed her brows, as if troubled.
She looked at the little girl with pigtails in front of her, hesitated, and forced a smile: "Yes, Auntie lives alone. As for the previous tenant, Auntie doesn't know."
She was just a child. No need to tell her too much.
The light in Chang Xuyu's eyes slowly faded.
Seeming to notice the subtle change in Chang Xuyu's expression, she mumbled something vague and then offered to get her some snacks. Chang Xuyu couldn't refuse, so she ended up carrying a bunch of biscuits upstairs. Before leaving, she obediently waved: "Thank you, Auntie. My name is Chang Xuyu. I live on the fourth floor."
The woman smiled warmly as she saw her off: "Okay, little Xuyu, don't run too fast."
Once Chang Xuyu had disappeared from sight, the woman shrugged and chuckled to herself, finding the girl utterly adorable.
She liked fair-skinned, gentle-natured little girls. She loved baking small pastries. When she made some, she would bring them to Xuyu's house.
The windows in the stairwell were open all year round. The higher the floor, the more piercing the north wind, carrying a lingering chill that brushed against one's reason and thoughts.
Chang Xuyu packed the snacks into her backpack one by one. She held her house key in her hand but sat on the cold stone steps instead of opening the door to go inside.
The cold wind howled around her ears. She sniffled and shoved her hands into her pockets, feeling the warmth slowly return to them. She stared at the cracked steps, lost in thought.
She knew...
Even though Auntie said that, she definitely knew about Yi Zhuo.
She just thought Chang Xuyu was too young and didn't want to tell her.
Thinking this, she clenched her fists and suddenly stood up to open the door.
Once inside, she did her math homework as usual. Her mother heard the door and glanced out of the kitchen, then turned back to stir-fry when she saw Chang Xuyu pull out her arithmetic workbook.
The kitchen was a bit smoky. Chang Xuyu opened the window and sat under it, slowly writing.
At dinner, chewing on a piece of steamed bun, Chang Xuyu suddenly spoke: "Mom, the landlord lady for the house where Brother Yi Zhuo used to live is back."
Her mother thought for a moment, nodding thoughtfully: "Oh, I remember that woman."
"We're about the same age. Back when your father and I bought this place, she followed her husband out of town. I heard they were well-off too. Why is she back now?"
"I don't know, but that auntie said she lives alone."
Her mother froze, forgetting to swallow her food. A look of realization dawned on her face. Probably divorced!
"Then... did you see if she has any children?" her mother asked.
Chang Xuyu shook her head.
"I don't know. I only talked to her."
Not even a child? Her mother shook her head and clicked her tongue. Poor thing.
Her mother slurped some soup and let out a breath.
Two days later, her mother put on a new padded jacket and carried two bags of freshly steamed brown sugar buns downstairs. She knocked on the new neighbor's door.