Earlу оn New Yeаr's Day, Jiаng Du wаs аwаkеnеd by the sоund of snow shoveling. It had snowеd аll night, cоmplеtеlу сovеring thе smаll vеgеtablе garden by thе dоor, аnd all the vegеtables Grаndpa hаd рlаntеd wеrе frоzen deаd. Shе crаwlеd оut of hеr warm bеd, рut on her hаt аnd glovеs, and as soоn as she oреnеd the dоor, the blinding whitenеss оf thе world mаdе hеr еуеs squint.
Aftеr сleаring the snоw, Grandma аnd Grandра tоok hеr tо visit а distаnt relative fоr New Year's greetings. In thе eyes оf the eldеrs, Jiang Du wаs still а child. Оnce inside, after exchanging pleasantries and sitting down, she was inevitably asked about her grades. Jiang Du was always the most polite guest, answering each question gently and patiently. When children came over, roughhousing and bumping into her or tugging at her, she never got annoyed, playing with them in an orderly and patient manner.
By the third day of the New Year, Jiang Du started her math tutoring. It had to be said, the tutor was truly dedicated, holding classes for students as early as the third day of the year, all concentrated in the morning. In the tutoring class, she saw some familiar faces. Jiang Du didn’t interact much with others on a daily basis, and now that they were all in the same tutoring class, they simply exchanged brief greetings. Wang Jingjing was in the neighboring class, and after school, the two of them would run to a nearby shop for a hot drink.
"I'm so annoyed! Since the second day of the New Year, relatives have been coming to our house nonstop," Wang Jingjing said with an exasperated expression, rolling her eyes. "You have no idea how terrible these brats can be—climbing on our sofa, insisting on taking my things. When I told my mom, she even scolded me for being immature, saying I’m so grown up and should know how to give in to a child. It’s so infuriating!"
Jiang Du smiled kindly and said, "Maybe it’ll get better when they grow up. Children are just naturally mischievous."
"Better my foot!" Wang Jingjing scoffed. "I don’t believe that kids who have no manners when they’re young will automatically become well-behaved when they grow up."
"But it’s really hard to make children quiet. Everyone goes through a growing process. Do you remember what you were like as a child? I mean, around three or four years old."
Wang Jingjing was actually stumped by the question. She shook her head but quickly clarified that she definitely wasn’t the kind of annoying child back then.
"Ugh, don’t be such a saint."
Jiang Du blushed. "I’m not a saint. I just think most children can become better with proper guidance."
Wang Jingjing crossed her legs. "Right, but that requires them to have normal parents." She waved her hand with a bitter smile. "Let’s not talk about this anymore. How did we even end up discussing parenting? You didn’t go back to your hometown this year?"
"My grandpa went back a couple of days ago."
"So boring!" Wang Jingjing sighed again. "I originally planned to invite Wei Qingyue to go singing on the sixth day, but he’s just impossible. Ugh, when will high school ever end? I really wish I could go to college right now, date, and do whatever I want."
After just one semester, Wang Jingjing already felt that high school was unbearably long and drawn-out, like endless railroad tracks.
Jiang Du looked at her, feeling the complete opposite. She wanted to get into a good university—that was a must—but she wished the result could come a little slower, just a bit slower. If time didn’t rush forward day and night, she could spend a little more time sharing the same space with someone.But did Wang Jingjing really like Wei Qingyue? This thought popped into Jiang Du’s mind, only to be quickly suppressed. Then, did she herself truly like Wei Qingyue? Was it just hormones at play? Or was it her dull, mediocre adolescence craving a splash of color? She wasn’t sure. All she knew were those flustered glances, the cautious peeks, and the overwhelming joy of exchanging just a few words.
“How about we go sing karaoke on the sixth?” Wang Jingjing suggested, snapping Jiang Du out of her thoughts. Jiang Du immediately realized that Zhang Xiaoqiang must not have invited her. She had been agonizing over how to ask Wang Jingjing, worried that Zhang Xiaoqiang might have invited Wang Jingjing but Wang Jingjing assumed she hadn’t been invited and felt too awkward to ask. What if they ran into each other then? That would be so embarrassing… Well, now she could relax. No need to dwell on it anymore.
“How about the eighth? I’ll go with you on the eighth. On the sixth, I have to accompany my grandma to the temple,” Jiang Du lied, feeling a bit unnatural.
Wang Jingjing pouted. “You still go to temples? That’s feudal superstition. My family never steps foot in temples. I don’t get those people—queuing up on New Year’s Eve to ring the temple bell, freezing cold and snowing. What are they thinking?”
Jiang Du didn’t burn incense or worship Buddha; she didn’t believe in any of that. But she understood why elderly people went to temples—to find peace of mind. So she just smiled and didn’t argue with Wang Jingjing.
When Wang Jingjing’s mom came to pick them up, Wang Jingjing complained about her being late one moment and excitedly talked about wanting new headphones the next. Her mom agreed to everything. Jiang Du sat in the back, watching Wang Jingjing kick off her shoes and curl up in the passenger seat without a care, playing games on her mom’s phone. She laughed loudly one moment and cursed the next.
“You’re swearing again! Who taught you that?”
“Everyone does it! Lots of my classmates swear—it’s like a filler word.”
“You’re not learning anything good. Looks like you’re asking for a spanking.”
“Oh, what’s the big deal? We’re under so much pressure from studying, and you’re always nagging. I’m about to lose it!”
The mother and daughter went back and forth, while Jiang Du listened quietly. She turned to look out the window at the tall buildings passing by, clouds drifting above. Then, another comment floated to her ears:
“I bought you wool socks, and you won’t wear them. No wonder your feet are freezing!”
Wang Jingjing’s mom bought her wool socks… They must be so warm… If my mom bought me wool socks, I’d definitely wear them. The thought crossed her mind out of nowhere, but she suddenly realized such a thing would never happen. Like a cricket unwilling to chirp, she fell silent and just watched the scenery.
Suddenly, she knew what to give Zhang Xiaoqiang.
She had been agonizing over this for a while. A crystal ball, a diary, pretty hair accessories… they all seemed too childish. Besides, she knew Zhang Xiaoqiang came from a well-off family, so whatever she gave would probably feel ordinary. Maybe it was better to give something practical.
That afternoon, she contacted Zhang Xiaoqiang. Zhang Xiaoqiang’s online username was quite unique—nothing like “Graceful Dancer” or “Crystal Love.” She called herself “Hopelessly Vulgar,” even though she was a stylish and enviable girl.
Jiang Du asked her, “What’s your favorite color?”
Zhang Xiaoqiang immediately guessed she was planning to give a gift and sent a cute emoji, saying:Please don't spend too much, I know you won't agree if I tell you not to buy a gift, so just a small token of your thoughts is enough. I'm actually a very simple person, haha.
In the end, the other person did mention their favorite color: purple.
So Jiang Du bought a pair of purple woolen socks, packaged in a very pretty bag. On the sixth day of the lunar new year, she asked her tutor for half an hour off early, sneaking out like a thief, afraid that Wang Jingjing would see her and start asking questions. Besides, she felt bad lying to Wang Jingjing.
The restaurant they agreed on was reachable by bus. When Jiang Du arrived, Zhang Xiaoqiang was already standing at the entrance, looking like she was waiting to greet people. She wore a snow-white long down jacket and a red scarf, which made her stand out.
Jiang Du also had a white down jacket, bought last year, but she hardly wore it because it got dirty too easily. By the end of the day, her hair would leave faint marks on the collar, which was embarrassing. Still, white down jackets were truly beautiful. Looking at Zhang Xiaoqiang, she said sincerely, "Your down jacket is really pretty."
"Thank you! I wore it specially." Zhang Xiaoqiang was just that straightforward, happily accepting compliments without any awkward denials.
Gradually, several more people arrived, all classmates. Among them, Jiang Du was most familiar with Lin Haiyang.
After entering the private room, they met Zhang Xiaoqiang's mother. Her mother had a very elegant demeanor—tall, fair, and gentle. When she greeted them, her voice was soft and warm. Jiang Du liked this auntie from the moment she saw her.
Most importantly, the auntie was considerate. After greeting them, she prepared to leave, saying that if she stayed, everyone would feel too restrained. She encouraged them to eat and have fun to their hearts' content. Everyone pretended to be well-behaved, saying "Thank you, Auntie" in unison when she spoke. Lin Haiyang, in particular, put on a show of trying to persuade her to stay, making it sound quite convincing:
"Auntie, why don't you stay and eat with us?"
"No, no, you're all around the same age and have topics to talk about. I won't disturb you. If you need anything, just let Xiaoqiang know. Don't be shy."
"Alright then, Auntie, drive safely." Lin Haiyang didn't forget to see her out. The girls and the class monitor followed along, so the auntie had to wave them back inside.
"Wow, Lin Haiyang, look at you showing off, telling Auntie to stay and eat with us." Zhang Xiaoqiang's deskmate, Liu Xiaole, immediately teased Lin Haiyang. Unconvinced, Lin Haiyang retorted, "I was just being polite. You all look like bookworms who don't understand social etiquette, standing there like wooden posts, staring blankly."
The girls then ganged up to playfully hit Lin Haiyang. The class monitor, being a peacemaker, quickly pulled Lin Haiyang aside, reminding them not to bump into the waitstaff serving the dishes.
Knowing they were going to eat, Jiang Du wore her old black down jacket, afraid of staining her clothes with food oil. She was already slender, and the contrast made her face appear even paler and her features more striking. But it seemed like everyone else had deliberately worn new clothes. Jiang Du felt a slight regret, worried that others might think she didn't take the occasion seriously.
Soon, she regretted it completely.
The last to arrive, fashionably late, was Wei Qingyue. The moment the boy followed Zhang Xiaoqiang into the room, the previously noisy and chaotic private room suddenly fell silent.
"Hey, no need for introductions, right? This is Wei Qingyue from Class One, the unbeatable top student we can never catch up to." Zhang Xiaoqiang playfully tugged at Wei Qingyue's sleeve, pushing the boy to the front.Wei Qingyue carried a gift box in his hand, the tip of his nose slightly red as if from the cold, his hair somewhat tousled by the wind. He waved a couple of times at the seated people as a greeting.
He sat down casually, right across from Jiang Du. Under the light, a small shadow fell beneath the boy's eyes.
Jiang Du quickly averted her gaze from him, pressing her hand against the chair, her heart feeling as if it had been suddenly squeezed.
Beside her, Zhang Xiaoqiang sat close and introduced everyone one by one. When it was Jiang Du's turn, she reluctantly looked up, but Wei Qingyue suddenly said, "I know this little sister."
The air abruptly fell silent.
Jiang Du's face flushed instantly, and everyone clearly saw how that pale face underwent such a physiological change. Wei Qingyue blinked mischievously, leaning back casually:
"Don't the boys in your class call Jiang Du 'Sister Lin'? Her essays have been read aloud in our class too."
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