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The school year had begun, and on the first day, Hu Ruoyun packed his belongings and hurried to the home of Mao Na in Chengguan Town, Annan County. The next morning, they would take a long-distance bus from Annan County Station to Jiang City, the provincial capital.
As the saying goes, "Dumplings for sending off, noodles for welcoming." With the two children setting off on their journey early the next morning, Zhang Xiuzhen, like a traditional rural mother, prepared a meal of Pork and Radish Dumplings.
In March, when her daughter first left home, Zhang Xiuzhen had worried that Mao Na wouldn’t take care of herself and might encounter bad people. Now, watching her joyfully pack her things without a trace of the sorrow from their last parting, Zhang Xiuzhen felt a pang of bittersweet emotion.
In Annan, the two young ones would only go out for dates—holding hands and hugging—but now they were heading to the provincial capital without her nearby. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was losing her daughter.
That night in bed, she shared her feelings with her husband. Mao Weiguo scoffed at her worries: "Xiao Na is already twenty-one years old. In just over two years, she’ll graduate and be nearly twenty-four. Ouyang Xiaxue is only half a year older than her and is about to become a mother herself. Shouldn’t she be ready to leave your protection? By the way, are you still unhappy about her being with Xiao Hu?"
After a pause, he continued, "Believe it or not, I genuinely admire Xiao Hu! Xiao Na once told me something he said: ‘What does it matter to be the Deputy Secretary of the County Committee? What does it matter to be the Director of the County Women's Federation? Your dad’s path is still long!’ Back then, I had my doubts. Look at me now—within less than a year, I’ve moved from Gaoqiao Town to the county. This time my evaluation will likely go smoothly...
Xiao Hu's family isn’t as well-off as ours, and he doesn’t look as good as that Qiu fellow did. But it turns out that if Xiao Na had really ended up with Qiu, you’d be crying by now!"
The Vice County Head position was several ranks higher than that of Deputy Director of the Town Family Planning Office. Zhang Xiuzhen fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "I just feel like my importance in her heart is diminishing."
Vice County Head Mao offered some psychological guidance: "In parent-child relationships, what parents can control isn’t their children but themselves. Therefore, parents should not try to control their children; even if they succeed in controlling them physically, emotionally they will only grow more distant. Parents can never control how close or far their children feel from them.
Only when parents truly learn to let go can they give their children real freedom, allowing them to develop their own independent consciousness and become truly independent individuals. Right now, you just need to guide her rather than choose or decide for her!"
With that encouragement from Vice County Head Mao, Deputy Director Zhang was successfully persuaded.
Mao Weiguo was busy with work while Mao Jie reported to the county Electric Power Bureau. After being advised by her husband, Zhang Xiuzhen decided not to accompany her daughter to the station but instead reminded her a few times to take care of herself and stay safe.
After breakfast, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na took their luggage and hailed a tricycle to the station. By eleven in the morning, they were already entering Jiang City on the long-distance bus.
Sheng Postal and Telecommunications School was located on Huayuan Road in Jiang City’s downtown area, while Jiangbei University was situated at the intersection of University Road and Pu Yang Road in the western part of Jiang City—about five or six kilometers apart. Hu Ruoyun planned to drop Mao Na off at her school first before heading to Jiangbei University for his own registration.
Perhaps it was because this was their first trip alone together without their mothers’ nagging that Mao Na felt completely liberated: "I arrived six months earlier than you; I know Jiangcheng better than you do. Besides, you have too much luggage; it’s not convenient for you to take me first. Let’s go to your school first so I can help you settle in this time—'sister' will take care of you..."
After getting off at the long-distance bus station and taking Bus 4 directly to Jiangbei University’s east gate amidst a bustling crowd of students checking in and parents helping them carry their things.
After completing the registration process and arriving at the assigned boys' dormitory where three other students had already settled in with their parents helping them organize their belongings.
Hu Ruoyun greeted everyone and with Mao Na's assistance placed his luggage on a bed marked with his name in a corner. He was quite satisfied with this spot.
As Zhang Xianliang wrote in "Greening Tree," when Zhang Yonglin arrived at a rural labor distribution dormitory after coming out of a labor camp, he remarked: "At home one relies on one’s mother; outside one relies on walls."
Among the other three students, two appeared to come from much better families than Hu Ruoyun; instead of travel bags, they carried stylish synthetic leather suitcases that looked both practical and elegant.
A classmate facing the door introduced himself as Zhao Jinpu, hailing from Coal City in Mining Province. His father was quite talkative and seemed to hold a leadership position at the local Safety Supervision Bureau. He went around asking about the other students and handed out a box of Hongta Mountain cigarettes to everyone.
Another classmate, like Hu Ruoyun, was also from Jiangbei, specifically from Dongyang City. His name was Jie Bing, and he had come with his parents. His mother wore an elegant light gray outfit that exuded a sense of wealth. She didn’t engage much with the other students and parents, keeping her situation somewhat private. Meanwhile, she watched as Mao Na efficiently helped Hu Ruoyun set up her bed and asked, “Are you his sister?”
Mao Na smiled and nodded, “My parents were too busy, so I came by myself.”
The student sleeping above Hu Ruoyun was named Cui Shuigen, from the mountainous Shu Region. He was even darker than Hu Ruoyun, with thick arms and legs, resembling Brother Biao in build. Seeing the filtered cigarettes Zhao’s father had handed out, he hesitantly asked, “Uncle, these cigarettes must be expensive, right?” He wore new clothes that were clearly handmade at home; they were a bit oversized and swayed as he moved. His luggage was packed in a fertilizer bag.
After tidying up the bed, Mao Na took Hu Ruoyun to the school store to buy a small lamp that could clip onto the headboard and a cloth curtain that could surround the entire bed.
Hu Ruoyun asked, “What do we need this for?”
Mao Na proudly replied, “You don’t know? Once you pull the curtain, it becomes your own world. Whether you’re reading or studying, no one can disturb you, and you won’t bother anyone else. In a communal life, you have to pay attention to these details.”
Once everything was settled, the two went outside the school to grab a bite to eat.
Hu Ruoyun wanted to walk Mao Na back but she stopped him: “You don’t need to run back with me; I don’t have much luggage this time. I can take bus 9 directly to school.”
Hu Ruoyun held her hand: “I’ve been meaning to ask you—has that guy named Qi been bothering you?”
Mao Na let him hold her hand while smiling: “Still jealous? Don’t worry; he doesn’t even dare to lift his head in class anymore. I heard from Di Rong that he’s planning to go back to Huangchuan early.”
“By the way, remember to come find me at school next week!”
Watching Mao Na board the bus, Hu Ruoyun returned to the dormitory.
The next day, two more classmates arrived at the dormitory; they were also from Jiangbei Province. One was Liu Jiawang from a rural area in Inn City, and the other was Miao Shujie from a county below Yicheng.
Soon enough, after getting acquainted, they arranged themselves by age: Hu Ruoyun became "Third Sister," with Zhao Jinpu as the eldest brother and Miao Shujie as the second brother. Liu Jiawang and Cui Shuigen followed as fourth and fifth brothers respectively, while Jie Bing was last in line as Lao Liu.
A brand new life had begun.
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