Chapter 12.2

Meng Shengnan was sitting on the windowsill, a thick quilt around her.

QQ suddenly made a loud coughing sound on the computer, it was a friend request. She got off the windowsill and leaned over to see a person named Philosophy Rat.

Meng Shengnan thought for a bit and asked, “Fusong?”

“I thought it would take you a long time to guess.” The reply came quickly.

Meng Shengnan said: “I’m the one who came up with the nickname Philosophy Rat, how could I not recognise it?”

Fusong replied with an expression of a helpless smile.

During the day when they had received their results, at that time, although Fusong’s English results weren’t that bad, it still lowered his average quite a bit. So, he asked for her QQ number on the grounds of improving his English, this was also the first time Meng Shengnan had added someone from her class.

Fusong asked: “What are you doing?”

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“Jlkdt kezl.”

Ww Fsdt pyke: “Xb.”

Yldt Fbldtdyd nswzed’v qkde y vsrkn vs vyzj ycswv ps pbl eked’v alrzu. Gqvla y obkzl, Wwpsdt’p dsvkqknyvksd nyxl ytykd.

“Tyhl usw lyvld?”

“Zlr.”

“Gal usw qall vsxsaaso?”

“Ebyv’p wr?” pbl ypjle.

Wwpsdt pyke: “Lsvbkdt, fwpv ypjkdt.”

“Oh, I have tutoring.”

“Well, go to bed earlier and I’ll stop disturbing you.” The boy sent a goodbye expression.

Meng Shengnan scratched her cheek and said goodbye.

She couldn’t sleep at night, nor was she able to read. She turned on the repeater, and the tape whirled slowly. The distant and moving voices were sprinkled in this deep and lonely night. That year, it was 2003, Jay Choi had released his new album, and the song ‘Sunny Day’ was a hit all over the country¹TL note: it’s a really good song, you should listen to it!.

By her ear, the song was on repeat.

‘In the past, there was someone who loved you for a long time. But yet, the wind gradually blew the distance far away. ’

She didn’t know when the singing had disappeared, Meng Shengnan kept on looking for it. She ran a long, long way, and it was so dark that she couldn’t see a direction. Someone behind her called her, the voice was light and dull. As soon as she turned around, the sky changed. It was very windy and the rain was very heavy. He was missing.

“Nan Nan.” It was Sheng Dian calling her.

It was already bright at the time. She slowly opened her eyes and got up from the bed. Subconsciously looking sideways outside the window, there was white snow everywhere. It was all over the trees and roofs, so heavy that it seemed like it would fall down at any time.

She replied loudly, “I’m up.”

She got dressed, washed up and went downstairs, Meng Jin had gone to work, and Sheng Dian had already made breakfast, the two chatted casually at the table.

Sheng Dian asked: “Are you going to go practice guitar in the afternoon?”

“Yes, it’s the last lesson.”

“I went to the mall two days ago and saw your teacher Chen.” The ceremony said, “She seemed to be in low spirits.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” After taking a bite of the food, Sheng Dian said, “Greet her for me when you go in the afternoon.”

“Understood.”

Sheng Dian said again: “By the way, go to your aunt Kang’s house if you have nothing to do.”

“What do you mean?” Meng Shengnan raised an eyebrow.

“Learn more from the best student of Peking University.”

Meng Shengnan: “……”

After dinner, Sheng Dian went shopping with some of the aunts in the neighborhood. At the time, the snow had stopped. Meng Shengnan stayed in the room alone, reading and listening to the repeater, writing down her interests in her notebook. She had been reading Border Town for a while already, when she went back to re-read it, it was full of meaning.

Before going to her guitar lessons in the afternoon, she went to the bookstore for an hour with her guitar on her back.

Maybe because of the holidays, there were a lot of people in the bookstore. People kept passing by, and there were several people standing in each of the small aisles in front of the bookshelves, their heads down while reading their book, remaining indifferent to the noise nearby.

She turned a few pages of the book in her hand, checked the time, and then checked the price.

Someone outside the store was listening to the radio, and it happened to be the hourly broadcast: it was exactly 4pm Beijing time. Meng Shengnan put the book away, walking out of the bookstore whilst looking back every three steps. After a two-minute walk to the New Street Corner to take the bus, it was already crowded when she got on.

When she was about to reach her stop, there were already less people.

The snow slowly fell to the ground, and after a while it was blown away by the wind. Meng Shengnan got out of the bus and walked into the residence community. She looked left and right with an ulterior motive, and finally stopped when she slowly got to the place. Many people had already arrived at this time, and Chen Si was busy pouring hot water for everyone. It was still the same living room that had been converted into a large classroom, and Meng Shengnan was sitting on the far side by the window.

They were a group of guitar enthusiasts, full of passion while laughing and talking together.

“Teacher, I recently learned a new song, do you want to hear it?” a boy spoke.

Everyone applauded and jeered.

Chen Si smiled and said, “Okay.”

A dozen of them were listening.

The boy was a literary youth full of fevour, playing Lao Lang’s ‘You, My Deskmate’. It seemed like this song would never be out of date. From 1994 to now, ten years had passed, but it was still a classic as always.

After playing and singing this song, everyone jeered.

“One more song.”

Someone called him a folk ballad boy, he blushed and played Tayu Lo’s Childhood. This really ignited faraway memories. He sang ‘High up the banyan trees alongside the ponds, cicadas were calling the summer with every sound’. Singing to the climax, a group of people sang as well.

“Day after day, year after year, our dazed childhood.”

The snow gradually became heavier outside, falling down the ground creating a thick layer. That day, Chen Si taught Zhou Huajian’s classic old song, ‘Friend’, and everyone played with the guitar sheet until it became dark.

Someone asked Chen Si: “Teacher, who is your favorite singer?”

“Jacky Cheung.” Chen Si said.

“Can you play a song?”

Everyone jeered again.

Chen Si smiled faintly and said yes. She really was a very gentle woman. Meng Shengnan always felt that she was like the sunset by the river under the words of a poet, the chrysanthemums under the brush of a painter. She looked like she had a story to tell, gentle and calm.

Class ended very quickly, and the students left one after the other.

Meng Shengnan remembered the instructions from Sheng Dian and stayed at the end to greet Chen Si for her. At that time, the snow that covered the ground was as thick as a hand. She waited for everyone to leave and walked over to Chen Si with the guitar on her back, helping her put away the chairs.

“Thank you.” Her voice was gentle.

Meng Shengnan smiled.

Chen Si said while busy cleaning: “I saw your mother two days ago, she’s very good at bargaining.”

“My mother is like that.” Meng Shengnan couldn’t help but laugh.

“I remember your mother teaches elementary school?”

“Yes, it’s been more than 20 years.”

Chen Si had a gentle face: “No wonder she taught you so well, my son is always out playing, I can’t even catch his shadow.”

Meng Shengnan scratched her cheek with embarrassment, no wonder she always didn’t see anyone in the house. She honestly passed on the messages from Sheng Dian.

“She asked me to say hello to Teacher Chen during breakfast this morning.”

“It’s the new year already, I also wish her a Happy New Year.”

“Yes.”

After finishing packing up and passing on the words, Meng Shengnan glanced at the heavy snow outside and prepared to leave.

“Teacher, then I’ll go back first.”

“Okay, walk slowly and be careful of slippery roads.”

“Okay.”

After coming out of the house, it was much colder. Meng Shengnan wrapped herself in a scarf, stuffed her hands into her down jacket and walked forward with her head down. Both feet stepped into the snow, making a dull thud. The surrounding lights were dim, illuminating the road ahead.

Snow flew all over the sky.

It was not yet seven o’clock, but perhaps it was due to the weather and the snow, it was already dark. There were almost no pedestrians on the side of the road, and there were very few vehicles. Meng Shengnan walked very slowly, looked around, stopping here and there while walking. Later, she stood at the intersection and waited for the bus, until the No.502 buses on both sides of the road passed each other. She swiped her card to go to the last row of the bus, looking forward.

She only casually glanced, and she finally saw that person again.

He probably had come off the 502 bus on the other side of the road, his head slightly lowered. He was currently crossing the road, lighting his cigarette while walking. The bus slowly started, and Meng Shengnan walked to the last row.

Looking out the thick window, she sat down sideways.

Her line of sight kept following the tall and thin figure walking to the gate of the residential community. The snowflakes faded slowly, and so did he, she couldn’t see him clearly anymore. The bus was very quiet, there were sounds of breathing, and the wind blew upon the glass, shaking gently.

“Happy New Year.” She murmured softly.

–

[Translator’s Note: What do you guys think about Fusong? Do you think he might like our FL? Anyways, happy readings!]