The Healing Sunshine

The Healing Sunshine Chapter two: Hazy memories 

____NOTE: Ji Yi’s best friend is named Ji Nuannuan, meaning “comfortably warm” in Chinese.  I don’t know what came over me, but I have been calling her Nuonuo in my head. Anyway, I have already find and replaced her name.

This chapter is very long so yeah, didn’t expect to take this long translating it. ____

Ji Chengyang carried Ji Yi who was barely conscious under the fever back to his home. At the same moment, his second sister in law was walking out of the kitchen. On seeing him, she broke into a smile.

Based on his personality, he would not even hug his own niece. Such a sight is really worth recording down.

“She has a fever, I wanted to take her to the hospital, but she wouldn’t go no matter what. I checked, but n.o.body was in her home, so I brought her back here first.” Ji Chengyang carried her into his home and softly placed her down on the bed.

Then he stretched out two fingers and felt her temperature once again.

“It’s normal to find n.o.body in Xixi’s home,” his second sister in law was not too concerned,” their family places so much pressure on young children, letting them take care of themselves.” His second sister in law spoke while helping him get the medicine.

“Xixi” is Ji Yi’s nickname. His second sister in law was the princ.i.p.al of the junior primary school. Their two families were also the upstairs and downstairs neighbors, so familiar with each other.

Ji Yi was afraid of the dark. Sometimes, when there was n.o.body in her home, she would often come upstairs to sleep with Ji Nuannuan.

“Putting a lot of pressure on their minds? Letting them take care of themselves?”

“It’s hard to describe with words, so I’ll just give you examples. In terms of “a lot of pressure on their minds”, they completely place so much emphasis on young children’s education. When Xixi was only four and a half, she already started primary school. That’s why, even though she is two years younger than Nuannuan, they are cla.s.smates. At first, her grades couldn’t compare. She got lower than fifty marks in math. Afterwards, she slowly caught up. Her grades quickly rose to the first in her cla.s.s, and has been kept up until now. In this regard, Nuannuan just can’t compare with her.”

Four and a half years old? Indeed quite a bit earlier than other children.

“But the way they treat young children, it’s just too inattentive.” His second sister in law carried in warm water and medicine, handing them to him.

He tried giving Ji Yi the medicine. Though barely conscious, she was very easy to take care of. She ate whatever he gave her…

For example, the whole school was going on a spring excursion, children from other family would at least have water and an apple right? Her family simply put fifty yuan on the table. I don’t understand what they were thinking. It takes two hours to driving all the way there, do you think a young child can not eat or drink at all? Given even more money, what can she do with it? Luckily, on the car, I shared some of Nuannuan’s with her.”

He listened and thought back to the way she took the medicine this afternoon.

He then turned his mind to his niece, seems like she is a close friends of hers. Whenever Ji Nuannuan talked of Ji Yi on the phone, it was always filled with nothing but adoration.

“Our Ji Yi started primary school when she was only four and a half, two years younger than me, always the top of our cla.s.s.”

“Little uncle, do you know, she’s so talented in everything from dancing, calligraphy, traditional painting! Why am I so stupid?”

“Little uncle, little uncle, aren’t you good at playing the piano? Ji Yi already promised me to not learn the piano, so I’ll just try to be better than her on this front!”

So this is what they call the model of educational success? Or is it a failure?

But perhaps, all of this has nothing much to do with him.

He gave up his bedroom to her, went to sleep on the floor in the study. At night, when he got up, he had obviously forgotten all about Ji Yi. When he went into the kitchen, Ji Yi had also woken up. When he went to the kitchen, Ji Yi was had just opened his bedroom door, absent-mindedly looking around.

Ji Yi did not seem to remember how she had gotten upstairs, until she saw him.

Under the light from the kitchen, Ji Chengyang was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed gla.s.ses, looking extremely scholarly. He was stirring the strong coffee that he had just made. He  also stopped in his track when he saw Ji Yi.

Ji Yi slowly walked up to him, softly said: “I’m going home now, good bye little uncle Ji.”

He lowered his body, ask her just as softly: “Are you scared of the dark sleeping by yourself?”

Ji Yi was at a loss, how did he know she was afraid of the dark?

How strange.

She shook her head, “Turn on all the lights. Feeling scared only for a bit. Then you are already sleeping.”

“Just stay and sleep here?” He tried very hard to act like a person cajoling a young child.

She shook her head, “Tomorrow my mom will be back, very early in the morning. Home only shortly, then leave again. I want to be at home to wait for her.”

Seems like she is quite persistent?

He did not continue and only felt her arms. He found that her fever had already gotten better. 

Ji Yi instead got curious, pointing at the thing in his hand, “what is this?”

“Coffee.” He answered.

Inside the country, it was still very rare for people to drink coffee. Especially among this kind of revolutionary families1, just boiled water and tea is already enough. She definitely would not know what coffee is. Ji Yi uttered an “oh”, placing sideways at the liquid inside the cup. He smiled, quietly handed it to her, signaling that she could give it a try. 

Therefore, that was the first time Ji Yi tasted coffee. No sugar was added, but it had a strong milk fragrance.

In short, it tasted weird.

After she drank it, her face showed a funny expression.

Ji Chengyang suddenly realized a serious question, a little girl drinking coffee for the first time, would she be kept up all night? 

He really is not fit for taking care of little children…

As it turned out, Ji Yi was wide away through the night until the first light. At dawn, she climbed down from the bed, tidied up herself, and prepared to welcome home her father and mother. She did not imagine that after waiting all the way until noon, she would not get to see them. She only answered a brief telephone call telling her that the date would be pushed forward to four days later when they would come back to see her. She was very disappointed and rolled around in her room for a while. With nothing to do, she went to take out all of the books in her grandfather’s book case, and started to reread all of them one more time. 

All the books were old. Her favorites were The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Both of them were printed vertically in traditional characters.

Just right for whiling away the time.

At noon four days after, when the sun’s glare was at its height, Ji Nuannuan who had gone traveling suddenly returned in advance. She ran down from the fourth floor to the first, knocked the main door of Ji Yi’s house as if she was in a life-and-death emergency, as she was wont to do, then dragged Ji Yi to the outdoor swimming pool. While they waited for Zhao Xiaoying2, Yi Ji had already gotten a sunburn.

Ji Nuannuan could not swim, so she just stayed on the water surface, holding on to her swim ring, chatting with her. When they were completely sunburned, Ji Nionio stuck out her tongue, “The sun is too sunny today.” Ji Yi answered with an “um”, held her breath, then dived under the water for more than one minute. Then she floated up on the other side of the pool, let out a long breath, finally feeling much more comfortable.

When she swam back, Ji Nuannuan suddenly thought of her little uncle, “Ji Yi, have you seen my little uncle?”

“Um.” Ji Yi hooked her arms on Nuannuan’s swim ring, then drag her on to swim a little faster.

“Doesn’t my little uncle look like that video we saw several days ago, that Irei Naoki in Itazura na Kiss. That Kashi something actor?3”

“…not that similar?” Although she understood that little uncle Ji was Nuannuan’s idol, Kashiwabara Takashi was also Nuannuan’s idol. The two are still so different from each other. Both are good-looking, but the feelings they give are so different.

Ji Yi continued to correct Nuannuan’s posture, patiently teaching her to swim.

Because the sun was too bright at the moment, there were mainly young children playing in the swimming pool. The adults were all standing by the pool side. When it was almost two p.m., the time when the pool would be closed for cleaning, Zhao Xiaoying finally appeared. Her eyes were also red. Ji Yi and Nuannuan were very surprised. They kept asking her for a long time, but still could not yet any answer. However, when they say a group of young boys standing  at a distance, they finally understood.

The most arrogant of the bunch, w.a.n.g Xing Yu4 was Zhao Xiaoying’s half-brother from her father and step mother.

Not long after Zhao Xiaoying was born, her parents were already divorced. The reason was because Zhao Xiaoying’s father did not want a daughter, but was even more obliged, as a military man, to abide by the one-child policy. If he wished to have a son, the only option was to divorce and marry someone else…After the divorce, Zhao Xiaoying adopted her mother’s family name, and her mother’s status changed from a member of a military family to an unemployed member of the general public. Fortunately, her mother took up teaching at the primary school, so they were allowed to remain in the compound.

“Your brother bullied you again.”

“He is not my brother.” Zhao Xiaoying started to tear up again.

“I will get even for you.” Ji Nuannuan held on to her swim ring, desperately kicking the water to get to the poolside. Alas, her swimming was too slow. It made her so angry her face flushed.

How foolish.

Ji Yi suddenly held back her swim ring and quietly whispered to her ear: “Let me do it.”

After she finished talking, she swam to the poolside, and leapt onto the side.

Relying on her memory, she found a rope beside the door of the manager’s office and easily tied a slipknot.

A moment later, she jumped back into the water with a splash. She was good at diving, especially today when water had just been changed, she could momentarily open her eyes to see without using swimming goggles. She very quickly dived towards under w.a.n.g Xingyu’s feet nimbly slipping the knot over his two feet. After she tightened the knot, she swam away without turning back her head.

When she finally made her way up the water surface, she could see the arrogant and domineering w.a.n.g Xingyu started shouting out desperately from a distance, crying out that there was a water spirit without stopping.

But he was holding on to a swim ring. He simply could not move, nor break loose from the knot. Caught in a tight corner, he almost cried…

Zhao Xiaoying snorted with laughter, finally happy again.

Ji Yi took a deep breath to refill on oxygen. When she saw that Zhao Xiaoying’s tears finally gave way to smiles, her eyes also curved up, and she smiled.

Soon after they helped Zhao Xiaoying take a small revenge, they went to take a shower to clean up, changed into new dresses and came out. On their way towards the living quarters, they walked in the scalding hot weather with contorted faces, carrying their sandals in their hands. But after walking past the eight hundred-meter training ground, they were stopped by w.a.n.g Xingyu’s group of bicycle-riding boys.

Ji Yi glanced at the two girls beside her.

It’s over. They are in big trouble.

They were only three girls. Against a group of five to six boys, there simply was no way…Nuannuan gave Ji Yi a signal with her eyes to run away. Unfortunately, with their bare feet, how could they run away from these boys who were on their bikes.

Ji Yi shook her head, momentarily unable to come up with any idea.

“Ji Yi, it must be you? Ah?” Zhao Xiaoying’s younger brother look straight at her, “Of the few of you, there is only you who can swim.”

Ji Yi did not reply…she kept trying to come up with a plan…

Unfortunately, in that brief moment, the bag carrying swimsuit and towel in Zhao Xiaoying’s hand was swiftly taken away by one of the boys. w.a.n.g Xingyu laughed satisfactorily, “Zhao Xiaoying, your mom is the stingiest, if I throw away all your towel, slippers, and swimsuit away, you definitely would be scolded to death, and would never get to swim ever again in your life, right?”

Zhao Xiaoying’s eyes quickly reddened, for quite a while, she tried to suppress her anger, finally bursting out: “You jerk!”

What w.a.n.g Xingyu said was right, if they were to get caught, Zhao Xiaoying would definitely get spanked by her mother, and would not be able to even think about swimming again…

Ji Yi finally spoke up: “I was just teasing you guys, just do whatever you want, but quickly give us back the bag.”

She only thought about helping Zhao Xiaoying avoid a spank. However, she did not realize the implication of what she just said. Until w.a.n.g Xingyu led them to the eight hundred-meter obstacle training ground, she finally started to get scared. What would this bully of a boy do to her. This was the training grounds for the cadets. On this eight hundred meter-long track, there were barbed wire, traverse wall, climbing ladder. In short, there were all sorts of obstacles that little children like them would not be able to pa.s.s through.

Finally, w.a.n.g Xingyu stopped in front of the completely square jumping pit, pointing at it, “I can give it back to you, but Ji Yi, you must jump down.”

Jump down?

A three-meter deep jumping pit?

She stood by the side of the jumping pit, looking at Zhao Xiaoying who was desperately crying, as well as Ji Nuannuan who was at her wit’s end, then looked back again at the three-meter jumping pit. Climbing up would be difficult even for ordinary grown-ups, only the cadets who had been trained would be able to do so.

“Do you promise to give it back to us?” Ji Yi looked at w.a.n.g Xingyu.

“Nonsense, I’m giving you my words in front of my brothers!”

Ji Yi made up her mind, and just like that…jumped in…

Her head was so dizzy.

Luckily, she was cushioned by the sand, but her knees were sc.r.a.ped. 

The sand was not fine. It flowed into her sandals and rubbed against the soles of her feet until it was painful.

She could feel herself fainting for real, leaning on the mud wall surrounding four sides of the pit, she slowly sat down. After she rested for a long while, she finally heard someone calling her. Nuannuan and Xiaoying who were on lying on the edge crying, stretched out the heads to look at her and ask if she was hurt. Ji Yi waved her hand, so drained she could utter a word. Without realizing, her knees were weak and she was finally scared.

The pit was so deep there was no way she could climb back up.

“Ji Yi, hold on while I go look for someone to pull you up,” Nuannuan wiped away her tears, “I will never forgive w.a.n.g Xingyu.” Before she could finish the two sentences, tears are streaming down her eyes again… “Ji Yi, I am sorry I can never help you even though we are supposed to be best friends for life. At first, n.o.body would perform The Legend of the White Snake with me for the reunion, there was only you who was willing to play Xiaoqing5…”

Ji Yi was finally amused.

Heavens, can we not mention this kind of stuff anymore…

After they finished talking, the two ran out to look for someone to rescue Ji Yi.

Ji Yi rested for so long. She finally remembered, Isn’t it today that mom and dad will be back?! The realization made her senseless. She stood up and started to look for ways to climb up. Mom and dad always came back in a rush, and left as quickly as they came. They would not wait for her.

The courage she had just now was all gone. She kept thinking until she cried. Her tears streamed down.

It’s been over two months she has not seen them…

However, there was not any crevices on the mud surrounding four sides. It was simply impossible to climb up.

She tried for so long, finally sat back down and cried, in her mind thinking, what do I do if dad and mom got so angry they wouldn’t come back ever again…

As time pa.s.sed, the more she thought, the more she felt wronged. Sitting hugging her knees in the corner where sunlight could not reach, she only knew to cry. It was not the first time she cried so much because she missed her father and mother, but it was the first time it happened somewhere outside the house. The feeling of such helplessness. In that time and that particular moment, she really felt she was gravely wronged, that kind of injustice that that had been kept unvoiced for so long.

Until someone had already jumped into the pit, she still did not notice.

Until, someone’s fingers came near her knees and gently wiped away those unclean sand grains. until she felt it in the wounds on her knees, did she with tears clouding her eyes raised her head and looked at the person in front of her.

Years after, she still could not recall their first encounter, could only vaguely recall the ice cream in their second, but this was a scene she could remember. The eyes of this little uncle Ji in front of her was so dark it was frightening. He was sitting with his back against the sun staring at her. Then slowly, slowly all the anger faded away and his tightly pressed lips also slowly curved up into a smile.

So beautiful.

Ji Chengyang had at first intended to scold Ji Yi, jumping down such a deep sand pit, what if something happened?

However, when he saw the pair of eyes that had cried until they could not be open, his heart softened.

“Xixi, it hurt so much that you cried?” He used her nickname that he heard from his sister-in-law, gently asking her.

She shook her head, could not stop sobbing, nor utter a word.

That evening when she jumped off the stage in front of several thousands people, she did not even cry. All was well after an ice cream. But now she is crying so much? Ji Chengyang could not fully understand a little girl’s mind. He had Nuannuan who was on the top to hold on to her arms, then he let her step on his shoulder to climb out.

When he finally leapt up on the group, he found that Ji Yi was already sobbing and running as fast as she could towards the living quarters.

“Little uncle, little uncle, you absolutely can’t tell anyone, please keep this as a secret. Otherwise, my mom would definitely beat me to death…” Nuannuan repeatedly entreated.

“Um.” He promised, stood up, and patted away the sand on his hands.

“Little uncle, little uncle, you can’t tell Ji Yi’s grandfather. Her grandfather is very strict. When I saw him, I didn’t even dare say anything.”

“Um.”

“Little uncle, little uncle, Ji Yi and I are best friends for life. At first, for our cla.s.s’s performance for the reunion, everyone all said I was stupid. None of them would hold the umbrella and performed The Legend of the White Snake with me. In the end, only Ji Yi was willing to be my Xiaoqing.” Nuannuan talked without a break and, on seeing the silent Zhao Xiaoying who had been standing by the side with pale face, “Right, there’s also Xiaoying, she was my Xu Xian5.”

The part…

Ji Chengyang really could not make any sense of.

When Ji Yi got home, it was completely silent in the house. For a moment, her mind was put at ease. She was guessing that her father and mother should not have came home yet? But when she turned her eyes, she could see a box of chocolate and several bags of snacks on the table. In that brief moment, she felt like the heavens were crashing down.

Have they really already left…haven’t seen them for two months but they left just like that? She walked over and looked at those snacks that had been left behind. She could not find even a single line of note left for her.

The heavens really came crashing down.

Along, she walked into the room to look for the medicine box. She wanted to apply the mercurochrome solution6, or the gentian violet7 by herself. But she did not understand why she could not find any of them, so she just held on to the medicine box and had a good cry. In the end, it was when Ji Nuannuan brought over little uncle Ji, along with the mercurochrome from her home, when she could finally stop her tears.

In front of close friends, she had never cried.

As she sat on the sofa with her legs huddled up, Ji Chengyang especially patiently, lowered his head and first used cotton pad soaked with alcohol to clean her wound. It was a little painful. After recoiling her legs a few times, she felt a coolness on her knee. Nuannuan blew on her knee once, then said to Ji Chengyang with seriousness, “Little uncle, you must blew on it like this for a while, that way, she wouldn’t feel painful anymore.”

After Nuannuan finished saying, as if she had already handed over a mission, adeptly picked up the remote controller and started switching television channels.

In order to be able to watch the news program for Hong Kong’s area, Ji grandfather (Ji Yi’s) had someone install in their house a personal television antenna. They could receive the signals from the stations in Taiwan and Hong Kong areas. Of course, Nuannuan did not have any interest for the Hong Kong news, but she especially loved to watch the variety shows from Taiwan, especially one of them which focuses on helping girls catch their partners who had affairs in their acts. She extremely loved to watch it.

On the other hand, Ji Chengyang who was entrusted with a mission, seemed to have some hesitation, but in the end, he still lowered his head and softly blew on the knee.

Unlike how Nuannuan nonchalantly blew, he adhered to the principle that “SInce you are already doing it, might as well do it well” and especially tenderly blew on her wound…

“Little uncle Ji.” She quietly called his name.

Ji Chengyang raised his head.

The alcohol which you put on for me is evaporating, it already feels very cool…” Actually, there’s no need to keep blowing…

After she finished talking, she also pulled down the hem of her skirt to keep the short pants from being exposed. 

At this age, she probably already have an inkling of social taboos.

Ji Chengyang could not help but laugh. It was one of those situations where he did not know whether to feel awkward, or to laugh at himself. In short, he discovered that whenever he was taking care of children, he could only make very silly mistakes, never one of those mistakes that were up to par.

He applied mercurochrome solution for her, then cut out a piece of gauze and put it on her knee with white tape. “If anyone in your family asked, just say that…you felt while running.”

Ji Yi smiled, “They wouldn’t notice, it’s okay.”

Because she had just cried, her eyes were still swollen, and she seemed especially pitiful.

Ji Chengyang was still very surprised. This little girl who seemed so dauntless just a few nights ago, how did she come to cry to this state today.

Nuannuan casually picked up the chocolate on the table, broke up and ate a piece. Ji Yi wanted to stop her, but it was too late and she could only smile, jumped off the sofa, then went into the kitchen to pour two gla.s.s of cool water for Ji Chengyang and Nuannuan.

There was light shining through the water onto the gla.s.s.

Ji Chengyang, seeing her desolate spirit, suddenly moved the angle where the gla.s.s was placed, creating a small rainbow.

So small that she was the only one who could see it.

Ji Yi finally laughed.

However, at the same time, Nuannuan also let out a louder laughter. Using the remote controller to point at an unfaithful male lover, she rocked with laughter and kept saying good, good…

That evening, Ji Chengyang for the first time, mentioned that he wanted to go to the theatre inside the compound. Nuannuan’s father was very surprised, but Nuannuan instantly jumped up and shouted in merriment. Only the heavens know, the theatre inside the compound only plays two movies every Sat.u.r.day. She had wanted to go so badly, but without any drill master or cadet identification card, or a family member to bring them over, little children like them were simply not allowed to enter…

So most of the time, Nuannuan always pestered the cadets or followed closely behind their backs and snuck in.

Although those officers who were in charge of collecting tickets already knew each of them, but it was really too embarra.s.sing.

Please, little uncle wants to go?

And it won’t be whatever they have, whatever they play?

Therefore, Ji Yi also received a windfall.

When she had finished her meal and had just washed her own bowl, she was called out by Nuannuan. When the three children and Ji Chengyang reached the theatre, the first movie had just finished screening. As the cadets walked out in a line, Ji Chengyang was standing with his hands inside his pockets. He seemed ill at ease as he took the children to wait outside the gate. When everyone had dispersed, they finally went in.

When they went in, there was n.o.body inside.

Ji Yi was very surprised as she looked at the completely empty hall. She softly asked Nuannuan; “Can it be that there’s only one movie screening today?”

“No,” Nuannuan replied with a low voice, “My grandad had already arranged with the people at the theatre to separately play a movie we want to watch for us.”

“Really?” Ji Yi’s eyes were already widened.

“Um, my grandad is very kind with my little uncle, it is whatever he says.”

What a relief.

Finally, they did not have to tail after other people, brazenly and with thick skin, to watch a movie.

The three little ladies waited as Ji Chengyang picked a movie. Unfortunately, other than those that is played again every other month that they had watched so many times they could describe in detail, there was really nothing good in the collection.

“Why not this one?” The manager of the theatre handed a film8 to this youngest son of the Ji family. “Movies not related to the revolution9 like this is hard to come by.”

Ji Chengyang lowered his head to look at the name.

A Chinese Odyssey.

Seems like an adaptation of The Journey to the West9? He was not familiar with the movies inside the country, maybe it is something young children like.

So he agreed, then brought Ji Yi and her friends into the theatre. Over a thousand seats were all empty without a single person. This feeling just was just too t.i.tillating. Even Zhao Xiaoying could not help but covered her face, so excited that her face became flushed. Nuannuan was even more unrestrained, and just shouted “So satisfying, the serf finally stands up and becomes the master.” She ran from from this entrance to the other, back and forth as if she was a scampering wild thing.

Ji Chengyang picked a seat with a good line of sight and sat down, Ji Yi also sat down by his side. A ray of white projector light casted from behind them down the front. It pa.s.sed over their heads and projected onto the screen.

She was also so excited that her heart beat was thumping. A theatre without anyone, and Nuannuan who was still running back and forth and Zhao Xiaoying who had now settled down after a cautious horseplay. All of these pulled her heart out of a clouded haze and helped her forget, for a moment, how her father and mother had left without a farewell. She moved her head sideways and looked at this little uncle Ji who was sitting by her side in silence. He was not the same, compared to those students of her grandfather’s.  They all wore green shirts, but he was wearing a light blue shirt, not the same at all.

Ji Yi suddenly felt that he was so tall and big, and even better-looking than Kashiwabara Takashi who never smiled in Itazura na Kiss. Um.

During the 1997 summer break, she finally saw the first installment of A Chinese Odyssey.

It was the only movie she saw inside the compound that was not about the revolution. It left a deep impression.

Bizarre and motley script, with lines which were difficult to understand, that was the first impression Ji Yi had of A Chinese Odyssey.

At that time, she really could not understand that kind of romantic movie, and in the end could only felt that Karen Mok was so beautiful. But Nuannuan liked the other female actress Athena Chu. Zhao Xiaoying, as always, did not express any opinion, but also said that she did not understand.

Many years after, when she saw A Chinese Odyssey on television, the movie had already gotten widely popular in the Mainland10.

At that time, she finally got to see its second installment on television. It turned out that all the plot took place in the second installment. The first installment was when all the various fairies and demon came out and fought with each other. Those touching “I will love you for ten thousand years” lines11, were all said at the end of the second installment.

It also turned out that Karen Mok whom she liked, was only a supporting character.

However, in the story, Karen Mok was the major victim, she loved, and when she left, the character played Stephen Chow never looked back. The Great Sage the Equal of Heaven only cared about his Zixia fairy12. Even more years afterwards, when she was looking at those gossip news, she found that behind the scene, it was Karen Mok after all, who was the winner. She defeated Athena Chu and won herself Stephen Chow.

Life indeed is like a bulb of onion, after you peel off a layer, there was still another layer. When your face was already covered with tears, there was still be another layer waiting for you to peel open.

After the movie finished, they walked back towards the living quarters.

The theatre was located adjacent to the main entrance of the compound. After the ten p.m. lights-out signal, it was only this main road which was still lighted. All other lights were off, and there was only moonlight in the darkness.

Normally, whenever Ji Yi and her friends played until it was over 10 p.m., they would sing “Valiant and spirited, Full of mettle, Stride over the Yalu River”13 on their way back to the living quarters.

Darkness, seems to be something scary for every girl.

But tonight, they had little uncle Ji.

Strangely, Nuannuan and Zhao Xiaoying would not settle down and kept chasing each other. Ji Yi walked beside Ji Chengyang, enjoying the wonderful night. Ji Chengyang also did not seem to be in a rush. He felt in his pocket and took out a cigarette. With a thrust sound, he struck a match, moving towards the flicker of dancing flame, he breathed in.

Then he let out wispy cigarette smoke.

Seeing that Ji Yi had been looking at him all the while, he unexpectedly laughed, “This can’t be tried.”

Ji Yi looked over at her two best friends who were far off, thought for a moment, and said with a low voice: “I know what’s the smell. My grandfather also smokes. I was curious so I tried it.”

The corner of Ji Chengyang’s eyes curved up slightly.

“It’s true.” Ji Yi confirmed in a low voice, “I don’t care for a chance to try smoking.” could be read from her facial expression.

Ji Chengyang stretched out his fingers, lightly twisted the tip of her nose, then stretched out his left hands towards her.

Ji Yi looked at him with a surprise, then only after pause did she carefully placed her hands inside his palm. The two girls in front were still playing noisily, imitating the Battles with the White Bone Demon and the Spider14,while she was being led along by Ji Chengyang, slowly traversing through the darkness towards the living quarters. In reality, little uncle Ji obviously was not used to leading little children along while holding their hands. He was holding her hand a little too tightly, hurting her a little. But from the start to finish, she did not move because she was worried that once she shifted her hand, he would think that she was a nuisance and would not hold her hands anymore.

She heard a beeping signal coming from his body. She cold tell what sound it was, a BB pager. Indeed, Ji Chengyang held the cigarette between his teeth, then fished a pager out of his pant pocket with his right hand and took a look at the green-colored screen. Then he put in back into the pocket and continued holding her hand and leading her path. He did not care to look again at the message which had been sent.

Perhaps, because of this one movie screening, when Ji Yi and Nuannuan chatted, they would prayed that little uncle Ji would leave a little later. That way, they would be able to go to the places they had no way to go. Other than the living quarters, the other ninety percent of the places inside the compound, the residence of the army chief? The training ground? Even the dairy cow farm which supplied the milk everyday, they still wanted to go.

When the semester started, she became a second year student in junior middle school.

Already a grown-up, she could continue to conquer those remaining places uncharted territories. Her world, within the security wall, the people whom she met as she walked around, all of them she knew, the places she went everyday, all of them are familiar to her. In this world, all of the children did not have any money on their body, whenever they were hungry or thirsty, they would just go home to have a bite, drink a cup, then came back out to play.

Carrying her school bag on her back, she only needed to walk for five minutes to reach the primary school and the kindergarten that she had already conquered. On the right hand side was the junior secondary school that she was in the process of conquering… as simple and prosaic as this.

One weekend during the semester.

The teachers prepared to take everyone on the spring excursion. So the students were a.s.signed to make a kite for homework.

The boys in their cla.s.s had already prepared bamboo canes, the girls were responsible for preparing the xuan paper to be pasted on the kites. Ji Yi had studied Chinese calligraphy since she was young. In her home, there were piles and piles of xuan paper. She sneakily carried pile from home to share with her cla.s.smates, and had especially give Zhao Xiaoying twenty something extra pieces so that she could took some out to play at home later.

In the afternoon, she stayed in the house. To her surprise, she found that both her grandfather and grandmother had not left home, but were taking a siesta.

Ji Yi was very excited. She silently carried a wooden stool and placed it beside the bed in which grandfather and grandmother were lying, then very quietly covered the floor with some newspaper. She carried a pen knife and pared the bamboo canes. When he was asleep, grandfather would snore lightly, making other people feel very comforted and happy. She pressed her lips and in that moment of distraction, the knife slanted sideways…

Because she was paring a bamboo cane, she was naturally using a lot of force. When the knife cut through, a piece of skin and nail on her thumb were cut off. She did not feel any pain in the immediate moment after she had cut her finger and only noticed how quickly blood was flowing. She quickly held her hand and ran out. Until when she had pressed some cotton pad  on did she started to feel the piercing pain. Moreover, the bleeding simply did not stop.

It was so painful she grimaced her face. Worried that she would make too much noise and woke up grandfather and grandmother, so she did just pressed on the wound, quickly cleated away the scene of the battle, then ran off the house. She ran all the way to the carport beside the building. It was in the afternoon and n.o.body was there. It finally hurt so much that she could not take it anymore. Swinging her hand, “it hurts to death, hurts to death…”

After she had vented and turned around, she saw a cigarette dropped down in front of her.

She raised her head, Ji Chengyang was leaning on the window sill, gesturing for her to keep silent. Although they were so far apart, they could still see each other clearly. Ji Yi was at a loss and could just stood there and watched as he disappeared out of sight. Not a moment had pa.s.sed before he walked out of the building’s entrance.

Today he wears a white shirt…Um.

Ji Yi subconsciously noticed his attire that varied every time.

“What happened?” Ji Chengyang seemed to have gotten used to this. He went ahead and ask the little girl what problem had she encountered again. She hesitated, then lifted up the finger which was wrapped with some cotton pad. The bleeding had already stopped, but the blood-soaked cotton pad was still quite scary. She herself did pay any attention to it; it was Ji Chengyang who was scared by the sight. He lifted up the palm of her hand between his two fingers, but did not dare to even gently lift away the cotton pad, “How did you do this? What did you use? n.o.body’s at home again?”

“Making a kite frame, cut off a piece of skin with a small knife…” Ji Yi still felt that it hurt so much, “Grandfather and grandmother are sleeping. I was scared that my noises will wake them up, so I ran out.”

Yi Chengyang had always been tall. Looking down as her face which had been lifted up, he felt that she was even more weak and helpless.

At first, he had dropped down a cigarette just to see what the little girl was up to.

In the end, there was a development in the story. He bent over at the hip, “I’ll take you to the hospital, okay?”

Ji Yi shook her head, “I’m not going to the hospital.”

She really had a phobia for hospitals?

Ji Chengyang’s eyes slightly lifted up, looking at her, “Then we’ll just go to the clinic inside the compound, all right?”

Moved down a notch, it seemed as if Ji Yi’s resolution considerably lessened. He carried her and went straight over. Fortunately, they had everything that was required. The nurse was also a mother of one of Ji Yi cla.s.smate and treated her extremely tenderly.

After she st.i.tched up her wound, Ji Chengyang again carried her back home. When they entered her house, no one could be found again…

Ji Chengyang did not feel comfortable leaving her all by herself and simply stayed. All her materials were gathered.

The two sat on the balcony and started working on the kite.

He was sitting on a much bigger stool, the way he hold the small knife was extremely beautiful, dexterously paring the bamboo cane. The small pieces of wood fell on the newspaper. Ji Yi sat on the small stool in front of him, propping up her chin with two hands, and watched as he pared the bamboo cane with concentration. 

This was the person whom Nuannuan admired the most.

He could do so many things. From when he was young, his accomplishments had always been excellent. In the beginning when he first said that he would study abroad, it was his own decision. He said he would, and really did. Moreover… he also played the piano so well that it drove all the girls crazy. Just that he did not like young children very much, a bit cold and aloof.

This was what Nuannuan had said.

He also quickly cut up the paper and glued up the kite.

Ji Yi picked up the kite feeling happy she could die. She quickly took out the brush and ink she used to practice traditional painting, about to start painting. However, Ji Chengyang laughed, “It’s not very beautiful for a kite to be painted in black.”

She hesitated, twisting the kite around.

“I’ll take it upstairs tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll return it to you. Okay?” He bent down and ask her kindly.

She gave an “um.” then gave him the kite.

The next day when the kite was brought down, a colorful b.u.t.terfly was painted on it. It was very beautiful.

She did not know what was used to paint it. Ji Chengyang told her that it was paint gouache. She committed it to memory, then silently added another reason to admire him: little uncle Ji could paint very beautifully.

Because the kite was too beautiful, she could not bear to take it to school and just made another one with Zhao Xiaoying. As for the one made by Ji Chengyang, the bamboo frame was carefully removed by her, leaving only that beautifully-painted xuan paper. She carefully folded the paper and put it away.

When that day of the spring excursion came, Zhao Xiaoying was flying the kite.

Nuannuan however, pull onto her and softly told her: “I tell you, Zhao Xiaoying is having a puppy love. It’s that Chen Shan from the second year. Ji Yi was a little startled, but her reaction was much calmer than Nuannuan’s, but just that she could not ponder how Zhao Xiaoying could have liked that Chen Shan…

Yi Ji tried to recall her memory of the boy. There was nothing particular about him.

“Ah, there’s one more thing,” Nuannuan very excitedly told her, “My little uncle suddenly came around and give a set of water gouache painting materials. This is the first time he gave me something! But it is a a bit strange. Looks like all of them had been used. Afterwards, when I asked him, he said he tried it at the store before buying…Ji Yi, when you buy these kind of things, do you usually try it first?”

…

“Um,” she raised her head to look at the kites, “normally you would try it first.”

Her face was not blushed, but her heart was beating fast.

Little uncle Ji lied, and she, also lied.

Does this count as a secret?

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