Childhood Affection - Chapter 14 - National Day Holiday (Part Two)

The hostel room wasn’t very spacious, but it was beautifully decorated. After taking a shower, Yin Qianyang and Bingbing lay on their beds, playing with their phones, with the TV on but not really watching.

Yin Qianyang felt quite inferior next to Bingbing’s muscular figure, wrapping himself in a blanket, he said, “Bingbing, how are things at school? I often think about our old classmates.”

Bingbing replied, “Miss them already? After graduation, you’ll definitely be in tears.”

“Who knows? Just to set things straight, we have to meet up often after graduation, especially if we end up at universities in different places. We have to get together during the holidays.” Yin Qianyang tossed his phone aside and lay back, staring at the ceiling. “You’re different from the others, you know that, right?”

“I know I’m a bit more handsome,” Bingbing finished a round of pool on his phone and set it aside, then lay side by side with Yin Qianyang.

Yin Qianyang thought for a moment and said, “Let me put it this way, we’ve competed together, challenged the basketball team together, conspired to fake injuries, and coordinated on the day we removed the plaster cast. I gave you underwear, though you couldn’t wear it, but I bought you McDonald’s and you were full. I kissed you, and you kissed me.”

Bingbing seemed puzzled: “Are you proposing we become sworn brothers?”

Yin Qianyang turned to face Bingbing and confessed, “I thought I was going to face Qin Zhan in another fight. I kept it from Weishan, afraid he’d get dragged in, but I wanted you to be there with me. I’ve thought about it a lot and feel I haven’t treated our friendship right. I’m sorry, Bingbing.”

Bingbing also turned to face him and said, “You’re quite sensitive, aren’t you? Isn’t it right for brothers to face things together?”

Yin Qianyang, propped up on his elbow in an exaggerated sleeping pose, said, “I’ve been agonizing over this for a long time. It’s been torturous.” Bingbing knew he was serious and patted his shoulder, comforting him, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Be rough, don’t be so sentimental, it makes me shiver.”

Just then, a voice came from the door: “What are you two doing? Not even locking the door?”

Yin Qianyang looked up sharply to see Nie Weishan standing at the door holding two cooked corn cobs. He quickly sat up and explained, “Bingbing and I were just having a heart-to-heart.”

Nie Weishan sat on the bed corner: “Just cooked these sweet corn cobs, eat them while they’re hot.”

After eating the corn, Bingbing suggested playing Fight the Landlord. Yin Qianyang was interested too, but then thought and said, “Maybe not, Qin Zhan is alone in his room, it wouldn’t be right just the three of us. Let’s do it another day.”

Nie Weishan stood up to leave, “I’ll head back then, let’s meet early tomorrow.”

The next morning, they set off to climb Area Two. The mountains in Area Two were steep and the waterfall group was denser. Qin Zhan, wearing spike shoes, climbed effortlessly, no matter how steep the slope. Yin Qianyang carried a water bottle, rushing to each waterfall to collect water. Nie Weishan and Bingbing followed at the back. By noon, they had climbed less than two-thirds of the way.

They found a resting bench for a picnic, Nie Weishan and Qin Zhan brought sweet potatoes, corn, and salted duck eggs from a farm stay, while Yin Qianyang and Bingbing brought bread, sausages, and drinks. After eating and resting, they continued climbing.

On the way, they encountered professional hikers, probably planning to camp overnight, and even young couples with children and some with dogs. Yin Qianyang, struggling to breathe, held onto Nie Weishan’s backpack, “I used to think I’d have a native dog.”

Nie Weishan slowed down, letting Yin Qianyang catch his breath, then joked, “You can barely take care of yourself, don’t torture a dog.”

“That’s right, dangerous people shouldn’t have pets,” Qin Zhan stopped ahead, suddenly reminiscing, “The first time I met you in the hospital, you were struggling to walk with that plaster cast, but faced us seven without fear, ready to fight, and when knocked down, you didn’t cover your head but reached for your crutch.”

Bingbing added, “For most people, you protect your head because it’s vital. For Qianyang, it doesn’t matter, his head is just for decoration, useless but pretty.”

Exhausted, Yin Qianyang didn’t even have the energy to retort, gripping Nie Weishan’s backpack strap tighter as they continued the ascent. Nie Weishan slowed further, creating some distance between them and the others, then without turning back, asked, “Do you really like that crutch I gave you?”

“They just quieted down, and here you go again,” Yin Qianyang gritted his teeth and stepped ahead of Nie Weishan, “Bo Le loves the thousand-mile horse¹, a leg in plaster loves a crutch, it’s only natural!”

Nie Weishan caught Yin Qianyang from behind as his body tilted backward, the sky and green trees filling his view. Nie Weishan stepped up and caught him in his arms, asking, “Were you scared just now?”

Yin Qianyang, leaning against his chest, replied, “You were right behind me, I wasn’t scared.”

Nie Weishan asked again, “What if I wasn’t behind you?”

Yin Qianyang answered, “No matter where, as long as you’re there, I’m not scared. And if I’m there, you don’t have to be scared either.”

Nie Weishan pushed him gently, “If you’re there, I’d be terrified.”

“Man, you really can’t make small talk,” Yin Qianyang ran ahead, catching up with Bingbing and Qin Zhan, his face burning hot, whether from running or something else.

Climbing up was easy, descending was hard. They reached the peak by 3 PM, and after enjoying a panoramic view of the mountains, prepared to descend. The cable car line was too long, so they decided to walk down.

There were two paths going up the mountain, so they took a different one down to enjoy a new view. Halfway down, they reached a flat area with tea houses and cafes. Bingbing quickly bought two cakes to replenish his energy, and Qin Zhan got a large iced tea to sip while sitting down. Nie Weishan and Yin Qianyang strolled around, enjoying the scenery.

Around a bend, they found a small wishing forest formed by several crooked trees, covered in red cloth strips with visitors’ wishes. Yin Qianyang suddenly became energetic, jumping around to see what others had written.

Nie Weishan took a photo with his phone, attracted by the fluttering red in the trees. Just then, Yin Qianyang called him over, “Come quick, there’s a black one here.”

On closer inspection, the narrow red cloth strip was filled with writing on both sides, weathered by wind and rain until it almost looked black. Yin Qianyang remarked, “This person sure had a lot to say, the Bodhisattva is probably annoyed.”

Nie Weishan glanced at other wishes, mostly prayers for family, academics, and love. Yin Qianyang had already grabbed two strips, distributing tasks, “Writing too much won’t work, don’t write about unrealistic stuff like getting into Peking University, just write the most important wish.”

“Got it, I’ll write it on the stone bench.” Nie Weishan quickly finished writing and tied his strip to a tree.

Yin Qianyang wrote: May Uncle Nie come back soon and reunite with Weishan’s family.

After hanging it high on a branch, he turned to find Nie Weishan had already moved on to take more photos. He was sure Nie Weishan had written the same, hoping that doubling the wishes might increase their chances of coming true.

“Weishan, let’s find Bingbing and the others!” Yin Qianyang ran off.

The two-day autumn outing ended, and they drove back down the mountain, catching a sunset view. The bus was quiet and weary, soon filled with the sound of snoring.

Yin Qianyang, wearing a hoodie, peeled an orange, breaking it in half to share with Nie Weishan, who ate it in two bites, whispering indignantly, “Are you a glutton? It takes me forever to peel, and you finish it in one bite. I can’t keep up!”

Nie Weishan chuckled, looking out at the sunset through the window, “Let’s take a train to somewhere far during the winter break.”

Yin Qianyang, eating the orange, remembered the day they had sent Nie Feng to the train station. He feared Nie Weishan might also recall that day, so he leaned in and shared as if confiding a secret, “I also wrote on the cloth strip, wishing for Uncle Nie to come back soon. Don’t worry, the Bodhisattva will definitely see it.”

Nie Weishan paused, then whispered back through the fabric of the hoodie, “Thank you.”

The rest of the journey was spent in sleep. After arriving in the city past nine o’clock, all four were famished. Bingbing asked, “Should we all head home, or grab a meal together before splitting up?”

Just then, Yin Qianyang received a call. It was Yin Qianjie on the other end, asking when he would be home. Yin Qianyang replied, “We’re all hungry and want to eat before heading back.”

Yin Qianjie responded, “It’s past nine already, come back and I’ll cook for you.”

The four returned to Eryun Alley, where Yin Qianjie cooked fried rice for them. Bingbing and Qin Zhan helped in the kitchen, filling the space. Yin Qianyang, leaning against the door frame, warned, “Don’t get any ideas just because my sister is beautiful.”

Yin Qianjie tossed a tomato at him, “Shut up, go shower, throw your dirty clothes in the washing machine, then set the table.”

Nie Weishan went home to drop off his things and told his third uncle and third aunt about the past two days. After finishing his story, he entered his room to find Nie Yingyu struggling with homework, “Not feeling any better?”

Nie Yingyu lay face down on the table, “Not at all!”

Nie Weishan tried to console him, “Bro, put yourself in their shoes. If a seventh-grade girl liked you, could you accept it?”

“Seventh grade is just out of primary school, right? That would be criminal,” Nie Yingyu sat up, serious, “I’m only seventeen, but I hope Qianjie commits that crime with me.”

Nie Weishan almost choked, quickly took a shower, and then went to Yin Qianyang’s house. Dinner was ready, and to make sure there was enough, they even mixed up bowls of cereal. Bingbing thanked his sister, “Thanks, sis, you’ve worked hard.”

Qin Zhan was more enthusiastic, “Sis, let me take you out next time, do you like movies? After dinner, we could watch a movie or go ice skating!”

Yin Qianjie, annoyed by their chatter, went back to her room. The four finished their meal by 10:30. Qin Zhan, in a rush to get back to the Sports School dormitory, left first. Nie Weishan and Yin Qianyang cleared the table while Bingbing sat belching at the dining table.

Perhaps because they had slept on the way back, they were now wide awake. Yin Qianyang suggested, “Hey! It’s just the three of us, perfect for a game of Fight the Landlord!”

They started playing Fight the Landlord, with the loser getting a pinch, no resistance allowed. Bingbing was the landlord in the first round, but lost to the two laborers and even had his points doubled. Yin Qianyang pinched Bingbing’s ear, Nie Weishan his hair.

Knowing his own limitations, Yin Qianyang never called landlord, even with bombs. Nie Weishan was the quiet type who struck it rich, having played from a young age.

After winning three rounds, Bingbing protested, “Why don’t you pinch him? No favoritism allowed.”

“Saving it all for one big pinch at the end,” Nie Weishan quickly dealt the cards, then glanced at the time, “It’s almost midnight, let’s wrap up after this round, or we’ll disturb Jie-Jie’s sleep.”

The cards slammed on the table, Yin Qianyang hesitated for a long time holding the black joker, Bingbing couldn’t take it anymore, Nie Weishan laid out a sequence of pairs, leaving just two cards, he looked at Yin Qianyang, “Six, does it beat yours?”

Yin Qianyang, thrilled, “It does! Black joker! I beat you! Crushed!”

Nie Weishan threw down his last card, the red joker, then turned to Bingbing as if sharing insights, “This idiot, even at the end, can’t figure out who has what cards, even little glasses plays better.”

Bingbing, with a red forehead from being pinched, kicked Yin Qianyang before leaving. The room finally quieted down, and Yin Qianyang, exhausted, went to his room and climbed into bed, lightly covering himself with the blanket, “Lock the door when you leave.”

Nie Weishan approached the bed and leaned down, “You still owe me four pinches.”

Yin Qianyang turned his face away, his ear exposed, “Go ahead, pinch.”

Nie Weishan reached under the blanket, his hand moving up Yin Qianyang’s calf, then pinched hard. Yin Qianyang immediately covered his mouth, then silently cursed, “Ouch! Lighter, will you?”

Following the calf, Nie Weishan’s hand ventured up into the loose shorts, reaching the soft inside of the thigh for a second pinch. Yin Qianyang clutched the pillowcase, whispering, “Picking the tender spots, how is one to live?”

Nie Weishan remained silent, his hand moving up to the back of the neck for a third pinch.

Yin Qianyang lay there, drained, suddenly caught by the hand by Nie Weishan, who traced his palm slowly to his fingers, finally pinching the tip of his index finger.

Nie Weishan said, “Goodnight.”

It happened quickly. By the time Yin Qianyang reacted, Nie Weishan was gone. He turned over to sleep, his fingertips tingling all night. Outside, the wind picked up, and he wondered if the red cloth strip was tied tightly enough, hoping it wouldn’t blow away.

A hundred kilometers away, on the wishing tree, one strip fluttered in the breeze, bearing the words: May Yang be foolishly happy every day, suffering less.

And what about that darkened red strip?

The one Yin Qianyang saw, blackened from age and weather, was hard to read, but upon close inspection, it said:

In general, I hope everyone I know is healthy and happy, especially the elders and friends, they must be happy.

To be more specific, first, I hope my big brother loves me a little more each day, accumulating enough to love me to death. Second, I’ve taken the English Level 6 exam twice, let me pass next time. Third, I hope Qiu’er is doing well abroad, Shen Duoyi is happy every day, Wang Haoyan debuts soon and becomes a movie star, and most importantly, finds Jian Xin soon.

Bodhisattva, the most crucial request is coming, please let human technology advance, invent a phone that can’t be blocked, I’d sell my blood or kidneys to buy it. Rambling words, but sincere, tomorrow is my 18th birthday, the only time in my life’s spring and rainy seasons, please help me achieve these.

Signed with all sincerity, Lu Ketong.

Footnote:

1. Bo Le Loves the Thousand-mile Horse(伯乐爱千里马): “Bo Le loves the thousand-mile horse” is a Chinese idiom, referring to the legendary figure Bo Le, who was known for his ability to recognize exceptional horses capable of running a thousand miles in a single day. The phrase is often used metaphorically to describe someone who has the talent to spot and nurture potential or greatness in others.