Life suddenly settled into a steady rhythm.
Ji Nian had even begun to adjust to life here, able to relieve herself in the bushes without batting an eye.
The only problem was the quiet arrival of winter, which now made outdoor bathroom trips a bit harsh on the backside.
Sitting in the office, she looked up at the overcast sky.
Ji Nian thought, At least it rarely snows here in winter, and when it does, it’s sparse—otherwise, our shabby little shack would be in trouble.
When her shift ended, the first thing she saw upon stepping outside was a boy and a dog crouched by the wall.
Her eyes lit up.
"Tingzhou!"
Ji Nian jogged over.
Ji Tingzhou stood up, frowning. "You’re late."
"Had a lot of work today, so I stayed overtime. You could’ve waited inside, you know. It’s freezing out here."
The cold had forced them to layer up, though "layering" just meant wearing every piece of clothing they owned—none of which were proper winter coats.
Ji Nian was bundled in Ji Tingzhou’s old hand-me-downs, but at least the office had a stove to keep her warm during the day.
"Didn’t want to," Ji Tingzhou muttered, glancing dismissively at the concrete building.
Ji Nian didn’t press further, instead handing him a packet of cookies Ms. Li had given her.
"Milk-flavored. They smell amazing."
She hadn’t eaten a single one.
Ji Tingzhou pocketed the cookies and motioned for her to follow.
The two kids and their dog set off toward the western district where they lived.
With New Year’s approaching, even the forgotten residents of Liuxing Street celebrated the occasion—especially since wealthy benefactors came every year to toss money into the crowd. Who wouldn’t love that?
When they ducked into Shen Rushan’s place, Ji Nian saw Zhiliao breaking branches for firewood.
The wound on her face had healed, leaving only a stark scar along her cheek.
When Ji Nian tried to hand her a cookie, Zhiliao tore open the wrapper, pinched Ji Nian’s chin, and shoved the treat into her mouth.
Then she patted Ji Nian’s shoulder and walked inside.
Chewing, Ji Nian followed.
Inside, Shen Rushan was hoisting Wei Yang onto his shoulders to hang a decorative knot on the wall—a gift from Ms. Li a few days prior.
Spotting them, he quickly set Wei Yang down and announced excitedly, "I’ve got an idea for how we’ll grab cash on New Year’s Eve."
Ji Nian: "……"
Oh no. Am I about to witness something legendary?
Sure enough.
Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Shen Rushan whipped out… something. Then he dragged Wei Yang forward.
"Behold, my weapons."
A stretchy rope he’d scavenged from who-knows-where.
And.
A snot-nosed kid grinning like an idiot.
Ji Tingzhou crossed his arms. "Planning to trade him to the rich guys for money?"
He scoffed. "Give it up. No one wants a grubby brat who’d eat dog poop if it looked tasty."
Wei Yang giggled. "Bro, I’m hungry."
Ji Tingzhou tossed him half a leftover sausage from yesterday, like feeding a puppy. Wei Yang lunged and caught it midair with surprising agility.
Zhiliao looked unimpressed.
Where was that speed during training?
"No, listen—ever seen fishing?" Shen Rushan explained. "We tie him up, cast him like a fishing line, stick something on him that can grab cash without ruining the bills, then reel him back at the right moment."
For the adhesive, he turned to Ji Nian. "Pretty sure you can make that, right?"
Ji Nian thought for a second. "Should be possible. I’ll need to scrounge up materials."
Next, Shen Rushan pointed at Zhiliao. "Fishing takes strong arms and quick reflexes. You’re on duty."
Zhiliao shrugged. When it came to money-making schemes, they always deferred to Shen Rushan.
Ji Tingzhou didn’t object either.
"Word is, this year’s different. Outsiders are setting up stalls like in those TV shows. Bet there’ll be tons of food we’ve never tried."
Shen Rushan poked Wei Yang’s forehead. "Hurry up and eat. We’ve got training to do."
"When we’re rich, big bro’s treating you to a feast!"
The promise of good food made Wei Yang obedient as a lamb, eagerly following every instruction.
Ji Nian watched quietly, smiling.
...
On New Year’s Eve, they gathered early.
Ms. Li had given Ji Nian a few days off, while Ji Tingzhou went to his usual street-vending spot.
Before leaving, he told Shen Rushan to keep an eye on Ji Nian and "don’t let her cause trouble."
Once, she’d gotten absorbed studying plants by the trash mountain’s sewage ditch and lost track of time. They’d thought she’d gone missing, searched everywhere in a panic, and finally found her.
Ji Tingzhou had been furious and ignored her for two days.
Shen Rushan teased him for acting like Ji Nian’s dad, scolding her for staying out late.
Shen Rushan skipped vending that day, taking Ji Nian to their usual trash-picking spot instead.
The two crouched side by side, Shen Rushan doing the dirty work while Ji Nian scanned for useful items.
"Don’t you get bored doing this every day?" she asked suddenly.
"Used to it," he said.
"Want me to tell you a story?"
"Another one where the villain’s named Jiang Yufeng?"
Lately, Ji Nian had switched from teaching to storytelling, and Shen Rushan enjoyed it—except for one thing.
Why was the villain always Jiang Yufeng? The T-Rex adventure’s villain? Jiang Yufeng. The tadpole searching for its mom? Jiang Yufeng. The bunny’s treasure hunt? Jiang Yufeng again!
And this Jiang Yufeng was vile. He’d pretend to befriend the hero, then betray them at the worst moment.
Like when the T-Rex was about to reunite with its family—Jiang Yufeng blew air up its rear, sending it tumbling off a cliff. Or when the tadpole nearly confirmed frogs were its mother—he flushed the frog down a toilet. Or the bunny reaching for treasure—he shoved a carrot up its butt instead.
Infuriating. Shen Rushan even dreamed of beating Jiang Yufeng up at night.
Seeing him seethe with rage, Ji Nian felt satisfied.
Good. Stay angry.
Jiang Yufeng was the man who’d get Shen Rushan killed in the future.
Originally Shen Rushan’s most trusted subordinate, Jiang Yufeng’s betrayal would put Ji Tingzhou in danger—and Shen Rushan would take a bullet for him.
A bullet fired by Jiang Yufeng himself.
Ji Nian had seen his photo: a clean-cut, trustworthy face. If she didn’t know the truth, she’d have liked him too.
Since she couldn’t reveal the future outright, this was her workaround—planting seeds of distrust through stories. She’d told nearly a hundred variations, each villain named Jiang Yufeng, hoping it’d stick.
After scavenging, they hurried back to study.
By next summer, the school would be finished, and Shen Rushan could finally attend.
"It’s snowing," Ji Nian said.
Ji Nian stepped outside, tilting her head to watch the sparse snowflakes drifting down. She could hear Wei Yang calling for her and Shen Rushan in the distance.
Shen Rushan carried the prepared items with him, a smile on his face as he said to Ji Nian, "I really hope there’s somewhere selling dumplings tonight. It’s been so long since I’ve had any."
The two of them crouched and crawled out, with Shen Rushan leading the way as they hurried toward the group of three people and a dog.
Ji Tingzhou was watching Ji Nian.
Tucked inside his coat was a red ribbon—a gift from a customer earlier that day.
Thinking it was New Year’s and that he could use it to tie Ji Nian’s hair, he had accepted it, even reducing the customer’s bill by five mao in return.
"What are you standing there for? Come on," he called.
Ji Nian didn’t move. She just stood there, smiling.
"I got gifts for all of you. They’re with Ms. Li—you can pick them up on your way."
With the money she had saved, she had bought four cotton-padded jackets. She had also purchased the gray coat Ji Tingzhou had always liked, a new doll for Da Gen, a small knife for Zhiliao (which had taken her a lot of effort to get), a full set of textbooks for Shen Rushan’s first year of school, and a stash of snacks for Wei Yang.
Even after all that, there was still a little money left, which she quietly slipped into Ji Tingzhou’s savings jar.
At the very least, she hoped these things would make their winter a little more comfortable. She didn’t ask for anything beyond that.
Ji Nian could feel it.
She was leaving.
Her gaze lingered on Ji Tingzhou, still waiting for her in the distance. Her lips moved softly.
"Goodbye…"
Dad.
See you in the future.
