A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

The first snow of winter came without any warning.

The first day, the dry, cold wind stung our faces, but when we opened the window the next morning, the whole yard was white.

A thin layer of snow hung on the withered branches of the Gesang flower, and it would fall off with a rustling sound when the wind blew, melting into a small wet puddle on the ground.

Su Nianci stood by the window, holding a cup of hot water in her hand, the condensation on the cup fogging up half of the glass.

The courtyard was quiet.

There was no sound of Banxia running around, no sound of Xingye squatting by the flower bed pulling weeds, and not even the two old men bickering.

Lu Zhenhua drove over in his Jeep yesterday evening, stood at the gate of the courtyard with his hands on his hips, and lowered his voice by half an octave compared to usual, but his authority remained undiminished.

"Hoshino, Banxia, ​​go with your great-grandfather this weekend. There's a mission at the military compound."

Banxia looked up at him.

"What mission?"

Winter training.

"What winter training?"

"Building a snowman, roasting sweet potatoes, and listening to Grandpa tell stories about war."

Banxia rolled her eyes and turned to look at Su Nianci.

Su Nianci nodded.

Banxia jumped up on the spot, grabbed Xingye's sleeve and pulled him towards the door.

"Let's go! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Hoshino was pulled so hard that he stumbled, losing one of his right cotton shoes. He bent down to pick it up and followed at a leisurely pace.

As he reached the door, he turned back.

"Mom, I brought Banxia's scarf. Her gloves are on the second shelf of the shoe cabinet."

Su Nianci leaned against the door frame and waved to him.

The sound of the Jeep's engine faded into the distance; it couldn't be heard after turning the corner of the alley.

The courtyard suddenly became empty.

That emptiness wasn't desolation, but a relaxed quiet, like a spring that had been wound up for a long time suddenly being released, and all the sounds sinking to the bottom of the snow.

Su Nianci stood by the window for a while, watching the snowflakes fall one by one onto the withered branches of the Gesang flower, onto the stone table, and onto the jujube tree that had been half-peeled.

Footsteps came from behind me, not heavy, with a slight dragging sound on the wooden floor, the sound of slippers not being put on properly.

A heavy military overcoat was pulled down from behind, carrying the smell of mothballs and old cotton.

The coat was too big; the hem reached her calves, and the sleeves were so long that her fingers were completely hidden.

Su Nianci looked down at the military overcoat that had wrapped her up in a ball.

"Like a rice dumpling."

Lu Xingzhou stood behind her and reached out to smooth out the frayed edges of her collar.

"Just make sure you're dressed warmly."

Su Nianci placed the water glass on the windowsill, pulled her coat up, and tucked her hands into her sleeves.

"Let's go for a walk."

"It's cold outside."

"It's not like we haven't been there before."

The two pushed open the courtyard gate and walked into the alley, stepping on a thin layer of snow.

The snow wasn't heavy; it fell in small, fine flakes, like someone had scattered a handful of salt from the sky, which landed on my hair, shoulders, and the fur collar of my overcoat, shining brightly white.

There weren't many people in the alley. Smoke was billowing from Uncle Wang's chimney. Old Hu, who ran the tofu stall, wasn't out today; his door was tightly shut.

The two walked from the courtyard gate to the end of the alley, and then walked back from the end of the alley, leaving two crooked footprints in the snow under their feet.

Lu Xingzhou's footprints were large, while Su Nianci's footprints were small, with the large ones right next to the small ones, spaced evenly, as if they had walked for many years.

When she reached the middle of the alley, Su Nianci slowed down.

Wait, wait, it's stopped.

Lu Xingzhou took an extra step forward before realizing she hadn't followed, and turned around.

Su Nianci stood in the snow, her military overcoat covering her face, the tip of her nose reddened by the cold wind.

Her eyes were on him, reflecting the white sky and the outline of his gray sweater.

"Sailing".

"Um?"

Do you remember the first time we met?

Lu Xingzhou had his hands in his pockets, and when he heard those words, his fingers twitched slightly inside his pockets.

His gaze lingered on her face for two seconds.

"Remember."

"When?"

"You were five years old, lying in the cowshed with a fever, and you almost died."

He spoke in a very flat voice, as if he were reporting on a battle from long ago.

But his Adam's apple moved slightly.

Su Nianci shrank her neck inside her coat, burying her chin in the fur collar, her voice muffled.

"What did you say at the time?"

I said, 'Don't be afraid, I'm here.'

Su Nianci's lips curved slightly.

"And then?"

Lu Xingzhou's expression relaxed slightly, and the corner of his mouth turned to one side, the curve carrying a hint of helplessness and nostalgia.

"After your fever subsided, the first thing you said was that you were meddling in other people's business."

Su Nianci's shoulders twitched, and she burst out laughing.

The laughter was soft, and because it was absorbed by the snow, it sounded gentle and weak.

She laughed for a long time, and as she laughed, her eyes lit up.

It's not the kind of brightness that comes from being illuminated by a lamp; it's a light that grows from deep within, slowly and gradually rising to the surface of the pupil.

She stretched out a hand from the sleeve of her military coat, her fingers slightly red from the cold, and placed her fingertips on his wrist, not holding it, just resting them lightly.

"Lu Xingzhou".

"Um."

"If I could choose again, I would still choose you."

Snow stopped.

It didn't gradually stop; it was right after she finished speaking that the last snowflake landed on her eyelashes, melted into a water droplet, and then the sky became quiet.

Lu Xingzhou pulled his hand out of his pocket and grasped the hand that was resting on his wrist.

His hands were large, with calluses on his knuckles, and the temperature of his palms was several degrees higher than hers.

He didn't speak.

The two stood in the snow for a long time, so long that a chunk of snow that had accumulated on the sycamore tree at the alley entrance slid off and hit the ground with a thud.

Su Nianci twitched her nose.

I took another puff.

"Achoo!"

A loud sneeze shattered the romantic atmosphere.

Lu Xingzhou looked down at her rubbing her nose and frowned.

The next second, he bent down, put one arm under her knees and supported her back with the other, and picked her up horizontally.

The hem of his military overcoat flicked, brushing against his calf.

Caught off guard by the sudden jolt, Su Nianci hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Be gentle!"

"You weigh only three ounces."

"Put me down!"

"I won't let go."

Lu Xingzhou carried her and strode towards the courtyard, his steps steady and fast, his military boots crunching on the snow.

Su Nianci was held in his arms. She struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, so she simply stopped struggling and buried her face in his shoulder, her ears burning red.

When he reached the courtyard gate, Lu Xingzhou paused for a moment.

Su Nianci felt him stop walking and lifted her head from under his shoulder.

A black sedan was parked at the entrance of the alley outside the courtyard gate.

A thin layer of snow covered the car, and steam was still rising from the hood; it had only been there a short time.

The car door opened.

A young woman wearing a long black coat got out of the car.

She was slender, with long hair draped over her shoulders. Snowflakes landed on her hair and didn't melt, clinging to it one by one.

His features were unfamiliar; there was no trace of anyone Su Nianci recognized in his eyes or brows.

But she stood there with her back straight, chin slightly raised, and her gaze swept over calmly, landing on Su Nianci's face without the slightest hesitation.

Its temperament is sharp, like a knife that hasn't been drawn yet but is already buzzing.

She looked at Su Nianci, who was being held in Lu Xingzhou's arms, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, the curve being very faint.

"Ms. Su Nianci?"

Her voice was clear and bright, with a slight southern accent at the end.

"My name is Zhou Mingyue."

She paused for a moment, her eyelashes drooped for a second, then lifted again.

"My mother asked me to give you something before she passed away."