Growing toward the sun

As the most treasured child in the family, Ding Ding received the best education of all the children.

His fourth sister, who accompanied him to school, benefited from his good fortune.

Born into a family like that, the young Ding Zhaodi had worked out a set of survival instincts. Her outward bluster was nothing more than a child's bluff.

It was as though no one would bully her as long as she acted a little fiercer.

In truth, Ding Zhaodi was a very sensitive girl. When she first read the writer Sanmao's words during a reading lesson at school, tears streamed down her face.

[If there is another life, be a tree, standing for eternity, with no posture of joy or sorrow. Half resting peacefully in the dust, half dancing in the wind; half casting cool shade, half bathing in sunlight. Utterly silent, utterly proud. Never depending, never searching. ①]

Back then, Ding Zhaodi had wondered, Why wait for another life? Why can't I do that now?

She disliked the name Zhaodi, almost loathed it, as though she had been born to pray for someone else's existence.

Her sisters' lives lay right before her eyes, and she could be almost certain that the same future awaited her.

She refused to accept it.

From then on, the name on every one of Ding Zhaodi's exercise books was Ding Shu.

After Ding Ding left, the family fell quiet for a while, until a few months later, when smiles returned to their parents' faces and they went around telling everyone the happy news of a baby conceived in their old age.

Ding Shu thought that home was utterly awful. When she realized they were arranging to withdraw her from school, she ran away without a second thought.

The world was vast, and there would always be places the light could not reach.

One moment, Ding Shu was rejoicing in her freedom; the next, she plunged into an abyss.

Public safety had not been as good back then as it was now. Human traffickers ran rampant, daring to abduct people in full public view.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the traffickers saw how young she was and relented, saying that if her family brought twenty thousand yuan to ransom her, they would call it settled.

Ding Shu called home. Though she had prepared herself somewhat, the outcome still left her in despair.

"What? Twenty thousand?! The bride price I got was only eight thousand!"

"We can't do anything! We don't have any money!"

"Ungrateful little thing! Would getting her married off hurt her? What a money pit. We'll just pretend we never had this daughter!"

That first phone call to her parents after leaving home confirmed to Ding Shu that they truly did not love her.

Even the traffickers pitied her and asked whether she had been a foundling they had raised.

Pale-faced, Ding Shu told them she could no longer be sure herself.

In the end, after Ding Shu's desperate pleading, the traffickers gave her one more chance.

And so, three days later, Ding Ding arrived right on time, bringing the enormous sum of twenty thousand yuan to get Ding Shu out.

He asked nothing, and she said nothing. When they were about to part, Ding Ding pressed every last small-denomination note he had on him into her hands.

From then on, they lived apart and had no further contact except for a phone call to each other at New Year to confirm that the other was still alive.

The memories inevitably stirred a sigh. Some faint sound in the courtyard brought the two of them out of their recollections.

Ding Ding cleared his throat. "Then I'll go back for a visit sometime."

It was hard to say when "sometime" might be. Ding Shu did not press him and only murmured an acknowledgment.

After a while, Ding Ding shook out his shoulders and stood up.

"I'm hungry. Buy me a meal."

"..."

There was not much good food on Hongfang Street either. The two strolled out at an easy pace, and as they passed a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, Ding Shu remembered the medicine Ding Ding was taking and suggested they go inside.

"We didn't bring the medicine. How would they know why I'm taking it?"

"You're the idiot, aren't you?" Ding Shu looked at him with disdain. "We can just ask whether they've seen you before."

There was nothing like a real sister. They might bicker and tease, but she still took it for granted that Ding Ding's face would leave an impression.

There were few people in the clinic at this hour, and no pharmacist was behind the counter. Only a man and a woman sat at a low table by the window.

Had Bai Congming been there, he would certainly have recognized these two people, who were not exactly strangers to him.

Doctor Sun, Sun Chang'an, and Sunflower Sister, Sun Xiangxiang.

The clinic was quiet. Without making any effort to listen, Ding Ding and Ding Shu could hear every word of their conversation.

"Hurry up and fill the prescription for me!"

"Wait a moment." Sun Chang'an slowly rolled the aromatic pill in his hands. "What's the rush?"

"Stop waiting! If we wait any longer, they'll be starting work!"

"Go settle your bill first."

"Uncle!" Sun Xiangxiang exclaimed. "You're actually going to charge me!"

"Are you going or not?"

"..."

Sun Xiangxiang turned, saw Ding Ding and Ding Shu at the entrance, and smiled at them.

"Stop rolling those pills. You have customers."

"This isn't a medicinal pill..."

Looking somewhat resigned, Sun Chang'an put on his glasses and told her to move farther away. "You're like a mountain in front of me."

Ding Shu could not help letting out a snort of laughter. Once she realized it, she ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry."

Sun Xiangxiang waved a hand, took out her phone, and went to pay at the counter herself.

Just then, Sun Chang'an squinted at Ding Ding. "Have you finished all the medicine? It shouldn't have been that quick."

Ding Shu gave Ding Ding an "I told you so" look, spread her hands, and walked forward.

"Hello, doctor. I'm his older sister. Since he said his injuries were external, I wanted to ask what those herbal medicines are treating."

Sun Chang'an adjusted his glasses. "His body..."

His lips moved as he rattled off a string of traditional Chinese medical terms Ding Shu could not understand. In short: restoring balance.

"So it doesn't matter whether I take it or not!" Ding Ding said casually.

"That's right." Sun Chang'an paused. "But you'd still be better off taking it. Your Little Bai is very worried about you."

Ding Shu looked thoroughly teasing. "Your Little Bai..."

"..."

Ding Ding ignored her-or, more precisely, ignored everyone-but he seemed to be in a very good mood. He tugged at Ding Shu, saying he was going to make her pay for a really expensive meal.

Ding Shu did not move, however. She walked up to Sun Chang'an with her phone in hand.

"Would you mind adding me on WeChat?" Ding Shu smiled. "Then I can contact you whenever I have a question."

Sun Chang'an was taken aback, but he did not refuse.

Online communication was a remarkable thing. A single beep connected two strangers, opening up all sorts of possibilities for what came next.

As the two left, Ding Ding noticed the woman in the clinic staring at him, but he paid it no mind. Looks like that were so familiar to him that they no longer seemed strange.

Only... this woman... seemed particularly frenzied...

Ding Shu's car had been provided by her company. Several combination-lock cases lay wide open on the back seat, the jewelry inside flashing with brilliant fire.

"Whoa." Ding Ding twisted around to look behind him. "Showing off your wealth?"

Ding Shu was very pleased with herself. "Pretty, aren't they?"

"You made them?"

Ding Shu hummed an affirmative, then corrected him. "It's called designing."

"Sure, sure," Ding Ding agreed, but refused to change his wording. His eyes shifted, and he said without hesitation, "Make me a pair of matching rings."

"...Then send me the sizes later."

"..."