As dawn broke, the lamp in the yard was still on, swaying gently in the breeze. Susan stood by the window, her hand resting on the frame, her knuckles slightly white. She had slept fitfully last night, her dreams filled with the sounds of the spaceship's ventilation system, and only upon waking did she realize there really was wind outside.

She didn't call out or make a sound. She changed her clothes, gently opened the door a crack, and went out.

The street was quiet, save for a few distant barks. She walked along the wall, her steps light, as if afraid to disturb something. The trees by the roadside were still crooked, and the plaster on the wall was still peeling off badly, but something felt different. Perhaps it was the angle of the sunlight, perhaps the smell of the air, or perhaps it was simply that she hadn't been back for too long.

She walked to the corner store, which used to sell popsicles but had been converted into a general store. She stared at the plastic bottles on the shelf for a long time until two children ran out of the alley and stopped in front of her.

"Are you the one that Brother Chen Hao brought back?" the boy asked, tilting his head up.

Susan nodded.

"Have you been to space?" another boy leaned closer.

"Um."

"Really?"

"real."

They glanced at each other, then took a half-step back. The little girl peeked out from behind the tree and whispered, "Could she be a robot?"

“No,” Susan shook her head. “I am a human being.”

"Then why are you wearing those clothes?" the boy asked, pointing to her coat.

She looked down; it was the spaceship's uniform, made of a special material—radiation-proof and wear-resistant—but it certainly didn't look like Earth clothing. She didn't explain, but simply put her hands in her pockets.

"Don't crowd around them." A voice came from behind.

Chen Hao's mother walked over carrying a shopping basket, still wearing her apron. She stood next to Susan and took her wrist. "This is Susan, my son's friend. She just got back a couple of days ago."

The children were stunned for a moment.

"Welcome back!" the boy suddenly shouted, then turned and ran off. "I'm going to tell my mom!"

The other two also ran after them, shouting as they ran, "Brother Chen Hao's friend came back from space!"

Chen Hao's mother smiled and turned to look at Susan, "Were you scared?"

Susan shook her head, though her heart was still pounding.

“That’s just how these kids are, they treat every stranger like a novelty.” She took Susan’s arm. “Come on, let’s go buy some groceries and get familiar with the area.”

The two walked slowly forward. As they passed a breakfast stall, the owner looked up, smiled, and said, "Old Chen's wife, taking your daughter out today?"

“It’s not my daughter, it’s a friend’s child,” Chen Hao’s mother replied, without letting go.

Susan's heart skipped a beat when she heard this.

The market wasn't big, but it was bustling. People were hawking their wares, haggling, and even squatting on the ground picking out potatoes. Chen Hao's mother strolled around familiarly, stopping every now and then to weigh something. Susan followed behind, watching her chat with the stall owner; her tone was natural, as if it hadn't changed in decades.

"Did you used to come here often?" Susan asked.

“Of course, I’ve bought it from the smallest to the largest.” She took a bunch of greens, smelled them, and said, “The cilantro is really flavorful today.”

“I’ve never bought groceries by myself before,” Susan said softly.

"Then learn today." She stuffed a bunch of scallions into Susan's hand. "Here, take it, and fry some eggs when you get home."

Susan held the scallion in her hand; the leaves were a little prickly.

"Don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing, and don't be afraid of buying the wrong thing." Chen Hao's mother turned around and glanced at her. "On this street, no one will laugh at you. At most, they'll laugh a couple of times and then offer you a piece of candy."

An old lady was sitting on a small stool peeling garlic. When she saw them, she waved and said, "Hey, isn't this Chen Hao's mom? And who is this young lady?"

“Susan, I mentioned it to you before.” Chen Hao’s mother stopped. “She just got back and might live here from now on.”

The old lady squinted at her, "You've lost weight, and your complexion isn't very good. You probably haven't been eating well outside, have you?"

"The food was alright," Susan replied.

“That’s definitely not as good as home.” The old lady took a piece of fruit candy out of her pocket and handed it to Susan. “Here, have some sweetness.”

Susan hesitated for a moment, then took it.

"Don't be so polite." The old lady grinned. "Our place is small, but our people are not. If you're willing to come back, you're family."

She unwrapped the candy and put it in her mouth. The sweetness quickly spread, accompanied by a hint of sourness.

"thank you."

"No need to thank me." The old lady waved her hand. "Come to my house for dinner sometime, and I'll stew chicken for you to nourish yourself."

Chen Hao's mother pulled her along. After a few steps, Susan glanced back; the old lady was still peeling garlic, not even looking up.

“Her son also works in another city,” Chen Hao’s mother said. “He only comes back twice a year. She gives candy to everyone she meets, saying it’s to accumulate good fortune for her son.”

Susan nodded without saying anything.

Walking up to the butcher's stall, the owner was chopping ribs. The sound of the knife striking the ground was rhythmic, thud, thud, thud. Susan stared at the knife, suddenly remembering the alarm on the spaceship, its sounds like those rhythmic thuds striking her nerves.

"How many kilograms do you want?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Half a pound is enough," Chen Hao's mother said. "There aren't many people in our family."

The shopkeeper weighed the food and handed it over, casually asking, "And who is this?"

“Susan, Chen Hao’s friend.” She took the bag. “She just came back from…a very far place.”

"Oh dear, no wonder you don't look well." The proprietress came out from the inner room with a glass of water. "Drink some, don't get heatstroke."

Susan took the glass and thanked her. The water was cold, and the glass was slightly damp.

“It’s not easy for you young people to build your careers,” the proprietress sighed. “My nephew went to work at a Mars base last year, and he had no signal for three months. The whole family was almost going crazy with worry.”

“We’re fine,” Susan said. “We’ve kept in touch.”

"That's good." The landlady patted her on the shoulder. "It's good that you're back. Nothing else matters."

By the time they left the market, the sun was high in the sky. Chen Hao's mother carried the shopping basket in her left hand, her right hand still resting on Susan's arm.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm a little tired," Susan answered honestly.

“That’s normal.” She smiled. “It’s like that on the first day. It was my first time in the city, and I had to stay in bed for two days after I came back.”

They turned into a small alley, where an old locust tree stood, its branches thick with leaves. An old man sat under the tree, playing chess. He glanced up at them, his gaze lingering on Susan's face for a couple of seconds, before he lowered his head and continued playing.

"Old Li," Chen Hao's mother greeted him.

"You're back?" the old man replied.

"Yeah, I'll take my friend shopping."

The old man nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Susan suddenly felt a little relieved. No one pressed her for details about where she had gone or what she had done, and no one looked at her strangely. They just glanced at her, said a few words, and then let her go.

This is the real "comeback".

When they reached their doorstep, Chen Hao was squatting on the steps, washing his shoes. He looked up, saw them, and grinned, "Mom, if you had come back any later, I would have turned these shoes into slippers."

"Stop being so stingy." Chen Hao's mother handed him the basket. "Take it inside, don't put it on the ground."

Chen Hao took the basket, stood up, and looked at Susan: "Are you alright? Your face looks a little pale."

“It’s okay,” she said.

"She was just surrounded by a bunch of kids," Chen Hao's mother said as she entered the house. "Now the whole street knows that we have a girl who came back from space."

Chen Hao laughed and said, "Then we'll have to start charging admission tomorrow."

Susan laughed too, this time she couldn't help it.

The room was quiet. Nana stood in the corner, the camera slightly panning to record the room temperature. She didn't speak, but Susan knew she was watching.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Chen Hao asked.

"It's alright," Susan said, "but the wind sounds a bit unfamiliar."

“This wind has been blowing for hundreds of years,” Chen Hao shrugged. “You have to get used to it, but it won’t get used to you.”

"I know." She looked down at her hand; the piece of fruit candy was still clutched in her palm, already slightly melted.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" Chen Hao's mother called from the kitchen.

"Whatever," Chen Hao said.

Where is Susan?

Susan thought for a moment and said, "I want to eat noodles."

"Okay," Chen Hao's mother replied. "Hand-pulled noodles, with two poached eggs."

Susan stood in the middle of the living room and suddenly felt a sense of security beneath her feet. She wasn't on a spaceship or on an alien base; she was just on an ordinary street, having just been given a piece of candy and invited to eat hand-pulled noodles.

She went outside, squatted in the corner of the yard, and picked a wildflower. It was small, with white petals and a yellow center. She tucked it into the small notebook she always carried with her.

Chen Hao leaned out of the window: "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing." She stood up and patted her pants.

"My mom said dinner is being brought forward by half an hour because our neighbor, Aunt Zhang, is coming over for a visit."

"who?"

"It's the old lady who gave you candy just now."