08 An extreme sense of contrast

Without an alarm clock, Fang Shuning woke up naturally around 7 a.m., which wasn't early for the villagers of Xitang Village. But for Fang Shuning, it was nothing short of a major advancement in human history. Stepping out of her bedroom, she opened the window facing the street, feeling the hustle and bustle of the new day. The summer sun was dazzling, and Fang Shuning squinted as she surveyed everything around her. Someone noticed Fang Shuning in the window and greeted her warmly, asking if she had eaten yet and offering to come down for some.

Fang Shuning said that she had just gotten up and hadn't yet, but she was going to Aunt Tian's house to eat dumplings later.

Just then, the internet celebrity's grandmother passed by downstairs. Fang Shuning called out loudly, "Grandma!" The 79-year-old woman, carrying a bucket of water, walked briskly, but didn't hear Fang Shuning's call and continued walking straight home. It was only when someone nearby called out to her that she looked up at Fang Shuning.

Upon seeing Fang Shuning, Grandma was clearly excited, smiling as she asked when Fang Shuning had returned, and also inquired whether Zhang Jianhua had returned. Her smile was a stark contrast to her earlier nonchalant demeanor as she carried the bucket of water. At that moment, her entire face came alive.

Those wrinkles, finely etched by the years, lie dormant most of the time, like the lines on a withered branch or the cracks in a dried-up riverbed; but when you smile, they suddenly come alive.

Fang Shuning responded loudly, as if she had used all her strength.

Grandma still didn't hear clearly.

They told you to go home first, and they'd come over to your house to play later. It was someone else relaying the message. Grandma then replied to Fang Shuning with a simple "Okay!" before picking up her bucket and continuing home.

My steps seemed much lighter.

Fang Shuning closed the window and went back inside to wash up. Stretching, she felt a comfortable and relaxed feeling, a woman's voice coming from the speakers. Fang Shuning had recently become obsessed with podcasts, especially Yang Tianzhen's podcasts, listening to her favorite episodes repeatedly. Fang Shuning had always felt that Yang Tianzhen, despite the mixed reviews online, was someone worth learning from in many ways. That shrewdness and composure tempered with principles and a bottom line, that self-confidence built up from childhood, that sensitivity to people… It was from this that Fang Shuning decided to rekindle her reading habit, but unfortunately, the results were mediocre.

A floral print sundress; a braided hairstyle on one side, pulled loosely for a more relaxed look; only sunscreen applied; slippers on her feet. Simple and casual, yet undeniably beautiful. Looking at herself in the mirror, Fang Shuning felt like a radiant peacock, silently praising herself: beautiful.

He then slowly walked out the door.

I went out to get some pies.

But to be honest, this outfit is even more outrageous than what Fang Shuning would wear when going out for coffee in a big city. Fang Shuning thought disdainfully: What do you know? The casualness of big cities and the refinement of small towns are all about creating an extreme contrast between yourself and your environment so that you can be spotted in a crowd at a glance.

This seemingly incongruous and extreme contrast is Fang Shuning's way of attracting attention! Sure enough, in the short distance of only sixty or seventy meters from Fang Shuning's house to Aunt Tian's pie shop, Fang Shuning received countless compliments. While she said "Oh, not at all," she was secretly overjoyed. Who doesn't like to be praised for their beauty, especially since Fang Shuning was already beautiful?

The pie shop was no longer crowded. When Fang Shuning arrived, Aunt Tian greeted her warmly, and without delaying her work, brought her pies and soy milk. Then, looking at Fang Shuning, she seemed hesitant to speak.

Fang Shuning looked at Aunt Tian and naturally understood what she wanted to say. She was simply asking why she had suddenly come home when it wasn't a holiday, whether something had happened outside, and if there was anything her family could do to help.

There's no escaping it.

The young people in the village rarely go home unless they have holidays; in fact, many don't even go home when they do have holidays. Aunt Tian was worried that Fang Shuning might have encountered some trouble outside, but she didn't want to bring it up. After all, she had watched Fang Shuning grow up, and she still cared about her.

Fang Shuning took a bite of the pie; it still tasted familiar. When she was little, when Ms. Jianhua was too lazy to get up and make breakfast for her, Fang Shuning would come to Aunt Tian's house for pie, a habit she maintained for many years. After swallowing the pie, before Aunt Tian could even speak, Fang Shuning directly answered her question.

No debts, no accidents, no offending anyone, no problems whatsoever. It's just that I suddenly realized I haven't had a proper rest in all these years of work. I only took a short annual leave, and I didn't want to go back to my mom's place and listen to her nagging, plus I hadn't been home in a long time, so I came back. I can't stay long; I have to go back to work.

Those who stay in their hometowns are always like this: on the one hand, they hope the young people will come back, and on the other hand, they worry that the young people will come back because something happened to them outside. They want them to come back, but they also want them to stay away.

The most absurd paradox is that it is precisely this eternal self-tearing that gives birth to art, philosophy, and science. Prometheus's fire illuminated both the laboratory and the crematorium. We use the Mona Lisa to prove divinity while simultaneously confirming bestiality through concentration camps, and Leonardo da Vinci and Hitler indeed share 99% of the same DNA. This double-helix structure of the soul is perhaps the most biting joke that evolution has left for the universe.

Wait, wait, let's get back on track.

Fang Shuning was enjoying her meal when Song Jiuchen walked in. "Auntie, one pie." He glanced at Fang Shuning, "And some soy milk, too."

"Why is Xiao Song eating breakfast so late today?"

"I had something to do this morning, so I came to eat after I finished." Song Jiuchen had already seen Fang Shuning, wearing a floral sundress and eating a pie, inside the door before he even entered. Fang Shuning: See? See? I told you this way you'd be spotted in a crowd.

Fang Shuning's arrival seemed to stir up colorful ripples in the peaceful village. People's hearts began to waver.

"May I sit here?" Remembering Fang Shuning's firm "No," Song Jiuchen was afraid of being rejected again. Fang Shuning heard the voice, looked up, and exclaimed, "Oh! Isn't this the cadre serving the people?" She quickly moved her bowl aside. "Sit!"

Then the two chatted casually as they ate. Aunt Tian watched the two of them, finding a strange harmony in their relationship.

What a coincidence! Both are single, and it seems they even know each other. We should definitely set them up. Yes, we should really get them together!