The campfire crackled in the round pit built of bluestone slabs, sparks carrying the scent of pine resin shooting into the night sky, only to shatter into stardust mid-air. The chill of the mountain forest night seeped into their bones, yet those gathered around the fire were draped in coarse cloth blankets given by farmers, and warm potatoes sat on their knees. Ah Yu added a piece of dry wood to the fire, and a wave of orange-red light instantly surged up, making all seven faces glow.

“Look over there,” A-Jie broke the silence first, tilting his chin up and pointing at the sky. “Isn’t that Orion? I saw it when I was a kid back home. My dad said the three stars on Orion’s belt were the brightest.” His voice was hoarse from a trek through the mountains, but it carried a childlike excitement. Following his gaze, everyone saw three groups of stars aligned in a straight line against the dark blue night sky, like a pattern carefully drawn with diamond powder.

Xiaowen wrapped herself tightly in the felt blanket, the stray hairs at her temples appearing translucent in the firelight. Staring at the leaping flames, she suddenly said softly, "My hometown is by the sea. The stars weren't this clear at night; they were all veiled by the mist. When I was little, I always thought the stars were fishing lights floating on the sea, until one time I went with my dad to watch a meteor shower on the rocks, and that's when I realized how high the sky was." A hint of melancholy lingered in her voice. "Later, when I worked in the city, I'd work overtime until midnight and look up to see only neon lights reflected in the gray clouds. I'd long forgotten what the stars looked like."

“That’s right,” Old Chen tossed a charred chestnut into the fire. “Back when I was drawing blueprints at the design institute, my office window faced the glass curtain wall of an office building. One time I was working overtime until three in the morning and saw my reflection in the glass, looking like a ghost. I thought to myself, when will I be able to look at the sky properly?” His laughter was self-deprecating, but it was half drowned out by the sound of the flames bursting.

Afang remained silent, simply poking at the ashes at her feet with a twig. Her profile flickered in and out of the light, her eyelashes seemingly glistening with night dew. Only when Ayu placed a hot roasted sweet potato in her hand did she raise her head, her eyes slightly red: "My hometown is in a mountain valley. When I was little, I went to work in the fields with my mother. She always said, 'People are like crops in the fields; they need sunshine and rain to grow well.' But after I came to work in the city, I spent every day tightening screws in an electronics factory, sitting for ten hours at a time, rarely even seeing a window. Once, I dreamed that I had become a light bulb in the factory; it was bright, but I felt empty inside."

The flames suddenly shot up, illuminating the tears welling in Afang's eyes. Uncle Li sighed, pulled a flat wine flask from his pocket, unscrewed the lid, took a sip, and handed it to Ajie beside him: "Life is like walking in the dark. Sometimes, after walking in the dark for a long time, you even forget where you are. When I was young, I wanted to be a carpenter, and I learned most of the skills, but then my father got sick, and I had to go to the factory to earn money. Now I'm retired, and my house is half full of wood, but my hands that used to hold a saw are no longer as good as they used to be." His voice was low and deep, like tree bark scorched by fire. "The other day, while cleaning the old house, I found the mortise and tenon models I carved back then, covered in a thick layer of ash."

Silence spread through the crowd like vines. Only the campfire burned tirelessly, casting everyone's shadows onto the tree trunks behind them, sometimes long, sometimes distorted. Ah Yu suddenly stood up, walked to the fire, opened her arms, and took a deep breath: "You know what? When we got lost in the mountains today, I wasn't afraid at all." Her eyes shone brightly in the firelight. "I used to think that life had to be like the subway in the city, running step by step, without making mistakes. But today, following you through the bushes, stepping through mud puddles, and even getting lost, I suddenly felt—I'm alive."

She crouched down, picked up a glowing red charcoal, and drew a crooked circle on the stone slab beside her: "This is the city we live in. It looks glamorous, but it confines people so tightly. But look at this starry sky," she pointed to the sky above, "so many stars, none of them are arranged in a regular pattern, yet they all shine. Just like the thoughts in our hearts, even if they are buried by time, they are not truly gone."

Ah Jie suddenly slapped his thigh: "Ah Yu is right! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a race car driver, but later I worked in a car repair shop and thought that was all I was going to do for the rest of my life. But today, when I was looking for a way in the mountains, all I could think about was how to determine the direction and how to avoid the thorns. It felt just like when I was studying racing car blueprints back then—it was so exhilarating!" He spoke excitedly, gesturing wildly and almost knocking over the water bottle behind him.

Xiaowen smiled softly, a smile like the first thaw in spring: "I've always hesitated to quit that administrative job, thinking stability is the most important thing. But listening to you talk about dreams just now, I suddenly remembered the illustration I studied in college, and I still have unfinished drafts saved on my computer." She looked down, peeling a sweet potato, but her voice was clearer than before, "Maybe... I could try starting with taking small commissions?"

Old Chen took off his glasses and wiped them. The fog on the lenses was hard to tell whether it was from the firelight or his emotions. "I haven't completely forgotten my carpentry skills. When I get back, I'll try making a small stool for my granddaughter. Even if it's crooked and messy, it'll still be something Grandpa made with his own hands."

Afang buried her face in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly. When she looked up again, her face was streaked with tears, but a smile played on her lips: "I want to call my mom and tell her I want to go back to my hometown and open a small supermarket, so I can take care of her and live a simple life. She'll probably nag me again for being 'unambitious,' but I think... it's a good idea."

Uncle Li finished the last sip of his wine, twirling the wine pot in his hand: "My pile of wood... I'll call my son tomorrow and have him help me get it out. Even if I can't make furniture, carving a few ornaments to give to the neighbors is better than letting it rot in the house."

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