Starlight
The days flowed slowly under a surface of calm. Ever since that "barbecue season," Song Zhiyuan had vanished again, like a stone thrown into a lake. After the ripples dissipated, the surface returned to calm, but the stone had sunk to the bottom, a reminder of Lin Xueyin's lurking presence beneath the surface.
She still went to work on time, sorting documents, transcribing materials, and making blackboard newspapers. The work in the Propaganda Department was indeed leisurely, which gave her plenty of time to lose herself in her thoughts or stare out the window in a daze. Loneliness, like damp moss, quietly grew.
The turning point came one sunny afternoon. Sister Jiang, the department's art designer, a kindly-looking woman in her forties with the uninhibited air of an artist, was laboriously moving into her office, clutching a stack of newly-delivered posters.
Seeing this, Lin Xueyin subconsciously stepped forward to help.
"Oh, thank you, Xiaolin!" Sister Jiang breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him with a smile. Her eyes fell on Lin Xueyin's face, and she looked at her sincerely. "You've just arrived recently, haven't you? Are you from North City?"
Lin Xueyin nodded, a little reserved: "Well, I've been here for more than a month."
"No wonder you look unfamiliar." Sister Jiang was very talkative. As she sorted through her drawing papers, she said, "We have the most 'soft' work in our department. They're all out interviewing and making connections. When you have time, let's chat more."
This kind greeting was like a gentle breeze that blew into Lin Xueyin's closed heart. She mustered up her courage and whispered, "Sister Jiang, do you need any help? I... I can write well, so I can help with coloring."
Sister Jiang's eyes lit up. "That's great! I was just worried about the heavy workload for this issue of the bulletin board! Come on, Xiaolin, let me see your handwriting."
Lin Xueyin picked up the chalk and wrote the title of the current issue neatly on the blackboard. Her handwriting wasn't particularly elegant, but it was neat and tidy, and very pleasing to the eye.
"Not bad, not bad!" Sister Jiang nodded repeatedly. "From now on, the text part of the bulletin board will be left to you! As for the colors, I'll teach you. It's easy!"
From then on, Lin Xueyin was no longer completely invisible in the Propaganda Department. She began to interact with Sister Jiang about work. Sister Jiang was warm-hearted, capable, and unassuming. She not only taught her how to coordinate the colors of the bulletin board, but also chatted with her about interesting anecdotes about Beijing and even occasionally complained about the monotonous cafeteria food.
"Xiao Lin, look at this red patch. Don't fill it too full. Leave some white space so it feels breathable..."
"Today's cabbage stewed with vermicelli in the cafeteria looks exactly the same as last week. Is this the only dish the chef can make?"
"I heard the department store just got a new batch of Dacron shirts. Should we go take a look tomorrow during our break?"
These trivial, everyday conversations gradually dispelled the chill in Lin Xueyin's heart. She began to respond cautiously, occasionally a faint, genuine smile would appear on her face. Sister Jiang was like a small flame, bringing a touch of warmth and light to her cold and lonely world.
Besides Sister Jiang, the dormitory had also seen some changes. Next door lived a young woman named Sun Mei, who worked in the library. She was a bit reserved, but very gentle. One evening, when Lin Xueyin had a fever and felt weak, Sun Mei noticed she hadn't gone to the cafeteria to get food. She knocked on the door to ask, then hurriedly got her some hot water and shared her own fever-reducing medicine with her.
"Sister Lin, it's not easy for you to be alone in a foreign place. Just let me know if you have any problems." Sun Mei didn't say much, but her words revealed her genuine concern.
This tiny bit of kindness, like a spark of fire, though weak, made Lin Xueyin feel that she was not completely isolated from the world. In this huge, unfamiliar city, she began to have a few people who could be called "interconnections."
Her face gradually became more rosy, and the depression between her brows also dissipated a little.
After work, she no longer immediately retreated to the dorm. Sometimes she would go to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative with Sister Jiang, or chat with Sun Mei in the corridor. She even began to pay attention to the spring in Beijing, noticing that the willow trees along the roadside had put out tender green buds and the sky was no longer always gray.
The content of her letters to her parents gradually became richer. She would mention her kind colleague, Sister Jiang, her helpful neighbor, Sun Mei, and describe the crabapple tree that had begun to bloom in the yard of her workplace. Although she still carefully avoided mentioning any names, the irrepressible, subtle sense of lightness still penetrated the paper.
Far away in North City, Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen felt a little relieved after receiving this letter. As long as their daughter could gradually adapt, make friends, and be a little happier, that would be their greatest comfort.
Of course, the shadows didn't fade away. She hadn't touched the chocolates in the brown paper package, which lay quietly in the corner of her desk, along with the pebble, reminding her of her complicated past and the man who controlled her future. Occasionally, in the dead of night, she would still feel a sense of inexplicable panic, wondering how long this fragile peace would last.
But at least, at this moment, she grasped a little bit of happiness and warmth.
That weekend, Sister Jiang came to see her excitedly: "Xiao Lin, come with me to Liulichang! I heard they have a good batch of rice paper there. I'd like to take you for a look. There are so many interesting old things there!"
Lin Xueyin looked at Sister Jiang's enthusiastic face and hesitated for a moment. She had originally planned to do laundry and read in the dormitory.
"Go ahead, go ahead. What's the point of staying in the house all day? Just think of it as accompanying me to relax!" Sister Jiang pulled her arm without saying a word.
Lin Xueyin looked at her sincere eyes, and her fear of unfamiliar surroundings was slightly diluted by her enthusiasm. She nodded and smiled with a hint of anticipation.
"Okay, Sister Jiang, I'll go with you."
The sunlight shines through the glass window, falls on the corners of her slightly raised mouth, and illuminates her clear eyes.
Perhaps, in this huge "cage", she can also find a little gap for herself to breathe freely, and a faint but real starlight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com