Ah Yu suddenly remembered that yesterday, while tidying up old things, she found Zhong Hua's diary. The last page read: "If I have a daughter in the future, I'll name her Nian An. Remember the paths we've walked, and cherish the peace before us." The handwriting was from three years ago, and next to it was a crooked little sun drawn, like an unripe orange.
Applause suddenly erupted in the banquet hall; someone had suggested a traditional Chinese first birthday celebration where the baby would choose objects based on their birth sign. Zhong Hua placed Nian'an in the center of a table covered with a red cloth, surrounded by a calligraphy brush, abacus, books, and a seal. The little one blinked and looked around, then suddenly reached out his chubby little hand and grabbed the silver lock that Lin Wanqing had brought.
"It seems this child really likes this name." Lin Wanqing smiled and ruffled Nian'an's hair. Suddenly, she leaned close to Zhong Hua's ear and whispered, "Actually, I dreamed about her yesterday. She was wearing a little jacket, chasing a butterfly, and making little babbling sounds, like she was calling for her mother."
Zhong Hua's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She remembered last winter when Lin Wanqing was working on epidemic prevention in northern Vietnam. In a video call, Lin Wanqing said that the local children had never seen snow. "Let's bring them to Beijing to see the snow when spring comes," Zhong Hua said at the time. Lin Wanqing laughed and said she was too naive, but after hanging up the phone, she applied for a new aid project overnight.
Ah Yu brought over a bowl of longevity noodles, with a round poached egg nestled in the celadon bowl. "Try it, Auntie cooked it especially for you." He handed the chopsticks to Lin Wanqing, suddenly noticing that the cuffs of her coat were slightly frayed—this coat was the one he and Zhong Hua had picked out together for her birthday two years ago.
“Oh, right,” Lin Wanqing picked up a mouthful of noodles, then suddenly seemed to remember something, “I’m going to Qinghai next month. There’s a student aid program there, and I’ll be staying for about six months.” She looked at Zhong Hua, her eyes shining like stars, “If you have time, bring Nian’an to visit. The stars there are so low you could pluck them down.”
Just as Zhong Hua was about to speak, Nian An in his arms suddenly giggled, drool dripping from her chin onto the silver lock, reflecting a shimmering light. "Look at her, she seems to understand." Ah Yu reached out to wipe the drool from her daughter's chin, her fingertips gripped tightly by her daughter's soft, cotton-like grip.
The snow outside the window had stopped sometime ago, and sunlight streamed in through the glass, weaving a golden net on the ground. Nian'an yawned, snuggling her little head into Zhong Hua's arms, her eyelashes still clinging to fragments of sunlight.
"Nian'an," Zhong Hua gently patted her back, his voice as light as a feather, "You must grow up well in the future."
Lin Wanqing looked at the mother and daughter, then suddenly raised her teacup: "To Nian'an, to Ping'an."
Ah Yu and Zhong Hua also raised their cups, and the three teacups gently clinked together, making a crisp sound like a string of wind chimes tinkling in the breeze. Sunlight fell on the rim of the cups, refracting a small rainbow that landed right on Nian An's sleeping face, like a transparent veil covering her.
“Oh, right, Wanqing,” Zhong Hua suddenly remembered something, “I’ve discussed with Ayu about that charity fund you mentioned last time. We’d like to donate some money in Nian’an’s name as a gift to the children.”
Lin Wanqing's eyes suddenly lit up, like two stars falling from the sky. "That's wonderful," she put down her teacup, then suddenly stood up and hugged Zhong Hua. "When I get to Qinghai, I'll take pictures of the stars there and show them to you."
Nian'an was startled awake, whimpering twice, but her little hands gripped the silver lock even tighter. Zhong Hua looked down at his daughter's furrowed brows and suddenly smiled: "Look, she agreed too."
Ah Yu looked at the two women in front of her and suddenly felt as if time had slowed down. Sunlight fell on Zhong Hua's hair, gilding it with a layer of gold, and wisps of steam rose from Lin Wanqing's teacup. Nian An's breathing was as even as a serenade.
“Actually, I had thought of other names before,” Zhong Hua suddenly said, her fingertips lightly tracing the silver lock. “Siyuan, Mingxi, but they both felt a bit off.” She looked up at Ayu, her eyes shining like the moon reflected in water. “Until that day you said, ‘It’s enough for us to stay together for the rest of our lives.’”
Lin Wanqing suddenly laughed out loud: "Okay, here comes the public display of affection again." She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into her mouth, saying indistinctly, "But to be honest, this name is quite nice. Nian'an, Nian'an, it sounds reassuring."
Nian'an suddenly stirred in Zhong Hua's arms, her little mouth pursed, as if she were dreaming. The sunlight moved away from her face and fell on the family photo hanging on the wall—in the photo, A Yu was holding Zhong Hua, both of them smiling so hard their eyes were squinted, the background being a ginkgo forest from last autumn, golden leaves falling all over them.
"It's getting late, I should go." Lin Wanqing glanced at her watch, stood up and picked up her coat. "I have a meeting at the foundation this afternoon." She walked to the table and looked back at Nian'an. "Remember, the stars of Qinghai are waiting for you."
Zhong Hua carried Nian An to the door; the post-snow air carried a crisp, sweet scent. Lin Wanqing suddenly turned around and pointed to the clouds in the sky: "Look at that cloud, doesn't it look like a little rabbit?"
Nian'an seemed to understand, and suddenly giggled, waving her little hands as if trying to catch the cloud. Sunlight fell on her face, casting faint shadows on her eyelashes, like painted little fans.
"Be careful on the road." Ah Yu opened the car door for Lin Wanqing, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, I found that poetry collection you mentioned last time, I'll bring it to you next time."
"Okay." Lin Wanqing smiled and waved. The car slowly drove into the sunlight. There was a small sticker on the back of the car with a star drawn on it and the words "Peace" written next to it.
Zhong Hua looked down at Nian An in his arms. The little one had fallen asleep again, a slight smile on her lips, as if she were dreaming of something wonderful. The silver lock gleamed in the sunlight, the two characters "Chang'an" on it appearing as if they were edged with gold.
"Let's go home." Ah Yu gently put her arm around Zhong Hua's shoulder and walked into the house. Sunlight filtered through the flower rack in the corridor, casting dappled shadows on the ground, like an unfinished poem.
Zhong Hua suddenly stopped and looked at her daughter in her arms, saying softly, "Nian'an, in the future, Mom will take you to see the stars in Qinghai, to see the Seine River, and to see the African savanna." She paused, her voice as soft as a sigh, "I also want to tell you that there are many kinds of happiness in this world, and our happiness is to stay by each other's side and grow up safely."
Nian'an smacked her lips in her dream, her little hand unconsciously clenching, and she happened to grasp Zhong Hua's fingers. The force was very light, but it was like a thread, stringing together the past and the future.
The cake was still on the table in the living room; the little cream tiger tilted its head, as if it were smiling. The clock on the wall ticked away, and the sunlight slowly moved across the floor, like a gentle hand softly covering Nian'an's sleeping face.
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