Chapter 24

New Year's Eve night. The elders chatted endlessly; the younger ones had already cleared out after dinner.
Jing Ming, as usual, sprawled on the sofa playing with his phone, long legs almost stretched across the whole couch.
Jing Ning bounced over to him: "Third bro, you should be the face of Beijing Slouch! How can you sit like that?"
Jing Zhi pointed outside: "Third bro, let’s go light some fireworks!"
Jing Ming got up to grab the fireworks.
Jing Ning called out, "Sis Du Ruo, come with us!"
Du Ruo wanted to see fireworks, but didn’t really want to hang around Jing Ming.
Ming Yi popped her head out from the dining room: "Xiao Ruo, go outside with them and have fun."
"Okay."
Jing Ming strode past her with a lighter to the entryway to change his shoes.
Du Ruo followed to put hers on as well.
Jing Ning looked them over and made a discovery: "Hey, you two are both wearing red sweaters. Couples’ outfits!"
Jing Ming shoved the giant bag of fireworks and firecrackers into Jing Ning's arms: "Here, you carry this."
Jing Ning nearly buckled under the weight. Jing Zhi came to save her and took most of the load.
Du Ruo, meanwhile, buttoned up her wool coat, pretending not to notice anything.
The Jing family's neighborhood was an upscale villa community, standalone mansions, not a row house in sight.
Every home had its own private garden, untamed lawns, and tangled shrubs, a world unto itself, with plenty of privacy.
Wide, winding roads separated each villa.
It was past eleven at night. Every so often, dazzling fireworks lit up the sky, blooming clouds of color above the rooftops.
Jing Ning and Jing Zhi were both craning their necks, eyes wide with excitement.
"Whoa, look over there!"
"And over there! So pretty!"
Jing Ming walked to the middle of the road, at this hour, no cars would come.
He lined up a row of conical fireworks in the street, crouched down, and lit them one after another in quick succession. Suddenly, the pavement burst into a row of sparkling silver fire-trees, as if a forest of flame had sprung up overnight.
How beautiful, Du Ruo thought in secret awe.
Through the silver branches, she saw the two kids across the street jumping and cheering. Jing Ming stood opposite, hands in his pockets, his face glowing with a smile as he watched the fireworks erupt.
Silver light sparkled in his eyes, catching and glinting.
He was wearing nothing but that light red sweater, and didn't seem cold at all.
But fireworks, for all their beauty, vanish in a blink.
When the silver trees had burned out, the two middle-schoolers dove back into the bag, rummaging. "What should we do next?"
Jing Ning’s sharp eyes spotted a sparkler. "I want to play with this one!"
Jing Ming had just pulled the sparkler out, and when she lunged for it without warning, he dodged away quick: "Uh-uh. What do you think you’re doing, huh?"
Jing Ning kept reaching for it, but there was no way she could outmaneuver Jing Ming. He twisted away in a flash, easily dodging her grab.
Jing Ning snapped back, “That's for girls! Boys who play with these are straight-up sissies! Can't believe you're shameless enough to want one!”
Jing Ming was absolutely immune to her bluster. He tipped his chin, teasing, “Well, too bad, because this is exactly the one I want to play with.” As he spoke, he got ready to light the sparkler in his hand.
Jing Ning panicked and lunged at him. But Jing Ming just raised his arm, holding it high out of her reach. “Wait, ! C’mon, can you let me have this one? You can have all the rest, okay? Please?”
Jing Ming replied coolly, “It was mine in the first place, why would I give it to you?”
One of them kept the sparkler held high, just out of reach, while the other jumped and scrambled, trying desperately to snatch it. Jing Ming was already tall, and Jing Ning was just a middle school kid, she had no chance.
Jing Ning called for backup. “Fourth Brother!”
Jing Zhi at least looked the part of a big brother, watching the chaos with a resigned sigh. “C’mon, Third Brother, just give it to her.”
Jing Ning seized the moment, “See? Do you even hear yourself? Fourth Brother is more grown up than you! What kind of brother won't give his own sister a single sparkler?”
Jing Ming countered, “Fine. Then I’m not your brother. How about you call me big sister instead?”
Jing Ning practically shrieked in frustration.
Du Ruo couldn’t take it anymore and sighed, exasperated: “She’s your little sister. What's the big deal about letting her win this once?”
Before her words were even finished, Jing Ming, apparently finished with his mischief, finally lowered his arm and handed the sparkler over to Jing Ning.
For a second, everything around them fell quiet.
Jing Ning grabbed the sparkler, picked up on the tension, and quickly forced a playful pout: “Third Brother is the worst! Always picking on me!”
But Jing Ming ignored her olive branch, shot a sideways glance at Du Ruo, and said curtly, “No one asked for your opinion.”
Du Ruo stood there in the freezing New Year’s Eve air, cheeks tinged red.
Jing Ning quickly changed the subject: “Third Brother, can you help me light this?”
Jing Ming said nothing, flicked open his lighter, and lit her sparkler.
Jing Zhi immediately dug out another handful of fireworks. “Hey, look, I’ve got more!”
Du Ruo bit her lip, silent.
He didn't like her. It wasn’t like she wanted to be around him anyway.
She turned and headed back toward the villa.
As she reached the door, hand poised to push inside, she heard laughter and happy shouts from within.
New Year’s Eve. A night for families to be together.
She was just an outsider. Going in would only be awkward, faces she barely recognized, not a soul she could really talk to. She didn't want to trouble the housekeeper to take care of her all night either.
So, after a moment's hesitation, she turned back, slipped to the corner of the yard, and called her mom.
All the other years, New Year’s was quiet at home, just her, Mom, and Grandma. Still, even with only three of them, they stayed up for the midnight fireworks. At this hour, she was sure her mom would still be awake back home.
Her real home was on the far-off southwestern border. No winter. Even during the New Year, it was never cold.
But this New Year’s Eve here, tonight was so cold.
Du Ruo hunched her shoulders, stomping her feet to keep warm as she dialed her mom’s number.
“Hello? Xiao Ruo…” Her mom’s voice was soft, but if Du Ruo listened carefully, it sounded suspiciously like she was trying not to cry.
She hesitated, trying to tell if her mom really was crying. Alarmed, she blurted, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen?”
“Nothing, sweetheart.” Her mom sniffled. “It’s just the New Year. I miss you, that’s all.”
Just like that, Du Ruo's own tears overflowed, hot and sudden, without warning.
She hadn't even meant to cry.
It was strange, New Year’s Eve was just a regular day, like any other. But somehow, it was only on this night, when family couldn’t be together, that it actually hurt enough to bring tears.
She wiped her cheeks and forced a laugh: “Come on, what’s there to be sad about? When I start earning money, I’ll bring you out here, you’ll get to see Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall, I promise.”
The clock struck midnight, and the whole city erupted in celebration.
Far away, someone counted down: “Ten, nine, eight, seven…”
Another group cheered, “Happy New Year!”
And all at once, the night sky bloomed with dazzling fireworks. Everyone looked up, faces lit with the colored stars.
Only Du Ruo stood in the shadowed corner, outside the glittering villa like a lone jewel box, phone in hand, head bowed, tears slipping silently down her face.
“Du Ruo, come quick! Time to light the firecrackers!” Jing Ning shouted from not far away.
Du Ruo finished her call, wiped her eyes, and made her way down the gravel path toward the center of the courtyard.
Jing Ming was on his way back, sprinting up the steps so he could get in a few rounds of gaming. Right as he reached the porch, he collided with her gaze, her eyes shining with tears. Stunned, he froze; Du Ruo startled too, then quickly turned away, ducking her head and hurried off.
He watched her retreat, utterly bewildered.
He’d only teased her, just a little,
Just a single sentence, and she ended up crying?
…
At the villa’s front steps,
Jing Ming stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets, staring skyward, speechless.
The fireworks erupted all across the night sky. After a moment, he ducked his head, scratched his hair in irritation, glanced at Du Ruo sitting not far away, and finally decided to go over.
He crossed the courtyard, heading for the curb where Du Ruo was sitting, gazing at the sky. Jing Zhi and Jing Ning flanked her, all three lined up on the curb, watching the fireworks light up the dark.
She tilted her head back, her small face ghost-pale, her eyes pink-rimmed and lashes still damp, but her expression cool and composed as if nothing had happened, utterly focused on the New Year’s fireworks. The colored lights glimmered in her eyes, liquid and soft as water.
He jammed his hands deeper in his pockets and plopped down next to them, looking up too.
Damn, normally this neighborhood is a ghost town and now, all at once, where’d all these fireworks come from?
The crackling firecrackers worked as the perfect cover.
Softly, he muttered, “I didn't even yell at you. Why are you crying?”
No one answered him.
Who knew if the firecrackers were too loud for her to hear, or if she just plain didn’t want to answer him?
Jing Ming licked his lips, let it go, and shoved his hands right back in his pockets, staring up at the sky.
Soon the fireworks faded away.
That split second at midnight, the sky everywhere was ablaze, so brilliant, so breathtaking.
A heartbeat later, it was all gone again, just the deep black winter sky, starless and empty.
Jing Ning and Jing Zhi were still swept up in new year’s excitement, fireworks now down to the very last skinny little sparkler-stick.
“Let’s make a wish! New Year’s wishes!”
The two middle schoolers jumped on the idea. Jing Ning quickly lit her star sparkler, and it shot out golden bursts, twinkling in the dark.
She lifted it high and shouted, “I want to get into the High School Affiliated to Renmin University! Done!”
Jing Ming snorted. “Gotta love the way you finish your wish with a ‘done.’ That’s fresh.”
Jing Ning rolled her eyes at him but promptly tried again, more seriously: “I want to get into the High School Affiliated to Renmin University! Wish made!”
She grinned and wagged her head, handing the sparkler to Jing Zhi.
Jing Zhi heaved a dramatic sigh. “I wish my mom would stop forcing me to play piano! Wish made!”
Jing Ning pointed and cackled. “I'm telling your dad in a sec!” She hugged her knees, tilted her head, and handed the twinkling sparkler to Jing Ming. “Third Brother, what about you? What's your New Year’s wish?”
Jing Ming shrugged and wouldn’t take it. “I don’t have any.”
“Come on, nobody has zero wishes!”
Jing Ming shot back, “What do I not already have?”
Jing Ning: “…”
Jing Zhi: “…”
The two exchanged a glance and wrapped their arms around themselves, faking dramatic shudders like they were getting the creeps.
Jing Ning: “Bro, how has no one murdered you at school yet?”
Jing Ming made a motion at her like he was about to smack her; Jing Ning stuck out her tongue and dodged. “I know your wish, though!”
“What is it?”
“You want to outdo Dad’s little brother, beat Third Uncle!”
Jing Ming scoffed, “That's not a wish. That's inevitable.”
Jing Ning was about to retort when she realized her sparkler was burning down. She thrust it at Du Ruo. “Quick, here! Du Ruo, your turn!”
Du Ruo accepted it solemnly, watching the flame shrink, sending golden sparks everywhere. She nodded and said, “My wish for the New Year, ”
“Study well, work hard, and live happily.”
She finished her sentence just as the flame sputtered out, the last few sparks winking away. The firework was done.
“Perfect timing!” Jing Ning clapped. “That means all our wishes will come true!”