Liang He’s musical talent was already legendary at the Academy of Fine Arts. Even freshmen like Qiu Yun and her classmates had been captivated by his singing and playing during the last social mixer; his rendition of "Midnight Serenade" remained etched in Qiu Yun’s memory.
In the lively atmosphere of the bonfire, Liang He initially tried to decline, but with Director Huang and the villagers present, he found himself in a difficult position. He had just offered a flimsy excuse—that there was no guitar available—when Director Huang turned around with a beaming smile and produced one from the village committee office.
Liang He was stunned. "This is...?"
"A few Japanese researchers left it as a souvenir when they were here studying the Yungang Grottoes," Director Huang explained. "Take a look, Teacher Liang. Is it still playable?"
Liang He took the instrument. It was nearly new, clean and free of dust; it had clearly been well-maintained even if it wasn't used. He adjusted the strings and gave them a casual strum. The sound was clear and melodious.
The crowd erupted in a cheer.
Liang He looked at everyone with a helpless smile. Habitually strumming an A-chord, he asked, "Alright then. What would you like to hear?"
He scanned the circle as he spoke, but his eyes ultimately came to rest on Qiu Yun.
*What did she want to hear?*
In that moment, anything would have been fine.
People in the crowd began shouting out titles: "About in Winter," "The Great Wall Will Never Fall," "Dare I Ask Where the Road Is"...
Seeing that Qiu Yun remained silent, merely watching him intently from a distance, Liang He thought for a moment. He struck a chord to signal for silence and said in a low, resonant voice, "We have troubled Director Huang and the people of Yunma Village for a long time. On behalf of the A-City Academy of Fine Arts, I would like to dedicate 'The Story of Time' to everyone. I hope the thousand-year-old Yungang Grottoes and their profound culture will flow long into the future, and that Yunma Village prospers more with every passing year..."
"Good!" As soon as he finished, Director Huang stood up and clapped vigorously. "Well said! Wonderful!"
The art students were startled by the director's sudden outburst and turned to look at him. Realizing he had been a bit too impulsive, Director Huang quickly sat back down. "Please begin, please begin..."
Liang He smiled, his fingers sliding across the strings as the beautiful music began to flow.
He sang:
*"Spring flowers, autumn wind, and the winter’s setting sun...*
*The melancholy, youthful me once thought so ignorantly..."*
Everyone listened with rapt attention. The surroundings grew incredibly still, the occasional *pop* and *crackle* of the bonfire only serving to highlight the clean, deep timbre of Liang He’s voice.
It was an old song, a classic by Luo Dayou. Qiu Yun had heard it before but didn't know all the lyrics; she could only hum along fitfully in her heart:
*"The flowing water takes away the stories of time, changing two people...*
*In that sentimental youth when tears first fell..."*
Liang He sang with total focus, as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist. In that instant, Qiu Yun felt that Liang He—standing by the bonfire under the moonlight, quiet, deep, and unassuming—was the most beautiful sight. He had no flashy clothes, no elaborate hairstyle, no dazzling stage lights or glowing glow-sticks, yet the earth and sky were his stage, the moon was his spotlight, and the three thousand Buddhas behind him seemed to nod and smile. It was the grandest performance she had ever witnessed.
When the song ended, the audience remained in a daze for a long time until Director Huang stood up to applaud again. "Truly wonderful! Truly... wonderful! I thought I could only see such things on the television during the New Year!"
The students also broke into thunderous applause. A few of the more energetic ones shouted from the crowd, "Encore! One more song!"
Liang He shook his head with a smile and moved to set the guitar down, but Lin Zhongren took the lead in egging him on. "Classmates, fellow villagers, let’s welcome Teacher Liang for one more song with our applause, shall we?"
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison.
Liang He looked at Lin Zhongren in surprise, but his face still held a smile, showing no sign of anger.
Lin Zhongren shouted again, "Come on, everyone! One, two, three, four, five..."
"We’ve been waiting so hard!" the crowd responded in perfect sync.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."
"We’re getting so anxious!"
Faced with this scene, Liang He conceded. "How about this... I’ll play a song everyone knows, and we’ll all sing together."
"Great!"
Liang He thought for a moment and asked Director Huang, "Director, what songs do people around here know?"
"We country folk... what would we know how to sing..." Director Huang scratched his head sheepishly.
"Any songs from the Spring Festival Gala?" In this era, the songs with the highest popularity were undoubtedly those from the Gala.
"There was that 'Fire' song. The village speakers were playing it just a while ago..."
"'A Fire in Winter'?"
"That’s the one!" Director Huang slapped his thigh.
Liang He nodded. His fingers began to strum a rhythmic chord progression on the strings, tapping the body of the guitar as he sang out clearly, "You are like a fire in the winter..."
After Fei Xiang performed this song at the 1987 Spring Festival Gala, it had spread across China like wildfire. Because of its upbeat rhythm and catchy lyrics, it was incredibly popular. Sure enough, as soon as Liang He started, Director Huang picked up the next line: "A blazing flame that has consumed me..."
More and more people joined in. Especially when they reached the final words of the chorus, everyone sang with such synchronized energy that echoes rang through the quiet night sky.
Qiu Yun felt as if she were at a concert. Liang He was like a superstar who could easily outshine any modern-day heartthrob, and everyone sitting below was his fan. This was the climax of the show where the idol and fans sang in unison.
Of course, she was one of his loyal little fans now, too. She happily merged her voice into the chorus; it didn't matter if she was out of tune or if her voice cracked. In such an atmosphere, what they were singing was no longer important.
The bonfire party lasted until nine o'clock. When it ended, Liang He and Lin Zhongren reiterated the schedule for the following day. After a head count, everyone dispersed in groups. Because of the crowd and the late hour, Liang He and Qiu Yun only exchanged a few professional words before she headed back with Wang Chen and He Ying.
On the way, Qiu Yun and Wang Chen chatted and laughed, but He Ying remained silent. It wasn't until they reached the courtyard gate that Qiu Yun noticed He Ying’s unusual quietness. She nudged her. "Xiao He, what’s wrong? You haven't said a word the whole way back."
"I... it’s nothing." He Ying kept her head lowered. "You... you’re all leaving tomorrow..."
"Ah..." Qiu Yun understood instantly. "So you’re sad to see us go?"
"Yes..." He Ying nodded shyly.
"It’s okay..." Qiu Yun thought for a moment and took her hand. "Do you still want to take the university entrance exam?"
"I do," He Ying said.
"Good." Qiu Yun turned to Wang Chen. "Da Chen, do you still have your study materials from high school?"
"I sold some, but I kept the notes I summarized myself."
"Don't worry," Qiu Yun said to He Ying as they walked. "Once we get back, we’ll gather some materials and mail them to you. When you test into a school in A-City, we can meet again."
"Really?" He Ying looked up, her eyes sparkling in the dark.
"Of course it’s true." Qiu Yun tilted her head and smiled at her. "Thank you for taking care of us these past few days. Those materials are better off with someone who needs them than sitting at home gathering dust. It’s just that this next year might be very hard for you, having to take care of your mother while preparing for the exam."
"Yes! Thank you!" He Ying said firmly. They had reached the courtyard, and as the light from inside spilled out, Qiu Yun saw something glistening in He Ying’s eyes.
"Don't be so polite..." Qiu Yun looked at her sincere, rustic expression and sighed inwardly. Only those for whom things came with difficulty truly cherished them; unfortunately, many children in the city didn't understand that.
***
The bus from the village to Datong City was scheduled for eight in the morning. He Ying ate early and went to help Director Huang. At seven-fifty, the bus was in position, and students began boarding one after another. Liang He stood by the bus counting heads, a frown gradually forming between his brows.
Seven-fifty-two. Qiu Xiaoyun hadn't arrived.
Seven-fifty-five. Qiu Xiaoyun still wasn't there.
Seven-fifty-seven. Everyone else was seated, but there was still no sign of Qiu Xiaoyun.
And besides her, her roommate Wang Chen was also missing.
"They were already up when I left," He Ying said. "It takes twenty minutes at most to walk from the courtyard. They should have been here by now."
A sense of foreboding rose in Liang He’s heart. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped onto the bus to apologize to the driver, then strode toward Qiu Xiaoyun’s courtyard.
He had only taken a few steps when he saw Qiu Xiaoyun’s figure in the distance.
"Teacher Liang! Something's wrong! Wang Chen hurt her foot..."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 夜半小夜曲 | Midnight Serenade | A classic Cantonese song by Hacken Lee. |
| 光阴的故事 | The Story of Time | A famous song by Luo Dayou. |
| 大约在冬季 | About in Winter | A famous song by Chyi Chin. |
| 万里长城永不倒 | The Great Wall Will Never Fall | Theme song from the 1981 TV series "The Legendary Fok." |
| 敢问路在何方 | Dare I Ask Where the Road Is | Theme song from the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West." |
| 冬天里的一把火 | A Fire in Winter | A song made famous in China by Fei Xiang. |
| 费翔 | Fei Xiang | A famous Chinese-American singer (Kris Phillips). |
| 罗大佑 | Luo Dayou | A famous Taiwanese singer-songwriter. |
| 邱晓云 | Qiu Xiaoyun | Qiu Yun's full name. |
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