Zhao Meimei gathered her tiny hand in her father's palm and tucked it into the pocket of his thick cotton coat. The fingers pressed together, warm and cozy.
The snow on the road made the night gleam brightly, and everywhere you looked was clear and bright.
Zhao Meimei walked and crunched her new cotton shoes on the snow, talking to her father about the small villa during the day: "Brother Yangyang flew up directly, saving me from the door like picking an apple."
Zhao Dazhuang laughed so hard his mouth wouldn't close: "Oh, is Brother Yangyang a bird? Can he fly?"
Zhao Meimei giggled: "Brother Yangyang said that whenever I go and call out, he'll open the door for me. Tomorrow, I'll take Da Bao and them to play."
Zhao Dazhuang squeezed her chubby little hand: "Do you like Brother Yangyang that much?"
Zhao Meimei thought seriously: "He's okay. I'm not familiar with him yet, but I'll like him when I get to know him better."
Zhao Dazhuang teased her: "You like Brother Yangyang, but does Brother Yangyang like you?"
"Of course he does!" Zhao Meimei raised her thin little eyelids, her long eyelashes and squinted eyes full of confidence. She was so smart, so good at games, who wouldn't like her?
Holding Zhao Meimei, Zhao Dazhuang glanced at the small villa from afar; it seemed the lights were off on the second floor.
Zhao Dazhuang said, "If Brother Yangyang is asleep, let's come back tomorrow."
Zhao Meimei nodded in agreement, and when she stood with Zhao Dazhuang in front of the small villa and looked up at the second floor, she was disappointed to see it dark inside, not a single light on.
Zhao Dazhuang stretched his neck to take a look, pulled Zhao Meimei: "Brother Yangyang is asleep, let's go back."
Zhao Meimei didn't want to leave: "What if he's not asleep?"
Zhao Dazhuang: "The lights are off, he's definitely asleep."
Unwilling to give up, Zhao Meimei's other hand, not held by her father, rustled the candy wrappers in her pocket. She had packed a pocket full of candies, intending to share them with Brother Yangyang.
Suddenly, Zhao Meimei shouted, "Brother Yangyang! Brother Yangyang!"
Her voice was clear and pleasant, like marbles hitting a silver tray, particularly delightful.
It wasn't time for the clock to strike yet, every household was gathered inside watching the Spring Festival Gala, the outside was quiet, and her sudden shout stood out.
Zhao Dazhuang was startled and quickly stopped her: "Meimei, don't shout like that!"
If Zhao Meimei were obedient, she wouldn't be Zhao Meimei. After the first shout, she immediately furthered it as if a radio had been turned on, yelling towards the iron gate: "Brother Yangyang! I'm here to see you! Brother Yangyang!"
Coincidentally, that evening, Shi Yang was at home alone, with no one watching him, so he had nothing to do but watch TV and munch on sunflower seeds. He ate so many his throat became dry, desperately drinking water, and a pressing bladder woke him up in the middle of the night.
His house was right beside the boiler room, so the heating was warm. He went to the bathroom wearing only briefs, groggy.
He was aiming at the squat toilet when he faintly heard someone calling his name outside.
He listened while using the bathroom; the voice paused for a while and suddenly sounded again, seeming familiar.
After finishing, Shi Yang wiggled Little Yang, pulled up his briefs, grabbed his cotton coat indoors, and opened the second-floor window to glance outside through a crack.
Zhao Meimei was shouting: "Brother Yangyang..."
"Zhao Meimei!" Zhao Dazhuang was truly angry, reaching out to cover her mouth, hugging her shoulder and enfolding her: "You are being disobedient again, aren't you?"
Shi Yang heard the voice, squinted and, thanks to the snow glow, recognized that it was Zhao Meimei, who clambered over their fence during the day, now yelling at his doorstep.
Shi Yang was puzzled, thinking why bother coming here at this late hour?
Back then, people were sincere, living in a factory compound community, with no thieves and no sense of vigilance.
Shi Yang pushed the window wide open, a rush of icy cold swept in with the winter breeze, chilling him to the bone.
Shi Yang shouted outside: "Is it Zhao Meimei? Wait a bit, I'll get dressed!"
He hurriedly put on his clothes, finished dressing, and rushed downstairs, barefoot, slipping on cotton shoes, and dashed into the yard to open the gate.
Zhao Dazhuang apologized: "Did we disturb your sleep? My child wouldn't listen and insisted on calling you."
Shi Yang asked, "Uncle, do you need something from me?"
Shi Yang was thinking, could it be Zhao Meimei tore her clothes on their iron gate during the day, and now her father was here to settle the account?
It wasn't his fault; Zhao Meimei was the naughty one climbing up, and Shi Yang made up his mind, looked at Zhao Dazhuang, and added, "What brings you here so late?"
Zhao Dazhuang quickly clarified: "It's like this, our Meimei was naughty today, climbing your gate, and you saved her. Meimei's mother and I are very grateful. Meimei's mother mentioned you are celebrating alone, so she specially packed dumplings for you while making them."
Shi Yang was stunned, never imagining that Zhao Meimei and her father would show up late at night to deliver warmth.
Shi Yang made way at the door: "It's cold outside, uncle, please, come in."
Zhao Dazhuang politely exchanged a few words, then led Zhao Meimei inside with Shi Yang locking the courtyard gate again, following them.
Zhao Meimei was ecstatic, bouncing all the way from the door into the courtyard.
She could finally get into the small villa's yard. Passing by the table in front of the house, Zhao Meimei focused on the few crates stacked there. Upon closer inspection, they were popsicles, thinly iced on the outside of the cream, strawberry-flavored, her favorite.
Shi Yang opened the door and led them inside.
A wave of warmth hit them, and the sudden change in temperature made Zhao Meimei shudder, the warmth spreading from her spine.
Once inside, she discovered that the small villa's first floor was a corridor, with rooms on both sides bolted shut, she couldn't see inside due to her height.
After walking a few steps in the corridor, they reached the stairs. A light hung from the ceiling on the first floor, and another bulb was suspended above the staircase, illuminating the corridor brightly.
It was Zhao Meimei's first time climbing such a spiral staircase, different from the gentle slope in her building hallway, it made her body twist and turn, and it was very entertaining.
Zhao Meimei held the stair railing, going up step by step, counting the stairs: "One, two, three... fifteen."
Shi Yang stood on the upper platform, leaning on the railing, watching Zhao Meimei climb.
Zhao Meimei looked up and called out with a smile: "Brother Yangyang, your staircase has fifteen steps."
Shi Yang stood against the ceiling bulb, the corners of his mouth lifted as he smiled, his eyes flashing with mirth.
From Zhao Meimei's perspective, her Brother Yangyang seemed to bear a dazzling robe, surrounded by a halo of golden light with a smile forever imprinted in her youthful and naïve heart, silently praising that Brother Yangyang was truly handsome.