Once it was Lunar New Year, the amount of chores to be done in Xu Tangcheng's home increased exponentially. Zhou Hui and Xu Yueliang were traditionalists and not a single one of the formalities that should be done during Lunar New Year could be left out. Spring cleaning, buying New Year's goods, visiting relatives and friends… Basically, from the day he came back in the twelfth month of the traditional calendar and until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, his family had made lots of arrangements. Xu Tangxi and Xu Yueliang couldn't stand the dust while Zhou Hui felt that hired cleaners could not clean properly so naturally, Xu Tangcheng had to shoulder the spring cleaning duties together with Zhou Hui.

"The corner on the right, rub it with the newspaper, I see a stain there… Okay, okay, it's clean now."

"Help me move the sofa, I'll wipe the floor underneath…"

"When you wake up tomorrow morning, take down the curtains. I'll wash them all in the morning. We can't delay that anymore or we won't have time to wash the sofa cover."

Zhou Hui was full of fighting spirit. On the other hand, after those few days of spring cleaning, Xu Tangcheng was so tired that he sprawled on his bed and didn't get up for a long while. Xu Tangxi massaged his back, her heart aching for him. She grumbled a little unhappily in a soft voice, "We can just hire people to clean. How bad can it be?"

How was it just a matter of hired cleaners not cleaning properly? Zhou Hui was also not willing to spend the money. Xu Tangcheng knew that Zhou Hui had always been frugal and he could also generally understand why. To her, if it was something she could do herself, she would never spend much money on it.

Even though that was what he thought, he didn't say anything to Xu Tangxi. He only interrupted her and said that he was thirsty and told her to get him a glass of water.

Xu Tangxi made a face and stood up. Before she went out the door, Xu Tangcheng called out to stop her.

Xu Tangcheng twisted his head around to look at the door and said worriedly, "Don't say that to Mum."

"I know."

The door closed. Xu Tangcheng rubbed his sore lower back and lay on the bed as he considered buying some stocks next term to earn some money and just get a robot vacuum cleaner. His body was considered healthy; it was just that for some reason—perhaps his lower back wasn't very well—he could not bend at the waist and exert strength for long periods of time. Hence, his back ached whenever he mopped the floor. He had gone to the hospital for a check-up before out of worry but in the end, they hadn't found any specific issue.

Xu Tangxi came running in with a hot water bottle. She slammed the door shut and said hurriedly, "Mum's coming."

Shortly after she spoke, Zhou Hui pushed the door open.

"Tangcheng, your uncle called and said that your Grandma is ready. We'll go over tomorrow to bring her here."

"Mm." Xu Tangcheng was already lying flat on his back, holding his phone up and fiddling with it. "I'll go in the morning."

Xu Tangcheng's grandma stayed at his uncle's house most of the time because his uncle had a large space. Both homes were near each other and it was convenient to take care of her. It was only when it was nearly Lunar New Year and his uncle's family had to go to his wife's place in the northeast and stay there for some time that they would bring Grandma over to stay at Xu Tangcheng's home for a while.

Zhou Hui walked in and sighed. She sat down at the side of Xu Tangcheng's bed.

"It's Lunar New Year but you always have to sleep in the living room."

"It's fine." Xu Tangcheng turned his head and smiled at Zhou Hui. "It's the same wherever I sleep and it's not like I'm sleeping on the streets."

"But it's still not the same as sleeping in your bedroom." The corners of Zhou Hui's mouth fell and she patted Xu Tangcheng's shoulder. "You'll have to bear with it."

The house Xu Tangcheng's family lived in was some years old already. The space was not large. Even though it had three bedrooms, Xu Tangcheng's and Xu Tangxi's rooms were only big enough to fit one single bed. When Grandma came, only Xu Tangcheng's room could be used.

"That's why I was saying the other day that we should be thinking of moving already." Zhou Hui swept her eyes across the rather narrow ceiling and looked thoughtful. "Otherwise, when you get married in the future, there won't be space when you come back to stay during Lunar New Year. And Tangxi too, in the future…"

"Mum…" Xu Tangxi had been quiet the whole time and she spoke now with her eyes widened. "How old do you think I am? You're thinking too far ahead."

Zhou Hui shot her a glance. She wanted to refute but when she thought again, that was true. Xu Tangxi was not yet at an age where she had to think of such matters. However, looking at the person lying on the bed, she very quickly said, "It's still a bit far for you but it's not far at all for your brother. Your brother is twenty-three this year. When he finishes his PhD, no, even when he's getting his PhD, he can already get married…"

"Aiyo," Xu Tangcheng wailed.

Zhou Hui got a shock and immediately put an end to that topic. "What's wrong?"

"I worked so hard my entire body is aching and my arms are sore."

"Then stop playing with your phone." Zhou Hui patted his leg, then frowned and hurried him. "Quickly wash up and go to bed. Have you showered?"

"Not yet."

"Hurry up and go. Stop dawdling."

"Mmhmm, just a bit more," Xu Tangcheng said with a nod. "I-"

"Don't wait a bit more. What's the point of wasting this bit of time? Isn't it the same if you play with your phone after bathing?"

Xu Tangxi hid her smile, then stuck her tongue out at Xu Tangcheng who had changed the topic but ended up getting burned by a different fire. Zhou Hui patted her as she walked to the door to leave. "Don't stay here and delay your brother anymore. Give your dad a call, ask him why he's not back yet."

"Okay," Xu Tangxi assented obediently. She turned the handle of the door and slipped out.

Xu Tangcheng was shooed to the bathroom by Zhou Hui to take a shower and just happened to run out of shampoo. When washing his hair, he took the shampoo bottle and thumped it against his hand for a long while but failed to get much out. Xu Tangcheng threw away the empty bottle, then took out a new one from the cabinet under the sink and opened it.

He had just washed the shampoo out of his hair when he suddenly heard a racket outside. He turned off the shower and angled his ear to the door to listen. He guessed that Xu Yueliang must be back. However, the noise from outside seemed livelier than usual and he could also faintly hear that they seemed to be trying to get someone to come in and have a bite. Even though the conversation was very loud, Zhou Hui and Xu Yueliang's voices dominated throughout and even after listening carefully for a long while, Xu Tangcheng couldn't tell who the visitor was.

He sped up and finished his shower. In the bathroom, he twisted his body and stretched out for a while. When the fog on the mirror had dissipated and his face was no longer flushed, he finally came out towelling his hair.

When he saw the person outside, Xu Tangcheng stared blankly. He now understood why he had felt that it was noisy outside just now.

The living room was a rather amusing spectacle. On the sofa, the three members of the family plus one Yi Zhe sat in a row, watching T.V. But unlike the others who were relaxed, Yi Zhe alone was sitting stiffly and perfectly straight. There was even a handful of pistachios in his hand.

Xu Tangcheng took another look. On the coffee table, the nuts, plums and all sorts of snacks were pushed to Yi Zhe. He couldn't help smiling. He didn't need to think to know that it must have been Zhou Hui who forced that handful of pistachios into Yi Zhe's hand.

He took a couple of steps forward and greeted him lazily, "Yi Zhe's here?"

"Tangcheng-ge."

When Yi Zhe looked at him, he seemed to go into a daze for a short while. Two seconds passed before he stood up and greeted Xu Tangcheng.

"I called to ask you to go down to help carry some things but your mum said that you were in the shower. I happened to bump into Yi Zhe coming back and he helped me bring the things up," Xu Yueliang said with a wide smile. "Coincidentally, your mum made red bean soup today. He can have a bowl before he goes."

"I see." Xu Tangcheng's hands moved. He felt that his hair was wet and it was really uncomfortable. He rubbed his head a couple more times, then said to Yi Zhe who was looking at him the whole time. "Have a seat first. I'm going to dry my hair."

After saying that, Xu Tangcheng was about to move when he saw Yi Zhe shuffle forward slightly, his movement accompanied by a very slight incline of his body, and then very quickly stopping where he was.

Startled, Xu Tangcheng glanced at the cosy and relaxing living room, then at the teenager standing quietly there, awkward and cautious.

His lips quirked up as he asked, "How about you come to my room for a bit?"

The pistachios rubbed against each other. Amidst the faint sound, Yi Zhe nodded.

"Yeah, you two can stay in your room for a while. I guess Yi Zhe doesn't like this T.V. series anyway," Zhou Hui immediately said upon hearing him. "The red bean soup will be ready soon, don't rush to leave."

Yi Zhe made a noise of assent. Before walking away, he bent down and made as though to reach towards the plate of pistachios but in the end, he tightened his grip again and did not put the pistachios in his hand back on the plate.

"Take the whole plate. The two of you go in and eat them." Zhou Hui stood up at this moment and smiled as she reached for the plate.

"No need…"

Yi Zhe was rather at a loss. One hand quickly came up to hold the plate being passed to him.

"Take it." Xu Tangcheng flicked the towel. "I'll eat it."

It was not only pistachios that were brought into the room; Zhou Hui also grabbed a handful of pine nuts, a handful of almonds and a few plums, and piled them all together. Xu Tangcheng told Yi Zhe to sit down and eat some of them while he blow-dried his hair.

Yi Zhe took a small pine nut. Four fingers gathered together, yet the movements of his fingertips didn't seem like he had any intention of removing the shell. Starting from the pine nut, his gaze wandered to and fro, crossing mountains and passing ridges, before finally landing on the side profile of that person standing there.

The hairdryer was kept in the wardrobe and there was a small mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door. Xu Tangcheng's head was bowed, his eyes half closed amidst the whirring sound and the warm wind, his hand carelessly tousling his hair. The pajamas he was wearing were the loose type with buttons. The base colour was the colour of rice grains and there were some subtle patterns. The fabric was soft and loose, and when Xu Tangcheng raised his hand, the sleeve fell down, revealing a section of his forearm.

There was a soft sound. A pine nut fell to the floor. The teenager sitting on the chair withdrew his gaze in a fluster and lowered his head and picked it up.

Xu Tangcheng's hair was not long and dried in a short time. From the moment he estimated that Xu Tangcheng would soon be done, Yi Zhe kept his head lowered again, pretending to be shelling nuts.

"I need a haircut soon." Xu Tangcheng pinched a lock of hair between his fingers and looked in the mirror as he spoke to himself. He looked left and right for a long while, then turned to ask Yi Zhe. "Where do you usually go to cut your hair? I think it's been a long time since I last got my hair cut at home. I don't know which shops are more reliable."

"Yu Tian." Yi Zhe answered after thinking for a while.

Xu Tangcheng repeated this unfamiliar name, then shook his head. "I've never been there. Where is it?"

"On the street behind Tian Mao." After saying that, Yi Zhe paused, watching Xu Tangcheng put the hairdryer away and close the wardrobe door before continuing. "When are you going to cut your hair? Why don't I bring you there?"

Xu Tangcheng turned around. Yi Zhe added, like he needed to make up for something, "I happen to need a haircut soon too."

"Sure." Xu Tangcheng was only too happy to have someone lead the way. He asked if Yi Zhe was free tomorrow. Yi Zhe nodded and said that he was.

He had to pick up his grandma in the morning. Xu Tangcheng thought for a while. "Then, let's go tomorrow afternoon."

As he spoke, Xu Tangcheng walked to Yi Zhe's side. He selected two pistachios and held them in his hand, removing their shells unhurriedly. Very quickly, two de-shelled nuts laid in Xu Tangcheng's palm, bathed in the light of the lamp, and delivered to Yi Zhe.

Yi Zhe's eyes lowered. Slowly, he reached out and took them.

The red bean soup Zhou Hui was making was ready very soon. She ladled out two bowls, each matched with a small porcelain soup spoon decorated with different patterns, and brought them to Xu Tangcheng's room. Yi Zhe looked at the steaming bowl and realised that he had actually never drank this kind of thing before. He also could not imagine the taste just by looking at it.

Xu Tangcheng's desk could be considered tidy but before Zhou Hui put down the tray, he still tidied up a little. He stacked some of his papers and notes together and placed them right at the edge of the desk, clearing a large empty space. The paper right on top was printed full of English words. Yi Zhe took a glance, then another, and another. By the time half the bowl of red bean soup was gone, he could not resist asking, "What's that?"

"Hmm?" Xu Tangcheng gave him an inquiring look. "Which one?"

Yi Zhe reached out and took the sheaf of papers. He studied the heading word by word.

Bayesian Wavelet Shrinkage… Image Despeckling.

He didn't understand.

Xu Tangcheng had been sitting on the bed; now, he stood up and put a hand on the back of the chair, his body leaning slightly forward to see what was in Yi Zhe's hand.

"It's an academic paper." Xu Tangcheng smiled. He recalled that it seemed to be from the last time he came back. A school friend asked him to edit the translation so he printed a copy and left it here.

Yi Zhe blinked. "What's it about?"

"Bayesian Wavelet Shrinkage with Edge Detection for SAR Image Despeckling."

After Xu Tangcheng recited the string of words, Yi Zhe didn't feel anything. Even after he listened to Xu Tangcheng's Chinese translation, he only felt a total unfamiliarity.

"It's something related to a specialised field, it's normal that you don't understand." Seeing that he was staring blankly, Xu Tangcheng thought that he was taken aback by how much he didn't understand in the page full of English words.

But Yi Zhe suddenly looked up and asked, "What is your specialisation?"

"Me? I did my undergrad in communications engineering."

"What about now?" Yi Zhe seemed to be thinking of something. He continued to ask without letting him off, like he was conducting a census.

"Also something related to communications engineering. My research is on satellite navigation," Xu Tangcheng replied patiently.

Satellite navigation.

With just those two words, Yi Zhe finished the bowl of red bean soup.

"What plans do you have for the holidays? Still going to Shanghai?" As he started cleaning up the bowls on the desk, Xu Tangcheng asked casually.

"I'm not going anymore. My dad said something came up and they won't be in Shanghai."

Something came up?

Xu Tangcheng's brows furrowed.

While he was turning this over in his mind, Yi Zhe again reached out to the side. Seeing that he was again picking up that paper, Xu Tangcheng was a little curious to know why he was so interested in it. Thinking of that, he smiled and asked Yi Zhe. "Have you thought of what you want to study in the future?"

Yi Zhe paused, then shook his head. "No."

"What about which university? Are you going to Shanghai?"

Unexpectedly, Yi Zhe still shook his head.

"I'm still thinking about it."

When he returned home, in his pitch dark room, he turned on his computer that he had not used in half a year. Long fingers tapped on the keyboard and two words appeared in the search bar. In the instant that he pressed Enter, a large amount of content appeared on the screen.

GPS, Beidou, Galileo…

The desktop computer emitted bursts of strange sounds as its CPU worked, like an old car revving up its motor to increase the speed. Very soon, it would charge forward without a look back, breaking free from its predetermined track.

T/N:

Beidou is the Chinese name for the Big Dipper constellation and also the name of a Chinese satellite navigation system. I have kept the name in pinyin since I think this part of the story is referring to the latter. (Galileo is the name of an EU satellite navigation system.)

Yi Zhe's name is written as 易辙 which can be interpreted as 易 = to change and 辙 = track. The last line of the chapter is likely a reference to his name.