Mailing Myself to Brother Chang'an

Yunlong No. 1 High School was founded in the mid-Qing dynasty. In the early years of the Republic, it was renamed Jianghuai Tenth Middle School, then later renamed Yunlong No. 1 High School—a name it has kept ever since. Since it was established so early, the city’s expansion had gradually left the school in the very heart of town. Its junior and senior high campuses, separated by a single street and linked by an overhead walkway, together covered more than three hundred mu—an expansive estate by any measure.

When Shen Chengli and his wife, Shu Mei, bought a home in the city, they deliberately chose one near the school, which was barely a bus stop away. They had long intended to transfer their daughter to Yunlong No. 1 for junior high.

Because of certain restrictions, Shen Chengli and Shu Mei could not even open a branch in their own city; they had to set one up in the neighboring city instead. Even after the business was established, the couple still spent most of their time traveling back and forth between the two places.

A few days earlier, they had both gone out of the province on a major business trip. They had only returned the previous night. By the time they got up that morning, the housekeeper was nearly finished making breakfast.

After washing up, Shen Chengli stepped out of the bedroom. Shu Mei was exercising on the south-facing balcony. He stretched and asked, “Where’s Momo?”

“She hasn’t gotten up yet,” Shu Mei replied. “She doesn’t have to go to school today, so let her sleep a little longer. She’s been working hard lately.”

Shen Chengli sighed. “It’ll all be over once the exams are done.”

As they spoke, their daughter’s bedroom door opened. Their apartment was nearly two hundred square meters, with two master bedrooms; Shen Mo’s room had its own bathroom. She had clearly washed up already and came out tying her hair.

Not yet fourteen, she still had a girlish softness about her. But compared with two years ago, her clear, pale oval face had blossomed into something strikingly lovely, and her dark eyes shone with lucid brightness. Seeing her parents, she smiled faintly. “Dad, Mom, you’re up too?”

Shen Chengli smiled. “It’s only just past seven. That’s not late.”

Shu Mei turned to look at her. “You don’t have to go to school today, do you? You can sleep a little longer—but just for today. Starting tomorrow, get up according to your exam schedule.”

The housekeeper brought out the food. Shen Mo went to the kitchen to help with the bowls and chopsticks. “I’ll go to school to review after breakfast.”

“Why bother?” Shu Mei asked. “You can study at home. It’s quieter here. Once there are more people at school, and no teachers keeping an eye on things, you might as well stay home.”

“I made plans with Chengcheng and Tangtang. We can discuss things at school.”

“All right, then.”

Shu Mei stopped trying to dissuade her and nodded.

Since moving into town, Shu Mei had gone through two housekeepers. The current one was the third, and had been with them for over a year. She was mild-mannered and down-to-earth, and the whole family was happy with her. Shen Chengli and Shu Mei often had to travel, leaving Shen Mo at home with the housekeeper. The girl disliked eating alone, so she would invite the woman to share her table. Over time, even when Shen Chengli and Shu Mei were home, all four of them ate together.

The housekeeper’s surname was Zhang. She was in her early fifties, with a son and a daughter. Her husband had died two years earlier, and she herself had suffered a serious illness. Her eldest son, already married and settled, had grown resentful of her because of it. Her daughter had just started university, and Mrs. Zhang had taken a job to repay the medical expenses her son had advanced and to keep her daughter in school.

Her daughter did not seem particularly considerate either. Perhaps the old woman had been hurt by that, and beyond her gratitude to the Shen family, she had come to place some of her affection in Shen Mo. She was exceptionally attentive and thoughtful toward the girl, which was what Shen Chengli and Shu Mei appreciated most about her.

Mrs. Zhang was usually quiet. But with Shen Mo’s entrance exams approaching, Shen Chengli and Shu Mei reminded her over breakfast to rest well and relax a little before the test. Mrs. Zhang joined in with a few old sayings, mostly useless and not always very logical.

Shen Mo didn’t mind. She listened and answered each time. After breakfast, she went back to her room to gather her schoolbag, then walked all the way to school instead of taking the bus.

A straight walk down the street below their building led to the school. The senior high campus lay to the east, the junior high to the west, and an overhead walkway connected them. The main entrance was naturally on the senior high side. Across from it stood the sports field, which adjoined the junior high campus. There was another gate facing the street, but it was usually kept closed, so junior high students entered through the main gate as well.

Because of the entrance exams, even the senior high students—except those in their final year—were on holiday. The campus was unusually quiet. Shen Mo went first to the administration building and found the mailroom closed.

Reluctant to give up, she waited outside for a while. When a middle-aged woman walked by, she asked politely, “Hello, could you tell me if the mailroom is closed today?”

The woman looked her over. “Are you sending a letter?”

“I wanted to see if I had any mail.”

“It should open. Maybe they’re just late today. Come back a little later and check.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Shen Mo thanked her, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and left the administration building. She headed to her classroom. There weren’t many students inside, mostly boarders, along with a few who lived nearby. They probably hadn’t expected her to show up; when they turned to look, several seemed surprised. One or two looked as if they wanted to greet her, but hesitated and said nothing.

She took her seat. Cheng Juan, sitting beside her, asked quietly, “What took you so long?”

“I overslept,” Shen Mo whispered.

Cheng Juan nodded. “That’s okay. Song Tang hasn’t come yet.”

Shen Mo had transferred to the school two years earlier, and Cheng Juan had become her closest friend. Song Tang was Cheng Juan’s friend, whom she had known since kindergarten, so Shen Mo had gradually grown close to her too.

Shen Mo and Cheng Juan were both in Class One; Song Tang was in Class Four. But classes had already been suspended, so it didn’t matter which room they studied in. They had agreed the day before to meet here and review together.

Shen Mo took out her notebook of mistakes. Seeing this, Cheng Juan fell silent and returned to her own studies. A little while later, Song Tang peeked halfway through the front door, glanced into the classroom, then slipped inside.

Song Tang often spent time with Cheng Juan, and she was famous throughout their year for her beauty. Quite a few students in Class One knew her. Some noticed her coming in but didn’t say anything.

Shen Mo and Cheng Juan had saved her a seat. Song Tang sat beside Shen Mo, near the aisle, muttered a few words, then settled down to study. Now and then, the three of them discussed something in low voices.

It was difficult to concentrate for long. After a while, some students began chatting about other things. They talked for a bit, then returned to their books.

Shen Mo was reading when she felt Song Tang lightly poke her with a finger. She turned, puzzled. Song Tang silently mouthed, “Bathroom.” Shen Mo glanced at the time. It was already past ten, so she poked Cheng Juan too.

The three girls left the classroom together and went to the restroom at the end of the corridor. When they came out, Shen Mo washed her hands and said softly, “You two go on ahead. I’m going to the administration building.”

Cheng Juan teased her with a smile. “Did your dear Brother Chang’an write to you again?”

Shen Mo flushed slightly and bit her lip. “I just want to check.”

“I’ll go with you,” Song Tang said. “It’ll be nice to stretch our legs—we’ve been sitting here half the morning. Chengcheng, are you coming?”

“Then I’ll come too.”

The administration building was on the senior high campus. The three girls crossed the overhead walkway together and found the mailroom on the first floor. This time, at last, the door was open. The elderly attendant was sorting letters. Shen Mo knocked and stepped inside.

“Perfect timing,” the old man said with a smile. “There’s a letter for you. From Fang Chang’an.”

The cool composure of Shen Mo’s face melted at once into a delighted smile, like a snow lotus blooming in the first light atop a frozen peak, suddenly radiant.

She hurried to the desk. The old man had already found the letter and held it out to her. “Here you are.”

“Thank you!”

Shen Mo hadn’t expected there to be another letter. She had only come to see if she might be lucky. Now, beaming, she thanked him and turned toward Cheng Juan and Song Tang, her steps suddenly light. “Let’s go!”

Seeing how happy she was, Cheng Juan and Song Tang struggled to hold back their laughter as they followed her out of the administration building.

“Open it and see what your dear Chang’an wrote this time,” Cheng Juan said.

“Exactly!” Song Tang chimed in. “We’ve seen the envelope so many times we could write it from memory with our eyes closed. Let’s hear what’s inside.”

Shen Mo ignored their teasing. Only after she returned to the classroom did she carefully open the envelope and unfold the letter. It was less than fifty words long, but she skimmed through it once, and before she had even finished, a sweet smile had already crept onto her lips. When she reached the end, she read it again.

Cheng Juan and Song Tang noticed, and exchanged amused looks over Shen Mo’s head.

None of the three went home for lunch. When the school day was nearly over and the other students packed up to eat, the girls went to the cafeteria together.

Yunlong No. 1 High School was nothing like Huangnan Town No. 2 Middle School. At the southernmost end of the senior high campus stood a separate, two-story cafeteria, with rows of uniform stainless-steel tables and chairs. Even the floors were spotless.

Since most students were on holiday, only the seniors and some junior high boarders remained on campus. The cafeteria had opened only a small section of the first floor, with around ten serving windows.

Each girl used her meal card to buy two dishes. Shen Mo and Song Tang chose rice; Cheng Juan took a steamed bun. They found an empty table and sat down to eat.

Cheng Juan and Song Tang chatted casually over their meal, but Shen Mo said little. They were used to her nature. Unless they brought up Fang Chang’an, she rarely had much to say. When they asked her something, she usually nodded or shook her head, sometimes murmuring, “Mm.”

The two friends chatted on, pausing now and then to eat. Shen Mo seemed to hesitate, then said quietly, “I want to ask you something.”

Cheng Juan and Song Tang both looked up. Song Tang nodded, while Cheng Juan mumbled around a mouthful of food, “Go ahead.”

“Do either of you know where I could buy a really big envelope?”

Shen Mo’s clear eyes sparkled. She raised both hands and traced two huge arcs in the air. “This big. Big enough to fit a person inside.”

Cheng Juan and Song Tang blinked and stared at her for a couple of seconds. Then they exchanged a look, turned back to Shen Mo, and both looked utterly bewildered.

“Or clothes that look a lot like an envelope would work too.”

Seeing their faces, Shen Mo hastily added, broadening her request. Then she looked at her two friends with shining, hopeful eyes. “Do you know anywhere?”

Song Tang swallowed her mouthful and asked, puzzled, “Why are you suddenly looking for something like that?”

“Yeah,” Cheng Juan said, just as confused. “What would you do with an envelope that big? You could fit all your letters in a little box.”

Song Tang nodded, then joked, “You’re not planning to pack yourself up and mail yourself to your dear Chang’an, are you?”