It takes a high-speed train ride to make me genuinely want to open Typora and write something down.
Today is my twenty-second birthday, and I’m spending most of it on the train.
I’d been back in my hometown for about ten days. Most of that time was mahjong, morning to night, played as if we had old scores to settle—until even the Dao must have worn thin. By the end I had barely broken even, but it was thoroughly satisfying. The next time I go back might be a year from now.
I had meant to write about Spring Festival in my hometown. Plenty happened over those days, but I doubt I could get it all down, so I let that idea go. What follows is a birthday-led miscellany.
Two
For as long as I can remember, I’ve treated 2 as my lucky number. I was born on February 22. My father’s license plate somehow came out as 7Z222. I was in Class 2 in primary school, and all through middle school I kept landing in second place... Under some private fixation, anything connected to 2 can feel meaningful to me. This year, maybe it feels especially meaningful.
Twenty-two, at first touch, feels neither here nor there. It’s been a while since the so-called green youth, and “mature and steady” still seems rushed. It just sits in the middle.
This age will decide the direction of my studies. It will decide what my graduate and doctoral years look like. Maybe this year will bring a surprise; maybe it will be plain and quiet.
I hope it’s a lucky 22.
Since I started university, I’ve usually been far from home on my birthday. This year was an exception: I was just barely still at home at midnight on the 22nd, eating luoguo—a griddle-style meal—out with cousins and friends of my generation. Before I left, my grandmother and mother stuffed me with food. This time I was smarter: I emptied my suitcase so more of it could keep me company all the way to Guangzhou.
My younger brother is taking the college entrance exam this year. He still hasn’t found a direction he’s interested in, and no one knows what he’ll study. At one point he even had the outrageous idea of studying medicine—luckily it was a passing impulse and I talked him out of it. My mother thinks he could try a police academy; my father hopes he’ll go into computer science or aerospace, something in STEM. My brother asked what I thought. I thought for a while and finally said, “Why not agriculture? The classmates I know who went into agriculture and geology have all become incredibly open-minded since...” And now he actually seems to be leaning toward agriculture. I feel like I’ve been giving blind directions. Next time I’ll look into it properly before analyzing it with him.
During the New Year days, aside from mahjong, I played Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Every day was a loop of blacksmithing, stealing, and gambling. It was absorbing and a lot of fun—I recommend it☺️.
After
As a birthday note, this is about as far as I’ll take it.
Finally: happy birthday to me, and happiness to everyone who loves me and everyone I love.
And to any wanderer who lands here: may life treat you well, and happy New Year.