My hometown is far away in Moscow.

040 Xiang Dong and Xiang Nan

Dongzi rubbed his nose, seemingly a little embarrassed: "The boss comes to take over every night, and I'm the one who watches over things here during the day."

"Just standing there watching? Don't you have classes during the day?" Hu Yiqi asked. "I remember you went to some...something computer science department at the Provincial Academy of Sciences, didn't you?"

Dongzi shook his head: "I only attended one semester before dropping out. It was a private school, dilapidated, and the diploma wasn't very useful, so I just didn't go."

Hu Yi paused for a moment, then hesitated before asking, "If you work here, will the boss pay you?"

"Of course I got paid! But not much, eighty a week, maybe it'll go up a bit later. And when there aren't many customers, I can play as much as I want, it's free." Dongzi laughed and tugged at his oversized old T-shirt: "Actually... it's not entirely for the money. My sister got into the top high school last year, so I can help her out here."

"Nannan goes to school here?" Hu Yi nodded slightly. "Let's invite her to lunch together. Let's go to a steamed bun shop and have some stir-fried dishes."

The two chatted by the roadside for a while, then heard the school bell ringing in the distance. Dongzi went to the shop to ask a regular customer to watch the store for him, then walked side by side with Hu Yi to the school gate, where they ran into Xiang Nan walking out in the crowd.

Xiang Nan is Xiang Dong's younger sister. She's of average height and, like her brother, thin and unremarkable in appearance. She's also somewhat introverted, and her large black-rimmed glasses add to her bookish air. Hu Yi smiled warmly and said, "Nan Nan, hello there! Do you still recognize me?"

"I know you. Aren't you Brother Hu Yi? It's been a long time." Xiang Nan smiled shyly.

Hu Yi was overjoyed: "Hey! Good girl! I'll take you to eat!" As an only child, he had always hoped from the bottom of his heart to have a biological younger sister like Dongzi, even if it was someone like Xiang Nan who was a bit silly.

The three of them went into a nearby steamed bun shop, sat down, and ordered three baskets of steamed buns and four stir-fried dishes. Dongzi couldn't wait to hear about their adventures abroad: "Brother Yi, how's the Soviet Union? Are you comfortable there? Is Moscow very big?"

"It's Russia, not the Soviet Union anymore..." Hu Yi cleared his throat. "Moscow is huge, of course. It's enormous. Area? Hmm... at least ten times bigger than here, I heard it's about the size of two Beijing cities. Population? I'm not sure. Probably at least ten million, and lots of foreigners, all sorts of colors, a true international metropolis."

"Cars? Plenty of them, they're everywhere on the roads, just like bicycles here, and they're really cheap. But most of them are old and broken, so they're not worth much."

"Buses? I rarely take them. I mainly rely on the subway and taxis. You've never ridden the subway, have you? It's incredibly fast, but a bit noisy. Hey, the Moscow subway is amazing! The lines are like a dense spider web; you'd definitely get lost there!"

"The girls? They're all incredibly beautiful, so fair and radiant, with amazing figures. It's a shame that so many foreigners have body odor; it's unbearable, absolutely unbearable."

"As long as she looks good, that's fine." Xiang Dong imagined the graceful figure of a Russian beauty and asked, "Is body odor really that bad? What does it smell like?"

"Body odor..." Hu Yi pursed his lips and thought for a moment, "Do you remember the smell of vinegar in the classroom during winter?"

"Hmm, it smells rather pungent."

"Imagine this," Hu Yi said, staring into Dongzi's eyes and enunciating each word clearly, "when you're fumigating vinegar, you put a few pairs of smelly socks that haven't been washed for three months into the pot—yes, the kind of socks you used to wear when you played soccer every day."

Xiang Nan paused slightly, then covered her mouth and chuckled secretly. Dongzi savored the taste for a moment, then put down his chopsticks and waved his hands repeatedly at Hu Yi, saying, "Ugh, this is disgusting! Quickly, say something else."

Hu Yi laughed heartily. He had already shared these experiences with his friends at least ten times since returning to China, but he could still speak with great enthusiasm, spittle flying everywhere. Dongzi listened with great interest, his mouth half-open, grinning foolishly. Xiang Nan sat beside him, eating silently, occasionally showing a hint of curiosity in her eyes, but she didn't ask any questions.

"Anyway, the place is generally not bad, it's just that the vegetables and fruits are too expensive, and it's freezing cold in winter," Hu Yi summarized briefly, picked up a steamed bun and took a couple of bites. Xiang Nan put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, turned to Dongzi and said softly, "I'm finished eating, I'm going back to do my homework."

"Go ahead." Dongzi picked up a jar of almond milk and handed it to Xiang Nan: "Exams are coming up soon, study hard."

"Keep it for yourself, there's water at school." Xiang Nan put the almond milk back on the table and added, "Don't wait for me after evening self-study tonight. Go home early for dinner, and don't eat those unhealthy things on the street, or Mom will nag you again."

"I know, you're even more nagging than Mom." Dongzi tossed his head impatiently. Xiang Nan waved to Hu Yi and said softly, "Goodbye, Brother Hu Yi."

"Goodbye." Hu Yi smiled and watched Xiang Nan walk away, then turned back and said with emotion, "You two siblings still have such a good relationship, it's enviable."

"Of course! My sister dotes on me. Whenever my dad beat me when we were little, she would always step in and plead for me." Dongzi said proudly. "Back in school, I would spend all my money on games and then Nannan would secretly squeeze out three or five yuan from her allowance to help me with my meals."

"What a good child," Hu Yi said with a smile. "You must take good care of her."

"Need I say more? I work at the shop in a good mood so I can be closer to Nannan. There are too many bad kids at No. 1 High School, and I want to protect her from being bullied." Dongzi puffed out his chest: "Just you wait and see. When I make money in the future, I'll definitely give my sister the best food and clothes."

Dongzi's parents used to work at a state-owned food factory with mediocre performance. The factory suffered losses year after year and eventually went bankrupt and underwent restructuring a few years ago. Both were laid off and had to borrow money to open a small tobacco and liquor store, barely managing to support their two children's schooling. Dongzi had grown up in poverty, and his biggest ambition was to work hard and earn money so that his family would never have to worry about food and clothing.

Hu Yi watched Xiang Nan walk to the school gate, then turned to Dongzi and said, "But you can't just stay here forever, what will you do after she graduates?"

"Definitely not. Let me save up some money, and next year or the year after, I'll rent a stall at the tech market with my friends." Dongzi said confidently, "Didn't we talk about this before? Computer parts are a good business right now, the demand is huge, and as long as you find the right approach, you can definitely make money."

"That's right, we can definitely make money." Hu Yi shifted his buttocks forward, straightened his body, and sighed softly, "Sigh, we agreed to sell computers together after graduating from high school, but... sigh, I broke my promise to you."

"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? Going abroad to study is great! You'll learn a lot, broaden your horizons, and even see foreign girls. If I had the means, I'd definitely go with you. What future is there in staying home and doing small business?" Dongzi's face showed a hint of longing, then he paused and shook his head with a wry smile, "Sigh, actually, I'm not cut out for university. I'm content with doing small business steadily. I'll open an internet cafe when I've earned enough money and be a small business owner."

Hu Yi felt a little relieved and joked, "You must work hard and try to become a big boss. If I ever run out of options in the future, I'll come back and work for you."

Dongzi smiled shyly: "That's definitely no problem. You should also study hard. If I can't make it in China in the future, I'll buy a plane ticket and come to Russia to stay with you."

"No problem, it's a deal!"

"It's a deal." Dongzi smiled sincerely, then his eyes suddenly reddened slightly. "Brother Yi, I haven't kept in touch with any of my high school classmates. Only you, even though you've gone abroad, haven't forgotten me. Remember to call me when you come back for vacation, at least let me treat you to a meal. We brothers mustn't lose touch."

"Don't worry." Hu Yi slammed his chopsticks on the table. "As soon as I return to China, I will definitely come to find you."

During this holiday trip home, Hu Yi didn't mention the slightly frightening sights of skinheads, street thugs, or terrorist attacks to his parents, family, Dongzi, or other friends. Instead, he jokingly mixed Russia's harsh winter, its dilapidated state, the high prices of fruits and vegetables, and its magnificent, vast landscape with beautiful girls.

Hu Yi himself couldn't explain why. If it had been two months ago, he would have vividly described the ugly side of Russia to everyone from beginning to end. Now he didn't do that, probably because he didn't want others to worry about his life in Moscow.

But there may be deeper reasons behind this. Like many young people who went there at the same time, Hu Yi was surprised, fearful, angry, contemptuous and resentful when he first arrived in Moscow. These emotions fermented for several months and finally reached their peak when he was attacked on the subway. After being rescued by the police, they erupted and then slowly subsided.

Whether Hu Yi was willing to admit it or not, when the short policeman lunged at the closing subway doors from the crowd, and when his tears uncontrollably dripped into his coffee cup, he had begun to try to reconcile with the Russia he had initially loathed.

Whether this reconciliation was due to voluntary acceptance or passive compromise—perhaps to some extent both—he seemed to gradually get used to some things there, just as he adapted to the harsh cold of Moscow and the fiery heat of vodka; everything happened unconsciously.

Two months of vacation passed in the blink of an eye, the visa was successfully obtained, and it was time to depart. The Chinese believe in saving money while traveling, so since deciding to send their son abroad to study, the parents had been careful to increase income and reduce expenses, saving money wholeheartedly for his education. The various expenses at Yu-Nan University were higher than at Maji University, but they gritted their teeth and exchanged four thousand US dollars for Hu Yi to carry with him, hoping that their son wouldn't have to compromise his comforts for money while abroad.

Li Baoqing reluctantly embarked on his journey back to Moscow. He had tried to persuade his parents to let him stay in China by mentioning the scars on his face, but although his parents felt sorry for him, they insisted that he complete his studies.

The two set off together, Hu Yi resolute and full of fighting spirit; Li Baoqing, however, felt uncertain about the future and sighed, "Old Hu, what if we still can't graduate from preparatory school next year?"

"Nonsense, we've been studying Russian for half a year, this time will definitely be fine. Can't you have a little more confidence in yourself?"

Li Baoqing muttered sullenly, "You make it sound so simple. My Russian is terrible. If I can't graduate this time, I'll have no way to face my parents."

"Look at you, so pathetic. Can't you stop being so discouraged?" Hu Yi frowned and clicked his tongue. "Don't worry. I heard that your journalism major is the most relaxed at the university, and the teachers are easier to manage. Students who attend class diligently can generally pass the exams. Don't worry, there's always a way to overcome any obstacle."

Li Baoqing looked up and sighed, "I hope so, God help me."

After a long and tiring journey, the two rushed to the Capital International Airport, flew to Moscow, and then immediately went to Friendship University. The school dormitory was just across the street from the main building. Eight five-story "L"-shaped dormitory buildings lined up in pairs along the street, with three irregularly shaped high-rise apartment buildings in the far distance.

The ANU dormitory area is not only much larger than Maji, but also has more convenient living conditions: there are currency exchange points and 24-hour supermarkets right on the roadside, and there are all kinds of restaurants and shops in the dormitory area. You can even buy Master Kong instant noodles and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce and other Chinese food products in a shop run by Indians.

The newly enrolled preparatory students all lived in Building 6, a five-story dormitory building. The walls inside had just been painted, emitting a strong, pungent smell. Hu Yi and Li Baoqing's room was on the fifth floor. Conversations in various languages ​​could be heard from the rooms on both sides of the corridor, and occasionally a few words of Chinese could be heard.

Hu Yi took out his key, opened the door, and entered the room. The room was a bit larger than Maji's bedroom. There was a three-compartment wardrobe by the door, and a wire bed against each of the other three walls, with a writing desk in front of each bed. Someone was lying on one of the beds, sprawled out and snoring, seemingly fast asleep.