In 1985, Grandpa brought red bricks back from the brick kiln in town and built a courtyard compound with four successive courtyards. The children in the Chen family were all grown up, and with marriages and children on the horizon, they needed a respectable place to live. I was born in the winter, during a heavy snowfall. My father looked out at the snow and said, “The snow is bright and pure, the world is vast and clear.” So he named me Ruoxue. I was Chen Ruoxue, the second child of the Chen family.
There was a grapevine in the courtyard, and Grandpa built it a large trellis out of bamboo. I spent my whole childhood beneath that trellis. Back then, the little courtyard was especially lively. My eldest uncle, youngest uncle, and aunt lived there, along with my eldest aunt whenever she came to visit.
Time flew by, with its ups and downs. The courtyard saw all the family squabbles, separations, and reunions. But no matter the hardships, life always moved forward…
