Chapter Six: The Secrets Within the Book

At noon, Grandma made a simple meal, and after the three of them finished eating, they continued cleaning the house.

At 4 p.m., Grandma and Grandpa went out to buy groceries, while Zhang Yangming lay on the bed, staring absentmindedly at the familiar ceiling.

“Mom, we’re here!”

In the courtyard, familiar voices drifted into Zhang Yangming’s ears.

“That was quick.”

He hurriedly got up from the bed, opened the door, and caught sight of two familiar figures.

“Auntie Bo Ya!”

“Auntie Bo Shan!”

His loud exclamation caught their attention.

“Well, if it isn’t the family’s star student! Come here, let me have a look at you—how you’ve changed!”

Zhang Yangming smiled as he walked over.

As he got closer, he noticed both aunts now had a sprinkling of white in their hair, and their faces bore the marks of age.

“Aunt, why is your hair turning white?”

Aunt Bo Ya looked at her own hair and replied with a sigh, “These students these days are so much harder to teach. I’m getting old, can’t keep up with the times—it’s exhausting!”

Aunt Bo Shan chimed in, “My sister’s hair is still considered good—look at mine, it’s thinning on the top. Your younger cousin is really not as clever as you; it’s even more tiring!”

Listening to their banter, Zhang Yangming glanced behind them and asked, “Aunt, didn’t my two cousins come? And Uncle?”

Aunt Bo Shan, carrying a bag of fruit and vegetables, said, “Today’s a gathering for us with the same family name. Why would we bring them along?”

Zhang Yangming grinned sheepishly. “Right, a family gathering. Come inside, quickly!”

“Hey! Where are Mom and Dad?” Aunt Bo Shan looked around.

“Grandpa and Grandma went out to buy groceries,” Zhang Yangming checked the time, “It’s been over half an hour—they should be back soon.”

“Mom really—told her on the phone not to bother, we’ve already bought some ready-made dishes, no need to cook at all!”

Once inside the main house, the two aunts sat down while Zhang Yangming made tea for them. The three of them chatted idly.

Ten minutes later, Grandpa and Grandma came in carrying their purchases.

Both aunts hurried out to greet them.

The family hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so they naturally talked more than usual. That evening, except for Zhang Yangming, everyone drank and chatted until late—only at 11 p.m. did they each retire to their rooms.

In the courtyard, Zhang Yangming gazed up at the stars, his thoughts swirling. The family was reunited, yet still missing the two most important people.

Back in his room, Zhang Yangming flopped onto the bed, took out the photograph of his parents from under his pillow, and, by the dim light at his bedside, gazed at it in a trance.

His thoughts wandered to those three photographs again.

He opened his suitcase, took out the photos, and examined them over and over, still unable to fathom why his father had left him these three pictures.

When he looked at the third photo—his father standing in the courtyard—he couldn’t help but walk outside, comparing his father’s position in the picture to the real courtyard under the moonlight. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Was he just overthinking it? Were these just ordinary photos?

Suddenly!

Zhang Yangming noticed what looked like a blue book on the left window ledge in the photo, but it was too dark to see clearly.

He rushed back to his room, turned on the light, and found an old magnifying glass in the drawer. He examined the photo closely.

“Is that ‘The Secret of the Stars’?”

Why did that title sound so familiar? Where had he seen it before?

Glancing at the bookshelf, Zhang Yangming set the photo down and went over.

This room had originally been his father’s. After his father passed away, Grandma had kept all his things, including his books.

He searched through the bookshelf, looking high and low, but couldn’t find it.

Maybe it wasn’t in the room?

Turning around, Zhang Yangming saw a large wooden chest on top of the wardrobe—the dowry his mother had brought with her.

“Could it be in there?”

He fetched a tall stool, stood on tiptoe, and carefully took down the chest.

Opening it, he first saw his mother’s clothes and jewelry. Digging further, he found a few tattered books, and finally, at the very bottom, a blue-covered astronomy volume: ‘The Secret of the Stars’.

His heart pounded.

“This can’t be just a coincidence!”

Carefully, Zhang Yangming took out the book. On the first page was his father’s signature—there was no doubt this was his father’s book.

He flipped through it; it was all basic knowledge about stars, nothing out of the ordinary.

Until page 145, the chapter on observing stars—there, a section of handwritten notes and a string of numbers appeared!

“The Secret of the Stars”

“07h45m19.4s28°01′35″1.140.98”

“What does this mean?”

Baffled, Zhang Yangming kept flipping through the book, but found no other markings.

He put everything back and returned the chest to its place. Holding the book, he lay on the bed. To understand it fully, he decided to read from the beginning.

Unconsciously, time slipped by until 3 a.m. His eyes began their fierce struggle to stay open.

“Forget it, I’ll continue tomorrow.”

He put the book down, turned off the lamp, and, rubbing his reddened eyes, drifted off to sleep.

…

With a few loud crows, the rooster woke Zhang Yangming from his dreams. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and glanced at the time through the haze—7:10 a.m. He’d only slept four hours.

“Damn that rooster, why does it wake up so early!”

As he muttered, the rooster crowed again, as if urging him out of bed.

“Ahhh!”

Zhang Yangming shouted like a madman, wrapping his head with the quilt as if that could block out the crowing.

“Yangming, breakfast is ready.”

Grandma’s voice sounded, delivering another blow that left Zhang Yangming sitting on his bed in a daze.

“Got it, Grandma.”

His soft reply was a sign of surrender.

He slipped on his slippers and shuffled into the bathroom. Looking at his bloodshot eyes in the mirror, he swore to himself never to stay up late again.

But he knew deep down, late nights were either zero times or countless times.

After a quick wash, Zhang Yangming stood in the courtyard, eyes closed, soaking up the ‘essence of the sun and moon’.

“You brat, stop ‘cultivating and come eat!”

Grandma’s voice broke his ‘spell’ once more. He coughed, opened his eyes, and gazed at the pale blue horizon, sighing to himself, “If Heaven had not given birth to me, Zhang Yangming, Grandma would still be the greatest obstacle on the path to immortality!”

Shaking his head, he walked into the kitchen.

At the table, eating a steamed bun, Zhang Yangming asked Grandma about her plans for the day.

Peeling a boiled egg, Grandma replied, “I’m going to check on the field up on the southern slope, and your grandpa’s heading to visit some old friends in the village. If you’ve got nothing to do, go walk around and have a look at the village.”

Grandpa nodded in agreement from the side, as if he had no choice but to play the part of the ‘handyman’.