I know very little about the place long spoken of as my hometown — the place where my parents grew up. Though referred to as if it belonged to me, it remains distant, almost abstract. I’ve imagined their childhoods there, blurring into the damp and rough textures of my faint memories. The rapid evolution of society may have widened the generational gap, yet history keeps moving forward, and the birth and disappearance of life continue without pause. (Spring 2024, in Gouzhou Village and Hekou Village)