"That one in the middle is called the Milky Way..."
"I've heard the story of the Milky Way. When I was a child, my dad told me about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl..." Zheng Zhilan's voice was faint, like a murmur.
"Actually, it's the galaxy we live in. It's a huge barred spiral galaxy, shaped like a whirlpool." Zhou Li whispered, his voice almost as tender as the night's breeze. "It contains approximately 120 billion stars like our Sun, with countless Earth-like planets. We are located on the edge of one of its spiral arms, and from a distance, it looks like a river."
"It's so big..." Zheng Zhilan whispered, her eyes wide.
Zhou Li couldn't see, but that didn't stop him from interpreting for her. "Do you see seven stars arranged like a spoon?"
"No."
"Look for them."
"Found them."
"That's the Big Dipper. Ancient people thought they looked like a ladle for scooping wine, so they called them the Big Dipper. In the West, they call it Ursa Major."
"Mmm."
