Years pass by, seasons flow by, and a week flies by.
Sunday, June 15th, was the day of the Yuzhou High School Entrance Examination. Since No. 4 Middle School was reserved as an examination venue, there was a three-day holiday.
Although it is Sunday, there is no need for self-study in the evening today. School will not start until next Monday night.
Xue Yuantong did not stay in bed. He was woken up by his mother early. It was only half past six and breakfast was already ready.
Eating at home is not like living in the city. Jiang Ning moved the old folding dining table to the yard and ate outdoors.
At this time, the sun has not had time to bake the earth, and there is a slight coolness outside.
Jiang Ning picked up the bowl and drank a bowl of soy milk. Originally, the soy milk was a little hot, so he secretly used magic to chill it, and it tasted very good.
Xue Yuantong kept staring at his bowl. When he wasn't paying attention, his little hand sneaked over and touched his bowl, and suddenly felt a cold feeling.
"Mom, it's not fair, why is his soy milk cold!" Xue Yuantong fought against fate.
She also wants Jiang Ning's iced soy milk.
Jiang Ning was calm: "I brought the bowl myself. I froze it before coming here."
"Can it still be like this?" Xue Yuantong was doubtful.
"Of course."
"Then I'll switch with you." As she said that, she took away the cold soy milk and drank it happily. Because she drank it too quickly, there was still some liquid on the corner of her mouth.
Jiang Ning didn't care about her.
He was thinking about today's itinerary. He had nothing to do personally, but Aunt Gu went to help Chu Chu move.
The reason why I got up early today was also because of this. After the Xue Chuchu family confirmed the house, they did not hesitate anymore, negotiated the price, and quickly bought the house. Now they have the key.
Aunt Pan next door handed over the key to Chu Chu's mother, took the children at home, and went to the coastal city. From then on, she settled there and never came back.
Taking advantage of her recent break, Aunt Hua decided to move. Aunt Gu had a good relationship with her, so of course she helped.
Thinking about these things, Jiang Ning sandwiched two shredded potatoes. This dish was very homely and Aunt Gu cooked it deliciously. Even though she had eaten it many times, Jiang Ning still wasn't tired of it.
He enjoys the leisurely life now, without any worries at work. He wakes up from bed every morning feeling refreshed, carefree, and has a lot of time to waste.
Even if I move a small bench every day and sit at the door to watch the wheat fields, I won't feel bored at all.
He used to think it was shameful to waste time, but now he just wants to waste time.
After eating, Jiang Ning moved the folding table back to the kitchen and watched Xue Yuantong washing the pots and dishes.
Aunt Gu pushed out the battery car: "Tongtong, let's go."
Xue Yuantong said: "Mom, Jiang Ning is here with us."
Aunt Gu: "You don't need his help, come and take the car."
Xue Yuantong responded and wiped his hands, "Jiang Ning, please help me guard the door at home."
As she said that, she opened her legs and ran for two steps before she could move. It turned out that she was grabbed by Jiang Ning.
"Let's go together." Jiang Ning said.
Hearing this, Xue Yuantong didn't care about his rudeness and said happily: "Wow, wow!"
She dragged Jiang Ning outside the house, "Mom, you go first, I'll take Jiang Ning's bicycle."
After hearing this, Aunt Gu felt helpless and said, "You guys ride slower, I'll go help Fengmei pack her things first."
After his mother left, Xue Yuantong locked the door and got on the mountain bike.
Looking at the receding scenery on both sides of the river dam and the cool morning breeze, Xue Yuantong thought of the roads he had traveled in Jiang Ning's car in the past year.
She did the math and before she knew it, she had traveled more than two thousand kilometers.
Xue Yuantong thought of her future sophomore and senior years. She touched Jiang Ning and said, "Ride faster."
Jiang Ning stepped on the pedal, and the car shot out instantly, shocking the pedestrians walking on the river bank.
At such speed, we will arrive in the city in no time.
When Jiang Ning turned into the old community where Xue Chuchu lived, she met Aunt Gu.
In front of the wide alley, a silver pickup truck's engine was buzzing and it wanted to drive into the alley. However, a rectangular small steamed pancake cart was placed at the entrance of the alley.
An old man in his sixties or seventies wearing a white vest stood in front of the small train.
Aunt Gu and Hua Fengmei were discussing with the old man: "Uncle, please move the sesame cake stall, and we will drive in and leave after moving."
There are a lot of things to move at home. If you let the truck drive a certain distance, the move will be a little easier, otherwise you will have to walk a lot longer.
And even if the truck drives into Kuan Alley, it will not affect others.
The old man yelled: "How can I let you drive in? Aren't you going to affect my business?"
Aunt Gu looked at his small steamed pancake cart and said, "Aren't you not in business yet?"
The old man raised his voice and shouted: "Do you care whether I do business or not?"
Hua Fengmei was in a hurry to move. Seeing that the other party was being unreasonable, she said angrily:
"It's not like our family has never bought sesame cakes from you. Uncle, can you borrow them?"
The old man had a sarcastic smile on his face. He had lived with her for several years and saw each other every day, rain or shine. In my impression, the two of them had bought cakes at most two or three times.
He was guarding the entrance to the alley. Even if a dog passed by, he would be slapped, let alone these two women?
This is the kind of person the old man bullied!
He looked at the truck driver smoking silently beside him and smiled hypocritically:
"We won't make it difficult for you. It's not easy for anyone these days. Sister, go to the store over there and buy a pack of cigarettes. I'll move this car away immediately."
He said again: "I'd better take a sip of Yuxi."
Hua Fengmei was so angry that she was so shameless and smoked Yuxi cigarettes. She was from a rural area and lived in the village. Rich people used Yuxi cigarettes, which cost 20 yuan a pack.
How much does it cost to hire a car for her to move?
Coming here and being stabbed for nothing, how could Hua Fengmei be willing to do so with her simple character?
Hua Fengmei made a serious face: "No more, let's move our things over here."
She was not from the city, and she was just a mother-in-law, so she would definitely not be able to fight against the old guys in the city. One more thing would be better than one less thing. Hua Fengmei didn't want to cause trouble, so she had to endure it by herself.
When the old man heard this, he looked ugly and said unceremoniously:
"Okay, you can move."
If the truck drives into the alley, it can save a hundred meters of moving. If it doesn't drive, then let them struggle to move it.
The old man really gave them a good look. He had a bald mouth and looked like he wanted to curse.
Aunt Gu was equally annoyed, but there was no need to argue with such a person. The other person was a local, so maybe it had something to do with it.
Just when they compromised, Jiang Ning next to them saw that the situation was unfair and took the initiative to step forward.
When Aunt Gu saw her, she even called her name.
Without saying a word, Jiang Ning stepped forward and stretched out her hand towards the small iron car.
When the old man saw this, he was furious, "How dare you touch my car!"
He shouted loudly and was about to curse when he saw Jiang Ning put one hand on his hands, lifted up the small iron cart casually, and threw it out of the alley.
He easily followed his hand and threw a pebble.
The old man's words were stuck in his throat and he refused to say them out. He knew very well how heavy the small iron cart he used to make sesame seed cakes was. Not to mention now, when he was young, he would never even think of mentioning it.
He looked at Jiang Ning blankly, and when he met the young man's calm eyes, he felt excited in his heart.
Old thugs are also afraid of young and vigorous young men, especially if the young man is sixteen or seventeen years old, and he showed his hand just now. If they really start a fight, they will not push him to the ground and beat him, but these kind of people are not serious about their attacks.
The old man is in his early sixties, and he still has ten or twenty years of good life. If he gets beaten somewhere, he will be happy in the future.
He said nothing, recognizing the situation.
"Aunt Hua, let the car drive in." Jiang Ning said with a normal expression, looking like she was doing it casually.
Xue Yuantong behind her looked at him with admiration. She was indeed the one she raised, Jiang Ning, he was reliable!
Hua Fengmei's expression was complicated, and she felt relieved in her heart. She couldn't do anything about it, so another man came over and solved it easily.
She shouted to the driver repeatedly: "Okay, okay, we can drive in."
The driver, who had been smoking silently, opened the door and drove the truck into the alley.
"It's a shame that you're here." Aunt Gu sighed.
If it were a rural woman in their village who had never gone to school, she could tear this old man's mouth to pieces.
But she and Fengmei are not that kind of people. They have finished junior high school and understand moral standards, but they don't have many skills.
The truck drove into the wide alley, but there was a narrow alley on the left. This alley was inaccessible, so I had to carry my luggage by myself.
Xue Chuchu was carrying luggage downstairs. The little girl was dragging a large sack with her white arms as she struggled down the stairs.
The usual cleanliness is gone, the shirt is stained with dust, the forehead is soaked, and the beautiful bangs are messy and sticky.
Xue Yuantong shouted: "Chu Chu, I'm here to help you!"
She stretched out her legs and helped Chu Chu move things.
"I'm sorry to trouble you." Hua Fengmei said apologetically, "When I finish moving, I'll treat you to a nice meal."
"No trouble." Aunt Gu helped.
As for Jiang Ning, she was responsible for transporting the luggage downstairs to the truck.
After all, after living there for a year, the Chu Chu family had a lot of miscellaneous things, including pots and pans, not a single one of which was left behind.
Jiang Ning often carries one in each hand to the car easily. He moves very quickly, and the luggage downstairs is not enough for him to carry.
Seeing that there was still room in the truck, Hua Fengmei sent Aunt Gu's battery car up. She sat in the open-air compartment and looked at the luggage, while Aunt Gu sat in the passenger seat.
The truck started and backed out of the alley.
There were only three boys and girls left in the place.
Xue Yuantong waved her little hands to fan the wind. She was so tired just now that it was difficult to breathe.
After resting for two minutes, she kept talking to Chu Chu about Jiang Ning's feats at the entrance of the alley, such as picking up a small iron cart with one hand, which shocked the old man and scared him so much that he shouted that he must not stay here.
In short, Fancy boasted about Jiang Ning, and finally patted her chest and said proudly: "You grew up eating my food."
Xue Chuchu lowered her head to look at Tongtong's small figure and said something that would affect friendship, but she didn't say it.
Xue Yuantong also complained: "Chu Chu, there are so many bad people. Last time I came to your place, I encountered someone fighting. Now that old man wants to blackmail someone again. Fortunately, Jiang Ning is here."
Hearing this, Xue Chuchu brushed her wet hair on her forehead, showing a sweet smile on her plain face:
"There are too many residents nearby. Many people moved to new communities when they got rich, leaving many older people behind. Moreover, the rent here is cheap and there are all kinds of tenants."
"Before, there were people skipping rope at home at night, and there were dogs and chickens that barked every day. Neighbors said that a few years ago, the outdoor unit of an air conditioner fell off in a house."
Xue Chuchu said that although she had not been happy staying here in the past year, she was often woken up at night and could not rest well.
But she still spoke softly, without any anger or complaints.
Xue Yuantong: "It's so chaotic!"
She raised her head and looked up from the narrow alley. Above her head were tangled wires, densely packed old windows, air-conditioning units outside the walls, and dirty white thick water pipes that ran up and down.
She heard the sound of flushing coming from the water pipes from time to time.
Xue Yuantong, who was accustomed to living in the countryside and accustomed to nature, suddenly felt that this place was like a cage, extremely depressing.
Xue Chuchu patted the dust on her clothes and found that it couldn't be dusted off, so she had to change her clothes.
"You must be tired, I'll treat you to some popsicles." She took Tongtong's little hand and walked out of the alley, "I know a shop that sells popsicles, come with me."
Two little girls, all dirty after moving, got together.
Passing by the alley, Xue Chuchu looked at the old man selling sesame cakes, then turned back to look at Jiang Ning. She unexpectedly discovered that Jiang Ning was spotless, as clean as ever.
Jiang Ning was given an old popsicle, and he bit off a piece. The sweetness and coldness were just right, which made him quite enjoy it.
It only costs 50 cents a stick, which is very affordable.
Xue Yuantong wanted to imitate him in biting a popsicle hard, but she was afraid of breaking her teeth. She had no deciduous teeth. If the teeth were gone, they would not grow back.
She secretly thought, how great would it be if Jiang Ning could bite it for her?
No, she was too shy. Just thinking about it made her blush.
Xue Chuchu stood on the side of the road, looking at the vehicles passing by: "Let's go home after eating the popsicles."
"Go back home to Heba!" Xue Yuantong said for her.
"Yeah." Xue Chuchu's brows were filled with unspeakable joy. She had a home in Yuzhou.
After finishing the popsicle, she said, "I'll go back to ride my bike."
Just now they went out to buy popsicles empty-handed, and Chu Chu's battery car was still parked under the building.
Xue Chuchu's journey back was particularly pleasant. She may not have to come to this place again in her life.
Last year, she came to the city from a rural area to study in high school. She was actually not used to it. However, this was her mother's request. For a better education and a better future, she couldn't refuse.
Thinking of Heba's new home, which is equipped with air conditioning, the girl's mood became even better.
God knows how hot it will be in summer if you live on the seventh floor.
In the distance, there was a noise, a roar, and a woman's scream coming from the alley.
Xue Chuchu's expression changed.
Xue Yuantong asked strangely: "Chu Chu, what's going on over there?"
"If I guessed correctly, there was a fight." Xue Chuchu stepped a little faster.
As soon as he saw the entrance of the alley, as expected, a man in his thirties kicked the woman down, then stepped forward, pulled her hair and kicked her.
The woman fell to the ground, her nose and face were bruised and swollen from the beating, and she was unable to fight back.
He kicked and grabbed the woman and pushed her to the side of the big smelly trash can. The scene looked extremely miserable.
Xue Yuantong was stunned, unable to move his steps, and chanted: "Jiang Ning Jiang Ning."
Xue Chuchu looked at the man with disgust in his eyes. He was a rotten man who smoked, drank, gambled, and was crazy. He beat his wife when he came home. He was worse than the worst man in the village before.
But Xue Chuchu didn't dissuade her because her mother had tried to dissuade her before, but it was completely useless.
At this time, many residents came out of the balconies and windows to watch the excitement.
Xue Yuantong didn't know what was going on. She stuck next to Jiang Ning and heard the woman scream. She couldn't bear to see her get beaten. She mustered up her courage and shouted:
"You'll beat her to death!"
After the words fell, Xue Chuchu secretly thought something was wrong.
The next second, the man who committed the crime suddenly turned around, stared at him coldly, and suddenly shouted sharply: "Get away!"
His face was extremely fierce and ferocious.
Xue Yuantong was startled and couldn't help but take half a step back.
Xue Chuchu held Tongtong's hand tightly.
Jiang Ning touched Xue Yuantong's soft hair. He took a step forward, stood tall and said with a smile:
