Bai Luochuan got up very early. When Mi Yang woke up, he had already gone out for a run and came back.
Mi Yang was half asleep, and when he saw him yawning, he asked, "Why did you wake up so early? Didn't you sleep well?"
Bai Luochuan said, "I slept well, I just got up and moved around. The air outside is pretty good. I also bought some soy milk and fried dough sticks. Do you want to get up and eat some?"
Mi Yang nodded, went to wash up and went to have breakfast with him.
The Cheng family was particularly quiet this morning. The little ones were so excited last night catching cicadas and observing that they didn't sleep much. Now they were sleeping as sweetly as little pigs. Old Mrs. Cheng didn't call them. She just got up and cooked porridge. After a simple meal, she went to tend the vegetable garden.
Bai Luochuan put the fried dough sticks on a plate and brought them out. When he saw it, he asked, "Grandma, won't you eat with us?"
Mi Yang filled two bowls of porridge and sat there saying, "She has eaten. She has to check on the small vegetable garden in front every morning. It will probably take her a while to come back. We can just eat by ourselves."
He took a fried dough stick, split it into two pieces and gave Bai Luochuan half. After so many years of sharing, he was used to it, so he moved faster than he thought. When Master Bai took it, he didn't think anything was wrong. The two of them shared it. The fried dough stick was freshly fried, the skin was golden and crispy, the inside was soft, and it was very chewy. Mi Yang tore it up and soaked it in porridge. Old Mrs. Cheng cooked lean meat porridge, sprinkled some pepper and chopped green onions, a hot and salty bowl, the taste was so delicious.
After eating a small bowl of it, you will wake up and feel energetic.
Bai Luochuan also ate a bowl and sat there talking to him: "If there's nothing to do in a few days, I'll take you to the mountains."
Mi Yang asked: "Why do you suddenly want to go into the mountains?"
Bai Luochuan said, "Don't you want to go fishing? I've already asked. There's a stream in the mountains with clear water, and people usually go there to fish. It's said there's a fairly flat path, so take Yuntu for a run. He's been bored at home these past two days, so it's a good time to go out for a walk."
Mi Yang nodded and said, "Okay, let's see the weather, if it's good, we'll go."
Summer is the rainy season. Although it is not rainy here, the weather in the north is like the temper of the locals. It comes and goes quickly. There will be strong winds and heavy rain for a while, catching people off guard.
Bai Luochuan said: "Well, it was reported to rain yesterday, but it didn't rain."
The two of them ate and chatted in low voices. Bai Luochuan didn't stay here for long, and the driver came to pick him up soon.
Mi Yang walked him to the gate of the courtyard, called him back, went back and took out a small pomegranate and a small bag of winter dates and gave them to him, saying, "I always forgot to bring them to you before. Here, there are these two good ones on the pomegranate tree over at Grandpa's place. I picked them last time and saved them for you."
Bai Luochuan put the little pomegranate into his pocket and asked, "Where's the other one?"
Mi Yang thought this was too familiar, and smiled and said, "Why are you asking this? I gave that to Xiaoxue, and she's always thinking about the one in your hand. Take it away quickly, I can't keep it for another two days."
Bai Luochuan said: "She doesn't dare."
Master Bai felt justified in bullying the child. He took his things and left, leaving a paper bag for Mi Yang, which contained a copybook of calligraphy.
Mi Yang got up, had breakfast, and looked through the calligraphy for a while. Then Mi Xue and the others woke up, followed by his little cousin. At the age of eight, he wore framed glasses and looked silly. From time to time, he used his hand to gently hold up the glasses that were about to slide down his nose. When he saw Mi Yang, he called out "Cousin".
Michelle came close to her brother and acted coquettishly with him, so Mi Yang played with the little girl for a while. Michelle hugged him and asked, "Brother, are you going out today?"
Mi Yang nodded and said, "Yes."
Michelle ran to the room and fetched him an umbrella, and warned him earnestly: "Grandma said it's going to rain today. Dragonflies flew very low last night, and snails crawled out of the vegetable garden. Brother, take the umbrella. You'll get sick if you get caught in the rain."
Mi Yang touched her little head and said with a smile: "Okay."
Mi Yang looked at the calligraphy for a while and then went to find Wang Bing.
Wang Bing didn't expect him to come so early. He was holding an English textbook and reading aloud. He was a little embarrassed when Mi Yang saw him. He blushed and said, "I, I'm just taking a look."
Mi Yang said: "It's a good read."
Wang Bing breathed a sigh of relief.
Mi Yang added: "The pronunciation is quite similar to Jiang Yuan's. You have learned it well."
Wang Bing's face turned red because of him. He put down the book and said, "Hey, can you talk about something else?"
Mi Yang nodded and asked him, "Have you told Zhao Haisheng and the others?"
Wang Bing said, "It's agreed. You wait for me for a while. I'll take the things with you to find the two brothers."
Mi Yang was waiting on the side while Wang Bing took out a school uniform, folded it and put it in the bag. The uniform looked like it had been worn before and was a little old, but it was washed very clean and had no damage.
Mi Yang asked from the side: "Why do you bring your school uniform?"
As Wang Bing packed up, he said, "Give it to Haisheng's cousin, the one named Fu Qisheng. You don't know, his family is quite pitiful, his father has been sick all the time, lying in bed like a medicine jar, and he and his mother are the ones who support them. He has been standing on tiptoe to cook for his father since he was four years old, and when he was a little older, he went to pick up bottles and newspapers. Once I saw him with a rope on his wrist, tied with a magnet that he picked up from somewhere, and he would attract the magnets as he walked, but he could only pick up a few pieces of iron in a day... Don't look at him as a silent person, he is actually a very good person, very filial, he won't say a word no matter what you say to him, but if you say a word about his mother, he will definitely fight you to the death."
Mi Yang listened carefully and asked, "Didn't their family live in the town before? I heard they moved here?"
Wang Bing stuffed a few of his unfinished exercise books in there and said, "Yes, they used to live in the nearby town. His father died last winter, so Qisheng and his mother moved in with his mother's family. I think his father's death gave them a chance to survive. Qisheng is stronger now, but he was so skinny before."
He packed his things, picked up the bag and said to Mi Yang, "Okay, let's go over there."
Mi Yang looked at his bag of clothes and thought for a while, then said, "I also have a few old school uniforms..."
Wang Bing was happy and said, "Come on, Master, that's the school uniform of Shanghai, which is different from ours. Besides, Qisheng has transferred to our school, and these clothes I gave him are just right for him to wear. I appreciate your kindness on behalf of Qisheng, so don't worry about it."
Mi Yang nodded and didn't force it.
When Wang Bing brought him to Zhao Haisheng's house, the two cousins were busy doing their summer homework.
The Zhao family was of average condition and did not have many rooms. After Fu Qisheng came, he placed a small bed in his cousin Zhao Haisheng's bedroom, and a small desk between the two brothers' beds. They squeezed together and seemed to have a very good relationship. Zhao Haisheng also took special care of his cousin. Fu Qisheng also had a copy of the stationery that Zhao Haisheng used on the desk. Fu Qisheng placed them neatly, and it was obvious that he took great care of them.
Zhao Haisheng was writing math problems with a gloomy face, biting the tip of his pen until it was almost bald. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Wang Bing come in, and said, "Great, great, you do it. I really can't do math. Let's switch. I'll do English, right?"
Wang Bing said, "That won't work. I've already made an appointment with Jiang Yuanyuan. I even called her yesterday to ask about her reading comprehension. I won't change it. You can continue to work on it yourself." He put the bag of clothes on the bed and said, "Qisheng, this is the school uniform that was too small for me last year. My mother has already washed it. Don't mind. Just wear it."
Fu Qisheng was a little reserved, and he moved his lips but didn't know what to say. Zhao Haisheng said casually, "Okay, leave it there. My suit is too big for Qisheng, and yours is just right."
Mi Yang took a quick glance and knew that this was the same as the traditional custom in the past, where one person wrote one homework and then gathered together to copy it. He used to be in charge of Chinese and also had to help edit the contents of dozens of weekly diaries. Just going up the mountain to fish required him to write seven or eight times in different ways.
Wang Bing asked him: "Mi Yang, don't you do your summer homework?"
Mi Yang said: "I am a graduate, so I have a little bit, but not much, I have finished writing it."
Wang Bing then remembered that the student next to him was a good student who had skipped a grade. He had already graduated from junior high school and went back to high school. He had longer holidays than them, and he didn't take the homework seriously at all. He could probably finish it in minutes, and his speed in answering the questions was much faster than theirs.
Mi Yang was still waiting by the side, and Wang Bing glanced at Zhao Haisheng. Zhao Haisheng understood and closed the book and said, "Let's go and talk outside. I have a headache writing this."
Zhao Haisheng called his cousin, and the four of them went outside together. They didn't dare stay home for fear that their family members would hear them. They deliberately walked a little further away and sat under a big tree at the corner of the street. There happened to be a few stone benches there, so they sat there and talked for a while.
Mi Yang looked at Fu Qisheng and asked, "What's going on between you and Bai Luochuan?"
Fu Qisheng was silent, his eyes were dark and stern, he stared at the ground for a long while before saying, "I didn't steal anything."
Mi Yang asked: "Then why did he wrongly accuse you?"
This statement was a bit subjective. Wang Bing frowned, gently pushed Mi Yang and said, "Hey, don't always stand on the side of the surname Bai. What do you mean by 'why did he wrongly accuse you'? I also want to ask why he hit people!"
Zhao Haisheng stepped in and said something fair: "They are familiar with each other, it's normal! Aren't we also helping Qi and Qisheng?"
Wang Bing pursed his lips and said nothing.
Fu Qisheng sat there without saying a word, as silent as a stone, and seemed to have no response no matter what others asked him.
Mi Yang was also helpless. Young Master Bai didn't say anything and this guy also kept silent. They just fought without knowing why. Both parties felt that they were not wrong, but neither of them was willing to come forward to explain.
After asking for a long time without getting anything useful, Mi Yang had no choice but to give up and got up to go back.
Zhao Haisheng also took his cousin back. Wang Bing stood up and whispered, "Qisheng is very honest. He doesn't say a word when someone hits him in the face. He only attacks when someone provokes him. I think it must be your young master who provoked him first."
Mi Yang shook his head and said, "Bai Luochuan is not that kind of person."
Wang Bing was still mumbling, and after walking two steps, he saw that Mi Yang hadn't caught up, so he turned around and asked, "Hey, what are you looking at? Let's go?"
Mi Yang was still looking at the direction Fu Qisheng left. He was still a little confused. He really had no impression of this person.
Wang Bing said dissatisfiedly: "I think you just think Qi Sheng lied, and your heart is set on the Bai family's old house!"
Mi Yang said: "It's not biased to that extent."
Wang Bing said angrily: "Sure enough, he is biased! Listen, he has admitted it himself!"
Mi Yang laughed and ignored him.
Wang Bing just grumbled a few words, and in the afternoon, he brought his friends to find Mi Yang again and asked him, "Hey, do you want to go fishing in the mountains? Qisheng's former schoolmates are coming, and we have agreed to go over there first to scout the way, and then take them out to play when they come."
Mi Yang looked at the sky. It was only a little after two o'clock and there were already some cumulus clouds. The sky was getting darker. He said, "It looks like it's going to rain. You guys shouldn't go. The road on the mountain is slippery and unsafe."
Wang Bing and his friends laughed and said, "It's okay. You haven't been here long enough, so you don't know that it won't rain today. Apart from anything else, we have more experience than you in playing in the mountains!"
Old Mrs. Cheng heard the noise and came over to take a look. Seeing the children riding bicycles and carrying fishing rods and other things, she said, "Hey, you want to go fishing in the mountains? Not today because it's going to rain. You guys should go home too. Be careful not to catch a cold if you get caught in the rain..."
Wang Bing was most afraid of the old lady's nagging. His family usually nagged him harshly enough, so he immediately turned the car around and said, "Hey, Grandma Cheng, let's go home now!"
Mrs. Cheng said with satisfaction: "Right, go home and avoid the rain, and take care of yourself!"
Wang Bing and his companions rode their bicycles in a hurry, shouting "Let's go home to avoid the rain" and running faster. It seemed that they were heading towards the intersection, but it was hard to say whether they could cross the road and go into the mountains.
Old Madam Cheng patted Mi Yang on the shoulder and said, "Yangyang, let's not go. Let your uncle take you to the mountains in a few days. You are different from those naughty boys. You have been raised in the city without being exposed to the wind. You will definitely get sick if you are exposed to the rain. You are not wearing enough today. Go and put on more clothes. Don't catch a cold."
Mi Yang helped the old man into the room and said, "Well, no, I'll go play chess with you."
Michelle and her friends found a set of checkers and have been having a great time playing with them these past few days. The little girls love cleanliness and tidiness, and they wiped the checkers beads one by one until they looked like transparent candy balls. They sorted them by color every day and put them away, and now they can take them out and play.
While Mi Yang was playing a game of chess with Old Lady Cheng, the weather outside the window changed. Dark clouds rolled in and the sky suddenly became dark. Old Lady Cheng's eyesight was not good, so Mi Yang went to turn on the lights in the living room. The old lady was still wearing reading glasses and continued to play the game of chess very seriously. She was about to win!
Mi Yang had a few chess pieces from his own family in his pocket. While helping the old lady silently, he looked outside and was a little worried about Wang Bing and the others.
Fortunately, it was just a big storm. The cloudy sky turned sunny again after a while, and the sun was even bigger. The people who were sunbathing by the window also became hot. Mi Yang took off his coat, squinted his eyes and looked outside, and whispered, "I'm lucky."
When Old Lady Cheng heard this, she thought he was talking about the game she had just won, so she immediately retorted, "What good luck? Grandma was really good at chess back then. When your grandpa was still alive, he always lost to me!"
Mi Yang smiled and said, "Yes, you are the best. Shall we have another round?"
Mrs. Cheng was satisfied and said, "Okay then, don't cry if you lose. Xiaoxue even cried yesterday!"
Mi Yang was surprised and asked: "She's still crying?"
Old Mrs. Cheng laughed and said, "That's right. She cried and didn't allow us to tell you. This pride is not like your mother when she was a child. Your mother was determined to win back without shedding a single tear. I think she is more like your Mi family!"
Mi Yang rubbed the tip of his nose and smiled with a dimple on one side.
The weather outside was not very good for several days, so Wang Bing and his team went to explore the way several times. Although they did not encounter heavy rain, they were still a little late when they returned home one time. In their hurry, their hair was wet and raindrops fell on their clothes. When they got home, they were scolded by the adults and were not allowed to go out again.
Wang Bing was also very depressed. Every time they went there, it didn't rain, but the weather kept changing and it always looked like it was going to rain heavily. Fu Qisheng's classmates also kept postponing the time, and he got annoyed after a few times.
But seeing Fu Qisheng's taciturn look, he gritted his teeth and said, "Qisheng, don't worry, I will definitely help you to regain your face later! We are going to be rated as a tourist attraction soon, everything is better than the town you lived in before, don't worry, your classmates will definitely envy you when they come here!"
Zhao Haisheng smiled and said, "My brother, I, I'll take care of it, don't worry about it."
Although he said that, the weather was not good and it started to rain again.
It rained heavily for several days in a row. The raindrops hit the ground with crackling sounds, leaving dents one after another. After walking a short distance with an umbrella, the ribs of the umbrella felt heavy. Pedestrians on the road did not stay for long, but gathered their clothes and hurried home to avoid the rain.
The children in Old Lady Cheng's house couldn't go out either. They were stuck at home for several days, lying by the window and staring out. Mi Xue was timid and didn't dare to go near the window. She hid in Mi Yang's arms, covered her ears, secretly looked outside, and whispered, "Brother, I'm scared."
Mi Yang hugged her, covered her ears and said, "Don't be afraid, brother is here."
The little girl became a little braver and tilted her head to look. A flash of lightning flashed across the semi-dark sky, and she was so scared that she shrank back into Mi Yang's arms.
Mi Yang bent down and kissed the top of her head, saying, "It's okay, it's okay, it will be fine once the rain stops."
The little girl timidly whispered, "When will it stop?"
Mi Yang glanced outside, still unsure, and said hesitantly, "It will be soon."
Generally, there are always a few heavy rains in the summer. People in Shanhai Town have gotten used to it. The adults will discuss it when they are idle at home. Just like this heavy rain, after several days in a row, the clouds finally cleared and the sun came out.
The sun was hanging in the sky again, and the rain had not yet completely dried up, but the small puddles on the road were all hot from the sun, and it was as if summer had returned.
Bai Luochuan called and said to Mi Yang: "I won't be there for the next two days. I have invited a master to re-shoe Wule. He was too disobedient. The last master couldn't do it well..."
As he said this, he heard Mr. Bai's unconvinced voice: "It's only three years old, so young, it needs to be coaxed!"
Bai Luochuan did not avoid Mi Yang and argued with Bai Lao for a few words, saying, "The iron shoes it used last time have been worn out. You have always spoiled it. Other ponies can get shoes at 9 months old, why is it so difficult for it? Besides, the cuticle of its hoof is so thick, it doesn't hurt at all, it's just like putting on a pair of shoes, how hard can it be!"
Mr. Bai said, "It's not hard to put on shoes? It was hard to put on shoes when you were a kid. You even threw your shoes outside the train. Have you forgotten?"
Bai Luochuan: "…Why do you keep mentioning me?"
Mi Yang could hear how lively the conversation was over there even through the phone, and he was so happy that he said to him, "You stay with Wu Le first, I'll go see him in two days."
Bai Luochuan heard someone going up the stairs, and it seemed like everything around him was much quieter once he got into the room. Young Master Bai snorted, "You're just here to take a look?"
Mi Yang said: "Let's go see Grandpa Bai too."
Bai Luochuan asked: "What about me? You don't want to look at me anymore?"
Mi Yang smiled: "It depends on you too."
Bai Luochuan also laughed and said, "Then I'll wait for you."