Youth is a colorful poem. In the romantic years of youth, I imagine a colorful future. When the wind blows the fleeting years that are broken like flowers, your smile sways and becomes the most beautiful embellishment in my life.
I was successfully promoted to the senior high school of our school. My parents rewarded me with a trip to Beijing. It was the first time I went back to such a faraway place. We visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and climbed the Great Wall. The capital Beijing left a good impression on me. The roads are wide and flat, the cultural atmosphere is rich, and the top universities in the country are also here. Many classmates yearn to study here.
The sixteen-year-old girl Zhao Qinqin has only one wish, to study hard and grow up quickly. When she grows up, she can go out of the county to see the outside world. Most importantly, when she grows up, she can go find Xu Nanfang, or wait for him to come and be with me.
The county's economy is developing well. A large piece of land has been newly opened up on the edge of the city. It is said that the government is attracting investment to build a large-scale industrial parts production plant. The original supply and marketing cooperative is facing bankruptcy due to poor management, and most of the shops have been contracted out. A new commercial street has been built in the city, and several large shopping malls have opened one after another.
My father's career is developing well, and the family's financial situation has improved greatly. We bought a commercial apartment with four bedrooms and two living rooms in a high-end community in the prime location of the county. We originally planned to move there in the summer, but my grandparents still like to live in the old house, so we had to put it aside for the time being. My mother's cosmetics are getting more and more high-end, and her clothes are getting more and more expensive. She goes to Chongqing or Chengdu every season to buy clothes. But she is not happy. I heard from my mother that my father lives a carefree life in Chongqing, drives a good car, and recently plans to buy a new big house there.
Grandpa's health was getting worse and worse. He was hospitalized before winter came. Grandma became thinner and thinner. Dad came back once a week to visit us. He was in a hurry and left in a hurry. He was the same old way when he called. He didn't talk much and rarely communicated with the family. He seemed to be a person in another world. The family started to hire a nanny. Mom no longer had to work as hard as before, but strangely, her anger did not subside. Every time she got angry with me for no reason, she turned around and walked away without saying a word. I often heard my mother sighing alone in the room. The mother who lived a calm and elegant life in my childhood was gone. I began to feel a little worried.
On the day of the beginning of winter, the temperature dropped sharply, and winter finally arrived. The hospital issued a critical illness notice to my grandfather, and the family was extremely busy. My father came back to visit again, and this time he stayed. Several aunts and cousins came.
Grandpa passed away in early December of that year, a quiet winter day without wind, rain or snow. At the last moment, his slightly frowned brows relaxed, and the old man passed away peacefully and calmly. Perhaps, he really found the way to paradise. Father chose a piece of land with good feng shui in the cemetery on the edge of the county town, and the funeral will be in January of the following year. Grandpa Xu, Aunt Yiqing, and Uncle Xu all came. The leaves of the sycamore trees in the yard fell off, and the biting cold rushed into the house, and sadness was everywhere.
After the funeral, Uncle Xu rushed back to Shanghai. Grandpa Xu and Aunt Yiqing stayed in the county town for three weeks. With the company, comfort and counseling, grandma's mood gradually improved. I thanked them from the bottom of my heart, because there are some things that we cannot do, and people of their generation can communicate more spiritually. In short, this is how I understood it at the time.
The happiest thing was receiving letters from Xu Nanfang and writing to him. I carefully put away these letters and treasured them in a heart-shaped iron box.
Nan Fang has grown up. He wrote to me that he is now 1.8 meters tall and his hormones are so strong that he has to shave every morning.
… .
I sent him a recent photo. In the photo, I was standing on a hillside covered with gardenias, with my arms outstretched, smiling at the sun. A sixteen-year-old girl in love has her own charm.
Nanfang wrote to me, "Qinqin, you seem to be filled with a light and ethereal aura. You have a rosy cheek with a smile and a graceful demeanor like an orchid. You can never find that among the female students of Beiyi Girls' High School." He also told me that he was about to enter the third year of high school and needed to work harder to get into a good university. His ideal goal was to study international business at National Taiwan University. Attached to the letter was a photo of Xu Nanfang wearing sunglasses and driving a white sports car. It was very cool. The car logo was BMW. He told me that it was the BMW sports car that his mother had recently bought. He still had short hair, oh, no, it should be called a crew cut. What a spirited young man.
I shared the photo with Jiaqi, who was full of envy and stuck out her tongue, "Is this your brother?"
My little vanity was satisfied. In this southern city, he said his heart belonged to me alone, and I was secretly proud of myself, as if I had found a treasure. Of course, sometimes I couldn't help but worry, did he really belong to me alone
During the summer vacation of my freshman year in high school, Nanfang came to visit relatives with Grandpa Xu again. This time, he stayed for only three days because he had to go to Shanghai for business. It was a short but pleasant three days! Nanfang was successfully admitted to National Taiwan University and started giving me gifts. This time it was a Sony Walkman, which was thin and light. It was said to be a popular style among students there. Boys from well-off families often bought it for their girlfriends. "You are my girlfriend too." Nanfang said, hugging my shoulders, showing his little tiger teeth. He also brought me a signed photo of Jeff Chang. At that time, our group of girls were most obsessed with Jeff Chang.
I snuggled happily in his arms, hugging his strong arms, and no longer felt shy.
The thick Walkman at home has since been discarded, and every night before going to bed I would snuggle in bed with headphones on and listen to Zhang's love songs.
Time never stops.
It became popular among students to weave red ribbons, which could be tied around the wrist to symbolize good luck and peace, and could also be given to loved ones to express love. I followed suit.
Every evening during self-study, the word "South" was the most frequently crossed out in my draft book, and the more I wrote it, the more beautiful it became.
My father and mother became more and more like strangers. The war finally broke out. They had a big fight and smashed a lot of things in the house. My grandmother couldn't persuade them. My mother, wearing a high-end dress and with her hair loose, pointed at my father and asked, "Zhao Xinyue, where is your conscience... You don't look like a father at all! I tell you, I won't give up until you solve this matter..."
My father had a woman outside. My worries became a reality, and a drizzle began to fall in my heart, damp and cold. During that period, my grades fluctuated greatly.
I started to call Nanfang. Of course, not often, we agreed to call each other every Saturday afternoon. Because at that time, my mother was usually not at home, she usually went out shopping and getting beauty treatments on Saturdays. The habit of correspondence has been retained.
During the summer between my sophomore year and junior year of high school, Grandpa Xu and Nan Fang came to visit me. This time they brought me a fashionable Casio women's watch.
I like the arrival of Grandpa Xu. He likes to come when the sycamore blossoms are in bloom, so that the south will come with him and bring me precious happy times; when he comes, there will always be more laughter at home, grandma will have old friends to reminisce about the past, and she will be in a better spirit, and the loneliness and sadness of the old lady who lost her partner will be swept away; when there are guests at home, my father will usually go home to visit once a week, and my mother will be much less angry and will be gentle to me temporarily.
Nanfang suggested climbing Luohan Slope. I told him that Luohan Slope is no longer what it used to be. The gardenias are gone, and a large area of bamboo forest has been cut down. I don't know what to do with it. He was a little disappointed, so I took him to the river. A small park has been built by the river, with stone tables and stone benches for people to relax and cool off. The lotus pond in the distance is still there, although only half of the area is left, and the other part has been cleared for fish farming. The yellow poplar trees by the pond are lush and leafy, like a big umbrella. We found a cool place to sit down at random. There are few people here. Cicadas are chirping happily in the trees, and the croaking of frogs can be heard from time to time.
"South, extend your left hand."
"Oh, what?"
I didn't answer him, but smiled mysteriously at him and took out a red bracelet that I had woven myself from the small cloth bag I carried with me.
"Oh, there's a gift? You want to give me a watch, too?"
I gently tied the red bracelet around his wrist.
Nan Fang smiled a little embarrassedly. I lowered my head and whispered, "Don't take it off in the future."
"Yes, definitely."
Just as I was about to look up, a soft kiss was imprinted on my forehead, wet. This kiss seemed to come unexpectedly, but it also felt like I had been looking forward to it for a long time. I stood up, and he stood up too. I mustered up the courage to kiss his cheek back, and then leaned in to smell his ears. I really liked the smell of his skin, a fresh masculine scent, with an indescribable meaning. Nan Fang hugged me tightly, and I watched his eyelashes tremble in the wind, and his heart trembled with it. He stared at me quietly, and slowly approached me again. I closed my eyes and felt him leaning down slightly, and his warm breath sprayed on my face... .
The melody of love stirred up two waves, splashing down on the four affectionate lips.
We sat down again. He sat behind me with his legs spread out, letting me sit in his arms and hugging me tightly. I felt something hard rising up and touching my body, like a swollen flower bud. Although I occasionally heard classmates talk about matters between men and women, I knew very little about it. My heart was pounding with nervousness, and I lowered my head in embarrassment. I could feel that Nan Fang was also a little nervous. He held my hand and didn't move. Our posture was a little stiff, and the flower bud became more and more swollen. I sat forward, away from his body. After a while, I tried to get up and called him again, "Nan Fang, get up."
He whispered "Yeah, OK" to me. He hesitated but still couldn't get up. His expression was a little weird and awkward. I felt strange and looked at him carefully. I found that his jeans were sticking up like a small tent. My face turned red, and I turned my back to him, but I couldn't help laughing softly.
"Qianqian, what are you laughing at?" He suddenly leaned close to my ear and said, which scared me.
"No, nothing." I didn't dare look at him.
"Don't be afraid, you just can't get down for the moment." He stood in front of me and gave me a wicked smile.
…
The evening sunset dyed the sky red, and we walked home hand in hand.
We were too intoxicated and lost ourselves in the joyful time. (To be continued)