On the way home, Xue Yuantong leaned against the back seat of the mountain bike and asked about Chuchu.
She and Chuchu have a very good relationship. They grew up in the same village and often wandered around the mountains and fields together, playing with glass balls, catching butterflies, picking up scraps to sell for snacks, and going to and from school together, forming a deep friendship.
But later, when Xue Yuantong moved to Yuzhou City with his mother and entered junior high school, they had to separate.
But the friendship with Xue Chuchu did not fade much because of the distance.
Now Xue Chuchu came to the city to study in high school, and in the huge Yuzhou city, Xue Yuantong only had her as a real friend.
Although she was silly, she was not stupid. She was worried that Jiang Ning would dislike Chu Chu. If that happened, she didn't know what to do.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning wondered why she asked such a question.
Xue Chuchu looks cold on the outside, but she is actually gentle, well-educated and sensible. I believe that few people would dislike this kind of girl.
"How could that be? If you want her to come over, just call her. It's just a matter of adding a pair of bowls." He said in a normal tone.
"Hmm." Xue Yuantong felt relieved after hearing this.
Jiang Ning seldom lied to her, and saying this now showed that he didn't hate Chu Chu.
Thinking of this, she smiled and took advantage of the cool breeze of the summer night to speak:
"Jiang Ning, you know, the last time I chatted with Chuchu, I found out that the only girls in our village who are still in high school are me and Chuchu."
"Where are the others?" Jiang Ning slowly stepped on the pedal to make the wheels roll slower.
Xue Yuantong sighed: "They all dropped out of school. I heard from Chuchu and my mother that they went out to work in factories."
Farming in rural areas is not cost-effective now. Even if the family has a few acres of land, they can only earn a few thousand yuan a year. If they want to improve their living conditions, they can only go out to work.
In their village, working outside is the general trend.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and said, "It's similar in our village. There are only two or three boys of the same age."
The educational conditions in rural areas are much worse than those in cities. Many people go to school just to have fun, playing video games in arcades, surfing the Internet, and competing with teachers every day.
At this time, many students see people around them working, especially their peers who come back every year with fashionable clothes, excellent conversation and knowledge, and some spare money to spend and buy new mobile phones. After seeing this, they naturally have the idea of working.
Students who can complete a full high school education are extremely rare.
The situation is more serious for girls. Although Jiang Ning is only in the first year of high school, the girls in Murakami are already married and have children.
He remembered that by the time he was in his third year of high school, some of them had already remarried.
"Then, Jiang Ning, do you think it's better to go to school or to work?" Xue Yuantong asked him.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to school."
Although the final result of going to school may not be better than going out to work at the beginning, the process is undoubtedly much happier.
"Yeah, I thought so too." Xue Yuantong snuggled up to him again, not complaining about the heat in the hot summer.
Jiang Ning turned the handlebars and turned from the river dam into the fields below. The mountain bike suddenly accelerated due to the force of gravity, and with this force, the mountain bike rushed forward a long way.
He pedaled twice more and arrived home.
"Mom! Mom! I'm on vacation!" Xue Yuantong shouted in a crisp voice. Without waiting for Jiang Ning's car to stop, she jumped excitedly and threw herself down from the back seat.
Aunt Gu was enjoying the cool breeze at the door. When she saw her daughter's appearance, she smiled and then reminded her, "Be careful, don't fall."
Xue Yuantong immediately said proudly: "How is that possible? Such a short bicycle can't be a problem for me at all."
She blew a few words and then said, "Mom, I will take you on a horse ride and let you watch me fly down from the horse."
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Aunt Gu thought that there seemed to be a small horse farm on the other side of the river dam. Her family had no money before, and horse riding was very expensive, so she was reluctant to take her daughter to play.
Now that I have a good job and earn several thousand dollars a month, I have recovered and it's time to let my daughter have some fun.
Aunt Gu had some feelings but didn't say it out loud. She planned to ask again and then ask her daughter and Jiang Ning to go and play.
"Mom, what are you going to eat tonight?" Xue Yuantong asked.
"I just came back after eating at the company." Aunt Gu is one of the chefs at Changqingye Company. She usually has three meals a day, most of which are eaten at the company.
The kitchen at home is almost taken over by my daughter.
"I've eaten too. Jiang Ning and I had cold noodles and roujiamo, and drank watermelon juice." Xue Yuantong explained.
Aunt Gu asked with concern: "Are you full?"
Xue Yuantong touched his belly and said, "I'm full."
"Are you really full, or just pretending to be full?" Aunt Gu confirmed again.
"Mom, I'm really full!" Xue Yuantong felt that her mother was questioning her.
It's no wonder Aunt Gu questioned it, because her daughter was actually more capable. She remembered that Chuchu's parents had invited her family to a restaurant before.
Every time she told Chuchu's mother not to add more food because Tongtong was full, her daughter would always slap her in the face with her strength.
"Boss Shao came to the kitchen today and asked us to bring some food. I took a box of fried snails. You and Jiang Ning can eat it in the evening." Aunt Gu said.
Xue Yuantong was surprised and said, "Mom, your boss is so nice. Those delicious cakes you brought home last time were also given to you by your boss, right?"
Aunt Gu smiled and said, "Of course, your mother is a veteran employee."
She was recruited when the Evergreen Liquid was still small. Fortunately, she did not suspect that the person was a liar at that time, otherwise she would not have received the treatment she has now.
Since she joined the company early, Boss Shao is quite familiar with her, so the people in the kitchen department think that she and the boss are relatives, so Aunt Gu is now very comfortable in the company.
Although Aunt Gu emphasized it again and again, no one in the company believed her, so she stopped explaining.
Xue Yuantong talked to his mother and ran to Jiang Ning's room to play with him.
Aunt Gu looked at her daughter's running back. Her weather-beaten face became younger and revealed a gentle smile.
Aunt Gu sat down at the door, then stood up and walked east. After a few steps, she arrived in front of a bungalow. The lights were on in the house.
Aunt Gu called out, "Aunt Pan."
Soon, a fat middle-aged woman came out of the house. She looked older than Aunt Gu and brought a little boy of four or five years old with her.
Aunt Pan moved a stool for her and started talking in front of the door.
After chatting for a while, Aunt Gu explained her purpose: "Aunt Pan, I heard from Uncle Tang that your family is planning to sell the house?"
Aunt Pan: "Yes, my eldest daughter is in college, and my family has opened a shop outside. We only see each other a few times a year. This is not a solution. I am thinking of selling the house and taking the children to buy a house in another place."
Aunt Gu listened to her quietly and asked, "Have you found a good person to sell the house now?"
We are all neighbors. Aunt Pan said frankly: "It's not easy to sell. It's too far from the city."
"How much do you plan to sell it for?" asked Aunt Gu.
At this point, Aunt Pan reacted and looked at Aunt Gu: "Xiao Gu, are you planning to sell the house too?"
Aunt Gu didn't hide anything. She got straight to the point: "There's a person in our village who plans to settle down in Yuzhou. I heard you're selling a house and want to see if I can buy it."
"Why do you want to buy my house? Don't you have an empty house? Isn't it rented out now? It would be more convenient to sell it directly to someone in your village!" Aunt Pan said. This would save trouble.
Aunt Gu smiled: "It's for Jiang Ning to live in."
Aunt Pan thought about it and it made sense: "Your daughter and Jiang Ning are a perfect match."
She spoke with envy. Jiang Ning was a tall and thin boy, very friendly and had good grades. He would definitely do well in the future. He would be a perfect match for Tongtong.
"Aunt Pan, if you really plan to sell it, I will call people from my village over in a few days and you can negotiate the price." Aunt Gu said.
Aunt Pan was pleased: "That's great!"
Her house is on the outskirts of the city. It used to be a rural area. It has been there for some years. Now people buy houses in the city.
As for demolition, who would demolish this place in the middle of nowhere? None of the residents in this row thought of demolition.
After Aunt Gu finished the talk, she chatted a little more and then returned home.
She planned to tell Chuchu's mother about this.
If Chuchu's family bought this house, even if Tongtong and Chuchu went to college in another place in the future, she could live with Chuchu's mother and have company, and would not feel lonely.
…
When Jiang Ning was playing the game, he turned his head and looked at it. He immediately frowned:
"What are you doing?"
Xue Yuantong was seen "walking" in the room, or to be exact, she was walking sideways.
Xue Yuantong pursed his lips and snorted, "I am a crab now."
Having said that, she spread her legs, raised her hands, and walked around without restraint.
Jiang Ning was speechless and continued playing games, not bothering to pay attention to her.
After a while, he used his spiritual sense to observe Xue Yuantong. She was still playing, and her movements had improved greatly compared to before, becoming more recognizable as a crab.
"Even if we eat crabs tomorrow, you won't be like this, right?"
Xue Yuantong: "You don't understand me."
Jiang Ning really didn't understand her inner world.
After finishing a game, Xue Yuantong touched him and said, "Jiang Ning, it's so cool outside, and there's wind. Let's go out to enjoy the cool air. My mom brought some snails."
After listening to this, Jiang Ning put the computer into standby mode.
During this time, Xue Yuantong walked out of the door sideways, moving quite quickly.
She was very brave and managed to withstand Aunt Gu's stern gaze.
She took snails and two bottles of ice cola from the refrigerator and moved outside.
Just after sitting down and before opening the Coke, Xue Yuantong said, "Jiang Ning, when you were a kid, did you ever sleep outside on summer nights?"
"Yes, my family has two old wooden beds. In the summer, we move them outside and set up a mosquito net to sleep. We don't need a fan." Jiang Ning recalled his childhood.
Xue Yuantong agreed: "It's the same as my home. I used to like being outside the most."
Jiang Ning nodded: "Later, I heard that there were people stealing children, and my family didn't want to do that anymore."
Xue Yuantong was frightened: "Is it true?"
Aunt Gu beside her nodded: "It's true."
In that era, things were quite chaotic. There were countless thieves, including dog stealing. It was not as safe as it is now.
Xue Yuantong: "Mom, aren't you afraid that I'll be taken away?"
Only now did she realize how dangerous it was to sleep outside.
Aunt Gu: "It won't be a problem as long as mom is here."
…
Xue Yuantong sat at the door for a while, and suddenly suggested going to the rooftop to enjoy the cool air and eat.
Jiang Ning thought it was a good idea. He took out the ladder, brought Coke and snails, a small stool and a small wooden table, and climbed onto the roof first.
Xue Yuantong walked sideways to the bottom of the ladder, and Jiang Ning looked down and said:
"You can come up sideways?"
Xue Yuantong was very angry and liked to laugh at her every day!
If he hadn't brought the ice cola and snails up there, Xue Yuantong would definitely not have spoiled him.
What to do!
She had no choice but to admit that she had no ability, so she adjusted her posture, climbed up tremblingly, and asked Jiang Ning to help her.
After climbing onto the roof, the view became wider and the surrounding environment was in full view. The open fields in the distance seemed to be asleep.
The bright moon overhead and the twinkling stars seem to have given the summer a layer of silver glow.
The evening breeze is gentle, making people feel relaxed and happy.
She sat on a small stool with a small table in the middle.
Xue Yuantong first drank a sip of ice cola, which refreshed him all over, and then picked up a spicy snail. This kind of snail was much longer than ordinary snails.
Xue Yuantong had never eaten it before, and foolishly tried to pierce the meat in the shell with a wooden stick, but nothing came out.
Jiang Ning took one, pointed at the snail and said to her: "This snail is best sucked."
He demonstrated it to Xue Yuantong.
Xue Yuantong had an extremely high talent for eating, and he mastered the skills after just watching it once.
The hygiene standards in the kitchen of Changqingye Company are extremely high. The snails are handled very cleanly and taste delicious after being stir-fried.
Xue Yuantong was enjoying it very much, and her sucking sounds could be heard in Jiang Ning's ears.
On a summer night, drinking ice cola and eating snails is quite a pleasure.
The only drawback is probably that there are a lot of mosquitoes
However, Jiang Ning activated his body-refining technique, spreading out a tiny electric current, and any mosquitoes that came around were easily electrocuted to death by the current.
From an angle that Xue Yuantong didn't notice, mosquitoes fell from the dark night sky.
…
After eating the snails, Xue Yuantong went downstairs to take a shower, changed into a loose and soft cartoon T-shirt and shorts, and ran to Jiang Ning's room to play games.
She always felt that Jiang Ning's room was particularly comfortable, fresh and cool. She crossed her legs on the chair and held the mouse.
Friday night is usually Xue Yuantong's happiest time. She doesn't have to go to class the whole day tomorrow, so she can play games to her heart's content.
While playing games, I still have time to chat with Xue Chuchu on QQ.
Jiang Ning was leaning on the sofa playing with his mobile phone, chatting animatedly in the class group.
Dong Qingfeng showed his test paper: "Sorry, I've finished the test paper sent by Gao Heshuai. Who else?"
Lu Qiqi: "Dong Qingfeng, can you give me some advice?"
Dong Qingfeng didn't reply immediately. Lu Qiqi already had a boyfriend, so her priority in his eyes needed to be lowered.
It was not until Jiang Yanan spoke that Dong Qingfeng said, "Since so many people want to see it, I'll send it to you privately."
Cui Yu saw that his beloved woman had copied another boy's test paper. He was sarcastic:
"Incredible, really incredible!"
Duan Shi had just joined the group. He pretended to be surprised: "What? I still have to do homework on the weekend?"
Wang Longlong said: "Other teachers can choose not to do it, but we can't afford to offend Gao Heshuai!"
Duan Shigang: "Le, am I afraid of him?"
Shan Kaiquan: "Brother Gang, you are my warrior."
Cui Yu: "Brother Gang, you are my immortal faith."
Wang Longlong: "Even if I'm dead and nailed in a coffin, I'll still shout in this grave with my decayed voice that Brother Gang is awesome."
Duan Shigang felt so flattered by a bunch of people that he became even more determined not to do his homework.
The night gradually deepened, it was eleven o'clock.
Aunt Gu went to Jiang Ning's room to look for her daughter, and saw that her daughter had occupied someone else's chair.
Aunt Gu looked at the snacks on the table: "Tongtong, have you brushed your teeth?"
Ever since she caught her daughter not brushing her teeth that night, she began to remind her daughter to brush her teeth.
"Swiped it." Xue Yuantong didn't even turn his head.
"Nonsense, the toothpaste I squeezed for you is still here!" Aunt Gu frowned and scolded.
Xue Yuantong heard this and said sullenly:
"Okay, okay, I'll brush my teeth now."
She walked to her bathroom in her slippers, only to find that her mother hadn't squeezed any toothpaste for her.