Hutou's college entrance exam was finally over. After three years of hard work, he had finally brought his high school life to a satisfying conclusion. Unlike the children who were just playing around during summer vacation, he had gone through the process of estimating his scores, checking his results, and applying to colleges. Fortunately, all the hard work over the past three years, including the late-night studying and the relentless effort, had paid off.
Hutou was successfully admitted to the Film Academy's Photography Department.
The people Hutou was most grateful to, besides the teachers who had never given up on any of them, was Old Man Lan Sihai. If it weren't for Old Man Lan's guidance, which led Hutou to switch to the arts track, he would never have made it.
But it was precisely because he switched to the arts track that he was admitted to the Photography Department, and he became the first college student in their neighborhood.
As a local student, Hutou received his admission letter early, and everyone in the family took turns looking at it. Tuantuan and Yuanyuan stared at the admission letter and murmured, "So this is what an admission letter looks like."
Hutou proudly replied, "Of course."
He was beaming with pride, saying, "From now on, I'm a college student."
He was so proud that he felt like he was floating. In their neighborhood, he was the first recent high school graduate to get into college.
Hutou was both proud and delighted. His father, Zhuang Zhiyuan, carefully examined the admission letter several times and started crying. He had never made it to college himself, but his son had finally achieved it. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older, and the waves of the Yangtze River push forward. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he ran out of words.
He cried tears of joy, and Liang Meifen was no different. Back in the day, both of them had failed the college entrance exam, but now, looking at their son, they felt he was simply amazing. Liang Meifen had almost given up hope, even though she had always wished for her son to go to college. Over the years, his academic performance had been less than stellar, and she couldn't convince herself otherwise. But who would have thought that things would take such a positive turn?
She muttered, "Our ancestors must be watching over us. This is truly a blessing from our ancestors. I always said the Little Thunder Temple in the south of the city was effective. It really is! I must go and pay my respects again."
Zhuang Zhiyuan scolded her, "Don't talk nonsense."
Superstitious beliefs were not to be encouraged.
It was all thanks to their son's hard work.
He patted Hutou on the shoulder vigorously and said, "Well done, kid! You're truly my son!"
Hutou almost stumbled from the force of the pat.
Zhuang Zhixi came to Hutou's rescue, saving him from being slapped down by his father, and said, "Big brother, why don't you go outside and set off some firecrackers?"
Zhuang Zhiyuan replied, "Right, right, I'll go do that."
He quickly went outside, and the firecrackers crackled loudly. Everyone in the courtyard gathered around, sharing in the joy.
Aunt Zhou pushed her grandson Qijin forward and said, "Qijin, go touch Hutou's butt for good luck. Then maybe you'll get into college too."
Qijin, confused, asked, "Why the butt?"
Aunt Zhou replied, "Because it's a sure thing!"
Qijin felt a bit awkward but hesitantly made his way over to Hutou. Hutou generously said, "Go ahead, touch it!"
Qijin thought, "I don't really want to, but it sounds like it might bring good luck."
He hesitated, and Yuanyuan quickly said, "Let's hold hands instead, brother! We can hold hands!"
Qijin immediately felt relieved and asked, "Is holding hands okay too?"
Yuanyuan nodded seriously, "Of course! Holding hands passes on good luck!"
Qijin's eyes lit up, and he thought that made perfect sense.
He quickly stepped forward, saying, "I want to hold hands too."
"Me too!"
Several children rushed forward to hold Hutou's hands. These kids had been running wild all summer, and none of them were particularly clean. After holding hands with them, Hutou looked at his own hands—they were filthy!
He twitched his lips and asked, "What have you all been doing?"
Yuanyuan innocently replied, "Nothing much."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw her grandfather and father starting to hand out candy. Yuanyuan immediately dashed over, shouting, "Candy!"
Li Zhenzhen, Bai Qingqing, and the other little girls rushed forward as well.
Zhuang Zhixi said, "There's enough for everyone!"
After seeing the admission score line, the family had known Hutou was likely to get in. Zhao Guihua had already bought candy in advance, waiting to distribute it when the admission letter arrived. Zhuang Zhiyuan was so overjoyed that he was practically incoherent and seemed to be in a daze.
The task of handing out the candy fell to Old Man Zhuang and Zhuang Zhixi.
Both of them were genuinely happy. Old Man Zhuang even boasted, "This kid of ours is a real prodigy!"
"Grandpa, I want candy too!" Tuantuan, after getting candy from his dad, went to his grandfather for more. He was double-dipping.
Old Man Zhuang said, "Here, here, take as much as you want."
On such a joyous occasion, not only the children but also the adults came forward to share in the good fortune. They didn't care about the distinction between arts and sciences; all they knew was that Hutou had gotten into college.
Zhao Guihua had bought a lot of candy. She wasn't short on money, and for such a happy event, she wasn't going to hold back. Compared to others, Zhao Guihua's excitement was no less. In her previous life, Hutou hadn't made it to college.
Getting into college meant that her child was on a completely different path.
Old Man Zhuang knew exactly how much candy his wife had bought, and he didn't hesitate to hand it out. Normally quite frugal, he couldn't care less about saving money on such a joyous occasion. He laughed heartily, and anyone who came up to him was met with a smile.
He had worked at the machinery factory for decades before retiring, and everyone in the neighborhood knew him. They all came over to congratulate him.
"Old Man Zhuang, your Hutou has really made you proud. Our alley hasn't had a college student before. You're the first, and it shows how well you've raised your child."
"I think it's also genetics. Zhuang Zhiyuan and his wife both graduated from high school, so it's only natural their child got into college. I didn't even finish elementary school, so getting my kid into college is a real challenge!"
"You have to discipline kids early, or they won't grow up straight."
"Well…"
The Zhuang family didn't have much experience in child-rearing, but that didn't stop everyone from chattering away.
"Little Zhuang, give me a piece of candy too. I want to share in the good fortune."
"You've already had two pieces."
"Mind your own business… I just want my older daughter to have some good luck, and my younger daughter too."
"You're really good at making excuses…"
Unlike the adults, who were being polite, the children didn't care about any of that. They all stuffed their pockets with candy and ran around the alley happily. The joyful summer vacation became even sweeter with the candy.
The kids hanging around the area were all from the neighborhood. Even if they didn't know each other well, they were at least familiar faces. The children, clutching their candy, muttered, "I wish more people would get into college. If it happened every day, that would be great."
That way, they could have candy every day.
Madam Yu returned from the hospital with her daughter and family. Erlin, perched on his father's shoulder, looked enviously at everyone but didn't dare ask for candy.
Madam Yu asked curiously, "What's going on here?"
Given Madam Yu's reputation for stealing underwear to make dolls, which had earned her the disdain of even the neighborhood dogs, she wasn't exactly popular. But even though she wasn't well-liked, someone still answered her question.
"Hutou from the Zhuang family got into college. They just set off firecrackers, and now they're handing out candy," someone replied with a smile. "Go get some candy, kid, and share in the good fortune."
Even though Madam Yu was disliked, the children weren't at fault.
Seeing everyone else joining in the celebration, Madam Yu said jealously, "Zhao Guihua is really showing off this time."
Despite her words, she didn't hold back. She walked right over and said, "Come on, let's go share in the good fortune too."
Madam Yu had thick skin. She stepped forward with a smile and said, "Congratulations! Hutou has made it big. This is such a happy occasion. I, an old lady, want to share in the good fortune too."
Old Man Zhuang smiled and grabbed a handful of candy for Madam Yu, saying, "Here, have some candy!"
Seeing the child looking at him timidly, swallowing hard but not daring to ask, he also grabbed a big handful and handed it to the child, saying, "Here you go! Be happy, little one."
Little Erlin was stunned. He hadn't expected to receive so much candy. His eyes widened, and his face turned red with excitement. To a child, this was the best thing ever. Candy like this was something they only got during the New Year.
Even during the New Year, their family distributed things according to the number of people. The little child looked at Old Man Zhuang with sparkling eyes.
Little Sister Yu said, "Hurry up and thank Grandpa."
The child shyly replied, "Thank you, Grandpa."
Old Man Zhuang responded, "Ah."
He then said, "Little Sister Yu, come here, let me give you some too."
Little Sister Yu felt embarrassed and said, "No, no, we adults don’t need candy. We…"
Zhuang Zhixi interjected, "Sister Yu, take it. Everyone gets some. Our Hutou got into university, and we’re celebrating."
Little Sister Yu noticed that everyone around her indeed had candy, though most adults didn’t eat theirs, instead pocketing it to take home for their children. Seeing this, she nodded quietly and said, "Congratulations."
"My brother is amazing!"
A soft, sweet voice chimed in. Little Sister Yu looked down and saw a doll-like little girl smiling sweetly at her, her tone filled with pride.
She asked, "Who is this…?"
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "My daughter."
He casually pulled his daughter closer and said, "This is Aunt Yu."
Yuanyuan called out cheerfully, "Hello, Aunt Yu!"
She wriggled out of her father’s arms and said, "Dad, I’m busy. I can’t stay with you."
Zhuang Zhixi asked, "What are you up to now?"
"Grandma asked us to buy some pork spine! We’re stewing it for lunch."
She opened her little hand to show her father the money.
Zhuang Zhixi said, "Alright, go ahead."
Yuanyuan said, "I’m off!"
"Yuanyuan, hurry up!"
The other children had already run out of the alley, and even six-year-old Ye Sitian was toddling along with her short legs, not falling behind at all.
Yuanyuan called back, "Coming, coming…"
The group of children ran off together, and Erlin looked back enviously.
Little Sister Yu patted her son and said, "Once you’re better, you can play with the other kids."
They didn’t stay long and soon returned to the Yu family. Because Little Sister Yu had come back to borrow money for her son’s treatment, her brothers had stopped speaking to their parents and ignored her family entirely, not even greeting them when they met.
Little Sister Yu wanted to mend the relationship, but no one paid her any attention. They were all afraid that the money for the treatment wouldn’t be enough and that she might ask them for more. Whenever they saw her, their expressions turned sour.
The other children in the family had moved away, leaving only the second son, who had bought a house and lived in the same courtyard. When the second son’s wife saw them return, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
Madam Yu scoffed, "Hmph, as if anyone cares about her."
She went inside, took out the candies, and placed them on the table, saying, "Put these away for the child. Let him have one piece a day. I’ve always said you’re a fool, not quick-witted. When Old Man Zhuang was handing out candies, why didn’t you go up and say something nice? It wouldn’t have cost you anything. Being shy won’t put food on the table."
Little Sister Yu smiled but didn’t argue.
Erlin, however, looked at the candies on the table in amazement, "So many candies!"
Their family never bought this many candies, even during the New Year.
Old Lady Yu said, "Husband, you should go too. It wouldn’t hurt to get more."
Old Man Yu hesitated, "This…"
Old Lady Yu insisted, "Come on, I’ll go with you."
She went to join the commotion and then instructed her daughter, "You make lunch."
Little Sister Yu replied, "Alright."
As the two of them walked out, Old Lady Yu glanced at the neighboring house and sighed, "It’s such a pity they sold this house."
Old Man Yu also felt the loss, but he was more straightforward, "What else could we do? We couldn’t just let the child die. After all, he’s family."
When they visited the hospital, the doctor had been very clear. The illness was serious but treatable. If left untreated, the child might not make it through the year.
What could they do? They couldn’t just watch the child die.
Old Man Yu sighed, "None of our sons are reliable. I don’t expect much from our daughter and grandson, but this is a matter of life and death. I can’t just stand by and watch. We’ve already buried Baoshan, our own child. Are we going to let Little Sister Yu’s child die too? Let’s just save him. Besides, we’ve already agreed that this is a loan. They’ll pay us back in the future…"
Old Lady Yu muttered, "They’re so poor. How will they ever repay us?"
Old Man Yu turned to her and said, "But didn’t you insist on treating him?"
Old Lady Yu felt a bit embarrassed but then retorted, "It’s because he reminds me of Baoshan!"
Old Man Yu called her out, "That’s nonsense. Erlin doesn’t look anything like Baoshan. You’re just being stubborn. It’s okay to admit you have a soft heart! I feel the same way. He’s so young and pitiful. I’ve never seen a four-year-old so thin. Look at Ye Sitian, she’s only two years older but a whole head taller. Poor child, born into such hardship. But no matter how tough life is, we can’t just let him die. Let’s save him. We’ll worry about gratitude later."
"Exactly!"
Old Lady Yu sighed and then added, "Husband, don’t you think Little Sister Yu was never this thin when she lived at home? What kind of man did she marry to end up like this? Our daughters-in-law are living comfortably in the city, but our own daughter is suffering in the countryside. It’s so unfair…" Even though she didn’t prioritize her daughter, she was still her own flesh and blood. The daughters-in-law were outsiders.
"When they come back this time, let’s get them a temporary residence permit so they can stay here."
"Alright!"
As the two walked ahead, they didn’t realize Little Sister Yu was following not far behind.
Her mother had asked her to make lunch, and she had come out to ask what dishes to prepare since she wasn’t in charge here. But unexpectedly, she overheard the conversation between her parents. She stood still, her eyes reddening. Because of the money she had borrowed, her husband’s relatives had all distanced themselves, afraid of being asked for more.
She understood—they were afraid of being asked for money.
These days, no one had much to spare. Her husband’s brothers had also cut ties with them. When they came out for their son’s treatment, they couldn’t bring their eldest daughter and had to leave her with her mother-in-law after much pleading. She had been feeling lost about the future, but now, it seemed there was a glimmer of hope.
She knew that the rent from these two rooms was her parents’ only source of income. Selling the house meant they would have nothing left. But she had no choice. She could only selfishly watch as her parents made this sacrifice.
She quietly turned back home. Her husband, Yang Shulin, noticed her dazed expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Little Sister Yu looked up and said, "I just realized how hard it’s been for my parents."
Yang Shulin understood his wife’s feelings. After all, the old couple had sold their house to pay for their child’s treatment—something his own parents wouldn’t have done. He was deeply grateful to them. No matter how much they had neglected his wife in the past, when it came to a matter of life and death, they had stood firm in their decision to save the child.
This moved Yang Shulin deeply.
He said earnestly, "We’ll make sure to treat him well and take care of them in their old age."
Little Sister Yu nodded, "Yes, we must work hard. Once the child is better, we’ll repay my parents."
"Agreed."
Little Sister Yu regained her composure and asked, "Where’s Erlin?"
"He’s tired and fell asleep. He was counting the candies earlier, saying he wanted to save them for his sister."
Little Sister Yu smiled.
Yang Shulin remarked, "The standard of living in the capital is really high. I’ve never seen candies handed out like this before, not even at weddings."
Little Sister Yu said, "Anyone can get married, but not everyone can get into university. Besides, I heard Aunt Zhao and others are setting up stalls. Many people on this street are doing small businesses. I even overheard my parents saying that my second brother is also doing some trading, which is how he saved up to buy a house."
Back in their remote village, even though policies had changed years ago, things weren’t as lively as in the capital. Selling goods was still done discreetly, and people preferred bartering. But here, it was different.
Goodness, even outside the train station, there were people setting up stalls and shouting their wares.
As he rambled on, Little Sister Yu suddenly said, "What if we set up a stall too?"
She said, "I'll take care of the child, and my mom can help too. We don’t need so many people here. Why don’t you go and set up a stall? We can’t rely entirely on the money from selling our parents’ house. Besides, you heard the doctor—we need at least a thousand to have some breathing room, and right now, we’re still short. If we find a way to earn some money ourselves, we can cover the child’s medical expenses. What do you think?"
The more she spoke, the more she felt this was a good idea. She continued, "We used to have no options other than farming to make money, and saving enough for the child’s treatment was nearly impossible. But here in the capital, there are so many opportunities. Everyone’s doing something—why can’t we?"
Yang Shulin hesitated, "Well..."
He thought about it and, for some reason, felt his wife’s words made sense.
He nodded, "Then what should we do?"
Little Sister Yu replied, "Let me ask my mom. She’s been here longer and knows more."
But before Old Man Yu and Madam Yu returned, Little Sister Yu suddenly had an idea. She slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "I’ve got it! We can sell rolled pancakes! Right outside the hospital with a pushcart. I’m sure they’ll sell well. You make the best pancakes."
Yang Shulin hesitated, "Ah... this, me? Can I really do it?"
Little Sister Yu nodded vigorously, "Of course you can!"
She added, "Look, there are already people selling food outside the hospital. Why can’t we do the same? It’s convenient. In a few days, Erlin will be hospitalized, and you can set up near the hospital entrance. If anything happens, I can come and help. What do you think?"
She grew more and more excited, even spinning in place.
Yang Shulin agreed, "Alright, this seems doable. Let’s ask your parents when they get back."
"Okay."
Little Sister Yu couldn’t help but daydream, "If Erlin gets better and we earn enough money, we can bring our daughter here too. Then they can both study in the city..."
Yang Shulin chuckled, "You’re really thinking ahead. But where will we live?"
Little Sister Yu replied, "We’ll work hard and buy our own place."
Yang Shulin smiled to himself, amused by his wife’s ambitious thinking, but also relieved. Ever since their second child was born and fell ill, their family had been in and out of the hospital, their home stripped bare, and debts piling up. His wife had been constantly gloomy.
If it weren’t for their eldest daughter, she had even talked about jumping into the river with the baby.
She used to see everything in a negative light, but now, at last, she was thinking positively, and that was a good thing.
Yang Shulin said, "Then let’s work hard. How about I start making pancakes this afternoon and show your parents?"
"Good idea!"
People are like that—once they have a vision for the future, they become energized.
When Old Man Yu and Madam Yu returned and heard Little Sister Yu’s idea, they didn’t hesitate to agree. Living here, they had seen how busy everyone was, and it had made them eager to join in.
Old Man Yu said, "I’ll help you make pancakes. Madam Yu, you and Little Sister Yu can take care of the child. Let’s divide the work, okay?"
Madam Yu added, "That’s fine, but let’s be clear: the money you earn should first go to the child’s treatment, and then you must repay us. We lent you the money, and it’s not a gift. After that, whatever’s left is yours."
Little Sister Yu and her husband quickly nodded in agreement.
Madam Yu said, "That’s more like it."
She continued, "The most successful people on this street are in Courtyard No. 44. They’re always bustling with business. I’ve seen Wang Zizhen working nonstop. Let me go and ask the neighbors for some tips."
Little Sister Yu hesitated, "Will they really share their secrets with us? This is about making money, after all."
Madam Yu reassured her, "They probably will. We’re not doing the same business, so there’s no competition. Asking for advice won’t hurt."
Madam Yu believed that being a little shameless wasn’t a bad thing—thick skin leads to a full stomach. Back in the day, Zhao Guihua and Aunt Zhou didn’t get along, but now they were doing business together. So she thought as long as she was sincere, it would be fine.
After all, everyone makes mistakes.
Besides, she hadn’t actually done anything wrong—just some petty theft and superstitious nonsense like making cursed dolls. Superstition was a dangerous thing. She had cursed others, but instead, they prospered while she ended up being re-educated for years.
It was embarrassing to even talk about. While others got into trouble for serious matters, she had been caught stealing underwear, socks, and rags for her superstitious rituals. Just thinking about it made her cringe.
She said, "Don’t worry, come with me."
Little Sister Yu agreed, "Alright."
Little Sister Yu hadn’t been back in a long time, and the city felt completely unfamiliar to her. Even though she had grown up here, everything now seemed strange, including the neighbors.
Both the city and its people had changed so quickly. For example, she had run into Zhuang Zhixi earlier and was struck by how much time had passed. When she left for the countryside, Zhuang Zhixi was still a high school senior.
Now, his children were already quite grown.
"Does Zhuang Zhixi only have one child?"
"No, he has two—a boy and a girl. They’re both very smart," Madam Yu commented fairly.
Little Sister Yu said, "You know so much about them."
Madam Yu replied, "Well, I have eyes, don’t I? Plus, their kids do well in school. Anyway, let’s not talk about them. Come on, I’ll take you there."
"Okay."
Mother and daughter headed out, passing children setting off firecrackers in the alley. Madam Yu muttered, "Why are they setting those off again?"
"Zhou Qun bought them. They said they wanted to liven things up," someone answered casually.
Madam Yu led her daughter into Courtyard No. 44.
Tuantuan glanced over and said, "Why are they here?"
Their family didn’t have much to do with Madam Yu’s household.
Yuanyuan immediately said, "I’ll go eavesdrop."
The little girl had inherited her family’s love of gossip.
Li Zhenzhen chimed in, "I’ll come too!"
The two girls ran inside hand in hand and soon came back, reporting, "They want to set up a stall and are here to learn some tips."
"Setting up a stall, huh?"
Tuantuan sighed, "Adults are always so busy making money."
"Of course they are. Adults make money so we kids can have new clothes and eat meat," Qijin said wisely.
Tuantuan’s eyes sparkled as he said, "Actually, we could make money too."
The other children turned to him curiously. Tuantuan continued, "We’re on summer break. Besides homework, martial arts, and the youth center, we don’t have much else to do. Why not earn some money?"
Though the kids had plenty of activities, they still had a lot of free time.
For example, they studied together for three hours every morning, with a half-hour break in between, so it was really only two and a half hours. The other activities weren’t daily, and they didn’t take up the whole afternoon, so there was still plenty of time to play.
"But what can we do?"
Li Zhenzhen looked puzzled, "We don’t know how to sell things or make food."
Tuantuan suggested, "We can catch cicadas!"
"Huh?"
Everyone turned to him. Tuantuan explained, "We can catch cicadas and sell them. Last time I went to my uncle’s place for martial arts training, I saw a small restaurant nearby that buys them."
He was a very observant child, always noticing details in life.
"If others can sell them, so can we. We’ll catch cicadas together, sell them, and split the money. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Me too."
The kids quickly reached a consensus. It was the middle of a hot summer, and they already spent their days catching cicadas for fun. If they could make money from it, even better! The group grew enthusiastic.
Ye Siyuan immediately said, "There are lots of trees in the little grove. That’s where the cicadas are."
"Yeah, it’s so noisy there when I go fishing with Mom," Ye Sitian, who was only three feet tall, chimed in with her opinion.
Tuantuan concluded, "Then it’s settled."
"Wait," Yuanyuan raised her hand, "Brother, should we keep this a secret or tell the adults?"
Tuantuan asked, "What do you think?"
Qijin answered, "We should definitely keep it to ourselves. If the adults find out, they’ll say we’re not focusing on the right things."
Bai Qingqing quickly nodded: "My mom says that the most important thing for kids is to study. If she finds out we're trying to make money, she might scold me."
"Don't tell her. This is our secret," Ye Sijia chimed in.
Li Zhenzhen: "Then let's not say anything. My older brothers all have secret savings, and I want to have some too."
Tuantuan: "Then it's settled. This is our secret!"
"Right, a secret!"
Their little faces lit up with excitement. They had a secret now, just like grown-ups.
Ye Sitian, who had been tagging along, joined in the chatter. Li Zhenzhen poked her and said, "You're not allowed to tell either, okay?"
Ye Sitian puffed out her chest: "I won't!"
She said it so loudly!
"Then... why don't we go now?"
Since we're free anyway.
"Let's go!"
The kids quickly gathered their gear. Except for the youngest, Ye Sitian, everyone had a cicada-catching net. They walked proudly, heads held high. Tuantuan led the way, holding little Sitian's hand. "You're too young to catch them, but we'll share with you. We're a team, and everyone is important."
Little Sitian pursed her lips and nodded solemnly: "I'll catch them when I grow up."
"Right."
Little Sitian smiled and said, "I'll be really, really strong when I grow up."
Ye Siyuan and Ye Sijia exchanged worried glances, clearly doubting their little sister. She seemed a bit... well, not the sharpest tool in the shed.
But Tuantuan, ever the comforting big brother, said, "I think you'll be amazing when you grow up. My little sister couldn't do much when she was young, but now she's super capable."
Yuanyuan nodded: "I can even climb trees."
Little Sitian quickly asked, "Yuanyuan, will I be able to climb trees when I grow up?"
Yuanyuan: "...Probably?"
She could climb trees because she had learned martial arts, right?
She glanced at her brother, who shook his head subtly. Yuanyuan took the hint and decided to humor her little sister. She was good at that: "You'll be able to do it when you grow up."
Little Sitian immediately brightened up, waddling like a little duckling as she walked.
Qijin watched the little girl and whispered to Bai Qingqing, "She's... not the brightest. Do you think she'll really get smarter when she grows up?"
Yuanyuan was clearly just humoring her.
Bai Qingqing: "...You know everything, don't you?"
Qijin: "..."
Meanwhile, Li Zhenzhen was walking ahead enthusiastically, her voice loud and clear: "Tuantuan, can we make a lot of money from this?"
Tuantuan: "We can get one yuan per pound, but it takes a lot of cicadas to make a pound."
In those days, one yuan was a big deal.
For kids, it was even more significant, though for wealthier families, it wasn't much. It all depended on who you were.
Li Zhenzhen: "With so many of us, each person will only get a little."
She pouted.
Tuantuan, however, remained calm. "We're just kids. We can't exactly set up a stall and sell things like adults. No one would trust us. Kids should do kid things, and even adults find it hard to make money."
He knew this well. His father worked hard every day, even setting up a stall after work and only coming home late at night.
Li Zhenzhen thought about it and nodded: "That's true."
Yuanyuan: "We'll start small and work our way up. When we grow up, we'll make a lot of money."
Li Zhenzhen: "You're right. If I make money, I'll put it in my piggy bank."
"Me too."
"Same here."
Each of them had a piggy bank, a gift from Grandpa Lan. When Grandpa Lan returned from Jinling, he brought presents for all the kids. Each of them got a little piggy bank. Though they were all piggy banks, each one was slightly different, and the kids loved their gifts.
Qijin: "I'm going to fill my piggy bank. When I grow up a bit, I'll buy myself a bicycle."
Yuanyuan immediately said, "My dad said he'll buy me and my brother bicycles when we start middle school."
"Ah!" Qijin quickly said, "Then I'll go home and tell my parents too."
"Me too, me too."
The kids soon arrived at the small grove, where cicadas were abundant. They got to work right away.
Though they were only around ten years old, they were seasoned cicada catchers.
But they weren't the only ones there. Other kids were around too. In the summer, catching cicadas was a favorite pastime. After catching them, they could roast and eat them. Though it was just a tiny bit of meat, it was still meat.
No child could resist the allure of meat.
Despite the number of kids, there was no fighting. Even though they were young, they had their own territories. This area was close to their neighborhood, so it was mostly kids from the machine factory's residential area. They were like "family."
"Tuantuan, are you coming to the outskirts tomorrow?" another kid called out.
They were not only neighbors but also classmates, so they all knew each other well.
Tuantuan shook his head: "I have to go to my master's place tomorrow, and I have piano lessons in the afternoon."
"You're so busy..."
Tuantuan: "My dad says it's just for fun. If I don't want to do it, I don't have to. But I want to learn."
They didn't have many extracurricular activities.
Martial arts were a must. Their mom knew it, so it would be embarrassing if they didn't. They wanted to be as strong as her. As for piano, each of the kids had their own talent to learn. Though they sometimes complained, none of them wanted to give up.
If their friends could do it, they didn't want to be left behind.
Despite their young age, they were quite competitive.
Tuantuan: "You guys go ahead and have fun."
"Next time, then."
"Sure."
After settling that, the other group of kids left. Little Sitian sidled up to Tuantuan and asked, "Tuantuan, you'll take me with you when you go out to play, right?"
Tuantuan: "..."
Going to the outskirts? He really didn't want to bring this little tagalong.
Little Sitian cooed sweetly, "You'll take me, won't you?"
She pointed at herself, calling herself "baby."
Ugh!
The other kids all rubbed their arms, feeling a bit creeped out.
Tuantuan: "Fine!"
Little Sitian: "Tuantuan, you're the best!"
Ye Siyuan and Ye Sijia: "Heh!"
Such a hopeless little sister.
Li Zhenzhen: "Yuanyuan, over here! There are a few cicadas up high. I can't reach them. Can you climb the tree?"
Yuanyuan: "Sure!"
Tuantuan: "Be careful!"
Yuanyuan: "Don't worry! Yuanyuan the Hero never backs down!"
She quickly climbed the tree, looking down triumphantly from above. "Comrades, I'm up here!"
Bai Qingqing admired her: "Yuanyuan, you're amazing."
Yuanyuan's little tail was practically wagging. She completely forgot her mom's warning about not climbing trees casually. But she thought it was fine—she wasn't wearing a skirt today. She had on a pair of cotton cropped pants, perfect for climbing.
Sitting on the branch, she extended her bamboo pole, the net at the end catching a cicada. She pulled it back and dropped the cicada into her bag. The cicada buzzed loudly.
"There are more over here."
Tuantuan watched his sister on the tree and said worriedly, "Be careful, okay? Don't push yourself too hard."
"Okay!"
Yuanyuan thought her brother was being a bit of a nag.
But she knew he was just concerned. Sitting on the branch, she felt proud of herself.
Bai Qingqing said enviously, "Yuanyuan, can you see really far from up there?"
Yuanyuan nodded: "Yeah, I can see really far."
She pretended to gaze into the distance. "Let me see..."
Suddenly, she stopped and said, "Huh?"
"What is it?"
"What do you see?"
Yuanyuan: "I see Su Jinlai. He's acting sneaky."
"Huh?"
Everyone got curious and pressed her for details. "What's he doing?"
"Yeah, tell us!"
Even though they couldn't see for themselves, they were all eager to know.
Yuanyuan: "I'll keep watching for now."
Su Jinlai had no idea at this moment that he was already being watched. He had purposely gone a bit farther to avoid being seen. Life was just too hard. Su Jinlai, a man with a good personality and good looks, was now struggling to get by.
Since the last incident involving Hu Huihui, she hadn’t contacted him for a long time. But Su Jinlai didn’t dare to approach her either. That woman had a habit of bringing burly men to teach him a lesson whenever she was upset, and Su Jinlai knew he was no match for them.
"A gentleman uses words, not fists," they say.
But Su Jinlai was no gentleman.
What could he do? He couldn’t win in a fight!
In the past, Su Jinlai used to hang out with the local tough guys like Brother Hei, but for some reason, Brother Hei and his gang had been caught by the police. At the time, Su Jinlai was thrilled. He thought to himself, "Serves them right!"
After all, Brother Hei had never treated him as one of their own.
But the joy he felt back then had turned into gloom now.
Because he realized that apart from Brother Hei and his gang, he didn’t really know anyone else. Even if he wanted to make some quick money through shady means, there was no one to help him. It was pitiful.
He had no source of income, and his mother had even confiscated the money he had earned before. Poor Su Jinlai, a young man in his prime, was just wasting his days. He was so desperate that he even stole a chicken from his own home to have something to eat.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to steal from others, but he simply couldn’t pull it off.
He had come to realize that if he stole from others, they wouldn’t let him off easily. The people in their courtyard were all tough, and they wouldn’t hesitate to call the police. Unlike the old days when he was in the countryside, where people tried to resolve things themselves and keep matters low-key, the folks here were used to dealing with the police.
There were too many incidents in their neighborhood, and everyone had gotten used to calling the cops for even the smallest issues.
So Su Jinlai really didn’t dare to act recklessly.
But stealing from his own home was different. Was it really stealing if it was from his own family?
Of course not!
So he decided to target his own home.
Recently, there weren’t many chickens left in the courtyard. In the past, almost every household raised chickens, but since everyone had started focusing on making money, they no longer had the time to take care of them. Most families had already killed and eaten their chickens.
Only his family still had chickens, because his younger brother, Tonglai, took care of them. It didn’t bother his mother, who didn’t have to feed them or anything, so their chickens were still alive and well. But to Su Jinlai, they were just an eyesore.
His mouth was watering at the thought of eating chicken, so he decided to steal one and roast it.
After all, there were so many kids around. He could just blame it on one of them.
He chuckled to himself, feeling quite pleased.
Su Jinlai didn’t dare to roast the chicken near his home. If his mother found out, she would throw a fit. Her temper had been quite volatile lately. So he went a bit farther, looking for a secluded spot where he could enjoy his meal in peace.
He wrung the chicken’s neck, stuffed it into his clothes, and held his "belly" as he ran out. He made his way to a small grove, looking around carefully. He found a seemingly hidden spot and stopped there. If he went any farther, he might run into some kids, and that would be trouble.
With a grin, he found a perfect spot and took the chicken out of his clothes. He kissed the chicken’s beak and said, "You’ve worked hard laying eggs every day, old hen. Now you’re finally free."
He started plucking the feathers, humming a little tune: "Today is a good day..."
Little did he know, while there was no one around him, someone was watching from a distance. Yuanyuan, perched high up, was giving a live commentary to her friends.
"Brother Jinlai is sneaking around, looking left and right..."
"Brother Jinlai found a bush and crouched down. I wonder if he’s going to take a dump..."
At this point, Tuantuan interrupted Yuanyuan: "Come down. You shouldn’t peek at boys doing their business. It’s gross, and girls shouldn’t watch that."
Yuanyuan: "Oh, oh... Wait, no! He’s not doing that. He took a chicken out of his clothes."
Yuanyuan continued: "He kissed the chicken’s beak..."
"He’s plucking the feathers now..."
With that, the kids understood. Brother Jinlai had somehow gotten his hands on a chicken and was planning to eat it in secret.
Tuantuan: "Which direction is he in?"
Yuanyuan pointed: "Over there. Should we go?"
Before Tuantuan could answer, Qijin shouted, "Let’s go check it out. He stole a chicken. We need to catch the thief!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Yuanyuan: "Wait for me. I’m coming down."
She was quick, climbing down the tree like a little monkey. Soon, the group of kids gathered together, each carrying a bamboo pole used for catching cicadas. They marched forward with purpose.
Tuantuan: "Let’s be quiet. We don’t want to be discovered."
"Got it."
The group of kids headed in the direction Yuanyuan had pointed out. It wasn’t far, and they soon got close. By then, Su Jinlai had finished plucking the feathers and was happily roasting the chicken over a fire.
He was quite meticulous, even bringing salt with him. He sprinkled it lightly on the chicken, making sure not to waste any. Then he took out a small bottle of soy sauce, humming his tune even more cheerfully: "Today is a good day~"
Tuantuan, Yuanyuan, and the other kids crept closer, hiding behind trees. They saw Su Jinlai, looking so pleased with himself that he was practically dancing.
The chicken wasn’t fully cooked yet, but Su Jinlai took an egg out of his pocket. The hen had laid an egg just before he killed it. He cracked it against a rock and swallowed the raw egg in one gulp, exclaiming, "Delicious!"
After eating the egg, he lay down on the ground, waiting for the chicken to cook. Staring up at the sky, he muttered, "If only every day could be like this."
Then he chuckled to himself: "There’s still one more hen at home. I’ll eat that one tomorrow and blame it on the kids again. Hehe!"
He thought he was being incredibly clever, faster on his feet than anyone else. He laughed, feeling quite proud of himself.
But he didn’t know that the kids watching him were furious. Brother Jinlai was really bad. Not only had he stolen a chicken, but he was also trying to pin the blame on them. He was the worst person in the world!
It’s him, it’s him, it’s him!
Yuanyuan: "Brother, what should we do?"
Tuantuan immediately said, "Qijin, go to the grove and call the other kids. We’ll catch him red-handed and show him that no child should be wrongly accused."
Qijin: "Got it."
Ye Sijia asked, "Why do we need to call more people? We can catch him ourselves. Right now, we can grab him and have the evidence right there!" Look at him, already using big words.
This kid was all brawn and no brains.
Tuantuan patiently explained: "He’s an adult. We might not be able to take him on, and we have younger kids with us. We can’t just charge in and risk getting hurt. If we gather more people, we’ll outnumber him. Can he fight off ten or twenty kids? Then we’ll have the upper hand."
Ye Sijia: "Oh, right."
Thankfully, roasting a chicken takes time. By the time the group of kids arrived, Su Jinlai’s chicken was only about 80% done.
The aroma of the roasting chicken made the kids’ mouths water.
"Tuantuan, what’s going on?"
Qijin hadn’t explained things very clearly.
Tuantuan said, "This is Brother Su Jinlai from our courtyard. He stole a hen from his own home and is roasting it here. Then he plans to blame it on us kids. See, all of us are the kids from around here. If he pins the blame on us, we’ll all be in trouble. So I thought we should catch him and expose his true colors. Let Aunt Wang know that Brother Jinlai is the real thief."
"How mean!"
"Yeah, this big bad guy! We didn’t steal anything!"
"Stealing is wrong. I know it, but he doesn’t. He’s really no good."
"Exactly, why frame others?"
"Let’s go over together."
"Right, together!"
Tuantuan looked around. There were at least twenty, maybe even thirty kids gathered. She said, "Let’s go!"
"Go!"
The noisy commotion of the children finally caught Su Jinlai’s attention. He stood up and turned around. Oh no! A bunch of little brats!
He panicked immediately. "Wh-what are you doing? Are you trying to steal my stuff?"
He even spotted some kids from his own courtyard.
He quickly said, "Tuantuan, Qijin, what are you doing? If you’re causing trouble, I’ll tell your parents!"
He was good at intimidating kids. If he couldn’t handle adults, he could at least handle children, right?
"You’re the one causing trouble!"
"Yeah, you’re the one stealing chickens and trying to pin it on us kids!"
"We all know what you’re up to. You can’t just do bad things and blame it on us. We’re good kids!"
"He’s trying to turn the tables on us."
"You’re coming back with us. We’re going to tell Aunt Wang the truth!"
"Let’s go. We have to go back. Bring the roasted chicken. We’ll clear this up."
Everyone chattered noisily. Tuantuan said, "That’s right. We kids aren’t so easy to frame."
Su Jinlai looked at these little sprouts. The oldest was maybe in seventh grade, and most were elementary school kids. He was furious. "I’m eating my own chicken. I can eat it wherever I want. What’s it to you? Get out of my way, or I’ll beat you up. You little brats think you can come here and act tough? Who do you think you are? You’ve got some nerve. Do you really think I won’t hit you?"
"You think you can hit us? We’re not afraid. There are so many of us. You can’t bully us!"
"Yeah, you can’t!"
"We’ll block him. Don’t let him run away."
The kids, like little monkeys from the Flower-Fruit Mountain, all surrounded Su Jinlai. Su Jinlai cursed, "Damn it…"
He growled, "Do you want a beating?"
"If you hit us, I’ll tell my mom!" Yuanyuan shouted. Her mom was tough!
Su Jinlai retorted, "I’m not scared of your mom!"
But his voice lacked confidence.
There was no way he could win.
Not to mention Ming Mei, even someone like his own mom, Wang Xiangxiu, could beat him. He suspected even Wang Zizhen, a woman, could scratch his face into shreds.
Ah, no, he was a man. He wasn’t scared!
"Get out of my way. Move! Or I’ll really hit you. I mean it!"
"No!"
"We’re not moving. There are too many of us."
"Yeah, we kids are tough too…"
"If you dare hit us, all of us will gang up on you!"
"That’s right. We’re not easy to bully."
Su Jinlai stammered, "You… you…"
Seeing that he couldn’t scare these little monkeys, he took a deep breath and said, "Fine, I’ll give you this roasted chicken. Just stop making a scene, okay?"
Hearing this, some of the kids immediately started salivating. The roasted chicken smelled so good.
Not everyone could afford to eat something like that.
Tuantuan said, "You’re doing this on purpose. You’re trying to drag us into this. If we eat your chicken today, we’ll never be able to clear our names. You wanted to pin the blame on us from the start. If we eat it, we’ll be stuck with the reputation of being chicken thieves. You just said you have another chicken at home. If you kill another one tomorrow, you can pin that on us too. Then, not just your house, but the whole alley, even the surrounding courtyards, will suspect us every time a chicken goes missing. We kids aren’t like that. Our teachers taught us to be good people."
"That’s right! You’re clearly up to no good. You’re so mean!"
"How evil!"
"Yeah."
"He’s trying to trick us…"
"You adults are so sneaky!"
Su Jinlai protested, "Hey, wait, is it me who’s sneaky, or are you kids overthinking this?"
He swore he hadn’t thought that far ahead. These kids were overcomplicating things and blaming him for being cunning? He was genuinely wronged. If he were that clever, would he be stealing his own family’s chicken?
He’d have been a big shot by now.
"I didn’t think that way."
Tuantuan said, "How do we know? If you were scheming, of course you wouldn’t admit it."
"Exactly!"
Su Jinlai shouted, "Ah! Ahhh!" He looked up at the sky, feeling like a tiger fallen into a pit, bullied by dogs. He yelled, "Move!"
"No!"
"Then I’ll…" Before he could finish, Su Jinlai turned and ran. If he let these little brats drag him back, he’d lose all face. Today was the day Hutou’s admission letter arrived, and the courtyard was packed with people…
Ugh!
He couldn’t afford the embarrassment.
Without finishing his sentence, he took off. The kids were stunned for a moment, but soon they shouted, "Don’t let him run!"
"Chase him!"
"You can’t escape!"
Su Jinlai turned back, stuck out his tongue, and taunted, "Nah nah nah! Can’t catch me, losers~"
He mocked them and kept running. But after just a few steps, he suddenly yelped and fell face-first onto the ground. He turned around angrily, shouting, "Who! Who was it! Who the hell poked my butt with a bamboo stick!"
The kids didn’t answer. They swarmed him, sitting on top of him, yelling, "You’re not getting away!"
"You’re definitely a bad guy. You tried to run."
"Don’t even think about it."
"Yeah…"
Su Jinlai groaned, "Damn it… I can’t live like this…"
A group of kids, at least a dozen or twenty, were sitting on him. Su Jinlai couldn’t move at all.
He… he couldn’t even handle a bunch of kids?
He burst into tears.
Hu Huihui hit him, his mom beat him, the neighbors gave him dirty looks, and now even kids could bully him. All he wanted was to eat a roasted chicken! All he wanted was to shift the blame! He… he was so miserable!
Su Jinlai wailed, "You’re all so mean…"
The kids were stunned by his crying.
This bad guy… he cries when he can’t win?
Is that even allowed?
Tuantuan asked calmly, "Are you trying to play the victim now that you can’t win? Cry and make a scene because you think we’ll feel sorry for you since we’re just kids?"
Yuanyuan suddenly realized, "Another trick?"
Now the kids were truly furious.
They were indignant. "How could you do this?"
"You’re just trying to manipulate us. We’re not that easy to fool."
"I’ve never seen an adult as bad as you!"
"We can’t let you get away with this."
As Su Jinlai listened to their chatter, he felt even more wronged. He cried even louder. He… he hadn’t thought that far ahead!
Kids these days are way too complicated!
Way too complicated!
