Chi Yan hesitated and probed: "Can I go back with you when school starts?"
Chu Yang glanced at him, her eyes clearly rejecting.
Chi Yan continued to probe: "A week before school starts?"
Chu Yang smiled insincerely, "One week."
Chi Yan drooped his head: "Too fast, later?" He didn't want to go back so early, "I can help you with work, is two weeks okay?"
After thinking for a moment, Chu Yang said, "Then two weeks at most. Go take a shower first."
"Okay."
After the shower, the family was watching TV in the living room, Chi Yan sat next to Chu Yang, turning his head to glance at her once, then again.
Chu Yang fixed his head in place and said in a low voice: "Watch TV properly, what are you poking your head around for?"
"Oh."
Around 9 p.m., Chu's parents went back to their room to rest, Chu Luo looked at Chu Yang then looked at Chi Yan, and still wisely went back to his room.
Seeing only the two of them left in the living room, Chi Yan immediately squeezed next to Chu Yang, hugging her with both hands, snuggling.
With a "slap" Chu Yang slapped him on the back, and he immediately settled down.
At 10 o'clock, Chu Yang turned off the TV, "We still have to get up early tomorrow, go to rest early. I'm going back to rest too."
Chi Yan sent her to the door, Chu Yang kissed his cheek, patted his shoulder, "Be good, go to sleep."
After Chu Yang closed the door, Chi Yan had no choice but to go into the next room, Chu Luo was already lying in bed on one side.
Chi Yan smiled at him, "Sorry to bother you, little brother." Then he got into bed on the other side.
Chu Luo pursed his lips without speaking.
The electric fan was buzzing.
Not long after, the lights went out and the family went to sleep.
In the middle of the night at some hour, Chi Yan was suddenly awakened by the heat. The wind from the electric fan was hot too. Next to him, Chu Luo seemed to be used to it already, sleeping very well without feeling hot at all.
The mosquitoes buzzed "zzz zzz", there was a "slap" which was the sound of Chi Yan hitting a mosquito, but Chu Luo was still sleeping very deeply, not disturbed awake at all.
Chi Yan was thinking that he should talk to Chu Yang tomorrow to buy an air conditioner, but was afraid Chu Yang would think he was disdainful of her family, forget it, just endure it, luckily Chu Yang's room had air conditioning.
In a daze Chi Yan went back to sleep, but just not sleeping very well.
The next morning at 6 am they got up. Chi Yan followed Chu's parents and Chu Luo, carrying baskets on their backs, they sat in the tricycle and went to the peanut fields.
They arrived at the peanut fields very quickly. Chu Luo taught him how to pull out peanuts and gave him gloves. While pulling out peanuts halfway, Chi Yan almost cried out in disgust when he came across a worm that could make human skin itchy, but he endured it, quickly stepped on it dead, then looked around to check that Chu's parents did not notice the inappropriate losing of his composure just now, luckily they did not.
There were just two rows of peanut plants. Before 8 o'clock, they were done pulling them out, then loaded them into baskets and took them home on the tricycle.
By now Chi Yan's shoes were covered with dust, the soles were caked with mud, making it impossible to tell their original appearance.
But he didn't mind at all.
Chu Luo took a look, saying: "Your shoes are dirty."
Chi Yan looked, "It's okay. Wash when I get back, do you have spare slippers?"
Chu's mom was also looking, "I will wash for you when we return, the husband has slippers, it should fit for you."
"No need, I can wash by myself, thanks, Auntie."
Upon returning home, Chu Yang was already cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Seeing them return, she immediately brought breakfast to the table, "You're back, go wash your hands and have breakfast first."
Chi Yan went to wash hands with the others, then sat at the dining table. Chu Yang scooped him a bowl of porridge and gave him a bun, "Eat up, you must be tired."
Chi Yan shook his head, "Not tired." Then ate half the bun in one bite.
After the family ate well, Chu's dad and mom hurried to pick peanuts in the yard again. Chi Yan went to take off his shoes and put on Chu's dad's slippers at the well to wash his shoes.
Chu Yang followed out, waving a fan to fan him, she had noticed the dark circles under his eyes earlier, "Did you not sleep well last night?"
Chi Yan shook his head, “No. Very good."
Chu Yang touched the area under his eyes, "Liar, you even have dark circles."
Chi Yan hesitated, "That... I just... um..."
Chu Yang looked straight at him, "Hmm? What exactly happened? Speak!"
Chi Yan: "Can I buy an air conditioner for your family? I definitely don't mean to show disdain." Chi Yan watched Chu Yang’s expression, afraid she would get angry.
Chu Yang was puzzled instead: “Hmm? Chu Luo’s room doesn’t have air conditioning?" She remembered that when she sent money home she asked Chu's parents to directly install an air conditioner for each person's room, could it be that they only installed it for her? She hasn’t gone into their rooms to check either, so she didn’t know.
"Let me go see." Chu Yang said, walking crisply into the house to check Chu Luo's and Chu's parents' rooms. Indeed there was no air conditioning, only fans.
Chu Yang walked to the yard to ask Chu's dad and mom who were picking peanuts: "Didn’t I tell you to install air conditioning? How come there’s none installed?" It was so hot, she didn’t know how they endured it.
Chu's mom paused for a moment, “Your dad and I are used to it, air conditioning costs money, we don't need it."
Chu Yang: "What about Chu Luo?"
Chu Luo looked at her then looked towards Chu's parents, "I’m rarely home anyway since I live on campus, it doesn’t matter, isn’t there a fan?"
Chu Yang frowned, "No, didn't I give you money for this? I’m going into town this afternoon to buy air conditioning units for you, don’t refuse. Don’t worry about money, I have money."
Chu's dad and mom looked at each other, "That's your money, keep it for yourself."
Chu Yang waved her hand, "Listen to me. That's it, Chi Yan and I are going into town to buy them this afternoon."
Chu's dad and mom didn't dare say anything, the daughter had decided they didn't dare refute her, seeing she was already angry.
Chu Yang walked back to Chi Yan's side again, “Since you can’t sleep well at night, go rest in my room for now. After you’ve rested we’ll go into town in the afternoon to buy air conditioning units."
Chi Yan nodded: "Okay." Then looked worriedly towards Chu's parents' side, "Did I say something wrong?" He now knew Chu's parents didn't want air conditioning in order to save money, and Chu Yang didn't know about it, he didn't expect to accidentally reveal it.
Chu Yang patted his shoulder: "You didn't say anything wrong, luckily you mentioned it, or else I wouldn't have known. Quickly wash your shoes then go take a bath to rest."
"Okay." Chi Yan felt relieved.
After washing the shoes and leaving them in the corner to dry in the sun, Chu Yang brought a set of clothes that Chu's mom said was for Chi Yan to wear that belonged to her dad, "My dad's clothes, wear them first, we’ll buy you clothes this afternoon."
"Okay."
After showering, Chi Yan felt much more relaxed and lighter all over, he was worried earlier that he would stink up Chu Yang with his sweat.
Lying in Chu Yang's room, Chi Yan happily sniffed the sheets, with a corner of Chu Yang's pajamas on the bed, Chi Yan soon fell asleep, still with a smile at the corners of his mouth.
