On August 16, after the typhoon passed, the sky was filled with magnificent fiery clouds, just as described in Bai Juyi's poem: "The sun shines on the sunset, and the wind stirs the autumn waters."

The city suspended work and school for one day as the typhoon passed through.

Chunmei and Xia Jianguo had already taped a grid pattern onto their windows early in the morning; this was their first lesson in Shenzhen.

When they first arrived that year, they didn't know what a typhoon was, so they didn't put on any duct tape. Luckily, the wind wasn't strong that time, and the windows in their house were saved.

Xia Jianguo looked at his daughter standing on the balcony and said, "Xiaomin, why are you going to look at the clouds again? You've been here for so many years, aren't you tired of looking at them yet?"

Suddenly, Xia Minmin turned around, walked through the living room to the bedroom, and then hurriedly carried the easel to the balcony.

It looked like she was getting ready to paint. Xia Jianguo helped his daughter tidy up the table and chairs on the balcony and then helped her get her art supplies.

"Thank you, Dad. That sunset was so beautiful. I'd like to try to draw it, as a summary of my studies over the past two months."

Li Chunmei came out of the kitchen and saw Xia Jianguo standing behind her daughter watching her draw. She patted him and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"This painting is so much better than the first one Xiaomin brought back! We'll hang it on the shoe cabinet so everyone who comes to visit can see it!"

Hearing Xia Jianguo's comments, Li Chunmei also went over to look at her daughter's latest painting. Sure enough, the money was well spent and her daughter had made great progress. The color scheme was much better than before. Although they didn't understand painting, the painting gave people a sense of tranquility and comfort.

Li Chunmei said, "Try going in and having some white fungus and lotus seed soup. I've been cooking it for four or five hours. See if it tastes good."

"Aren't we waiting for Xiaomin?"

"No, not yet. She's busy right now and we don't know when she'll finish painting. Let's keep it warm for her and drink it after she's done."

By the time Xia Minmin finished the painting, it was completely dark. Sometime later, the balcony lights were turned on.

Xia Minmin stood up, stretched, shook her hands and feet, and walked into the living room. The living room was dark, with only the light from the television.

Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei huddled together, their volume turned down so low that they could barely be heard unless you listened carefully.

Xia Minmin asked, "Mom and Dad, can you hear the TV at such a low volume?"

Xia Minmin's sudden voice startled the two people who were engrossed in watching the horror movie.

Xia Minmin was also frightened by Li Chunmei's scream.

Xia Jianguo quickly ran over and turned on the living room light.

Xia Minmin glanced at the scene on the TV, then immediately looked away. It was too scary!

Xia Minmin walked past the TV with her eyes closed, and Li Chunmei and Xia Jianguo were amused by her expression.

"Mom and Dad, why do you always like to watch these kinds of movies? They're so scary."

There were many classic ghost movies in the 1990s, and many provincial movie channels liked to broadcast them.

Xia Minmin would occasionally glance at it and her mind would wander. She was afraid to sleep alone, and she was also afraid to go to the toilet. She had to sleep in the middle of the room, otherwise she would feel like a ghost was coming back to grab her feet.

Li Chunmei said with a smile, "Xiaomin, Mom didn't cook dinner today. I made some white fungus and lotus seed soup for you and kept it warm in the rice cooker. Go to the kitchen and take it out to drink yourself."

"oh."

Xia Minmin served a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup to the dining room and sat with her back to Xia Jianguo and the others.

After taking a bite of the white fungus and lotus seed soup, Xia Minmin put down the spoon, ran to her room, took out her Walkman, and plugged her ears with the earphones.

After doing all these actions, Xia Minmin finally felt at ease enough to sit down and eat the white fungus and lotus seed soup.

Xia Minmin went to her room to rest very early that day.

...

The flowers, plants, and trees of all heights in the neighborhood were battered and broken by yesterday's typhoon, yet they were still full of life.

"Good morning, Mengmeng."

Good morning, Xiaomin. Time flies! Tomorrow is our last class at the Children's Palace, and I'm really going to miss it.

"The temperature this morning is so comfortable! It's not stuffy at all, and the sun isn't too strong!"

Xia Minmin and Tang Meng rode their skateboards, freely navigating the streets and alleys leading to the Children's Palace. Over the past two months, they had discovered many hidden routes that were safer than the main roads and took less time to get home.

"Good morning, Teacher Niu!"

The skateboarding training area has already attracted many students, as well as some parents. Today is not a class day; it's their skateboarding class's showcase performance.

It was quite impressive to see more than a dozen children lined up and doing the same thing.

Xia Minmin and Tang Meng's parents didn't have time to come today. They accompany them to practice in the community almost every day and are very familiar with the names of various movements.

Xia Jianguo and Tang Wu also studied with him and have made some progress; they have no problem with things like street driving and braking.

"Look at those two girls over there, they're really amazing. Their movements are even more precise than the boys'."

“I know them. I know they are in the same class as my son. They are quick learners and hardworking. They were ahead of the others on the first day of class. I guess they won’t be enrolling next semester.”

"Then they really hit the jackpot during those two months of summer vacation."

"Yes, you have great athletic talent, which is something you can't envy."

In the afternoon, Xia Minmin specially brought the painting she had done yesterday to her oil painting class.

After reviewing her work, Teacher Lu said, "Xia Minmin, if you consider oil painting a hobby, you can already be considered a master. If you want to pursue it professionally, you still need to continue learning."

"Teacher, I haven't thought that much about it, but I probably won't pursue it as a major."

Teacher Lu remained silent for a long time. "Go back and discuss it with your parents. See if you want to pursue a professional career. You have a good understanding of art. Every painting you create gives people a sense of vitality, which is something many people lack."

"Thank you, teacher! I will discuss it with my parents."

After school, Xia Minmin told Tang Meng what Teacher Lu had said.

Tang Meng said, "It depends on whether you want to or not. With your grades, it's a bit of a waste to major in oil painting, and I doubt your parents would agree."

Xia Minmin hesitated and said, "Well, I do really like drawing, but I don't want to make it my profession. Turning a hobby into a profession would probably wear down my passion. I prefer to draw freely rather than just drawing for the sake of drawing."

"What you said makes sense. I support you no matter what."

"Mengmeng, Coach Yang asked you a while ago if you wanted to go professional. What have you thought about it?"

"Although Coach Yang said I have a lot of talent, I am already 12 years old. My dad later used his connections to consult with many coaches. If I were to become a professional at my age, I would have to put in a lot of effort, and I wouldn't even be able to finish my regular schoolwork. I'm afraid that I won't be able to do well in my studies and tennis."

"Have you decided not to pursue your major?"

"Yes. I'm the same age as you, and I'll definitely choose to pursue my major."

Tang Meng became very downcast after speaking, probably because she still had some regrets.

Xia Minmin hugged Tang Meng to comfort her, "It's okay. I'll help you sign up for the tennis class at the Children's Palace after school starts. We can practice first, and the opportunity will come someday, right?"

"Thank you, Xiaomin! You're so kind."