On New Year's Day 1999, Xia Minmin celebrated her 8th birthday early with her family.

Her actual birthday is Tuesday, January 5th, which is the 18th day of the 11th lunar month. Her family has always celebrated birthdays according to the lunar calendar, so the date of her birthday is different every year.

Xia Minmin's birthday was no different from any other day. She got up early as usual to go to school with Tang Meng, and they went home together after evening self-study.

The school bell rang at No. 5 Middle School, and the lights in the classroom suddenly went out.

Xia Minmin gave up packing her schoolbag and looked around. She noticed that the lights in the neighboring school building were still on, and the classroom had become unusually quiet.

In the corridor outside the classroom, students from other classes passed by and looked towards Class 1's classroom.

Xia Minmin turned her head to talk to Tang Meng, but found that she was not in her seat.

Just then, a gasp came from outside the classroom, and Xia Minmin turned her head to look.

Tang Meng walked in through the back door carrying a large cake, and the whole class began to sing "Happy Birthday." The students standing outside Class 1's classroom also joined in the singing.

When the song ended, the classroom lights came on.

The classmates applauded and offered their blessings.

Happy birthday, class monitor!

Happy birthday, Xiaomin!

"Make a wish now!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

With tears in her eyes, Xia Minmin looked at her classmates surrounding her and made her wish.

She wished time could stand still at this moment.

After Xia Minmin made a wish, the candles were blown out. Tang Meng quickly told everyone to share the cake and took out her camera to ask classmates from other classes to take pictures of the whole class.

Ms. Lu, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, walked in from outside the classroom. "Happy birthday, little class monitor!"

Teacher Lu handed the bag in her hand to Xia Minmin.

Xia Minmin took it and felt a heavy weight in her hand. The feel was very strange, and she guessed it wasn't anything good.

The surrounding classmates kept jeering.

"Open it and take a look!"

"Class monitor, what gift did Teacher Lu give you?"

"Teacher, you're so biased! You didn't give us any."

Unable to resist her classmates' requests, Xia Minmin took out the contents of the bag.

The students in the class were greatly disappointed.

"Ugh, I don't want this kind of treatment from the class monitor at all!"

"Me too!"

"No one can be happy to receive this pile of exercise books on their birthday."

"They're even in the second year of junior high."

"I feel so sorry for the squad leader!"

"Being a class monitor is so tough!"

"Let the squad leader bear this hardship alone!"

Teacher Lu said with a smile, "Next time a student in our class has a birthday, be sure to let me know, and I'll give you all a gift too."

The students in Class One had never been so in sync before, and they all refused.

Teacher Lu laughed in exasperation, "Alright, hurry up and eat your cake, then go home!"

Teacher Lu returned to her office; several homeroom teachers had not yet gone home.

"Is it your class monitor's birthday today?"

"Yes, her best friend is Tang Meng from our class. They are very close, and she specially asked her mother to bring the cake over today."

"How much does such a big cake cost?"

"Anyway, it's not cheap."

"It's so rare to see best friends who are only a few years apart in age!"

"The class monitor skipped a grade; he's methodical and seems more mature than his peers. Besides..."

The homeroom teacher who was speaking waved her hand, and the other teachers gathered around. She then told them what had happened at the neighboring elementary school.

"No way?"

"Of course it's true. My friend is an elementary school teacher, and they told him to keep quiet afterward. You mustn't tell anyone."

"Um."

"I never expected that the class monitor of Class 1, who looks so frail, would be so brave."

"From now on, we must never underestimate any woman, even if she is still a child."

"It's getting late, let's hurry home!"

"Wait for me."

...

Tang Meng stayed with Xia Minmin until she locked the classroom doors and windows before leaving.

Apart from the junior high school building, which still had lights on, only the streetlights were dimly lit in other parts of the school.

The lamplight and moonlight mingled and filtered through the trees, casting long shadows of Xia Minmin and Tang Meng.

"Mengmeng, when did you buy this cake? I didn't know about it."

"You booked it on Sunday. How dare you say that? You didn't even invite me to dinner for your birthday!"

Tang Meng crossed her arms and took two steps forward.

Xia Minmin quickly stepped forward to explain, "Mengmeng, it's not what you think. There's a saying that if a child celebrates their birthday before the age of 12, they can only have a simple meal with their family and can't invite guests. So I was thinking of inviting you to lunch on Saturday."

Tang Meng laughed as she listened to Xia Minmin's earnest explanation. "Silly girl, I was just teasing you, didn't you realize?"

"Okay, as long as you don't get angry..."

The two girls' voices grew softer and softer until they could no longer be heard.

Xia Minmin got home half an hour later than usual.

Xia Minmin, who was taking out the key to open the door, was hit on the head by Xia Jianguo, who suddenly opened the door.

Bang…

Xia Minmin's painful voice came

Hearing the noise, Li Chunmei got up from the sofa and took a few steps before seeing Xia Minmin come in, covering her head.

Li Chunmei quickly helped Xia Minmin sit on the sofa. Xia Minmin put her hand down, and near her right hairline, there was a lump the size of an egg, which was red and swollen.

"Tsk... How come it's so serious! It looks painful, even though I didn't use much force to open the door."

Li Chunmei glanced at Xia Jianguo and said, "I told you last time, couldn't you be a little more careful when you open the door? You should be gentler. I'm old and my skull is strong, so it's okay if you bump into me. Xiaomin is different; she's still a child and her skull hasn't fully developed yet."

Xia Jianguo didn't dare to say anything more. He took out an ice pack that had been used before from the refrigerator, wrapped in a towel, and handed it to Li Chunmei.

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