Sour summer

From 2002 to the spring of 2003, I was only 6 years old.

That summer, the air was always filled with the sour smell of rice vinegar. The adults said that it was a smell that could kill viruses.

Twenty years later, when I smell rice vinegar in the supermarket, my nose is still filled with the smell of disinfectant and fear mixed together from that year.

"Rice vinegar is useful. My cousin had a terrible fever a few days ago. He drank half a bottle of vinegar, slept for a while, and was fine after waking up."

Under the tall camphor tree, I approached the women who were whispering.

"Mom, I want some water."

My mother handed me the kettle she was holding.

I grabbed the two handles and gulped down the water, glancing up at them.

The cicadas' chirping is particularly piercing in summer

"Is it really that effective?" Aunt Han clicked her tongue.

"Go back and get some vinegar," Aunt Fang said seriously.

vinegar?

I frowned in disdain. If I drank half a bottle of that stuff, I would be sore as to death...

I swallowed my saliva and instantly felt that the water in my mouth had a sour taste, so I quickly put down the kettle.

Lu Xingye was digging sand happily, and the flying sand made Ye Zhixia next to him move towards Lulu.

I squatted back to where I was before drinking water and poked Jiang Yuanzhou, who was looking for shells in the sand.

"Jiang Yuanzhou, do you have an uncle who is half drunk with vinegar?"

"Why are you drinking vinegar? It's so sour!" Lulu frowned beside her.

"So jealous!" Little Cheng Yu'an also echoed from the side.

I glanced at him and said, "Cheng Yu'an, I heard Aunt Han believed it quite a bit. Maybe you'll be jealous when you go back."

Ye Zhixia laughed out loud.

Jiang Yuanzhou scratched his head and said, "I don't know either, but I heard that my uncle is trying to prevent some kind of tragedy."

"Point? What point?" I asked repeatedly. Jiang Yuanzhou shook his head, unable to explain clearly, so I gave up.

"Whose stone is this?" Lu Xingye took out a pebble from the sand.

"Lu Xingye! Why did you take out the Holy Stone?" Ye Zhixia was horrified. "This is a treasure! It can save the world. Hide it well!"

I hurriedly dug a hole in the sand pit and asked Ye Zhixia to put the holy stone back.

————

I ran home sweating profusely and ran into the aunt and uncle who lived in the building behind my house. They were carrying a basket of vegetables.

"Why are you running so fast? This kid..."

The aunt who always touches my head kindly every time I meet her, touched my head kindly again this time.

"Old Liu, you have some newly bought tomatoes. Give one to the little girl."

Uncle Liu rummaged through the vegetable basket and handed me a tomato.

"Thank you, uncle!" I took it and wanted to chew it.

"Hey! Go back and wash before eating!" Auntie quickly pulled me back.

"oh......"

I scratched my head and asked, "Auntie, is the little sister out of school?"

The little sister is much older than us, and she looks so cool with the red scarf on.

"I'm back and doing homework in the house."

See, even our way of entertainment is different.

I don’t know when I can be as cool as little sister.

————

When I got home, my mother was busy in the kitchen.

I could smell the aroma of the food from a distance and felt a little greedy.

He picked up the cup next to him and took a big sip of water, intending to satisfy his hunger, but immediately spat it out.

What the hell is this!?

So sour!

I pouted several times, which attracted my mother from the kitchen.

"Are you back? Drink this vinegar to prevent SARS."

I frowned and stared at the half cup of vinegar.

“I don’t want to drink!!”

"Drink quickly! My food is going to get burnt. Finish your drink before you leave."

After saying this, my mother went back to the kitchen.

"I don't want to drink it!!!" I continued to stare at the half cup of vinegar.

Mom poked her head out again.

"This child, why is he so disobedient? If he doesn't drink, I'm going to be angry!"

Seeing that my mother was angry, I picked up the cup.

"Lulu and Xia Xia can drink, so why can't you? Drink!"

Seeing my reluctance, my mother scolded me.

So they all drank?

I felt a little relieved and drank the vinegar in one gulp.

Then he drank three cups of boiled water with a bitter face, and only then did he feel that the sour taste in his mouth was a little lighter.

"I'm going to play with Lulu," he said and ran out.

"Wait a minute"

Mom brought another cup of vinegar.

"More drinking!?" I stared at the cup in horror.

My mother glanced at me and said, "Send this cup to Xingye, your aunt Chen didn't buy it."

He then breathed a sigh of relief and carefully picked up the cup, but he was grinning in his heart.

Lu Xingye, just wait, you can't escape!

"Nian Nian is here?"

Aunt Shen opened the door for me in her apron, "Are you here to see Xingye?"

I grinned, "Auntie Shen, my mother asked me to give this cup of vinegar to Lu Xingye, and my mother said that you didn't buy it, Auntie."

"Thank you, Mom." Aunt Chen stepped aside to let me into the house.

"Xingye is in his room, please send it to him. Auntie is busy cooking."

I nodded obediently, but I was very happy in my heart.

"Lu Xingye, my mother asked me to give you this cup of vinegar"

The guy was fiddling with his Ultraman and glanced at me. "What?"

I chuckled and said, "Jealous."

He stared at me in horror, "Why should I drink?"

I held the cup and pressed it into his hand. "We all drank, so why shouldn't you? Drink!"

He leaned over to smell it, then immediately stuffed it back into my hand, "No!"

I got angry and stuffed it back in, "Drink!!"

"No!" The cup returned to my hand.

“Drink it quickly!”

“No!”

This time I didn't take it, but he let go.

The vinegar spilled all over me, and the clothes I had just changed were soaked.

I felt wronged and tears immediately came to my eyes.

"What's going on?"

Aunt Shen, who was attracted by the noise in the house, looked at me sitting on the ground with my clothes wet.

"Lu Xingye, what did you do again? Why did you make Nian Nian wet?"

I was still crying, so Aunt Shen pulled me up and wiped me with a towel.

"Nian Nian, don't cry. Aunt Chen will teach Xingye a lesson now. Stop crying and go home and ask your mother to change you into clean clothes. What if you catch a cold later?"

I sniffed and walked home.

When my mother saw me coming back all wet, she didn't scold me. She told me to change my clothes and stay at home and not run around.

I stuck out my tongue and then felt embarrassed for crying just now.

Just as I was thinking about it, the doorbell rang.

"Lin Nian, go open the door," Mom called from the kitchen.

I jumped off the sofa and went to open the door. Aunt Chen was standing outside, holding Lu Xingye's collar.

"Jingyi? What's wrong?" Mom came out of the kitchen immediately after seeing Aunt Chen, looked at Lu Xingye and then at me.

"Xiao Li, look how embarrassing this is. Nian Nian came here out of kindness to make Xingye jealous, but this guy didn't appreciate it and even made Nian Nian cry."

Mom immediately said it was okay and let them come in and sit down.

"Xingye, apologize to Nian Nian!" Aunt Chen glanced at Lu Xingye.

"I'm sorry!" he said muffledly.

"It's okay, it's no big deal! Nian Nian is the same, too spoiled, always crying," my mother immediately stepped forward to smooth things over.

I glared at my mother. It wasn't my fault.

The next second, she brought out a cup of vinegar from the kitchen.

"But Xingye, you still have to drink this vinegar to prevent SARS."

I stifled a laugh as I watched Lu Xingye's murderous expression. I reluctantly finished the vinegar and frowned at me, "It's so disgusting!"

My temper finally dissipated.

————

After dinner, I sat on the floor and played with my dolls.

“Is SARS so serious recently?”

My mother came in from the kitchen and handed my father a cup. I could smell a sour smell from a distance.

"What is this?" My dad took it and smelled it.

"Vinegar! To prevent SARS"

I answered, staring at my dad with a smug look, imitating my mom's tone.

"It's all nonsense, and you actually believe it," my father said as he drank half a cup of vinegar.

"It's better to drink it, at least it's a psychological comfort."

It was really boring to see my dad finish drinking so calmly, so I continued to fiddle with my doll with my head down.

"Xiao Li in my office just graduated from college and started working, and now he is quarantined."

"That little Li who came to visit us last Chinese New Year?"

"Well, all his things in the office have been cleared out, and it smells like disinfectant."

“…”