Ruan Xi thought about it for a moment and said, "I'll think about it again."

Considering naturally takes time, so Xu Zhuo did not ask any further questions. He looked at the moon above his head, then at Ruan Xi, and chatted with her for no apparent reason, asking her, "Did you just come to the compound this year?"

Ruan Xi also looked relaxed. "I came here a long time ago, in May last year, so it's been a year. But last year, my household registration and school registration were not settled, so I didn't go to school and stayed at home every day."

Xu Zhuo said: "No wonder I haven't seen you before."

Ruan Xi looked at the crescent moon in the sky and said in a more relaxed voice, "Even if you have seen it, you may not remember it. It was a bit dark when I first came here. I was stuck at home without seeing the sun for half a year, so it became like this now."

Xu Zhuo looked at her profile and said, "Then I may not be as superficial as you think."

Ruan Xi chuckled and turned to look at him: "Maybe not?"

Xu Zhuo looked at her in silence for a moment, then nodded and said, "It is indeed quite superficial..."

…

Ruan Xi said he would think about it, but he forgot about it after he started studying on Monday.

Xu Zhuo did not ask her whether she wanted to go to the show on Sunday. He did not come to school on Saturday afternoon, and went directly to the theater with Chen Weidong and others to buy tickets, including those for Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie.

After buying the ticket, I rode back on my bike, and when school was over, they were still waiting outside the school gate.

Wait until Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie come out of school, and go home with them.

Six or seven people walked into the courtyard side by side. When they were about to go their separate ways, Xu Zhuo took out the tickets from his pocket, took out two and handed them to Ruan Xi, and said to her, "You never told me about the show, so I went directly to the theater to buy the tickets today. We have one for all of us. These are for you and Ruan Jie."

Ruan Xi was stunned for a moment, then she remembered what she had mentioned last Sunday about going to see the show. She looked at Xu Zhuo and then at the ticket in his hand, took it and asked, "What's playing in the theater this week?"

Before Xu Zhuo could say anything, Chen Weidong replied, "Do you know about the story of Yang Zirong, who took Tiger Mountain by force?"

Ruan Xi nodded, "I've heard of it, Linhai Xueyuan."

Ruan Jie was still a little confused, so she asked, "What performance?"

Chen Weidong looked at her again and said with a smile: "It's the performance in the theater. Don't you have propaganda teams in your countryside that put on performances? Generally, art troupes and propaganda teams perform these model operas, such as The White-Haired Girl and The Red Detachment of Women."

Ruan Jie shook her head, "We don't have that."

No one organized any propaganda team, and no one performed model operas. At most, they learned to sing folk songs together.

Chen Weidong said, "Since the tickets are already bought, let's go and have fun tomorrow and see something new."

Ruan Xi held the ticket and looked at Ruan Jie, asking for her opinion: "Do you want to go?"

Ruan Jie hesitated for a moment and nodded, whispering, "I want to go."

Ruan Xi was also very interested in the performance, so he took the tickets and said to Xu Zhuo, "We'll take these two tickets. We'll treat you to dinner after the performance tomorrow."

Xu Zhuo didn't bother to be polite with her and said directly: "The performance time is at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. We will wait for you at the gate of the compound at 2:30. When the time comes, just come over and we will take you to the theater."

Ruan Xi nodded while holding the ticket, "Okay, see you tomorrow."

After saying this, Xu Zhuo and his gang rode away on their bikes.

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie walked home side by side. Ruan Xi gave the performance ticket to Ruan Jie so that Ruan Jie could watch it for fun.

Ruan Jie looked at it for a while and asked Ruan Xi: "What is Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy about?"

Ruan Xi couldn't quite remember the details of the story. After thinking for a while, he said, "It's about the protagonist Yang Zirong and a small team fighting a gang led by Zuo Shandiao, and finally wiping them out."

Ruan Jie understood, "It's a story about the People's Liberation Army fighting bandits."

The two of them were talking when they got home. Ruan Xi put the tickets into his schoolbag and went straight upstairs with Ruan Jie.

In the summer, it gets dark later and school ends early, so it takes some time before dinner time comes. So Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie go straight upstairs to study and come downstairs to eat at a certain time.

Ruan Qiuyue is not downstairs now. She will wait for Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie to come back and then go to their room to join them.

Ruan Xi sat down at the desk and took out the stationery and books from her schoolbag.

When she took the book and opened it, Ruan Qiuyue glanced over and happened to see the theater ticket tucked between the pages of her book. Ruan Qiuyue said, "Sister, where did you get this ticket?"

Ruan Xi took out the tickets and said to Ruan Qiuyue, "Xu Zhuo and the others gave them to me. They said we'll go to the show tomorrow."

Ruan Qiuyue took the ticket and looked at it, then said, "Wow, he really has nothing to say about you. This ticket is hard to buy. The theater only has one performance per week, Sunday, and there are so many people who want to watch the show that it's impossible to get a ticket."

Ruan Jie continued, "But they bought a lot. Each of the five of them had a ticket."

Ruan Qiuyue put the ticket back and said, "That means they have a way."

Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "How about we ask him to help buy some tickets when we have time in the future? We'll pay for it ourselves and go see it ourselves, bringing Red Army Ye Fan and Red Soldiers with us. How about that?"

Ruan Qiuyue smiled and said happily: "Okay, big sister, you are so nice."

Ruan Xi now put the two tickets into the pencil case and said, "Read a book."

On a sunny summer day, a few cotton-like white clouds are dotted in the blue sky.

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie tidied up their desks, put their textbooks and exercises neatly in place, picked up two performance tickets, said hello to Ruan Qiuyue, and went downstairs on time.

Ruan Changfu was not at home today because he was working overtime at the company. Before leaving, Ruan Xi went to say hello to Feng Xiuying and said that she and Ruan Jie had something to do today and would not be back for dinner tonight. As for what happened, she didn't elaborate.

Of course, Feng Xiuying didn't ask in detail.

After saying hello to her, Ruan Xi took Ruan Jie out. When they arrived at the gate of the compound, they saw Xu Zhuo and his men already waiting outside. Five people were standing in the shade of a tree and waved when they saw them.

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie walked up to them. Xu Zhuo didn't say anything else, but stepped onto the driveway and said, "Let's go."

Then Ruan Xi got on his car, Ruan Jie got on Chen Weidong's car, and the other three boys rode on empty cars, and the seven of them went to the theater together. There was enough time, so they rode slowly and talked quickly on the way.

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie sat in the back without saying a word, occasionally exchanging glances and smiles with each other.

Seeing Ruan Xi didn't say anything, Xu Zhuo turned around and asked her, "What do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you over there."

Ruan Xi didn't want to spend more money, so she just said, "I had a full meal at noon, so it's not necessary."

But when they arrived at the theater, Xu Zhuo still bought a box of ice cream for her and Ruan Jie.

After buying things, the group went into the theater, found seats and sat down, waiting for the curtain to open on the stage.

Ruan Jie ate ice cream and leaned in front of Ruan Xi and whispered, "City people are so fashionable. I can't even imagine this kind of life in my dreams. And this ice cream is even better than popsicles. I've never seen it before in my life."

Ruan Xi ate ice cream and smiled at her, and whispered, "Me too."

Ruan Jie only scooped a little each time, "It's just too expensive, I feel embarrassed."

Ruan Xi cleared her throat and said, "It's okay. We'll treat them to a meal after the show."

Ruan Jie was about to say something else, but when she glanced, she suddenly saw a familiar figure. When she saw it, she was slightly stunned, then quickly grabbed Ruan Xi's arm and shook it, pointing at the familiar figure.

Ruan Xi looked in the direction she pointed and saw Ye Qiuwen. She didn't come alone. There was someone next to her who Ruan Xi and the others were not familiar with. That person was Lu Yuanzheng, who lived under the halo just like Ye Qiuwen.

Ruan Jie then whispered again: "It seems to be true."

Ruan Xi also whispered, "Stop gossiping."

Before Ruan Jie could say anything else, Xu Zhuo, who was sitting next to Ruan Xi, suddenly leaned over and whispered in the same tone as them: "What are you talking about? Can't we hear it?"

Ruan Jie was startled by him and quickly straightened up and said, "Nothing...nothing."

Ruan Xi couldn't help laughing and scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

After being frightened by Xu Zhuo, Ruan Jie stopped talking to Ruan Xi and sat in her seat, eating ice cream quietly.

As they were eating, Chen Weidong, who was sitting on her right, suddenly reached out and handed a piece of chocolate to her, and whispered to her, "Little girl, I bought this especially for you. It's good and very expensive."

Then, just as he finished speaking, Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo, who were sitting on the left, stretched their heads and looked at him and Ruan Jie.

Xu Zhuo even deliberately whispered: "I heard it all. It's very expensive."

“…”

Ruan Jie looked at the chocolate in Chen Weidong's hand, then looked at Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo on her left. When she met their gazes, her face suddenly flushed and felt hot as if it was on fire.

She immediately pushed Chen Weidong's hand back and said with a red face, "I don't want it."

The boy on Chen Weidong's right came over to join in the fun and whispered, "I like to eat the extra expensive ones. Give them to me."

Chen Weidong rolled his eyes at him and said, "Get lost!" You are worthy!

As soon as Chen Weidong finished speaking, the lights in the theater went out and the curtain on the stage slowly opened.

A spotlight shone on the stage, and after the announcer came up with a microphone and announced the show, the performance officially began.

No one in the audience spoke anymore. Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie watched the performance seriously.

However, Xu Zhuo and Chen Weidong who were sitting on both sides of them were not so serious. One of them leaned lazily on the back of a chair covered with red velvet cloth, staring at Ruan Xi in the dark, while the other one quietly stuffed the chocolate into Ruan Jie's schoolbag.

The performance lasts about two hours.

After the performance, Ruan Xi and her friends left the theater with other audience members.

It's just five o'clock now, and it's still bright outside, so it's a bit early to have dinner.

So they didn't rush to the restaurant, but instead rode their bikes to find a place to play nearby for a while.

Boys aged seventeen or eighteen also play around together, especially when they have just finished watching a show. They always want to talk about the show they watched, so a few of them chat with each other and exchange secret codes.

"A cloud appeared in the northwest sky, and a crow fell into a flock of phoenixes. The whole room is full of heroes. Who is the king and who is the minister?"

"The king of heaven and the tiger of earth!"

"The pagoda suppresses the river monster!"

"What? What?"

"It's noontime and no one has a home!"

"Why are you blushing?"

“Feeling refreshed!”

"Why is it yellow again?"

"Anti-cold wax!"①

…

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie did not join in the fun, but just listened and laughed quietly beside them.

When the time was almost right, I followed them to the restaurant, sat down, and ordered a table full of dishes.

In fact, by blending into their atmosphere, Ruan Xi could also feel that they were living a very fulfilling life. Their youth was unrestrained, free, without any worries or troubles. They didn't have to think about anything and the only thing on their minds was where to go and how to have fun.

But Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie did not have parents like them, and they did not have a solid backing behind them. No one created an environment for them that was completely free of storms and worries, so they could only play freely with them for a short period of time for just half a day.

At the end of this half day, they have to get back to their own track and work hard for their future.

Because she didn't want to owe Xu Zhuo anything, after ordering the dishes, Ruan Xi used the excuse of going to the bathroom and quietly paid for the dinner and the ticket. She doesn't spend much money normally, so she can definitely afford to splurge once in a while.

Xu Zhuoyuan had no intention of asking her to treat him, and when he found out after the meal that she had paid, he wanted to return the money to her.

But Ruan Xi refused to do it no matter what, so he just let it go because he couldn't persuade her.

After leaving the restaurant, they didn't go anywhere else to play, but rode their bikes directly back to the compound.

It was already dark when the bicycle bells rang as they entered the compound. They braked and stopped at the fork in the road to let Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie get off.

Ruan Xi jumped out of the car and stood in front of Xu Zhuo, smiling and saying to him: "Thank you, I had a lot of fun today."

As long as she is happy, Xu Zhuo propped himself up on one leg and looked at her and said, "Go back to sleep. See you tomorrow."

Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie waved to them and turned to go home.

Walking on the road, Ruan Jie took a deep breath and said, "Sister, I feel that my life is becoming more and more different. It's so exciting."

Ruan Xi looked at her and smiled, "This is just the beginning, the really exciting part is still to come."

Ruan Jie couldn't imagine, "How exciting could it be?"

Ruan Xi said: "It's very exciting."