Telephone

Chen Xiyu dialed the number and the call was picked up quickly.

"Hello Tan Zhao?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

The atmosphere was very quiet. Chen Xiyu's fingers were twisting the strap of her sweatshirt hood. When the phone was dialed, she didn't know where to start.

On the other side, there was the sound of a carbon pen being pressed down.

"What are you doing"

"I'm waiting for you to speak."

"Tan Zhao, I just realized today that we've known each other since the first grade of junior high school."

The sound of the carbon pen pressing suddenly stopped.

"Did you just realize that?"

"Um"

"I recognized you the first time I saw you."

Chen Xiyu felt a little guilty, "Oh, my memory is not very good to begin with."

"You've changed quite a lot."

Tan Zhao over there should have started doing questions, because Chen Xiyu heard the sound of a pen sliding across the paper.

"Are you doing your homework?"

"It's okay, go ahead and do the task my mom left for this time period."

Chen Xiyu was stunned. "Tasks for this time period? Don't tell me that every time period is set for you."

"Not really. It's just an assignment for after I get home. One exam per hour."

Listening to Tan Zhao's usual tone, Chen Xiyu sighed, "Is this the gap? My parents are too lazy to touch anything related to work after get off work, let alone me."

"Usually my mom and I would sit on the sofa and watch TV, while my dad would come home early from get off work and cook."

"You know what's been funny lately. My mom and I follow different TV series. We both like watching them on TV, and we even fight over who gets to watch them."

"My dad cooks, so after dinner he can watch whatever he wants. The annoying thing is, he just finds the show my mom likes."

"I don't like watching that new Republican romance drama. I want to watch my fantasy drama."

There was a laugh from the other end, but no sound was made throughout the whole process. Then Chen Xiyu shouted.

"Tan Zhao."

"I'm listening."

In a quiet room, two young boys and girls were talking on the phone.

Chen Xiyu couldn't help asking, "Will I bother you? I'll tell you tomorrow."

The other side quickly refused, "No, it's very interesting."

"very nice."

Tan Zhao stopped writing, "But I don't have such a family. My parents divorced a long time ago."

Chen Xiyu wanted to comfort him. "But you are very good."

"By the way, I've always wanted to ask you, if Yang Xiaoxiao and I don't have a good relationship, who would you help?"

There was a pause on the other end for a second. The phone call was like that, and I couldn't see the other person's expression clearly.

Chen Xiyu was also struggling, while Tan Zhao was puzzled and frowned.

"Why do you say that?"

Chen Xiyu sighed, "Yang Xiaoxiao said that you two have known each other for a long time. She said your mother likes her very much."

"My mother should like her more than she likes me."

"Chen Xiyu, Yang Xiaoxiao and I are actually..."

Before Tan Zhao finished speaking, there were two knocks on the door. "A Zhao, open the door."

Then there was the sound of a stool being dragged. It must be Tan Zhao's mother knocking on the door, and then Tan Zhao got up and opened it.

"Teacher Qin said that you haven't sent him the results of your test." The tone was cold and serious, and Chen Xiyu knew it must be Tan Zhao's mother.

"Mom, I just checked the answers and haven't had time to post them yet."

"Well, study hard. Don't let me down."

Then there was the sound of a door closing.

The atmosphere was completely different from the feeling Chen Xiyu had when she was with her mother. Chen Xiyu wondered if a child in such an environment could really be happy.

"Chen Xiyu, I'm sorry I couldn't finish your speech. It's time for me to video chat with my tutor."

"It's okay, it's okay. I delayed you. We can talk again when we have a chance."

The call was disconnected.

Chen Xiyu changed into comfortable pajamas. On the table was the milk her mother had just brought and the fruits her father had cut for her favorites.

Outside, Mom and Dad were watching her favorite Republican-era romance drama. Chen Xiyu's life had fallen into boredom again. Lying in bed, she looked at something on the table and couldn't help but think of Tan Zhao.

Is he done? Probably not. His life is much more boring and monotonous than she imagined. It turns out they knew each other for a long time. Did Tan Zhao know Yang Xiaoxiao earlier than her?

Thinking about something, Chen Xiyu couldn't help but fell asleep early with her doll in her arms. Tan Zhao also had a dream.

When Chen Xiyu opened her eyes, she found herself in the junior high school campus.

"Have you heard? Class 5's homeroom teacher got really mad this morning and completely messed up their class's groupings. He even criticized us for bullying our classmates."

"What's wrong with their class? Is the homeroom teacher angry? Those troublemakers in Class 5 have been called out for talks one by one. I saw Han Gaoyang and the others coming out of their homeroom teacher's office today. Their expressions showed they'd been scolded."

"Rumor has it, it's because of the blackboard newspaper." Chen Xiyu's deskmate said quietly

"Blackboard News, Chen Xiyu, do you know anything?" The girl with glasses sitting behind me asked curiously, trying to find out something from this gossip expert.

Hearing the discussion between his deskmate and the desk behind him, Chen Xiyu scratched his head and felt a little embarrassed. "What do I know? How do you know about the blackboard newspaper?"

"My classmates in Class 5 told me. I heard that Han Gaoyang and the others were punished to do duty for a week."

When Chen Xiyu heard this, she accidentally made eye contact with Xiao Xue behind her, and smiled embarrassedly.

They don’t know about this, but you and I know it, Xiao Xue smiled.

Xiao Xue saw Chen Xiyu come to the classroom early in the morning and write something on the table, then walked towards the teacher's office.

One day later, Chen Xiyu was called out. It was a little fat boy.

Chen Xiyu thought about it carefully, ah, it was the little boy who drew the blackboard newspaper that day.

"What's up, Fatty?"

"Thank you very much for helping me draw the blackboard newspaper before. This is for you." The boy held a small purse in both hands and handed it to her.

Chen Xiyu quickly waved her hands and said with a smile.

"No need. It was such a small thing at the time that I almost forgot about it."

The boy shook his head. "This is my thank you. I don't know what to give you, but I hope you can accept it. Besides, I'm leaving now, and I'm afraid we won't see each other again."

Chen Xiyu was puzzled, "Are you leaving?"

"I'm going to transfer schools and move to another city with my dad."

"I see."

The boy stuffed the small purse into her hand and said, "You must accept it."

Chen Xiyu looked at the small purse stuffed in her right hand. It was heavy. She opened it curiously and was shocked. There were red banknotes everywhere, almost the same as her New Year's money.

"Why is it all money? I can't accept it." Chen Xiyu stuffed it back and gave it back to Xiao Tanzhao.

Chen Xiyu said, "It was quite easy for me to help you. Your gift was too direct. I don't need it."

"But I don't want to owe you a favor."

"Well, let's go to the store and buy a popsicle. I like mango flavor the best. It's delicious."

"Popsicle?" the little boy thought.

Chen Xiyu grabbed Tanzhao's wrist and ran to the store, "It's a bit hot, I want to eat some popsicles.

A popsicle was broken in two, and Chen Xiyu stuffed both halves into her mouth. Seeing that little Tan Zhao was still holding the popsicle without opening the packaging, Chen Xiyu directly tore it open for him, "Eat it quickly, it will cool you down."

Little Tanzhao took a bite of the popsicle, and Chen Xiyu asked, "How is it? Is it delicious? I like mango flavor best."

Meeting the girl's expectant eyes, Xiao Tanzhao nodded blankly.

In such a hot summer, Xiao Tanzhao remembered the mango-flavored popsicles and a little heroine who drew her sword to help.

"Which school are you transferring to? Is it still in Tongcheng?"

Xiao Tanzhao shook his head.

"Which city?" Chen Xiyu is a chatterbox and can chat about anything.

"Keio."

"My aunt lives there. If I have a chance I'll go there and maybe run into you."

"Chen Xiyu."

"Hmm?" The girl took a sip of the popsicle and responded hesitantly.

"Why did you help me that time? It wasn't your job, and you had to leave late and get your hands dirty."

"No reason, it's just something that happens to me."

Tan Zhao was still puzzled, "Why are you so enthusiastic? If it were me, I probably wouldn't help others."

Chen Xiyu shook her head and looked at him.

"Maybe I'm just a nosy person by nature. Like my dad, I'll help anyone in need. If I get my hands dirty, I can wash them off. If I have to leave later, then I can leave later. Seeing someone who was crying just a moment ago happy and wipe away their tears because of my help makes me feel great."

The two children sat on a bench in the school campus. Tan Zhao listened to the girl quietly. When he turned around, he could see the girl's high ponytail. At this time, the wind was blowing Chen Xiyu's hair.

"Xiaopang, you should keep your little purse safe. Thank people instead of just taking money."

"I just think adults like money, so I took out my little piggy bank and gave it to you. And when I get there, my mother said she will give me money every month." Little Tanzhao lowered his head.

Chen Xiyu was puzzled, "Isn't your mother going with you?"

"My parents are divorced."

Chen Xiyu heard the frustration in Tan Zhao's tone and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask."

"It's okay. I'm just sad. I can't help but feel sad when I think that they are all a burden to me and don't want me."

Chen Xiyu realized that Tan Zhao had started shedding little pearls again, and in a panic, she took out the mango-flavored gummy candy she had just bought from her pocket.

He tore it open and stuffed it into Tan Zhao's crying mouth. Tan Zhao didn't notice that a sweet little thing was stuffed into his mouth. His crying stopped.

"Eat it! This is mango-flavored gummy candy. Mom said that eating something sweet when you're sad will make you feel better."

The girl took out a piece of paper from her pocket and wiped his tears.

"Although I don't know the specific situation of your family, I want to say something." The girl paused and said in a serious tone what Tan Zhao had remembered for a long time.

“Don’t be sad. Even if the world is divided into a hundred parts, as long as we are optimistic and positive, we will definitely be in the happiest part.”

"I just saw a sentence in your textbook today: If you want to rise up, you can find a way out even in desperate situations. If you want to fall down, even gods can't save you."