On the first day of school, we registered first. "Tuition is 15 yuan, and lunch here is extra."

"Ji Hong, is Fang Yu eating here?" Fang Damiao asked.

"Mm." Yu Jihong nodded.

"Dong Qiang is here too."

"Dongqiang, have lunch here. We're from the next village; it's too far for the kids to travel back and forth." Fang Damiao readily took out money to pay for the tuition and lunch. "Fang Dongqiang, Dong as in winter, Qiang as in strong."

The teacher carefully wrote the name on the notebook, stroke by stroke.

Several other children from the village arrived one after another. "Da Miao, has Dong Qiang already registered?"

"Yes, I've reported it." Fang Damiao replied happily.

Fang Yu also signed up, and several children from her village who knew each other sat together.

"Dongqiang, you're a boy, so you should take care of Fang Yu and Ya Ya," Fang Damiao said, standing next to the desk.

"Okay, okay!" Fang Dongqiang didn't care about the instructions anymore. He took out his pencil case and compared pencils and erasers with the child next to him. "Look at what kind of picture is on yours? I still have pencils. My grandma said to bring two. I'll get more when I run out."

"This eraser smells good." Fang Yu took out the eraser, brought it to her nose and smelled it, then placed it under the noses of the other children.

For children just starting school, stationery is also a fun thing.

Yu Jihong and the other parents of the children left and went back.

This year, more villagers have gone to other places, those who stayed went to work in the fields, and the children went to school, making the village a bit quieter.

During school hours, this road becomes lively with the chatter of students going to and from school, mixed with the buzzing of bees in the flower bushes.

After school in the afternoon, when the children pass by the ridges of the fields, if their parents are still working in the fields, they will always straighten up and call out, "Don't play when you get home, do your homework first."

Fang Dongqiang felt he already knew everything the kindergarten teacher taught him, and that his aunt had already taught him.

Sitting at the wooden table, clutching a tin pencil case, my eyes were glued to the classroom window. That window was much taller than the one at home, its wooden frame worn smooth and shiny.

Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, casting a bright patch of light on the table. He secretly stuck his finger inside; even his fingernail shone through. Tiny dust particles floated in the patch of light, and Fang Dongqiang stared at those tiny shadows, thinking they were dancing in circles.

He looked up at the wall opposite the window again. The sunlight cast the shadow of the window frame onto the wall, crooked and uneven, like a drawn grid.

A breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, causing the light spots to sway gently. He quickly pushed the pencil case into the light spots, making the patterns on the pencil case even brighter.

During breaks, the teacher leads the children to run laps and recite nursery rhymes in the open space, and their laughter can be heard on the ridges of the neighboring fields.

Fang Shugen went out to work, but he still couldn't neglect the family's farmland. Fang Shugen's mother brought Hua Mei to the fields, and Hua Hua followed to watch over her younger brother.

It was under the same tree where she was born that Fang Jingming lay on a tattered sack, with Hua Hua watching from the side. The children playing under the tree had changed again.

After her younger brother was born, it was as if half of Hua Hua's childhood was gone. She was still at an age where she could play to her heart's content, but she couldn't play like other children. She had to watch over her brother, and if he cried, her grandmother would scold her. She dared not slack off. She hoped that her brother would grow up quickly, so that he could play on his own and she could take him out to play.

After Fang Shugen left, Hua Mei lived an even more expressionless life. Everything around her seemed irrelevant to her. She would bathe Hua Hua and change her clothes. Fang Jingming, even Fang Shugen's mother, didn't dare let her touch him. She seemed to have no feelings for Fang Jingming either, only occasionally putting food on Hua Hua's plate during meals.

“A fool is a fool. She doesn’t even know which side to be on.” Fang Shugen said to her, and she let him say whatever he wanted. After a while, Fang Shugen’s mother also felt it was pointless.

Hua Hua sleeps with her mother at night. Lying in bed, Hua Mei holds Hua Hua in her arms, her body smelling faintly of earth. Hua Hua can hear her mother's heartbeat, slow and soft.

Sometimes Hua Mei would whisper, "When will Shu Gen... come back..." Hua Hua would pat her mother's back and say, "Dad went to earn money." Hua Mei wouldn't say anything, but would just hug Hua Hua even tighter.

Fang Shugen, lying on his wooden bed in the workers' shed every night, also thought about his family. He was always uneasy. Would his mother bully Hua Mei? And Hua Hua, only 6 years old, had to help take care of her younger brother while the adults were working. Would she get scolded?

Every time he thought about these things, Fang Shugen worked even harder. He wanted to earn more money, go home sooner, build a new house, and never come out again.

Fang Meixiang's daily routine at home consisted of waiting for her son to come home from school. She could sense the time without even looking at it, and when it was almost time, she would stand at the door and watch for Fang Dongqiang's return.

If it rains, Fang Meixiang can't sit still. As soon as the dark clouds press down and before the raindrops even hit the ground, she hurriedly hugs her umbrella and paces back and forth at the door. A few times, she even rushes out.

Whenever it rains heavily after school, no matter how busy she is, Fang Meixiang's mother will make her father put down what he's doing to pick up Fang Dongqiang. When she gets home, she will comfort Fang Meixiang, "Dad went to pick up Dongqiang. You stay at home, and Dad will bring him back."

With her mother constantly talking and keeping her company, Fang Meixiang felt a little more at ease.

When the loquats on the loquat tree in the corner of the kindergarten turn yellow, the children's semester is almost over.

The fruit on the lowest branches was always picked by a group of mischievous kids in the class before it could ripen.

Fang Meihao was assigned to work at the county tax bureau after graduation, just like when she was admitted to university. The news spread throughout the village immediately.

"I heard he's going to be a cadre in the county seat! And in the tax bureau, a secure job, you guys can just wait to enjoy the good life!"

"A girl from the very beginning of our village who graduated from university and got a job in the county town!"

"I heard the tax bureau provides uniforms for employees? It would be so respectable to wear them out!"

"If I find a husband who works in a county town, I'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of my life."

Hearing the neighbors' praise, Fang Meixiang's mother's lips never fell. "It's all because Meihao is hardworking. We didn't help at all."

On Saturday, Fang Meihao returned home and took a bus to town. She first went to Fang Meili's shop. "Second Sister!"

“Meihao, I was just wondering if you’d be back this week. I’ve already told Xinkang that you can stay at your parents’ house for one night when you come back. I also need to rest this weekend. Could you watch the shop for me? I’ll get Tingting a change of clothes.”

Fang Meili went to her room to get her clothes.

Yuan Xinkang carried Yuan Tingting over, "Meihao, you're back!"

"Auntie!" Yuan Tingting saw her and immediately stretched out her little hand.

"Okay, brother!" Fang Meihao hugged Yuan Tingting. "Tingting, we're going to Grandma's house. We'll stay there tonight."

“Your sister said a few days ago that she wanted to go to her parents’ house for one night when you come back this weekend.”

Just then, Fang Meili came over. "Xinkang, I've looked after the shop for you. I'm going back to my parents' house!"

"Go on, go on! Look, Tingting is just as happy as you are!"

On a summer evening, the country road is filled with the natural scent of earth. The freshly watered paddy field ridges are fragrant with the damp earth and wild jasmine by the roadside. Fang Meili rides along the country road. "I used to want to leave here, but after I got married, I wanted to come back often to make sure I felt at ease. Meihao, you'll probably marry someone in the county town, so it won't be as convenient for you to come home as it is for me."

"I don't know!" Fang Meihao sat in the back and looked at the fields on both sides. "After working in the county town for a while, I felt that it was quite comfortable to go back to the countryside."

"What do you mean you don't know? No matter how comfortable the countryside is, you're not going to marry someone from there, are you?"

"Meilimei is back!" The villagers greeted her warmly.

"Yes, we're back!" the two sisters responded warmly.

"Second Aunt, Little Aunt, Tingting!" Fang Dongqiang ran over, drenched in sweat. He was the happiest when the two of them came back, as they always brought him something. "Grandma was saying this morning, 'Is Little Aunt coming back this week?'"

"You only mentioned Auntie Xiao, not Auntie Er?" Fang Meili teased him.

"Same here. Grandma said that Meihao will go to Meili's place when she comes back, and she asked her to pick her up. She knew you would come together."

"She's quite the smooth talker, very good at smoothing things over!"

Fang Meixiang's mother was picking vegetables in the field. There were many ripe vegetables this season, such as cucumbers, loofahs, winter melons, eggplants, tomatoes, and cowpeas that were so abundant that they couldn't be eaten in time. There would be enough for the family to eat throughout the summer.

"Meixiang's mother, pick some more vegetables, both of your daughters are back home," a neighbor called out as she came to pick vegetables.

"Oh, Meili Mei is back?"

"Yes, I just ran into them."

"Okay, I'll pick some more vegetables to take back." Fang Meixiang's mother went to find a few more tomatoes. Everyone loves tomato and egg stir-fry, so she'll make a pot of it for dinner.

Fang Meixiang pointed outside. "Mother went to the fields, right?" Fang Meili asked.

Fang Meili glanced at the dried cowpeas drying by the door, which were no longer getting any sun. She went outside and touched them with her hands. "They're so dry now, we can put them away now."

"Meili, you're here?" Fang Meixiang's mother returned carrying a basket.

"Yes, I came with Meihao. Mother, this jar of dried tofu is almost dry, can we put it away now?"

"That's about it. Take some with you. Stir-fry it with some cured meat; it'll be very fragrant."

"No, the new Kangniang has already been dried in the sun."

"Yes, as long as cowpeas are planted, they grow so fast that we can't even eat them in time."

"Where should I put it? I'll put it away."

"Wait a minute, I'll collect it." Fang Meili's mother came into the house, brought out a watermelon, and cut it. "Meihao, how's work?"

"That's good. Now we just need to register the transactions and check the receipts."

"Alright, we need to be very careful with the accounts."

"Um!"

"Oh, Mother, I've deposited the money Da Miao sent last time as well," Fang Meili said, remembering.

Fang Meili then walked up to Fang Meixiang and said, "Sister, Da Miao sends money every month, and I've saved it all up to build a new house."

When Fang Meixiang heard about Da Miao, a hint of longing flashed in her eyes.

"When are you going to build a new house?" Fang Dongqiang, who was playing nearby, came over when he heard this.

“We’ll build a new house once we’ve saved enough money your dad sends.”

Fang Meixiang's mother chimed in, "This method is still the best. We can have Da Miao send it to you every month, and you can just go and collect it and store it directly. We don't have to make a special trip to town."

The light bulb was turned on, and the dim yellow light, along with the aroma of food, filled the room. Fang Meixiang's father had also returned from the fields.

The family sat around the table eating dinner. "Meihao, are you used to the food in the cafeteria?"

"If you like the food, just use your meal tickets to buy it."

"Hmm, if you're still hungry, go outside and buy some more food."

"The food is decent; you can get enough to eat."

Fang Dongqiang was eating his rice when he suddenly looked outside as if he remembered something. Holding his chopsticks, he asked, "Second Aunt, it's getting dark. Are you and Tingting going back?"

Do you want me to go back?

"I didn't want to, it's dangerous on the road after dark."

"Okay, then I'll stay here tonight."

"Great!" Fang Dongqiang raised his chopsticks.

"Don't wave your chopsticks around while eating!" Fang Meixiang's mother pressed down on his chopsticks.

"Oh, Grandma, I'm sleeping with my second aunt, my little aunt, and Tingting tonight!"

"It's too crowded for you all to sleep together."

"It's okay, Mom. Meihao, Dongqiang, and I used to sleep together. Now that Tingting is here too, the baby won't take up too much space."

"Dongqiang is all grown up now, he's not the little guy he used to be."

"Oh, right!" Fang Meili turned her head and looked. "He's grown taller. Let's squeeze in together, it's rare that we're all here."

“Okay, it’ll be fun if you all squeeze in together,” Fang Meixiang agreed.

"Okay..." Fang Dongqiang wanted to stand up and cheer again, but he immediately sat down again.

That night, they squeezed into one bed, the two sisters had endless things to talk about, and Fang Meixiang lay on the bed next to them, listening quietly. This room hadn't been this lively in a long time.

Fang Dongqiang was also too excited to sleep, and would occasionally chime in on their conversation while talking to Tingting.

“Dongqiang, you’ll be in first grade next semester, so you can’t be like you were in kindergarten. I asked him what he learned in kindergarten, and he said he didn’t need to learn anything, he already knew everything the teacher taught him.”

“Yes, he said the same thing when I came back last time: Dongqiang, you just spent money to play in kindergarten for half a year.”

"There's still food to eat," Fang Dongqiang added.

"Hehe, you little glutton!"

"Dongqiang, I'm serious. After you start first grade, you have to listen carefully, whether you know it or not. If you do well in your studies, I'll take you to the county town to play when I'm not in class or at work," Fang Mei said to him after her mood improved.

"Okay, are Second Aunt and Tingting going too?"

“I’ll go too,” Fang Meihao said. “That’s a good idea, Second Sister. You can bring Dongqiang and Tingting to the county town on Saturday and bring them back on Sunday. They can stay at my place on Saturday night.”

“Great! I haven’t taken Tingting out to play in the county town properly yet. She’s been staying home looking after the shop, it’s so boring. I want to go out and have some fun too.”

"I'm bored too, I want to play!" Fang Dongqiang chimed in.

"You're always out having fun and never home, are you bored?"

"It's good to take a boy around and show him the world," Fang Meihao said.

"Okay, then I'm basking in your glory, Fang Dongqiang." Fang Meili stomped on Fang Dongqiang's foot.

Fang Dongqiang kicked and stomped back.

"Dongqiang, you're stepping on my foot!" Fang Meihao shouted.

Tingting also joined in, stomping her little feet around.

"Hahaha!" Everyone chatted and played until very late before going to bed.

The room quieted down, with only the chirping of insects outside the window and everyone's breathing gradually becoming even.

On Sunday afternoon, Fang Meili and Fang Meihao prepared to leave for home.

"Second Aunt, Little Aunt, when will you come again?" Fang Dongqiang stood by the door, reluctant to leave.

"If you listen to me and study hard, we'll come back often."

"Oh! Don't forget, we're going to visit Auntie's county town."

"Well, it depends on your performance. If you study hard after you start first grade, I'll take you out to play."

"Okay, I will study hard."

"Tingting, keep your hands away from the brakes, or it will hurt." Fang Meixiang's mother gently moved Yuan Tingting's hands away from the brakes. "Meihao, be careful. Meixiang, ride slowly."

The wheels rolled over the dirt road outside the village, accompanied by the crisp sound of the bicycle bell, as I rode towards the town, my figure gradually blending into the shade of the trees in the distance.