A week passed, and it was Saturday again. Fang Yu stood at the school gate, craning her neck to look towards the bicycle shed, carrying a net bag containing enamel cups. Shi Feihao had not yet arrived.

Shi Feihao had seen her long ago, but deliberately didn't come over. He waited until he was with a few male classmates before slowly riding over on his bike.

Fang Yu held out her hand holding the net bag, but Shi Feihao didn't take it. "Fang Yu, do you cook at home? If you need anything, just tell me and I'll bring it over," Shi Feihao said, trying to start a conversation.

He wouldn't take the bag, and Fang Yu couldn't just leave. "Yes, here's the cup back. I'm going home."

"I'll take you home. It'll be quick on my bike." Shi Feihao raised his chin and called out to the group of male classmates, "You guys go home first. I'll see if I want to go to my uncle's house." He wanted to talk to Fang Yu a bit more when there were more people after school so they could see him.

Fang Yu hung the net bag on Shi Feihao's handlebars, saying, "Hold on tight, don't drop it." Then she turned and left.

"Hey," Shi Feihao rode up on his bike, "Get on, I'll drop you off and then go home."

"Fang Yu!" Fang Huahua called out from the other end, carrying her schoolbag.

"Hua Hua!" Fang Yu quickened her pace and ran over.

Seeing that she had friends with her, Shi Feihao, feeling bored, turned a corner and went straight home.

"Let me get you some." Fang Huahua looked at the bag in Fang Yu's hand and wanted to take it.

"It's okay, no need, I always carry it like this."

"I suddenly thought of coming over to see if you got home after school today. From now on, we'll go home together after school on Saturdays."

"Great! Just like when we were in elementary school. Where's Jingming?" Fang Yu asked, noticing that she was alone.

“We came out together, and he went home with a few male classmates.”

The country lanes become lively after school, with groups of students everywhere.

Boys chatting and laughing with their arms around each other's shoulders, girls sharing as they walk, and younger children chasing each other, the tin pencil boxes on their schoolbags clanging.

Fang Meixiang and her mother were in the field when they saw the children playing. Fang Meixiang stared at them and asked, "Meixiang, are you missing Dongqiang?"

"Yes, he's back," Fang Meixiang said simply.

“Yes, they’ll be back soon. What’s the date today? Let me calculate how many days until they come back,” Fang Meixiang’s mother thought for a moment, “Five days.”

She took Fang Meixiang's hand and pressed her thumb into her palm. "Today is over, then tomorrow," she said, then placed Fang Meixiang's index finger on her thumb, and then her middle and ring fingers into her palm in turn. "The day after tomorrow, and the day after that."

Fang Meixiang held up her little finger. "When it reaches this finger, Dongqiang will be back." Fang Meixiang's mother flicked Fang Meixiang's little finger.

Fang Meixiang grinned as she looked at her hands.

“Count them yourself. Today it’s one thumbs up. Count one a day and keep going.”

"Yes!" Fang Meixiang nodded heavily, bending her thumb down and extending four fingers.

The next day, Fang Meixiang got up and went to her mother's side, bending her thumb and forefinger and sticking out three fingers.

“Yes, there are only three days left. In three more days, Dongqiang will be back from his holiday. Our Meixiang is so clever; she can even keep track of the days.” Fang Meixiang’s mother’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.

It's down to the last little finger. Today, Fang Meixiang changed into a clean set of clothes and even looked at herself in the mirror this morning.

"Meixiang, Dongqiang is still at school and will come back after school this afternoon," Fang Meixiang's mother said as she came to the side.

"Okay." Fang Meixiang nodded, but her eyes were glued to the doorway, glancing outside every now and then.

That day, Fang Meixiang went to the door countless times to look around. By evening, she sat down behind the stove to light the fire and asked her mother to cook dinner.

As darkness fell, the old camphor tree cast indistinct shadows, and the wind carried the damp scent of late-ripening rice. Fang Meixiang went to the doorway to glance at the intersection, and began to walk more frequently.

"It's getting dark." As darkness fell, she became a little worried and went inside to tell her mother.

“Dongqiang has to wait for school to let out and travel such a long way by bus, let’s wait a little longer,” Fang Meixiang’s mother comforted her, patting her shoulder.

The distant sound of a motor sputtering could be heard, and the dim headlights pierced the twilight. Fang Meixiang's eyes lit up, and she rushed to the door, where she saw a silver-gray minivan parked.

The car door opened, and Fang Meili got out first, carrying a bag in one hand and holding her youngest daughter's hand in the other. Tingting followed behind her, bouncing around. Then, Fang Dongqiang popped out.

Fang Meixiang hurried to meet him. Fang Dongqiang had just taken his schoolbag off his shoulder when Fang Meixiang grabbed his arm, stared at him intently with red eyes, and after moving her lips several times, finally managed to ask, "Are you hungry?"

Fang Meili stood at the window and said to the driver, "Brother Jia, come down and have dinner at my house."

"Yes, yes, dinner is ready, come down and eat." Fang Meixiang's mother hurriedly went over to call the driver.

"No, I need to get home too, I'm off."

"Thank you so much. It's lucky we ran into you. If you hadn't brought us here, we wouldn't be home yet."

"The station gets so crowded during holidays, I'm leaving."

"Have a sip of water too! I'll go get some!" Fang Meixiang's mother said as she walked home.

"No, no, I'm leaving!" The driver started the car.

"Okay, okay, drive slowly!"

When everyone went inside, Fang Meixiang's father had already put the dishes on the table.

"Grandpa!" "Grandpa!" Fang Dongqiang, Tingting, and Fangfang called out as they entered the house.

"Hey! You must be starving by now, come and eat."

“This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing Dongqiang,” Fang Meili said, looking at Fang Meixiang.

"Yes, Meixiang counts down the days, waiting for it."

During the meal, Fang Meixiang would occasionally glance at Fang Dongqiang.