After the renovation, the house is now occupied by Shen Huaiyue and Lin Wei, who have just woken up.
The eldest brother, Shen Huaishan, whom they reunited with, and his wife, Awen, would bring their three sons back to stay for a while every year.
In addition, Zhou Qiqi gave birth to twins three years ago, making the family increasingly prosperous.
The advantage is that it's lively, but the disadvantage is that it's hard to find a quiet corner to read.
Deng Cuixiang then suggested that she go to her own home to do her homework.
"No, Aunt Cuixiang,"
The ferryman shook his head.
"I miss my aunt. I'm going back to see her, and my younger brother and sister. I'm not going to do my homework anymore, anyway... it's the same whether I do it or not."
She has always had excellent grades, and this is not an exaggeration.
Deng Cuixiang smiled and said, "Okay. I'll park the car in front of your Aunt Zhu Yingying's house. You guys go back first. I'll go check on her."
Zhu Yingying has had a tough time these past few years. Her child, which she conceived ten years ago, died at the age of five. Now, she has finally become pregnant again, and Deng Cuixiang is always filled with worry.
After the car came to a stop, the group got out.
Jiang Xiangyang, still carrying the pink backpack, escorted Shen Duzhou step by step to the entrance of the Shen family's courtyard.
This scene was witnessed by Qin Peilan, who was busy preparing for her birthday banquet in the courtyard.
She turned to Zhou Qiqi, who was changing clothes inside, and muttered to herself:
"Qiqi, look at Zhouzhou and Xiangyang, aren't they getting a little too close? The college entrance exam is just around the corner..."
It wasn't that she disliked Jiang Xiangyang; she had watched him grow up, and he was kind-hearted, but his personality was too impulsive, and his grades were... She was really afraid of affecting the calm and reserved Zhouzhou.
Zhou Qiqi changed into a comfortable set of loungewear, and without even looking up, said with a smile:
"Mom, don't worry. Zhouzhou knows what she's doing. Whatever decision she makes, we'll support her."
She believed in her niece's resolve, but she wasn't entirely without her own thoughts.
After dinner, taking advantage of the lull in the evening, Zhou Qiqi called Chen Duzhou to the grape trellis in the yard.
It's the grape growing season right now, and the vines are very lush.
Zhou Qiqi didn't beat around the bush; she simply and gently expressed her thoughts, telling her to follow her heart and that her family would support her no matter what.
"Life is about experiencing things, so just enjoy the present moment."
Looking at his aunt's confident and composed face in the moonlight, Shen Duzhou felt as if he had found a pillar of support and immediately made up his mind.
She immediately ran out to the outside of the Jiang family's courtyard and called out Jiang Xiangyang, who was being nagged by Deng Cuixiang to do his homework.
The two stood under a grape trellis similar to that in the Jiang family's courtyard.
Shen Duzhou unconsciously twirled a grape leaf between his fingers, seemingly lifting it casually:
"The Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing... I heard the environment is really nice, and there's a pretty big lake there. They say it's a great place for sketching."
After she finished speaking, she secretly raised her eyes, trying to find a trace of concern or even reluctance on Jiang Xiangyang's face.
Jiang Xiangyang hummed in agreement, grinding the pebbles on the ground with his toes, and mumbled:
"Oh, that's great. Beijing is a big city with lots of opportunities."
His reaction was very indifferent.
Shen Duzhou's heart sank, and a sense of suffocation welled up inside him. He didn't know if Shen Duzhou was pretending to be stupid or if he really was stupid.
After a while, she stopped, took a deep breath, and said:
"Jiang Xiangyang, if... if we don't go to Beijing, the Art Academy in L Province is actually quite good. I've looked into it, and their traditional Chinese painting program is very strong."
As soon as she said it, her ears burned instantly. She quickly lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, not daring to look at his expression again.
Jiang Xiangyang raised his head and blurted out:
"Zhouzhou, what are you thinking! How can the Provincial Academy of Fine Arts compare to the Central Academy of Fine Arts? With your excellent grades, you should go to the best place! Go to Beijing, don't change your mind!"
He spoke urgently, as if he were afraid the ferry would sink and not reach the capital.
But everyone knows that with Jiang Xiangyang's grades, he absolutely cannot get into a university in Beijing.
After a moment of silence, Shen Duzhou spoke:
"Okay, I understand. Jiang Xiangyang, I wish you... a bright future."
Ever since he was five years old and could remember, Jiang Xiangyang, who was always jumping around and chattering, had been a constant presence in Chen Duzhou's life.
She had long been used to having such a shadow by her side, and naturally assumed that the two of them would be like her grandparents, uncles and aunts, and parents, never to be separated for the rest of their lives.
They were childhood sweethearts who drank from the same well and grew up in the same compound.
Although girls are more thoughtful and mature earlier than boys, they are more perceptive.
But Shen Duzhou always felt that there was only a thin veil separating her and Jiang Xiangyang; their hearts were connected, and she was willing to wait.
But after the conversation just now, Shen Duzhou suddenly realized that perhaps she had been overthinking things from beginning to end.
That future of "never being apart" seems to be something only she foolishly cherishes.
Looking back on those three years of high school, she had urged Jiang Xiangyang to study hard countless times, copying notes one after another and handing them to him.
But his mind wasn't on his books at all, and his grades remained mediocre.
They would often take ten days or half a month off to go play in some basketball league, claiming it was to bring glory to the school, but you could never see a single person there.
Perhaps... he never intended to go to Beijing with her, to go to the same future.
It was all just wishful thinking on Chen Duzhou's part.
She casually plucked a green grape from the vine and put it in her mouth. The sour and astringent taste shot straight to the top of her head, just like her mood at that moment.
Since then, Shen Duzhou has stopped actively seeking out Jiang Xiangyang, and even deliberately avoids him, becoming increasingly silent.
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