Chapter 637 Ice Skating
Zhang Lu's belly was bloated from eating so much that she leaned back in her chair and burped. She still had half a strawberry in her hand. The juice at the corner of her mouth looked like a small ruby, making the whole room even more festive.
But children are always full of energy. After sitting for a while, Zhang Lu seemed a little restless. He twisted and turned, glancing out the window, obviously unable to stay any longer.
She suddenly ran up to Zhou Yimin, raised her little face, and said with sparkling eyes: "Brother-in-law, can you take me and my sister out for a walk? I want to see the big locust tree in the village. My sister said there are many birds on the tree."
The call of "brother-in-law" was so crisp and sweet that it made everyone in the room laugh.
Zhang Yan blushed and reached out to pull her sister, but Zhang Lu dodged her.
After hearing this, Zhou Yimin didn't hesitate. He glanced at Zhang Yan and replied with a smile, "Sure. I also want to go out for some fresh air."
Zhang Lu cheered immediately, like a happy little bird, ran to Zhang Yan, grabbed her hand and pulled her out: "Sister, hurry up!"
Zhang Yan looked at her parents and grandparents a little embarrassedly. Zhang Jianshe smiled and waved his hand: "Go ahead, let Yimin take you around the village and familiarize yourself with it."
Grandma Zhou Yimin also urged: "Hurry up, hurry up, be careful on the road, and come back early for dinner."
Zhou Yimin stood up, picked up the scarf by the wall, and handed it to Zhang Yan: "It's windy outside, put it on."
Zhang Yan took the scarf, and her fingertips accidentally touched his hand. Her cheeks felt slightly hot, and she lowered her head and quickly wrapped the scarf around her, covering half of her face.
"Let's go!" Zhang Lu excitedly pulled her sister's other hand and skipped out, her pigtails swinging behind her head.
Zhou Yimin followed behind them, looking at Zhang Yan's back as she staggered a little as she was pulled by her sister, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.
As soon as she walked out of the courtyard, Zhang Lu broke free from her sister's hand, ran to the front, pointed at the snow on the side of the road and shouted, "Sister, look at how white the snow is! Let's make a snowman!"
Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "I'll come back later to build it. First, I'll take you to see the creek at the east end of the village. It's really beautiful when it's frozen in winter."
When Zhang Lu heard there was something more fun to do, she immediately changed her mind: "Okay, okay, let's go see the river!"
She held Zhang Yan's hand and walked quickly forward, turning back to urge Zhou Yimin from time to time: "Brother-in-law, hurry up!"
Zhou Yimin and Zhang Yan smiled at each other and slowly followed behind.
The sunlight shines on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light. The laughter of children can be heard in the distance. The figures of the three people slowly stretch out on the country road, filled with a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
As soon as they reached the small river at the east end of the village, Zhang Lu broke free from Zhang Yan's hand and rushed towards the frozen river like a small cannonball.
The ice surface glowed with a light blue light under the sunlight. In the distance, several children were skating on ice skates, and the ice blades made a "crunching" sound as they scraped across the ice.
"Run slower, don't fall!" Zhou Yimin quickly followed and reached out to hold her, but Zhang Lu dodged him nimbly.
The little girl squatted on the edge of the ice, poked the ice with her hand, put her ear to it and listened, and suddenly looked up and shouted: "Sister, brother-in-law, there is a sound under the ice!"
Zhang Yan walked over to Zhou Yimin, her breath forming tiny droplets on her scarf. "This river is so lively in the summer, with children fishing and women squatting on rocks pounding their clothes."
She looked at the river, a little snow on her eyelashes. "The last time I came here was autumn. The reeds were taller than a person, and they rustled in the wind."
Zhou Yimin kicked a small stone onto the ice, and the stone slid a long way before stopping. "When the ice melts in spring, I'll take you fishing. The crucian carp in this river are really fat."
He suddenly remembered something and pointed towards the willow bushes on the shore. "There are hare footprints over there. I saw a white rabbit a few days ago. Its fur was like snow."
When Zhang Lu heard the word "rabbit", she immediately jumped up: "Where is it? I'm looking for a rabbit!"
As he said that, he went to hide in the willow bushes, but Zhou Yimin grabbed him and said, "Don't go. There are thorns in there. It will hurt if you cut your hand."
He took out a piece of fruit candy from his pocket and said, "Eat the candy first. Later I will make you a rabbit lantern. It will be more beautiful than a real rabbit."
Zhang Lu pinched the candy wrapper, but her eyes were still fixed on the willow bushes. "Really? Then make two, one for me and one for my sister."
Zhang Yan smiled and rubbed her hair: "You, all you do is ask for things."
The three of them walked slowly along the river bank. Zhang Lu was like a happy little deer, chasing sparrows that fell on the snow, and then squatting down to count the cracks on the ice.
Zhou Yimin and Zhang Yan followed behind, occasionally saying a few words, but more often they just smiled at the little girl's back.
"Look at the apricot orchard on the other side of the river," Zhou Yimin suddenly spoke, kicking the snow under his feet and raising his chin towards the other side of the river.
"When the apricot blossoms bloom in March, they're a sea of white. When the wind blows, they look like falling snow, and their fragrance spreads halfway down the street. Last year, when the flowers bloomed, the wives in the village all went to pick the petals, saying that soaking them in water and washing your face would whiten your skin."
Zhang Yan looked in the direction he pointed. Bare branches stretched out in the snow. Imagining the flowers blooming, her eyes lit up. "Really? I must come and see them then."
She leaned closer to Zhou Yimin and spoke softly, "When I was a child, I also saw an apricot forest in my hometown, but it wasn't as big as you said. When the flowers bloomed, I always liked to pick up the petals that fell on the ground and put them in my books as bookmarks."
"That's perfect," Zhou Yimin smiled.
"After the apricot blossoms fall, green apricots still grow. They are so sour. When I was a kid, I would secretly pick them and eat them. I couldn't stop eating them even though my mouth was grimacing with sourness."
Zhou Yimin was about to say something when he saw that Zhang Lu had been captivated by the skating team in the distance.
The group of half-grown children were wearing all kinds of ice skates. Some were red-painted skates bought from the supply and marketing cooperatives, and some were wooden boards tied to cloth shoes with wire. They skated just as nimbly, sometimes like swallows skimming the water, sometimes like spinning tops.
Zhang Lu stared with wide eyes, rubbing the soles of her feet on the ice, and suddenly rushed into the crowd, shouting, "I want to play too! I want to play too!"
She wasn't wearing ice skates, and her cloth shoes slipped on the ice, causing her to stumble as she ran, like a duckling that had just learned to walk.
Zhou Yimin's heart tightened when he saw this, and he strode after her: "Lulu, wait a moment!"
He grabbed the little girl who almost bumped into the crowd and said, "The ice is slippery. It's easy to fall without skates. I'll go find you a pair."
Zhang Lu's nose was red from the cold, and she was panting heavily, but her eyes were as bright as two black grapes. "Really? Then hurry up!"
Zhou Yimin smiled and ruffled her hair, then turned and walked towards the group of skating children.
He recognized that the leader was Guoqing from the west end of the village, who was spinning on one leg.
"During the National Day holiday, can you lend me a pair of ice skates for my sister?" Zhou Yimin raised his hand.
When Guoqing heard Zhou Yimin's words, he immediately took off his ice skates.
They were a pair of homemade ice skates made of thick wooden boards nailed with iron sheets, and the uppers were still stained with last year's mud.
"Sixteenth Uncle, here! I just brushed these shoes."
He then shouted to his companions, "Let the little girl go, don't bump into her!"
Zhou Yimin took out a dozen candies from his pocket and said, "National Day, give them some, and the rest is yours."
Guoqing didn't expect to get candy, so he took the candy and said, "Thank you, Uncle Sixteen."
After saying that, he went to distribute candies to his friends.
When Zhou Yimin came back with the ice skates, Zhang Lu was already waiting there on tiptoe, her toes moving in her cloth shoes.
Zhou Yimin squatted down and put the ice skates on her feet. The metal blades flashed coldly in the sunlight, frightening Zhang Lu so much that she shrank her feet: "Will I get my feet cut?"
"Don't worry," Zhou Yimin helped her tie her shoelaces and tried them on the ice. "The edges of this iron sheet are rounded, so it's safer than your kitchen knife."
Zhang Yan also squatted down and helped tuck Zhang Lu's trouser legs into her socks: "Slide slowly. If you can't, grab your brother-in-law's hand."
Zhang Lu staggered as she stood up, waving her hands wildly. "Oops! I can't stand steadily!"
She grabbed Zhou Yimin's arm tightly, and the ice skates on her feet seemed to be greased and would not obey her at all. Just as she was about to take a step, she fell to the side with a "click". Fortunately, Zhou Yimin was quick to support her.
"Don't be in a hurry, learn to walk first." Zhou Yimin held her hand and moved slowly.
"Like a little duck, turn your feet outwards a little bit... That's right, just like that, one step at a time."
Zhang Lu bit her lips, her face flushed red, and her skates left intermittent marks on the ice, making her look like a struggling loach.
The children in the distance were skating happily, their laughter drifting over on the wind. She stamped her feet anxiously, "Why is this so difficult?"
Zhou Yimin squatted down, grabbed her ankles and bent them outwards: "Look, this is how you should use your feet to exert force. Not with your toes, but with the outside of your feet. Come, follow me and count the beats, one, two, one, two..."
He took Zhang Lu's little hand and skated her forward slowly, pausing after each step to let her feel the force of the skates contacting the ice.
Zhang Yan also encouraged her from the side: "Lulu is awesome, much more stable than before."
She picked up a branch and drew a shallow line on the ice. "Try to slide across this line, and I'll give you a strawberry candy."
Zhang Lu's eyes suddenly lit up. She stared at the white line, took a deep breath, and carefully lifted her foot.
Zhou Yimin slowly loosened his grip and just stood there protecting her, continuing to chant the beat: "One—two—right, keep your center of gravity steady..."
Just as she slid half a step, her body suddenly leaned forward. She was so scared that she quickly reached out to grab Zhou Yimin, but missed. Fortunately, she shook herself and stabilized herself.
"Great!" Zhou Yimin applauded in time.
"That move just now was really good, do it again!"
Encouraged, Zhang Lu became bolder and tried again based on the feeling she had just had.
This time she spread her arms like little wings, bent her knees slightly, and her ice skates made a rustling sound on the ice, and she actually slid across the white line in one breath.
"I did it!" she shouted excitedly, but she staggered as soon as she finished speaking. Zhou Yimin hurried forward to support her.
"Don't be so proud." Zhou Yimin helped her wipe the sweat from the tip of her nose.
"Try turning again. Wherever your feet turn, your body will lean in that direction, like a little spinning top..."
After practicing for about a quarter of an hour, Zhang Lu gradually found the trick.
Although he skated slowly and his posture was not as flexible as other children, with his knees always bent like a little frog, he was finally able to skate a few steps on the ice by himself.
She slid in front of Zhang Yan, grinning, with a little snow foam on her red face. "Sister, look! I can skate now!"
Before she could finish her words, her footing slipped and she was about to fall, but she cleverly moved to the side, staggered around, and stopped steadily.
"That's great!" Zhou Yimin whistled with a smile.
"This is all about making sharp turns."
Zhang Lu felt even more proud and started skating forward. Her skates left crooked marks on the ice, like a happy little snake.
She slid next to the group of children. Although she couldn't keep up with their speed, she could still move slowly with the team, and from time to time she let out a silver bell-like laugh, as crisp as the sound of ice breaking.
Zhang Yan leaned against Zhou Yimin, looking at her sister's clumsy yet serious back, her eyes full of smiles: "You must have a way. Teach her to ride a bike at home. She hasn't learned it even after half a month of teaching."
Zhou Yimin scratched his head and looked at the small figure on the ice: "Children learn quickly. The most important thing is to have fun."
The sun shone on his face, casting a faint shadow on his eyelashes. "When spring comes, I'll teach you how to ride a motorcycle. Let's ride along the road by the river."
Zhang Yan's face flushed slightly, and she hummed softly, her eyes falling on Zhang Lu.
The little girl was trying to compete with other children. Although she fell on her butt after skating a short distance, she lay on the ice and giggled, not feeling any pain at all.
The laughter on the ice mixed with the sunshine was warm, as if it could melt all the ice and snow in the winter.
Zhou Yimin raised his hand and looked at the old watch on his wrist. The hands on the dial pointed to a little after eleven o'clock in the afternoon.
He remembered his grandmother had said that he must go back early, otherwise he would probably be scolded.
Zhou Yimin's heart skipped a beat. He knew the old man's temper best. If he didn't go back after dinner, he might come out with a cane to look for someone, and then he would definitely be scolded.
So he shouted to Zhang Lu, who was having fun on the ice, "Lulu, it's getting late, go back and eat!"
The sound spread across the empty river surface, with a bit of penetrating power.
Zhang Lu was competing with a little boy to see who could skate farther. When she heard the shouting, she pretended not to hear it and slid forward a little further.
Zhou Yimin raised his voice again and shouted, "Lulu! Come back soon! If you don't go back now, Grandpa will come out to look for us, and then we won't have any steamed pork with rice flour to eat!"
As soon as he heard "steamed pork with rice flour", Zhang Lu stopped immediately, looked at his friends around him reluctantly, then looked at the ice surface, and finally skated towards Zhou Yimin and Zhang Yan.
She was still a little unsteady on the skates, stumbling several times along the way, and muttering, "Play a little longer, I haven't won yet."
Zhou Yimin smiled and went to meet her. When she slid to his side, he picked her up and said, "Be good and go back to eat first. After that, if I'm free in the afternoon, I'll bring you over to play, okay?"
Zhang Lu twisted in his arms, but finally nodded: "It's a deal, I'll come back this afternoon."
"Yeah, it's settled."
Zhou Yimin responded, turned to Zhang Yan and said, "Let's go back, or I'll really nag you."
Zhang Yan smiled and nodded, then followed him back.
Zhang Lu followed behind, looking back every few steps.
Seeing this, Zhou Yimin could only shake his head helplessly and decide to come back to play in the afternoon.
(End of this chapter)
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