Chapter 29
"Want to go cycling tomorrow?"
Zhang Xiaotian packed his schoolbag according to the homework on the blackboard. When he heard Lu Bai's words, he asked, "Tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow." Seeing his hesitation, Lu Bai reacted and quickly explained, "Yes, I didn't forget that tomorrow is the weekend and I have to go to your house to study, but I can stay up late tonight to finish my homework, so that I can finish English tomorrow morning and go out in the afternoon."
"Haven't I been doing pretty well over the past two weeks?" Seeing that Zhang Xiaotian didn't respond, he added, "I promise I won't miss tomorrow's tutoring! Come with me, okay?"
"You go, and I will..."
Seeing that Zhang Xiaotian was still hesitating, Lu Bai quickly stepped forward, took Zhang Xiaotian's schoolbag, and threw it on his back together with his own. He freed one hand to hook it around Zhang Xiaotian's neck and led him out of the classroom.
As they walked, he said to Zhang Xiaotian, "Come with me, Tian'er. Guan Yue said this is a new route he found and it's a lot of fun to ride. And there's Lu Yibo too. There are only four of us, and you know all of us."
He gently bumped into Zhang Xiaotian and begged him, "Come on, after you're done playing, I'll take you to my house for some delicious food!"
"No, listen to me." Zhang Xiaotian sighed, "It's not that I don't want to go. I just... can't ride a bike."
After hearing this, Lu Bai stood there in a daze.
"You don't know how to ride a bike?" He looked down at Zhang Xiaotian with wide eyes.
"No, what's so strange about that?" Zhang Xiaotian nodded, "I guess many people wouldn't do that."
"That's right." Lu Bai thought for a moment and said, "It's okay. I'll teach you. It's very simple."
"That's too troublesome..." Zhang Xiaotian wanted to refuse, but Lu Bai didn't give him a chance.
"What if you need to ride a bike in the future? It won't hurt to learn, it's not difficult, and I'm here for you!"
Zhang Xiaotian finally agreed when he saw that he couldn't refuse.
The next day at noon, Lu Bai returned home and brought two mountain bikes with him. When Zhang Xiaotian was called downstairs by him, he saw him holding one in each hand. When he saw Zhang Xiaotian coming down, he immediately smiled.
"Pick one." He patted the seat, motioning for Zhang Xiaotian to choose. Zhang Xiaotian walked over and carefully examined the two cars. It was easy to see that one was older and had a metal rack installed in the back. He pondered and chose the older one.
"Okay." Lu Bai let go and let Zhang Xiaotian hold the bicycle. "Push it first, and I'll teach you when we get there."
"Where are we going?" Zhang Xiaotian looked troubled. "Is it far from here?"
"It's not far, let's go." Lu Bai pushed the cart and Zhang Xiaotian hurriedly followed.
After leaving the residential complex and walking north along the main road, they arrived at the Forest Park in City C in about twenty minutes. Zhang Xiaotian knew that cycling was allowed here, but he remembered that Lu Bai said this was a new route Guan Yue had found. No matter how big the forest park was, it only had those fixed routes, and he had never heard of any new routes.
He asked Lu Bai, and Lu Bai explained to him: "Guan Yue said he found it in the woods, and I haven't been there either."
In the woods?
"Is that safe?" Zhang Xiaotian asked hesitantly.
"He said he's ridden it before and it's okay." Lu Bai said nonchalantly, "If it's dangerous, we can just not go."
Zhang Xiaotian sighed: "I think I should learn to ride first before anything else."
The two found an open area. Lu Bai went to lock his car and came back to stand next to Zhang Xiaotian.
"This is my old bike. It looks old, but it's actually in good repair." He patted the seat. "Now I have a cargo rack installed on the back of it. My dad rides it to buy groceries."
Zhang Xiaotian held the handlebars, but didn't dare to lift his legs to sit on it. He really didn't dare to ride it, and he really didn't understand why it was necessary. Since he was a child, he had walked to various places whenever conditions allowed. If it was too far, he could take the bus, and if he didn't want to be late, he could leave early. Zhang Xiaotian couldn't think of any situation that would require him to participate and ride a bicycle. On the way here, he thought several times, why not just forget it, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, seeing Lu Bai's excited and determined look, the words were stuck in his mouth. He sighed several times in his heart, and finally gritted his teeth and got on.
"Oh, right!" Lu Bai quickly stood aside, "Try to find your balance and push forward!"
Pedal forward? How? Just like that?!
Zhang Xiaotian's heart was pounding. He swallowed hard, made up his mind, and stepped on the pedals with his right foot, causing the car to sway and move forward.
"Oh... Shit!" The car's wheels swayed from side to side, and before they had even gone far, they were about to fall over. Zhang Xiaotian quickly stretched out his legs to support himself, and only then did he avoid falling. He got out of the car, and felt a thin layer of sweat on his hands.
Lu Bai had been staying close to Zhang Xiaotian. Seeing him about to fall, he quickly ran over to help him. He hadn't expected Zhang Xiaotian to kick so quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked Zhang Xiaotian to get in the car and try again: "I'll hold you up from behind this time."
Zhang Xiaotian sat on it again and heard Lu Bai say behind him: "Pedal!" and then he pedaled out again.
To be honest, it's not easy to maintain balance. Zhang Xiaotian didn't dare to ride fast. The bike was always unstable. A few times, it almost knocked Lu Bai over. But Lu Bai never said to stop, so Zhang Xiaotian persisted. It was almost one o'clock in the afternoon. The sun baked the air very dry. The old man and the old woman who had been basking in the sun had gone home. Neither of them asked for a break, and they rode like this for the whole afternoon. After a few laps, they finally made some progress. They no longer fell down as soon as they got on the bike. Zhang Xiaotian gradually felt a little interested.
"Don't be so stiff," Lu Bai had been supporting her from behind, and he was so tired that he was breathing heavily when he spoke. "Just pedal faster and push forward. Don't be afraid."
"Let me try." Zhang Xiaotian was about to go up again, but when he looked back at Lu Bai wiping his sweat, he couldn't help but laugh, "You didn't even ride it when you came here, and you're so tired just teaching me. Why bother?"
"It's not tiring to teach you." Lu Bai chuckled, "Besides, they haven't arrived yet. After I teach you, we can play together. I can't let you stay alone."
Then you could have come without me. Zhang Xiaotian watched him hunched over the bike, his face devoid of any impatience, and for some reason, his heart softened. He didn't dwell on why he felt this way, but turned around and put his foot back on the pedal.
“Remember, look forward!”
This time the start was good. Zhang Xiaotian gritted his teeth and pedaled hard, gradually increasing his speed. Zhang Xiaotian felt a little excited. He wanted to say something to Lu Bai, but he vaguely felt that Lu Bai had let go of his hand from behind. He suddenly felt a little panic in his heart, and the front of the car was shaking a little. Then he heard Lu Bai shouting from behind.
"Don't be afraid, Tian'er!" Lu Bai shouted as he ran towards him, "Look forward, push forward!"
Look forward and push forward.
Zhang Xiaotian bit these words between his teeth, repeating them silently in his mind as if to cheer himself up, and surprisingly, the bicycle stopped shaking. He rode straight forward, the smile on his face growing wider and wider. The wind lifted his hair from his forehead, and Zhang Xiaotian remembered the roller coaster he had ridden in City B before, but that was the wind, and it was different from the one blowing on his face now. He couldn't help but look up as he did last time. It was obviously the same sky, but he felt that he was closer this time. His heart was beating like a drum, almost jumping out of his chest, and Zhang Xiaotian couldn't help but want to shout something.
What are you shouting? Think about it quickly!
He opened his mouth and before he could think of the content in his mind, he had already skillfully uttered two words.
"Lu Bai!"
"Stop now, ah ah ah!" Lu Bai's voice came from behind. Zhang Xiaotian suddenly realized something, lowered his head and looked forward. He was not far from the grass in front!
"Brake! Brake!"
In his panic, Zhang Xiaotian didn't remember which brake he pressed. He just felt the car suddenly stop and he flew forward.
“Tian’er!!!!”
Lu Bai was originally happy for Zhang Xiaotian, but when he saw him not stopping even when he was almost at the end of his ride, he realized something was wrong. By the time he was calling for help and chasing him, Zhang Xiaotian had already plunged into the grass by the roadside. He quickly ran over and saw Zhang Xiaotian lying on the ground with his head in his hands, motionless. He was so scared that he almost ran away and hurried down to see what was going on.
"Tian'er, are you okay? Don't scare me. Move a little..." Lu Bai was panicked and didn't dare to touch him at all. "Is your neck okay? Otherwise, don't move. I, I, I, I, I will call an ambulance..."
He was frantically trying to take out his cell phone when he suddenly heard the person on the ground burst into laughter.
"Haha ...
"Are you really okay?" Lu Bai squatted down to look at him. Zhang Xiaotian's arms were pierced by leaves and pine needles, his clothes were a little dirty and scratched, but his face was unharmed. He looked like he was fine. Lu Bai finally felt relieved and couldn't help but ask, "Can you please keep an eye on the road? Are you still planning to climb a tree?"
Zhang Xiaotian's fall didn't dampen his spirits at all. He lay on his back, looking up at the sky through the treetops. The smell of earth lingered beside his face. The soil was soft and damp, perhaps muddy. His clothes were undoubtedly stained, and he might even have a few scratches. To say he was in such a state of disgrace wouldn't be an exaggeration. Normally, he would have gotten up long ago, but he felt fine now, so fine he wanted to lie down a little longer.
He patted his side and said to Lu Bai, "You lie down too!"
"Huh?" Lu Bai was stunned. "Why are you lying down?"
“The sky is so blue.”
Zhang Xiaotian felt a little embarrassed after he finished speaking. He was going crazy and had to drag others into it. He was about to say that he was joking when Lu Bai lay down next to him.
"Really, it's so blue!" said Lu Bai.
Zhang Xiaotian turned to look at Lu Bai, and saw the same blue sky in his eyes. As the two of them quieted down, they could hear the voice of an elderly man strolling in the park, telling a story on his phone. After a while, a few footsteps approached, and unsuspecting pedestrians walked by. No one noticed that there were two high school students lying on the grass. Lu Bai plucked a blade of grass from the side and held it in his mouth, mumbling to Zhang Xiaotian, "Before I went to high school, I would go back to my hometown in the countryside every summer vacation. The sky there was also this blue."
"Isn't this the same sky?" said Zhang Xiaotian.
"Yeah, but before today I felt differently," Lu Bai said. "Going back isn't just about playing, I can help with farm work, so I'm willing to go back. I always think it's better there than here. The adults at home tease me about this. Whenever they say they want to take me back to the city, I don't want to and I've even cried."
"Really?" Zhang Xiaotian wanted to change his posture, vaguely feeling something was wrong with his ankle, but he didn't say anything and continued to lie there listening to Lu Bai.
"Have you ever plucked corn?" Lu Bai said with a smile, "When I was a kid, I helped my family pluck corn. I ran around in the fields, and the corn stalks were taller than me. I plucked an ear and held it under my arm. When I plucked the next ear, the previous one was gone. In the end, I still had one ear in my hand. The adults said I was making trouble and coaxed me back into the house. Hahahahahaha."
Zhang Xiaotian also laughed when he heard this. Lu Bai smiled and sighed, "Do you think everyone is this stupid when they are young? I can't be the only one who is this stupid!"
"I don't know." Zhang Xiaotian shook his head.
"Tell me about your childhood," Lu Bai turned to look at Zhang Xiaotian, "If I don't believe it, I'm stupid."
"I don't have as good a memory as you. How can I remember such a small thing?" Zhang Xiaotian raised his arms to cover his face.
Lu Bai didn't ask any more questions after hearing this.
"Okay, get up... Damn, there's mud here!" He stood up, patted the dirt off his body, not caring about the remaining dirt, and stretched out his hand to Zhang Xiaotian, "Hurry up and get up, they will be here soon."
"Then you might need to help me." Zhang Xiaotian didn't grab his hand, but sat up on his own. "I might have twisted my ankle."
"What?" Lu Bai quickly squatted down to take a look. His left foot was indeed twisted. The swelling wasn't too severe, but he couldn't ride a bike anymore.
"I definitely can't ride a bike anymore. I'll take a taxi back soon. You don't have to worry about me. Just play with them." Zhang Xiaotian was helped to stand up by Lu Bai. He tried to put his left foot on the ground. It was excruciatingly painful, but he didn't show it on his face. He wanted Lu Bai to let go, but Lu Bai didn't.
"Why should I play with this?" Lu Bai helped him sit on a bench beside him, turned around and pushed both bikes over. He rode on the bike Zhang Xiaotian had just ridden on and gestured for him to sit on the shelf at the back.
"What do you mean?" Zhang Xiaotian looked at him without moving.
"You sit in the back and help me hold the other one." Lu Bai put his feet on the pedals and looked at Zhang Xiaotian, "Get in."
Zhang Xiaotian looked at Lu Bai, stood up and sat in his back seat, and asked again: "What about Guan Yue and the others?"
"I'll message them both now."
After sending a message to Guan Yue, Lu Bai rode back with Zhang Xiaotian. There were more cars on the road on the way back than on the way there, so Lu Bai couldn't ride fast.
Zhang Xiaotian put one arm around Lu Bai's waist and held the bicycle with the other. He looked up at the sun, thought about it and said to Lu Bai, "Please take me home and come back later. It's not far."
"No." Lu Bai said from the front, "Why go back?"
"Go back and ride with them. You've already made an agreement with them."
"It's boring to always ride with those two." Lu Bai said, "Besides, there's no one at your house, and I'm worried."
"What's there to worry about?" Zhang Xiaotian smiled. "I'm a man."
"You're having trouble moving around right now, so should I just leave you at your house?" Lu Bai asked, tilting his head slightly. "Besides, do you have any medicine at home?"
"...I guess so." After all, cold medicine is still medicine.
"No? Then follow my instructions." Lu Bai smiled at him, "Why go home if you don't have medicine?"
"Huh?" Zhang Xiaotian was stunned. "If not home, where to go?"
"Go back to my house!" Lu Bai shouted from the front, "I'll take you back to my house for dinner!"
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