The end of childhood
Our childhood seemed to have been hastily paused the day Cheng Yuan dragged his suitcase into the silver car.
But the river of life never stops because of anyone's departure, it still slides forward without stopping.
The calendar pages turn one by one, and it is June in the blink of an eye.
Elementary school, it’s really time to graduate.
When I was packing my schoolbag that day, I found that the edges of my red scarf were worn and turned white.
I suddenly remembered the day when we joined the team in the first grade and our head teacher put red scarves on us.
"You are the flowers of the motherland and the hope of the future."
At that time, I felt that these words were big and empty.
But at this moment, I feel that those days of running in the yard of Hanshi University, those days of joy and sorrow for Barbie dolls and Water Margin cards in instant noodles, seem to be becoming more and more distant.
The class monitor initiated the writing of a yearbook, and colorful pages flew around the classroom.
In the "Future Message" column of almost every book, I wrote neatly, "I hope you will become a great adult."
"Awesome adult?" Lulu leaned over to look, chewing bubble gum and mumbling, "What does awesome mean?"
I shook my head, unable to explain myself.
But I know it will definitely be different from now.
It is no longer about whose marbles can roll farther, whose rubber rope jump skills are higher, or who can memorize the text first.
It is a vague yet glimmering imagination about growing up, with a little uneasiness and longing.
It seems to be associated with a wider world and heavier words, such as responsibility and dreams.
The graduation photos were developed and we huddled together to identify every smiling face.
Lulu pinched the corner of the photo, her tone a little sad, "Are we...really going to graduate?"
"What are you afraid of?" Jiang Yuanzhou said nonchalantly, kicking the stone. "The middle school is right behind the elementary school anyway. We can just climb over the wall and get there."
Now that he said that, it seemed so.
According to the school district division, our children who grew up in the same residential compound will undoubtedly be admitted to the Hanshi Affiliated High School across the street.
There is a high probability that your names will appear on the same class list and you will continue to be classmates for at least three years.
When I thought about opening the door of the new classroom and seeing the familiar figures of Lu Xingye doodling on the textbook and Ye Zhixia taking notes seriously, the slight melancholy caused by separation in my heart was immediately diluted.
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When the admission letters were delivered to us, we were squatting under a camphor tree and sharing a bag of spicy strips.
As soon as the postman's bicycle bell rang at the gate of the yard, my mother rushed out before me.
My mother used brand new kraft paper to wrap my book covers, folding the corners meticulously.
"When you go to middle school, you're a big kid. You need to focus and study hard."
My father generously gave me fifty dollars so that I could buy the brand new pencil case I had always wanted.
We don’t quite understand the joy that adults feel.
But we privately feel that there will probably not be any earth-shaking changes in our future lives.
Hanshi Affiliated High School is just the taller building across the street, with a bigger playground and more classrooms.
The only difference is that the classroom was moved from the first floor to the third floor, and the textbooks changed from colorful illustrations to densely packed lead type.
"Hey, what do you think? Is the morning exercise in middle school still the same set of "Rising Sun"? " Ye Zhixia's focus was unique in the way that a literary girl does.
Lu Xingye swore, "It must have changed! My cousin said they are now doing 'Dancing Youth'!"
"Is this true? Do we have to dance?" Lulu widened her eyes.
Childhood came to an end quietly in this trivial discussion.
I know that the road ahead will be full of unknowns, humidity, and the rainy season that represents youth.
But fortunately, I still have these guys around me, who can comfort my inevitably shaky and uneasy heart when I face this new world.
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