Chapter 188 Extra 2 (7)
Extra 2 (7)
"Oh, that's right." This dog was too naughty, and Nuozai didn't dare to keep Wangcai anymore. He quickly tied it back to the doghouse in the yard.
Wangcai let out a "woof" and tried hard to straighten the dog leash, wanting to go dig up the roses planted by Jiang Mama.
"Behave yourself. Otherwise, sooner or later you will become a dog meat hotpot." Nuozai patted Wangcai's dog head and hurried back to the house.
The two little boys didn't dare to continue watching TV. They took fans from the left and right to fan the TV to cool it down. Mother Jiang would check the temperature of the TV to determine whether they were watching it secretly. The two children had suffered from this before. When they were in the third grade, before the final exam, they watched the TV until it was scorching hot. Mother Jiang was very angry that time and even beat Dajiang.
Now the two kids have rich experience in fighting. Before Mother Jiang came home, they not only turned down the TV, but also returned to the study to finish their winter vacation homework as planned.
When Mother Jiang returned home, she heard the sound of her two children reading aloud as soon as she entered the yard. Feeling quite satisfied, she went upstairs to the study and saw them, as expected, engrossed in their studies. She smiled and said, "Have you finished? If you have, take a break. We'll have dinner in half an hour. We're having seafood tonight."
"Ah...eating seafood again." Nuozai pouted.
"Do you know how expensive it is?" Mother Jiang poked Nuozai's forehead with a finger. "At your age, you're still growing, so you should eat more!"
Mother Jiang bought the seafood herself at a newly opened imported supermarket. As an elegant full-time housewife, in addition to tutoring, Mother Jiang also researched recipes.
She found out that boys between the ages of 12 and 14 are in the developmental stage and should eat more nutritious seafood, milk and soy products so that they can grow taller and develop well.
During this period, these ingredients appeared on the tables of the Jiang and Gu families almost every day. Even when cooking a simple soup, some dried shrimps would be added.
Nuozai looked miserable while eating, but Gu Jiangkuo was not picky about food. He had an astonishingly large appetite now and could finish a whole pot of rice in one meal, which shocked both Mother Gu and Mother Jiang.
Mother Gu would also secretly complain to Father Gu: Fortunately, we inherited a huge inheritance, otherwise, Dajiang is such a big eater, how could we afford to support him?
Every time this happened, Father Gu would laugh, "Little boy, you're eating me out of poverty. When I was your age, I wandered into your house. Thank goodness Mom didn't despise me and later married you to me."
Mother Gu then recalled the good times and said, "Our family was in trouble back then, but we still grew up."
But the conditions are obviously different now, and the two families have provided the two children with top-notch food, clothing, housing and transportation.
As a result, in just half a year, Gu Dajiang grew another 4cm tall, and when he entered junior high school, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall.
Nuozai worked hard to grow two or three centimeters, barely reaching 16.4.
Maybe Nuozai is really busy and doesn't have much time to exercise. In addition to preparing for the junior high school entrance examination with his classmate Gu Jiangkuo, he is also dragged by his mother to various places to participate in English competitions and Olympiad summer camp training. He also passed the ninth level piano exam.
Nuozai spent the entire second half of the sixth grade in such a busy state, and even disappeared for half of the summer vacation. When there was only half a month left in the last vacation of elementary school, he finally had time to play with his brother Dajiang for a few days. At this time, Nuozai discovered that his classmate Gu Jiangkuo, whom he had not seen for many days, was not only a head taller than him, but also had a changed voice.
It has shed the childishness of a child's voice and has become that kind of green and low-pitched voice of a teenager, which is very nice to listen to.
"When will my voice change?" Nuozai was extremely envious. He sat on the terrace in the backyard of the villa, swinging his long legs boredly.
Gu Jiangkuo sat side by side with him. His complexion was one shade darker than Nuozai's, and he was also stronger and taller. It was hard to imagine that they both grew up together from little kids of similar size.
"Soon." Gu Jiangkuo comforted him, "Your voice hasn't changed yet, which means you can still grow taller."
"Really?" Nuozai was comforted and really jumped for joy.
In fact, Jiang Nuo is not short in height. He is completely in the average standard for people of the same age. It is just because there is such a tall guy like Gu Jiangkuo around him for comparison that he inexplicably develops height anxiety.
"But I still hope that before school starts, I can change my voice and sound like a real junior high school student, otherwise I will be laughed at by my new classmates." Nuozai has a heavy idol image and pays great attention to his image.
With the joint efforts of Mother Jiang and Mother Gu in providing him with various dietary supplements, Nuozai lived up to everyone's expectations and finally showed signs of voice change.
In order to have a charming, mature and magnetic voice, Nuozai paid great attention to protecting his voice. For a long time, he was very frugal with words and always had puffed tamarind in his hand.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to return to school.
Gu Jiangkuo leaned against the headboard in silence, "Could you please say a word, old man?"
Nuozai shook his head coldly.
Gu Jiangkuo: "If you don't say anything, I will. You don't have to worry. We were in the same class in junior high school. My dad and your dad have already taken care of it."
Nuozai's eyes lit up and he nodded with satisfaction.
Gu Jiangkuo: "Our homeroom teacher, who teaches Chinese, is a provincially recognized outstanding teacher. Last year, the graduating class he taught achieved a record-breaking admission rate to key high schools, breaking the record of Yanlin No. 1 Middle School. But I heard she has a bad temper. People call her Nun Miejue, and she loves slamming doors."
Nuozai nodded seriously.
Gu Jiangkuo: "Everything for tomorrow's report is ready. My mom bought two water cups, one sky blue and one dark blue. Which color do you like?"
Nuozai raised one eyebrow and signaled with his eyes.
Gu Jiangkuo could no longer endure it: "...it's really okay to say something appropriately, otherwise the new classmates will not only laugh at your lack of development, but will suspect that you are mute."
"Who said I haven't developed?!" Nuozai finally spoke.
"I don't know who it is," Gu Jiangkuo said, "Maybe it's a little kid who hasn't even grown all his hair yet and is really fussing about not having any hair."
Nuozi: “…”
As expected, Nuozai got furious and pretended to unbutton his pants, "Look, I've grown up!"
Gu Jiangkuo quickly turned his head away: "Don't act like a hooligan! I'm warning you!"
Jiang Nuo laughed heartily, pounding the bed and saying, "Just kidding! Gu Dajiang, I've noticed you get shy very easily, hahahaha!"
Gu Jiangkuo turned around with red ears and found that Nuozai was still wearing his pajamas. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but said stubbornly: "It's because you have a criminal record."
Nuozi: “?”
Gu Jiangkuo said slowly: "After all, when we were four years old and we first met, you took off your pants to show me -"
The rest of the words were covered up by Nuozai. Gu Jiangkuo did not struggle but made a "wuwu" sound deliberately to indicate that he had been subdued.
Jiang Nuo's handsome face flushed red. "You're still bringing up those things from kindergarten! Gu Dajiang, I'm warning you, if you dare tell these things to the new students, I'll, I'll die with you!"
"Woo woo—" Gu Jiangkuo blinked and signaled him to let go.
Jiang Nuo let go of him, and Gu Jiangkuo let out an exaggerated sigh of relief before saying, "What were those things? Was it when you were in kindergarten and so forthrightly showed me that thing? Or when you wore a red bellyband and pigtails for the Children's Day performance? Or when you wore a big red bow and played Snow White?"
Listening to Gu Jiangkuo recounting his dark history one by one, Nuozi became terrified and lunged forward with a roar: "Let's destroy them together!"
The two boys got into a fight.
Until Jiang's mother banged on the door: "Are you still going to sleep?"
Dajiang and Nuozai were instantly silenced.
Because the children were older, Jiang's mother thought it was time to respect their privacy. So, instead of opening the door, she shouted through it, "If you keep making noise like this, you won't be allowed to sleep in the same room anymore! You're all grown up now, and your beds are too small for you now. ... It's almost eleven o'clock, go to bed! You have to get up early tomorrow morning to report!"
Nuozai timidly stretched out his arm and turned off the light with a click. Mother Jiang outside the door was satisfied and turned to leave. The two young boys breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the sound of Mother Jiang's footsteps leaving.
But no one dared to make any sound immediately, for fear that Mom/Aunt Jiang would strike back.
In fact, what Mother Jiang said was right. They had all grown up, and this bed did seem a bit crowded for two teenagers, especially Gu Jiangkuo, who was now nearly 1.8 meters tall. It was impossible for him to sleep on one side of the bed with a large dinosaur doll in the middle like they did when they were little.
They had to lie shoulder to shoulder to ensure that the other did not fall.
But the two of them have been used to sleeping like this since they were young, and would rather squeeze in than change rooms.
In the silence, Gu Jiangkuo saw the lake-like eyes of the young boy beside him in the moonlight shining through the curtains, reflecting the soft moonlight, big and bright.
"Nuonuo." Gu Jiangkuo said softly. He suddenly wanted to ask, will we always be together like this?
But I also feel it is a bit childish. Adolescents hate being "childish" the most.
So, Gu Dajiang changed his tone: "School starts tomorrow. Are you nervous about the new environment?"
Nuozai also has the characteristics of an adolescent boy, and blurts out a pretentious: "It's just the start of school, I'm not nervous."
.
Actually, I am nervous.
In the morning, before the alarm clock rang, Nuozi woke up naturally. When he went to brush his teeth, he couldn't help but retching. These are all signs of nervousness.
Gu Jiangkuo saw it but didn't expose him.
Today, Father Jiang was driving himself. As they approached Yanlin No. 1 Middle School, they saw Father and Mother Gu already waiting at the school gate. They were surrounded by many other parents. The security guard at the gate kept shouting over a loud speaker, "Parents, please do not enter! Students should report and find their classes according to the names on the red list!"
Jiang Nuo, who was sitting in the back row, couldn't help but quietly tug at Gu Jiangkuo's sleeve, "Brother Dajiang, let's go together later."
Gu Jiangkuo simply shook his hand and squeezed it: "Of course."
.
The reporting went relatively smoothly. The two of them were indeed in the same class, and the head teacher was indeed a rather fierce middle-aged woman. She was very efficient and did not drag her feet at all. It took only ten minutes to arrange the seats.
Everyone sat in rows according to their height. Nuozai sat in the second row, and Gu Jiangkuo sat in the last row as expected.
Junior high school is different from elementary school. In order to prevent premature love, boys sit at tables with boys and girls sit at tables with girls. Nuozai’s new deskmate is a little fat boy with glasses. He is round and plump and seems easier to get along with.
However, everyone did not have much time to get to know their deskmates, because military training started on time the next day, September 1st, and they hardly had to stay in the classroom.
The head teacher, Mr. Liu, asked everyone to make a brief self-introduction and gave the new students a perfect intimidation before distributing camouflage training uniforms.
"These are based on the numbers your parents entered earlier. Everyone take them home and try them on. If they don't fit, you can exchange them tomorrow," Teacher Liu said. "Does anyone have any questions? Raise your hand to signal me. If there are no more, that's all for today. Everyone go back and rest this afternoon. Don't run around or go to the internet cafe. Meet at the designated location tomorrow morning!"
.
"Does this suit of mine not fit? Do I need to change it?"
Nuozai looked in the mirror and felt like he was wearing a camouflage sack.
"All military training uniforms are like this," said Jiang's father with a hint of disdain. "They're so baggy and bulky, there's nothing that fits."
"But Dajiang's suit fits me perfectly."
Gu Jiang has broad shoulders and long legs, and is nearly 1.8 meters tall. Because of years of exercise, he is not as thin as other young boys of his age, so he can hold up his height.
"Because Dajiang is tall, everything he wears looks good." Jiang's mother said, "You need to eat more like Dajiang to grow taller."
Jiang Nuo: “…”
Chairman Jiang interjected critically, "The fabric of this dress isn't good either. Why is it so stiff? I know the owner of a clothing factory. Why don't I have him make a new set for the children using this pattern, fine fabric, and tailored to their sizes?"
Mother Jiang was led astray. "That's fine. Xiaonuo has delicate skin. If she wears bad fabrics, she'll definitely get allergic reactions. Husband, you're really thoughtful. Why don't you just make new sets for both children?"
Nuozai and Dajiang quickly stopped him: "No need! Military training will only last two weeks, and the clothes are almost ready. Besides, we don't want others to know that we are getting special treatment."
After such persuasion, Jiang's father and mother reluctantly gave up the plan.
Many times, even Nuozai himself feels that his parents dote on him too much. They are willing to spend time with him and have the ability to provide him with top-notch material enjoyment. The relationship between his parents is good, and the atmosphere at home is too loving.
The same is true of Dajiang's brother's family, and Gu's father and mother are even more open-minded. They don't expect their son to become successful like Jiang's mother does. It seems that they have made up their minds to let their son be a playboy all his life, to have whatever he wants and to support him unconditionally in everything he does.
Fortunately, both he and Gu Jiangkuo worked hard and had good grades, and were admitted to key middle schools based on their scores.
"It's a miracle that we didn't go astray after being spoiled like this." Nuozai complained in a low voice.
Dajiang agreed: "I think so too."
But what he was actually thinking was: Having been brought up in pampered conditions, Young Master Jiang is already much more pampered than other children. He needs to have the best of everything, including food, clothing, housing and transportation. Otherwise, if he encounters something unpalatable, he would really starve himself. He would also really get allergic reactions if he wore low-quality fabrics.
But this kind of truth cannot be said easily. Gu Dajiang knows that little Nuonuo will be furious.
.
It was finally confirmed that although the training uniforms were fat and ugly, they were indeed made of pure cotton and would not cause skin allergies.
But the fabric was too hard and it still rubbed Nuozai's neck, joints and wrists until they were all red.
Gu Jiangkuo felt that his Nuonuo had grown up. Under normal circumstances, if Nuonuo was given private clothes by his parents, he would definitely shout "I can't wear these clothes", no matter how expensive the brand was, he would immediately banish the clothes to the cold palace and never wear them even once again - of course, Jiang's parents were also happy to spoil him like this.
But even though the training uniform had several red marks on his body, Jiang Nuo gritted his teeth and persevered. Nuozi, who was usually most afraid of heat, stood at attention under the scorching sun, without moving a muscle.
The heat in September is very strong. After only two weeks of military training, many students have already suffered from heat stroke.
The school stipulates that students who suffer from congenital heart disease or other conditions that are not suitable for exercise, or students who suffer from heatstroke, can apply to leave the team and join the "sick company."
While ordinary students were standing at attention, marching in formation, and practicing enemy-capturing punches under the scorching sun, the sick students could hide in the shade, drink drinks, hold small fans, and watch the whole day, which was quite comfortable.
Therefore, there were also a small number of students who were unwilling to endure hardships and pretended to be sick and deliberately hid in the sick company.
But most of the students were quite strong and would rather stand in the scorching sun than go to the sick ward, including Nuozai.
Gu Jiangkuo stood in a row behind Jiang Nuo. Looking at the swaying figure in front of him, he couldn't help but feel distressed and whispered, "If you can't, go over there and rest. Be careful of heatstroke."
Jiang Nuo shook his head gently: "No."
He didn't want to go to the sick company. How embarrassing! The instructor said that there was nothing you could do about people with naturally poor health. If you just went to the sick company because you couldn't hold on any longer, what kind of "man" would you be?
Besides, he has persisted for more than a week, and the military training will be over in a few days. Nuozai does not want to "lose his reputation in his old age."
"Who's talking?" The instructor, standing in the distance, had surprisingly good ears. "Stand up yourself, or the whole class will do five push-ups together."
No one knew which dynasty their instructor had traveled from, and he particularly liked to "punish everyone collectively." Jiang Nuo was about to stand up, but was stopped by Gu Jiangkuo who stepped forward behind him.
Gu Jiangkuo was standing right in front of him. "Report! Instructor, I spoke on my own."
The instructor was not as tall as him, and he glanced at Gu Jiangkuo and said, "How can you talk alone? Show me."
"I saw that Jiang Nuo, the classmate in front of me, seemed to be suffering from heatstroke, so I advised him to go and rest, but he ignored me." Gu Jiangkuo spoke without hesitation.
"No—" Jiang Nuo was about to speak when the instructor interrupted with a cold face: "Did you get told to speak? Say "report" before you speak!"
Jiang Nuo: “…”
Jiang Nuo: "Report!"
The instructor said, "No need to explain. You two step out of line and do 20 push-ups each."
Other students in the team couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "Report! He's got heatstroke!"
"Report! Jiang Nuo almost fainted just now!"
The instructor probably felt his authority was being challenged, and his face turned pale. But he took a closer look at Jiang Nuo and found that the boy's face was abnormally pale and a little vague. He was afraid that he would cause some teaching accident. While he was hesitating, he heard Gu Jiangkuo say lazily, "I'm the only one talking, can I do it for him?"
"Say 'report' before you speak!" the instructor said. "You're doing his job. You know the rules. You have to do double the amount for others. You have to do 60."
"I'll do 200. After that, can we all take a half-hour break?" Gu Jiangkuo said, "Report."
The whole class: “!!!!”
Instructor: “?!”
Only Jiang Nuo looked at Gu Jiangkuo's back in surprise, and a feeling of emotion suddenly surged in his heart.
He and Gu Jiangkuo grew up together and were so familiar with each other that they could be the worms in each other's hearts. Others might think that Gu Jiangkuo was deliberately arguing with the instructor, but Jiang Nuo understood it all at once: he clearly wanted him to rest.
He realized that he was not feeling well, but was afraid of being embarrassed and did not want to go to the sick ward, so he deliberately added pressure and asked the whole class to rest together.
That's 200 push-ups! Last year during physical exams, 20 push-ups per boy was considered excellent and earned extra points, but less than half of their class got that extra point. What does 200 mean?!
It's still sunny, what if Brother Dajiang also gets heatstroke?
Jiang Nuo was a little anxious and wanted to ask the instructor for instructions and go to the sick company!
But it seemed inappropriate to say it now. According to their instructor who had a weird temper and was so dogmatic that he insisted people say "report" before speaking, suggesting going to the sickbed now might even backfire.
Just when Nuozi was struggling and didn't know what to do, Gu Jiangkuo gave him a soothing look and mouthed, "Look at it, brother."
Nuozi: “…”
Why is Gu Dajiang pretending to be so arrogant at this time?
But the facts proved that Gu Jiangkuo really succeeded in pretending to be a tough guy.
The instructor noticed that Jiang Nuo looked unwell and wanted to give him some slack, so he dismissed the students in Class 6 and had them sit in a circle in the shade before announcing, "Student Gu Jiangkuo, 200 push-ups challenge. If you succeed, the whole class will have a half-hour break. If you fail..."
The instructor swallowed the words "whole class" and said, "Change it to running ten laps around the playground!"
The commotion here was quite loud, and several classes nearby that happened to be on break couldn't help but come over to watch the fun, forming a large circle with three layers inside and three layers outside.
Some people were worried about Gu Jiangkuo, while others were just there to watch the fun. However, some sharp-eyed students actually recognized his name, and a group of little girls whispered excitedly, "That's the handsome guy! He's so tall!"
It turned out that within just over a week, word had spread in the grade that there was a handsome boy and a handsome boy in Class 6 of the first grade. The handsome boy was over 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, and wheat-colored skin. When he wore a training uniform, he looked like a special forces soldier, extremely handsome. His name was Gu Jiangkuo.
The handsome boy is called Jiang Nuo. He has super fair skin and doesn’t get tanned even when standing at attention under the sun. His facial features are as delicate as a star’s.
"Wow, he's so handsome! He looks even more like a soldier than a soldier. ...Where is this handsome boy?"
"That's Jiang Nuo!"
"Ahhh, so handsome! His eyelashes are so long, I can see them from so far away!"
“…”
"Quiet!" the instructor shouted coldly, "Everyone watching, shut up or go back!"
The other students then shut up.
At this time, Gu Jiangkuo was ready. When the instructor shouted "start", he rolled up his sleeves and did his first push-up with standard posture.
The instructor counted every time Gu Jiangkuo did one. He didn't expect him to be able to do 200. After all, even in the military, such a large amount of exercise was usually not achieved.
However, "One, two... thirty-one, thirty-two."
"One hundred, one hundred and one..."
For the last thirty, almost all the students watching counted loudly in unison. The atmosphere was extremely lively, but Gu Jiangkuo still maintained his original rhythm, doing them one by one slowly - but the instructor knew that the slower the push-ups were, the more it tested one's physical strength.
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