Because it was summer vacation, all the children, young and old, were in the village, and the sound of children's laughter filled the air every day. Especially under the large locust tree behind the village, many children played there every day. Zhu Xingtong saw Chen Xiaofang on the third day after she returned to the village. Many girls had gathered around her. The children who had previously been reluctant to play with her now surrounded her, chattering about what was happening in the city. Even Zhu Xiangxiang was there. However, she didn't speak to Chen Xiaofang, instead staring intently at her blue and white suspender skirt and her light pink sandals.
Chen Xiaofang is the same age as Zhu Xiangxiang and is almost nine years old. She was born with a beautiful face and has been eating well recently. Not only has she become whiter, but she has also grown taller, and she has quickly surpassed Zhu Xiangxiang in height.
Huang Juhua saw her just as Zhu Xingtong and Zhu Chunhua came over with a few children. She used to be Chen Xiaofang's best friend, but now there were so many people trying to please Chen Xiaofang that she was pushed aside. She was feeling a bit bored when she saw Zhu Xingtong and Zhu Chunhua. She quickly extended her hand, "Atong, Chunhua, this way."
As soon as Tongtong and Xiaozhu arrived, they saw Dazhu fighting a cockfight with someone. They shouted "Brother" and ran over. Zhu Xingtong did not stop them. She just made sure the little ones did not go to the water. She did not care about the others, even if they rolled on the ground. Sanya and Siya were well-behaved and followed them obediently. Zhu Xingtong saw that the two of them frequently looked at the play house nearby, so she let them go over to play, as long as they did not run too far. After the two children agreed, they ran away happily.
"Atong, Chunhua, you are here. Let's play hopscotch. I have already drawn everything." Huang Juhua said happily.
She was not interested in Xiaofang's clothes or hair accessories. She had never been to the city and had no desire to go there, so she felt extremely bored.
Hopscotch is a game where you draw a 2x4 square grid on the ground. On the fourth grid, you draw water and fire, representing obstacles. On the eighth grid, you draw many smaller grids, each with a number representing a score, like 20, 30, 40, 50, 80, or 100. Players must kick a tile with one foot, working their way through the grid until it lands on the last square. The more points you kick, the better. Remember, the tile must not cross the line, making it quite challenging.
Zhu Xingtong loved this game, thinking it would help her improve her self-control. She agreed as soon as Huang Juhua suggested it. Zhu Chunhua disagreed, however, and her reasoning was quite compelling: Zhu Xingtong was too strong, and playing with her wouldn't be fun for her at all. So, in the end, Zhu Xingtong was in one group, and the two of them were in the other. Even so, after just a few rounds, Zhu Xingtong was no longer allowed to play, and Zhu Chunhua instead dragged two other girls to join them.
Zhu Xingtong had just found a few children in the crowd when he heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw that it was Chen Xiaofang.
"Atong, what are you looking at?" Chen Xiaofang said as she sat on the wood next to her.
"I'm looking for Tongtong and the others. It's hot, and I'm afraid they will follow the other kids into the water." Zhu Xingtong replied with a smile.
"Atong, don't you have anything to ask me?"
"How does it feel to be back?"
"It's okay. I thought my life would be the same as before after I came back, but I didn't expect my father to change, and my stepmother is pretty good to me."
"Isn't this good?"
"It's pretty good, but it feels a bit like a dream. Except for Juhua and you, everyone seems to have changed. They didn't want to play with me before, but who knew that when I came back this time, they were all so enthusiastic. Is it really my fault? Was I so annoying before? I feel like I haven't changed at all, except that I'm not as sad as before!"
Zhu Xingtong didn't know how to explain it to her, so he simply said, "Maybe everyone has a change of heart."
Chen Xiaofang said, "That's not the reason. Ah Tong, you must know. Tell me."
Zhu Xingtong played dumb: "Xiaofang, what are you talking about?"
Seeing her bewildered expression, Chen Xiaofang sighed and said, "Forget it. It's all your fault. I forgot you're over a year younger than me. Actually, I'm not sure either. My grandma told me that when people try to please me, they might not really mean it to me. They might just want to benefit from me."
"I heard your grandma bought you a lot of clothes. She must be really good to you. Adults are always smarter than children. You should be right to listen to your grandma. Besides, I think time is the most testing thing. Whether it's true or not, your heart will tell you."
"Atong, you're right. I actually thought so too. I'm just not used to it."
As the two were talking, Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly walked over.
"Xiaofang, do you want to go jump rope? We are short of one person."
Chen Xiaofang looked at Zhu Xingtong, but before Zhu Xingtong could answer, Zhu Xiangxiang said, "A-Tong is too good at skipping rope. It's boring to play with her."
Zhu Xingtong didn't want to jump rope either, so he waved to Chen Xiaofang and said, "You go ahead. I'll rest for a while."
After Chen Xiaofang passed by, she glanced at Tongtong and the others, and seeing that they were still there, she turned around and looked towards the fields in the distance. She saw Liang Youqing hiding in the bushes and looking at her.
Liang Youqing obviously noticed her as well and turned around and ran away.
Zhu Xingtong didn't call him and looked away again, only to see Li Xiaotao and Sanlaizi. They walked into the woods one after the other, and she didn't investigate further.
In the woods, Li Xiaotao looked at Sanlaizi with some disdain and said, "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Not long after the last incident, she married Yu Yan. Sanlaizi had been recuperating from his injuries and hadn't come to see her. She thought the incident was over, but who knew Sanlaizi would come back again.
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