Back then, they often sneaked out at night, carrying torches to catch cicadas in the poplar trees at the village entrance. Brother Jianguo always climbed the highest and caught the most...
"That's right!"
He slapped his thigh, almost bursting out laughing.
"I'll go catch cicadas for Brother Jianguo!"
He tiptoed out of bed, careful not to wrinkle the sheets.
Under the moonlight, he saw his brand-new Dacron shirt and suddenly felt extremely awkward.
This shirt is too stiff; the collar is so tight it's uncomfortable around my neck.
He carefully unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, folded it neatly, and placed it in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed).
"We can't get it dirty..."
Then, he took off his pants and folded them neatly as well.
Now all he had left was a pair of dark blue underwear that Su Jianguo had given him.
After thinking about it, Wu Er realized he hadn't taken off his dirty clothes.
Even a five-year-old child with the intelligence to understand shame has a sense of shame.
Wearing only his underwear, Wu Ermai finally felt more comfortable.
He stretched his shoulders and felt his breathing become much easier.
The cicadas chirped louder, as if they were calling to him.
He tiptoed to the window and looked out through the glass.
There was a large locust tree in the courtyard, its dark shadow swaying in the moonlight, and the sound of cicadas came from there.
Wu Ermai excitedly rubbed his hands together, then suddenly remembered something and quickly returned to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
He pulled out a pair of round-framed sunglasses from under the neatly folded clothes. These were bought for him by his brother Jianguo, and he couldn't afford to lose them.
He looked around and finally carefully tucked the sunglasses under the kang mat, then weighed them down with a pillow.
"We're safe now."
He nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he walked barefoot to the door and gently pushed it open.
The summer night breeze, carrying heat and a unique urban scent, swept over me.
Wu Er wrinkled his nose in disgust.
He still preferred the night breeze of Sujiatun, which carried the scents of grass and cow dung.
He stood in the doorway, the moonlight shining on his thin, bony body, highlighting the distinct outline of his ribs.
The courtyard was quiet, with only the cicadas chirping tirelessly.
Wu Er grinned, revealing his uneven teeth.
"Wait, Brother Jianguo, I'll treat you to something good tomorrow!"
He tiptoed toward the locust tree.
Arriving at the big locust tree, Wu Ermai reached out and patted it.
The rough texture of the tree bark reminded him of his childhood.
He hugged the tree trunk with both hands and climbed upwards as nimbly as a monkey.
The leaves rustled, and Wu Er was very excited.
In his eyes, a multitude of cicadas were waiting for him.
...
Moonlight spilled onto the gray bricks and tiles of the courtyard house.
The four Zhang brothers slipped along the wall and reached the courtyard.
"Third brother, step on me to get up."
The eldest brother lowered his voice, squatted down, and crossed his hands to form a footrest.
Without any hesitation, San'er stepped on it and used both hands to pry open the broken glass at the top of the hospital wall.
"Hold!"
San'er suddenly cursed under his breath as his palm was cut by the glass, and blood dripped down the wall tiles.
"Keep your voice down!"
The second child looked around nervously.
"If anyone hears this, we're finished!"
San'er gritted his teeth and climbed over the wall.
He looked down at his palm, which had several cuts from shards of glass.
"Damn it, they even have glass stuck in the top of this wall..."
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and pull us up!"
The fourth brother was so anxious down there that he kept stamping his feet. He was the youngest and the most timid, and he kept looking back at the alley entrance.
San'er leaned over the wall and reached out to pull his brothers up one by one.
The four people squatted in a row on the wall.
The courtyard was quiet, except for the cicadas chirping tirelessly in the locust tree.
The four of them tiptoed along the wall to a position close to the house, and then jumped into the yard one by one.
The fourth child accidentally kicked a tin kettle when he landed.
Clang
The sound was particularly jarring in the quiet night.
The four of them froze on the spot, not daring to breathe.
"Can't you fucking watch your mouth?!"
The eldest brother turned around and slapped the fourth brother on the back of the head.
The fourth brother shrank his neck and dared not utter a sound.
The group held their breath and waited for a long time. When they saw that there was no movement inside the house, they breathed a sigh of relief.
"That idiot is sleeping like a log."
San'er curled his lip in disdain and pulled a dark, lumpy thing out of his pocket.
"What's this?"
The fourth brother took a closer look and almost vomited.
"Damn! Your socks?"
San'er proudly shook the pair of socks that reeked of sourness.
"It's specially prepared for that idiot. Auntie said he has a loud voice, so we need to gag him first."
The second brother pinched his nose and took two steps back.
"How many days has it been since you fucking washed?"
"About half a month."
San'er carelessly crumpled the socks into a ball.
"The stinkier the better, let's suffocate that idiot!"
The eldest brother frowned and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, hurry up. Remember, once you go in, do as Auntie said: drag him out and beat him up, then throw him out on the street. Tell him, if he dares to come back to live here again, he'll be beaten every time he sees him!"
The four of them crept stealthily toward the door of the house.
When they reached the door, the eldest brother tried to push it, and to his surprise, the door creaked open a crack.
The four people looked at each other in bewilderment.
"The door wasn't locked?"
The second brother said in surprise in a low voice.
A hint of wariness flashed in the leader's eyes.
"Be careful, it might be a trap."
San'er sneered disdainfully.
"What kind of trick could an idiot like that have? He probably just forgot to lock the door."
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