Just then, Liu Fei returned from collecting manure. His face was slightly flushed, whether from the cold wind outside or from the heavy harvest.
He saw Liu Feng and Liu Yue practicing martial arts in the courtyard and curiously came over.
"Dinner's ready!" He Qunfang called out to the children in the yard.
After everyone finished brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they began to eat.
He Qunfang cooked a big pot of porridge, and everyone ate it with pickled cabbage.
That's life in the countryside. They can only afford enough rice and porridge, and good meat and vegetables are rare!
"Mom, I want to go to the market with you today," Liu Yue asked tentatively after breakfast.
"Mom, I want to go too!" Liu Fei exclaimed, not wanting to be left behind.
"Alright, since you all want to go, I'll take you. If you see any clothes you like, Mom will buy them for you."
He Qunfang had thought about it last night: should she take all the children out for a stroll today and buy each of them a few clothes?
Now that she has money in her hands, she feels at ease, and she looks radiant and several years younger.
After washing the pots and pans and feeding the pigs.
The family set off in a grand procession, with Liu Changqing pushing the only valuable bicycle in the house, a "28-inch" model, alongside them.
When passing through the village, He Qunfang deliberately pulled Liu Feng along and walked with him.
Whenever someone asked He Qunfang about Liu Feng's identity, she would always stand up straight with pride and answer with a smile, "This is my second son!"
Then, Liu Feng politely greeted them, "Hello, Third Aunt!", "Hello, Uncle!", "Hello, Grandma!"...
"Your second child is so polite!"
Everyone likes pretty and good-looking people. A good-looking and sensible child is easy to like.
Along the way, we encountered two people with a child.
Liu Changqing walked ahead and was the first to greet them: "Second Aunt, are you going to the market today too?"
"Yes, there are only two market days left before the New Year. My daughter-in-law and I are going to the market to see if there's anything else we need to buy!" a grandmother in her sixties said with a smile.
"Qunfang, your whole family is going to the market too? Oh! What a handsome child! Is this your second son?" asked a woman in a floral jacket standing next to the old lady.
“Yes, we’re going to the market too. That’s right! This is my second son,” He Qunfang said with a smile.
"What's your name?" the woman asked.
Before He Qunfang could answer, Liu Feng politely said, "Hello, ma'am, my name is Liu Feng."
"This child has such a sweet tongue and is so handsome, much better looking than my Liu Sheng!"
The woman turned to look at her child behind her and said, "My son Liu Sheng isn't very good-looking, but he's a good student. He even got an award for his final exams. That's why he insisted on dragging me to the market to buy him new clothes!"
He Qunfang felt a sudden discomfort upon hearing the rest of the conversation; she sensed something was off about what was being said.
This statement has a hidden meaning, as if it's saying that her child is only good-looking, and that it's all for naught if the child doesn't do well in school!
Thinking about her child's academic performance, she realized there wasn't anything she could be proud of, and her previously high spirits suddenly froze.
Therefore, He Qunfang couldn't help but vent her anger on Liu Yue, who was walking in front of her.
She said unhappily, "It's your Liu Shengqiang who will be successful when he grows up. My Liu Yue is already in junior high school and hasn't received a single award certificate yet!"
“It doesn’t matter whether a girl is good at studying or not. My daughter Liu Xia is in junior high school, and I plan to have her drop out!” Liu Sheng’s mother said.
“My Liu Yue said yesterday that she wanted to drop out of school!” He Qunfang chimed in.
“My son Liu Sheng and your son Liu Feng were born in the same year, just one day apart. What a coincidence!” Liu Sheng’s mother said with a smile.
"That's right, it's quite a coincidence that they were born in the same year, with Liu Sheng being born only one day earlier than Liu Feng!" He Qunfang recalled.
"Time flies! Liu Sheng will be starting junior high next year. What grade is your Liu Feng in now?" Liu Sheng's mother asked again.
He Qunfang was slightly taken aback, and really didn't know how to answer. Since her son came back, she had been immersed in joy and hadn't asked him about his studies in detail.
But then she thought again and was secretly alarmed: "My son has been practicing cultivation on the mountain with the old Taoist priest, so he probably hasn't been to school, right?" This thought made her feel a little complicated.
"this-"
As she hesitated, unsure how to answer, Liu Feng promptly took over the conversation, saying to Liu Sheng's mother, "Auntie, I'm going to junior high school next year, just like Brother Liu Sheng."
Hearing Liu Feng say this, He Qunfang breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of comfort.
While at Qingfeng Temple, the master asked Liu Feng about his plans to attend Laoying Primary School nearby, but Liu Feng refused.
For Liu Feng, who has been reborn, elementary school courses can be skipped.
Now that he's back, he plans to start fifth grade again after the new year so he can see his old friends again.
Looking at He Qunfang, who was in low spirits beside him, Liu Feng comforted her, "Mom, I will go back to school after the New Year. When I do, I will get an award certificate and get first place, and show it to you."
Hearing Liu Feng say this, He Qunfang was delighted and thought to herself, "Second brother is so sensible, he knows how to save face for me." A smile couldn't help but appear on her face.
However, Liu Feng's words did not sound pleasant to Liu Sheng's mother.
After all, her son Liu Sheng only ranked eighth in the final exams, while Liu Feng so confidently declared he would get first place. This made her feel that Liu Feng was somewhat arrogant and ignorant.
Not far from the village entrance, a rapid bicycle bell suddenly rang out behind me.
When Liu Feng and the others turned around, they saw a young man with a middle-part hairstyle that was fluttering in the wind, riding a bicycle and stopping beside them.
"Uncle, Aunt, I just went to your house to see my fourth brother, but you weren't home. So you all went to the market?" Liu Xingman greeted him with a smile.
His gaze shifted to Liu Feng, his eyes filled with surprise: "This must be Fourth Brother! He's so handsome!"
"Xingman, are you going to the market or a blind date? Why are you riding so fast?"
As soon as Liu Yue saw the newcomer, she playfully teased him, and everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xingman burst into laughter. He waved his hand and said, "What blind date? Your elder brother came to see his fourth brother. I don't have time for blind dates!"
As he spoke, his gaze turned to Liu Feng, his eyes sparkling with delight. "This must be your fourth brother, right? He's so handsome! No wonder Grandpa always praises him so much at home. Come on, get in the car, your big brother will take you to the market!"
Among his grandfather's five grandsons, Liu Feng was the fourth, so Liu Xingman affectionately called him "Fourth Brother" or "Fourth Brother".
"Brother Xingman, give me a ride too!" Liu Yue hurriedly called out.
"Alright! Fourth brother, sit on the front bar, and you sit on the back seat!" Liu Xingman instructed.
Then the two of them got on the bicycle.
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