pen
The Friday evening wind was filled with the fragrance of locust flowers, gently flipping the pages of the exercise book in Xu Yang's bicycle basket.
He had just locked his car under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley when he heard a familiar car bell behind him, so crisp that it seemed to have shattered half of the sunset.
"Wait for me two minutes!" Lu Jinyu's voice was a little breathless, and the sound of bicycle wheels rolling over the cobblestone road was getting closer and closer.
When Xu Yang turned around, he saw the other person holding the handlebars with one hand and busy straightening the crooked shoulder strap of his schoolbag with the other hand. There was a locust leaf stuck on the back of his school uniform, and he was swaying like a butterfly that couldn't stand firmly.
Lu Jinyu parked the car next to Xu Yang. When he bent down to lock the car, sweat from the ends of his hair dripped onto the stone slab, leaving a small circle of wet marks.
"I saw this at the stationery store just now and thought you might need it." He pulled a light blue pencil case from his schoolbag. A small physics formula pendant hung on the zipper. "Last time I saw your pencil case, the zipper was broken and your pens kept falling out."
Xu Yang took the pencil case and his fingertips touched the delicate plaid pattern on the fabric. It was much softer than the old canvas pencil case he had used before.
"Thank you." He put the pens in the old pencil case into the new one one by one. Just as he was about to zip it up, Lu Jinyu suddenly reached out and pressed his wrist.
"Wait a minute," Lu Jinyu took out a silver fountain pen from his pencil case, with a small "Yu" character engraved on the pen cap, "This one is for you too.
During the last physics competition mock exam, the pen you borrowed from me leaked ink and stained half of the answer sheet. My mom bought me this one, and it writes smoothly."
Xu Yang looked at the pen. The tip of the pen was shining with a warm light, and it was obvious that it had been used for some time.
"No, my own pen is enough." He pushed the pen back, but Lu Jinyu stuffed it back in. The other's fingertips accidentally rubbed against his fingertips, and it was like a small spark falling, and it quickly retracted.
"Here," Lu Jinyu turned his face away, his ears reddening. "I have another black one, and this silver one is perfect for you. Don't you like using silver pens to mark physics problems?" He bent down and picked up the history exercise book that had fallen out of Xu Yang's car basket. He saw that the cover was filled with densely packed knowledge points, and there were several key points circled in red pen. "I've memorized half of what you helped me organize. During morning reading today, Teacher Li randomly checked, and I answered all the questions."
Xu Yang nodded and put the pen into the new pencil case: "If you have any questions tonight, you can ask me."
The two walked side by side into the alley, the leaves of the locust tree rustled above their heads, and the falling light swayed on their school uniforms.
Lu Jinyu kicked the pebbles on the roadside and suddenly said, "By the way, tomorrow is Saturday. Do you want to go see Xu Xiaoyang and Pangju together? I bought a can of cat food with tuna flavor at the supermarket yesterday. I'm sure they like it."
"Sure," Xu Yang looked up at the sky. The sunset dyed the clouds pink and purple. "Meet at the playground gate at nine o'clock this morning. I'll bring the remaining blackout paper and add a curtain to the cat shed. It's windy at night, don't let them catch a cold."
Lu Jinyu's eyes lit up, and his steps became lighter. "Okay! I'll get up early tomorrow and help you move. By the way, is there a breakfast shop selling soy milk near your house? I heard you say last time that after watching the kittens tomorrow, we can go eat soy milk and fried dough sticks, okay? I'll treat you."
Xu Yang remembered the breakfast shop where there was always a long queue every morning. The soy milk was freshly ground and had the fragrance of beans.
"Okay." He responded and saw that the smile on Lu Jinyu's mouth was getting deeper and deeper, as if all the light of the sunset was gathered on his face.
After returning home, Xu Yang placed the new pencil case on a corner of the desk. Just as he was about to open the physics competition questions, his cell phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a message from Lu Jinyu, with a photo attached - the photo showed a table of historical treaties he had compiled. His handwriting was much neater than before, and he also drew a small pen pattern on the line of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" and wrote "Xu Yang said this is important" next to it.
L: Look at the table I made. Isn't it much clearer than before? I'll review it again tonight. I'm sure I'll pass the quiz next week.
[Xu Yang]: Yes, it’s very clear. If you get confused when you are memorizing at night, you can ask me at any time.
[L]: Okay. By the way, are you still working on your homework? Don't stay up too late. Go to bed early. You still have to go see the kittens tomorrow.
[Xu Yang]: I understand. You should go to bed early too. Good night.
【L】: Good night.
Xu Yang put down his phone, looked at the photo of the form, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.
He took out the silver pen given by Lu Jinyu and wrote a physics formula on the draft paper. The sound of the pen tip sliding across the paper was very light and unspeakably smooth.
On Saturday morning, as Xu Yang walked to the entrance of the alley, he saw Lu Jinyu standing under a locust tree, pushing a bicycle. In the basket were canned cat food and a bulging cloth bag containing a folding stool.
"I brought a stool. After we feed the kitten, we can sit under the tree and chat." Lu Jinyu said, handing the cloth bag to Xu Yang, "There are also tissues and wet wipes in it. Last time when you fed the cat, your hands got stained with cat food, so I brought some extra this time."
Xu Yang took the bag, and his fingertips touched the soft fabric inside, and his heart warmed. The two of them rode their bicycles to school. The morning breeze was very light, carrying the fragrance of grass. The wild flowers on the roadside were blooming, colorful, like stars scattered on the ground.
When they arrived at the playground entrance, Xu Yang first went to the logistics room to borrow some tools, while Lu Jinyu ran impatiently to the sycamore tree with a can of cat food in his arms.
"Xu Xiaoyang! Fat Orange!" He called softly. As soon as he reached the cat shed, he saw Fat Orange sticking his head out of the shed and quickly rubbing against his feet with his tail raised high. Xu Xiaoyang followed behind, looking much more energetic than last time, and his eyes were brighter.
"Look at them, they must be missing me." Lu Jinyu squatted down and carefully opened the can of cat food. The rich aroma of tuna immediately wafted out.
Fat Orange immediately came over and started eating in big mouthfuls, while Xu Xiaoyang slowly walked to the can and ate in small bites, occasionally looking up at Lu Jinyu with eyes full of dependence.
Xu Yang was squatting next to the cat shed, working on the blackout paper and door curtains. Lu Jinyu, after feeding the cats, came over to help, holding the planks and handing him nails. "Look, Xu Xiaoyang is watching us," Lu Jinyu whispered, pointing to the kitten squatting at the door. "It seems to know we're putting up the door curtains for it, so it's not making any noise."
Xu Yang looked in the direction he pointed, and saw Xu Xiaoyang staring at the tools in their hands with his round eyes, his tail wagging gently.
"He probably thinks it's safe here." As he spoke, he stuck the blackout paper on the side of the shed, while Lu Jinyu helped to flatten the corners. Their hands would occasionally touch each other, then quickly separate as if they were afraid of being burned.
By the time the door curtain was set up, the sun was already high in the sky. Lu Jinyu took out a small folding stool and placed it under the sycamore tree: "Sit down for a while and take a break." He took out two bottles of mineral water from his cloth bag and handed one to Xu Yang. "You've been busy for a long time, you must be thirsty."
Xu Yang took the mineral water, unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip. The cool water flowed through his throat, making him feel much more comfortable.
The two sat under the tree, watching the kittens playing around the shed. Fat Orange chased his tail, while Xu Xiaoyang lay at the door of the shed, basking in the sun, like a little dumpling.
"Oh, right, I was doing my history workbook yesterday and I came across a question I couldn't answer," Lu Jinyu suddenly said, pulling the workbook from his bag and flipping to a certain page. "It was this question, asking about the impact of the Boxer Protocol's 'strict prohibition on the people from participating in anti-imperialist activities,' and I can't seem to get my answer right."
Xu Yang took the workbook, glanced at the questions, and tapped the paper lightly with his pen. "This had two main impacts. First, it legally prohibited popular resistance, turning the Qing government into a tool for the foreign powers to rule China. Second, it deepened the national crisis, making more people realize that only by overthrowing the Qing government could China be saved." He paused, then added, "You can combine this with what you learned about the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxer Rebellion was anti-imperialist, and the provisions of the Boxer Protocol were specifically designed to encourage resistance."
Lu Jinyu nodded and took out a pen to write down the details. "So that's how it is. I only thought of the Qing government being a tool before, but I didn't expect there was also this aspect of a national crisis."
He looked up at Xu Yang, his eyes full of admiration, "Xu Yang, how do you know everything? Whether it's physics or history, you're so good at it."
Xu Yang felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by him. He turned away and looked at the playground in the distance: "I just memorized it a few more times. If you spend more time, you can learn it."
Lu Jinyu smiled and put away the exercise book: "Yes, I will memorize more history every day in the future and strive to get 70 points in the next quiz so as not to disappoint Teacher Li.
By the way, if you have any questions about the physics competition, you can ask me. Although I'm not as good as you in physics, I'm pretty good at programming. Maybe I can make a little tool to help you solve the problem."
Xu Yang turned his head and looked into Lu Jinyu's eyes, which were bright with the shadows of the sycamore leaves. "Okay," he agreed, his heart filled with warmth.
The two sat for a while and talked about preparations for the physics competition. Lu Jinyu said that he had been reading a programming book recently and wanted to try to write a program to help Xu Yang organize physics formulas. Xu Yang said that after the competition was over, he could help Lu Jinyu with history and strive to get him a good grade in the final exam.
"It's getting late, shall we go get some soy milk and fried dough sticks?" Lu Jinyu checked his watch. "If we don't go now, there'll be a huge queue at the breakfast stall."
Xu Yang nodded, packed up his things with Lu Jinyu, looked at the kittens in the cat shed, and then pushed his bicycle towards the breakfast shop.
On the way, Lu Jinyu suddenly took out a candy from his pocket and handed it to Xu Yang: "Here you go, it's strawberry flavored. My mom sent another big bag yesterday."
Xu Yang took the candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in his mouth. The sweetness slowly melted on his tongue. It tasted the same as last time, with a hint of strawberry. "It's delicious," he said.
Lu Jinyu looked at him and smiled: "As long as it tastes good, I'll bring you one every day until you get tired of it."
When they arrived at the breakfast shop, they found a long line. Lu Jinyu asked Xu Yang to wait nearby while he queued up.
Xu Yang stood under the shade of a tree, looking at Lu Jinyu's back. He was talking to the old lady in front of him in the team with a polite smile on his face. The sunlight fell on him, making him feel warm.
After a while, Lu Jinyu came over with two bowls of soy milk and a plate of fried dough sticks, and placed them carefully on the table. "Be careful, it's hot. The soy milk is freshly cooked." He pushed the fried dough sticks in front of Xu Yang and said, "Eat more. The fried dough sticks here are very crispy."
Xu Yang picked up a fried dough stick and took a bite. It was indeed crispy, with a faint aroma of oil. He drank a sip of soy milk. The warm liquid slid down his throat, carrying the fragrance of beans, which was very comfortable.
"Look, isn't the food here delicious?" Lu Jinyu looked at Xu Yang, his eyes full of anticipation.
Xu Yang nodded: "Yeah, it's delicious."
Lu Jinyu smiled, picked up a fried dough stick, and slowly began to eat. The two of them sat at the small table in the breakfast stall, the sunlight filtering through the leaves as it fell on them. The aroma of soy milk and the crispness of the fried dough sticks, accompanied by the occasional bird song, sounded like a gentle song.
After breakfast, the two rode their bicycles back home. Lu Jinyu suddenly said, "Xu Yang, next weekend, how about we go to the library? I heard the city library has a lot of physics competition books. We can go read together, and at noon we can have beef noodles at a nearby noodle shop. The beef noodles there are delicious."
Xu Yang thought of the city library, which had a large collection of books. The sunlight shone through the huge glass windows onto the bookshelves, making it quiet and comfortable.
"Okay." He responded and saw that the smile on Lu Jinyu's mouth was getting deeper and deeper, as if all the light of spring was gathered on his face.
Back at the alley entrance, Lu Jinyu parked his bicycle under the locust tree. "See you next week. I'll ask you for help with history questions during Monday morning self-study."
"Okay, see you next week." Xu Yang said as he pushed his bike home.
After returning home, Xu Yang put the new pencil case on the desk, took out the silver pen given by Lu Jinyu, and wrote a physics problem on the draft paper. His pen tip was smooth and his handwriting was neat.
He looked at the question and recalled the scene of feeding the cat and eating soy milk and fried dough sticks with Lu Jinyu, and his heart felt warm.
It turns out that the beauty of youth is not just the joy of solving a difficult problem, not just the sense of accomplishment of improving on exams, but also such simple companionship - feeding cats under the sycamore tree together, eating soy milk and fried dough sticks together at the breakfast shop, planning weekend itineraries together, and working hard for goals together.
These tiny moments, like the fragrance of locust flowers, gently fall into the heart, slowly spread out, leaving traces of tenderness.
On Monday morning during self-study, Lu Jinyu came to Xu Yang with his history workbook. "Xu Yang, look at this question," he pointed at one. "It's about the difference between the 'ceding of land' in the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Shimonoseki. I always get confused about which part was ceded."
Xu Yang took the exercise book, took out a silver pen, and wrote down the names of the two places on a piece of scratch paper: "The Treaty of Nanjing ceded Hong Kong Island, and the Treaty of Shimonoseki ceded the Liaodong Peninsula, the entire island of Taiwan, all its affiliated islands, and the Penghu Islands. You can refer to the map to remember that Hong Kong Island is in the south, while the Liaodong Peninsula and Taiwan are on the southeast coast. This way it's easier to confuse them."
Lu Jinyu nodded and took out a pen to write it down. "So that's how it is. I'll recite it again from the map tonight and I'm sure I'll remember it." He looked up at Xu Yang, his eyes full of smiles. "Xu Yang, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would definitely still have failed history."
Xu Yang smiled and said, "You're welcome. We are friends and it's only natural for us to help each other."
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling onto their exercise books. The gentle sound of pen tips scraping across paper echoed like the gentlest melody of youth. Lu Jinyu looked at Xu Yang's face as he earnestly explained the subject. The mole behind his ear was particularly clear in the sunlight, and he suddenly felt that life like this was truly wonderful—having good friends by his side, clear goals to strive for, endless things to talk about, endless exercises to solve, and a future filled with hope.
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