"Wang Peng, I've never left the provincial capital since I was a child. This is the first time I've ever left the provincial capital."
Looking at the vast Yellow River, Li Mingzhu smiled and said, "What a great river! This is our mother river."
"Yes, the Mother River." Wang Peng smiled slightly. "When are you going back?"
"I'm going back this afternoon; I only have three hours to sketch," Li Mingzhu said. "I wish I could see the Yellow River every day."
Wang Peng scratched his head, thinking that the Yellow River was nothing special.
"Watching it once or twice is fine, but watching it every day will get boring," he said.
"Hmph! What a spoilsport!" Li Mingzhu rolled her eyes at him.
She opened her backpack, took out two small stools, and the two sat down by the Yellow River.
Then, she took a cassette tape out of her bag.
Wu Bai's music album, "Wanderer's Love Song".
“I’ve made a lot of money drawing sketches for people these past few days, and they’ve given me a lot of pocket money.”
“You said in your letter that you like listening to his songs, so I bought them for you.”
At this point, she placed the cassette tape in Wang Peng's hand, "Thank you, I'm very happy now, my mom won't force me to study anymore."
"As long as you're happy!" Wang Peng said. "Actually, you don't need to worry about money. I'm capable of earning money, and I'll support you."
Li Mingzhu blushed deeply.
"Are you... are you a beast?" she asked weakly, her head bowed. "I'm only sixteen. I'm not an adult yet."
"Alright, we'll talk about it when you're an adult," Wang Peng said with a slight smile.
Immediately change the subject, "My cousin is getting married and moving to the steel mill's residential compound in the provincial capital in a few days, so I'll probably be spending the Spring Festival there. How much is the tuition for a winter painting class? I'd like to learn to paint too."
Li Mingzhu immediately handed him the drawing board and pencil, saying, "Draw me an egg."
"Draw an egg? Do you think I'm Leonardo da Vinci?" Wang Peng laughed. "I can't draw one, I'll learn slowly."
Li Mingzhu's face turned bright red as she stared intently at the Yellow River.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Wang Peng, I'm not as pretty as Li Mengjiao, so why did you choose me?"
"Because you saved the galaxy in your past life," Wang Peng said. "Mengjiao is my sister, don't overthink it."
"No, I wasn't thinking anything." Li Mingzhu took the drawing board from his hand and began to paint.
Black pencil, white drawing paper, soft lines.
Gradually, the Yellow River came to life on the paper, with two people sitting close together on the riverbank.
"Okay!" Wang Peng scratched his head. "I can't quite put my finger on why it's good, but I think it's pretty good."
"Haha," Li Mingzhu laughed, "Teacher Du said I have talent. I've decided, I must get into the Tsinghua University Art Department. What about you?"
"Goodness, this is really pushing the limits for me." Wang Peng was a little confused.
In his previous life, his wife studied journalism at a university in the provincial capital, and Wang Peng originally planned to go to the university to accompany her.
“Your grades are excellent, you should have no problem getting into Tsinghua University,” Li Mingzhu said with a smile. “We can go to university together then.”
"No, sister, you think too highly of me." Wang Peng said, both amused and exasperated.
"Keep going!" Li Mingzhu said. "I believe in you, you can do it."
"Alright, alright, it's holiday time, stop talking about studying." Wang Peng put the cassette tape in his pocket.
At this moment, the motorcycle tricycle arrived at the poplar grove next to it.
Du Rui and several boys got off the bus, paid the driver, and led the students to the Yellow River.
She clapped her hands and said, "Class, today we'll learn how to create a grand landscape painting."
At this point, she pointed to the Yellow River, "This is our mother river. Let's all think outside the box and draw a picture of the Yellow River."
The students sat down by the Yellow River and began to paint.
"Wang Peng, why don't you give it a try?" Du Rui took out her drawing board.
"Thank you, but I can't draw." Wang Peng patted Li Mingzhu on the shoulder and smiled. "Wait for me, I'll go buy water for everyone."
He drove back to the county town and went to a video store.
Spend over a hundred yuan to buy a Walkman, then spend a few dozen yuan to buy a case of Jianlibao (a popular Chinese herbal tea brand) and a dozen large loaves of bread.
We drove back to the Yellow River and distributed the bread and Jianlibao (a type of Chinese liquor) to our classmates.
"Thank you, Brother Peng!"
"Brother Peng, you're a tycoon."
"I'm so envious, Mingzhu."
The girls started teasing her, and Li Mingzhu blushed deeply again.
"Wang Peng, you can't be extravagant with money. Jianlibao is very expensive."
The convenience store downstairs in the neighborhood sells Jianlibao, which costs three yuan a bottle. Most people really can't afford to drink it.
“Give them some small favors and they will help you. I think it’s worth it.”
Wang Peng took out his brand-new Walkman, put in the batteries and cassette tape, plugged in the earphones, and put them on to listen to music.
Li Mingzhu sighed helplessly again, "I know you can make money, but the speed at which you spend it is terrifying..."
"Shh! Don't talk." Wang Peng took off one earphone and put it in her ear. "Listen to music with me."
He pressed the play button, and a familiar melody came through his headphones.
Close your eyes and listen to your favorite song from a past life; your heart will be exceptionally at peace.
Li Mingzhu was also in no mood to paint. She skillfully twirled her pencil and slowly closed her eyes.
"Teacher, are they dating?" a round-faced girl asked softly.
Du Rui smiled and said, "Do you think they're a good match?"
"Hehe, I don't think Mingzhu is good enough for him." The girl quickly shook her head and laughed, "I also want a prince charming like that."
"What's the point of having a Prince Charming? These days, the 'Car Prince' is all the rage," Du Rui said enviously.
For a moment, the students lost their mood to draw, and were bombarded with displays of affection by a young couple listening to music together.
After listening to side A of the cassette tape, Wang Peng flipped it over and continued listening to side B until he had listened to all the songs.
The battery was dead, so he put his Walkman in his pocket. "Let's start drawing! Good luck!"
"Hmm." Li Mingzhu picked up her brush and began to paint.
Not long after, she completed another painting of the Yellow River.
A man and a woman sat by the Yellow River, sharing one earphone and enjoying the river together.
At 2:30 p.m., a three-wheeled motorcycle arrived, as Du Rui had arranged with the driver.
The art class officially ended, and she got on a motorcycle with four boys.
"Wang Peng, let's meet at the entrance of your video arcade at the train station," Du Rui said.
"Okay." Wang Peng took out his keys, opened the car door, and let the girls get in.
He led Li Mingzhu to the Yellow River and said, "My cousin is getting married on the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month. Can you come to the wedding?"
Li Mingzhu blushed again; their relationship was progressing too fast.
I confessed my feelings to her today, and in a few days I'll invite her to my cousin's wedding, which will be meeting her parents.
About two minutes later, she looked up at Wang Peng and said, "Okay, come pick me up outside the community at nine o'clock that morning."
"Thank you." Wang Peng was very happy and smiled. "Let's go, I'll take you to the train station."
The two got into the car.
Li Mingzhu remained seated in the passenger seat.
"You must wear your seatbelt from now on when you ride in the car." Wang Peng casually fastened her seatbelt.
The posture was somewhat ambiguous, and the girls in the back row all laughed.
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