Chapter 56
Minxia saw him taking out bags of dried agricultural products from his large and small bags. He picked up a bag of dried sweet potatoes and looked at it with some surprise, "Americans eat these things too?"
"Oh no... it was given to me by a friend, a Chinese friend's grandmother."
Minxia praised, "These dried sweet potatoes have a beautiful color."
"Right?" Mu Zhengxi looked as proud as if he had grown it himself.
Minxia looked him over and compared him, "He's gotten a bit tanned, but he looks much more muscular."
"What do you want to eat tonight? Xia-jie will make it for you."
When Mu Zhengxi called back, his most frequent complaint was about foreign food.
"I want to eat sauerkraut and pork dumplings, beef bone soup, and fried noodles with soybean paste..." Mu Zhengxi counted on his fingers and ordered a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
"Okay, I'll grant your request."
The person who raised both hands let out a soft "Thank you, Sister Xia."
Like a child.
Mu Zhengxi entered the room and sat on the edge of Jiang Wenqing's bed. He took out a woven red rope from his pocket. The red rope was taught to him by his grandmother. After the incense offering, Jiang Jiawei took him to a temple that was said to be very efficacious in their area.
The red string was wrapped around the thin wrist, around the index finger and thumb, down to the second knuckle.
Mu Zhengxi thought he probably couldn't be a staunch materialist, but in fact Jiang Wenqing was, so it was a matter of lineage.
Three days after Mu Zhengxi left, Jiang Jiawei also ended her summer vacation in her hometown and returned to Changqing to begin the second round of training in the Strong Foundation Training Class. This time, more than ever, she felt a stronger sense of belonging to her senior year of high school.
Xu Yue stopped attending classes altogether.
After class, I heard from a classmate that she hadn't been home for a while and seemed to be living with a boy from outside the school. Things were progressing completely off track and at a speed that was beyond what I could accept.
Jiang Jiawei once ran into Zhang Chao, who was buying reference materials, at a bookstore. Zhang Chao had a buzz cut, and Jiang Jiawei almost didn't recognize him at first glance. Perhaps he had grown taller, because he looked like a bamboo pole. However, his eyes were very bright, and it seemed that the ocean of knowledge had saved him a lot.
They tacitly agreed that neither of them would mention Xu Yue again.
Sometimes, simply not discussing it is a form of kindness.
Chen Jingyu, who was training outside the province, went from complaining bitterly at the beginning to now often talking to Jiang Jiawei on the phone for less than three minutes before she starts to rush to grab a practice room, even on her days off.
This summer, whether by choice or by being pushed, everyone is striving towards the goal of taking the college entrance examination.
September 1st happened to be a Saturday, so the new semester was scheduled to start on the 3rd. But it didn't really matter for Jiang Jiawei and Mu Zhengxi. As senior high school students, Jiang Jiawei had already attended classes for a week before the official start of the semester, and Mu Zhengxi's school had already started in mid-August.
The difference is that because it's the weekend, I can properly celebrate my birthday.
Mu Zhengxi asked Jiang Jiawei about her birthday plans for today.
"It's just having a meal and blowing out candles, that's about it."
Since Chen Jingyu wasn't there, Jiang Jiawei didn't plan to invite any other classmates, but she might invite Zhenzhen and the others to have some cake together.
"And what about the afternoon? What will you do in the afternoon?"
"I'm going to the bookstore with my younger brother this afternoon," Jiang Jiawei sighed. "I have so much homework today."
Upon hearing this, Mu Zhengxi paused for a few seconds and then said sarcastically on the other end of the phone, "So serious, no wonder you're applying to Xuanhe University."
Jiang Jiawei ignored his childish behavior and asked, "And you, who are you celebrating your birthday with?"
"Who else could it be but Yan Yuheng and his group?"
Mu Zhengxi wasn't particularly enthusiastic about birthdays, not because he had any so-called trauma or shadows. To be honest, although he and Zeng Yuan weren't close, their birthdays were probably the time when he and Mu Zhengting were treated equally in every way.
He simply doesn't like celebrating his birthday, but the fact that Jiang Jiawei shares the same birthday with him gives this day a different meaning. The problem is that he can't go to Changqing now, so he finds it even more meaningless.
Mu Shaoqing arranged for him to participate in an experimental project of a chemistry professor at Hanyang University. In addition, Mu Shaoqing himself had been in Hanyang recently, so Mu Zhengxi had no chance to escape.
Mu Zhengxi remembered the main purpose of the call: "Did you receive the package?"
"Oh, I received it. My dad signed for it this morning," Jiang Jiawei said. "I also prepared a birthday present for you, but it'll be a few days before I send it to you."
Jiang Jiawei glanced at the dining table. She hadn't originally planned to say it now, but her birthday had arrived, and if she didn't say it, who knew what kind of wild imagination would come up with?
Sure enough, after hearing that it would take a few more days, Mu Zhengxi snorted and started nitpicking, "A few more days? Is this a last-minute arrangement, Jiang Jiawei?"
"You'll know the reason when you receive it."
"I'll pick it up myself next weekend."
"That's okay."
Before hanging up, I still had to say the cliché, "Happy birthday, Jiang Jiawei."
Jiang Jiawei smiled and said, "You too."
Mu Zhengxi then felt that it didn't seem so cliché after all.
The gift Mu Zhengxi sent was the size of two milk cartons and weighed more than two cartons of milk. Jiang Jiawei guessed it might be books or something. After opening it, she found a box of college entrance exam review materials and test papers, and another box of reading notes. The reading notes were written by a girl, and the cover had a note that said "I will definitely pass the exam" along with a cute little rabbit emoji. It was obviously not Mu Zhengxi's handwriting.
But there was a greeting card.
"Jiang Jiawei, don't you feel lucky to have met me at this time last year? I bet you do. Then wish me a happy birthday too."
The signature is three regular script characters: Mu Zhengxi.
Jiang Jiawei couldn't help but chuckle.
Mu Zhengxi had been thinking for a long time about what birthday gift to give Jiang Jiawei. It wasn't until that day when Jiang Jiawei said she wanted to take the entrance exam for Xuanhe University that he realized he couldn't help her with the exam, but he could still do some assistance, even though he wasn't entirely willing to.
He contacted Xu Zizhao, who was unreliable, but his social connections were quite reliable. He bought the reading notes from a senior student from Hanyang No. 1 High School who had just graduated this year and was admitted to Xuanhe University. He also asked the subject teacher recommended by her to compile a complete set of college entrance examination review materials.
Xu Zizhao, sipping his iced cola, shook his head. "Your love life is truly unique and unconventional." Just as his wet fingers were about to touch the pile of documents, Mu Zhengxi slapped them away with lightning speed and glared at him.
"Get out of here, and don't mess things up."
Xu Zizhao pointed at his nose and said angrily, "You're crossing the river and then burning the bridge."
"Do you know what it means to be heartless when it comes to women? I'm talking about you, Mu Zhengxi!"
Mu Zhengxi was unfazed by the reprimand and casually remarked, "Aren't you the same?"
KO.
We're all brothers, we all know each other.
Xu Zizhao made amends by acting as if he couldn't be bothered to argue, propping himself up on an empty table and speaking seriously, "Hey, what will you do when you go to university? Won't that mean you'll be in a foreign country?"
Mu Zhengxi lowered his head and did not answer.
Xu Zizhao lightly kicked the person, reminding them, "This isn't as short as the distance from Hanyang to Changqing."
A weekend trip from Hanyang to Changqing is possible, but only enough for a one-way trip from California to Changqing.
Rather than saying now is not the time to think about this issue, it is more like we are running away from it, running away from the inevitable fact that in a year we will have to cross from a distance of 2,000 kilometers to two plates separated by ocean on the map.
Waiting for such a response is neither fair nor responsible.
Promises give people expectations, but if those expectations lead to disappointment, they become wounds that cannot be healed even with a thousand apologies. How precious it is to have the ability to have expectations!
A white plastic bag came into view out of the corner of her eye, and a voice came down from above, "Jiang Jiawei, you'll go blind."
Jiang Jiawei, who had been resting her chin on the table, straightened up with a smile and looked at the person sitting in front of her. Mu Zhengxi glanced around and asked, "Why are you all alone?"
Jiang Jiawei took out a drink, poked the straw open, and the taste of pineapple milk tea saved the dark afternoon. "Didn't you say that studying is more effective when you study alone?"
Mu Zhengxi chuckled upon hearing this, "I didn't realize you were so obedient."
In return, Jiang Jiawei took out some White Rabbit milk candies from her pencil case and gave them to him.
Mu Zhengxi looked disgusted. "This candy is very sweet." He said this, but his hands were clenched tightly.
Jiang Jiawei suddenly remembered that she had a preserved plum candy in her pocket that she was reluctant to eat. "Then I'll eat this."
Mu Zhengxi casually asked, "Where did you come from?"
"My deskmate gave it to me in class this morning," Jiang Jiawei added. "I think it's delicious. It's not sweet, it's a little sour."
Mu Zhengxi unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth, then got to the topic he was most concerned about, "Where's my gift?"
"At home, there's no need to carry it around with you."
"How much longer will it take to write?"
"This one is finished."
"Okay." Mu Zhengxi pouted and slumped onto the table.
While Jiang Jiawei was writing her essay, he casually doodled in her notebook. When he left, he mysteriously tore off the page he had drawn and stuffed it into his shirt pocket, refusing to let Jiang Jiawei see it.
Back home.
Before Jiang Jiawei could reveal it, Mu Zhengxi immediately noticed the change: there was an extra fish tank. He looked at Jiang Jiawei with disbelief and surprise, and Jiang Jiawei nodded at him.
"Is this your birthday present?"
"yes."
Tiny fish fry, no bigger than a fingernail, were scattered in the water like sesame seeds.
“Jiang Jiawei…”
These are goldfish he bought when he had a fever and was out of his mind. This is the first time his goldfish has lived for such a long time, and it even gave birth to baby fish.
Jiang Jiawei, with her hands resting on the table, tilted her head and looked at him. "How is it? Am I good at raising her?"
Mu Zhengxi pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time.
“I originally wanted to give this to you as a birthday present, but it would be difficult for you to bring it back to Hanyang, and you don’t know how to take care of a pet, so…” Jiang Jiawei paused mysteriously, “I made you a photo album!”
When I first noticed that one of the two goldfish had a noticeably swollen belly, I only suspected that it might have eaten too much.
It wasn't until she discovered white egg-like spots in the fish tank that Jiang Jiawei took the tank to the store where she bought the goldfish that same day to ask them about it.
The shopkeeper confirmed her guess. This was Jiang Jiawei's first time raising goldfish to the point of spawning, a completely new area of knowledge for her. Fortunately, the shop owner was very kind and patiently explained the spawning and care methods to her in detail, and even gave her a sample of starter food for the fry.
August 26th.
The fish fry started hatching, but almost every day after hatching, some died. In the end, Jiang Jiawei took them to a shop for help to look after them for a few days. She was worried that they wouldn't survive and was afraid that Mu Zhengxi would find out if they died. So she didn't dare to tell him in advance and waited until the fish fry stabilized before taking them back from the shop.
Mu Zhengxi flipped through the photo album.
But the time recorded is not from when the small fish started spawning, but from after New Year's Day.
The cover reads: Mu Zhengxi's Goldfish Growth Record.
"Am I not lying to you?"
Jiang Jiawei said.
"I am a person of my word."
"Jiang Jiawei, do you want to know what I just drew?"
"Hmm? What did you draw?"
Mu Zhengxi took the draft paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.
When I opened it, it looked very familiar.
"What kind of tree is this? Is it... a goldenrain tree?"
Jiang Jiawei recognized it by the shape of the fruit hanging on the branches. The goldenrain trees by the school playground were bearing fruit, a sea of pink, and every day you could sweep up a bunch of little lanterns on the ground.
"Is it right?"
Mu Zhengxi said in a low voice with a proud expression, "This is no ordinary goldenrain tree."
Jiang Jiawei joked, "Is that a goldenrain tree that brings good luck?"
"Hmm, then you can try making a wish to him later."
Jiang Jiawei clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "Then I'll make a wish now that a kind person will appear and wait for me to have a watermelon shaved ice." But she wasn't being very sincere, and one of her eyes was still peeking at the person on guard duty.
Mu Zhengxi tilted his head and smiled, "He heard it and said it was okay."
"Wow, it's that effective?"
"Oh, really."
"If I wish someone would do all my homework for me, would that also help me get the top score in my grade?"
Mu Zhengxi glanced at her, "...It's a wish, not a delusion."
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
Jiang Jiayi didn't give Mu Zhengxi the super spicy snack he had boasted about last year; instead, she gave him a harmonica, an instrument that Mu Zhengxi was currently obsessed with.
Jiang Weichao served him a bowl of longevity noodles to celebrate his birthday.
Birthdays are actually quite meaningful.
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