More and more children poured out like a tide, their chatter, the rustling of their backpack straps, and the occasional burst of laughter instantly breaking the tranquility of the street.
Lin Yao finally spotted Hu Zi in the crowd, waving his little arms incessantly: "Brother Hu Zi! Brother Hu Zi! Over here..."
Lin Hu walked out carrying a dark blue canvas schoolbag, with a brand-new red scarf tied crookedly around his neck. The Hero brand fountain pen clipped to the side of the schoolbag was a stationery item that Lin Laosan had bought for him that morning.
He spotted his family not far away at a glance, and his previously somewhat reserved face instantly broke into a smile, his steps quickening involuntarily.
"How was school today? Did you understand what the teacher was saying?"
Lin Li went up to him and reached out to help Lin Hu straighten his crooked red scarf.
Lin Hu happily waved the workbook in his hand, his eyes sparkling: "I can understand everything! I learned new English words today, and the teacher even praised my pronunciation!"
He cleared his throat and loudly proclaimed, "Good afternoon!"
Lin Yao clapped his hands as he listened and imitated his brother, reciting "afternoon" in a strange tone, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Laosan reached out and ruffled Lin Hu's hair, the force heavy, but his eyes were full of pride: "Good, good! Our Hu Zi is truly impressive!"
Lin Laosan peeled open the paper wrapper of the candy he bought from the grocery store and put one into Hu Zi's mouth.
"Come on, sweeten your lips!"
After reading it, Lin Yao nodded happily and said to Lin Hu.
"Brother Tiger, the candy Uncle bought is so sweet..."
Lin Hu lowered his head and put the candy in his mouth. The moment the sweetness spread on his tongue, he remembered the scene in class today.
When he answered questions in Mandarin with a regional accent, several students in the back row covered their mouths and snickered; but when he recited the text fluently, the teacher's approving gaze made him straighten his back.
"The school wants us to bring colored pencils tomorrow, saying they'll be needed for art class."
Lin Hu hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Lin Li paused for a moment, then nodded: "Then let's go to the state-run store now and see if we can find something cheap."
"good!"
The group turned around and headed towards the state-run store.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the four people. Lin Yao rode on Lin Laosan's shoulders, waving a paper airplane and reciting a nursery rhyme he learned in kindergarten.
Lin Hu and Lin Li walked side by side, occasionally exchanging pleasantries about school in hushed tones.
The aroma of food wafted from the state-run restaurants along the street, and the crisp sound of bicycle bells rang out.
"After we buy the colored pencils, let's eat at the state-run restaurant. The aroma is making me hungry!"
Lin Li took a deep sniff of the aroma of the food wafting out and made a suggestion.
"Okay!" everyone responded in unison.
Looking at Lin Hu and Lin Yao's sweet smiles and excited voices, Lin Laosan breathed a long sigh of relief.
The children finally felt safe and smiled from the bottom of their hearts, no longer the extremely fearful and uneasy look in their eyes that he had when he first met them, despite his smile.
After buying the colored pencils, the group turned around and walked into the state-run restaurant that was always filled with delicious aromas.
Lin Laosan was overjoyed and ordered several specialty dishes with a wave of his hand, making the two little ones shout with delight.
As the four of them sat down and waited for the food to be served, a middle-aged man walked over from the seat next to them.
He was dressed in a well-fitting suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his lips were tightly pursed, and there was a sense of anxiety that he was deliberately suppressing.
"Waiter, I need to take your order."
His distinctly Hong Kong-accented Mandarin made the stunned waiter pause for a moment.
"Excuse me, are you here to order food?"
The waiter, judging from his attire and speech, guessed that he was a Hong Kong businessman, and his smile immediately brightened.
He then picked up the menu and began serving the guests himself.
However, the man's Mandarin was so bad that the two of them tried to communicate for a long time but still couldn't understand each other.
Lin Li couldn't resist stepping forward and acting as their translator in standard Cantonese and Beijing accent.
After a lot of trouble, the waiter finally managed to order the food for the man. The man visibly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the waiter pick up the menu and walk away.
"Thank you so much! Otherwise, I might not even be able to eat dinner tonight!"
"It's nothing, a trivial matter!"
When Lin Li returned to her seat, their dishes were served.
Lin Hu and Lin Yao finally became like children in front of Lin Li and Lin Laosan. They picked up their bowls and chopsticks and looked at Lin Li with smiles on their faces.
"Are you hungry? Let's eat!"
Upon hearing this, the three of them picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began to eat.
Seeing the three of them eating so heartily also whetted Lin Li's appetite, and she began to eat heartily as well.
Just as the three of them were finishing their meal, the curtain of the state-run restaurant was lifted, and Ah Wei, the man they had met in Teacher Zhou's courtyard house last time, rushed in.
After seeing the table next to them, he quickly walked a few steps to it and said softly in a low voice.
"Mr. Yu, I've found out that the most famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor at B University's medical school is also surnamed Yu..."
The rest of the conversation was interrupted by Lin Yao's laughter and voice.
"Grandma, Tiger said he wants to go for a walk and come back to eat, and he told me not to tell you..."
Lin Hu rolled his eyes in anger after hearing Lin Yao's words; he had now become the younger brother who loved to tattle.
Lin Li was amused by their innocent words, "Just pack it up and take it home, we can eat it again tomorrow."
"Yes!" Lin Yao nodded vigorously. "That's exactly what I told Brother Hu!"
"You're such a clever one!"
After hearing this, Lin Yao kept swinging his legs under the stool, his whole body exuding smugness.
This interruption meant that the man at the next table had already paid his bill and left.
Lin Li didn't take it to heart. Every year, countless people from all over the country come to Beijing to see Dr. Yu for treatment, and she simply couldn't keep track of them all.
As I walked out of the state-run hotel, a gentle evening breeze was blowing.
In May, the fragrance of locust blossoms permeates the alleyways of Beijing, the streetlights cast a warm yellow glow, and bicycle bells ring.
The aroma of food wafted from the courtyard, Teresa Teng's songs from the radio mingled with the laughter and chatter of people enjoying the cool evening air, and crickets sang merrily by the wall.
The four of them walked home, chatting and laughing...
After arriving home, Lin Li gave Lin Hu a key.
"Here's a house key, take one."
Lin Hu took the key and put it in his pocket.
"Sometimes your grandma and your third uncle can't pick you up in time. Can you go home by yourselves?"
Lin Hu and Lin Yao nodded. "Grandma, we can go home by ourselves!"
"Okay! There's food in the fridge at home. If you're hungry, you can eat something while we wait."
Lin Hu shook his head after hearing this.
"Grandma, don't worry, we can take care of ourselves."
Lin Hu and Lin Yao knew that Lin Li and Lin Laosan were very busy, so they were also trying to adapt to life in Beijing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
