After the seating was arranged, the teacher cleared her throat and began announcing the class leader elections. Xu Mengyao showed little interest, gazing out the window at the rustling leaves, her thoughts drifting off into the distance. Meanwhile, Zhao Huihui, in the front row, was exceptionally active. Not only did she actively participate in the election, she was also successfully elected as the sports committee member.
The teacher then organized the boys to move the books. By the time they were done distributing them, it was almost time to leave. All morning, Xu Mengyao had only noticed that her deskmate, Chen Chen, was quiet and reserved. Conversely, Zhao Huihui and her deskmate, Dou Yingdi, in the front row, chattered nonstop.
Xu Mengyao interrupted and asked Dou Yingdi, "Do you have a sister-in-law?"
Dou Yingdi was stunned for a moment, then said proudly, "Of course I do! I have two younger brothers! What's wrong?"
Xu Mengyao smiled and said, "Nothing, I just think your name is quite unique."
Dou Yingdi was even more proud: "Of course! I am the hero of our family. I welcomed two younger brothers!"
Hearing this, Xu Mengyao couldn't help but feel lucky for her: although gender equality is advocated now, the idea of favoring boys over girls has long been deeply rooted in the minds of the older generation. If her mother had given birth to a younger brother, her life would have been better.
The school bell rang, and after the homeroom teacher finished assigning the afternoon's weeding tasks, the students packed their bags and prepared to go home. Xu Mengyao also rushed out of the classroom and waited at the stairs for Huang Wenrong, a sophomore. As soon as they met, they walked arm in arm toward the school gate.
Wenxia and Chengxin had been waiting on the roadside for a long time. When they saw them, they ran over excitedly.
"Sisters, I am sitting in the third row today! I have really grown taller!" Wenxia said excitedly.
"Me too, finally I'm not in the first row anymore!" Huang Wenrong also smiled.
Their faces were filled with satisfaction and joy. The results of the exercise over the past six months had been very effective. The day before moving, Xu Mengyao even compared her height to the previously marked line. She and Wenxia had both grown four or five centimeters. Although the eldest sister hadn't marked the line to keep track, her trouser legs were noticeably shorter, revealing her slender ankles.
"We have to keep exercising and try to grow taller next year." Xu Mengyao encouraged.
The four of them discussed their weeding plan for the afternoon and walked home chatting and laughing all the way.
It turns out that on this day every year, the whole school will usher in this special "lawn-cutting day". The school will divide the entire campus lawn into several areas, and each class will be assigned a piece of grass. Students need to manually remove these tenacious green "invaders".
This year, this area seemed to be particularly "favorable" to Xu Mengyao's class. The weeds in the assigned area grew particularly lush, almost half a person's height.
Xu Mengyao only had two small hoes at home, and she gave them to Huang Wenrong and Huang Wenxia without hesitation. She knew that although she had a heart to help others, she would rather choose to "slack off" when faced with this kind of physical labor.
As the students gathered, the weeding operation officially began. Experienced students picked up sticks and swung them through the grass. With each strike, the insects scattered, as if a "bug war" had unfolded. Xu Mengyao shuddered at the sight of the fluttering insects.
Fortunately, she had specially worn long clothes and long pants, and even wrapped a piece of cloth around her face to protect her from the sun. This outfit attracted Zhao Huihui's teasing: "Oh, are you going to dress up as a masked hero?" Xu Mengyao smiled slightly and didn't take it seriously.
Girls' friendships always develop quickly and passionately. Zhao Huihui and Dou Yingdi quickly enlisted Xu Mengyao in their group. The three of them crouched deep in the grass like three lazy flowers, picking at the grass and chatting away.
"It's like this every year. It stays exposed to the sun for the whole afternoon." Zhao Huihui complained dissatisfiedly.
Dou Yingdi took over the conversation: "I think it's much more fun than attending classes. This little bit of work is nothing."
"If I didn't pull you along, would you have buried your head in weeding like that idiot Chen Chen?" Zhao Huihui suddenly changed the subject and pointed at Chen Chen who was not far away.
Xu Mengyao looked up and saw Chen Chen bending over, mowing the grass with a sickle. His movements were swift and skillful, and in a short while he had cleared a small area.
"Why is Chen Chen so stupid? He studies so well and always gets first place in exams every year." Dou Yingdi stood up for Chen Chen.
"You can't call people little fools," Xu Mengyao continued. "Everyone has his or her value in the group, and someone has to do the work. We can't enjoy the hard work of others while pointing fingers at them. Besides, you're the sports committee member, so you have to take the lead."
Zhao Huihui was speechless and could only turn around and pull Dou Yingdi away. Xu Mengyao sighed. She looked at Zhao Huihui's back and knew that this little girl was just a little overbearing, but her character was not bad. She was just embarrassed now.
She walked over to Chen Chen and saw that he had already finished mowing a large area of grass. She silently squatted down and began to help him gather the mowed grass and put it in the classroom's large trash can.
The trash can was quickly filled, and she laboriously dragged it to the garbage pit, which was ablaze with flames, and the weeds turned to ash instantly after being dumped into it.
After several trips, Xu Mengyao was already feeling a bit exhausted. Her forehead and back were soaked with sweat. Every time she approached the fire, the heat made it almost impossible for her to get close. But she didn't complain, just silently persevered.
When she returned for the last time, Chen Chen suddenly stopped scything. He looked at her, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. As she passed, he whispered, "Thank you."
Xu Mengyao smiled faintly and sat down on the grass nonchalantly. She looked at Chen Chen, her eyes filled with understanding and encouragement. "Why thank me? This is everyone's responsibility. If anyone really needs to thank someone, it should be you. You work so hard every year and contribute so much to the team."
Chen Chen's face was dripping with sweat, his exposed skin reddened by the sun. He gripped his sickle tightly and said firmly, "I like working. I do this every year. I feel this is what I should do."
Xu Mengyao looked him in the eye and said seriously, "Just because it's like this every year doesn't mean it's right. No one is born to love working, but we are all part of a collective, so we should share the burden. You should sit down and take a break too."
Chen Chen hesitated for a moment, but eventually put down his sickle and sat down next to Xu Mengyao. The two of them sat on the grass, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
