When the cicadas fall silent, schoolbags are packed; summer turns to autumn, and it's time for school to start again.
Fang Huahua also carried the schoolbag that Fang Shugen's mother had sewn for her and skipped and hopped to elementary school.
Hua Mei watched her daughter carry her schoolbag to school. Her eyes, which were usually clouded, were now filled with a clear light. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, as if she had remembered something, or as if she felt at ease just by watching her.
Fang Shugen's mother still didn't dare to entrust Fang Jingming to Hua Mei's care. After Hua Mei went to school, Fang Jingming would follow her. When Hua Mei came back from school, she would hand Fang Jingming over to Hua Mei and go do some chores herself.
When Hua Hua came home from school, she had to do her homework. Fang Jingming, who was standing next to her, also took a pencil and started drawing on her homework.
"This is my notebook. If you scribble on it, the teacher will scold me." Fang Huahua snatched the pencil from his hand.
Fang Jingming was spoiled by his grandmother and would hit Huahua whenever he wanted.
Hua Hua usually gave in to him, but students are all afraid of teachers, and they are even more afraid of being scolded by the teacher if they damage their homework. Hua Hua slapped Fang Jingming across the face.
Fang Jingming, who had never been hit by Hua Hua before, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into tears.
"If you cry again, I'll hit you again." Fang Huahua saw that her grandmother wasn't home, and she became bolder.
Fang Jingming was sensible enough to know that no one would protect him, so he stopped crying.
Fang Huahua moved a stool over and placed it next to her, then found a piece of scrap paper. "Draw here."
Fang Jingming sat obediently to the side and started drawing on the scrap paper.
The school is preparing a performance to participate in the New Year's Eve party in town, and each class will select one or two girls.
The girls at the school had never received any dance training. The teachers simply selected girls who were well-dressed at home, had a bit of courage, and had a good appearance.
There was another girl in the class named Xiaoyan, who, like Fang Yu, had her hair braided by her mother and dressed more brightly than the other girls in the class.
The teacher took both of them to try out, but Fang Yu was more poised and confident, so Fang Yu was chosen in the end.
Fang Yu and the other selected girls would rehearse in a corner of the playground during their lunch break.
Fang Yu took off her coat and put it under the table before hurrying off to the playground.
As school was ending, the weather turned cool. Fang Yu remembered that she had a coat, so she leaned down, pulled out her schoolbag, and looked into the desk, but there was no coat.
Fang Yu sat down and thought for a moment. Did she take it off on the playground? No! She looked down at her clothes. I definitely wore this to the playground.
"Fang Yu, school's out, go home." Fang Dongqiang called out as he passed Fang Yu's desk, carrying his schoolbag.
"My clothes are missing."
"Huh?" Fang Dongqiang stopped. "Where did you put your clothes?"
"I took it off at the playground at noon and put it under the table."
Fang Dongqiang also bent down and looked inside her desk. "Nothing there!" Fang Dongqiang then went to the area behind the podium and behind the door where the broom was kept, and searched there as well. "Nothing there. Did you take it to the playground?"
"No, I clearly remember leaving it in the classroom."
“But it’s not in the classroom. I’ll go look outside. Weidong, Zhiyuan,” Fang Dongqiang called to the two boys who were still in the classroom. “Let’s go find clothes for Fang Yu together. What kind of clothes does Fang Yu need?”
"There are green and yellow ones."
"Alright! Let's go find it." The three boys ran out of the classroom, and Fang Yu followed them out.
The three boys searched the entire school, looking over the haystacks on the playground, the windowsills of the cafeteria, and even the low wall behind the toilets.
As the sun was about to sink behind the bamboo grove, Zhiyuan suddenly pointed excitedly at the bamboo shade and shouted, "There it is!"
He called Fang Dongqiang and Wei Dong over, and Hua Hua and Fang Yu also ran over. Hua Hua would come to find Fang Yu after school and go home with them. Her coat was hanging on the highest bamboo branch, swaying back and forth in the wind.
The children stared at the clothes swaying in the bamboo shade, unable to reach them even when they stood on tiptoe and stretched out their hands. "We can't reach them even if we find something to lean on!" Fang Dongqiang looked around for anything that could help them reach, but there was nothing. "I'll go to the classroom and get a broom."
Fang Dongqiang ran to the classroom and got a broom. He held the broom very high, almost straight, but it was still a little short. He looked at Weidong and Zhiyuan and said, "Weidong, you're big and strong, pick me up."
Wei Dong responded, then lifted Fang Dongqiang up by stretching his back. Fang Dongqiang immediately stretched out his arm, aimed the broom tip at the hem of the clothes, and gently hooked it. The clothes slid down the broom and landed steadily on the ground.
Fang Yu picked up her clothes and dusted off the grass clippings. "Dongqiang, Weidong, Zhiyuan, thank you. Dongqiang, I'll put the broom back in the classroom."
Fang Dongqiang stared at it for a moment, then handed the broom to Fang Yu, waved his hand, and gestured for Wei Dong and Zhi Yuan to come closer. "The clothes didn't just appear up there by themselves. Someone must have thrown them there on purpose. Who could it be? Let's find out who it is."
Wei Dong and Zhi Yuan became interested upon hearing this. "Right, find out who did it, and how do we find out?"
Hua Hua followed Fang Yu to the classroom to put away the brooms. "Fang Yu, who threw your clothes up there?"
"I don't know either. I can't just say anything if I didn't see it."
Fang Yu and Hua Hua returned from the classroom; the three boys had already discussed it.
"We'll start tomorrow!" The three boys clenched their fists. "We're going to solve this case!" "Shh, keep it down! I'm going to talk to Fang Yu and tell her what to do."
The three boys nodded to each other, as if they had made a big decision and plan.
As they left the school, Fang Dongqiang said to Fang Yu, "Fang Yu, we've decided to find the person who threw the clothes."
How do I find it?
Fang Dongqiang glanced at Fang Huahua.
"It's alright, Huahua is one of our own." Fang Yu noticed Fang Dongqiang's concerns.
"Just follow our instructions. Put your clothes under the table tomorrow too. We'll take care of the rest."
"You think you can find it if I put it under the table?"
"Yes, we have a way to find this person and get the teacher to give him a good scolding."
Fang Yu looked at her clothes and nodded.
Fang Huahua seemed to be involved in a remarkable and important project, and she was full of anticipation. She thought it would be really fun to play with Fang Dongqiang and Fang Yu.
The next day at noon, Fang Yu was going to rehearsal. She still took off her coat and put it in the table, even though she didn't feel hot at that moment.
After Fang Yu put it in, she glanced at Fang Dongqiang, who nodded to her.
As Fang Yu walked out of the classroom, the three of them exchanged glances, waiting for someone to take the bait.
“No, if we keep watching like this, who will take it? Go outside the classroom. You and Zhiyuan watch the front door, and I'll watch the back door. See who takes the clothes out.” Fang Dongqiang came to Wei Dong’s side and whispered, “Look carefully, he might hide it in his clothes.”
"Okay!" The three boys jumped out of their seats and went to stand guard a little further away from the front and back doors.
I stared intently at the people coming out of the classroom, but no one took out their clothes until class was about to start.
Fang Yu returned, and they hadn't yet noticed who had taken the clothes out of the classroom. After Fang Yu entered the classroom, they followed her in and looked under the desk; the clothes were still there.
But a moment later, Fang Yu shouted, "My pencil case is gone!"
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