Fang Huahua ran over with Fang Jingming, "Brother Dongqiang, you guys are on holiday too?" Fang Jingming also liked to play with Dongqiang.
Yuan Tingting couldn't wait to go. "Alright, alright, everyone's here, let's go."
Fang Yu picked up Yuan Fangfang, and the little one knew she was going to play, so she danced around in Fang Yu's arms.
"Dongqiang, don't just play by yourself, you have to help look after your sister," Fang Meixiang's mother instructed Fang Dongqiang.
"knew!"
“Let’s pick up some pretty stones later,” Yuan Tingting said, bouncing around.
When they arrived at the stream, Fang Huahua brought Yuan Fangfang away from Fang Yu, saying, "You should ask him quickly." She then called out to Fang Jingming, "Jingming, don't always follow Dongqiang around. Go skip stones on the water yourself."
Fang Huahua led Yuan Fangfang and Tingting, saying, "Tingting, what kind of stones do you want to collect? I'll go with you."
"Fang Yu, what do you want to see me about?" Fang Dongqiang asked, seizing the opportunity.
Did you write to me last time?
"Yes, you asked me to ask, so I asked our homeroom teacher and the dean of students. The details are all written in the letter."
"I didn't receive your letter; a classmate took it."
"What do they want with your letter?" Fang Dongqiang asked, puzzled.
"Yes, it was taken. So how can I get into your school?"
"The teacher didn't say it explicitly. He just said he wanted to study in the county town and that if he studied hard, he could get into a high school in the county town. His classmates all said that their families arranged it for them."
"There are still two and a half years until the high school entrance exam. Although our class is the school's top class, not many people study hard. Studying here and trying to get into a high school in the county town will probably be a bit difficult."
"Then ask your parents to come back and ask someone to inquire."
"Dongqiang, which class are you in?"
"(2) class".
"Sister Fang Yu, this stone has several colors," Yuan Tingting said as she picked up the stone.
Fang Yu walked over and joined them in taking Yuan Fangfang with them.
This pebble beach holds childhood memories for them; I wonder if they still remember it.
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the wind carried the scent of the New Year, making the bamboo branches whistle. Fang Yu waited every day for her parents to come home.
Yesterday evening, Fang Yu waited until very late to cook dinner, but they didn't come back. Now it's already evening again. Will they come back today?
Fang Yu went to the door and looked around, but still couldn't see anyone. She went back to the kitchen to make dinner.
She lit a fire in the stove, stuffed the fire into the pot, and then used fire tongs to insert a few twigs into the stove. Once the fire was burning brightly and the pot was heated, she got up and scooped a spoonful of water into the pot to rinse it before cooking.
"Fang Yu!" Yu Jihong, wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket and carrying a black faux leather shoulder bag, stood at the kitchen door.
Fang Yu, holding the ladle she was about to use to scoop water from the pot, felt a lump in her throat and her lips twitched as she saw Yu Jihong. "Mom!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face.
Yu Jihong's eyes also reddened. She came over and hugged her, saying, "You're already in junior high school, why are you still acting like a child?" Tears were already streaming down her face.
Yu Jihong reached out and touched her face, her fingertips still carrying the chill of the outside air. "You've lost weight. Have you not been eating properly at school?" She glanced at the pot. "Mom will cook. What do you want to eat?"
"I don't have any particular dish in mind. I'll just cook a bowl of noodles when it's time for dinner. You can make whatever you want to eat."
"Okay, go check on Dad. There's some good food in the bag, and some clothes he bought for you."
Fang Sandi put the snakeskin bag on the ground and untied the rope. "Dad!" Fang Yu walked over.
"Hey, Fang Yu," Fang Sandi looked up and smiled at her, "I was just about to get you something to eat." He took out several vacuum-packed braised duck wings and several flavors of crispy candy. "There are clothes Mom bought for you in that denim bag. Open it and take a look."
With Mom and Dad back home, the empty house was finally full again.
Yu Jihong had just finished cooking the noodles and was eating when Fang Huahua came over.
"Hua Hua." Yu Jihong saw her, put down her chopsticks and went to get something. "Fang Yu wrote that you came to keep her company every Saturday. Thank you! We brought you some food."
Fang Huahua took the things Yu Jihong handed her, looked at Fang Yu, and said, "Huahua, take them. My mom just asked when you're coming."
Fang Huahua smiled and said, "Your mom is back. I'll go home tonight. Thank you, Fang Yu's mom."
"It's okay, you can stay here with Fang Yu."
"No, I'm going home." Fang Huahua had already walked out the door.
After dinner, Yu Jihong tidied up the things she had brought back, while Fang Sandi boiled water to prepare for a bath.
"Mom," Fang Yu moved closer to Yu Jihong and said softly, "I think I'm on my period."
Yu Jihong stopped what she was doing. "You came at just the right time. You were waiting for me to come back. I just checked and the sanitary napkins are still there as before. I was also thinking of asking you about them."
Yu Jihong washed her hands, took out a pack of sanitary napkins, and then went to find Fang Yu's underwear. "Mom, you taught me how to use it." Fang Yu took a sanitary napkin.
That night, Yu Jihong slept with Fang Yu. "Last time I wrote to you, you said your period hadn't come yet. Girls these days don't come as early as we did back then. I was thinking, maybe it's because we're not home and you're eating the pickled vegetables you brought to school, which isn't good and not nutritious enough, that your period hasn't come. I'm thinking about whether we can find a way to transfer you to the town's middle school. I heard that the school there has a cafeteria and sells fresh vegetables."
"Mom, I was just about to tell you this," Fang Yu sat up. "I really want to transfer schools."
"What's wrong? What happened?" Yu Jihong also sat up.
"Most of the students here don't want to study. Those who are good at studying, like Fang Dongqiang, go to the county town. Oh, I'll tell you about Fang Dongqiang later. A few others go to the town. I'm considered to be doing relatively well in my class, but compared to those in the town, I'm just average. Also, I don't like being in the same school as Shi Feihao."
"What happened to him? Has he contacted you? What did he do?" Yu Jihong suddenly became a little nervous.
"Yes, she often comes to the classroom and tells me I'm her cousin. She hasn't done anything, and I don't know anything about it, but it's really uncomfortable to have her come to me."
"Did you ask your second aunt to deliver the chicken you gave you for the Mid-Autumn Festival in your last letter?"
"Yes, he brought it to my house, and I really wanted him to leave. Just then, my aunt came, and he went back."
"He," Yu Jihong paused and asked, "didn't he say or do anything to you?"
Fang Yu thought for a moment and said, "I didn't say anything. I've also wondered if it's my own fault for having this bad feeling. But he can still help me."
Fang Yu mentioned that Xiao Yan had taken the letter Fang Dongqiang had written last time, and Shi Feihao had helped her find out about it.
“There’s another classmate at school who’s really annoying, so Mom is even more determined to transfer you to another school. But going to the city like Dongqiang might be difficult, and we don’t know who to talk to. I’ll ask my aunt in town if my uncle can help put in a good word for us; he has a relative who teaches at the middle school in town.”
“Anything from town will do,” Fang Yu nodded.
Fang Yu's mention of the lost letter stirred up ripples in Yu Jihong's heart again. Could it be... that he had also sent a letter that was taken by someone?
Yu Jihong tapped her head. What was she thinking? So many years had passed, and she was still trying to find excuses for him. She hadn't received the letter; how could she know where his home was? Why hadn't he come looking for her for almost two years? She shouldn't think about it anymore. Living a good life from now on was the most important thing.
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