The sweltering heat was like an impenetrable net, covering the rice paddies and muddy roads.
While other children ran wildly by the fields and rivers, getting as tanned as mudfish, Fang Dongqiang stayed at home with Fang Meihao and became much fairer.
Fang Dongqiang lay on the book looking at the portrait on it, repeating the words Fang Meihao had taught him. Occasionally, when he recognized a few simple words, he would excitedly point to them and read them out.
“Auntie, I recognize this character.” Fang Dongqiang raised his chin, revealing a proud little expression.
"Okay, from now on, you'll learn all the words in the book and tell them to your mom."
Fang Meihao watched as the wisps of hair on Fang Dongqiang's forehead swayed gently in the hot wind, and said to Fang Meixiang, who was sitting next to them watching, "Big sister, I think Dongqiang's features have matured, and he's getting more and more handsome."
Fang Meixiang seemed to understand, and a faint smile appeared on her face. This summer vacation, because Fang Meihao and Fang Dongqiang were at home, Fang Meixiang's days were no longer so boring.
As the start of school approached, Fang Meihao couldn't help but glance at her older sister sitting by the door while packing her luggage. Fang Meixiang's eyes were calm, like a still pool of water.
Fang Meihao gazed at the distant field ridges and sighed softly.
After Fang Meihao went to school, Fang Dongqiang returned to the group of children.
He already knew a few characters. When he saw some familiar characters on the wall, he found a small bamboo stick and, like a teacher, pointed them out to the other children to teach them.
"No!"
A group of children in front also chanted "No!"
Fang Dongqiang skipped over the next few unfamiliar characters and pointed to the ones he recognized.
"big!"
"big!"
"Small!"
"Little!" the children all shouted in unison.
"Dongqiang, do you recognize these characters?" an adult asked as he came over.
"I recognize it. My aunt taught me."
"Then read all the words here."
"Hmm~, hmm~," Fang Dongqiang looked at the other few unfamiliar characters and scratched his head. "My aunt said she would teach me when she comes back for the New Year."
"I'll tell you how to pronounce it," the adult said, pointing at the words with a laugh, "Don't poop or pee anywhere! I'll teach you little devils not to defecate and urinate wherever you want. Hahaha!"
The children scattered, laughing at each other. "Haha, I told you not to poop and pee everywhere!"
"I'm talking to you! I saw you peeing under the tree last time." The children laughed and dispersed.
Fang Dongqiang threw down the branch in his hand and ran away.
The cicadas' chirping gradually subsided, only making a few noisy calls during the hottest part of the afternoon. Meanwhile, the rice ears in the paddy fields grew heavier day by day, bending the stalks low, their green hue tinged with a faint golden hue.
Before long, the sickles began to gleam on the ridges of the fields.
Men and women alike carried farm tools to the fields, their trousers damp with dew, which also soaked the heavy ears of rice. The cut rice spread out in golden strips across the fields.
The busy autumn harvest season has begun again, and older children are helping out by picking up rice ears in the fields.
The adults are too busy to look after the children, letting them run around in the fields.
After the autumn harvest, the surplus grain was sold in town, and everyone was calculating whether this year's income would be enough to buy the bicycles and sewing machines they wanted.
"Ring ring! Ring ring!" The sound of bicycle bells at the village entrance has indeed increased.
Grandma told Fang Dongqiang that if he heard this sound, he shouldn't run in the middle of the road, but should go to the side.
Fang Dongqiang stepped aside upon hearing the ringing.
Fang Yu sat on the crossbar in front of the bicycle. When she saw Fang Dongqiang, she rang the bell a few times and greeted him, "Dongqiang, we're going to town, do you want to come?"
"No, my grandpa went to work." Fang Dongqiang looked at Fang Yu sitting on the crossbeam and felt itchy. "My dad will buy a bicycle when he comes back. I'll ride in front to my second aunt's house."
Fang Dongqiang ran home, calling out, "Grandma, Grandma!"
"Hey, Dongqiang, slow down. There are a lot of bicycles in the village now, so don't run around."
"Grandma, when is Daddy coming back?"
"Dongqiang, do you miss your father?" Fang Meixiang's mother asked.
"Um."
"I'll be back around the time of the Chinese New Year."
When is Chinese New Year?
"When it snows, when you're wearing thick clothes," Fang Meixiang's mother replied after thinking for a moment.
Fang Dongqiang was waiting for the day it would snow.
When his father came back, he would sit on the crossbeam in front of him, without holding onto anything else, and would ring the bicycle bell from one end of the village to the other, so that the whole village could hear it.
Fang Dongqiang lay on the bed, mimicking the motion of ringing a bicycle bell under the covers. He seemed to already hear the series of "ding-a-ling" sounds coming from afar, getting closer and closer.
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