Chapter 10 A Special Weekend
Since being adopted by Jiang Congyue, Jiang Le has never encountered the so-called attacker again.
At first, she even doubted Li Yan, who chirped around her like a noisy sparrow all day long.
But she soon discovered that this girl was just a silly chatterbox, and her thoughts were so simple that people couldn't bear to look at them.
The No. 1 Primary School in the city really lived up to its reputation, but even Jiang Le took a long time to adapt to their teaching method.
But this place is different from the boring single curriculum of special schools. It emphasizes the balanced development of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics and labor.
Therefore, Jiang Le, who has a pleasant and beautiful appearance, was called on stage to sing and draw for the umpteenth time.
Now, under the eager expectations of his vocal teacher, Jiang Le gritted his teeth and sang out loud.
“…”
The devil's sound is so loud that it is unbearable to listen to.
Amidst roars of laughter and applause, Jiang Le walked down the podium stiffly with a stern face.
Li Yan next to him almost laughed out loud.
Jiang Le swallowed dryly and pushed her calmly, "Is it that unpleasant?"
"Ahem," Li Yan stopped laughing so as not to upset Jiang Le and said seriously, "It's actually not bad. It's just a little bit worse than my acting skills."
Jiang Le, who had been feeling optimistic, now felt as if the sky had fallen. He clenched the pen in his hand, wanting to say something but hesitant, and the tips of his ears turned dark red.
Fortunately, there were more outstanding moments than embarrassing ones, from small things like giving a speech on stage as an outstanding student on Monday to big things like winning awards in various competitions, Jiang Le was always surrounded by people.
Her greatest strength is her intelligence and quick learning ability.
When she graduated from elementary school, Jiang Congyue asked her what she was going to do during the summer vacation, and Jiang Le chose to hire a tutor without hesitation to study the next stage of courses.
"Tsk tsk, you work so hard?" Jiang Congyue happily hugged the child and kissed him.
Jiang Le was still not used to being too intimate with others, but he didn't want to make her unhappy, so he could only stiffen his body and let her kiss him.
The little old lady had an elegant and fresh fragrance on her body, like cotton cloth that had been exposed to the sun mixed with a hint of sandalwood, which was not too overpowering.
Jiang Congyue let go of her and adjusted his glasses with a mischievous smile in his eyes. "Lele, summer vacation is one of the longest vacations in life. Are you planning to spend it all at your desk? Aren't you afraid of turning into a little nerd?"
Jiang Le pursed his lips, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of his school uniform: "Junior high school courses are more difficult, I want to learn some in advance."
What she didn't say was that she was used to the tight pace of the special school and the "excellence" she maintained through hard work in the city's No. 1 Primary School. Suddenly relaxing made her feel a sense of emptiness and out of touch with the ground.
Books and knowledge are solid things that can be held in your hands.
"Well, that makes sense." Jiang Congyue nodded, looking very agreeable. Just when Jiang Le thought she had agreed, the old lady changed the subject, "However, it's more important to balance work and rest. So, you can hire a tutor, but only from Monday to Friday. On weekends, you have to go out with me, an old woman, and see the world, how about that?"
"What do you want to see?" Jiang Le asked cautiously. She didn't want to be dragged to a talent show again.
"Don't worry, I won't let you sing." Jiang Congyue seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled, "Take you to the beach to bask in the sun, look at the big dinosaur bones in the museum, or live in the countryside for a few days, feed chickens and ducks, and pick some fruits. Um... maybe you can also learn to swim?" She counted on her fingers, her eyes shining, like a child planning a trip.
Beach? Swimming? Museum? These words all seemed unfamiliar to Jiang Le, carrying a certain allure of the unknown, mixed with a hint of unease.
But looking at Jiang Congyue's enthusiastic look, the words "Let's study at home" turned around on the tip of his tongue, but he finally swallowed it back.
"Oh... okay." She responded softly, as a compromise.
So, Jiang Le's summer vacation began in a way she had never expected.
Monday to Friday was dedicated to books. Jiang Congyue hired a tutor named Chen, a young female graduate student who taught math and English. She was gentle and patient, and her explanations were clear.
Jiang Le learned quickly, and the familiar feeling of mastering knowledge made her feel at ease.
Teacher Chen was also surprised by her concentration and understanding, and often gave her some additional content.
Weekends are Jiang Congyue’s “extracurricular practice”.
The first time I went to the beach, the salty sea breeze blew in my face, the feet were covered with soft, hot sand, and in the distance was the endless blue sky with rolling white foam.
Jiang Le stood barefoot on the edge of the waves, the cold sea water washing over her feet. Her whole body was stiff and she dared not move, for fear of being swept away by the next wave.
Jiang Congyue, wearing a floral beach dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, looked like a naughty old boy. Not far away, she bent over to pick up shells and sea glass washed up by the waves, and waved at her from time to time: "Lele, come here! This shell is beautiful!"
After Li Yan found out, she burst into laughter on the phone: "Hahaha, Jiang Le, you're actually afraid of water? I'm dying of laughter! Bring a swimming ring next time, and I'll teach you how to doggy paddle!"
After hearing this, Jiang Le was so angry that he hung up the phone and jingled the rough shell necklace in his hand.
Jiang Le was fascinated by the dinosaur skeletons she saw at the museum. She stood beneath a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, gazing up at its cold, ancient majesty. It seemed as if time had stood still.
Can even such a tall and mighty animal not resist the passage of life?
She was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even notice when Jiang Congyue secretly bought her a dinosaur-shaped popsicle.
"Are you so fascinated by it? Do you like dinosaurs? How about I buy you one to take home?" Jiang Congyue said casually while biting a popsicle, as if he was just talking about what to eat tonight.
"?!" Jiang Le widened his eyes in horror and quickly waved his hands and shook his head.
After Jiang Congyue laughed, she suddenly realized that the old lady was not serious and was just teasing her.
Another week passed, and after a long period of classes, Jiang Congyue took her on a short vacation and sent her to the countryside.
Compared to the bustling city, the countryside is a completely different world.
The air smelled of earth and grass, mingling with the distinct aroma of a stable.
Jiang Le wore the old clothes specially prepared by Jiang Congyue and followed the old lady carefully.
When feeding the chickens, a group of colorful roosters came around and cackled to grab the food, scaring her so much that she almost threw the food bowl away; when picking fruit, she watched Jiang Congyue climb up the ladder nimbly, while she could only nervously support him from below and hand him the basket.
Clumsy, but full of novelty.
At night, Jiang Le and Jiang Congyue lay on the wooden bed in the old house, listening to the croaking of frogs and crickets outside the window. For the first time, Jiang Le felt that silence could be so noisy and full of vitality.
"You must be very busy at work..." Jiang Le lay on his back properly and spoke in a deep voice.
Jiang Congyue turned sideways and looked at her with a smile, "Yes, I'm very busy."
Jiang Le's heart tightened. She was busy, but she took time out every weekend to take her to various places. She muttered softly, "Then you still..."
"What else?" Jiang Congyue moved closer, as if wanting to hear the words that were drowned in her throat.
For a long while, Jiang Le hesitated and couldn't say anything, but Jiang Congyue, who was astute as a person, could guess what she wanted to say with his eyes closed, "Le Le, do you think I'm tired from work?"
Jiang Le was a little bit at a loss when asked this question, "Maybe he's tired..."
"Well, do you think I'm happy these days?" Jiang Congyue's face was full of smiles hidden behind the light.
With such a cheerful tone, Jiang Le couldn't say "unhappy" against his will, so he nodded and said, "You look very happy."
"Are you happy then?" Jiang Congyue continued to ask.
Jiang Le was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding what she meant, so he could only answer honestly, "I'm very happy."
After hearing this answer, Jiang Congyue put his arm around her and held the always sensitive and suspicious child in his arms. "Yes, we are not just going out to play to please one person, I want us to be happy. I am not deliberately making time to coax you, but I am also very tired. I need you to accompany me to relax."
"Le Le, not only do you need me, I also need your company."
Jiang Le fell into her warm arms, their breaths intertwined, making her breathless and her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Being needed, she is also someone who is needed.
"Go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow to dry the fruits. If you can't sleep, just recite the core socialist values 100 times." Jiang Congyue is an elderly man after all. He was so sleepy after speaking so many words from the heart that he couldn't stand it anymore.
"..." Jiang Le, who had just been moved, could only accept his fate, "Prosperity, democracy, civilization, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness..."
After reciting it a few times, Jiang Le's voice gradually weakened. When Jiang Congyue raised her sleepy eyelids, she had already fallen asleep.
Jiang Congyue suddenly pinched her nose with some amusement, "You're still a little pig, you fall asleep faster than me."
–
Because of Jiang Le's fear of water shown at the beach before, Jiang Congyue learned his lesson and decided not to let her be too comfortable. Oh, no, he couldn't let her continue this fear.
"Let's learn to swim!"
In the shallow water area of the city swimming pool, Jiang Le clung to the edge of the pool tightly. No matter how the gentle coach encouraged her or how Jiang Congyue cheered her on from the shore, she just refused to let go and bury her head in the water.
"Save...me..."
The suffocating feeling of water covering her mouth and nose made her panic instinctively. An afternoon passed, and her only progress was daring to hold Jiang Congyue's waist and float in the water for a while. Her face turned pale and she anxiously picked at the scar on Jiang Congyue's lower back.
"It's okay, our baby is already great." On the way home, Jiang Congyue wrapped her wet hair with a large towel, without any blame in her tone, "Take your time. Next time, let's try holding our breath for three seconds?"
Jiang Le huddled in the towel and uttered a muffled "hmm".
She didn't want to study. This was the first time she felt aversion to studying.
Tutoring, the beach, museums, the countryside, the swimming pool... This summer vacation is filled with all kinds of completely different experiences.
The sense of certainty brought by the book and the impact brought by the vast world under Jiang Congyue's guidance intertwined and collided in Jiang Le's heart.
She would still review her first-year junior high school textbooks without fail, and would also squat for half a day in amazement one weekend because she found a fat caterpillar gnawing a hole in a vegetable leaf.
Occasionally, as the sun sets, when Jiang Le and Jiang Congyue are sitting on the old rattan chair in the country yard, chewing on freshly picked, sweet cucumbers, he will steal a glance at the little old lady next to him.
Jiang Congyue squinted his eyes, his face showing a relaxed and comfortable expression, and his fine wrinkles appeared particularly soft in the warm light.
A strange, warm feeling, like a vine, quietly wrapped around Jiang Le's heart.
This feeling is different from being praised for getting first place in an exam, and it is also different from the pride you feel when you receive a trophy.
It is quieter and longer-lasting, with a hint of sun-dried cotton and sandalwood mixed in, which seeps in quietly.
It turns out that in addition to excellence and hard work, life also includes sea breeze, frog croaking, caterpillars, and a little old lady who always wants to take her to see the world and broaden her horizons.
Jiang Le lowered his head and took small bites of the cucumber, the corners of his mouth slightly curved upwards.
This little old lady seems to be very special indeed.
She kind of likes Jiang Congyue.
The chaotic thoughts gradually drift away...
–
Jiang Congyue:31
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