Back to the prime of life

Chapter 19: Countryside (Seeking monthly tickets and follow-up reading)
After seeing the money, grandma's smile suddenly became much brighter. She went to the field to pick a watermelon, cut it for them to eat, and wanted to let him stay there for one night.

The watermelon can be eaten, but forget about it after one night. He didn’t bring any clothes with him, and they will smell bad in the summer.

But there is no need to leave now. It will be hot at two or three o'clock. Wait until the sun is smaller, then take Xu Qiuxue's three-wheeled motorcycle to the county road to wait for the bus. As long as you don't miss the late bus, it will be fine.

The locals have been here for many years and are very familiar with the times of the early and late buses, so they will not miss them.

Lu Changge was eating watermelon when he heard his grandmother say that she would use a three-wheeled motorcycle to send him back. He suddenly remembered something and then quietly went outside and pushed the three-wheeled motorcycle to a cool place under a shed.

Xu Qiuxue burst out laughing when she saw this. She was wondering what this guy was going out for.

Grandma was also amused and said, "Changge has become more lively. She used to be like you, never saying a word wherever she went."

Xu Qiuxue supported her chin and thought about what the old lady said. Although she didn't know why, it seemed that what she said was right.

Later, after they finished eating, the old and the young began to clear the table. Lu Changge wanted to help, but this time they said they would not allow him to do anything. They also mentioned that his insistence on lighting the stove before was also inappropriate.

There was no other way, so he sat down and rested for a while to sober up.

It was also because of this that he had the opportunity to see Xu Qiuxue doing housework. She moved very quickly and washed several bowls neatly. She could also lift the large wooden pot lid on the stove and brush the bottom of the pot with a sieve several times. It was obvious that she was very skilled.

Perhaps noticing that he was looking at her, Xu Qiuxue also glanced at him a few times.

While washing dishes by the window, she turned her head to the side, and the sunlight from outside the window happened to shine on her face. Her appearance was blurred between the light and darkness.

Lu Changge, who had drunk a little, squinted his eyes. He was hallucinating again and thought he saw Xu Qiuxue eighteen years later.

He was not a melancholy or sentimental person, but at this moment he really missed the times when he had long conversations with his sister.

At that time, they were far away from each other, and every time they had a rare contact and conversation, they didn't have time to talk in detail about the daily necessities and family matters in life. Instead, they just talked about life and ideals, and everything was about passion.

People are entangled in worldly affairs and full of desires. If there is someone who can help you escape from those things, even for just a short moment, it will be a great comfort.

"Are you dizzy? How about I get you a glass of water?"

Xu Qiuxue's voice became gentler, unlike the restrained and cold voice when she first met him.

Lu Changge rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger, then came back to his senses and said, "Is there any cold water? It's a little hot."

"it is good."

Grandma had gone out by then, and they were the only two in the room. The only sound was the squeaking of the old electric fan.

"...What happened to that girl last time?"

"Which girl?"

"That's the one we bumped into on the street, the one you liked before."

"You said it was in the past." Few people had mentioned Li Ruoqi to him in such a long time, but he still patiently explained, "Later, she spread the word in our class, saying that I had found someone else as my girlfriend. She was really bored."

"Maybe she likes you too, so she still cares about me who was by your side that day."

Lu Changge didn't respond. There was no need to talk so much about an unimportant woman. He turned and asked, "What about you? Are there any boys who like you? Have you received quite a few love letters?"

Xu Qiuxue was startled by his question, and she quickly glanced outside to make sure no one came in before she felt relieved.

"What nonsense."

"A beautiful lady is a perfect match for a gentleman. That's perfectly normal. It's okay to express it normally, but there shouldn't be anyone who bullies you or is persistent and annoying, right?"

"There aren't many like that."

"I've only seen one."

"I'm fine." "What do you mean fine? Does it mean there are some?"

Xu Qiuxue hurriedly denied it, "No way, don't talk nonsense. This matter is... annoying."

"Really?" Lu Changge was thinking, it turns out that girls feel annoyed from a different perspective.

Later he rested for a while. At 4 o'clock, Xu Qiuxue continued to ride the three-wheeled motorcycle to send him away. Lu Changge said goodbye to his grandparents before leaving.

The cement road outside the village was narrow, but the poplar trees on either side were especially lush in the summer, casting a cool, shady shadow along the road. In the distance, endless farmland, interspersed with ponds and a few small houses, stretched as far as the eye could see. Driving along it felt like the breeze was blowing comfortably, and in that moment, he felt as if he had truly returned to the carefree summer days of his memories.

It felt very far when I came here, but now when I go back it feels like I can just ride there in a short time.

When they reached the county road, they found a shady place to stay. Since the car hadn't arrived yet and Xu Qiuxue hadn't suggested leaving, she waited with him there for a while.

Lu Changge said, "If you're bored staying at home, just call me and I'll take you to the county town."

"it is good."

This sounded like a polite remark, something relatives usually said when they parted, so she nodded obediently.

But Lu Changge was actually serious. "I'm learning to drive. Once I get my license, I'll ask my dad to borrow a car from the construction site. It will be very convenient for him to pick you up then."

When she said this, she suddenly laughed, leaving Lu Changge confused. "What's wrong? You don't dare to sit in my car?"

"No." She shook her head, tucked her hair behind her ears, and looked into the distance. "Actually... I lied to you. Many boys have written me love letters."

"I just knew that was the case."

"But there are many people who write on paper. Some people even come up to me and hold it in for a long time just to say, 'I love you.' But no one ever does anything. For a time, it made me feel that it's easy to like someone, but it's hard to be nice to them."

Lu Changge understood this sentence, but why did he not understand why it was said at this time? "So?"

Xu Qiuxue hesitated to speak, then shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just telling you the truth."

"Is that so?" He nodded with some doubt, but he didn't think anything of it. Instead, he reminded her, "By the way, don't think these likes are cheap. You can refuse their admiration, but don't treat them like garbage in the trash can, including when you go to college later."

"Why do you say that?"

Lu Changge said, "In this world, some people are beautiful, some are smart. These are innate qualities, or you could call them talents. But kindness is not a talent; it's a skill. I hope you are a kind person."

"You talk like Grandpa."

"Haha. Otherwise, how can I be your brother?"

Xu Qiuxue asked the question that had puzzled her for a long time, "Why do you keep asking me to call you brother?"

Lu Changge said: "Because I am your brother."

We couldn't talk for too long because the car came.

After getting in the car, he saw her riding her three-wheeled motorcycle back along the long cement road across the field. The car was moving very fast, and Xu Qiuxue quickly became a black dot in his sight.

When she returned home, the old lady pulled her into the side room, stuffed five hundred yuan into her hands, and told her, "Keep it for yourself and don't tell your grandfather."

She nodded obediently. Of course, she knew where it came from.

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This book is currently being recommended, and I'm begging for votes and to read it later~ (actually because I'm a little worried that I won't be able to get recommendations in the next few rounds)

Thank you.

(End of this chapter)