Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

It was almost an unspoken agreement that Wenxi would attend No. 2 High School and Zhou Jingchen would attend No. 1 High School.

Two days before the high school entrance exam, an unexpected event occurred—Zhou Jingchen caught a severe cold and became delirious with fever.

He ultimately underperformed and fell short of the cutoff score for the top high school, so he could only enter the second high school along with Wenxi.

Everyone else felt sorry for the outstanding young man, but Wenxi couldn't hide his joy.

On the day the results were announced, she saw her name firmly placed on the list of students admitted to the Second High School, and the corners of her mouth first turned up in a smile;

Seeing that Zhou Jingchen's score was not high enough to be his classmate, she couldn't contain her secret joy.

She comforted him, saying, "Little dog, don't be sad. No. 2 High School is good too. It's closer to where we live than No. 1 High School, so it's more convenient for us to go to school."

The girl's little thoughts were written all over her face. Zhou Jingchen looked at the corners of her mouth that couldn't hide her smile, a slight smile flashed in his eyes, but he nodded with feigned seriousness.

Life typically involves several crucial crossroads.

Birth is the first step, determining the initial starting point;

The high school entrance exam is the second hurdle, dividing students into different tracks and determining the quality of teachers for high school.

The college entrance examination is the third hurdle; the red stamp on the graduation certificate will become the stepping stone to entering society.

Going forward, there are marriage, career choices... every step influences the direction of one's future.

That summer, Zhou Jingchen simply chose what was more important to him.

-

Hongxing Machinery Factory is at a critical stage of market-oriented transformation.

Wen Zhiting was busy cutting expenses and going out for inspections, determined to help this long-established company gain a foothold in the tide of the times.

Xiang Qin stayed by his side the whole time, and the couple were busy all day long.

After the middle school entrance exam, Wenxi and Zhou Jingchen officially bid farewell to junior high school and ushered in a long and hot summer vacation.

After the Lesser Heat, the sun becomes increasingly scorching, and even with the ceiling fan whirring overhead, it cannot dispel the heat that fills the room.

Wen Zhiting and his wife went on another business trip. Before leaving, they left their two children a lot of pocket money so that they could take care of their own meals outside.

Wenxi, dressed in a cool little dress, was curled up on the sofa watching TV, while Zhou Jingchen, who lived across the hall, was carving wood by his window.

The holidays are a rare treat, and even the air feels relaxed.

Suddenly, a vendor's loud cry rang out from outside the courtyard: "Selling popsicles! Selling popsicles!"

Wenxi's eyes lit up, and he immediately jumped up from the sofa, shuffling his sandals towards the courtyard gate, waving at the old-fashioned bicycle carrying a white styrofoam cooler:

"Uncle, I want an ice pop!"

The vendor stopped his vehicle, and she went back home, where she found two beer bottles behind the door—back then, beer bottles could be exchanged for money or goods, and one was enough to buy a regular popsicle.

She ran back, clutching a bottle in each hand, and handed it to the vendor: "I want a big one and a mung bean popsicle."

Big-headed ice cream is her favorite; its round top is coated with a crisp chocolate shell, and the bottom is filled with smooth and sweet cream.

She also liked the mung bean popsicles; they were refreshing and cooling, and each bite was full of crumbly mung bean particles, sweet but not cloying.

The vendor took the bottle, put it in his cloth bag, handed over two popsicles, and continued pushing his cart along the alley, calling out his wares.

Wenxi licked his big-headed ice cream and walked across the street, clutching a mung bean popsicle in his other hand.

Pushing open the half-closed door with his elbow, he saw Zhou Jingchen sitting by the window, head down, carving something, with wood shavings piled up beside him and a cane leaning against his leg.

Hearing the noise, he quietly stuffed the wooden carving in his hand into the drawer.

"Here, this is for you." Wenxi handed over the mung bean popsicle.

Zhou Jingchen patted the sawdust off his hands: "I'm going to wash my hands."

When he returned, Wenxi was sitting on a chair to the side, leisurely swinging her legs, with a ring of white cream on her upper lip, like a little mouse stealing a bite.

"Hurry up and get it, it's going to melt." She handed the popsicle to him.

Zhou Jingchen reached out to take it, but she abruptly pulled her hand back, her face hardening: "You haven't said thank you yet?"

He paused for a moment, then whispered, "Thank you."

"Thank you to whom?" Wenxi smiled, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth.

"Thank you, sister." He knew she loved to tease him.

"Mmm, good boy." She reached out and ruffled his hair before handing him the popsicle.

Zhou Jingchen had just torn open the packaging paper and hadn't even had a chance to take a bite when Wenxi bent down and took a big bite.

The cream from the corner of her mouth smeared onto the dark green popsicle, making the white spot stand out.

He didn't pay attention and took a bite. The sweetness of the cream mixed with the refreshing taste of the mung bean melted on his tongue, and it was delicious.

A wave of heat hung in the air, and the courtyard was filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas.

Wenxi glanced at the various small pieces of wood on his table, stuck out her pink tongue to lick her ice cream, and asked, "What are you carving?"

Zhou Jingchen said, "I just carved it for fun."

"Oh...come over to my place later so we can watch TV together."

"it is good."

The TV was showing "Variety Show" during Saturday's prime time, with live skits and crosstalk performances that made everyone laugh. Wenxi was most obsessed with the skit segment, chattering away as she watched.

"Hahaha, this is hilarious! Who does things like this?!"

"Look, look, that actress is my favorite!"

"Pfft, this acting is terrible, I'd be better off doing it."

Wenxi was talkative, even noisier than the cicadas outside the window, but Zhou Jingchen didn't find it annoying.

Suddenly, the TV screen switched to a song, "Hot Girl" sung by Song Zuying. As soon as the cheerful melody started, Wenxi immediately ran into the bedroom and pulled out a pair of red handkerchiefs used for dancing.

She stood in front of the TV and excitedly said to Zhou Jingchen, "I can dance! I can dance! My teacher taught me this dance."

As the surging music played on the television, she held up a red handkerchief, wore a vest dress, and stood in front of Zhou Jingchen, dancing to the beat of the music.

The girl's movements were professional, her arms stretching out like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

Her waist swayed lightly to the rhythm, her steps sometimes skipped and sometimes twirled, and her skirt was lifted slightly by the wind.

Her ponytail swung in the air in a neat arc, and the wide smile on her face couldn't be hidden, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth.

"Spicy girl, spicy girl..." The dance music on TV was lively, and she danced energetically and vividly.

After the dance ended, she turned her back to Zhou Jingchen, stuck out her butt, and wiggled her hips, looking cute, smug, and showing off.

The skirt, though not very long, bounced up and down with the girl's exaggerated movements, revealing a corner of pink fabric underneath.

Zhou Jingchen silently turned his head away, his fingers unconsciously curling up as he gripped the cane beside his leg tightly.

Wenxi turned around, raised her chin and eyebrows: "Isn't it great? This song is super popular. The teacher only taught it two or three times, and I've memorized it all!"

She danced with great enthusiasm in the sweltering summer heat, her little face glistening with a thin layer of sweat, as rosy as a ripe crabapple on a branch.

Zhou Jingchen's ears turned red, and he nodded: "Yes, it looks good, very impressive."

"Call her princess!"

"The princess is amazing!"

Upon hearing this, she proudly raised her little face.

-

In the afternoon, the two felt bored at home, so they decided to go to the factory to visit Grandpa Zhou.

In summer, the boiler room of Hongxing Machinery Factory still had to be kept burning. Its function was not only to provide heating in winter, but more importantly, to generate electricity and supply energy.

Grandpa Zhou's main job is to add coal, remove slag, and clean the furnace. He can spend the rest of the time in the rest room and occasionally go to the boiler room to take a look.

Wenxi and Zhou Jingchen first went to the factory store to buy three ice creams before heading to the boiler room.

There were a few older employees in the break room. They greeted Wenxi with smiles as she arrived. She used to come here with Zhou Jingchen when she was little, and these grandparents who watched her grow up doted on her.

Wenxi took out her Walkman and played the cassette tape of "Hot Girl," then danced again in front of everyone.

Grandpa Zhou laughed heartily, "Our little magpie is sure to become a dancer someday!"

Wenxi beamed with joy. She had always loved dancing and enjoyed the feeling of being praised and adored.

She could never catch up with Zhou Jingchen in academics, but dancing gave her the confidence to "crush" him.

When they returned home in the evening, Grandpa Zhou pushed his bicycle and accompanied the two children to the family compound. On the way, Wenxi bought Zhou Jingchen an ice cream.

With her parents away, she completely let loose, eating three popsicles in one day. Zhou Jingchen was worried she'd get an upset stomach from eating too much cold food, so he tried to dissuade her, but she kicked him hard, leaving him no choice but to watch her indulge.

When Uncle Zhou and Aunt Xiang are not home, Jingchen will go to Wenxi's house to stay overnight and keep her company.

This seemingly ordinary day was about to end amidst the chirping of cicadas and the evening breeze.

however--

The day became extraordinary the moment Wenxi had her first period.