Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Lin Xiaoshuang blinked and commented on Zhang Qian:

"What, Astro Boy?"

Bai Li tapped the wooden table next to him:

"Your consciences are absolutely wicked."

"This is Tingting's hometown. Don't you feel any remorse for what you did to me?!"

"Once we get back home, I'll accept it even if you suck me dry. Now behave yourself."

These words had an immediate effect.

Making empty promises is always the surest way to manipulate these girls.

Upon hearing that she could smoke freely at home, Zhang Qian's eyes immediately lit up, and she obediently returned to her original position.

Bai Li breathed a long sigh of relief.

Finally, the crisis that was about to escalate into a fight on the elders' kang (heated brick bed) was resolved.

He turned around and pushed open the door.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly at two o'clock in the afternoon.

The sunlight, like shattered gold, spilled across the entire courtyard, warming people's skin.

The spring wind in the north carries a dry, earthy scent, without the oppressive feeling of reinforced concrete.

"Let's go, since the weather is nice, let's take a stroll around the village," Bai Li suggested.

"Okay, okay!" Several girls giggled and squeezed out of the house.

Bai Li stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped down the steps of the main house.

Next to the woodpile in the corner of the yard, there was a farm tricycle covered in mud.

This broken lump of iron completely stunned Bai Li.

Some things are like that; they suddenly appear in your eyes and instantly transport you back to more than a decade ago.

The handle was rusty, the seat cushion had holes that exposed the foam, and underneath was a diesel engine that could only be started by manually cranking a large handle.

Commonly known as a "bengbeng car".

All the memories of my childhood came flooding back.

Slipping under the covers in the sunlight, Ah-Shuai, QQ Pet...

There are also the old days of sitting in the back of a tricycle with elders, enduring bumpy rides and eating dirt along the way.

Chen Tingting understood what Bai Li meant when she saw him staring at the tricycle.

She took a few steps over and grabbed the handlebars.

"Brother, would you like to sit here?"

Bai Li laughed:

"I do miss it a bit."

Chen Tingting patted her chest and guaranteed:

"Come, have a seat."

Chen Tingting acted immediately. She bent down, pulled out the crank handle from under the car, inserted it into the engine hole, and started cranking it vigorously with gritted teeth.

"Da da da da—!"

The whole car came to life and began to vibrate rhythmically.

Then she straddled the black leather seat, waved her hand boldly, and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"This time, it's my turn to take my older brother for a ride in a convertible!"

"Get on the bike! Get on the bike!" Chen Tingting gripped the trembling handlebars with both hands.

Bai Li didn't mince words and simply climbed into the back of the truck, which was full of dirt and debris.

Seeing that their eldest brother had gone up, Lin Xiaoshuang, Li Jiaxin, and Zhang Qian didn't hesitate any longer.

The three energetic young women, laughing and joking, all climbed inside.

"Let's go!"

Chen Tingting released the clutch and twisted the accelerator.

The rickshaw trembled as it drove out of the red-painted iron gate.

The four wheels rolled along the muddy road in the village, heading towards the village entrance.

At this time, many elderly men and women in the village brought their small stools and sat under the walls of their houses to bask in the sun.

The loud noise from the trolley immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Hey, isn't that Tingting from Old Chen's family?"

An older woman holding a bunch of garlic squinted at it for a long time before shouting out loud.

Hearing the noise, Chen Tingting slowed down her car slightly.

"Aunt Wang! Uncle Liu! I'm back!"

Chen Tingting greeted everyone in a loud voice.

Grandpa Liu, who was holding two walnuts in his hand, took two steps closer:

"In the past six months, Tingting has grown into a beautiful young woman."

"Absolutely!"

Chen Tingting held her chin high and pointed to the truck bed behind her:

"That's why I brought my partner and friends back for a visit!"

Bai Li sat on the side of the cart, nodding and smiling at the villagers in a very cooperative manner.

With a slight curve in her peach blossom eyes, Aunt Wang was completely mesmerized.

"Good heavens..." Aunt Wang slapped her thigh, her voice rising eight octaves:

"Tingting, this young man is so handsome! Could he be your boyfriend?"

This question really hit Chen Tingting right where it hurts.

Chen Tingting slammed on the brakes, and the tuk-tuk came to a stop in the middle of the road, trembling on the spot.

She straightened her back and declared loudly:

"That's right, Aunt Wang! This is my boyfriend, Bai Li!"

The surrounding neighborhood erupted in celebration, with everyone gathering to offer their congratulations.

"What a handsome man! Old Chen is so lucky to have such a good-looking grandson-in-law."

"Tingting has finally made it big. Look at her clothes, she's obviously a big business owner in the city."

Praises were constantly being heard.

Hearing these words, Chen Tingting's ears, hidden beneath her red hair, turned bright red.

Back in the village, she was a troublemaker that everyone disliked; if someone lost a melon, she would be the first person they suspected.

But today, she, along with her boyfriend and a group of girlfriends, has become the envy of the entire village.

What do you call this? This is called returning home in glory!

In the truck bed.

Zhang Qian leaned close to Bai Li's ear and giggled incessantly:

"Big brother, you're famous now, you're the village heartthrob."

Li Jiaxin rubbed the tip of her nose with the back of her hand, her cool and confident eyes radiating pride.

"With his looks and presence, he'd be a hit no matter which village he was in."

Having shown off enough, Chen Tingting twisted the accelerator again.

The tuk-tuk drove west along the village road, and with no houses to block the view, the scenery suddenly opened up.

What comes into view is a vast open field.

Rows of sturdy old willow trees lined both sides of the road, and they had already sprouted buds.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying the fresh scent of plant sap and earth.

The distant, rolling hills were clearly outlined by the sunlight.

Bai Li leaned against the edge of the truck bed, her two long legs casually crossed.

At that moment, he completely relaxed.

They left behind the bustling city and put aside all worldly pursuits.

He was sitting in a tricycle.

Ahead is the tomboy Chen Tingting.

Behind them were three energetic young women who, even while riding in the back of a tricycle, had beaming smiles.

They are all the purest forms of happiness.

Sunshine, air, freedom.

No one spoke, but the sense of tranquility in the air was so strong it was almost palpable.

Just like those stunning slow-motion shots in old movies.

Bai Li suddenly remembered a sentence.

He rested his elbows on the side of the vehicle, facing the wind, and whispered:

"Escape in the sunlight with you in a grand manner."

The sound wasn't actually that loud.

But all four girls heard it clearly.

Chen Tingting's full head of red hair was blown a little messy by the wind.

She turned around, looked at Bai Li, her eyes shining brightly, and grinned with a wild and unrestrained smile:

"Yes, brother!"

"Beautiful sunshine."

"Like the sunrise at Harbor Corner..."