Rebirth: Growing Up Together

Xu Cheng never thought that he would not only fail to steal the chicken but also lose the rice. If the computer was taken away, the navigation website would be ruined.

"Mom, listen to me first. Buy me an MP3 player and I'll get you into the top five in the midterm exam. How about that?"

He Ying and Xu Jianghe looked at each other and smiled.

"Don't aim for the top five. Try to get into the top ten. Then I'll buy you whatever you want. Okay."

These words hit the nail on the head for Xu Cheng. He really needed something recently, and it would be great if he could get it through this opportunity.

"Okay, it's a deal, but you have to buy me the MP3 first."

Xu Jianghe thought for a moment and said, "I can buy it, but what if you are delayed in your studies because of it?"

"Well, if you buy me an MP3 player and I don't make the top 10 on the test, you can take my computer and the MP3 player away with you."

"Okay." Xu Jianghe hesitated for a while and thought this deal was a good deal. "How much is that MP3?"

"2000 yuan!"

That’s right, unlike the labels of cheap, poor sound quality, and plastic feel in later generations, the MP3 of this era was such a sky-high priced product, and it was even labeled as high-tech.

"What? So expensive?" Xu Jianghe put the wallet he had just taken out of his pocket back, "No, this is too expensive. How old are you? How can I buy you such an expensive toy?"

Xu Cheng was already used to adults not keeping their promises, so he didn't mind. His intention was not to buy anything anyway.

Pretending to be distressed, he muttered in a moderately loud voice, "They are all foreign brands, so they are expensive."

Xu Jianghe continued to drink water and didn't listen carefully to Xu Cheng's words, so Xu Cheng had to run to him for more.

"Dad, MP3 players are so popular now, and most of them are foreign brands. Foreign brands are expensive. If your factory can produce a domestic MP3 player with a slightly lower price, it will definitely be popular with many people."

Xu Jianghe frowned, "What do you know, a kid? Developing a product is a very serious matter. A decision can only be made after investigating the market. Do you think I haven't studied it? Sony, the leader in the audio industry, hasn't made this little thing. What do you call it? This is called a weather vane..."

Then he waved his hand and said, "Go, go, go do your homework. You won't understand even if I tell you."

"Tsk, everyone doesn't understand, Sony must be right, two years ago Kodak, the leader in the camera industry, was still clinging to film cameras, and look at how Fuji has beaten it this year."

"Oh?" Xu Jianghe looked at Xu Cheng in surprise, "You know this! Where did you read this?"

"I... I saw it when I was searching for writing materials. The teacher asked us to accumulate more knowledge in our daily life..."

After trying to persuade him for a long time without any success, Xu Cheng returned to his bedroom in frustration.

It seemed that Xu Jianghe was too comfortable in his middle-level position in this state-owned enterprise, so he just laid down.

How can this be possible? I must give my father some strength! Let him understand that a real man is born between heaven and earth, how can he be depressed and inferior to others for a long time!

……

After school at noon, everyone in the classroom, starving, ran out and rushed to the cafeteria to get food.

Xu Cheng strolled slowly to the school gate. He Ying had told him in the morning that she would bring him lunch at noon, so he didn't have to go to the cafeteria today.

"I stewed two chicken legs, minced meat and eggplant strips, and braised pork for you. They are all your favorites. Is there any water left? Remember to drink more water."

He Ying passed the lunch box to Xu Cheng through the gap in the door.

"There's water, there's water. Go back and be careful on the road." Xu Cheng took the several-layered lunch box from her, which was heavy with her mother's love.

The classroom was extremely quiet. The empty desks were placed crookedly. The warm afternoon sun made people feel a little warm. Fine dust of chalk was floating everywhere.

Xu Cheng returned to his seat and took down the lunch boxes that had been piled up like a mountain. There were soft and sticky minced meat and eggplant strips with a cumin aroma, salty and sweet braised pork, buttery stewed chicken legs, and sweet and sour scrambled eggs with tomatoes...

"Gululu~"

Xu Cheng was so frightened by the inexplicable sound in the classroom that his hands began to tremble. He looked in the direction of the sound and his eyes met a pair of beautiful eyes that were shining with afternoon light. The girl's fair cheeks turned red in an instant.

It was only then that Xu Cheng realized that Yu Yu had been sitting next to him, holding a white steamed bun as big as an adult's fist in his hand.

Is she eating this alone while everyone goes to lunch?

And the place where the sound was made just now...Xu Cheng continued to look down, while Yu Yu had already lowered his head with a flushed face.

It must be her stomach rumbling.

Yu Yu felt so embarrassed that he pressed the entire big steamed bun against his face, thinking that it would be better if he could be eaten by the bun so that he wouldn't be so embarrassed.

Fortunately, Xu Cheng next to him didn't say anything mocking, but just ate his own food. Yu Yu also ate his steamed bun in small bites, and from time to time he glanced at the lunch of the guy next to him, then quickly looked away, for fear of being discovered by him.

What kind of dish is that? It looks delicious, it must be very expensive!

Xu Cheng picked up a chicken leg and took a bite, frowning, "Shh, this is so spicy."

He turned his head and his eyes met Yu Yu's. Before Yu Yu could flee in a hurry, he said, "Can you help me taste this and see if it's very spicy? I took a bite and it tasted really spicy."

Yu Yu looked at Xu Cheng blankly, watching him pick up another chicken leg and hand it to his face. The salty and fragrant smell mixed with the oily and salty taste, the appetizing smell wafted into his nose.

She was stunned for a long time before she shook her head vigorously to indicate that she didn't want to eat.

She didn't dare to open her mouth, for fear that the boy opposite her would notice the saliva flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"I can't eat chili peppers, so you can help me taste it to see if it's spicy. I tell you, don't take too big a bite, just taste it a little bit..."

It was as if the devil's whispers were ringing in his ears, Yu Yu's psychological defenses were quickly collapsing.

The tip of my nose was filled with the aroma of steam, and my classmate asked me for help...

Otherwise, just help him out by taking a small bite.

Yu Yu didn't know whether the chicken leg came to him first or he bit it with his mouth first.

The moment the teeth touched the chicken leg, the juice in the tender muscle quickly flowed out from between the teeth, the fragrance overflowed, and instantly filled the entire mouth.

Delicious!

When was the last time I ate something so delicious? I can’t seem to remember… but I wish my mother-in-law could have it, too.

A voice pulled Yu Yu out of his own world.

"Is it spicy?"

Yu Yu shook his head, and his jet-black hair bounced on his shoulders like waves.

"Oh, it's good that it's not spicy." Xu Cheng took the chicken leg back without thinking, "If you don't mind the indirect kiss, I will continue to eat it."

Yu Yu:?

What? Indirect... kissing! How can that be possible! My mother-in-law said that these are things that can only be done after marriage!

Her eyes widened as she saw the chicken leg was already at Xu Cheng's mouth. She hurriedly stretched out her two little hands to stop Xu Cheng.

"No...no way!"

This was the first time Yu Yu spoke in front of Xu Cheng, and Xu Cheng looked at her in surprise.

"Ah? You can speak. I thought you were a mute."

Yu Yu's cheeks were flushed, her peach blossom eyes were tearful, and her red little mouth moved slightly.

"I'm not... I'm not a little mute."

The sound is clear and pleasant, just like the rippling water of a river.

Chapter 21: A Man's Mouth

It’s such a treasure!

Xu Cheng didn't expect that Yu Yu not only had a pair of moving eyes but also had such a nice voice. This also denied He Ying's guess that she didn't speak, not because she was mute.

In Xu Cheng's opinion, Yu Yu is just extremely socially anxious. Like all introverted children, he is fragile and sensitive. He dares not contact anyone because of his cowardice. He has a heart that is both inferior and self-reliant. He is afraid of being hurt and even more afraid of charity and friendliness.

Xu Cheng passed the chicken leg in his hand to Yu Yu, "Do you want to eat it?"

"I...I don't want to..." Yu Yu shook his head and refused.

"Then don't stop me." Xu Cheng pretended to put the food into his mouth again, but Yu Yu immediately stopped him with determination written all over his face.

"No! You can't kiss indirectly."

"What should I do? This is my chicken leg. You won't let me eat it, and you don't want to eat it either. I can't just throw it away."

Yu Yu pursed her lips, her eyes wandering, not knowing how to solve the problem.

"Well, I'll give this to you to eat..."

"I...I don't want to eat."

Yu Yu immediately shook his head vigorously to refuse, and tried his best not to look, for fear that he would really agree to it.

Xu Cheng continued, "I'm not giving it to you for free. Don't leave after school this afternoon..."

"Ah?" Yu Yu widened his eyes in horror.

"Uh... I have two cleaning jobs today. How about you do one for me?"

Yu Yu looked at Xu Cheng, then at the chicken leg, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't resist the temptation of delicious food, so he nodded and agreed.

Handing the chicken leg to her, Xu Cheng spread the food box on the table and started to devour the delicious dish. Yu Yu stared at the chicken leg in her hand and swallowed her saliva. The overflowing meat aroma tempted her taste buds all the time. Finally, she couldn't help it and carefully covered it with her mouth again and took a small bite reservedly.

It smells so good!

If the first bite just gave her a slight taste of saltiness, then with this bite, the aroma of meat almost instantly exploded in her mouth.

Yu Yu remembered that when she and her mother-in-law were setting up a stall, she saw such chicken legs being sold in a store. The owner wanted to give one to her, but she shook her head and refused. Later, she kept imagining what that chicken leg tasted like.

So that's how it is.

"Why are you crying?"

Yu Yu then realized the water drops rolling down the corners of his eyes, and hurriedly wiped them with the wide sleeves of his school uniform.

Xu Cheng tore a tissue from Lin Wanzhou's desk and handed it to her, "Don't cry, it's okay if you don't want to clean up."

"It's not that I don't want to clean." Yu Yu said in a low voice with red eyes, "I have to clean it."

"By the way, why did you transfer schools? Can you tell me?" After finally prying Yu Yu's mouth open, Xu Cheng of course had to ask about this thing that he had been curious about for a long time.

I don’t know if it’s because he is grateful for what he has done, but Yu Yu rarely told him some of his own stories.

"They said they would waive my tuition fees and I don't have to worry about anything else..."

Xu Cheng understood immediately. As the No. 1 primary school in Jinghai, it was really embarrassing that the first place in the joint examination was snatched away by Yu Yu from Yingcai Primary School. As for snatching students... well, it was nothing new.

After school in the afternoon.

The other two people on duty were quite surprised to see Yu Yu, but they didn't say anything because it was Friday and everyone was eager to go home. They quickly finished their work and slipped away.

Yu Yu was in charge of sweeping the floor, and she swept extremely hard. After seeing this, Xu Cheng cried out that he was losing out so much that he wanted to use a chicken leg to trick her back to his house to clean the house.

Because Xu Cheng was responsible for mopping the floor, he had to wait for Yu Yu to finish sweeping the floor. Yu Yu put the broom away neatly, walked up to Xu Cheng and asked softly.

"can I go now?"

Xu Cheng nodded, "Let's go, I'll just mop the floor."

He went to the battlefield with a wet mop, but found that Yu Yu was still standing at the same place. He looked up and asked in surprise.

"Any thing else?"

"Um..." Yu Yu pinched the corner of his clothes, "Where is the East Building Cultural Corner?"

"The East Building is the red building on the easternmost side. You will see the Cultural Corner when you get there. It is on the south side of the building, opposite the carport."

"Oh."

Knowing the location, Yu Yu took small steps and left the classroom.

Xu Cheng finished mopping the floor before he recalled that Jiang Yulu had asked Yu Yu to make the blackboard newspaper yesterday.

This idiot isn't really going to do it, is he?

After locking the classroom door, Xu Cheng planned to go to the cultural corner. Because it was Friday, the teachers and students left very quickly. It was extremely quiet in the sunset, and one could vaguely hear the chirping of sparrows.

The cultural corner is opposite the carport and is one of the must-pass routes for the cycling teachers. There are two large blackboards. With such a workload, it would take four people standing on the tables a whole afternoon to finish it, not counting the time for preparing the subject matter and content.

Xu Cheng walked over to the cultural corner and saw a figure standing there. He looked up at two large blackboards with a look of helplessness on his face. It was Yu Yu.

He squatted under the peach tree and observed for a long time. In the setting sun, Yu Yu's shadow was very long, not proportional to his small body. He held one or two pieces of chalk in his hand, and occasionally stood on tiptoe, wanting to write something, but stopped the moment he touched the blackboard, and then continued to wander around with a frustrated face.

March is the month when peach blossoms are in full bloom. Occasionally, one or two pink petals fall with the spring breeze. The solitary figure in this scene looks so lonely and helpless.

Xu Cheng sighed, stood up and walked towards her.

"Do you want me to help you?"