Chapter 261: Life Welcoming Summer

(1)

May 5, 2010.

The final day of the Labor Day Holiday.

Back then, long holidays didn’t require make-up workdays.

Whether adults or students, everyone could fully enjoy the wonderful vacation and look forward to the upcoming Weekend after just two more days of work or school.

Perhaps only at times like this could people experience the joy of resting for five days out of a seven-day week.

An Jing woke up on the floor.

She had no idea how she had slept the night before.

When she woke up, she was on the ground.

The blanket was on the floor too.

But somehow her slippers had ended up on the bed.

There hadn’t been much feeling when she fell.

But as her consciousness gradually cleared, the pain in the back of her head became increasingly obvious.

Rubbing her head, An Jing crawled out from under the desk.

After several yawns, she looked out the window into the damp morning breeze.

Today was the Start of Summer.

At this time of year, rain always seemed to become especially frequent.

Unlike spring’s gentle drizzle, summer rain arrived fiercely.

It usually gathered during the night and early morning.

When the sky cleared, the sun would peek out from behind the clouds again.

But that didn’t mean the entire day would remain sunny.

Summer weather was always unpredictable.

Sometimes a heavy rainstorm would arrive while the sun was still shining.

An Jing watched the streams of rainwater flowing from the eaves.

Listening to the sound that resembled beans crackling in a pan, she stretched lazily and walked to the window.

Leaning half her body against the windowsill, she enjoyed the view.

Only on days without school could she waste time this leisurely.

She loved summer rain the most.

Wild and refreshing without causing too much trouble.

Whether it was the strong winds during the rain or the cool breeze afterward, both felt incredibly healing.

If she had to describe it, summer was a lot like Zhu Ying.

It arrived noisily and energetically.

Bringing a burst of coolness.

Then, after the clouds dispersed, it left behind sunlight hot enough to melt people.

Bright.

Lively.

As though she would never grow tired.

All the most beautiful qualities people imagined in a young girl could be applied to her.

Even her somewhat troublesome hobbies couldn’t truly be considered dark flaws.

At most, they were merely shade beneath the blazing summer sun.

Several crisp bird calls echoed through the rain.

An Jing tilted her head instinctively.

A few Sparrows were perched on the neighboring balcony’s clothes-drying pole.

Sheltering beneath the awning, they carefully groomed their wet feathers.

One Sparrow even had a freshly caught earthworm dangling from its beak.

Judging from how much it still wriggled, it had likely just been pulled from the soil.

Summer rain welcomed summer life.

Unlike spring, where all living things burst forth from silence and death.

Summer vitality carried its own unique flavor.

If she had to explain it, it was probably a kind of bustling, noisy excitement.

At that moment, An Jing suddenly understood why the ancients had called this season High Summer.

After all, none of the other seasons were described using the word “high.”

The cedar trees downstairs swayed gently in the rain.

Their countless leaves clustered together.

The summer rain seemed to make their green color even more vibrant.

(2)

Zhu Ying got up early.

At least, that was what she thought.

Of course, she still couldn’t compare to her parents, who woke up around five or six every morning.

Her father was stuffing clothes into the Washing Machine.

Meanwhile, her Mother was spreading Straw Mats over the sofas and beds.

Zhu Ying sat nearby with a cup of oatmeal porridge, sipping it little by little.

By the time she woke up, breakfast had already been completely eaten.

According to her father:

“Today’s breakfast was just too good. I couldn’t stop myself.”

As a result, all that remained for her was the oatmeal her Mother had quickly prepared and some toast spread with jam.

Fortunately, Zhu Ying didn’t mind.

Occasionally enjoying a Western-style breakfast felt nice too.

Though it would have been even better with bacon and fried eggs.

Instead of sitting at the dining table, she sat at the end of the hallway.

The hallway wasn’t very long.

It connected her room, the Bathroom, and a small storage room.

At the end stood a window beside a lush green snake plant.

She sat beside it and watched the rain outside.

She had already experienced more than ten summers.

Yet this year’s summer felt fresher than any before.

Perhaps because she had gone through different experiences.

And because there was now someone in her life who hadn’t been there before.

“Summer is like a fluffy big dog.”

Zhu Ying murmured while catching bread crumbs with her oatmeal cup.

“Whether it’s raining or sunny, it’s always so energetic…”

She blew softly into the cup.

The long silver spoon lightly tapped against her cheek as she took another sip.

Her Mother had poured three packets of oatmeal into the cup.

As a result, it had become rather thick.

Swinging her legs gently, Zhu Ying hummed a Japanese Song she had learned before.

She still remembered its name.

The Chinese characters were something like Natsu Iro Kataomoi.

“Summer is like Xiao Jing too.”

Zhu Ying blinked.

“Bright, cheerful, and always positive.”

“Soft to the touch as well…”

Just thinking about An Jing made her lips curl upward uncontrollably.

In Zhu Ying’s eyes, any word associated with cuteness and affection could be used to describe An Jing.

Yi was exactly the sort of person who would never make others uncomfortable.

The kind of person people naturally wanted to be close to.

The road ahead was still long.

At that moment, those words felt incredibly comforting.

(3)

“Ah-choo!”

“Ah-choo!”

Wang Xinru sat by the window holding a cup of hot tea.

In front of her was a plate of homemade Fennel Beans with Bamboo Shoots.

Though to her, the sweet bamboo shoots tasted even better than the beans.

She rubbed her nose gently and pulled a tissue from a red box.

“Can someone really catch a cold while wearing two layers in weather like this…?”

“Ah-choo!”

The space outside the window was empty now.

Earlier, however, several healthy-looking cats had been sitting there.

After briefly staring at Wang Xinru through the window, they had disappeared somewhere unknown.

In the countryside’s free and open world, their lives were undoubtedly far more colorful than those of pet cats.

In the quiet Jiangnan village where only the sound of rain could be heard, the roar of a Motorcycle suddenly echoed from afar.

The sound gradually grew louder.

Instinctively, Wang Xinru looked outside.

A red rural Motorcycle slid slightly before stopping in front of the house.

A blue raincoat flipped aside.

Zhou Chao wiped the rainwater from his face and waved at her through the window with a grin.

Wang Xinru quickly stood up and opened the wooden door.

“Zhou Chao?”

“Huh?”

“What brings you here?”

“Haha, I came to deliver the cake you ordered.”

“I didn’t order…”

“It’s from An Jing and Zhu Ying.”

Zhou Chao laughed.

“They asked me to bring it.”

“They’re taking the bus later.”

“Carrying such a big cake would be inconvenient.”

“What day is today…?”

Confusion filled Wang Xinru’s delicate features.

“Your birthday.”

“My birthday?”

“My birthday…”

“It’s May fifth.”

“Today.”

“Oh…”

“How does someone forget their own birthday?”

“After experiencing enough things…”

Wang Xinru smiled softly.

“A birthday doesn’t feel that important anymore.”

She accepted the cake with both hands.

“Come in. I’ll make you some tea.”

“No need, no need.”

Zhou Chao waved repeatedly.

“I’m not staying.”

“I still have things to do later.”

“You won’t sit for a while?”

“Nope!”

Zhou Chao laughed and waved once more before climbing back onto the Motorcycle.

The red Motorcycle kicked up rainwater and mud before disappearing down the road.

Wang Xinru stood there absentmindedly, still holding the cake.

Then she tilted her head and looked at her reflection in the glass.

A delighted smile appeared on her face.

“If An’an and Ying Ying are both coming…”

“I should take a proper bath and change into some nicer clothes…”

She carefully placed the cake on the table.

Even her footsteps seemed lighter than before.

Truthfully, she had thought she might not celebrate birthdays for a very long time.

Her parents weren’t around.

There was nobody to celebrate with her.

Even if she eventually followed her father overseas, he would probably be too busy with business to spare the time.

Even she herself had forgotten the date.

She had merely thought today’s rain felt unusually melancholic.

But now, much of that sadness had faded.

In its place was the joy of being remembered.

“Was buying the cake An’an’s idea…”

“Or Ying Ying’s?”

(4)

The small bus swayed constantly.

Fortunately, there weren’t many passengers.

That meant there weren’t many strange smells mixed together.

Many people actually got motion sickness because of unpleasant odors inside vehicles.

One of the windows was slightly open.

Every so often, wind carrying rain drifted inside.

Rather than feeling uncomfortable, it felt refreshingly cool.

“Xiao Jing~”

“Aren’t you worried I’d get angry?”

“Huh?”

“About suggesting the cake.”

Zhu Ying blinked playfully.

She was clearly teasing An Jing.

In fact, she had already guessed the response she expected.

Most likely An Jing would widen her eyes slightly, part her lips, and let out a confused little:

“Ah?”

Unexpectedly, today’s answer was different.

“You’re not that petty…”

“Wow.”

Zhu Ying laughed.

“Who taught you to talk like that?”

“Was it Zhou Chao?”

“Hmph. If you put it that way, I don’t even have a reason to be angry anymore.”

“I’m just telling the truth…”

An Jing scratched her head.

“And besides, I wasn’t the only one coming.”

“I invited you too.”

“Even if you hadn’t asked, I would’ve come anyway.”

“Speaking of which.”

“What birthday gift did you prepare?”

“That’s a secret.”

Zhu Ying grinned.

“Xiao Ru has to open it herself.”

“Wait.”

“You really didn’t prepare a gift?”

“I think the cake is enough.”

“If you asked me to choose a gift, I honestly wouldn’t know what to pick.”

“In my opinion, the most important thing about birthdays is the cake.”

“Gifts are important too.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

“So I brought this…”

An Jing awkwardly patted her backpack.

“I guess it counts as a gift.”

“What is it?”

“Wangwang’s Summer Vacation Homework from elementary school.”

An Jing scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“I borrowed it to copy during that summer and forgot to return it.”

“I happened to find it while digging through a pile of old books.”