Cen Zhengnian, Chu Xia, and the others helped Cen Huai’an reel in his line, then also hurried toward where Zhang Lu had gone.

The kite had flown far too high and too far, landing in a distant area.

When they arrived, they found Zhang Lu facing a group of kids, the leader of whom was holding her kite, arguing among themselves.

“Hey, that’s my kite! Can you give it back? I’ll trade you some candy!” Zhang Lu offered, pulling out a few pieces of candy she usually kept for Jiang Weixi.

The child in front was short and stout, resembling a round little stone, and his small eyes darted around.

“You say it’s yours, so it’s yours? I found it, so it’s mine!”

“Yeah, we found it, and we’re not giving it back!” another kid chimed in.

Zhang Lu frowned, her patience wearing thin.

She wanted to reclaim her kite directly, but knowing it was fragile, she held back, trying to reason with the kids instead.

But they weren’t interested in reasoning, just keeping the kite and eyeing the candy with greed.

Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian observed from the side, their brows furrowing. “Where are their parents?”

Though they understood how difficult it could be to deal with children like this, they figured finding the adults was the best option.

Before anyone could respond, a boy wearing tattered pants and muddy cloth shoes approached, tapping the stout child on the head.

“Huzi, stop messing around. Give the kite back.”

“Xiao Yue!” Huzi’s face lit up at the sight of the older boy.

Hearing his words, he looked reluctant. “We found it, and we climbed high up a tree to get it! She only offered a few candies!”

Xiao Yue smiled apologetically at Zhang Lu and her friends, his sun-kissed skin making his teeth look especially white.

His smile was warm and genuine, instantly putting people at ease.

“You shouldn’t take anything from others. That’s her kite, Huzi. Don’t you want to listen to me?”

His tone wasn’t harsh, but it had enough authority that Huzi immediately handed the kite back to Zhang Lu, snatching the candy from her hand. “Here! If it weren’t for Xiao Yue, I wouldn’t give it back!”

With that, he made a face and ran off.

Xiao Yue’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “The kids in the village can be a bit naughty. I’ll cover the candy you lost,” he offered sincerely to Zhang Lu.

“No need,” Zhang Lu replied, checking the kite for any damage and breathing a sigh of relief. “They just helped us get the kite from the tree, so the candy can be a thank you.”

Xiao Yue scratched his head, looking even more innocent. “No way! They climb trees often; getting a kite back isn’t a big deal. Wait for me…”

Zhang Lu interrupted him again, insisting it wasn’t necessary.

Jiang Zhi Guan and Jiang Weixi joined in to say the same, and they thanked Xiao Yue before heading back.

Zhang Lu patted her chest, still shaken. “If it weren’t for Xiao Yue, I might not have gotten my kite back. Those kids were really annoying!”

Chu Xia mused, “I’m curious about how Xiao Yue got those kids to listen to him.”

The admiration in the other kids’ eyes as they looked at Xiao Yue suggested he had a special charisma that set him apart from other children.

“What matters is that I got my kite back. He’s a good person,” Zhang Lu said, shaking her head.

The adults shared smiles, agreeing it was a fleeting encounter with a boy they might never see again.

As they returned, they decided not to fly kites anymore since Zhang Lu’s had broken.

Instead, they went to the reservoir to watch Jiang Zhi Da and the others fishing.

“Uncle, how many fish have you caught?”

Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixi crouched next to Jiang Zhi Da, peering into the small bucket, which contained just two tiny fish.

They fell silent, both of them looking disappointed.

Jiang Weixi raised her chubby hand and gestured. “So small!”

Chu Xia couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Cen Huai’an, eyeing the fish, turned to Jiang Zhida and said, “Uncle, these fish would make great dried fish snacks.”

Cen Huai’an seemed to be reminiscing about the flavor, licking his lips and looking a bit greedy.

Jiang Zhida looked at Cen Huai’an as if he were a kindred spirit. “Yes, I think so too! Don’t be fooled by how small these fish are. It’s not easy to catch them; the fish in this reservoir are very cunning!”

At that moment, Tu Hongxiao suddenly yanked up his fishing rod.

A fat, large fish was pulled out of the water, flapping on the shore, and Tu Hongxiao quickly scooped it up with a small net.

Jiang Zhida’s voice trailed off, and Chuxia, Cen Huai’an, and the others looked at Tu Hongxiao and the big fish, then turned back to Jiang Zhida and burst into even louder laughter.

Cen Zhengnian placed a hand on Jiang Zhida’s shoulder. “Dazi, I think you should discuss fishing techniques with Hongxiao.”

Jiang Zhida raised an eyebrow. “My technique is fine. It’s just that the fish here are scarce. I’ll try another spot.”

In the end, Jiang Zhida didn’t catch many fish, Shen Chuan was almost on par with him, and Tu Hongxiao caught the most.

The two of them carefully counted the fish in the small bucket, not missing a single one.

In the end, Jiang Zhida won over Shen Chuan with a slender fish.

He laughed triumphantly, patting his chest and shaking his legs. “Good thing I didn’t listen to An’an and release that small fish. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have won!”

Shen Chuan grumbled, “That small fish is not even edible!”

“But it helps me win against you.”

Jiang Zhida dodged Shen Chuan’s annoyed attacks and went to help Chuxia and the others with the barbecue.

Even Jiang Weixi was diligently helping to skewer vegetables.

Everyone chatted and worked together, their laughter carrying far across the green meadow.

Few people came to the reservoir for outings.

It was somewhat far from the city, and transportation wasn’t very developed. People preferred places like Beihai Park or Shichahai.

Cen Zhengnian wanted to grill a few skewers of meat for Chuxia and An’an, but his attempts resulted in either burnt or undercooked meat.

Chuxia told him to stop grilling, as it was wasting food, and directed him to skewer the food instead.

Cen Zhengnian said, “Let me try one last time. You guide me.”

Chuxia looked at him, defeated by his persistent gaze. “Only this once.”

She said it seriously, and Cen Zhengnian was also very serious.

He flipped, brushed oil, and seasoned the meat.

The final product looked much better.

Chuxia took a skewer, carefully took a bite of the meat. It was still hot but finally neither burnt nor raw, and it tasted pretty good.

Chuxia winced at the heat but gave Cen Zhengnian a praising look and a thumbs-up.

Cen Zhengnian’s smile grew slightly, and he gained confidence in grilling meat, working with renewed enthusiasm.

Chuxia and Cen Huai’an sat beside him, directing him as they enjoyed the grilled meat, feeling very content.

Jiang Zhida couldn’t stand seeing them so content and walked over. “Cousin, can you grill a few skewers for me too?”

Cen Zhengnian, focused on the meat in his hands, said, “I’m only grilling for Chuxia and An’an. You’re on your own.”

Jiang Zhida pretended to clutch his chest with a wounded expression. “Cousin, you’re so heartless.”

“Hahaha!” Before Cen Zhengnian could respond, Zhang Lu pointed at Jiang Zhida, laughing uncontrollably. “Uncle, you’re so funny! Even more childish than Xixi!”

Jiang Weixi echoed, “Childish!”

Jiang Zhida: Another hit!

The aroma of the grilled meat was overpowering, and the spring breeze carried the scent far.

As everyone happily ate the grilled meat, Chuxia noticed the group of kids from earlier, hiding behind a tree, peeking over, eyes fixated on the meat in her hand, drool almost falling.

Chuxia instinctively tightened her grip on the bamboo skewer.

Cen Zhengnian followed her gaze and saw the children.

He glanced briefly and then returned to grilling, saying, “Chuxia, don’t look. Just eat the meat, or it’ll get cold.”

The kids were so tempted that they didn’t hide behind the tree for long.

They quietly emerged and stood a short distance from the grill, staring longingly at the meat, swallowing their saliva.

Jiang Zhida, Shen Chuan, and Tu Hongxiao, unaware of what had happened with Zhang Lu’s kite, saw the pitiful kids and wanted to give them some of the grilled meat.

Zhang Lu grabbed Jiang Zhida’s arm. “Uncle, don’t give them anything.”

If they were other unfamiliar children, Zhang Lu would have shared.

But for these kids, who seemed to be impossible to get rid of once they got involved, she felt differently.

Chuxia explained what had happened, and Jiang Zhida scolded and immediately retracted his kind gesture, focusing on eating the meat himself.

“They don’t deserve to eat the meat I grilled.”

The kids moved closer, but with Blackie, Yellowei, and the other dogs present, the dogs began barking as the kids approached, forcing them to stay away.

Huzi recognized Zhang Lu and looked at her with longing. “What are you eating?”

Zhang Lu glanced at them and said, “Grilled meat.”

She took a big bite of the meat, savoring it, making Huzi and the others salivate even more.

But no one shared with them.

These kids were unpleasant, and no one was willing to share their food with someone they disliked.

Chuxia and her group were not the type to be casually kind.

Even Tu Hongxiao and Shen Chuan, who initially felt sympathy, had no compassion for the kids after hearing Chuxia’s explanation.

The kids watched for a long time but received no food.

They approached to speak but were ignored.

They reluctantly glanced at the food one last time and then left, begrudgingly.

After a while, Xiao Yue ran over, panting heavily.

Seeing Chuxia and the others, he bent over, supporting his knees, and quickly wiped sweat from his forehead.

“Sorry, did Huzi and the others cause any trouble?”

Blackie and Huangzi stopped eating and watched Xiao Yue with vigilance, showing their loyalty to their owners.

“No,” Cen Zhengnian answered.

Xiao Yue sighed in relief. “They’re used to being mischievous in the village. I apologize for their behavior.”

Cen Zhengnian said, “No need.”

Xiao Yue’s smile grew wider, looking very happy. “Thank you; you are kind people.”

Aside from this minor incident, everyone enjoyed their meal.

After eating and drinking, Shen Chuan took on the unenviable task of cleaning up after the barbecue.

Chuxia and her family sat together fishing.

Chuxia shook her fishing rod and suggested, “Let’s have a competition too. What should we compete on?”

“On household chores for this month.”

Chuxia shook her head. “No, we usually do the chores together. If one person takes a whole month, what if An’an loses and has to go to school?”

After some thought, they decided to compete on who caught fewer fish, with the loser paying the most, ten yuan.

As they were preparing to start, Zhang Lu, having heard, wanted to join.

She wasn’t interested in money. If she won, An’an would have to do her homework, and she could make An’an do something he disliked in return.

“Sure,” Cen Huai’an nodded.

Soon after, Jiang Zhida and the others joined in. With more people, the fishing game became even more enjoyable.

While everyone else was fishing, only Luo Peng stayed with Jiang Weixi on the mat spread out by the shore, playing house with her.

In this game, the “children” were the dogs, Hua Hua and the others.

Jiang Weixi hugged Hua Hua’s neck, resting the dog’s head on her lap, gently stroking its fur. “Oh, baby, don’t cry. Mommy will braid your hair for you.”

Luo Peng handed her a hair tie, and Jiang Weixi used her chubby little hands to gently braid Hua Hua’s fur, tying up one little tuft after another.

To win the fishing competition, Chuxia even went to the wet area by the reservoir to dig up earthworms for bait.