Font Size:
It had been a while since Mingyuan had seen Wang Zhi, and it seemed that absence had made an impact, as Wang Zhi was now quite the smooth talker.
Understanding the situation, Mingyuan swiftly ran back to report the situation to Wang Zhenhe.
Upon hearing his son’s account, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but chuckle. What a situation this was. Fighting over such a trivial matter. They truly were a pair of characters.
“Dad, do you really want to get involved in their affairs? I think you should just let it be. It’s better to avoid trouble rather than attract unnecessary attention,” advised Mingcheng, who knew those people all too well. He strongly advised against Wang Zhenhe meddling in the matter.
“Son, let them argue. If they’re not afraid of being laughed at, they can continue. It won’t benefit anyone to continue like this,” responded Wang Zhenhe.
Upon hearing this, the brothers understood the underlying issue. Ma Fenqing and Wang Zhi both needed a good reputation. Making a public spectacle over this trivial matter likely wasn’t their intention. Ma Fenqing needed a good reputation to establish herself in the village, while Wang Zhi also needed a good reputation for her future marriage.
Before long, the courtyard fell silent, as if nothing had happened at all. Wang Qian couldn’t help but chuckle. The people in the Wang family were quite amusing, swiftly calling off their dispute.
After finishing watering the fields, Wang Zhenhe quickly led his wife and children back home. It was getting late, and he didn’t want to keep everyone waiting.
Seeing Zhang Lan carrying the fish, Hao Lianchun quickly took them. “You guys go wash your hands first. I can prepare the fish right away. Mingcheng has the sports day tomorrow, so I need to give my grandson a good meal tonight. Hopefully, he’ll come back with a first-place finish.”
Mingcheng chuckled, “Grandma, it’s hard to say if I’ll get a good ranking. Don’t set your expectations too high.”
Zhang Lan gently ruffled her son’s hair, “Mingcheng, do your best tomorrow.”
The next morning, Zhang Lan gave each of her children a coin and four liang of grain coupons, instructing them to buy some snacks if they encountered a vendor. It would help supplement their energy.
Mingyuan couldn’t skip class as he had hoped. On his way back at noon, he wore a displeased expression. Seeing his brother upset, Wang Qian felt sorry for him.
“Brother, don’t worry. Let’s see if we can figure out a way to ask the teacher for permission to go,” she suggested.
Mingyuan looked at her with a disappointed expression. “Sister, the teacher won’t allow us to skip for this. Let’s not think about it.”
Wang Qian also wanted to attend. She was curious about what the school’s sports day was like. Besides, the classes they were currently taking were quite basic. They were just trying to stay inconspicuous in the primary school.
“Brother, I’ll try to figure something out. You just cooperate,” she assured him.
Mingyuan nodded, unsure of what his sister had in mind.
During the afternoon class, Wang Qian started complaining of a stomach ache. Xu Mingda was concerned and planned to personally escort her home. However, Wang Qian stopped him. She didn’t want to disrupt everyone’s class, especially since they still needed the teacher to escort them to the sports day event.
“Teacher, my brother is in the fourth grade. Why don’t you let him take me home? Everyone here is waiting for your class. Don’t delay everyone’s learning. It’s fine for my brother to take me home,” she suggested.
Xu Mingda agreed with her reasoning. He found Mingyuan’s homeroom teacher and explained their situation. The teacher then took Mingyuan out of class to escort his sister home.
“How are you feeling, sister? Is your stomach still hurting?” Mingyuan asked, genuinely concerned, thinking his sister was truly unwell, as he carefully assisted her.
“Hehe, brother, I lied to the teacher. You wanted to go to the sports day, right? Let’s hurry and go see it,” Wang Qian revealed, seizing the opportunity. Without a second thought, Mingyuan took her hand and ran towards their elder brother’s school. Little did they know that skipping class that day would inadvertently help them avoid a potential disaster.
In the afternoon, crowds gathered along the river leading to the school. Everyone held weapons. Due to dry weather and lack of water in the fields, this river was the only source for irrigation. Whoever seizes the opportunity this year won’t go hungry. With no agreement reached, the people on both sides of the river had resorted to brawling to settle the matter.
As the conflict erupted, school let out. The sight of the brawling frightened the elementary school students heading home. The older ones wisely kept their distance, but in the chaos, adults couldn’t evade the indiscriminate swings of clubs and sticks, and inevitably, the younger children suffered innocently. Some were knocked down, others were trampled.
The riverbank was filled with cries, both from children and adults, each face bearing marks of blood, with no knowledge of who had injured whom.
On the hillside, Zhang Lan, who had been sowing seeds, heard news of injured students. Her legs weakened, and she rushed towards the river. Parents with children in school also abandoned their tasks, heading in the same direction.
Seeing someone running towards them, Wang Zhenhe and his group left their water buckets and followed. It was evident that something was amiss; otherwise, so many people wouldn’t be rushing in that direction.
Recently, Zuo Zhanshan and Wu Changyong had been tasked with training female militia members. The two of them were stationed around the dam…
On the open ground where they had been practicing formations, people were seen running towards the east from the mountains. Zuo Zhanshan, who was always sensitive to such situations, sensed that something was amiss.
“Old Wu, gather the troops and follow me. Something’s wrong in the east. Let’s hope it’s not those schoolchildren,” he said.
Upon hearing the possibility that it might involve the children, Wu Changyong’s eyes reddened. “Quickly assemble the team. We run to the east,” he ordered.
The two old gentlemen, along with a line of female militia members armed with rifles, headed east. However, upon reaching the scene, even the two old gentlemen, who had been to battle and killed people, couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. The sight of the children, covered in blood and crying on the ground, along with parents holding their children, left everyone distraught. Those who had been injured lay on the ground, and the few who had managed to escape and were looking for their children were surrounded by community members.
“For now, don’t worry about anything else. Get the children and the injured to the hospital. The rest of you who were involved in the fighting, you, stay put,” ordered the old gentleman swiftly, instructing the female militia to guard those who were unharmed. They then carried the injured away. Parents with children were asked to take them to the hospital.
After the scene was cleared, Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe couldn’t find their two children. Their anxious hearts finally eased a little.
Zhang Lan’s legs weakened, and she sat on the ground, unable to find her children anywhere.
“Wife, what’s wrong with you? Get up quickly. The ground is cold. Take care of yourself,” urged Wang Zhenhe.
Wang Zhenhe helped manage the scene and saw his wife sitting on the ground. He quickly assisted her to her feet. “Zhenhe, you didn’t see Mingyuan and the others, did you?” she asked, seeking reassurance.
“No, our kids weren’t there. Don’t worry. Knowing Qianqian and the others, they wouldn’t stick around in such a situation. Even if there was danger, Qianqian wouldn’t let anything happen to Mingyuan,” Wang Zhenhe reassured her.
Anxious, Zhang Lan had forgotten that her daughter had a special talisman. With a sigh of relief, she said, “Oh my, I was so worried I forgot about that. Well, as long as the children are safe, we can deal with everything else when we get home.”
The siblings, had never expected such an incident to occur on their way home from school. Their school’s playground was quite large, with classrooms situated in low, tiled houses on the south side of the playground. To the north lay the main road, and to the west, there were low factory buildings, likely the water house, mess hall, and warehouse, and similar facilities.
The classes were neatly arranged in rows around the perimeter of the playground, and the running tracks were clearly marked with white lime powder.
Mingcheng mentioned that he only had activities in the afternoon. Mingyuan took his sister and went to each class to look for them. Finally, they found where their elder siblings were.
However, Wang Xuan was surprised to see them. “Mingyuan, why did you bring your sister here? Don’t you have classes today?” she asked, taken aback by her younger siblings’ sudden appearance. Moreover, she hadn’t heard about them coming to watch the event.
Wang Xuan’s classmates were curious about the sudden appearance of the two younger students and were leaning in to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Mingyuan didn’t know how to explain that they had skipped class to come there, so he just scratched his head and looked at his sister. Seeing his uncertain expression, Wang Qian knew he was at a loss for words.
Pulling Wang Xuan aside, he said, “Sis, we came to see you two. We’ll tell you how we got here after school. By the way, is there any food available here?”
Wang Qian had hoped to buy some food for her elder siblings on this rare occasion of their sports day. She still had some New Year’s money that she hadn’t spent yet.
Seeing that they were keeping something from her, Wang Xuan figured they had their reasons. Nonetheless, now that they were here, she couldn’t just send them away. “There is food for sale. There’s a cart from the supply and marketing cooperative. What would you like to eat? I’ll buy it for you. I still have the money Mom gave me, and I haven’t spent it yet.”
Their classmates who were watching were now even more curious about these two good-looking elementary school students who were with Wang Xuan.
“Wang Xuan, these are your younger brother and sister? We’ve never seen them before. They are so good-looking. Hurry and bring them inside. Don’t stand outside. The discipline teacher might see you,” a classmate said.
Wang Qian couldn’t let her sister spend money. Although she couldn’t be considered wealthy, she had been saving her New Year’s money for years without spending a penny. “Sis, you and big brother stay here. I’ll go buy something for you to eat. I’ll be right back.”
Before Wang Xuan could respond, Wang Qian dashed off to the place where food was being sold. This time, the cooperative had brought quite a few items. Wang Qian bought some bread, a few bottles of soda, and some packaged melon seeds for Mingyuan and Mingcheng. It was a rare visit, so she decided to bribe her sister’s classmates a little to ensure they wouldn’t trouble her elder sister in the future. After all, Wang Xuan was younger than them.
Chapter 213: Making Connections
Wang Qian first took a bunch of things to her elder brother, as after all, he and Mingcheng were in the same class. Mingcheng was getting ready to change into his sports clothes for the event when he saw a young girl running over with a bunch of things. At first, he thought it was someone else’s child, but when he took a closer look, even he couldn’t help but smile wryly and hurried over to help.
“Qianqian, why are you here? Please don’t tell me you skipped class to come here,” Mingcheng said, daring to guess, for he had a basis for his assumption. There were classmates in their class with younger siblings in primary school, but so far, none had come to watch the event. It was likely that they couldn’t make it due to their classes.
Embarrassed, Wang Qian, holding onto Mingcheng’s arm, gave a sheepish smile. “Big brother, can you please not be so clever? I took leave from school, but it was sick leave. I asked little brother to come with me. I’ll admit my fault to Mom and Dad when I get home tonight. You take these things back and eat. I’ve also brought something for our elder brother. Go on, and I’ll cheer you on.”
Mingyuan rubbed his sister’s head helplessly and took the items from her. “By the way, big brother, the soda bottles have a deposit. Don’t forget to return them. I’m going to find our elder sister and second brother now.”
Wang Qian dashed off with the items. Some male classmates in Mingcheng’s class, upon seeing the beautiful young girl, teased, “Mingcheng, who’s that little girl? She’s so pretty. Don’t tell me she’s the girl you’re betrothed to by your family.”
Hearing this, Wang Mingshan, seated nearby, reached out and slapped the back of the teasing classmate. “Nonsense. That’s my cousin, Mingcheng’s real younger sister. But why is she here today?”
Handing the items to Wang Mingshan, Mingcheng said, “This is what Qianqian bought for us. Share some with everyone and save some for me. Don’t eat it all. It’s the first time my sister has bought something for me.”
As the roll call was about to begin, Mingcheng anxiously gave some final instructions. Wang Mingshan, sitting in his seat, waved confidently, “Hurry off. Big brother has saved some for you. Run well and try to earn some points for our class.”
Wang Qian, with the items, returned to her elder sister’s class. She saw the class teacher warmly offering sunflower seeds to everyone. The teacher found it amusing to see the sensible young girl before her. She was quite young, probably not yet at the school-age, so she asked, “Are you Wang Xuan’s sister? Are you in school yet?”
Handing the sunflower seeds to the teacher, Wang Qian replied, “Yes, I’m already in the third grade of primary school.”
The unprepared teacher was startled by Wang Qian’s response. “What? You’re in the third grade? I thought you were only eight or nine years old. How come you started school so early?”
A female classmate from their village who was nearby explained, “Teacher, their siblings have all skipped grades. Qianqian and her little brother also skipped grades. Everyone in our village knows about this.”
The homeroom teacher was no longer composed. Wang Xuan and Wang Mingcheng were already considered miracles at their school. They hadn’t expected the younger siblings at home to be so exceptional as well. It seemed like another promising student.
The teacher’s smile towards Wang Qian and the others became even more genuine. “Oh, I see. Study well. Aim to have me as your homeroom teacher when you come to our middle school.”
Wang Qian understood the teacher’s intentions. With a smile, she replied, “Sure, we’ll strive to be your students.”
Wang Qian distributed the items she had bought to those around her, handing bread, sunflower seeds, and soda to her elder sister and Mingyuan.
“Sis, I’ve already given some to big brother. Enjoy your food. He’s up for the next event, and we need to cheer him on,” she said.
The next event was the men’s 800 meters, which happened to be Mingcheng’s race. Wang Qian and Mingyuan craned their necks, looking toward the starting point. Among the boys, their elder brother didn’t appear frail at all. Although Mingcheng wasn’t as big as them, the family’s diet over the past few years had helped him grow, and with their grandfather’s regular exercise, his body was much better than the others.
Fortunately, this was based on grade level, so there were only eight participants. The morning had been the preliminary race, and this was the final. As the starting gun sounded, Mingcheng charged forward like a young tiger, leaving others struggling to adjust to the sudden noise. Before they could react, Mingcheng had surged ahead.
“Come on, big brother, come on!”
Mingyuan and the others started shouting loudly as they saw their brother charge ahead. Even the classmates who had been bribed by Wang Qian joined in, shouting, “Go, Wang Mingcheng, go!”
Sitting in her seat, Wang Qian watched Mingcheng’s speed. It was clear that his well-nourished body was giving him an edge. The others behind him lacked the same endurance, and Mingcheng’s speed only increased, distancing himself from the rest.
“Our brother is amazing. No suspense at all,” said Mingyuan, sitting down and sharing his soda with the person next to him. After all, they had cheered for his brother, so sharing a drink with them was only fair, especially since he had also acted as a makeshift seat for them.
Mingyuan started striking up conversations with people nearby and took the opportunity to remind them to take good care of his sister. Wang Qian, who listened stealthily, couldn’t help but smile. Her little brother was quite savvy. Despite his young age, he had already learned the ways of the world.
With no suspense, Mingcheng clinched first place. After receiving his prize, he didn’t even return to his own class. Instead, wearing the red vest and blue shorts that Zhang Lan had bought for him, he ran over.
“Sister, here’s the prize for you.” Mingcheng handed the magnetic pencil case he received for coming first to Wang Qian.
Wang Qian accepted the pencil case without much ceremony, planning to give it to her elder sister later that evening.
“Brother, you’re amazing. Have some water to quench your thirst.” Mingyuan obsequiously handed the soda to his sister. His own bottle was already empty, and Wang Qian hadn’t poured out any for him to buy.
After taking a sip from the water his brother offered, Mingcheng said, “Mingyuan, you should head home soon after a while to avoid worrying Mom and Dad. There probably aren’t many events left. Take care of your sister.”
With his elder brother’s instructions and seeing that Wang Qian had seen enough, Mingyuan nodded. “Sure, big brother. We’ll leave in a while. If you finish school, head home early too.”
After Mingcheng left, Mingyuan and his sister didn’t stay long at the school’s playground. Upon returning home, they learned about the incident involving the students. Both of them felt a little apprehensive. Perhaps skipping school that day had been the right decision after all.
Meanwhile, Zhang Lan and the others returned to the hillside to continue working, but they couldn’t shake off their uneasiness. Without having seen their children with their own eyes, they couldn’t shake off their sense of unease.
Once they finished work, the couple hurried home and found their two children sitting quietly in the kitchen, helping to peel potatoes.
“Mom, you’re back. Hehe, today I made a mistake, and I need to confess to you,” Mingyuan said.
Ignoring their children’s words for the moment, Zhang Lan pulled the siblings close and carefully checked them over. “Mingyuan, where did you and your sister go after school? Were you scared?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qian felt even more guilty. “Mom, I’m really sorry. I made a mistake today. My brother and I took sick leave to watch our elder brother run. So, we missed what happened after school.”
After her sister admitted her mistake, Mingyuan quickly acknowledged his fault, explaining that he took his sister to watch the sports day. “Mom, please don’t be angry. We’ve learned our lesson from our teacher. We won’t dare to do it again. We promise to study well and not worry you.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhe and Zhang Lan were both frustrated and amused. Today, their children had narrowly avoided a disaster, but they were mad that the two had dared to lie and skip school.
Despite feeling the urge to scold them, they held back, lightly patting the backsides of the two children who were looking at them with pleading eyes.
“Mingyuan, as the older brother, you can’t do this again. And Qianqian, you deliberately made a mistake, knowing that lying is wrong. This time, I’ll let it go. But if it happens again, I won’t be lenient. Do you understand?”
Zhang Lan’s tone grew somewhat stern, but the siblings were ready to face the consequences. Having heard their mother’s stern words, they realized they had passed the test today.
Wang Qian ingratiatingly hugged Zhang Lan’s waist. “Mom, we’ll remember. We won’t do this kind of thing again. But when it comes to bad people, we can’t always tell the truth, right? We have to lie when necessary, don’t we?”
Shaking her head in resignation, Zhang Lan replied, “You little rascal, always so cunning. Some situations call for discretion. If you tell the truth to bad people, you’d be a fool. You mustn’t lie to your parents. We’re doing this for your own good.”
Mingyuan then presented the prize his elder brother had won. “Mom, look at what big brother won. He asked us to bring it back. He did really well today and came in first place.”
Observing the situation, Wang Zhenhe understood that both of their children were quite crafty. Bringing out the prize was a deliberate attempt to divert their mother’s attention.
“Let it go, Lan. Both children have admitted their mistakes, and I’ve already spoken to them when they returned. Fortunately, they had taken leave. Otherwise, the situation could have been much worse. How are the injured students who were taken to the hospital?” Wang Zhenhe inquired.
Upon mentioning the injured children, Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but sigh. “Sister-in-law, when we arrived, they were all covered in blood. We’re not sure where they were injured, but so far, we haven’t heard any bad news. Most likely, they’ve sustained injuries, but nothing serious. Several people haven’t shown up for work, probably to accompany their children to the hospital. It’s such a pity to see such young children suffer. A few of them didn’t come to work; they must be at the hospital looking after their children.”