“What is this supposed to be?”

Teacher Jiang reached out and took the object from the student’s hands. He recognized it as a kite but frowned, trying to make out what shape the kite was supposed to represent.

The student, who had been called out, nervously said, “A… a swallow.”

“This craftsmanship isn’t up to par,” Teacher Jiang said, returning the kite that didn’t resemble a swallow at all. “Come see me after class, and I’ll teach you.”

Although Teacher Jiang didn’t criticize the student, the others who were fidgeting straightened up, and no one dared to be inattentive during the lesson.

Zhang Lu also quietly put away the small knife and bamboo strips he had been using.

On a clear early summer day, the group chose not to go to the park but to a reservoir located in Haidian District.

The scenery around the reservoir was beautiful, the water was so clear that it reflected the entire blue sky and white clouds, and the surrounding willow trees and various flowers and grasses were flourishing.

As soon as Zhang Lu got off the car and saw the vast reservoir, he exclaimed, “Wow, it’s so beautiful here!”

Several dogs also jumped out of the car, seemingly discovering a new world, and ran around joyfully.

Jiang Weixi, who was younger and smaller, eagerly chased after her beloved dogs, shouting, “Xiaohua! Huahua! Wait for me!”

Chuxia got out of the car, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and seemed to savor the fragrance of the grass and the freshness of the water, feeling her heart and mind filled with fresh air.

Cen Huai’an and Cen Zhengnian got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the fishing gear, barbecue equipment, and various other tools they had prepared for their outing.

Jiang Zhida and Shen Chuan, along with Tu Hongxiao, also got out of the car.

They mainly came along to join in the fun. Both Shen Chuan and Tu Hongxiao were unmarried like Jiang Zhida, so when they heard that Jiang Zhida was going out with the family, they shamelessly tagged along.

“This place is really worth coming to; it’s absolutely gorgeous!”

“Smack!” As soon as Shen Chuan finished speaking, Jiang Zhida slapped him on the back. “There are kids here; watch your language.”

Tu Hongxiao silently went to the trunk to get the fishing tools and a small stool and found a good spot by the reservoir to start fishing.

Seeing Tu Hongxiao’s actions, Shen Chuan immediately became anxious. “Hongxiao, wait for me! You can’t start fishing yet!”

The group had just made a bet in the car: whoever caught the most fish would win, and the loser would be responsible for cleaning up after the barbecue and the meal.

Jiang Zhida quickly grabbed the fishing gear and joined Tu Hongxiao.

The reservoir was large, so there was plenty of space to sit.

Cen Zhengnian didn’t go fishing.

He, along with Jiang Zhishu, Jiang Zhiguan, and Zhang Wei, helped the three kids fly kites.

The kites of Zhang Lu, Cen Huai’an, and Jiang Weixi all had distinctive features, making it easy to tell whose was whose.

Cen Zhengnian carefully helped Cen Huai’an with the kite.

Seeing the drawings on it, his smile couldn’t help but widen.

“Is this supposed to be our family?” Cen Zhengnian asked, pointing to the three little figures on the kite.

“Mm-hmm.” Cen Huai’an nodded with the kite in hand, glancing at the drawing and then at Cen Zhengnian.

Cen Zhengnian said, “It looks quite similar.”

Jiang Zhishu, hearing the conversation, turned around and saw the three stick figures on the kite, unable to distinguish between young and old, male and female.

She thought Cen Zhengnian was just being polite.

Flying a kite also requires skill.

Cen Zhengnian, starting from the theoretical aspect, directed Cen Huai’an, “Hold the string and walk backward, about fifteen meters from me.”

Then, he held the kite at an angle and ran against the wind.

Cen Huai’an let out the string from behind. When the wind felt right, Cen Zhengnian gently released the kite, but it immediately fell to the ground with a “thud.”

Zhang Lu and Zhang Wei’s kites had already soared into the sky.

Zhang Lu laughed heartily as she let out the string, watching her eagle kite rise higher and higher, thrilled with joy.

Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an exchanged glances and simultaneously looked at the kite lying on the ground.

Cen Zhengnian picked up the kite and said, “The timing of my release was off. Our method is correct.”

Cen Huai’an nodded, and they tried flying the kite again, but it fell to the ground once more with a “thud.”

“It’s flying! It’s flying! Daddy is amazing!”

Jiang Weixi’s excited voice made Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an’s expressions even more awkward as they silently looked at the kite on the ground.

Cen Zhengnian frowned, “The method must be right; there must be something we’re not doing correctly.”

Cen Huai’an nodded, and they tried again, but the kite still didn’t take off.

Zhang Lu handed the string reel to Zhang Wei and asked, “Dad, can you help me with this?”

Then, she ran over to Cen Huai’an, who was doubting his kite-flying skills, and took the kite from him. “I’ll help you get it up; follow my commands and let out the string!”

Zhang Lu ran with the kite, not following Cen Zhengnian’s instructions for finding the right angle, but simply going with her own instincts, shouting as she ran: “Let it go! Let it go! Let it go!”

Then, she released the kite, which soared steadily upwards.

Zhang Lu stood there with her hands on her hips, continuing to shout, “An’an, let out the string! Let it fly!”

Cen Huai’an followed her instructions, and the kite with the Go board, math symbols, and a family of three, along with Zhang Lu’s eagle kite and Jiang Weixi’s rainbow kite, all floated in the sky.

Cen Zhengnian watched the kite with a frown.

His method was correct and aligned with kite-flying principles, so why did it fail?

Zhang Wei returned the kite string reel to Zhang Lu and patted Cen Zhengnian on the shoulder. “For playful things like this, theory doesn’t work as well as practice.”

Cen Zhengnian stopped worrying about it. It had been a long time since he last flew a kite.

Looking up at the kite in the sky, he said, “You’re right.”

The three kids ran and laughed, their kites flying high and far in the sky.

They even had a competition to see which kite would fly the highest and farthest.

Meanwhile, Chuxia, Jiang Zhiguan, and Luo Peng helped each other tidy their hair and clothes before using Chuxia’s camera to capture various beautiful scenes.

Originally, they had planned to go out for a spring outing together and informed Bai Han.

They wanted to avoid any misunderstandings about excluding her family.

However, Bai Han declined the invitation, and even Jiang Weixian didn’t come.

Jiang Grandpa, being older, also stayed home, and Uncle Jiang and Yang Mei were too busy with work to join.

“Over here! This spot is beautiful!” Jiang Zhi Guan exclaimed, standing among some reeds.

Chu Xia adjusted her pose and crouched down to take her picture.

Taking pictures was tiring, so after a while, they felt they had enough and brought out the kites they had bought to fly with the kids.

That was the main purpose of their outing—to enjoy the lovely weather and fly kites. Fortunately, the weather was perfect: sunny with just the right amount of wind.

Chu Xia’s kite was a butterfly.

She walked over to Cen Zhengnian, who was watching as Cen Huai’an and Zhang Lu’s kites soared high. “Their kites are flying so high!” she remarked.

Cen Zhengnian nodded. “They’re competing.”

“Just be careful not to let them fly too high; the line can snap easily,” Chu Xia cautioned.

Before Cen Zhengnian could reply, a few birds approached Zhang Lu’s kite.

The simplified eagle she had drawn wasn’t fierce enough to deter them, and they mistook it for one of their own, circling around the kite.

One bird swooped down, pecking at the string and tugging hard.

With a sudden snap, the kite line broke, sending the kite plummeting into the distant farmland.

Cen Zhengnian watched the kite fall and said, “Besides the wind, they attract birds too.”

Zhang Lu was very fond of her eagle kite, having put a lot of effort into making it.

After initially failing several times and having to ask Jiang Laoshi for help, she finally created a perfect kite.

Seeing it drop, she grabbed the spool and dashed after it, panic etched on her face. “My eagle! My kite!”

Jiang Wei and Jiang Zhi Guan quickly followed her, while Cen Huai’an and Jiang Weixi rolled up their kite lines, no longer interested in flying their kites, their eyes glued to Zhang Lu’s retreating figure.