Chapter 8

On the morning of the 10th, Yang Jingxing took the things his parents had prepared to visit his grandparents. Uncle Yang Chengguang's house was quite far, in a small town about a thirty-minute drive from the county town. It was a self-built three-story building, which looked quite impressive compared to the nearby houses.

The taxi stopped in front of the building. When paying, the driver asked Yang Jingxing, "Are you surnamed Yang?"

Yang Jingxing nodded.

The driver then asked, "Are you Mr. Yang's son?"

Yang Jingxing smiled, "Is he that famous?"

The driver laughed heartily, "I used to drive for your father. I'm surnamed Zhang. Back then, your father's business wasn't as big as it is now. We had four cars and eight drivers transporting goods between Quhang and Deqing. It was really tough."

Although the driver said he didn't need payment, Yang Jingxing insisted on paying.

Sure enough, it was his grandmother who was running the small convenience store on the first floor. The energetic old lady was very happy to see Yang Jingxing and asked if he had eaten breakfast. Yang Jingxing let his grandmother check his height and report his academic performance, and then he made an excuse about the school trip abroad.

"Your aunt and Yang Yun are out buying groceries," his grandmother said, taking an ice cream from the freezer for Yang Jingxing and shouting loudly, "Yang Xingxing is here."

Yang Jingxing's grandfather was practicing qigong on the top floor. After finishing, he came down and talked to his grandson about his European trip, as he had also been there for an inspection. His grandfather also asked if Yang Jingxing had any leadership roles or honors in school, but was disappointed with the results.

"Have you stopped fighting?" His grandfather's tone was even more serious than his father's.

Grandmother came to his grandson's defense, "He's grown up."

Yang Jingxing's aunt was a hardworking and simple woman, not as concerned with her appearance as Xiao Shuxia. She and her daughter, Yang Yun, bought a lot of groceries to entertain Yang Jingxing.

Yang Yun was about to start high school, and her mother was a bit regretful, "We don't have enough money to send her to Puhai for school."

Yang Jingxing said that Puhai wasn't that great and didn't help with academic performance, and that it was hard to make friends there. However, the excellent student Yang Yun wasn't very enthusiastic about her mischievous cousin.

Uncle Yang Chengguang came back specially to have lunch with his nephew. He was most concerned about Yang Jingxing's life and studies in Puhai, seemingly not wanting his daughter to fall behind, as Yang Yun's grades were very good.

Uncle Yang Chengguang did some calculations, "The main cost is the sponsorship fee... Your classmates' families must be quite wealthy, right?"

Auntie said, "It's not that obvious? No cars allowed, and they have to wear school uniforms. They eat in the cafeteria."

Yang Yun had her own plans, "Anyway, I won't go. I'll just go to No. 1 High School."

Yang Jingxing left at around two o'clock. Although he initially refused the pocket money his grandmother offered, he didn't succeed. Grandmother said, "Yang Yun gets it every month, but you can only get it every six months. Come back before you go to school!" Most of his grandfather's retirement salary went to his grandchildren.

There were no taxis in the small town, so Yang Jingxing didn't ask his uncle to give him a ride. He took a minibus back to Jiuchun and received a call from Liu Miao, asking him to pick her up from the hair salon.

Liu Miao looked quite nice today, wearing a pink and white mid-length skirt and light red boat shoes. Her short-sleeved shirt and vest might have been a bit hot, and she had a Roman necklace around her neck.

"I bought it during the holiday," Liu Miao said, turning around to show Yang Jingxing her new clothes before starting her haircut.

"Looks good. I'll get a haircut too," Yang Jingxing said, looking at himself in the mirror.

"Let's wash our hair together... Have you called Xiaxue... Don't call her, so she won't wait anxiously."

While washing his hair, Liu Miao and Yang Jingxing discussed whether to get an ion perm. Yang Jingxing said it wasn't necessary. After washing, they had to wait a bit because they had to sit close together.

Liu Miao was quite familiar with her hairdresser and didn't need much communication to start. She also introduced Yang Jingxing to another hairdresser, "She's good, but it costs extra."

The hairdresser worked on Yang Jingxing's head, "Your hair is really nice... Where did you get it cut last time? No styling today? Just a trim?"

Yang Jingxing said, "A buzz cut, shorter."

Liu Miao turned her head, "No way, just like before!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "A buzz cut, I want to start over."

Although it was a buzz cut, the hairdresser was quite meticulous, trimming the edges well and commented, "You're handsome, any hairstyle will look good."

But Liu Miao frowned, "Not as good as before... It'll do."

Liu Miao's hairdresser asked her, "Are you classmates?"

Liu Miao said, "We've known each other since we were three, I'm a year younger."

The hairdresser joked, "Why didn't you bring your friend earlier?"

"He's studying in Puhai now," Liu Miao said, a bit discontentedly, and then asked Yang Jingxing, "Did your dad cut it?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "If there's a problem, my head will be in trouble. I'll just shave it."

While getting his eyebrows trimmed, Liu Miao received a call from Xiaxue. She reported, "We're getting haircuts, I called him... Almost done, wait and see his new hairstyle... You'll see, hehe..."

After the haircut, Yang Jingxing paid and they went to buy fried chicken. Yang Jingxing got one, and Liu Miao ate a piece of his, while she planned to share hers with Xiaxue.

In the taxi, Liu Miao asked Yang Jingxing if he had decided on a university yet. Yang Jingxing said he would discuss it with his parents at the parent-teacher meeting before the start of the school year. Generally, the student would express their preference, the teacher would give advice, and the parents would make the final decision, then they would work hard for a year toward the goal.

"Your family will definitely want you to study architecture," Liu Miao said, a bit regretfully, "Aren't you going to apply to the Film Academy anymore?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Now I want to apply to the Music Academy."

Liu Miao mocked, "Wherever there are more pretty girls, that's where you'll go. Xiaxue and I don't want to be too far from home."

When they met, Yang Jingxing's new buzz cut indeed made Xiaxue laugh. She giggled, "Actually, it looks pretty good."

Liu Miao complained, "He made Number 8 so nervous she almost couldn't hold the scissors, and even his sister thought he looked old!" Number 8 was the hairdresser who cut Yang Jingxing's hair.

Xiaxue was reading a novel, and on the coffee table was "Sophie's World." Yang Jingxing asked if her foot was better, and she said it should be fine, but she needed to follow the doctor's advice.

After the girls finished their chicken, they decided to have dinner later and watch a movie first. Xiaxue had downloaded three movies online, all tailored to Yang Jingxing's taste.

Liu Miao said, "The top six on the list, I downloaded the first, third, and fifth. Have you seen them?"

Yang Jingxing hadn't, as the school didn't allow computers in the dorms, let alone TVs or players. He chose an animated movie, "Madagascar," thinking the girls would like it.

The three of them enjoyed the movie, and Yang Jingxing praised the story, visuals, voice acting, and editing. Xiaxue thought it was worth it, "I didn't turn off my computer last night, and my mom turned it off, but I secretly turned it back on."

Liu Miao envied, "My internet is so slow, it wasn't finished by noon, and it was a big file."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Do you have 'Sailor Moon'?"

Liu Miao wasn't afraid, "Who? DBOY, transform!"

Yang Jingxing flattered, "Ah, you've both realized your dreams and become beautiful girls, but I never will."

Xiaxue blushed, looking at Yang Jingxing, "You can't beat us anyway."

Hey, the days of the beautiful girls fighting DBOY.

Before the movie ended, Xiaxue's mother, Jiang Wenlan, came back. She saw the shoes on the floor and called softly, "Xiaxue, Xiaxue."

Yang Jingxing quickly went out to greet her, "Aunt Jiang, you're back."

"Yang Jingxing..." Jiang Wenlan looked him over and asked, "Playing on the computer?"

"Watching a movie."

Jiang Wenlan slowly walked to her daughter's room and peeked inside, "Liu Miao is here too. Stay for dinner."

Liu Miao said, "Yang Jingxing will take us to the reservoir to eat fish later."

Jiang Wenlan was skeptical, "Xiaxue's foot is not convenient, let's eat at home."

Liu Miao helped answer, "Yang Jingxing will carry her, it's fine."

Jiang Wenlan didn't object and chatted casually with Yang Jingxing, asking about his studies.

A few minutes later, Xiaxue's father, Xia Yizhen, came back. He had a loud voice, "Yang Jingxing, you've grown taller! Three people squeezed here! Wouldn't it be more comfortable on the sofa watching TV?"

Jiang Wenlan cut a watermelon and brought it in, scolding her daughter, "Even with an injured foot, you should act like a host."

Xia Yizhen laughed, "Are they still guests? They're all hosts!"

Yang Jingxing took the plate and gave a slice to Xiaxue, "Don't be shy, don't be shy."

Liu Miao reached out, "I want one too."

Xia Yizhen and his wife chuckled.

The movie ended quickly, and they prepared to leave. Liu Miao looked at Xiaxue, "Don't wear this, change into the white dress, it's long, it'll be fine!"

Xiaxue changed into a beautiful white lace dress, which Yang Jingxing hadn't seen before. Xia Yizhen was ready to help his daughter down the stairs, but Jiang Wenlan said, "Yang Jingxing, help her, be careful, it should be fine."

Yang Jingxing squatted down to carry Xiaxue, but Liu Miao said, "Just carry her."

Xiaxue refused, "I can walk."

"Can you carry her? She's quite heavy," Jiang Wenlan seemed to be challenging him.

So Yang Jingxing extended his right hand, wrapped it around Xiaxue's knees, and lifted her up.

Jiang Wenlan chuckled, "Be careful, hold his shoulders... Ha, you're so strong."

Liu Miao playfully tickled Xiaxue's feet.

Xia Yizhen reminded his daughter, who couldn't help but giggle, "Lower your head, don't hit the door."

While Yang Jingxing was putting on his shoes, Xiaxue remembered, "Miao, get my bag."

So, Yang Jingxing carried Xiaxue high on his right side, supporting her with his shoulder, and the three of them laughed as they quickly went down the stairs, with the adults behind them reminding them to be careful.

At the entrance to the courtyard, Xiaxue quickly asked to stand on her own to wait for the taxi. Liu Miao jumped onto the nearby steps, stomped her left foot, and called to Yang Jingxing, "Come!"

So, Yang Jingxing carried Liu Miao and spun her around twice before putting her down, and the two girls giggled.

Liu Miao rubbed her knees together, then supported Xiaxue's arm, and asked, "Who's heavier?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Both of you are malnourished, eat more."

The drive from the city to the reservoir, Xiaodongting, took about half an hour. It was already evening, and the sunset was still quite warm. Xiaodongting had a nice environment, nestled by the mountains and the water, and it was a busy time, with many cars parked outside.

"There are no private rooms left," the server looked at the three students and Xiaxue's injured foot.

Liu Miao said, "We always sit in a private room, how long do we have to wait?"

The server suggested, "Why don't you sit on the first floor? There's a nice four-person table with a view of the Qingying Bridge."

The owner came down from upstairs, saw Yang Jingxing, and came over to greet him, "We have a private room, on the third floor."

So, Yang Jingxing carried Xiaxue up to the third floor, and the owner followed, laughing. It was a large private room with two tables. Liu Miao was worried, "Will anyone else come?"

The owner assured them no one else would, ordered the dishes, and asked if they wanted them served quickly or slowly. As he left, he joked to Yang Jingxing, "You're more popular than your father."

Liu Miao rolled her eyes and moved a chair to let Xiaxue rest her leg.

The three of them sat down, with Yang Jingxing in the middle. Liu Miao patted Yang Jingxing's left pocket and reached into his right pocket, asking, "You don't smoke anymore?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "I don't want you to inhale secondhand smoke."

Liu Miao rummaged through her bag and took out two cigarettes from a small case, saying, "I stole them from my dad, the 61-yuan pack. He only had a few left, so I didn't take more."

Yang Jingxing looked at the cigarettes, and Xiaxue asked, "No lighter?"

"Let's not smoke now, hide them for me."

"Put them in Xiaxue's glasses case, I'm afraid they'll break in my bag."

Liu Miao reached into Yang Jingxing's right pocket and took out his phone, a bit discontentedly, "Xiaxue and I use Nokias, don't use Motorola, it's for middle-aged men. Change to the 7610, I'll ask my mom to get one for you." Liu Miao's mother worked at a mobile company, so they could get a discount.

Yang Jingxing said, "I won't be a third wheel."

Liu Miao slapped Yang Jingxing's arm with the side of her hand, "Ours can take pictures."

Xiaxue showed Yang Jingxing her phone, "It fell off the bed and broke, so I got a new case. It was originally black and red, but Miao said to get a different one."

Yang Jingxing said, "I remember my fingers ached from pressing buttons when you two bought your phones."

Liu Miao laughed, "Fifty yuan for phone credit, I used it all on text messages in two days, and my mom asked me about it."

Xiaxue giggled, "I didn't know text messages were charged by the character, so I wrote long messages, and it took several texts."

Yang Jingxing held both girls' phones, one in each hand, and threatened, "I'll check your text messages and call logs."

Liu Miao was almost angry, "Our numbers are private, no one knows them."

Xiaxue giggled, "Someone asked Miao for her number, a second-year student."

Liu Miao explained to Yang Jingxing, who was waving his hands, "At the sports meet, I was about to cheer for you, I didn't even know his name, I'd never seen him."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "True, with no reputation, he had the nerve to ask Liu Miao for her number."

Xiaxue giggled. Liu Miao was angry, stretched out her legs, and slapped the floor with her feet, leaning forward to counter, "Xiaxue received a love letter, Fu Qian told me, but she denied it." Fu Qian was Xiaxue's desk mate, a very gossipy girl.

Xiaxue's tone wasn't as agitated, but her voice was louder, "It was a greeting card on April Fool's Day!"

Liu Miao was even angrier, "I told you! Didn't you throw it outside the school? You denied it then. You told him as soon as he came!"

Yang Jingxing was annoyed, "Stop showing off, I'm already jealous."

Liu Miao gloated, "Why did you go so far away! Are you really that strict?"

Yang Jingxing said shamelessly, "Yes, otherwise you'd have a sister-in-law by now."

Liu Miao glared at Yang Jingxing, "To be my sister-in-law, you have to pass my test."

Yang Jingxing confessed, "I'm actually making excuses to hide my lack of charm."

Xiaxue laughed, watching Yang Jingxing play with his phone and not check his messages, and said, "I haven't deleted the joke you sent last time, I showed it to Fu Qian, and she laughed for half a class."

Liu Miao complained, "You sent us the same ones several times, so we couldn't share."

Yang Jingxing admitted, "Sending text messages, you two are one plus one equals two, I can't compete." Playing table tennis was one plus one less than one.

Liu Miao looked through Yang Jingxing's message box and giggled, then stood up and leaned over to Xiaxue, "Look."

It was when Yang Jingxing had his birthday in May, and Liu Miao and Xiaxue each sent a message, both only two characters long, "Birthday" and "Happy." The two messages were sent together, and Yang Jingxing still kept them.

Yang Jingxing complained, "Look at you, you can even divide the work like an assembly line."

Xiaxue had an opinion, "Xiaxue doesn't sound good, change it to my name."

Yang Jingxing was domineering, "I like it this way."

Xiaxue pouted. Liu Miao also had an opinion, "Why do you only keep a few, we keep all of yours. Right, right, take a photo."

Liu Miao first gave her phone to Xiaxue, then stood behind Yang Jingxing, making a V sign on his head. Xiaxue said she was too close to take a good picture, so Liu Miao squatted a bit, opened her eyes wide, and kept a cute smile.

Looking at the result, Liu Miao was unsatisfied, "It's too dark, the angle is too low... When Xiaxue's foot gets better, we'll go boating and take more photos."

Then it was Xiaxue's turn. Yang Jingxing changed positions, and she also made a V sign on his head. The two girls looked at each other and thought it was silly.

Xiaxue said, "Photos should capture those unintentional moments to look good. I read a book called 'Conversations with Photography Masters,' which said..."

"Ah?" Liu Miao interrupted her friend.

Xiaxue explained, "My cousin studies journalism, I saw it at her place."

Liu Miao was a bit angry, turning to Yang Jingxing, "You taught her, don't read those boring things, okay?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I stopped reading them a long time ago."

Xiaxue exposed him, "You asked me to read 'A Brief History of Time' last time."

Liu Miao was also annoyed, "And you asked me to read it! I really couldn't get through it, why study the universe when you don't even understand people!"

(Thank you all, I can only show my gratitude this way.)