Chapter 54

After the Spring Equinox, the temperature noticeably rose, and the wind was no longer icy and bone-chilling. It carried a few threads of warmth, and soon, everyone could no longer wear their cotton coats.

Before they knew it, the world gradually turned green. The willows sprouted new buds, the wild grass stubbornly poked its head out of the ground, the wheat in the fields began to grow, and the rape flowers bloomed with a golden hue.

However, the good weather didn't last long. With a spring rain, the temperature suddenly plummeted, as if winter had returned.

Mei Qiuping often told Feng Yiping a common saying, "In the second, fourth, and eighth months, people dress in a mess." Given this, as someone who was sensitive to the cold, Feng Yiping was well-prepared. He kept his cotton coats and sweaters in his dormitory. Those who were eager to show off their style had already left their cumbersome winter clothes at home, and for them, the cold snap was not so pleasant.

After this period of low temperatures, the most beautiful and gentle days of the year arrived. In the fields and on the hillsides, grass grew and orioles flew, and various wildflowers bloomed along the mountain paths... The spring scenery was dazzling and breathtaking.

Of course, such spring scenery could not be fully appreciated while sitting in a classroom. Fortunately, the teachers were more lenient at this time, often reminding everyone after class not to stay in the classroom all the time, but to go out and take a walk, to clear their minds.

Therefore, the river embankment in front of the school became a favorite spot for students during their free time. Walking on the soft embankment, closing their eyes, and breathing in the fragrance of spring, feeling the gentle breeze of the willows, they were completely intoxicated.

Breaking off a willow branch and waving it casually, picking a wildflower and sniffing it, watching bees buzz as they collected nectar, and butterflies dance among the flowers, any fatigue quickly disappeared.

Just ahead, a group of girls from their class were walking back, laughing and chatting. The spring light was bright, and the girls' smiles were like flowers. Seeing this scene, Feng Yiping, being a bit of a smart aleck, hummed a few lines from Gao An's "Flower Bridge and Flowing Water," "Look at the early spring light, bustling on the branches, the petals are so beautiful, the girls are even more bashful."

Xiao Zhijie was secretly peeking at the girls across the way and casually asked, "What song is this? It sounds pretty good."

Wang Changning was making a whistle, which required some skill. He chose a willow branch of the right size, cut a section from the middle, and carefully rubbed it in his hands until the bark separated from the core, creating a complete willow bark whistle.

He tried it out in his mouth, "Yeah, what song is it? I've never heard it before."

Feng Yiping thought to himself that he was really asking for trouble and said evasively, "It's not a song, just a spontaneous feeling, a spontaneous feeling!"

"A spontaneous feeling?"

Hearing this, the two of them instantly became like hunting dogs, scanning the girls across the way. Unfortunately, the girls in their class were unusually united today, and the group across the way included most of the girls from their class, making it hard for them to focus on any one.

As the girls got closer, although they wanted to look, they felt embarrassed, or pretended to be embarrassed, and turned their heads to look elsewhere.

Wang Changning smiled meaningfully at Xiao Zhijie, "Oh, I get it, spring has come!"

Xiao Zhijie shook his head and laughed at Feng Yiping, "Yeah, spring has come. Some people...,"

As the girls got closer, the usually quiet and well-behaved girls outside the school were not so reserved. The bold ones, like Wang Jinju, were already shouting, "Xiao Zhijie, what were you looking at just now?" She probably wanted to add something flirtatious but didn't have the nerve to say it.

With only three of them against over ten girls, they were already at a disadvantage. Hearing Wang Jinju's question, Xiao Zhijie, who was already a bit nervous, turned bright red and couldn't speak.

Wang Changning, not being from their class, pretended it was none of his business and turned to look at the river. Feng Yiping, with his hands on their shoulders, smiled at the girls, "They were just admiring the flowers."

Xiao Zhijie added, "Yes, the flowers are very beautiful. We were just looking at the flowers."

Feng Yiping added, "But they also thought you girls were more beautiful than the flowers, so they couldn't help but take a few more looks." He then pushed the two of them forward and jumped down to the riverbank himself.

Although the girls wanted to hear and liked to hear such compliments, they still felt offended and started to gather around. Wang Changning, being quick-witted, immediately jumped down to the riverbank as well.

Xiao Zhijie, who seemed a bit tipsy, was still smiling and preparing to talk to the girls. Suddenly, he realized the other two had run away. He turned and ran back, saying, "What Feng Yiping said was about himself, don't come after me."

After running for a while, he finally jumped down to the riverbank. The girls, of course, weren't really going to do anything to them; they were just taking advantage of their numbers to tease them. Seeing their狼狈 (embarrassed) appearance, they felt they had won this encounter and were quite pleased, laughing and looking back, laughing again.

Xiao Zhijie caught up and punched each of them, "I finally see your true colors, you're both unrighteous guys." Pointing at Feng Yiping, he said, "Especially you, Feng Yiping, not only unrighteous but also treacherous, betraying your friends. In the past, you would have been a traitor like Pu Zhigao."

The county TV station was airing the TV series "Red Rock" these days, and many students would gather in the small courtyard of the principal's house to watch it before lights out. The characters in the show were often quoted in recent days.

Feng Yiping laughed and said to him, "You were too caught up in it. If you were locked in Chazaidong, you wouldn't need tiger stools or chili water. A beauty trap would make you confess everything."

During this most comfortable time of the year, "Storytelling" finally published a short novella by Feng Yiping, and he received over 400 yuan in royalties. Another novel, which combined the essence of several movies and TV series to reflect the lives of migrant workers, was once again accepted by "Harvest." This time, it was the longest and earned the most, with a royalty of 2,600 yuan.

This left many of his classmates, who had been skeptical, with nothing to say. There were certainly people who, with various intentions, hoped that Feng Yiping's good luck would run out or that he would run out of ideas. Feng Yiping, of course, would not let them have their way.

Feng Yiping was aware of some people's thoughts, but he continued to submit his work not because he cared about their opinions or wanted to refute or prove anything.